Week 8 Picks:

DENVER AT SAN FRANCISCO:  Not a pretty Week 7 for these two teams. The Broncos, on their home turf, allowed 59 points to the Oakland Raiders. The 49ers couldn’t beat the winless Panthers. Oh boy. Maybe it’s a good thing these teams left the country. The NFL probably didn’t schedule this game thinking that London would play host to two clubs with a 3-11 record. England will really take to American football with a matchup like this. PICK: BRONCOS

JACKSONVILLE AT DALLAS: On the topic of huge disappointments, HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!?! With Tony Romo likely out for the season, Dallas can officially kiss the playoffs goodbye. However, even with Jon Kitna behind center, I think the Cowboys can pull one out this week. PICK: COWBOYS

MIAMI AT CINCINNATI: The Dolphins are a good football team, much better than their .500 record. The Bengals continue to be an enigma, storming back from a 21-point halftime deficit at Atlanta last week, only to lose. Weird. PICK: DOLPHINS

GREEN BAY AT N.Y. JETS: Coming off a bye week, it doesn’t seem likely that the 5-1 Jets will have a letdown in their home stadium. But, I’ve got a feeling …. PICK: PACKERS

BUFFALO AT KANSAS CITY: Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tallied 382 yards and four touchdown passes last week against the Ravens, which I’m sure had many fantasy football owners out there rushing to the waiver wire. But the Bills still found a way to blow the game and remain winless. PICK: CHIEFS

WASHINGTON AT DETROIT: Lions are well-rested after a bye, which followed a pretty good performance against the NFC East-leading Giants in Week 6. Won’t matter. PICK: REDSKINS

CAROLINA AT ST. LOUIS: The Rams squandered a golden opportunity to keep pace with the Seahawks, but they couldn’t hold off those resilient Buccaneers (Um, yes. Resilient and Buccaneers in the same sentence. The NFC is strange) PICK: PANTHERS

TENNESSEE AT SAN DIEGO: The Chargers embarrassed themselves last week against the Patriots. When a team makes silly mistakes like they did, you’ve got to look at the head coach. Undisciplined. The Titans are a better all-around team, but I still like the Chargers at home. PICK: CHARGERS

MINNESOTA AT NEW ENGLAND: We’ve been anxiously awaiting this one since Moss was traded. It’ll be interesting to see how the New England fans welcome him back to Gillette. I’ll be the first one to admit that Moss acted like a 5-year-old the last few months, but he still brought a lot of great moments to New England: Undefeated regular season, single-season TD reception record and a few circus catches. He deserves a nice ovation during the pre-game introductions.

As a Pats fan, I hope Favre plays. Belichick’s defense against an old, injured Brett Favre. How many interceptions? My guess is five. If Brad Childress had any guts (or brains), he’d sit Favre and give Adrian Peterson the ball all day. But he won’t. I have a feeling this one isn’t going to be close for long. PICK: PATRIOTS

SEATTLE AT OAKLAND: Hmmmm….Honestly, I have no clue. I can’t even pretend to care. PICK: SEAHAWKS

TAMPA BAY AT ARIZONA:  Cardinals haven’t lost at home. Bucs haven’t lost on the road. Maybe they’ll tie. PICK: CARDINALS

PITTSBURGH AT NEW ORLEANS: I’m really looking forward to this matchup. Saints will have a chip on their shoulder, fresh off a humiliating loss to the Browns. And the Steelers come in with the best defense in the league, allowing only 82 points through six games. PICK: STEELERS

HOUSTON AT INDIANAPOLIS: The Texans won’t sweep the Colts this season. No way. PICK: COLTS

Last week: 9-5

Season record: 64-40

If I had the time (or the motivation), I would love to look into the archives and discover when the last time every team from one conference had at least two losses after six weeks of football.

That’s the current situation in the NFC. Unreal. You’ve got to love the NFL. The race in the NFC is WIDE OPEN; it’s not completely unrealistic that the defending Super Bowl champions miss out on the playoffs.

