2018 COAS Pigskin Pick 'Em: Week 10

The coalition is chugging on as we enter the double digit weeks and second half of the NFL season!

The top of the standings have changed once again; Kristen has moved back into a tie for first place with her brother Joe, while Aiden fell to a game back. You can view the standings here (bearing in mind that there is a picking error where Adam has one more win than he should on ESPN).

We finally got a couple of consensus picks correct after missing our first eight this past week; you can view all of our picks in relation to each other here. Those two consensus wins were almost the only success for one member of the coalition: I took six of seven disputed picks from Adam last week as his old strategy of Opposite Week, ironically, went the opposite of how he intended it to go. I'm well back of the top of the pack, but I've got a pretty large cushion through nine weeks to stay out of the basement.

This week, Adam and I disagree on five games out of 14. Due to work commitments, Adam's picks this week are a little shorter than normal, but he still found time to get them in. Let's see if I can get a little more cushion on him and make up some ground at the top!

Thursday Night

Carolina Panthers @ Pittsburgh Steelers (-4.5)
Lucas: Panthers. Yeah, the Steelers are starting to find their way even without Le'Veon Bell,  but I like the points here against a Carolina team also starting to find its way.
Adam: Panthers. Pittsburgh is cursed. Is it Bee uni week yet?
Lucas note:

Sunday, Early Afternoon

Atlanta Falcons @ Cleveland Browns (+4.5)
Lucas: Falcons. Hang on, I'm still celebrating.

HE DID IT! pic.twitter.com/cmn9ySGw4j

— The Ringer (@ringer) November 4, 2018

Adam: Falcons. Yes, you saw correctly: Julio finally caught his solo touchdown of the year.
Lucas note: Solo as in first or only? Because I'm really hoping the former.

Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets (-7.5)
Lucas: Bills. Buffalo's defense deserves better than what Nathan Petermeme is doing to them.

The passes that Nathan Peterman throws have become self-aware and are now turning themselves over.

— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) November 4, 2018

Adam: Bills. I’ll give ’em them a little cred against the Jets.

Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears (-6.5)
Lucas: Lions. I still don't get the Lions, but after getting beat up on by former ACS Eagle Chad Beebe and company, I feel like they bounce back a little bit against a meh Bears offense.

Adam: Lions. I don’t like the line. Bears win, but in a shootout. Biscuit for 350 yards and four touchdowns.

New Orleans Saints @ Cincinnati Bengals (+4.5)
Lucas: Saints. Sorry, I need to take a call real quick. Maybe it's Dez Bryant! ...Nope, it's Joe Horn.

Lucas note: Troy Aikman and the official who threw the flag can go pound sand; this was awesome.
Adam: Saints. Ring... Ring... Ring... Ummm, Hello? Yah, is me, guess what? I just scored!!!!

New England Patriots @ Tennessee Titans (+7.5)
Lucas: Patriots. Yeah, beating the Cowboys doesn't really impress me, even if you did hang 28 on their defense that's been okay so far. Have fun dealing with Touchdown Tom.
Adam: Patriots. Beating the Dallas Cowgirls at home does not make you special.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts (-2.5)
Lucas: Jaguars. I'm taking a bit of a risk here, but I don't totally trust the Colts, and you'd have to think a week off might help Blake Bortles become... not Blake Bortles?
Adam: Colts. Really I am just tired of taking road teams.
Lucas note: Holy crap, we have gone all road teams so far! Hold that thought.

Arizona Cardinals @ Kansas City Chiefs (-16.5)
Lucas: Cardinals. If the Bills pulling off the greatest upset of the season and possibly ever taught me anything, it's "Don't repeat the mistake of taking the home offensive juggernaut favored by multiple touchdowns over a crap team, just take the freaking points." I look forward to Patrick Mahomes now doing his best Vince Young from my Madden Franchise impression and throwing for 582 yards, nine touchdowns, and no picks.

Lucas note: Gerard Byham made the best catch I've ever seen in Madden, this from back in 2013. Probably Young's... 500th career touchdown pass or so? I don't even know; he just retired after winning his 11th straight Super Bowl (technically 10th since he was hurt for Super Bowl XLV and Tim Tebow won it for me) and finished his career with the following stats:

• 4736-6272 (75.5%)
• 86,695 yards passing
• At least 1402 touchdown passes (the game stops counting at 127 each season, and he hit at least that mark in his final four years, so probably closer to 1500)
• 75 interceptions
• 8804 yards rushing, 159 rushing touchdowns

Happy trails, Virtual Vince. Thanks for everything.
Adam: Chiefs. KC Masterpiece... going to roast some bird. Yes, even with that line.

Washington Redskins @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5)
Lucas: Redskins. You know what helps when you're bouncing back? Playing a bad Bucs defense with fading Fitzmagic.
Adam: Buccaneers. Ah yes, Liza, we get to see the regiment from DC this week.

Dear Liza,

My trusted sidearm was
rusty early on. It felt more like a pea shooter than a musket. The kitten regiment from Carolina outflanked us several times today. I’ve applied liniment to my scuffs. We face hostile indians next week.

Love like Jensen loves hog meat,

Ryan pic.twitter.com/KZzz9IQmSy

— Major Ryan Fitzpatrick (@MajorRyanFitz) November 5, 2018

Sunday, Late Afternoon

Los Angeles Chargers @ Oakland Raiders (+9.5)
Lucas: Chargers. LA has won six of seven and gets the carcass of what Jon Gruden has picked over to pick apart. Sign me up!
Adam: Chargers. Eh...

Miami Dolphins @ Green Bay Packers (-9.5)
Lucas: Dolphins. I went back and forth on this a little bit. My gut reaction said take the points, but I worry a Florida team going to the Tundra won't bode well for them. Really, I just want this Packer team to give me faith in them even though I've already got a pitchfork and just need to get a torch for the mob that will finally escort Mike McCarthy out of town.

Belicihek is playing chess and McCarthy is playing Candyland

— Chris (@CL2076) November 5, 2018

Adam: Packers. Let’s see who else they can slap around in this game.

“In #GBvsNE, Jermaine Whitehead was ejected from the game for striking the head of an opponent. The ejection was confirmed by NY.” -AL pic.twitter.com/zsx0d9chIm

— NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) November 5, 2018

Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Rams (-9.5)
Lucas: Rams. Well, now that the pressure's off and the champagne has flowed in Miami, the Rams can get back to business and destroy fools again. Also, I'd picked 11 straight road teams and didn't realize it until I went to plug everything into ESPN.

Adam: Rams. They will be hungry for revenge after their first loss.

Sunday Night

Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles (-6.5)
Lucas: Cowboys. Okay, like with the Jaguars last year the bye week messed up the pattern. Let's try this again, especially now that I'm getting almost a touchdown.
Adam: Eagles. Jason Garrett needs to be fired and plus you lose to the Titans? No cred.

Monday Night

New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers (-2.5)
Lucas: 49ers. ALL MY ROWDY FRIENDS ARE HERE FOR MORE NICK MULLENS.

Adam: 49ers. So the good news is the Giants did not lose a game last week. Bad news is they did not win either.

Records So Far
Lucas: 61-73 (8-5 last week)
Adam: 50-84 (3-10 last week)
Geoffrey: 65-69 (9-4 last week)
Joe: 71-63 (9-4 last week)
Aiden: 70-64 (8-5 last week)
Kristen: 71-63 (10-3 last week)
Jen: 65-69 (7-6 last week)