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NFL Survivor Pool Picks and Advice: Week 10


by Matt Severance - 11/8/2017

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger

I'm officially done listening to NFL scouts and the likes of Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay when it comes to the draft. Just about no one liked the Los Angeles Rams trading up to No. 1 overall to take Cal quarterback Jared Goff in 2016. Even fewer were high on the Philadelphia Eagles trading up to No. 2 overall that year to take North Dakota State QB Carson Wentz.

Now? The Eagles have the NFL's best record, are the clear team to beat in the NFC and Wentz is the NFL MVP favorite. The Rams are atop the NFC West, lead the league in offense, already have topped last year's point total and Goff is probably the NFL Most Improved Player favorite. The Rams and Eagles both put up 51 points in Week 9 blowouts. Both Goff and Wentz threw four TD passes, marking the first time in league history in which quarterbacks selected No. 1 and 2 overall in the same NFL Draft each threw four touchdown passes on the same day.

So maybe there is hope for the Bears' Mitchell Trubisky considering most experts panned Chicago's decision to move up from No. 3 to No. 2 overall this year to take the one-year starter at North Carolina.

It was another fairly chalk week in the NFL - I'm sure many of you were planning to ride Houston over Indianapolis as your top Survivor Pick, but I sure hope you got off the Texans when Deshaun Watson sadly tore his ACL in practice last week. If you bet your potential winnings on Tom Savage, even at home against the sorry Colts, then shame on you! The NFL is a quarterback league first and foremost. In addition, you had to expect the Houston players to come out flat considering the Watson injury essentially ended their season (and did his). The Texans were my top choice last week, but that was before the injury news. Another reminder to wait until the last possible second to make your official selection.

Washington winning in Seattle might have burned some of you, and I definitely didn't see that coming. The Jets also upset the Bills, but that was a Thursday game and you should simply ignore those.

On the bye week in Week 10 are two of the NFL's best teams in Philadelphia and Kansas City (Super Bowl matchup?) along with Oakland and Baltimore. Here are the picks, with the chosen team listed first.

First Down

Pittsburgh at Indianapolis: The Steelers somehow seem to avoid Andrew Luck every year due to injury. Pittsburgh has blasted the Colts each of the past three seasons and Ben Roethlisberger had 13 combined TD passes in those games. Pittsburgh also has the advantage of coming off its bye week.

Second Down

LA Rams vs. Houston: I guess I believe in the Rams now - Sean McVay is a miracle worker. This would have been such an interesting game had it been Goff vs. Watson. Now it should be a blowout. Will L.A. fans actually show up?

Detroit vs. Cleveland: This would terrify me as a Lions fan. Detroit had that nice victory in Green Bay on Monday, where it never wins. The Lions are now alive and well in the NFC North race. But it's a short week, seems like a game where the Lions might gag (they have a long history of such) and the Browns are off their bye week.

Tennessee vs. Cincinnati: So, apparently you can go all Conor McGregor on an opponent in an NFL game and not get suspended. Bengals star WR AJ Green didn't for what he did vs. Jacksonville last week. Had he been, the Titans might be my top pick this week.

Jacksonville vs. LA Chargers: Why do these teams on opposite coasts play like every year? The Bolts are off their bye and have dominated this series, but this is a new Jacksonville team. Leonard Fournette also will return from a one-game suspension.

Carolina vs. Miami (Monday): Cam Newton or Jay Cutler? Yeah, easy call.

Third Down

Washington vs. Minnesota: Could the Skins be a bit flat off that great comeback in Seattle? The Vikings also are off their bye week.

Chicago vs. Green Bay: The Bears are favored over the Packers!! Is this 1985??!?!? No, for once Chicago (which hadn't been favored since 2008 in the series) has the better quarterback in this matchup in Trubisky over Brett Hundley. Wow, does Aaron Rodgers cover up some major flaws on that Packer team or what?

Buffalo vs. New Orleans: Yes, these are the new-and-improved Saints. They win with defense and a running game. I still wouldn't trust them in a cold-weather outdoor stadium in mid-November. Plus, the Bills are unbeaten at home.

Seattle at Arizona (Thursday): I really only remember one tie in NFL history that didn't involve the Bears, and that was the Seahawks-Cardinals incredible 6-6 game last year in the desert. That was wild.

Dallas at Atlanta: Flip this pick if Ezekiel Elliott's suspension is reinstated. I now get diarrhea just talking about this stupidity.

New England at Denver: Everything points to the rested Patriots here, but Tom Brady tends to have his troubles in Denver against that defense. The Broncos also know their season is done with another loss.

Tampa Bay vs. NY Jets: It's former Jets starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick starting under center for the Bucs - Jameis Winston is going to miss at least a few weeks - and former Bucs starting quarterback Josh McCown starting under center for New York. And the NFL wonders why ratings are down? Tampa is also without the suspended top receiver Mike Evans. It's still a more talented team and at home.

Fourth Down

NY Giants at San Francisco: Need I explain why this is perhaps the worst matchup of the season? The loser could be a big winner in terms of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft - although that assumes the sad-sack Browns will win a game. So nevermind.

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