NFL Week 8 picks: Floundering Falcons look onward
There is losing, and there is LOSING.
The Atlanta Falcons have mastered the capitalized version.
Blown leads, botched onside kicks and, last Sunday, scoring when they shouldn’t have. It’s all added up to a 1-6 record, a coach and general manager fired, and ridicule across America for what is actually one of the NFL’s best organizations.
It might be a stretch to say that the Falcons’ foibles in 2020 date back to when they set a Super Bowl record for losing from ahead in the 2017 game against New England. Or maybe not. Clearly, Atlanta has shown a penchant for monumental collapses.
On Thursday they head to Carolina, already having lost to the Panthers this season, although not with a spectacular stumble. That was the final game for coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff.
Some believe the best advice for the Falcons is to simply plow ahead, while others insist they must learn from these fiascos.
“Playing on Thursday night makes you get out of the funk that you’re in after a tough loss,” Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said. “So, I think getting back into a game plan quickly, talking with coaches, starting to make plans for Thursday night kind of helps.”
The Panthers, 3-4 in their first season under coach Matt Rhule, have been a pleasant surprise considering they were pegged to be the NFC South’s tail-ender. They hope to get back star running back Christian McCaffrey, who can be a differencemaker if he’s fully healed from a high ankle sprain.
The Panthers, No. 19 in the AP Pro32, are a 2 1⁄2- point favourite over the floundering No. 28 Falcons.
Pick: Panthers, 28-23
SUNDAY No. 32 N.Y. Jets (+19) at No. 2 Kansas City
Probably should be our Best Bet, but that’s a ton of points to give. Still ... Best bet: Chiefs, 38-10
No. 22 L.A. Chargers (-3) at No. 23 Denver
Yes, the QB matchup favours L.A., but favouring the Chargers overall here? Nope. Upset special: Broncos, 22-20
No. 1 Pittsburgh (+5) at No. 3 Baltimore
Pro Picks’ top NFL rivalry, with the top spot in the AFC North up for grabs. Pick: Steelers, 22-20 No. 27 Minnesota (+6 1⁄2) at No. 5 Green Bay If not for Jets-Chiefs, this would be our Best Bet. Pick: Packers, 30-16
No. 18 New England (+3 at No. 9 Buffalo
1⁄2)
Things have gotten ugly in New England, with no Tom Brady to bail out the Patriots. Pick: Bills, 17-15 No. 10 L.A. Rams (-3 1⁄2) at No. 17 Miami Aaron Donald, meet newbie QB Tua Tagovailoa. Pick: Rams, 26-16 No. 13 San Francisco (+3) at No. 4 Seattle The Seahawks don’t know how to avoid close games, even with SF banged-up. Pick: Seahawks, 31-30 No. 8 New Orleans (-4) at No. 12 Chicago Can’t like much of anything the
Bears showed in LA. It should be tighter in the Windy City. Pick: Saints, 24-16
1⁄2)
No. 29 Dallas (+7 at No 21 Philadelphia
We will take Philly’s grit and determination over Dallas’ ennui. Pick: Eagles, 22-10 No. 16 Las Vegas (+3 1⁄2) at No. 14 Cleveland The Browns have proven they can beat bad teams. What are the Raiders? Pick: Browns, 26-23 No. 7 Tennessee (-5) at No. 26 Cincinnati The Bengals are growing even as they keep losing. But they haven’t grown this much. Pick: Titans, 30-27 No. 15 Indianapolis (-2) at No. 20 Detroit Don’t be fooled by the Lions reaching .500. Pick: Colts, 26-21
MONDAY
No. 6 Tampa Bay (-10) at No. 30 N.Y. Giants Speaking of Brady, the Giants fared pretty well against him. Not here. Pick: Buccaneers, 30-16 RECORD
Straight up: 69-35-1 Against spread: 56-44-2