Week 4 Picks! Team TST picks brought to you by JoolzMF! We need volunteers for future weeks, too!

I am back from my week of drinking on the beach and seeing friends and family...now nothing but the slow march to death that comes with being married.

All the planning for the wedding, plus all the people in and out of town, has seriously detracted from my ability to make strong picks. I'm doing ok in win-loss, but I am trailing in points pretty hardcore. I need a big week this week, so I have done my homework, and am ready to kick some ass!

I am not the only one struggling so far this year, as team TST is bringing up the rear in a big way. Here to try to turn that around is our second international fan of this young season, JoolzMF. Here are his own words to tell you a bit about himself:

Hey peeps, many thanks to Rick (and congrats on his recent marriage to Mrs. Siegel) for allowing me to represent the TST community this week. I shall not - NOT - let you down...

You all know me as JoolzMF (real name Joolz R. Shah) - born and bred in Cardiff, Wales, UK (no, Wales ISN'T in England...). Interesting fact - US President Barack Obama has some sort of Welsh ancestry. What that is, I haven't a clue. Who knows - who cares?

Anyhoo, been a member of TST for just over a year, and have followed the Rams for 27 years and counting. My friends and I got involved in watching the NFL over here in the UK all that time ago when one of the TV stations started to show highlights of all the games. Immediately I was hooked on the competitiveness and razzmatazz of the sport. My best friend at the time was a 49ers fan - let's just say he's no longer my best friend, and his body has never been found.

One of my favourite personal sporting achievements involved leading the Cardiff youth American Football team (too ashamed to tell you the team name) to their one and only TD in a game against some team from somewhere else in Wales - it was the only game I decided to play for them (played QB), and it was the only TD they scored in four games (hence the reason why I decided not to play any more games for them - they were worse than the Cleveland Browns). The team split up not long after...I wonder why?

I chose the Rams as my team for one reason - Eric Dickerson. Even now, the greatest Rams player I've ever seen, and my favourite Rams moment was getting to see him play in person, at Wembley Stadium in 1987 against the Broncos - was even at the same endzone where he ran in for a first quarter TD, and have the photo (somewhere) to prove it, along with the tattered and worn "No.29" Rams top I was wearing at the time.

I've been fortunate enough to venture out to St. Lou in 2006 to see them play two games at the Edward Jones Dome (The Linehan Years - man, they sucked), and I'm looking forward to catching up with my fellow TST'ers in October in London - WHO'S WITH ME???

Thanks a lot to Joolz for taking his time to give us his picks for this week. I am intimidated to go up against an international fan, but gotta do what we gotta do. Hit the jump to see our picks on this week's prime games, and winners for the rest...

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3K: The Lions will be desperate to get back to .500 at home against a division foe here. That San Fran-Minnesota game looks all the part of the anomaly game. The Vikings first two games included an overtime win against Jacksonville and a close road loss to the Colts. That's the Vikings I expected at the beginning of the year, and that's the Vikings I expect to see for the most part throughout the rest of this year.

DCRamFan: Myself, along with the rest of the world, have forgotten that Minnesota beat the 49ers last week. No chance they make it back-to-back wins in the Motor City. I don't expect this one to be close...at all

Douglas M: I'll take Detroit in this one. They'll bounce back this week after a wild lost to the Titans. Even if Matt Stafford doesn't start, I think Shaun Hill can ignite the Lions offense, and do so before the fourth quarter. I'm not buying in on the Vikings after their surprise win against the 49ers.

Mike Dietrich: The Lions will finally break out as the Vikings have some hangover from their big upset last week.

Rick Siegel: Fifth in the league in quarterback rating, second in completion percentage, and one of only two quarterbacks who started the season as the starter and has yet to throw a pick. No, that's not Matthew Stafford. That's Christian Ponder. He is quietly having a very good season for the surprising 2-1 Vikings. If this was in the dome, I would say the Vikings win handily. On the road, against a desperate playoff team, they aren't quite ready to pull off the upset. Give me the Lions late.

JoolzMF: The Lions have really disappointed me so far this season. The only win they have to show in 2012 is against the Rams, and even then we should have come away with the win. Saying that, Coach Schwartz is a very fortunate man that Week Three of the 2012 season (and most probably the WHOLE of the 2012 season) will be remembered for "The Greatest Catch Never Seen". Because if it wasn't, then Schwartz's decision to go for the TD instead of the tied FG against the Titans would be chalked up as "Dumbest Move Of 2012" - hey, we can still call it that, right? Regardless, I'm picking the Lions over the Vikings this week. As well as Ponder has started this season, I see a snarling Lions D looking to "chew bubblegum and kick ass" - and I think they're all out of bubblegum...PICK DETROIT

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3K: Green Bay. The Saints are making for one hell of a documentary. Not so much as a football team. As an aside, can you imagine if the replacement refs had this game? They would have needed security just to make it to the field...

