Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Fantasy Football Wrap Up Week 3



FINALLY!!!! A win and it came down to the Monday night game with the Cowboys. I'll take you through this win.

My starters were (points):

Ben Roethlisberger (19.34)
Greg Jennings (10.30)
T. J. Houshmandzadeh (1.5)
Anquan Boldin (14.30)
Adrian Peterson (9.90)
LenDale White (8.70)
Anthony Fasano (0.0)
Kris Brown (5.0)
San Diego (15.0)


TJ did a lot of talking and then he caught a pass and fumbled the dayum thing. So his point production scared me. AP didn't have a monster day, so again, I was a little stressed. LenDale White finally did something, and Anthony Fasano is now on the trading block because he has done NOTHING all year long. I was able to pick up the Chargers defense which ended up playing some dividends.

The team I played against (points):


Eli Manning (15.34)
Larry Fitzgerald (7.60)
Calvin Johnson (5.80)
Louis Murphy (2.50)
Ahmad Bradshaw (10.40)
Pierre Thomas (24.60)
Jason Witten (7.70)
Nick Folk (5.0)
Pittsburgh (3.0)


Pierre Thomas almost beat me by himself as he had AP numbers. This game really came down to last night when the Cowboys had a few chances to kick field goals (Folk missed one). Witten had a great first half and I don't think he touched the ball the rest of the game. I was as happy as I could be when the Cowboys intercepted that Kurt Warner pass and ran it back for a TD. That meant the Cowboys offense would never see the field again.


In the end, I won the 84.04 - 81.94. It's the first one of a long season. Here's to many more.


@ Gela Trish - Congrats on your win too.

Things I Don't Understand

Lamar Odom is crazy. I'm sorry. I've been trying to understand this story and to also find someone to tell me that it's all a bad joke. Lamar and Khloe got married this past weekend. Information about a prenup has been floating around, but nothing confirmed.
Here are my points:
1) Lamar has known Khloe for 4 weeks. 4 freakin weeks. I guess 'love is a powerful drug'. I just don't get this, sorry.
2) She's not even the best looking Kardashian. They go in order: Kim, Kourtney, and then possibly Khloe.
3) No prenup. Are you kidding me? Lamar makes about $9M a year and no prenup?!?!? Where are his boys? Who did he talk to? What does she do? I mean really, where's her W-2?
I still hope this is a bad joke, but if it's not, Ron Artest isn't the craziest Laker. If this is true, I give this the basketball season. If they make it that long, I'd be surprised.

Only in Oakland

Wow! I thought this story had died, but I guess the investigation is coming full circle. Tom Cable is being accused of Randy Hanson's, his assistant coach, jaw, way back on August 5th. Hanson's attorney is calling this a case of felony assault. The Raiders and Tom Cable have denied that this has happened but the now it's in the Napa Valley DA's office. Hanson has been told not to report to work, but he is still getting paid and the rumors are that the players are still getting advice from the coach via a laptop that has been smuggled into Raiders camp.

This is really crazy, but we'll see what the DA's office decides to do. If charges are filed, and I have no doubt that they will be filed (dude had a broken jaw and has the records to prove it), what will the Raiders do to Tom Cable?

NFL Week 3 Wrap Up

Better this week, but some teams let me down.

Washington @ Detroit - The Lions won. I don't know if this is good for the Lions or just THAT bad for the Redskins. One of my boys (Jeff, you know I'm talking about you), told me there was no way the Redskins lose this game. Well, they did a great job in making us both look foolish. Great job Lions, now it's time to get win #2. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.

Green Bay @ St. Louis - Just what the Packers needed knowing that they have Brett Favre and the Vikings next week. This is really going to be a good game. How did the Rams score 17 points though? Inquisitive Mind 1 - 1 for the week.

San Francisco @ Minnesota - Can I be real with you? I was crying watching this game. There was no way that the 49ers should have been in this and without a great catch by Greg Lewis, they would have won. Brett Favre came through for the Vikes and has them at 3-0 for the year. If AP's back is ok, the Vikes are going to be dangerous. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 1 for the week.

