Beej: Week of Road Warriors

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Beej Knows Best. This week marks the near-midway point of this 2014 campaign. It also marks down the last week before the NFL Trade Deadline of Oct. 28.

Although the NFL trade deadline is usually much calmer than that of the NBA or the MLB, there have been a few moves thus far that merit discussion. One of them was the Jets trade of a conditional sixth round draft pick for the dynamic, yet hot-headed Seahawks' wide receiver and kickoff returner Percy Harvin. My comments about the Jets are generally reserved as ones of self-deprecation, but this trade certainly deserves analysis.

Reports had come out in the days since the trade about how Harvin's toxic behavior had permeated the locker room and how his actions had essentially forced the Seattle management's hand.

Although he said he was "all-smiles" after leaving the World Champions for a debacle of a team, many question the veracity of his comments. I believe Harvin has the potential to be a home run for the Jets. Only a few days ago, the Jets inked wide receiver and punt receiver Jeremy Kerley to a four-year contract extension. The addition of Harvin essentially creates a three-headed monster at wide receiver.

The Jets have Eric Decker's height and strength, Kerley's slot prowess and route-running ability and Harvin's speed and game-breaking potential. Add to that rookie Jace Amaro's positive strides, combined with a draft pick or two at offensive skill positions, and now the Jets have the weapons to be successful. The only remaining question is at quarterback.

Geno Smith has toiled with a poor supporting cast, and his time in New York as a starter is almost certainly up. Rex Ryan, to my chagrin, is also watching the final granules of sand tick from his hourglass, and will most likely get the boot at the end of the season.

What would I would like to see as a Jets fan? First, the hiring of Pep Hamilton – the offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts – as the head coach would be a step in the right direction.

Following that move, bringing in strong play-calling minds for both coordinator positions would prevent either side of the ball from being ignored in the game plan. Based on their record, the Jets are destined for a top-three pick. Snagging Marcus Mariota with the first-rounder, as well as a playmaker, such as Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon, Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon, Florida State wide receiver Rashad Greene, or Florida State tight end Nick O'Leary, with the second rounder, would push the Jets closer to contention. Finally, targeting free agents such as Mike Iupati at offensive guard and Tramon Williams at defensive back would help shore up further holes, and would solidify the Jets roster.

So Mr. John Idzik, if you are reading this, my email is at the bottom. I would love to hear from you, whether you want to hire me or to tell me I know nothing about football. Without further ado, let's get to the picks!

Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons (+3.5)

This game will be played at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The Lions have won four out of their last five games, whereas the Falcons have lost their last four games and have looked terrible in the process.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan hasn't looked awful, and wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White have both been able to carry their fair share of the load. The Lions have been riding the play of their defense thus far, as their offense attempts to adjust without having Megatron at 100 percent. Calvin Johnson has practiced in London, but his status is currently unknown. Despite this massive uncertainty, as well as the toss-up of having to play overseas, I still believe the Lions will take this one home.

Throughout the International Series, it has been the better team winning, generally by a blowout. I expect much of the same here, as Detroit makes its push to the playoffs and Atlanta makes its push back towards the drawing board.

Detroit 38, Atlanta 13

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals (-2.5)

Ok. I will admit. I'm officially on team Chip, that is, I am rooting for the Eagles' Head Coach Chip Kelly. I really like the way this team has rebounded over the past few weeks after starting off slow over the first few games. After annihilating the Giants 27-0 to lead into their bye, Philadelphia has a fairly soft four-game schedule before they match up against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

Until then, expect Kelly to open up aggressively, attempt to build a lead and scale back the offense, as not to give anything away to the Cowboys. But let's not forget about the Cardinals.

Head Coach Bruce Arians is a winner, and has built one out in the desert. Both the offense and defense has been clicking, and Arians has been able to get great performances out of running back Andre Ellington, wide receiver Michael Floyd and quarterback Carson Palmer. After two easy victories against the Redskins and the Raiders, the Cardinals have their toughest five game slate of the season. The one big red flag with this Eagles club was the players' injuries, but after a bye week, I believe that they will come into Arizona rested and ready to go. This will be a close game and a great one to watch. I'm riding high on the Eagles, and I'm sticking with Chip.

Philadelphia 24 Arizona 21 Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers (+2.5)

If it wasn't for a comeback the size of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last week, the Steelers would be 3-4 and this game wouldn't even be up for discussion.

Nonetheless, the Steelers were able to salvage themselves on Monday night and push themselves into contention for a playoff spot. On the other side, the Colts have been riding quarterback Andrew Luck to the tune of a 5-2 record and a fairly comfortable spot atop the AFC South. The Texans, Jaguars and Titans have all looked subpar at best, so this conference pretty much appears to be the Colts' for the taking.

Looking into both the offense and defense statistics, the Colts have outplayed the Steelers in every major category except in rushing yards, in which they are down 123.3 to 128.6. Simply put, the Colts are just the better team.

With two games left until the bye, I wouldn't be shocked at all if the Colts strolled in at 7-2 looking to make a push for a first-round bye and a number one seed. I've always been a Big Ben supporter, but despite the comeback, I choose to look at their first half performance for judgment. And what I see is not pretty. The Steelers are pretenders, the Colts are the real deal, so ride this line and get some nice clothes for this cool Atlanta winter.

Indianapolis 27 Pittsburgh 13

– By Jayson Patel

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