Seems like a decent enough segue into my Week 7 picks:

CLEVELAND AT NEW ORLEANS: Last week, the Saints channeled their frustration from an embarrassing Week 5 loss to the Cardinals and took it out on the Bucs. New Orleans has a date with Pittsburgh in Week 8 before heading into a bye. So, to many, the Cleveland Browns might appear to be the perfect trap game. But I think the champs learned their lesson against the Cards. This one shouldn’t be close. PICK: SAINTS

JACKSONVILLE AT KANSAS CITY:  The Chiefs blew a great opportunity to beat the Texans last week. The good news for them is that no other team in the AFC West was victorious, so the Chiefs still have a two-game lead in the division. Jacksonville is having quarterback issues, so I think KC will win a close one. PICK: CHIEFS

WASHINGTON AT CHICAGO:  Both teams coming off three-point losses. I’m not sold on the Bears. The only good team they have beaten thus far is the Packers, and it was on a Monday night that Green Bay set a franchise record in penalties committed. The other three Ws for Chicago came against Detroit, Dallas and Carolina. PICK: REDSKINS

PITTSBURGH AT MIAMI: Very interesting matchup. The Steelers have a tough stretch coming up: at New Orleans, at Cincinnati and then home against New England. Pittsburgh is one of three teams in the league with only one loss, along with the Jets and Pats. That changes this week. PICK: DOLPHINS

CINCINNATI AT ATLANTA: The Bengals baffle me. They beat the Ravens in Week 2 then dropped two of their next three games, falling to Cleveland and Tampa Bay. Strange. Their unpredictable nature makes me nervous picking against them in a game where they appear to be the clear underdogs. But Atlanta is coming off a setback against the Eagles, so I think they’ll have a chip on their shoulders. PICK: FALCONS

ST. LOUIS AT TAMPA BAY: It’s crazy to say, but this game may actually turn out to have playoff implications come the end of the season. The Rams haven’t won a game on the road, but they’re coming off a huge upset over the Chargers. It’d be crazy to pick against them after such a big win, right? PICK: BUCCANEERS

BUFFALO AT BALTIMORE:  The Bills are certainly due. I think they’ll break the ice in the next few weeks because they’ve got Kansas City, Chicago and Detroit on deck, but there’s no chance in hell they beat a pissed-off Ravens club. PICK: RAVENS

SAN  FRANCISCO AT CAROLINA: Good opportunity for the Panthers to pick up their first victory at home against a one-win Niners team. Won’t happen though. PICK: 49ERS

PHILADELPHIA AT TENNESEE: This is a tough one to pick. The Titans are brimming with confidence after an impressive performance in front of a national audience. Last week, I predicted a quarterback controversy in Philly. Kevin Kolb was dynamite last week, so the only way a QB debate starts brewing is if he has an off week. The Eagles have a bye week, and then face the Colts in Week 9. The Titans beat the Eagles, and the media storm kicks off in Philly for two weeks. Who starts against Indy? Kolb or Vick? PICK: TITANS

ARIZONA AT SEATTLE: A battle for first place in the NFC West. PICK: SEAHAWKS

OAKLAND AT DENVER: The Broncos were a pass-interference non-call away from beating the mighty Jets. The Broncos have four losses, but those setbacks came against the Jaguars, Colts, Ravens and Jets. PICK: BRONCOS

PATRIOTS AT CHARGERS: I heard an alarming statistic last night. The 2-4 Chargers have the top-ranked offense AND defense in the NFL. Are you kidding me? What was it that Bill Belichick said during a press conference last year? “Stats are for losers. The final score is for winners.” As a Pats fan, this game scares the bejesus out of me. New England has struggled at San Diego in the past, and things just seem to be a bit too peachy for comfort. Riding high off victories over the Ravens and Dolphins, and then you’ve got Favre and Moss coming to town on Halloween. Looks like a trap game to me. PICK: CHARGERS

VIKINGS AT GREEN BAY: The Packers have lost three of their last four games by a combined total of nine points, including two consecutive failures in overtime. Great teams learn how to win the close contests, and the Packers haven’t proven that yet. With that being said, I think a win over Favre at Lambeau will give them a confidence boost. Plus, they’re playing at the Jets next week. At 3-3, the Packers really can’t afford to lose to Minnesota. PICK: PACKERS

N.Y. GIANTS AT DALLAS: I’m looking over my picks so far and I’ve only picked two road teams to prevail. That’s not good. I’ve been going back and forth on this game all week because the Cowboys are going to be desperate but, at the same time, the Giants are a much better, more disciplined football team. For lack of a better method, I’ll pick another road team since I’ve been one-sided so far. PICK: GIANTS

Last week: 12-2

Season record: 55-35

NORTH COUNTY MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Name: Nick Aitken

School: Hoosac Valley

Year: Senior

Sport: Football

Aitken was impressive on both sides of the ball during Hoosac Valley’s 24-0 thumping of Amherst on Oct. 17. The Hurricanes led 12-0 when Amherst drove into ’Canes territory late in the first half. Aitken, a cornerback, intercepted a pass from quarterback Justin Carey with less than a minute left to protect the shutout. As a tailback on offense, Aitken tallied 55 yards on seven carries, according to The Berkshire Eagle. He got the ’Canes on the board with 7:30 left in the first quarter, dashing 11 yards into the end zone.  Hoosac improved to 5-1 on the season (4-1 in Berkshire County).