Atlanta @ New England - What is happening? I mean this was the biggest game of the season (yeah week 3) for the Falcons and they just go out and blow it. They had a wounded Patriots team and let them off the hook (cue Denny Green's rant about the Bears). This is a big set back for the Falcons. The Patriots may have gotten the boost that they needed to start a winning streak. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 2 for the week.

Tennessee @ New York Jets - This was a good game and my first advice to Senior Sanchez is to keep your head up when you're diving for the end zone. I thought they were going to carry him off the field after that one. The Jets are for real and Senior Sanchez is making people think he'll pull a Matt Ryan this year. Can the Titans stop the pass sometime this year? Inquisitive Mind 3 - 2 for the week.

Kansas City @ Philadelphia - Can people please get off the Kevin Kolb bandwagon (is it really a bandwagon after one game?) He was playing against the Chiefs!!!! The Chiefs. Me, you, and 30 people off the street could beat the Chiefs. He still sucks, trust me. Vick did nothing to show me he'll be playing extensively any time soon either. Glad next week is a bye. Inquisitive Mind 4 - 2 for the week.

New York Giants @ Tampa Bay - This was an old fashioned butt whuppin. At least the Bucs found out that Byron Leftwich isn't the answer. Inquisitive Mind 5 - 2 for the week.

Cleveland @ Baltimore - I think I said something about a QB controversy in Cleveland by week 3. Again, this game was unfair. It's like a 25 year old playing football with 5 or 6 5-year olds. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 2 for the week.

Jacksonville @ Houston - What in the hell happened here? MJD finally broke off with a 3 TD game and that's about it. The Texans defense couldn't get a stop all day long. Call this one luck for the Jaguars. Inquisitive Mind 6 -3 for the week.

New Orleans @ Buffalo - Talk about taking your foot off the gas. The Saints looked like they were going to score on almost every possession, but at some point, it looked like a mercy killing. The Saints keep marching on. Inquisitive Mind 7 - 3 for the week.

Chicago @ Seattle - Those had to be the ugliest jerseys EVER!!! The Seahawks play at least matched their look. That's kind of a low blow, because they actually played pretty well in the first half (or maybe the Bears just played badly). But the uniforms sucked. Now, I guess Mora has taken a note out of TO's book on how to throw people under the bus (Olindo Mare, the kicker). That's real sad. The kicker is supposed to make those kicks, but there were a lot of other people who weren't doing their jobs, but none of them got called out. Lack of character on the coaches side. Inquisitive Mind 8 - 3 for the week.

Miami @ San Diego - No LT, no problem. The Chargers won this game and Philip Rivers had another good one, but where's the domination? This team should be destroying teams like the Dolphins. They knocked Pennington out of the game, but I still don't see the whole picture with the Chargers. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 3 for the week.

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati - 10 minutes left and the Steelers up and the Bengals score 2 TDs to win?!?!? Arrrrgh. The Steelers normally win with defense but that has sorely been lacking as of late. They did get some running from fast Willie Parker, but ehy also got the L. The Steelers better right the ship soon. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 4 for the week.

Denver @ Oakland - (Note to self, don't pick the Raiders for the rest of the year). I'm still shaking my head on this one. This kind of game will make Richard Seymour retire. The Raiders offense looked like a pop warner team playing a high school team. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 5 for the week.

Indianapolis @ Arizona - (I went out on a limb with this pick from the start). This was a good win for the Colts even though they lost Dwight Freeney for 2-3 weeks to an injured quad. Arizona couldn't muster much against this Colts pass rush. Even I know that you have to run the ball against the Colts to be successful. What happened to Beanie Wells? Hightower? I'm just disappointed in the Cardinals. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 6 for the week.

