Another week, another set of straight up office pool picks. I don’t even want to talk about last week because there were too many strange things for my taste — or at least for the health of my picks. It’s a whole new week, though, and I like how this card sets up. Following are my straight up picks for Week 8 NFL office pools.

Carolina at Tampa Bay: Just when you think that the Bucs have bottomed out and will start to show some life, they find new and more depressing ways to disappoint. This is a mess of a team with a horrible coaching staff. Carolina, meanwhile, has their act together and has played some pretty good football recently. Take the Panthers.

Dallas at Detroit: I really want to like the Lions, but they make it so darned hard. There was no good reason they should have lost to the Bengals at home, but then there is rarely a good reason for them to struggle like they too often do. They aren’t tough enough to overcome inevitable adversity. Take the Cowboys.

Cleveland at Kansas City: Kansas City is the last team standing — 7-0. Wow. Already they have to qualify as one of the most remarkable turnarounds ever for a team just months removed from the first overall draft pick. A record of 8-0 will be even more impressive, and that’s where they are headed. Take the Chiefs.

Miami at New England: I watched the first half of New England’s game against the Jets, tuned into other action sure they would win handily, then was shocked to see they blew it. They should be too good to lose that game — even with all the injuries. They concern me, but they are the better team here, and are at home, so we can’t pick against them. Take the Patriots.

Buffalo at New Orleans: The Saints have had a week off to feel miserable about how their game in New England ended. That means that they have had two weeks to prepare for revenge. The Bills are playing well in some aspects recently, but they are outgunned here offensively and just don’t have enough to make this one close. Take the Saints.

New York Giants at Philadelphia: As I write this, I am watching the Giants play on Monday night. There are teams that look sharper at practice in May than these Giants do right now. The Eagles are far from good, but the Giants off a short week and on the road are a disaster. Take the Eagles.

San Francisco at Jacksonville: The Giants. By a lot. Surely I don’t need to say more. I just feel bad for the poor people of London who get their second lousy matchup of the year.

New York Jets at Cincinnati: I’ve given up trying to figure out this New York team. One week they look incredibly lousy. The next weekend they beat the Patriots. They are better than most people thought, but far from great. The Bengals have some consistency issues as well, but they are at home and should be confident. Take the Bengals.

Pittsburgh at Oakland: Ugly, ugly game. Neither team is particularly good right now. The Raiders are rested, though, and have been tough to play against at home. Pittsburgh gets credit for a nice win over the Ravens last week, but they are a different team when not sleeping in their own beds. Take the Raiders.

Washington at Denver: It will be interesting to see if the Broncos suffer a post-loss hangover, or if they come out angry. I’m guessing the latter. Washington is gaining some offensive confidence, so they should be able to score some points, but Denver should have the edge — especially at home. Take the Broncos.

Atlanta at Arizona: The Falcons almost looked competent at home last week, but that was only against the Bucs. Arizona has some issues — Palmer and his protection being two — but they are at home against a struggling team, and should be able to pull one off here. Take Atlanta.

Green Bay at Minnesota: The Vikings don’t really have a quarterback — not in my eyes, anyway. They are coming off a short week, have more issues than you can count, and are up against a Green Bay offense that is feeling its oats. This should be a great rivalry game, but it won’t be this time. Take the Packers. Confidently.

Seattle at St. Louis: Sam Bradford was quietly putting together a good season despite being on a pretty bad team. So much for that. With his torn ACL, all hopes dimmed for the Rams, and their QB situation is bleak. Seattle isn’t the same team on the road as they are at home, but they are about to win their second road game in two weeks. Take the Seahawks.

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