NFL picks 2018, Week 4: Packers, Patriots due for a rebound?

Last week was brutal. WIll this week’s game’s be any easier to pick? Who the hell knows anymore. Maybe you should just flip a coin to decide winners — it’s right 50 percent of the time in the end. That’s not going to stop us from trying.

The games last week were a lot of fun. Anytime a 17-point underdog can get on the plane with a lopsided win in their favor, it’s a tell-tale sign that it was a good week of football. Throw in a Patriots’ loss to a team that most people had written off as one of the league’s worst, and you’ve really had yourself a Sunday.

But it was brutal for the folks picking games. How many survival pools got ruined just because fans thought the Vikings were a safe early season pick? Our panel all picked Minnesota to win that game, except for that damn coin. We got fooled by the Patriots too, well, not the coin. And the entire slate, even the quarter, had to eat crow when the Titans beat the Jaguars.

The toughest game to pick this week is probably the Bengals at Falcons. Our panel leans toward Atlanta. Understandably so. We’ve now had two weeks of proof that Steve Sarkisian might have this whole red zone thing figured out. However, the Bengals are a much better team than we’re giving them credit for.

Speaking of the Bengals, please welcome noted Bengals fan Rebecca Tobak as this week’s guest picker.

The second hardest game to guess at is the Lions-Cowboys affair. Dallas’ offense is struggling, to say the least. The defense had been good, but Seattle gashed them last week with run after run after run. Now that the Lions officially have a running game, will they be smart enough to do the same? I’m just not sure which Lions team is going to show up from week to week, yet.

I’m leery of consensus picks, especially after last week. So it’s surprising to see the Packers getting the thumbs up across the board against the Bills. Probably smart not to overbuy on Buffalo, but the Packers are off to a really slow start right now. Plus, how many roughing the passer penalties is Clay Matthews going to get this week?

The Chargers over the 49ers is a little easier pick to make for everyone here. San Francisco is starting someone called CJ Bethard in Jimmy Garoppolo’s place.

Jacksonville over the Jets feels like a safe one too. I can’t imagine Jalen Ramsey letting his Jaguars teammates off the hook that easily after a loss to the Titans in Week 3. The Saints over the Giants feels like an easy one too, but that also depends on which version of the Giants we see this week.

Alright, once more on the rules. Our panel is allowed to change up to two of their picks by the end of the day on Friday, just to account for injuries, suspensions, etc. The computer we use is via OddsShark. The coin we use is a 2007 Oregon commemorative state quarter — it’s got a damn trout on the back of it!

OK, here are this week’s picks.