Carolina @ Dallas - See how good Tony Romo can look when you RUN the ball. The Cowboys finally got a win in the House that Jerry built. They shut down the Panthers offense except for a 2 minute stretch at the end of the 2nd quarter. Jake Delhomme might have to go into witness protection after 2 more INTs and another fumble lost. Note to the Cowboys, continue running the ball. At the beginning of the game you let Romo toss the ball around, but you didn't start winning until you ran the ball. It's simple. Inquisitive Mind 10 - 6 for the week.

Ok, 10 - 6 for the week is not bad. I lost games on the Steelers, Texans, and Falcons (a few more too). But I'll take those lumps. No one thought the Bengals would win, or did you? (I didn't think so. That puts my total for the year at a paltry 30 - 18. Not quite Vegas yet, but still not too bad.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

NFL Week 3 Picks

Ok, week 3 and a new start. Are the real teams showing themselves or do we still have some Fool's Gold?

Washington @ Detroit - This could be the game Lions fans. The one that gets you off the snide. You have a Redskins team that basically played a baseball score last week against the Rams and you get them at home. Should be a sellout in Detroit. Should be a good game with two bad teams. Winner - Redskins.

Green Bay @ St. Louis - This will be a great game for the Packers to bounce back from after last weeks debacle. The Rams are going to test the Packers offensive line with blitzing from everywhere, but a sound run game should slow them down. Aaron Rodgers just needs some time to make the Rams look like sheep. One note, congrats to Deacon Jones for getting your #75 retired today. Winner - Packers.

San Francisco @ Minnesota - Well, is this Fool's Gold or are the 49ers really good this year with coach Mike Singletary getting them to play? In the end, both teams have a good/great running game, the Vikings have better QB, the Vikings have a better defense, so I gotta go with the favorites. Winner - Vikings.

Atlanta @ New England - This ought to be a good game. The weather should be a little chilly and a little wet. This lends itself to Falcons because of their great ground game and the Patriots haven't shown us that they can run the ball. Wes Welker is a gametime decision and Moss is a little beat up. The Falcons are healthy and hungry. A win against the Patriots will be a big feather in their cap. Winner - Falcons.

Tennessee @ New York Jets - Another good game and wet game. The Jets are getting great play from their rookie QB and their defense that seems to quietly shut people down. Tennessee is struggling to cover people on defense and they aren't looking good at 0-2. Can they turn it around and quickly? Winner - Jets.

Kansas City @ Philadelphia - Hello Mike Vick! Kevin Kolb will start (why?!?!?) Vick will be on the bench and active and will probably see a lot of time. We all know that the Chiefs are terrible and the Eagles need a win. Let's see how Vick performs. Winner - Vick, I mean Eagles.

New York Giants @ Tampa Bay - Justin Tuck is playing so that's good, even though the Giants are deep enough on the defensive line to keep him from hurting that shoulder anymore. The Giants didn't look good at the Cowboys even though they won. Here's their opportunity to put a complete game together. Winner - Giants.

Cleveland @ Baltimore - This isn't even fair for the Browns. Yes, this is a rivalry of sorts, but they get to go Baltimore to play. I bet against Ray Lewis last week and I won't make that mistake this week. Winner - Ravens.

Jacksonville @ Houston - Yes, the Texans are good, but they HAVE to get their running game working. Steve Slaton, please wake up. Jacksonville is 0-2 and they aren't looking good. Winner - Texans.

New Orleans @ Buffalo - Shootout!! This isn't a good game to be playing defense. The Saints are putting up at least 40 a game during the first two weeks and I think they continue that trend this week. Maybe Trent Edwards can 'find' T.O. a little in this game. There's a chance of bad weather. Does that help the Bills or does it hurt the Saints? Winner - Saints.

Chicago @ Seattle - 8 players are out for the Seahawks and the Bears need another win to piggy back last weeks' upset of the Steelers. This should be pretty easy. Winner - Bears.

Miami @ San Diego - When will these teams wake up? Neither is playing the way that we thought they should. This is really going to be a coin flip. Winner - San Diego.

