We had likely our best week last week in picking a Survivor pool pick, nailing our Best Bet, Sleeper and our Be Careful choices.
If you’re still hanging in the Survivor pool, here’s our best moves as we enterThanksgiving week.
Best Bet
Cincinnati Bengals
Yes, we still haven’t used Cincinnati. We thought about using the Bengals in week 10, but thankfully we passed.
This pick has a lot to do with the St. Louis Rams. Did you watch this past week’s game against the Ravens? That offense is atrocious.
We’re amazed at how many people thought St. Louis would be a contender for the playoffs. After watching what has transpired during the last few weeks, with the Rams losing to Minnesota, Chicago and Baltimore, we’re not so sure of the Rams as a contender anymore.
The offense has been inept lately. If St. Louis doesn’t run the ball well, then the offense doesn’t move the ball. And against the Bengals, running the ball is easier said than done.
Teams don’t generally even try to run against the Bengals’ front. The opposition is averaging 21.8 carries per game against the Bengals, the least amount of attempts per game against any team in the NFL.
The matchup also bodes well for the Bengals, with the Rams going through back-to-back road games.
The Bengals still have some of the best weapons in football on the offensive end, so we’re not worried about the Rams defense. We expect Cincinnati to move the ball against St. Louis, and we don’t see the Rams doing anything offensively.
Sleeper Pick
Houston Texans
Remember when Houston lost by 27 points to Atlanta and 18 points to Miami? Those games weren’t even that close.
Now, the Falcons are only one game better than the Texans, while the Dolphins have slipped to under .500. The Texans are winners of four of the last five games, have moved to 5-5 and are doing most of their damage on the defensive end.
Houston has allowed less than 10 points twice in the last three games, and held the Jets to 10 points for the majority of the game, before allowing a late score in the fourth quarter this past week.
We’re still not sold on the offense, but if Brian Hoyer returns, we don’t mind his ability to manage a game. The running game is working better and the Texans are doing just enough on the offensive end to win games.
And with a home game against New Orleans, we’re not too worried about the offense. The Saints own the worst defense in the NFL, and haven’t stopped anyone, including a rout in their most recent game against Washington two weeks ago.
The Texans will apply plenty of pressure to Drew Brees, which will make this another win for Houston.
Be careful
Carolina Panthers
We’re not dismissing Carolina. In fact, we believe the Panthers are the best team in the NFC, and should be able to compete against the best in the AFC.
But this is Thanksgiving in Dallas with Tony Romo as quarterback. The Cowboys impressed this past week on the road against Miami. Dallas ran the ball well and Romo provided just enough to help the Cowboys get out of Miami with a win.
Meanwhile, Carolina looked unstoppable against the Redskins, but we weren’t surprised. Washington has been horrendous on the road this season and it didn’t look any different against the Panthers.
Carolina’s defense is good, but Romo knows how to win on Thanksgiving. He’s 6-2 on the big day in his career and we like the Cowboys in the underdog role. The Panthers are still a great team, but sometimes the situation doesn’t represent the best opportunity for the win.
If you still have Carolina, maybe wait a week before pulling the trigger on the Panthers.
