Zach & I were both 2-3 last weekend. Out of my six fantasy teams only one made the playoffs, so as a fan I’m hanging on by a thread to these picks, my Herd & Mountaineers in pedestrian bowl games, and the 7-6 Steelers, who average a measly 16 points/game & have the 21st ranked offense in the NFL.

My Season: 56-44

Zach’s Season: 48-52

Tampa Bay at Green Bay (-3.5)

The Bucs are 6-7 but in a three way tie for the division lead, almost mirroring the gridlock in the NFC South a season ago. There’s still time for things to shake out the way I predicted, but credit to Tampa for being slightly better than I thought they’d be. Meanwhile, the Packers are struggling as I knew they would. Not only does Green Bay have the advantage of The Frozen Tundra in December, but I think they’re beginning to figure things out and aren’t that far from being a pretty good team. Zach agrees.

My Pick: Green Bay

Zach’s Pick: Green Bay

NY Jets at Miami (-12.5)

The Dolphins suffered a heartbreaking loss to Tennessee last weekend but still sit atop the AFC East. The Jets surprisingly beat the snot out of Houston but still look to be a season or two or perhaps a piece or two from being contenders. I don’t think Miami will have any problem winning, but the points are certainly eye popping. If the Jets play as well this week as they did last week it could be a close game, but I don’t think they can pull that off two weeks in a row. Conversely, the points are just too much for Zach. He likes Miami to get the win but foresees the Jets remaining competitive.

My Pick: Miami

Zach’s Pick: NY Jets

Atlanta (-3) at Carolina

The Falcons are in that NFC South scrum and might be a great quarterback away from being a solid team. The Panthers could earn the top overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – too bad they already traded it to the Bears. These are two teams heading down different paths…Carolina is treading water in the pool of mediocrity, while Atlanta looks to be swimming away from choppy waters toward a calmer sea. Zach thinks Desmond Ridder still has an opportunity to be the franchise QB the Falcons need.

My Pick: Atlanta

Zach’s Pick: Atlanta

NY Giants at New Orleans (-6)

The sports media is abuzz over Giants QB Tommy Devito, an undrafted free agent out of Illinois. The team isn’t achieving much, but atleast it’s a cool story. The Saints have the good fortune of playing in a mediocre division so their playoff dreams are very much alive. I believe that kind of hope is a great motivator. Zach thinks it’ll be a tight game and is rolling the dice on the Giants.

My Pick: New Orleans

Zach’s Pick: NY Giants

Washington at LA Rams (-6.5)

The Rams have no shot at winning their division, but are still in contention for a wild card. They’ve also won three out of the last four games and gave the Ravens all they could handle last week before falling in overtime. The Commanders have had some good moments this season, but don’t be surprised if new ownership makes a whole lot of changes in the offseason. I wouldn’t be shocked if the visitors pull off an upset, but the home team has much more on the line. Zach concurs.

My Pick: LA Rams

Zach’s Pick: LA Rams