DCRamFan: The Saints are just really really bad. They're going to get thrashed in GB this weekend. It's not often - at least in recent history - that you'd hear someone say this, but I wish the Saints were on the Rams schedule. 0-4 for the Aints

Douglas M: There won't be a ka-jillion points scored like last season's opening game. Their will be lots of passing though. New orleans going 0-4 is what I see, and an angry Packers team will win this one handily.

Mike Dietrich: Even when the Saints are playing well, they struggle on the road especially on grass. The Packers will be quite angry and here is the Rodgers breakout everyone has been expecting all year.

Rick Siegel: I am not as down on the Saints as the rest of the guys seem to be. They are obviously very disappointing, but they are just a few plays from being 2-1. In fact, if that play hadn't happened at the end of the Monday Night Game, I would give them a great shot to upset the Packers this week. Unfortunately for the Saints, the Hail-Mary-TD-That-Wasn't did happen, and the Packers are gonna be pissed. So goes 2012 for the Saints. I'll take Green Bay.

JoolzMF: One win between both teams entering Week Four - who'd have thunk'd it?

Well, we all know that our "Favourite Rams Head Coach Of All Time" was famous for clapping during times of adversity in complete annihilation from opposing teams - he's gonna need to keep those hands of his on ice, because I see a LOT of clapping in this game. "Bountygate" has butchered the Saints in 2012, and the loss of Gregg Williams has hit them harder than...well, harder than a Saints Defensive Lineman after the whistle has been blown. The team looks in complete disarray, no further evidence required than seeing them blow a lead against the struggling Chiefs last week. The Packers meanwhile - hmm, not much mentioned about their game on Monday night, wonder what happened..? Anyway, Rodgers to get back to some sort of MVP form, and Green Bay to break even after Week Four...PICK GREEN BAY

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3K: This one's tough. Michael Vick is so inconsistent game to game and Eli's inconsistent play to play. I'll go with the Giants passing offense which is spectacular.

DCRamFan: Rumblings of Nick Foles? Yea, that's got to be good. Someone needs to check Mike Vick for a concussion. 'Chaos' is the best way to describe their offense. I'm taking the Super Bowl Champs, who have proven that they get better as season's progress

Douglas M: The Eagles are a mess, living on two 1 point victories as a sign of change. I'm completely shock at how bad this team looks, and don't be surprised if Michael Vick is benched in this game when they fall behind. I see "The Eli" having a great game, and don't be shocked if Andre Brown keeps the starting running back job when Bradshaw returns.
Mike Dietrich: The Giants are winning over 70% of their road games the last 5 years, the Eagles just do not look right and watch out for Nick Foles this week.
Rick Siegel: Wow, I feel so alone this week. Only one that gave the Saints and Vikings a chance, and the only one picking Philadelphia. No one plays up/down to their competition like the Giants do (see: two losses to the Redskins last year). After back-to-back feel good wins, the Giants are due for a letdown that will get the city to start rumbling about how safe Coughlin's job is. I think Vick puts up a monster game, and the Eagles win handily.
JoolzMF: Oh, to walk a mile in Michael Vick's shoes - most of the Philly fans on your back, a so-called "endorsement" from your HC, and only allowed to take cats, badgers and goldfish for a walk on a leash in the heart of the city - life can't get much worse...or can it? Well, I say it can - because I see those snarls from disgruntled Eagles fans turning into foaming at the mouth and baying for blood this week, as I'm picking the Giants to walk into Lincoln Financial Field and come away with the win. Philly are lucky to be 2-1 - they got found out against the (don't make me say it, PLEASE???) un...def..eated Cardinals last weekend, and the more they struggle on the field, the more a home game is going to feel like an away one. I see that happening in Week Four - Eli and the rest of the Giants offense will have too much for the Eagles D, and the defense of the G-Men will continue to awake from their early season slumber and put a hurtin' on Vick. I don't think this Giants team (and especially Eli Manning) get enough respect for what they've achieved over the past few seasons. But they're my pick to take the NFC East Division...PICK N.Y. GIANTS
Alright, good picks from everyone. Now, on to the rest of this week's picks...

	3K	DCRamFan	DouglasM	Mike Dietrich	Rick Siegel	TST Member Week 4: JoolzMF	Consensus
Season Record	22 - 23	25 - 20	26 - 19	26 - 19	23 - 22	20 - 25	142 - 128
Win % YTD	48.8%	55.5%	57.7%	57.7%	51.1%	44.4%	52.6%
Last Week	6 - 9	6 - 9	5 - 10	7 - 8	6 - 9	5 - 10	35 - 55
Total Points	28	30	31	31	25	23	NA
Carolina @ Atlanta
New England @ Buffalo
Minnesota @ Detroit
San Diego @ Kansas City							Tie
Seattle @ St Louis
San Francisco @ New York Jets
Tennessee @ Houston
Cincinnati @ Jacksonville
Miami @ Arizona
Oakland @ Denver
New Orleans @ Green Bay
Washington @ Tampa Bay							Tie
New York Giants @ Philadelphia
Chicago @ Dallas