Thank goodness for Cody Parkey.

The Cleveland Browns kicker could have sent almost the entire Survivor pool world into a second-chance pool or without a week 4 pick. But he missed a kick at the end of regulation, leaving open the mass of Survivor pool players who picked Miami in week 3.

I had a bad feeling about the Dolphins last week based on not having a clear picture of who they were. The pick made sense based on the Browns starting a third-string quarterback and the Dolphins being a heavy favorite. In the end it worked out, allowing us to get rid of a team we wouldn’t trust later in the season as a Survivor pool pick anyway.

I hit all three of my options last week, even warning other Survivor pool players from making the mistake of trying to pull a fast one by picking Tampa Bay. Let’s see if the luck continues in the week 4 Survivor pool.

Already used: Seattle, Carolina and Miami.

The Washington Redskins should top your week 4 Survivor pool. Flick/http://bit.ly/1NNUHvU/Keith Allison
The Washington Redskins should top your week 4 Survivor pool. Flick/http://bit.ly/1NNUHvU/Keith Allison

Best Bet

Washington Redskins

I love Washington in this matchup. And bettors do, too.

This game opened with a spread less than a touchdown in favor of the Redskins. It’s now more than a touchdown and may continue climbing.

Washington isn’t as bad as it showed in the first two weeks. It ran into two good NFL teams against Pittsburgh and Dallas. The Cowboys are a good road team and the Redskins had a tough matchup to open the season on Monday Night Football.

Now the Redskins should be back on a track and able to move the ball consistently against most defenses in the NFL. And that especially includes Cleveland.

The Browns own the seventh-worst defense in the NFL, allowing 403.7 yards per game. But it’s not necessarily just one thing that makes this a bad matchup for the Browns.

It’s a combination of factors that makes this a plus matchup for Washington.

This is a game that just doesn’t add up for the Browns. The offense ranks in the bottom half of the NFL. The defense ranks in the bottom 10. The Browns are starting a third-string quarterback again. And oh by the way, the Browns are in the midst of back-to-back road games after losing in overtime.

That spells disaster for NFL teams. That’s why the Redskins should get your attention this week in the Survivor pool.

Sleeper Pick

Arizona Cardinals

Maybe it’s not much of a sleeper, but the Cardinals are likely the second-most used pick this week in Survivor pools. I’m not taking Arizona because I believe they’ll give me more options in the future, while the Redskins are less of a sure bet on most occasions.

I’ve been saying this for weeks, but I’m not sold on the Cardinals being as good as they’ve been in past years. The defense doesn’t have “it” this year, while the offense is aging in front of our eyes on a weekly basis.

But even though I’m not sold on Arizona’s future, this game should be a solid play for Survivor pools. Los Angeles is going through back-to-back road games, going from east to west in a week. And I know we watched Los Angeles go crazy last week against Tampa Bay on the offensive end, but I don’t see lightning striking twice in a week.

The Rams can’t score on a consistent basis and while I like the defense, it won’t have enough in the tank to stop another good offense. This is a tough spot for the Rams, while Arizona is hungry to erase last week’s bad taste out of its mouth.

Be Careful

Houston Texans

Tennessee’s offense is atrocious. That’s been a common theme for the last two years. But Tennessee’s defense is good enough that it generally keeps the games close enough that they’re at least partially in doubt when the fourth quarter commences.

And against Houston, which also doesn’t employ a high-powered offense, this game could be in doubt in the fourth quarter, much like during Tennessee’s lone win against Detroit.

The Titans shouldn’t have beaten the Lions, but Detroit kept them in the game, eventually allowing Tennessee to pull through with a win. Houston isn’t likely to blow out teams, despite this game featuring a seven-point spread.

Tennessee is solid against the pass, so that will force Houston to grind it out on the ground. Tennessee plays ugly and the opposition usually follows suit. Chalk this up as another scenario when that could happen. I know it’s tempting to try to get Houston out of the way in your Survivor pool, but there should be better opportunities in the coming weeks.

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