I’m really terrible at picking NFL games. Awful. I won last week with a pathetic total of 6 correct. I need to find a new line of work. With my victory over David last week, here are our current standings:

Matt: +6
Jim: +3
Kristien: +2
David: -1
Amanda: -1

This week we’re joined by New Hampshire bear and Mid-Atlantic Bias stalwart Harry Lund. He will likely destroy me. Here are our picks:

Jason’s Picks:
Kansas City (+6 1/2) over Washington
Houston (+5 1/2) over Cincinnati
Cleveland (+14) over Pittsburgh
Minnesota (-3) over Baltimore
Jacksonville (-9 1/2) over St. Louis
New York Giants (+3) over New Orleans
Tampa Bay (+3) over Carolina
Detroit (+13 1/2) over Green Bay
Philadelphia (-14) over Oakland *
Arizona (+3) over Seattle
New York Jets (-9 1/2) over Buffalo
New England (-9) over Tennessee
Chicago (+3 1/2) over Atlanta
Denver (+3 1/2) over San Diego

Harry’s Picks:
Kansas City (+6 1/2) over Washington
Cincinnati (-5 1/2) over Houston
Pittsburgh (-14) over Cleveland
Minnesota (-3) over Baltimore
Jacksonville (-9 1/2) over St. Louis
New Orleans (-3) over New York Giants
Tampa Bay (+3) over Carolina
Green Bay (-13 1/2) over Detroit
Philadelphia (-14) over Oakland
Seattle (-3) over Arizona
New York Jets (-9 1/2) over Buffalo
Tennessee (+9) over New England
Chicago (+ 3 1/2) over Atlanta
Denver (+3 1/2) over San Diego *

Well, another week, another similar result. I think I’ve reached the conclusion that we’re really playing for positive points here (Sorry Amanda). Last week, Jim beat me by 3 (as I got my Lock of the Week incorrect, again). So here’s our season standings:

Matt: +6
Jim: +3
Kristen: +2
Amanda: -2

I’m ready to announce a plan for this challenge that could shake up the game forever (I wish I had Julie Chen available to read that). We’re going to repeat contestants. It’s simple really, there’s 17 weeks in the NFL season. So 8 people get two weeks of picks and then our top 2 performers square off in Week 17 to determine the ultimate prognosticator. If you want to be a guest picker, by all means, let me know. I just go week-by-week here. There’s no plan.

This week, we’re joined by David Roy Christian Machado (better known by his stage name of “Dave Machado”). David might not be a huge football fan. Or any kind of football fan. But if there’s one thing he is, it’s a computer sciencey guy. So he created some algorithms, punched up some real good C++ stuff, and came up with some solid Week 5 picks, even if he does greatly anticipate Wayne Gretzky hitting lots of grand slams for the Chicago Bulls this weekend.

Jason’s Picks:
Cincinnati (+9) over Baltimore
Buffalo (-6) over Cleveland
Washington (+3.5) over Carolina
Pittsburgh (-11.5) over Detroit
Kansas City (+9) over Dallas
Oakland (+16) over New York Giants
Tampa Bay (+15.5) over Philadelphia
Minnesota (-11) over St. Louis
San Francisco (-2.5) over Atlanta
Arizona (-5) over Houston
New England (-3) over Denver
Jacksonville (-3) over Seattle
Indianapolis (-3) over Tennessee *
New York Jets (PK) over Miami

David’s Picks:
Baltimore (-9) over Cincinnati
Cleveland (+6) over Buffalo
Carolina (-3.5) over Washington
Detroit (+11.5) over Pittsburgh
Dallas (-9) over Kansas City
Oakland (+16) over New York Giants
Philadelphia (-15.5) over Tampa Bay
St. Louis (+11) over Minnesota
San Francisco (-2.5) over Atlanta *
Houston (+5) over Arizona
Denver (+3) over New England
Jacksonville (-3) over Seattle
Indianapolis (-3) over Tennessee
Miami (PK) over New York Jets

A great week by Kristen last week who racked up 11 correct picks and beat me 11-9. That brings Kristen to a +2, putting her second in the standings to Matt. Here’s how we shape up after 3 weeks:

Matt +6
Kristen +2
Amanda -2

This week’s guest picker is James Buckless who was kind enough to make his picks on Thursday as I will be away from the computer this weekend. On to the picks (as always, * Indicates Lock of the Week)

My Picks:
Houston (-9.5) over Oakland
Tennessee (-3) over Jacksonville
Baltimore (+2) over New England *
Cincinnati (-5.5) over Cleveland
New York Giants (-8.5) over Kansas City
Chicago (-10) over Detroit
Washington (-7) over Tampa Bay
Indianapolis (-10.5) over Seattle
New York Jets (+7) over New Orleans
Buffalo (+2) over Miami
San Francisco (-9.5) over St. Louis
Denver (+3) over Dallas
San Diego (+6.5) over Pittsburgh
Green Bay (+3.5) over Minnesota

Jim’s Picks:
Oakland (+9.5) over Houston
Tennessee (-3) over Jacksonville
New England (-2) over Baltimore
Cincinnati (-5.5) over Cleveland
New York Giants (-8.5) over Kansas City *
Chicago (-10) over Detroit
Tampa Bay (+7) over Washington
Seattle (+10.5) over Indianapolis
New York Jets (+7) over New Orleans
Miami (-2) over Buffalo
St. Louis (+9.5) over San Francisco
Denver (+3) over Dallas
Pittsburgh (-6.5) over San Diego
Minnesota (-3.5) over Green Bay