WEEK 8 NFL PICKS RECAP

The lone dominant team left seems to be the Broncos, led by the player who is arguably the face of the league in Peyton Manning. Otherwise, it appears things are settling into parity mode, with Green Bay, Indianapolis and Dallas all losing in inexplicable fashion to fall back into the pack. Is it just me, or do things seem a little too orchestrated and predictable, now that we know what's going on?

Last Week:    10 - 5
Overall:      80 - 42 - 1

San Diego (5 - 2) 24 @ Denver (5 - 1) 31: Correct. Best offense, really good defense. It's hard to make a case against Denver for best team in the league, unless the league wants it to be New England. We'll find out this week.  Denver 35 - 21

Detroit (5 - 2) 28 @ Atlanta (2 - 5) 24: Correct.I guess the Falcons had their chances from 2010 to 2012. No chance for this team except that the entire division is below .500. Look for them to be tossed a bone for having to go to London.  Detroit 22 - 21.

St. Louis (2 - 4) 20 @ Kansas City (3 - 3) 24: Correct. In a pool I'm in I picked the Rams to be the lowest scoring team of the week. I guess I finally got something right. Kansas City 34 - 7.

Houston (3 - 4) 27 @ Tennessee (2 - 5) 20: Correct. Houston benefits greatly by Indy's defensive meltdown against the Steelers. They're still in the playoff hunt and stand a good chance of making some noise at season's end.  Houston 30 - 16.

Minnesota (2 - 5) 30 @ Tampa Bay (1 - 5) 24: Correct. The Vikings prevailed but weren't as productive offensively as I thought they would be A second half run isn't out of the question.  Minnesota 19 - 13.

Seattle (3 - 3) 23 @ Carolina (3 - 3) 27: No. It took some late heroics for the Seahawks to come out on top. I don't see them making the playoffs unless they get their act together. Seattle 13 - 9.

Baltimore (5 - 2) 28 @ Cincinnati (3 - 2 - 1) 24: No. A questionable call cost the Ravens, but this division won't be decided until week 16 or 17. Four pretty good teams with great rivalries. Cincinnati 27 - 24.

Miami (3 - 3) 20 @ Jacksonville (1 - 6) 17: Correct. Miami needs to find a way to get through a very difficult stretch of their schedule. And at the end of that stand the Patriots on the road.  Miami 27 - 13.

Chicago (3 - 4) 21@ New England (5 - 2) 27: Correct. This one was probably more about the ineptness of the Bears than it was about the Patriots. But after being left for dead after week four, New England looks poised to contend for another Super Bowl appearance.  New England 51 - 23.

Buffalo (4 - 3) 17 @ New York Jets (1 - 6) 19: No. Bye Bye Rex. If you're going to build your team around average QB's and a good defense, you better give up less than 43 points against a marginable offense. Buffalo 43 - 23.

Philadelphia (5 - 1) 27 @ Arizona (5 - 1) 30: Correct. Not much of a surprise in this one, except for the low final score. Don't look now, but the Redskins are only a couple of games behind the Eagles and Cowboys, all without RGIII, who should be back on the field in a week or two. Arizona 24 - 20.

Oakland (0 - 6) 23 @ Cleveland (3 - 3) 28:  Correct. The Raiders are the only team with a zero in their record. It's well deserved. The son is paying the dues for his late father's sins against the league. Of course, he also inherited poor personnel management skills. A deadly duo. It's been ten years since a Super Bowl appearance and thirty one since a championship. Another one is nowhere in sight. Cleveland 23 - 13.

Indianapolis (5 - 2) 31 @ Pittsburgh (4 - 3) 24: No. You have to be kidding me. If you ever imagined that the NFL is going the away of the WWE, this was the first of three games that substantiated your case. It looked like the Colt's defensive line was playing in slow motion. Big Ben had more time to throw than a pitcher in the World Series. Really?  Pittsburgh 51 - 34.

Green Bay (5 - 2) 34 @ New Orleans (2 - 4) 28: No. This was truly Conspiracy Theory Game II. I think it was the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay on the field. Oh, wait, they don't have a football team. My point exactly. It didn't look the Packers did either. New Orleans 44 - 23.

Washington (2 - 5) 28 @ Dallas (6 - 1) 27: Correct. And the trifecta was completed with the Redskins' dismantling of the Cowboys on Monday night, behind a third string QB no less. Case made. Washington 20 - 17 OT.