Maybe it\u2019s good that I\u2019m no longer doing the Joint Mega Picks Podcast.<\/p>\n
From 10-6 to 9-7 to 8-8, the trend is not my friend. (For the season, I\u2019m 27-21.)<\/p>\n
In Week 3, the best pick was Ravens over Cowboys (especially since the wild-guess score prediction was 34-30). Worst pick: Buccaneers over Vikings. Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami pick: Bengals over Steelers, based on the erroneous conclusion that Pittsburgh\u2019s find-a-way magic dried up when Mike Tomlin left town.<\/p>\n
But each week brings another opportunity to land closer to 16-0 than 0-16. Hopefully, this year\u2019s weekly one-game slide won\u2019t result in 7-9.<\/p>\n
Steelers at Browns (Thursday night)<\/p>\n
The Steelers have gone 1-7 in Cleveland since 2018. To make matters worse, the Steelers are 0-9 in Thursday night games against AFC North rivals.<\/p>\n
What better way to turn the page on the recent past than to go to Cleveland and find a way to win? Aaron Rodgers will need to get his 42-year-old body ready to go on a short week, and the Steelers will need to play well on both sides of the ball.<\/p>\n
Browns coach Todd Monken has plenty of experience against the Steelers, given his time with the Ravens. My brain is screaming \u201cBrowns!\u201d but my gut is saying that the Steelers will benefit from coach Mike McCarthy\u2019s 16-6 record in short-week games.<\/p>\n
Steelers 17, Browns 13.<\/p>\n
Colts vs. Commanders at London<\/p>\n
The Colts ended a long losing streak, thanks to a Texans team that still can\u2019t find a way out of its early-season struggles. The Commanders stunned the defending Super Bowl champions, fueled by the kind of performance from Marcus Mariota that will keep Jayden Daniels on the bench until the 32-year-old former full-time starter cools off. Mariota may have at least one more in the tank.<\/p>\n
Commanders 24, Colts 20.<\/p>\n
Titans at Ravens<\/p>\n
Derrick Henry faces his former team for the first time. He\u2019ll make them regret letting him go, if they don\u2019t already.<\/p>\n
Making that task easier is that the Titans can\u2019t get anything going. Coach Robert Saleh\u2019s reference to quarterback Cam Ward\u2019s sacks-induced PTSD means that the clock in his brain is running out before the walls close in on a given play. That likely won\u2019t be cured against the Ravens\u2019 defense in Baltimore.<\/p>\n
Ravens 30, Titans 17.<\/p>\n
Patriots at Bills<\/p>\n
Of all the teams in the NFL, none relish the regression of the Patriots more than the Bills. On Sunday, Buffalo could essentially nail down the AFC East and set the table for a run to the No. 1 seed, given their ability to run roughshod against overmatched division rivals.<\/p>\n
Bills 34, Patriots 21.<\/p>\n
Jets at Bears<\/p>\n
Former Lions coordinators get together in Chicago. The Jets are improving, but the Bears have the better team on both sides of the ball \u2014 even without their starting quarterback. Or their preferred backup.<\/p>\n
Bears 27, Jets 17.<\/p>\n
Jaguars at Bengals<\/p>\n
Trevor Lawrence has beaten every team in the AFC except the Bengals. Last year, Jake Browning engineered the win after Joe Burrow left with a toe injury. And if, as Burrow believes, the 2026 Bengals have 2019 LSU vibes, a 2-2 start is not acceptable.<\/p>\n
Bengals 28, Jaguars 27.<\/p>\n
Cowboys at Texans<\/p>\n
The battle of Texas takes a back seat to the fact that both teams need this one, badly. Until Houston can muster consistent and effective offense, it\u2019s hard to envision them turning it around.<\/p>\n
Last year, the Texans became the second team to get to the playoffs after starting 0-3. This year, they may end up having a chance to be the second team to get there after starting 0-4.<\/p>\n
Cowboys 27, Texans 20.<\/p>\n
Cardinals at Giants<\/p>\n
The Giants have a chance to get another win while they further adjust to life without Jaxson Dart. And Jameis Winston needs to start worrying about staving off J.J. McCarthy.<\/p>\n
Giants 23, Cardinals 17.<\/p>\n
Rams at Eagles<\/p>\n