Welcome to the NFL Daily, where we're ready for eight days of football out of ten.
Oh my gosh.
I'm Greg Rosenthal in the Chris Wesley podcast studio. I'm with my friend Cynthia Freeland, and yes, it's your favorite time of the week. Cynthia, we're gonna make three picks against the spread.
Well today we're matching. Yeah, so, I mean we.
Got our producer pointed it out to us, so I had to point it out too. But I'm wearing the hat because I haven't been a makeup yet, and I big ZiT on my phone.
Oh you look beautiful. But I like the look with the hat a little, you know, but it's fun.
It's a fun like you know, holiday hat. It's a little soft, and you know, it works. I think I feel like it really adds to the ambiance.
Yes, and you know, most of our listeners are as podcasts, you know listeners. But the YouTube numbers are growing. We appreciate you. Always saw the subscribers went over fifty k. Let's get up numbers game at ten K numbers game. Let let's go, oh get that going. Everyone follow Cynthia there and let's throw the records up from last week. Another successful week of man versus machine. We both went too and one. I'm at twenty six and nineteen on
the season. You're a couple games back, but you're well in the green and so we're doing well.
Let's keep it rolling. Let's have you go with the first pick? All right? Right now?
What are you seeing as the line for the Cincinnati Bengals against the Browns?
Seven and a half was the last time I saw it?
Yep, I think even though I hate that number seven and a half just because it feels like, you know, a little bit of disaster is annoying, I still really like it. So I'm gonna go with the Cincinnati Bengals. I have a nine point win, and you know, my model's pretty conservative, so if I'm going that high. We just saw reports Miles Garrett like not fully healthy, that's also good news. So if you're on my side of
this equation, so I'm going I'm going with that one. First, How do you feel about that one?
I like that. It scares me.
I don't know bline would be with Jamis, but the fact that it's Dorian Thompson Robinson DTR makes.
You feel a lot better about it.
I would imagine, is Jamis really worth like two or three points over dtr That's crazy because to me, actually he would be I'm good with the Bengals. Now, if it was Bengals minus six even and Jamis was involved, I wouldn't want to get involved, just just because of the variants factor.
Well, I've also got possibly no David in Joku, so it does make it a lot easier to defend Jerry Judy if he's pretty much the only pass catching threat. So that's the other thing to potentially know David and Joku some beannged of defensive points. I think Joe Burrow wants to He's out there trying to prove something. So again I don't love that number as like a number seven and.
A half the hook woof.
But right in a team I'm in that at times they've had some trouble with and yet I do think it matters when you get this late in the season and you have one team that is playing for something. Yep, the Bengals have a very realistic chance to be alive in the playoff un in week eighteen. Now, whether whether they could get everything to work out for them, we'll see.
But if they can win this week, they get they get Denver next week, and they could basically stay alive by beating Denver, and then you get to week eighteen and you never know. So I like a pulse. I just yeah, Okay, one of my favorite picks of the year year right here. Okay, it's your Lions minus six and a half.
Oh, there's so much concern about what they don't have. Oh, they don't have this, they don't have that. Well, yeah, they're sixteen defensive players on IR you know it a lot. You know what.
I'm concerned about that winning when they play other good teams. Correct, The Detroit Lions are one of the best regular season teams I've ever seen. Now they're not exactly that team anymore. The two losses they had last week weren't just regular players. Alien McNeil was the most valuable player on their defensive line that was still healthy. And Carlton Davis is really important for what they do. I worry about that a little more longer term. But let's not get carried away.
Allie McNeil and Carlton Davis are not moving the line x amount of points. Great teams, respawn, they're a great team. They're playing a dead Bears team like Thomas Brown unfortunately got put as a head coach, where he would be better off probably just calling the plays. There's too much going on. I've watched the Bears offense last couple weeks, and the progress that they were making under Thomas Brown seems to have backslid. Caleb Williams is a little lost.
I actually think the Lions have enough upfront still to be very competitive defensively in this game, and they're plenty healthy on offense. I miss David Montgomery, but in this game, it's not gonna matter that much. I would say my over under for Lions offensive points in this game is about thirty seven. They are gonna want to shut everyone up, They're gonna have the best pregame speech, They're gonna be
as focused as possible after that loss. I just think we get the very best of the Lions, So I honestly would We can't do this on this show, but like you know, if you're out there and you're actually the world can make alternate Lions on your own. I would jack this thing up, okay and see if we can go way over it, because that's how I feel about this Lions team. I'm going about thirty seven to seventeen. That feels great to me.