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati - When will the Steelers run the ball? I think this week would be a great time to start. The Bengals played great defense last week against the Packers, but I think that was an anomaly. Winner - Steelers.

Denver @ Oakland - There aren't too many teams that I would have Denver beating, but in come the Raiders. Who thinks that the Raiders have a chance? I do, and I can't believe that I'm picking them. Winner - Raiders.

Indianapolis @ Arizona - Can the Colts offense keep up with the Cardinals offense? The Colts defense played almost the entire game last week (and still won). Are they still gassed? look for Warner to show Manning a little something in this game. Winner - Cardinals.

Carolina @ Dallas - What's going to happen in game 2 at the new stadium? Can we say pretty much of the same? Dallas will be able to score on the Panthers a little easier. IF they decide to use their running backs, Tony Romo will look like a good QB this week. Let's see what happens. Winner - Cowboys.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

NFL Week 2 Wrap Up

I was right about one thing, it was an interesting week 2 in the NFL. I did terrible this week so hopefully no one put too much money on those picks. Let's recap:

Carolina @ Atlanta - Well Delhomme played pretty well in this game, but it wasn't enough. The Panthers are 0-2 and it's not looking good. The only question I have is, is Matt Ryan THAT good? After two games I'm on the bandwagon. Inquisitive Mind 1-0 for the week.

Minnesota @ Detroit - What's with these slow starts? I mean I was expecting AP to have 200 yards at halftime. The Lions actually didn't play that badly, just against a team with a lot more horses. Inquisitive Mind 2-0 for the week.

Cincinnati @ Green Bay - This looked like each team traded locker rooms and jerseys and then went out and played this game. Aaron Rodgers became 'Senior Pinata', Ryan Grant couldn't run, and Greg Jennings didn't catch a pass the entire game. The Bengals got 141 yards from Cedric Benson and Carson Palmer threw 2 INTs and they still won. To make matters worse, Green Bay was at home. Inquisitive Mind 2-1 for the week.

Houston @ Tennessee - I was right, this was a good game. It seems as though the Titans have been concentrating on stopping the run but forgot how to play defense on anyone else. They held Steve Slaton and crew to 63 yards on the ground, but gave up 357 yards in the air and 4 TDs. To make it even worse, Matt Schaub had wide open receivers all day long. Inquisitive Mind 3-1 for the week.

Oakland @ Kansas City - The Raiders tried hard to make me look bad on this pick, but in the end, they were playing the Chiefs. So, I got lucky that they held on. The team that took the Chargers to the last minutes in week 1 is gone. Inquisitive Mind 4-1 for the week.

New England @ New York Jets - Congrats to the Jets for playing a helluva game. They went at Tom Brady at every opportunity and punished him for most of the game. Their offense wasn't too shabby either, but they really couldn't finish some of their drives. 16 points was all they needed, along with some unexplainable Patriots errors. Kerry Rhodes, here's one for you. Inquisitive Mind 4-2 for the week.

New Orleans @ Philadelphia - Well all I can say is that Mike Vick is available next week. Kevin Kolb really sucks. I mean really. Who's idea was it to pick this cat in the draft? They should definitely be drug tested. Inquisitive Mind 5-2 for the week.

St. Louis @ Washington - Yes the Redskins snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat, well maybe they snatched a victory from the jaws of a half dead defeat. This was a terrible game on both sides and should have ended with a draw. Someone should have forced both teams to take a tie. Inquisitive Mind 6-2 for the week.

Arizona @ Jacksonville - Can I take this one back? Kurt Warner looked good and spread the ball around to all of his targets. The Arizona defense was able to keep MJD locked up the entire game and anytime that Garrard has to throw 43 times, it's not going to be good. Inquisitive Mind 6-3 for the week.

