My Week 4 Thursday Night Football Pick: Browns at Ravens

Mike Carey signaling how correct my replacement ref prediction was.

As my 6-10 record last week can attest, I am not right very often. So when I am, I have to brag. I'd been saying for weeks that the NFL was playing with fire by using replacement refs. My friends asked me on Friday night when I thought the lockout would end, and I confidently told them "next Wednesday." When picking the Packers-Seahawks Monday Night matchup, I wrote: 

Weak referees are influenced by loud crowds and big stages (see: last Monday night's game). The NFL is using some weak referees right now.

I thought the Century Link Field crowd would influence the refs to help the Seahawks, but the way it played out was almost too poetic. I'm just glad that this mess is over, although now I'll have to find some new topic to Twitter rant about.  Tonight will be the first (and probably last) time you'll ever see a crowd give a standing ovation to a referee.

As for the on-the-field action itself, I still remember how the 2004 Ravens mocked rookie Eli Manning's audibles and abused him to a 0.0 passer rating. I don't have high hopes for Brandon Weeden tonight.

The Pick: Ravens (-12)

Follow me at @PFF_Pete.

Odds found here.