Well, your lips to whoever's in charges Ears, and I hope that plays out like that. I am not putting them as one of my favorites, okay, I do have that.
Hand has nothing to do with you being a Lions fan. This was really the one when I was like, okay, who are the one? Oh? I was like, oh, Bears, that's going to be minus ten, right, and it's like, no, it's minus six and a half.
I love that. I think that's a great number. That's an incredible one. Okay, I'm sticking to my theme.
I have a theme this week, and that's play teams that are hungry for a playoff against teams that maybe.
Aren't got it. I love it.
Well, this team's already in the playoffs, they've already won their division. But they're looking at the one seed. That's the Bills. They are fourteen. Wow, at least that four? Was it fourteen or fourteen or four fourteen? Okay, for I don't care. They're playing at home, they're playing the Patriots. I'm not saying that I don't think the Patriots are good.
I'm saying I think the Bills need to figure some things out with their passing game, and I think this will be the game that they're not gonna, like, you know, experiment, but I think they're going to experiment. I don't think this is gonna be a Josh Allen Rushes for sixty yards type of game. I think this is gonna be a game where they hand the ball off to James Cook, but they get in the end zone. They pass the ball to the intermediate level, but they get in the
end zone. I know that Christian Gonzalez is really, really good, don't get me wrong, I love him, But there's other places where you can pass the ball that aren't Christian Gonzales. And this is a situation where if these Bills want to potentially kind of make up the ground, they if the and if there's any way that the Texans knock off the Chiefs, which I don't have happening, but we will already know that result by the time the Bills play, then I would expect big time by the Bills.
Wow, fourteen, that's a lot. Sometimes I'm only going by the math. Man. Yeah, I love it. The Bills offense.
Yeah, if I said thirty seven was about my over under for Lions points. That's about the same for Bills against the Patriots. The risk would be Jake may is playing at a high level, not getting not getting a lot of help.
But could they could they get some, but they need to play and this is at home. I like it. I mean, I don't love it, but I like it.
I like it because you did it, and I like whatever you do, Cynthia, even if you're going against my Patriots, I see what you did.
Not going against your pageos.
I have three other games written down and I'm struggling with which to pick. But over the course of this season, fading the Cowboys has been a winning.
Proposition for that. That's been the move.
Now lately, I haven't been for the most part, and their defense is really playing better since Michael Parsons is back. But I think the Bucks indoors. I know it's in Dallas, but I'm not giving them much credit for home fields advantage. I'd rather I'd rather have a climate controlled environment for an elite offense, and that's what the Buccaneers are with Liam Cohen in Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans going for a thousand yards and the way their offensive line is playing.
So I think this is the rare team that have big Buccaneers who are favored by four in Dallas, that they can.
Really slow down what the Cowboys do well.
And the numbers would say the Cowboys are actually one of, if not the best pass rush team in the league since Parsons got back. They are that good and that's kept them in games that helped them win last week against Carolina. But Tampa's offensive line is kind of a story that hasn't been talked about that much. Geta Key and Wurfs are as good as a tackle duo as
there is. They might have some Pro bowlers on the inside with Cody mock Like, they're really good, and so I think they can mitigate the one thing Dallas is special about. Cowboys have figured some things out offensively. So it's why I was saying, I'm struggling between these three. I don't love love any of my other picks, but I do think Tampa Bay minus four when I go to bed Saturday night, I'm feeling easy that that's one
of my three man versus model picks. And you might have to stay up late, you know, on the East Coast to watch this because I don't think it's going to be some sort of blowout. But I think they win by seven or eight and they get it done for me and get me another win. All right, give me your third.
I was I like that one a ton, but you could do that as well if Okay, I think we should. I think we like. I don't love love it, but I like it a lot. You're trying to catch up, I see. Yeah.
So in an interesting turn of events, I know that it's always you know, divisional games got to throw out the record, but this could potentially be the eagles last away game until the freaking Super Bowl.
Think about it. If they go into whatever they you know, Bedexfield, but it's where where is it? Landover? Where does it? It's in Landover marya Landover Maryland?
Because I know there was a big like fight over you know, they wanted to move back to DC. Elon Musk said no, it's not gonna do it. But I was reading about that earlier. But ultimately they go into Landover, they take the win by at least three and a half points, by more than three and a half points, and then they don't play on the road again.
Until a potential Super Bowl. That is bananas.
That is scary for the rest of the NFC. They are a team that knows how to win games like they won against the Commanders the first time around. Now, if you remember, Jalen Hurts was quite sloppy.