Tampa Bay @ Buffalo - 57 yards rushing for an already offensively lacking team spells doom. The Bucs couldn't stop the Bills and then their offense wasn't much better. Fred Jackson had 163 yards for the Bills which allowed Trent Edwards to play under control and he even found TO for a TD. When does Marshawn Lynch get back? Inquisitive Mind 6-4 for the week.

Seattle @ San Francisco - To answer my own question, I guess 2. The 49ers put Hasselbeck out of the game and it went downhill from there for the Seahawks. He got hurt, eerily similar to Donovan McNabb, rolling right trying to get into the end zone. Maybe all QBs should avoid that play for the rest of the year. So far, 2 times and 2 broken/fractured ribs. Inquisitive Mind 6-5 for the week.

Pittsburgh @ Chicago - Arrgh!!!! It was a rainy nigh, isn't that how most bad novels start? The Steelers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. That's it. Two Jeff Reed missed field goals. Can we get a running game in Pittsburgh? Inquisitive Mind 6-6 for the week.

Baltimore @ San Diego - Are you kidding me? You don't block Ray Lewis on a 4th and 2? I mean there are a lot of guys on the Ravens that I wouldn't block on that down and distance, but #52 ain't one of them. Phillip Rivers had a monumental game, 436 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs, but it seemed like no one else showed up. The Chargers defense let the Ravens score 31 points. They normally don't lose if they get that many. Inquisitive Mind 6-7 for the week.

Denver @ Cleveland - The Broncos are 2-0. After their off season, I don't think anyone could have scripted it better. 2-0. With an average QB and a decent ground game. Excuse me while I cry in my beer. Inquisitive Mind 6-8 for the week.

New York Giants @ Dallas - I didn't expect a shootout, but if everyone in Dallas isn't hopping off the bandwagon already, they should. Romo isn't your guy, and if you think he is, you'll be crying in your beer a lot this year. The Cowboys defense hasn't played yet either. They can't even sack a dummy in practice. With everything said, the stadium is beautiful, but there are going to be a lot more nights like Sunday night for the Cowboys ahead. Inquisitive Mind 7-8 for the week.

Indianapolis @ Miami - I actually feel sorry for the Dolphins. They played the perfect game against the Colts and lost. They kept Manning on the sidelines (entertaining Tiger Woods nonetheless) and racked up 239 yards on the ground. You can't script it any better than that. This was a tough loss for the Dolphins, and hopefully they'll bounce back. Inquisitive Mind 7-9 for the week.

As you can see, 7-9 for the week is terrible. I should lose my job over something like this. Glad that it's not my job or I'd be on the unemployment line. I guess I can always say that there's next week. We'll see if I make it. That puts me squarely at 20-12 for the year.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

NFL Week 2 Picks

Ok, it's Week 2 and it's going to be interesting. Let's see what's on the slate.

Carolina @ Atlanta - Well, I didn't see Delhomme playing that bad in week 1, but he HAS to be better this week or he's going to be out of a job. The offense should concentrate on running the ball and letting Delhomme manage the game. The Falcons are playing pretty well and we'll see if they can put these 2 games together. It's a division rival, so this will help them if they can get the win. I think that Delhomme plays better, but Atlanta at home is always a tough out. Winner - Falcons.

Minnesota @ Detroit - Do I even need to say anything about this game? Vikings in a rout. Winner - Vikings.

Cincinnati @ Green Bay - I thought that this would be a game, but in reality, it's the same old Bungles. After losing in week 1, they get to travel to Green Bay to get their heads knocked in. Winner - Packers.

Houston @ Tennessee - For some reason I think this is going to be a good game. The Titans play good defense and control the ball on the ground, and the Texans are in that same mold. Everyone said that the Titans wouldn't miss Haynesworth clogging up the middle of their run defense, but maybe this is the game that it really shows with a good heavy dose of Steve Slaton. In a mild upset,... Winner - Texans.

Oakland @ Kansas City - Well, at least one team will win on Sunday (or possibly not). The Raiders played pretty well against the Charger last week, but JaMarcus Russell has got to string together about 6-10 GOOD throws. We know they can run the ball and their defense with Seymour played inspired last week. Get one for Tom Cable. Winner - Raiders.

