After the drought, the deluge. For consecutive weeks we had no clean sweeps to celebrate in our Pick Six contest, but this time I bring you seven … and a half. Let’s have rapturous applause for alpenvo, Barkotron, CosmicTrigger, GlennyTheElder, ITLaw23, waterhoose and zoomster - who called every game correctly in week nine. And also a commiserating clap for aalipour - who did the same, but won’t get the full six points because he submitted his predictions after the early games had already begun.
I’ll have those overall standings up shortly in the comments section below. Until then, here are this week’s games.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Carolina Panthers (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm GMT)
The Panthers are bidding to become the third team since the merger to overcome a 1-5 start and make the playoffs. Kansas City became the second just last year. What has slipped many people’s attention is quite how successfully the Chiefs have sustained that momentum. They are 6-2 this season, making them 17-3 in their last 20 games - the best record in the NFL over that stretch. Alex Smith and Spencer Ware both return on Sunday to an offense that was humming along nicely before their respective head injuries, and Justin Houston could also return on defense. Activated from the PUP list this week after missing the first nine weeks of the season, he would likely be on a tight snap count if he does play. But even that could be enough to ramp up the pressure on Cam Newton significantly, given the huge strides made lately by his pass-rushing partner Dee Ford. Chiefs to win
Denver Broncos @ New Orleans Saints (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm GMT)
Sometimes, the stars align just right. Or, for Denver, just wrong. One week after getting gouged for 218 rushing yards by Oakland, the Broncos’ defense now faces a New Orleans team that is coming off its best day running the ball since Sean Payton took over as head coach. Previously, I might have questioned whether Drew Brees could unpick the league’s best pass defense. Now, my biggest doubt is whether Payton can be trusted to continue reining in his more aggressive instincts, and let Tim Hightower and Mark Ingram bear the load once again. If he does, New Orleans should thrive. The Broncos had been struggling against the run even before that mauling by Oakland. Saints to win
Los Angeles Rams @ New York Jets (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm GMT)
Fearsome on defense, but feeble on offense, the Rams are demonstrating week by week that Jeff Fisher’s recipe for “7-9 bullshit” remains as reliable as ever. They do still need a few more wins to hit that mark this season, though, so will this be one of them? The Jets are a mess, a team so lacking in internal cohesion that they can’t even get their players to show up to his own birthday party. And yet, with both Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson back in the line-up, their defensive front ought to be stout. New York still has weaknesses in its secondary, but I just don’t see Case Keenum - travelling cross-country for a game that kicks off at 10am California time - as the man to exploit them. Jets to win
Minnesota Vikings @ Washington (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm GMT)
Have the wheels come off in Minnesota? A team which opened 5-0 has now lost three straight - and they weren’t exactly up against the league’s best. Injuries have decimated the offensive line, leading to Sam Bradford being sacked 13 times already during this losing streak. Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Murphy are unlikely to make his life any more comfortable this weekend. And if the Vikes’ offense does stall once again, then will their still formidable defense be able to carry them? Washington’s difficulty finishing games concerns me - this team should have beaten both Detroit and Cincinnati - but I liked what I saw of Rob Kelley in London, and Kirk Cousins is playing better than he gets credit for. Washington to win
Chicago Bears @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm GMT)
A win over Minnesota before the bye gave Bears fans hope that the second half of this season could look different to the first. The playoffs are a distant prospect at 2-6, but beating Tampa Bay would do for a start. On the surface, the Bucs might look like natural favourites in this game - they own a (slightly) better record, at 3-5, are playing at home, and took a strong Oakland team to overtime just two weeks ago. But you don’t have to dig very deep to find the counter-point. Unless Doug Martin gets back on the field, they will be missing four of their top five running backs. Oh, and not one of their wins so far has come at Raymond James Stadium. Bears to win
Dallas Cowboys @ Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday 4.25pm ET/9.25pm GMT)
According to the Dallas Morning News, Tony Romo has been medically cleared to return to the football field for weeks. Sooner or later, the Cowboys’ coaching staff will have to admit that they just don’t want to give him his starting job back. Dak Prescott is playing too well to be benched, although this might be his toughest test yet - on the road against a wounded Pittsburgh team that needs urgently to end a run of three straight defeats. The rookie will need to be at his sharpest to keep pace with Ben Roethlisberger, who in three home games so far has thrown for 12 touchdowns and just two picks. As impressive as the Cowboys have been on defense, they have not faced an offense as potent as Pittsburgh’s can be when all of its pieces are in place. Steelers to win