In that game.
In the beginning of the game was not great, and then by the end just the physical dominance that they had on both lines just overwhelmed it.
And they didn't even need great quarterback play.
They have such a huge margin for air that I don't am I allowed to join you as as my third pick, so you will see I had two more picks written down.
I like it, and I.
Just wanted to get more like another game in I just feel comfortable, yeah with that not amazing because I think that line three and a half, everyone loves that.
The way that the Eagles have looked it like looks too easy.
And yet show me the good game that the Commanders have played against quality competition. Actually show me like the great Commanders game that they've played period over the last couple of months.
Oh, okay, it was the Titans. I mean, they did what they needed to do, But I don't know if I think that was a great team, like.
The fact that they stopped moving the ball against the Saints in the Superdome and let them back in that game coming off of thereby, I just don't think they're ready for this moment. And quietly, they've had some injuries on the offensive side that I think hurt them, Noah Brown and Austin Eckler being and zach Ertz may not play. It sounds like zach Ertz is probably out for this game. So I'm gonna go with you, Philly minus three and a half. I only have one Greg stra As. Our
producer Hite them would say this week. The Greg Stras did well the last couple times they did him.
I do like the Giants plus eight and a half in Atlanta. Agreed.
It was actually my number two pick until I looked at the injury report and they're not gonna have burns or okaake in this game. It appears they haven't been at practice this week, and if those guys get healthy, I actually like that one better than Philadelphia. But as of this taping, they're not at practice, and that's just too much. They are already so in on the defensive side of the ball, and now you're taking away two
of their best three remaining players. I hate taking like a Falcons team with a rookie quarterback eight and a half is just so much.
It seems ridiculous to me.
So if I had to choose a side, I'm still on the Giants, but it's just not one of my three favorite picks of the week.
I jump just over to your side.
I'm sorry for doing that and taking your Eagles dine, but that is how I feel.
You're the one who has the box with the extracy.
When I was talking about sleeping at night, like when I go to sleep at night on Saturday, if I know Burns and Okara Kate aren't there on top of all the other problems that the Giants have, I just.
Like, I don't want to bother with it.
Although I do think they'll probably cover eight and a half with Drew Locke.
I like lock being in there better than Devido.
Yeah, I mean, but I also think like the I mean, if Pennock surprises them with some stuff, it could be nine points, you know what I'm saying. Like I'm not saying it'll be like some crazy thing like last minute. You know they're trying some things at the end instead of like a gate trying to do a like a two minute drill in the middle of the second half. It's supposed to try to learn some stuff, right, Like, I don't understand this move necessarily you were still a playoff contender.
Oh I love the move. I don't hate the move, but I don't understand.
I guess I just don't quite Why not put him in there a couple of times for a few change of pace drives, kind of like the Steelers do with Justin Fields as opposed to full tilt, being like you down, you up, because.
And he's a lefty versus a righty like that stuff all matters.
Just because Kirk gave him no choice in my mind that he start. Last week was the week that he just played like a guy with zero confidence that like it was almost begging to be taken out. I'm not locked into this game because I think Pennox brings some real variants that you could tell me that they win by they win by twenty five, and like that wouldn't totally shock me because they are a better team, their defense has been playing better. They could blow him out.
But because of the variants, he's a rookie quarterback. And they're not that great a team either, Like they could lose the game outright, So I just I just.
Ultimately didn't want to go there on this show. Giants, please listen to me. Don't win this game. Okay, yeah, you're right. Don't get that one pick because you know what, they don't win this game.
Oh hell, let's go for another Greg Strap. I'm going to take the Raiders too, minus one. Just in your support because the Raiders they're going to help you out. Giants, they're going to mess up this draft pick and they're going to beat the Jaguars Raiders because they're playing. They're playing so hard for Antoni appears every week. It's a it's a very competitive spirited team. I don't know if but an ap former Giant there we go. Yeah, but he can help out his own team.
Don't win the game.
Numbers Game is the YouTube show, the channel the show game debut. It's the other show on NFL Network where we'll be picking all the games. You can catch that too on YouTube. The NFL feed sends it out as Week sixteen picks. I believe and what look enjoy Enjoy your family. Like I said, we got eight days of NFL action out of ten. That is a wild stretch. Let's go thirt stretching. We got a lot of work to.
Do, a lot of work to do, all right for the old pencil.
When Cynthia is burying my Patriots two touchdown underdogs on the road in Week sixteen, that's when you know football is back because they're done.