Pink's NFL Picks October 2, 2009

Last week’s record, 10-6; for the season, 30-18

Pick of the Week, 1-0; for the season, 3-0

Last week was another week of mediocrity. It’s going to take a few weeks to get a good read on the league.

Who would have thought that the Steelers would lose two in a row? After their opening win over the Titans, Pittsburgh looked poised to go on a roll — not! It goes to show that you’re better off exercising a little patience this time of year before jumping on someone’s bandwagon.

When is Brett Favre going to run out of horseshoes? Even though the Vikings were my pick of the week, I would have loved to see the 49ers pull off the upset. As for this week, I’m back at you with a “Lock of the Week,� so let’s get on with this week’s picks.

Sunday, Oct. 4

Detroit at Chicago — The Lions are coming off a huge win (when’s the last time you could say that?), while the Bears came from behind on the road to beat the Seahawks. With any luck, the Lions will pick up a few more Ws before the year is out, but I don’t think this week will be one of them. I’ll stick with the Bears, 20-17.

Cincinnati at Cleveland — Could it be the Bengals are much improved and the Browns aren’t? I think so. I like the Bengals in this one, 33-13.

Oakland at Houston — It’s hard to win in the NFL without a quarterback, so the Raiders are in real trouble. As for Houston, go figure. How does a team go from good to bad in just a week’s time? Regardless, the Texans do have a quarterback, so I’ll make them my Pick of the Week. Houston wins, 30-20.

Seattle at Indianapolis — Many people thought the Colts would stumble out of the gate with the loss of head coach Tony Dungy and wide receiver Marvin Harrison, and they have. Unfortunately for the opponents, they have stumbled only forward and not backward. Seattle is pretty good, but not on the road. I’ll stick with the Colts, 20-13.

Tennessee at Jacksonville — This past week both teams faced must-win situations. The Jags did their part, but the Titans lost their third in a row. Now this week is truly a must-win situation for the Titans and I think they will do it. I’ll go with Tennessee, 23-21.

N.Y. Giants at Kansas City — The Giants get two more patsies before the schedule toughens up for them in a big way. They cannot afford a letdown now. Giants continue to roll, 24-10.

Baltimore at New England — This is one of a handful of good games this week. I may not like the Ravens, but I will admit they are good, maybe really good. The Pats played well in their win over the Falcons, but I’m not sure they are ready for the Ravens defense (Rex Ryan), even at home. I’m going with the Ravens, 33-27.

Tampa Bay at Washington — Neither of these teams are worth watching. Fortunately, if it’s the only televised game in your area, there are plenty of fairs to consider attending as an alternative. The Redskins have to win this game, 17-13.

Buffalo at  Miami — These two teams are fighting for survival at this point. The Bills will be hard-pressed to win on the road, but with Dolphin quarterback Chad Pennington out there, chances improve. I’m pulling for Buffalo, but I think the Dolphins will prevail, 17-14.

New York Jets at New Orleans — There’s nothing like a good road test to see if Rex Ryan and his Jets are for real. As for the Saints, they showed last week that they could win even with Drew Brees having a sub-par day. In the end, I see quarterback Brees back to normal and putting up big numbers to lead the Saints to a 27-21 win.

Dallas at Denver — The Cowboys christened their new stadium Monday night with a win over Carolina. Going out to Denver to play, the Broncos will require a better effort if they hope to win. I’m not real big on either team, but the Broncos have yet to lose and are playing at home. I’ll go with Denver, 20-17.

St. Louis at San Francisco — This past week the 49ers showed everyone they are good, and moreso, they are tough. As for the Rams, it’s time to start focusing on the baseball Cardinals as they march toward the World Series. I think the 49ers win this one, 23-10.

San Diego at Pittsburgh — The Chargers are tough, and if LT comes back this week they are even tougher. The Steeler defense has played well enough to win, but the offense, especially the running game, is slumping. For the Steelers to win it will take a big effort on the part of Big Ben and he will come through. I like the Steelers, 24-21.

Monday, Oct. 5

Green Bay at Minnesota — All eyes will be on this division matchup. Both teams have shown they can score, so the outcome of this game may very well depend on who plays better defense. Unfortunately, all of the hype about the game will center on Brett Favre, and I think he’s ready to lay an egg against his former franchise. I’ll take the Packers in an upset, 28-24.

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