Favorite pro athlete? “Dwyane Wade”

If you could attend one sporting event in the world, which would you choose? “Probably a Game 7 Bruins game in Boston. I went to a playoff game last year, and it was just nuts.”

Favorite sport to watch on TV? “Hockey”

Favorite sports team? “Boston Bruins”

Favorite athletic memory? “That’s tough. We went to the Super Bowl and won it last year. We won Western Mass. in basketball (in 2009), and then we played in the state final game. So I don’t really know how to answer that question and pick just one.”

Toughest athlete you’ve ever competed with or against? “(Former Hoosac football and basketball standout) Dalton Larabee. He has so much heart, and he never gives up. He’s good at pretty much everything he does.”

What is the hardest aspect of playing football? “Probably going to practice every day. Some days, you just want to go home, but you’ve got to go to practice and work hard. If you want to win, that’s what you’ve got to do.”

Goals for the rest of the season? “Obviously we’d like to go back to the Super Bowl and win it, but we want to take it one game at a time. We really want to win the Berkshire County League, so that’s our main goal right now.”

What role will sports play in your life 20 years from now? “I definitely will always be a fan, and I’ll come back to watch the Hoosac games if I’m living in the area. I want to play in a men’s hockey league because I didn’t play in a league when I was a kid. And one of my basketball coaches told me that I’d be a basketball coach when I got older, so maybe that, too.”

Coach’s take: “Nick is a great leader for this team. He started for us last year at cornerback and he did a great job, and he’s even better this year. He’s a quiet leader. He’s always smiling. He’s a fun kid to be around, and all of the kids like him. He puts his nose to the grindstone, shows up every day and works hard.” (Dayne Poirot, Hoosac Valley assistant football coach)

NORTH COUNTY FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Name: Mackenzie Hitchcock

School: Mount Greylock

Year: Junior

Sport: Cross Country

On Oct. 13, Hitchcock notched a personal-best time on her home course while leading the Mounties to victories over Taconic and Drury. She crossed the finish line in 16 minutes and 4 seconds, finishing second overall behind Taconic’s Chandler Ortega. Greylock coach Larry Bell said that the race’s top scorers (Ortega, Hitchcock, Emily Kaegi, Amalia Leamon, Stephanie Adamczyk and Kaylene Lemme) recorded the fastest top-six in course history. Hitchcock led the pack for most of the race. “She set a blistering pace. She got everyone out to a real good time,” Bell said.

On Oct. 16, Hitchcock finished third overall at the Burnt Hills Invitational in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. In a race loaded with Division I teams, Hitchcock led the Mounties to first place out of 27 schools.

Favorite pro athlete? “[Cross country skier) Kris Freeman because I met him once. My friends and I were at one of his races in either Vermont or New Hampshire, and I was looking for him the whole day. So, like a minute before he was about to start the race, I finally found him and got his autograph.”

If you could attend one sporting event in the world, which would you choose? “The Summer Olympics”

Favorite sport to watch in person? “Probably a running race. I’m happy watching soccer and football but watching a college running race in person is pretty cool.”

Favorite sports team? “I really don’t watch sports that much. (laughs)”

Favorite athletic memory? “Every year we run Berlin Mountain, which is 2 miles up and then 2 miles on the way down. Two years ago, we were doing speed work on the way up and it was raining so hard that you couldn’t see 10 feet in front of you. There were leaves falling, branches falling. It was really cool.”

Toughest athlete you’ve ever competed with or against? “(Mount Greylock senior) Cate Costley. We’re really good friends, and she pushes me a lot.”

What is the hardest aspect of cross country running? “I love the sport so much, but the lifestyle can be good and bad. It’s hard to juggle practice every day with other things in your life like driver’s ed and homework. You have to work really hard to keep up with the training schedule.”

Goals for the rest of the season? “As a team, we want to take a shot at the state championship meet. Hopefully we can win Western Mass., stay healthy and compete the best we can.”

What role will sports play in your life 20 years from now? “For the most part, I want running to be something I do my whole life, running every day and staying in shape. I’ve thought about trying out for the Olympics, but it’s not as important as keeping a job and having a family.”

