We’ve officially hit the midway point of the season and I’m still perfect on my survivor pool picks after the Los Angeles Chargers cruised past the Chicago Bears Sunday night.
As hard as it was to trust the Chargers, they were the obvious better team and they rewarded the pick by doing what they were supposed to do in a lopsided matchup. This week, no such game exists. All the good teams are playing other good teams, which means all the not-good teams are also playing each other. In other words, we’re about to take a risk.
Before we get to Week 9, here’s a look at where things stand:
Record: 8-0
Already used: Ravens, Bills, Chiefs, 49ers, Dolphins, Rams, Seahawks, Chargers
5
Indianapolis Colts (at Carolina Panthers)
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Between Anthony Richardson and Gardner Minshew, the Colts are averaging 25.6 points per game, good for sixth-best in the NFL. I don’t know what kind of magic Shane Steichen brought over there from the Philadelphia Eagles, but it’s working and I don’t expect Carolina to be able to keep up.
4
Houston Texans (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
AP Photo/Eric Gay
With a chance to go over .500 for the first time this season, Houston suffered a massive letdown to the Panthers last week, so I feel less good about this pick than I would have otherwise. Still, the Bucs are losers of three straight and struggling to score points, so I like the Texans in this matchup.
3
Atlanta Falcons (vs. Minnesota Vikings)
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There’s no way I’d be picking against Minnesota in this game before Kirk Cousins injured his Achilles, and I’m still not 100 percent sure they can’t figure out a way to beat Atlanta without him, but the Falcons got a gift in not having to face one of the league’s hottest quarterbacks.
2
Cleveland Browns (vs. Arizona Cardinals)
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Cleveland’s defense is regressing a bit over the last couple weeks due to added stress from an awful offense, but it is still one of the league’s best and will definitely give Cardinals rookie quarterback Clayton Tune a tough time in his first career start.
1
New Orleans Saints (vs. Chicago Bears)
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Picking against the Bears worked last week, so I’m sticking with the hot hand — or staying against the cold hand. The Saints aren’t the most trustworthy team, but they got back in the win column in Week 8 by beating Indy and they don’t need to be great against Chicago to stay there.
