We’re coming off another good week for the Arena in Week 7 so we’re going to double down with a number of picks and look to keep this train rolling. Last week we went 3-1 to bring our record to 14-12 overall. Only Atlanta’s weak win against the dismal Giants kept us from an undefeated week. I guess the Giants can claim that as a moral victory. But the past is in the past, so looking forward to week 8 we’re picking 5 games, and for someone who prefers to pick underdogs whenever he can, I’m throwing 5 favorites out there, including one that pains me to pick as a die hard Packer fan.
Eagles over Jaguars (+2.5): Both powerhouse teams from last year seem to be struggling in different ways. The Jaguars are plummeting simply because their lack of offensive power, the Eagles are slipping because, well, I’m not really sure why. And in this case I guess I’ll take the mystery and assume the Eagles will figure it out compared to putting any faith in whoever is playing QB for the Jags these days. Not to mention the fact that Philly’s offense will look to get back on track versus a Jaguar defense that looks more and more like a pack of cuddly housecats these days. The Eagles win and cover.
Team from Washington over Giants (+.5): What is Vegas thinking? Why is this a pick ’em game? This smells like a trap game if I’ve ever seen it, but putting this as essentially a straight up pick seems to be insulting to a surprising team from Washington. I’ll take Washington to come away with a road game.
Lions (-2.5) over Seahawks: This could be a high scoring matchup in Detroit, but I simply don’t think the Seahawks can hang with the high powered Detroit offense. Come to think of it, how far has the mighty Seahawks defense fallen? What was once a vaunted stonewalling defense has now become a bit of a sieve. The Lions cover at home thanks to Matthew Stafford’s dominance and the Seahawks lack of protection for Russell Wilson.
Patriots over Bills (+14.5): Patriots are good and getting better, Bills are terrible. This line could be a 28.5 point Oklahoma v. Rice style line and I would still take the Patriots. Sure, the Bills have had some surprise games here and there, but this is the Patriots we’re talking about.
Rams (-9.5) over Packers: And here we are, maybe I’ve seen too much over the years, and maybe I’m just jaded watching team after team underachieve for the Packers. Or maybe I’m just now coming to grips with the fact that we haven’t been underachieving at all over the last few seasons, only now understanding that maybe we were never that good, and we were only riding Aaron Rodgers’ coattails to halfway decent records. Whatever the case may be, this has every look of another blowout win for the Rams. The Packers can’t stop anybody (see their dismal first half against S.F.), and even if you want to point to their occasional good stretches this season, inconsistency against the Rams will lead to a blowout. Truth be told, the Packers could play a good 60 minutes on defense and still lose, and since that’s unlikely to happen we’re taking the Rams to cover.
Looking deeper at the line on this game and what it means overall, this has the feeling to me like it could ultimately be a turning point for the Packer’s franchise. If they somehow get a win, it could be momentum building for the rest of the year. If they lose a competitive game, perhaps nothing will change, and it could even build a little faith for the team if the game is really close. But if the most likely result comes to pass, and the Packers get absolutely blown out in L.A., then the game on Sunday could carry a much more significant meaning. The Rams are the quintessential team for today’s NFL. They’ve been by far the most aggressive team and they have a QB on a rookie deal which means they can afford their aggressiveness. They also have a coach who is incredibly creative, innovative, and who is willing to take chances. In a sense, today’s Rams are everything the Packers aren’t, and everything they haven’t been under the leadership of Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson (we’ll give Gutekunst a breather since he just got there). Should the Packers get boatraced on Sunday as it looks like they will, the result could ultimately be a crushing indictment on everything MM and TT have built in Green Bay, at least in recent years. And in a strange way, perhaps the best thing for the Packers would be for them to get blown out in Sunday’s game. Maybe if they get outclassed it will spur some kind of change within the organization. Maybe if the Packers see how dominant the Rams are first hand it will force them to re-evaluate every process that takes place within the Lambeau Field offices. I’ll always root for the Packers to win each game they play, but for the first time I can remember, maybe a blowout wouldn’t be the worst thing.
Man in the Arena 
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