Week 10 Picks

Thursday Night Football
Cleveland at Cincinnati (-6.5)
Mike:  CLE. This isn't the Browns year. It hasn't been since 1964. But next year? Next year I think we've got something.
Joe: CLE. I like when you say that first part because you're always wrong. Some kind of weird bounce will lead the Browns to victory (or spread covering) tonight.
Final: CLE 24-3. The game where the Browns completely dismantled the Bengals and gained awkward acceptance among national sports writers. The Browns fans that have been watching this team develop week by week knew the point spread was backwards. (Still, those turds against the Titans and Jags still looms.)

Sunday's Games
Dallas (-6.5, -Tony Romo, +Brandon Weeden) at Jacksonville
Mike: JAX. There are at least five former Browns starting quarterbacks now holding the clipboard on another team. The dropoff from Romo to Weeden may be the most precipitous drop of them all. Are any of these dropoffs any worse?
     CIN: Andy Dalton --> Jason Campbell
     PIT: Ben Roethlisberger --> Bruce Gradkowski
     WASH: Robert Griffin --> Colt McCoy
     CAR: Cam Newton --> Derek Anderson
     NO: Drew Brees --> Luke McCown (maybe this one)
It's crazy to look at that list and all the memories (all horrible) they bring back. Look at the stability the Browns had at QB between 1946-2003. Ever since Tim Couch got decimated, it's just ridiculous to look at that list even if I've seen it a thousand times.
Joe: DAL. Forgot what game this was by the end of that speech.
Final: DAL 31-17. Your short attention span has been replaced by a sport attention, Stan.

Miami at Detroit (-2.5)
Mike: MIA. Anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line, Ford Field gives Miami as good a chance as any.
Joe: DET. I have no idea what that means.
Final: DET 20-16. Dolphins had it in the bag until Stafford's latest comeback victory. This loss also cost me in my big money weekly pick'em. Look for another Mason-Dixon reference next week.

Kansas City (-1.5) at Buffalo
Mike: KC. Two teams lower on the Most Interesting NFL Teams list than Cleveland.
Joe: BUF. Most teams are below Cleveland.
Final: KC 17-13. I have no idea what happened in this one. Have only been given this:

San Francisco at New Orleans (-5.5)
Mike: NO. It's nice to see a Harbaugh struggle. Although, it would have been nice had he been on the winning side back in 1995. "I thought he caught it..."
Joe: NO. Too many San Fran injuries.
Final: SF by a FG in OT. Did Jimmy Graham push off? Depends on who you ask. Ironic that the key play was a hail mary, as mentioned in my prescient write up.

Tennessee at Baltimore (-9.5)
Mike: BAL. Zach Mettenberger -- the next Derek Anderson.
Joe: TEN. Mettenberger will put up garbage numbers.
Final: BAL 21-7. Z. Mettenberger 16-27, 179 YDS, 1 TD.

Pittsburgh (-4.5) at the New York Jets
Mike: PIT. Those guys from across the border are on a roll.
Joe: PIT. If this was 14.5 I'd still take Pittsburgh.
Final: NYJ!! 20-13. Jets Embarrass The Steelers.

Atlanta (-2.5) at Tampa Bay
Mike: ATL. Falcons have their issues but they're loads better than the Bucs.
Joe: ATL. Let Atlanta get another win before the Browns visit in a couple weeks.
Final: ATL by 10. Falcons at 3-6 still might win the division? Wrong.

Denver (-11.5) at Oakland
Mike: DEN. This really should be a 21.5 pt spread. Broncos get their slump buster.
Joe: OAK. Not sure how, but I think they'll cover.
Final: DEN 41-17. They covered until early third quarter.

St. Louis (-7.5) at Arizona
Mike: STL. Well, the Rams have knocked off the 49ers and Seahawks. I'll take the points as they face off against the city that stole their team.
Joe: ARI. Carson Palmer off another (!!!!) 50 MILLION DOLLAR EXTENSION (!!!!) demolishes the Rams.
Final: ARI wins but Carson Palmer goes down with a busted ACL two days after signing said extension. Incredible. That is so Carson Palmer.

The New York Giants at Seattle (-9.5)
Mike: SEA. You will never see me pick NYG. Terrible.
Joe: NYG. Seattle hasn't covered the spread in 4 weeks. The 2 previous times they covered was a last-second FG vs Washington and a TD in OT at home vs the Broncos. They're playing just well enough to win.
Final: SEA by 21. Playing just well enough is enough to manhandle the masqueraders.

Chicago at Green Bay (-7.5)
Mike: GB. I keep picking the Bears and I keep being disappointed. I guess that's how their fans feel.
Joe: GB. I was slightly off with my preseason Bears pick. 12-4 and in the playoffs. Might be 4-12 and a top 5 pick.
Final: GB 55-14. This was the most incredible display of domination (they led 42-0 at halftime) I've  seen. The Packers weren't so brilliant as the Bears were just incredible bad.

Monday Night Football
Carolina at Philadelphia (-6.5)
Mike: PHI. Chip Kelly's system is greater than the quarterback.
Joe: CAR. I do think Sanchez will do fine in this offense but he's putting this one out of reach.
Final: PHI 45-21. M. Sanchez 20-37, 332 YDS, 2 TDS. I keep thinking he's left-handed but that was the other guy, Leinart.

Mike: 8-5
Joe: 6-7