NFL Picks 2013: Week 4

Sunday was one of those “who the hell knows” days when you just never know what’s going to happen in the NFL. A Cleveland team that’s ownership doesn’t even want to win in 2013 beat a desperate Vikings team that had hoped to rebound from an 0-2 start during its home opener. Indianapolis went on the road and not only beat the popular Super Bowl favorite 49ers, but destroyed them. Carolina shut out a flailing Giants team. And the ranks of the unbeaten include New Orleans and Miami.

So it might be fitting that Tony, who often preaches picking the thing you think most unlikely to happen, won the week with an 11-5 mark. All things considered, none of us were destroyed by the upsets. Anthony Maggio finished 10-6 while Rich and I trailed at 9-7. This produces a three-way tie for first in our season rankings.

Here are the standings heading into week four:

Week four brings on the first bye weeks and a slate of games that doesn’t have a lot of divisional rivalry games, but again pits a mix of teams you don’t get a chance to see play all that often. It also includes the NFL’s annual trek to London. This year the game features a rematch of Super Bowl IX. Unfortunately, that game was held 38 years ago. In 2013, both teams enter the game 0-3.

Here are our picks for the week:

Game of the Week: Miami at New Orleans – There are a few good ones this week. Thursday features a divisional matchup between San Francisco and St. Louis that I’ll likely tune into but neither team is playing all that well and the Thursday nighters have mostly been dogs the last couple years.

Chicago and Detroit will be entertaining. So will New England at Atlanta and Seattle at Houston. But we’re throwing a bone this week to Monday Night Football – in part because it doesn’t often get the best games of the week like it used to. And I don’t think the schedule makers would have guessed that both the Saints and Dolphins would be coming into this game undefeated.

At the end of the day, neither New Orleans nor Miami probably both have a ways to go to rebuild after rough 2012 campaigns. But one will be 4-0 after this week and both have a leg up in the early going on the competition for a spot in the playoffs. So for week four, it’s the Dolphins and the Saints.

Game of the Weak: Pittsburgh vs Minnesota in London – Much like I wouldn’t have guessed Miami and New Orleans would be undefeated headed into week four, I am equally surprised that these two proud franchises board their flight to London with a combined zero wins. Christian Ponder has been abysmal. Ben Roethlisberger is better, but he’s not leading any more scoring drives than his counterpart. The Vikings have been bad on both sides of the ball. And a season of at least semi-high expectations for both teams risks going further up in smoke in what will likely be an ugly snoozer overseas.

Dishonorable mentions to Washington at Oakland, New York Jets at Tennessee and New York Giants at Kansas City. Cincinnati at Cleveland might have warranted a mention, but the Bengals are hot and the Browns played with some pride and emotion last week – leading the coaching staff to determine that Brian Hoyer might not start again this week. You really don’t want to win in 2013, do you Cleveland organization…

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