New England @ New York Jets - Well, this started out with the coach of the Jets, Rex Ryan, using some self deprecation about how good he is compared to Bill Belichick, and then when safety Kerry Rhodes comes out and basically cuts out all of the niceties and says they want to run the score up on the Patriots. All I can say is that he better be able to cash that check, cause his mouth wrote a huge one for him and his team this week. What's the over/under on the number of fights in this game and the over/under on the number of times Rhodes is burned? Winner - Patriots.

New Orleans @ Philadelphia - Well, after you throw 6 TDs in game 1, what do you do for an encore? The Saints will bring their high octane offense to Philly and although I don't expect 6 TDs, there is going to be a lot of scoring. McNabb won't play and Kevin Kolb should be horrible in this game. For the Eagles fans, how many of you thought you'd be rooting to see Michael Vick?!?! Winner - Saints.

St. Louis @ Washington - Both teams looked terrible in week 1, but at least the Redskins had a reason since they were playing the Giants. If you ever needed a stepping stone game, this is the one for the Redskins. Campbell will be better and the running game should work. The Rams will make this one close, but they just don't have the horses to keep up. Winner - Redskins.

Arizona @ Jacksonville - Were there that many bad teams in week 1? I don't think that things get any better for the Cardinals here. Jacksonville is coming off a tough loss to Indianapolis, but they normally play pretty well at home and they need a statement game. The Cardinals look out of sync and it's going to be tough with Boldin hurting to get back in sync. Winner - Jaguars.

Tampa Bay @ Buffalo - The TO Show has already started in NY. The Bills haven't impressed and TO didn't look that great in week 1. Yes, they need to go to him more than 3 times, but hey he didn't look that good. I think that the Bucs actually show up and play some defense this game. They got toasted last week and guys like Rhonde Barber aren't going to let TO just go crazy. Winner - Bucs.

Seattle @ San Francisco - How many games can heart win for you? I'm sorry, the 49ers don't have the talent, but they played like a good team last week and got the win. Seattle looked good on the ground last week, but their air options have to be better. Yes, Houshmanzadeh is slowed by that bad back, but he's going to have to tough it out. Winner - Seahawks.

Pittsburgh @ Chicago - Just want Jay Cutler needed, a Pittsburgh defense that will play inspired without Polamalu. The running game didn't work for the Steelers in week 1 so I expect them to gouge the Bears defense before Big Ben goes to the air. Cutler had a terrible 4 INT day, so he's got to play better. The defense won't lose much without Urlacher, so it's going to come down to the Bears offense. Winner - Steelers.

Baltimore @ San Diego - LT is out and that may be the worst thing that could happen to the Ravens. It seems as though the Chargers were better without LT last week. The Chargers defense has got to step it up or they won't see the Superbowl. To make that a little easier they get a pretty one dimensional offense in the Ravens. I love the Ravens and I hate going against Ray Lewis on any day, but I don't see them winning this one. Ray Rice should have a big day on the Chargers based on what the Raiders did to them last week. Winner - Chargers.

Cleveland @ Denver - One team got a win on a lucky play and the other got whupped. Both teams deserved to lose, but hey there's always week 2. Do I have to pick a team here? I don't like either but I guess I have to make a decision. (Digging in pocket for coin) I guess I have to go with the team with the best talent at QB and WR, right? Winner - Browns.

New York Giants @ Dallas - This is going to be fun. Not only will this open Jerry Jones' massive stadium, but I think in a game that won't soon be forgotten. I don't expect Romo to play toss and catch like he did in week 1 because he's going to have some big boys chasing him. I can just see Jones' face on that big television hanging from the roof when the Cowboys take this 'L'. Winner - Giants.

