NFL Picks: Backing Jacksonville and Pittsburgh

Written by

Updated on September 25, 2013 11:12PM EST

Stopa won last week at 9-6-1 to pull within two games of DDD. Otherwise, not much changed. This week, Stopa is on an island with the Ravens, Bengals, Seahawks, Giants and Cowboys, four of which are road favorites. We have two consensus picks, the Steelers and Jaguars.

	Erickson	Pianowski	Liss	Stopa	Del Don
49ers -3 at Rams	49ers	49ers	Rams	49ers	49ers
Steelers -1 vs. Vikings (in London)	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers
Ravens -3.5 at Bills	Bills	Bills	Bills	Ravens	Bills
Bengals -5 at Browns	Browns	Browns	Browns	Bengals	Browns
Colts -8.5 at Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars
Seahawks -3 at Texans	Texans	Texans	Texans	Seahawks	Texans
Cardinals +3 at Buccaneers	Cardinals	Cardinals	Buccaneers	Cardinals	Buccaneers
Bears +3 at Lions	Lions	Bears	Bears	Bears	Lions
Giants +4 at Chiefs	Chiefs	Chiefs	Chiefs	Giants	Chiefs
Jets +4 at Titans	Titans	Jets	Jets	Jets	Jets
Cowboys -2 at Chargers	Chargers	Chargers	Chargers	Cowboys	Chargers
Redskins -3 at Raiders	Raiders	Raiders	Redskins	Redskins	Redskins
Eagles +10.5 at Broncos	Broncos	Eagles	Broncos	Broncos	Eagles
Patriots +1.5 at Falcons	Falcons	Patriots	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons
Dolphins +6.5 at Saints	Dolphins	Saints	Saints	Dolphins	Dolphins
Best Bet	Steelers	Browns	Steelers	Jets	Jets
Last Week's Record	6-9-1	7-8-1	5-10-1	9-6-1	7-8-1
2013 Record	22-23-3	17-28-3	18-27-3	24-21-3	26-19-3
Best Bet Record	2-1	1-2	1-2	2-1	0-3
2013 Consensus Pick Record	4-7-2
2012 Record	110-140-6	124-126-6	121-129-6	143-107-6	123-127-6
2011 Record	121-128-7	134-115-7	124-125-7	123-126-7	127-122-7
2010 Record	129-122-5	134-117-5	126-125-5	136-115-5	134-117-5
2009 Record	123-130-3	132-121-3

	Erickson	Pianowski	Liss	Stopa	Del Don
49ers -3 at Rams	49ers	49ers	Rams	49ers	49ers
Steelers -1 vs. Vikings (in London)	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers
Ravens -3.5 at Bills	Bills	Bills	Bills	Ravens	Bills
Bengals -5 at Browns	Browns	Browns	Browns	Bengals	Browns
Colts -8.5 at Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars
Seahawks -3 at Texans	Texans	Texans	Texans	Seahawks	Texans
Cardinals +3 at Buccaneers	Cardinals	Cardinals	Buccaneers	Cardinals	Buccaneers
Bears +3 at Lions	Lions	Bears	Bears	Bears	Lions
Giants +4 at Chiefs	Chiefs	Chiefs	Chiefs	Giants	Chiefs
Jets +4 at Titans	Titans	Jets	Jets	Jets	Jets
Cowboys -2 at Chargers	Chargers	Chargers	Chargers	Cowboys	Chargers
Redskins -3 at Raiders	Raiders	Raiders	Redskins	Redskins	Redskins
Eagles +10.5 at Broncos	Broncos	Eagles	Broncos	Broncos	Eagles
Patriots +1.5 at Falcons	Falcons	Patriots	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons
Dolphins +6.5 at Saints	Dolphins	Saints	Saints	Dolphins	Dolphins
Best Bet	Steelers	Browns	Steelers	Jets	Jets
Last Week's Record	6-9-1	7-8-1	5-10-1	9-6-1	7-8-1
2013 Record	22-23-3	17-28-3	18-27-3	24-21-3	26-19-3
Best Bet Record	2-1	1-2	1-2	2-1	0-3
2013 Consensus Pick Record	4-7-2
2012 Record	110-140-6	124-126-6	121-129-6	143-107-6	123-127-6
2011 Record	121-128-7	134-115-7	124-125-7	123-126-7	127-122-7
2010 Record	129-122-5	134-117-5	126-125-5	136-115-5	134-117-5
2009 Record	123-130-3	132-121-3	131-122-3	130-123-3	126-127-3
2008 Record	132-114-10	128-118-10	124-122-10	125-121-10	130-116-10
2007 Record	127-120	118-129	127-120	N/A	130-117
2006 Record	118-129	N/A	139-108	N/A	N/A
2005 Record	121-126	N/A	127-120	N/A	N/A
2004 Record	124-124	N/A	130-118	N/A	N/A
2003 Record	121-126	118-129	124-123	N/A	N/A
2002 Record	113-136	123-126	141-108	N/A	N/A
2001 Record	124-113	117-120	118-119	N/A	N/A
2000 Record	123-117	134-106	141-99	N/A	N/A

