Week 8 and 9 of the 2021 NFL season will go down as the weeks
of the upset. 48% of survival pool picks lost in week 8 with the
Jets upset of the Bengals. Then in week 9, Dallas, New Orleans,
Las Vegas and Buffalo all lost with more than 70% of the picks
losing. So, if you are still in your pool, congrats to you and
let’s see if we can help you avoid the next upset.
#3: Dallas over Atlanta
(7-2: buf, TB, AZ, GB, MN, PIT, LAR, KC, no)
The Cowboys are licking their wounds from the defensive drubbing
the Broncos put on them after trading Von Miller away. If the
Falcons watch that tape, they now have the formula for beating
Dak Prescott and company.
Dallas is better than what they displayed last week. Assuming
Dak can dust off the rust and move his team against a Falcons
defense that gives up over 27 pts on average, then all should
be back to normal for an offense that normally scores 30 pts a
game. Don’t over think this.
#2: Buffalo over NY Jets
(6-3: TB, GB, DEN, no, NE, LAR, bal, cin, MIA)
The Bills lost last week to the Jaguars on the road. This week,
they visit the Jets who have surprised both Cincinnati and Tennessee
(both at home) but the Bills cannot afford another loss, especially
back-to-back and against a weaker division opponent.
The Jaguars gave the Bills a wake-up call last week. As such,
I’d expect them to return to form and exploit the Jets last
ranked defense. Good news for Josh Allen, is that DE Josh Allen
(Jags) won’t be lining up opposite him.
Mike White will be back under center, which should make for an
interesting game, but the Jets offense doesn’t have the
firepower to keep up with the Bills. Take the Bills if you must,
as many of the sweet matchups are division rivals, except for
the Cardinals/Panthers game which is my alternative here.
Bills-O / Jets-D Comparison
BUF Off
Rk
Stat
Rk
NYJ Def
390.1
8
TOT YDS
32
408.1
270.4
7
PASS YDS
29
274.9
119.8
11
RUSH YDS
27
133.3
29.4
4
PTS SCORED
32
31.4
8
9
T OVERS / T AWAYS
31
5
Bills-D / Jets-O Comparison
BUF Def
Rk
Stat
Rk
NYJ Off
262.2
1
TOT YDS
24
328.9
177.0
1
PASS YDS
14
251.8
85.6
4
RUSH YDS
30
77.1
14.8
1
PTS SCORED
27
18.0
17
2
T OVERS / T AWAYS
30
17
#1: Indianapolis over Jacksonville
(8-1: SF, CLE, CAR, BUF, TB, KC, AZ, LAR, dal)
Well, it finally happened. Our number one pick (DAL) failed us
last week which leaves the Colts as my best option (since I’ve
already used Arizona). Why should I trust them? Well, first off,
the Colts are at home playing a Jags team that hasn’t won
on the road. Secondly, Carson Wentz seems to be healthy, playing
smart, and has Jonathan Taylor in his backfield to keep the defense
from blitzing all day.
Unfortunately, the Colts defense hasn’t played as expected
this season, but they do lead the league in turnovers, a stat
that stands out as the Jags have turned the ball over fourteen
times in 8 games. Yes, this is a divisional game, but two miracles
back-to-back will not happen for Trevor Lawrence and his band
of merry men. Take the home team and enjoy the week.