Indianapolis @ Miami - Very anti-climatic after the Sunday night game in Dallas, but this should be a good one too. The Dolphins will need a better performance from their team but more specifically Anthony Fasano (2 fumbles?). The Colts are losing wide receivers as fast as the Lions are losing games. Hank Bassett was just signed and he may get a chance to play this week (although probably not). Manning is good, but he needs someone to catch the ball for him. Winner - Dolphins.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Fantasy Football Wrap Up - Week 1

Why do I play the game? I started the season off 0-1 even with a spectacular outing by my man Adrian Peterson with 37.80 points. My foe, the Air Raiders had their own spectacular day thanks in part to the Eagles defense with 35 points (thanks Delhomme).


I had the following roster (points):

Donovan McNabb (17.86)
Greg Jennings (18.60)
TJ Housmandzadeh (4.80)
Darrius Heyward-Bey (0.00)
Adrian Peterson (37.80)
LenDale White (3.30)
Antohony Fasano (-3.0)
Kris Brown (1.0)
Miami (3.0)

I was matching up against (points):

Tom Brady (22.02)
Dwayne Bowe (10.0)
Brandon Marshall (2.70)
Braylon Edwards (1.20)
Steve Slaton (3.20)
Kevin Smith (13.20)
Owen Daniels (4.40)
Steve Gostkowski (5.0)
Philadelphia (35.0)

It all came down to Brady having a great second half and Heyward-Bey not even catching a damn ball. Here's to next week. I'm already crying on the inside.

NFL Week 1 Wrap Up

Tennessee @ Pittsburgh - Not the game I expected, but the Steelers won. What happened to the Steelers running game? Polamalu hurt? Big Ben playing a hell of a game. We'll see how this win will effect the rest of their season. The Titans played well and kept this close. Many say they won't miss Haynesworth, but I think that's just wrong. The Titans did a lot of blitzing to cover up that run defense. Two good teams, a good game, and at least the Titans looked respectable. Inquisitive Mind 1-0 for the week.

Miami @ Atlanta - This was a sloppy game for the Dolphins, which you normally don't get with Tuna run teams (yes, he's not the coach, but trust me he's pulling strings). Two fumbles by Antohony Fasano (he killed me in Fantasy this week) and they just couldn't keep it together. The Falcons played well by running the ball and trusting that big tight end that they just got. Atlanta is going to surprise some people this year. I liked what I saw. Inquisitive Mind 2-0 for the week.

Denver @ Cincinnati - This was my first trip up of the week. What happened fellas? The Bengals were supposed to play this year. Well, I at least feel good that this game came down to a miraculous catch by Brandon Stokley. On a pass that was for Brandon Marshall, the ball was tipped and found Stokely wide open for a touchdown. Palmer played well, Ochocinco played well, and even Cedric Benson played well. Just bad luck. Inquisitive Mind 2-1 for the week.

Minnesota @ Cleveland - Am I good or what? Peterson was only 20 yards off of my prediction. The Vikings started slowly, but they really came on at the end. Favre wasn't extraordinary, but he doesn't have to be. He needs to manage the game and hand the ball off to #28. Inquisitive Mind 3-1 for the week.

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis - This was a tougher game for the Colts than I thought. They played ok, but where is the running game for the Colts? Manning and your defense isn't going to do it all year long. Reggie Wayne had a great game, and the defense stopped a 2 point conversion that would have tied the game late. MJD played well for the Jaguars, but didn't look as explosive. I think that leg is bothering him. That'll be something to watch over the next few weeks. Inquisitive Mind 4-1 for the week.

Detroit @ New Orleans - 6 TDs? Drew Brees looked great and maybe we saw a re-emergence of Jeremey Shockey. Shockey caught two TDs last night. Reggie Bush was a ghost, but they didn't need him this week. Stafford didn't look too bad (outside of the 3 INTs), but slow getting the ball out of his hands at times. Calvin Johnson had 90 yards on only 3 catches. Inquisitive Mind 5-1 for the week.