Consensus Picks

This week we have two consensus picks: the Steelers and Jaguars. Last week we went 1-1 to put us at 4-7-2 on the season.

Comments:

Writer	Comment
Erickson	I hate the Thursday night game this week. Part of me thinks I should just take the home dog, especially with so many injuries or absences dogging the Niners. But the other part of me thinks the Rams sort of stink, and I'm sick of taking teams that stink. I wouldn't bet this game if I were in Vegas... Otherwise, this is the week of the home dog - taking a lot of points all over the place. I really hope someone else in our panel is bold enough to take the Colts (I'm sadly not) just so that the sucky Jags aren't a consensus pick. Last week notwithstanding, I'm not convinced the Colts are a really good team. ... I think the Steelers are less crappy than the Vikes, and this isn't a road game for them at all - it's a neutral game, and given that they're a public team, the London crowd is behind them if anything.
Pianowski	All sorts of uncertainty about Cleveland's offense (Josh Gordon can't really be that good, can he?) but one thing we know for sure - the Browns have an outstanding defense.
Liss	Odd that DDD and I both took the Giants, then switched. Hope we're both wrong.
Stopa	The Jets should be getting less than a field goal, not more. That defense is nasty. Geno Smith might screw it up, but Jake Locker isn't exactly a peach, either... I really like the Bears, too - they're significantly better than the Lions, whose shortcomings on defense and running the ball can't be masked forever... The Jaguars have historically matched up well with the Colts given their conservative style and the Colts struggles stopping the run. The Jags have to cover a spread eventually, right? I thought the public would have been all over the Steelers, in which event I might have faded. But it's a 50/50 split, so I'll take the vastly superior quarterback who won't go winless forever.
Del Don	I'm off to an OK start overall but haven't yet won a "best bet," so feel free to ignore mine this week. The one game I actually changed, thinking it's contrarian to do so, is backing the Chiefs. An overachieving and undefeated KC team versus quite possibly the league's most underachieving and winless NY team, this seems like the perfect time to buy low/sell high. So I'll do the opposite.

The players:

•Jeff Erickson: RotoWire Senior editor, 2001, 2008 Staff Picks Champ. Writes the Value Meter. Covers and roots for the Bengals.

•Scott Pianowski: Fantasy expert for Yahoo! Sports, and also contributes to Rotowire.com. 2009 and 2011 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the Patriots.

•Chris Liss: RotoWire Managing Editor, 2000, 2002, 2006 Staff Picks Champ, 2003, 2004 co-champ. Writes East Coast Offense, Beating the Book and Surviving the Week in addition to Staff Picks. Covers and roots for the Giants.

•Mark Stopa: Staff Writer, 2010, 2012 Staff Picks Champ, Writes Working the Wire. Roots for the Bills.

•Dalton Del Don: Fantasy Expert for Yahoo! Sports, 2007 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the 49ers.