NFL picks for Week 8: Bad news in Cleveland is good news for me – again

I did it again last week. I accurately picked the outcome of the Cleveland Browns game. I’m 7-0 picking the Browns.

I had it rolling. On Thursday I picked the Oakland Raiders to beat the Kansas City Chiefs. Oakland’s winning drive was like a cause. We’re doing this, quarterback David Carr said, and the Silver and Black did.

Nobody picked the Raiders. I figured Rotary Clubs would ask me to talk about the pick, the methodology and bravery behind it. But nobody called, and that’s fine. People don’t need to know.

Last week: 10-5

Season: 51-36

Cleveland: 7-0

Lock: San Francisco (plus-6) over Dallas.

I lost, as did the 49ers.

Season: 2-6

The San Francisco pick is the worst pick I have ever been part of, and one of the worst picks ever made by anybody. In my defense, I did not think Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott would play. Still, there is no defense. The 49ers lost by 30.

After losing their opener by 20 to the Carolina Panthers, the 49ers had lost by 3, 2, 3, 3 and 2 points. Obviously they were due. They were due to lose by 30.

This week’s picks, with the home team in CAPS:

BALTIMORE 2 over Miami

Minnesota 6 over CLEVELAND

Atlanta 2 over N.Y. JETS

TAMPA BAY 3 over Carolina

PHILADELPHIA 11 over San Francisco

NEW ORLEANS 9 over Chicago

NEW ENGLAND 3 over San Diego

Oakland 1 over BUFFALO

CINCINNATI 7 over Indianapolis

SEATTLE 7 over Houston

WASHINGTON 1 over Dallas

Pittsburgh 4 over DETROIT

Lock of the week

KANSAS CITY (minus-7 1/2) 11 over Denver

More from this issue of the Tom Talks newsletter:

This story was originally published October 26, 2017 at 8:50 AM.