Coach’s take: “She’s getting more and more confident. She used to look over her shoulder and worry about someone unexpected catching up to her. She’s maturing into a runner that says, ‘Hey, why don’t I take a shot at the girl in front of me? … She’s the first one to keep us honest and make sure we’re having fun during practice.” (Larry Bell, Mount Greylock girls’ cross country coach)

NORTH COUNTY FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Name: Ali Tatro

School: Drury

Year: Sophomore

Sport: Soccer

The Blue Devils have struggled to win games this season, posting just one victory through 13 games. Drury has, however, battled to six ties and has steadily improved with each contest. Sophomore goalkeeper Ali Tatro has kept Drury in some ball games with her play in net. On Oct. 12, Tatro made 17 saves against two-time defending Western Mass. champion Wahconah, the Berkshire Eagle reports. The Warriors won 4-0, but Tatro kept it close by holding Wahconah to just one goal in the first half. On Oct. 14, Tatro made 12 saves to help Drury earn a point in a 1-1 stalemate against Lee. Devils head coach Molly Meczywor said Tatro has been named one the team’s floating captains for the upcoming week because of her recent play.

Favorite pro athlete? “Rajon Rondo”

If you could attend one sporting event in the world, which would you choose? “The Celtics-Heat game [to open the NBA season on Oct. 26]”

Favorite sport to watch on TV? “Basketball”

Favorite sports team? “New Orleans Saints”

Favorite athletic memory? “One of my favorite memories was during a game against Hoosac last year. I made a save , and I didn’t realize it was that big of a deal until one of my teammates came up and gave me a hug while I was coming out [of the box]. It was a really good moment.”

Toughest athlete you’ve ever competed against? “[My teammate] Danielle Racette because when we’re doing drills during practice, she always runs through the ball as if it’s a game. She never slows up.”

What is the hardest aspect of playing soccer? “[As a goalie] it’s trying not to hesitate. You have to decide quickly whether to come out after [the ball] or to stay back. You have to decide quickly what the opponent is going to do.”

Goals for the rest of the season? “As a team, we should work hard and never let up. We don’t want any weak moments on the field. Against Lee [this past week] everyone on our team played tough, and we executed very well together.”

What role will sports play in your life 20 years from now? “I’m hoping to go back into the youth leagues and help out. I went through the youth leagues, and I’d like to help the new kids coming up in any sport, whether it’s refereeing or coaching.”

Coach’s take: “Ali has really been playing well for us. She has saved us on many occasions. Her confidence has started to increase. She’s starting to come out on breakaways, and she is starting to come out on through balls, whereas last year she would have hung back on her line. When she makes a big saves, it’s a big pick-me-up for the team. The kids are seeming to feed off of Ali, in the sense that she’s making the big play and the next play we win the ball or something like that.” (Molly Meczywor, Drury girls’ soccer coach)

NORTH COUNTY MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Name: Brandon Czarnecki

School: McCann Tech

Year: Junior

Sport: Football

Czarnecki had a solid all-around effort during McCann Tech’s 42-14 thrashing of Dean Tech on Oct. 9. According to the North Adams Transcript, Czarnecki scored a career-high four touchdowns, three of them on plays over 20 yards. He rushed for 89 yards on eight carries and accrued 91 yards receiving on two receptions, helping the Hornets improve to 3-2. On defense, Czarnecki started in one of the linebacker slots. McCann’s starting D didn’t allow a score; Dean Tech’s points came on special teams and against McCann’s reserve defense.

Favorite pro athlete? “LaDainian Tomlinson”

If you could attend one sporting event in the world, which would you choose? “The Super Bowl”

Favorite sport to watch on TV? “Football”

Favorite sports team? “New England Patriots”

Favorite athletic memory? “The feeling of getting a handoff and running right up the gut to score a touchdown, and hitting a bunch of people on the way in.”

Toughest athlete you’ve ever competed against? “The other linebacker on our team, Zach Bantle. We’re always competing for the most tackles in a game, which is fun.”

What is the hardest aspect of playing football? “The offseason training: running, lifting weights and things like that. Without all that, it would be so much harder to play during the season.”

Goals for the rest of the season? “I’m trying to reach 1,000 rushing yards and to record the most tackles on the team. As a team, we’d like to make it into the playoffs.”

What role will sports play in your life 20 years from now? “I think I’ll be coaching and hopefully still playing. I’d like to coach young kids. That’s how I started playing sports as a young kid, and you learn so much in those early years.”

