NFL picks: Heisman winners galore as Ravens face Titans
The best of U.S. university football will be on display in Baltimore. Say what? Five Heisman Trophy winners will be there when the Titans visit the Ravens (Saturday, 8:15 p.m.). It’s entirely possible that the team advancing to the AFC Championship Game will do so because its Heisman recipient does the best job.
That probably will be difficult for the backup quarterbacks: Baltimore’s Robert Griffin (2011) and Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota (2014). But starting quarterback Lamar Jackson (2016) and running back Mark Ingram (2009) certainly figure to be factors for the Ravens. After all, they helped Baltimore to a 14-2 record, including wins in the last 12 outings. And Titans running back Derrick Henry (2015) was an unstoppable force in last week’s road victory that knocked out the defending champion Patriots.
“Five?” Jackson said of the Super Bowl-era record for Heisman recipients in a game. “I didn’t even think about that. It’s going to be incredible.”
Except, of course, both sides have formidable defences, as the Titans (10-7) showed in holding New England to 13 points last week. And as the Ravens displayed all season.
Pick: Ravens, 23-17 Minnesota (plus 6 1⁄2) at San
Francisco (Saturday, 4:35 p.m.) The Vikings (11-6) outplayed the Saints in New Orleans last weekend, a big surprise, yet needed overtime to move on. Their versatile pass rush was a huge reason they won, and the Vikings will need more of the same against top-seeded San Francisco (13-3).
The 49ers look to be getting back starters Kwon Alexander, Dee Ford and Jaquiski Tartt on defence. “It’s kind of a confidence boost,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “It’s been a while since we had all those guys back on the field together. The more weapons we have, the more powerful we’ll be.”
Pick: 49ers, 27-20 Houston (plus 9 1⁄2) at Kansas City (Sunday, 3:05 p.m.) Like Minnesota, Houston (11-6) showed its moxie in an overtime win last Saturday. The Texans rallied from a 16-0 deficit against visiting Buffalo. They have the playmakers to push the Chiefs (12-4), whose defence has come around, and they won at Kansas City this season. “These guys understand the opportunity in front of them and they understand what it’s going to take in Arrowhead Stadium against a great football team,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said.
Pick: Chiefs, 28-24
Seattle (plus 4) at Green Bay (Sunday, 6:40 p.m.)
The Seahawks (12-5) will have their resilience severely tested at Lambeau Field against the rested Packers (13-3). Then again, Seattle seems to play nothing but close games. It also seems to manage to find the right bodies to fill holes caused by injuries, and it gets optimum contributions from Russell Wilson in clutch situations. That said, the Packers are as improved as anybody in Matt LaFleur’s first season as coach, especially on defence.
Best bet: Packers, 20-17
RECORD
Last week: 1-2-1 against spread, 1-3 straight up. Season: 135-119-5 against spread, 153-104-1 straight up.