Coach’s take: “With the formations that we have, we line him up in the fullback spot right behind the quarterback. Even at 160 pounds, he’s just going to come at you because of his relentless style of running. He’s not a flash guy; he’ll put his head down and run into you, and he might stiff arm you, too. He plays way above his weight. He’s also a very good receiver. He’s our leading receiver right now.” (Bob LeClair, McCann Tech football coach)

Let’s waste no time. Week 6 picks:

ATLANTA AT PHILADELPHIA: A good matchup between two playoff-caliber teams. The Falcons haven’t lost since Week 1, and Philly is 0-2 at home this season. Sounds like a recipe for a Falcons victory, does it not? But I’m going the other way. I think Kevin Kolb impresses in his second straight start and ignites a quarterback controversy in the City of Brotherly Love. PICK: EAGLES

KANSAS CITY AT HOUSTON: Ah, it would’ve been oh-so gratifying to see the undefeated Chiefs drop the Colts to a sub-.500 record. Oh, well. The Texans really screwed the pooch at home against the G-Men, who exposed how vulnerable Houston’s defense really is. I was impressed with the Chiefs’ defense last week, but I don’t think Matt Cassel and the offense has enough manpower to out-sling Matt Schaub. PICK: TEXANS

NEW ORLEANS AT TAMBA BAY: If you picked the Cardinals to beat the Saints last week, say “I.” Well, I think you’re lying. The defending Super Bowl champs are a loss away from being two games out of first place in the NFC South. Not a “must win” for New Orleans, but pretty close. You don’t want to be looking up at two teams in your division as November approaches. PICK: SAINTS

MIAMI AT GREEN BAY: We’re going to learn a lot about these two teams on Sunday. The Packers haven’t looked good the last three weeks, dropping both of their road games and barely squeaking by the Lions at home. The Dolphins got their clocks cleaned on Monday Night Football on Oct. 4, and they’ve had two long weeks to mull it over. Aaron Rodgers has been cleared to play, which is good news for Packers fans, but I think a well-rested Miami team pulls it out. PICK: DOLPHINS

SAN DIEGO AT ST. LOUIS:  If an 8-8 team ends up winning AFC West again - and the Patriots are left out of the postseason with a 10- or 11- win season like in 2008, I’ll be rooting for a lockout in 2011! OK, I don’t mean that. But my point is that the AFC West is weak. The Chargers are 0-3 on the road. Something’s got to give. PICK: CHARGERS

BALTIMORE AT NEW ENGLAND: Right now, the Ravens and the Jets are the two toughest teams in the AFC. But I like the Patriots coming off a bye, especially with a chip on their shoulder from last year’s humiliating playoff loss to Baltimore. PICK: PATS

DETROIT AT N.Y. GIANTS: The Lions got off the snide last week, leaving the Panthers, Bills and 49ers as the only winless teams in football. But the Giants should win with ease this week. PICK: GIANTS

CLEVELAND AT PITTSBURGH: Barstool Ben returns to the Steelers this week. Pittsburgh’s defense is so good that it really doesn’t matter who plays QB against the lowly Browns. PICK: STEELERS

SEATTLE AT CHICAGO: Seahawks have struggled on the road. PICK: BEARS

NEW YORK JETS AT DENVER: With all the mania surrounding Randy Moss and Brett Favre last week, the Jets were sort of the forgotten team on Monday night. As much as I hate seeing the Jets win, I was impressed. I still think their lack of discipline will catch up to them down the stretch. New York is behind only the Titans, Raiders and Lions for most flags this season. That being said … PICK: JETS

OAKLAND AT SANFRANCISCO: Quarterback Alex Smith showed some mettle last week against the Eagles. Imagine walking off the field while the entire stadium, filled with “your fans,” is calling for our replacement, who in this case was backup QB David Carr. Smith goes back into the huddle and marches his team right down the field for a touchdown. It ultimately ended up in another loss for San Fran, but that resiliency was something to see. Maybe the 49ers fans should openly root against him for the rest of the season. It could help. PICK: 49ERS

DALLAS AT MINNESOTA: Favre looked like garbage on Monday night. Sure, he was slinging it when his team was behind, but I think the Jets’ D had softened up a bit. And once the defense got tighter? A pick-6 to ice the win for New York. This is a must win for both of these teams who are looking to avoid a 1-4 start. PICK: VIKINGS

INDIANAPOLIS AT WASHINGTON: The Colts have something to prove. Plus, they need to keep pace in an ultra-competitive AFC South. PICK: COLTS

TENNESSEE AT JACKSONVILLE: All four teams in the AFC South enter Week 6 at 3-2. The Jags are the weakest of the bunch. PICK: TITANS

Last week: 7-7

Season record: 43-33