Dallas @ Tampa Bay - Congrats to Carnell Williams for looking good in this game. Many thought he'd never play again in the leagues, but thanks to a Dallas front 7 that got abused, he was able to get his 97 yards and a TD (this is in no way a slap to Williams). Byron Leftwich is not going to win you many games throwing the ball 41 times. For Dallas, Romo looked great. This could be good or bad. The Good, he had 353 yards and 3 TDs on 27 attempts. The Bad, no Cowboy had more than 100 yards rushing. If Romo thinks that he's Drew Brees and the Cowboys let him sling the ball up and down the field, they are going to miss the playoffs. Write it down, right now. Inquisitive Mind 6-1 for the week.

Philadelphia @ Carolina - I expected the Eagles to win (and for Vick to be the starter soon, but we'll talk about that later), but not like this. It just so happened I entertained a Panthers fan on Saturday and he was pissed that the Panthers didn't get Cutler, supposedly because of money, but then re-upped Delhomme for some big money shortly after the Cutler trade to Chicago. The short of this is that Delhomme had 4 INTs and a fumble lost, terrible!!! The Eagles won the game but may have lost their starting QB for a a few weeks. McNabb has a cracked rib, and I think we all know that Kevin Kolb isn't the answer. With Mike Vick having to wait one more week before he is the starter, they are looking for a new QB for 2-3 games. Inquisitive Mind 7-1 for the week.

Kansas City @ Baltimore - This looked bad for my pick half way through the game. The Ravens defense was lit up for for 24 points and by Brodie Croyle. That should make Ray Lewis want to retire. Ray Rice looked great for the Ravens while getting 108 yards. This ground game is going to be lethal for the Ravens as both McGahee and McClain both got TDs and averaged over 3.3 yards per carry. The Ravens put up 38 points. Trust me you'll be able to count the times that happens on one hand by the end of the year and you'll have a few fingers left over. Inquisitive Mind 8-1 for the week.

New York Jets @ Houston - Didn't see this one coming. Mark Sanchez looked like a veteran out there. He didn't look flustered and he showed some moxy for a rookie. They can't let him throw 31 times, but they tried to balance the attack with 20 carries by Thomas Jones and 15 carries by Leon Washington. That'll help any QB, ask Jay Cutler (more on this later). Inquisitive Mind 8-2 for the week.

Washington @ New York Giants - I told you that this Giants defense is going to hurt 4 QBs by the end of the year. Jason Cambell narrowly missed being the first. Justin Tuck and Umenyiora both had great games. Eli Manning looked average. Inquisitive Mind 9-2 for the week.

San Francisco @ Arizona - This must be part of the curse of losing in the Superbowl. The Cardinals came out flat and never looked to be in this game. Shaun Hill is the starter for the 49ers and he led his team. We knew that the 49ers couldn't handle a shootout, so their defense got 2 INTs from Kurt Warner, sacked him 3 times, and hit him often (8 times). Good win for Mike Singletary's team. Inquisitive Mind 9-3 for the week.

St. Louis @ Seattle - The Seahawks actually ran the ball in this game and looked great. Julius Jones had 117 yards on 19 carries, while Hasselbeck threw for 279 yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs. The Rams were never in this from the beginning and it's just sad how badly this team is right now. The bad side of this is that the Seahawks lost their two starting LBs in this game, both with hamstring/groin issues. If these injuries are bad, it could mean the reverting of the Seahawks' defense to the sieve that they were two years ago. Inquisitive Mind 10-3 for the week.

Chicago @ Green Bay - I'll bet you that my Panther's friend wasn't too excited about getting Cutler based on this game. I have said it before,...Cutler is better than any QB the Bears have had in the several years, but he is a risk taker and it showed last night. He ended the game with 4 INTs, but on one possession he had 3 INTs dropped. I mean the Packers DBs had the ball in their hands and dropped them. The Bears not only lost this tough game, they lost Brian Urlacher who is having surgery this morning on a dislocated wrist. He'll be out for at least 2 weeks. Why did the Bears give this guy more money? Two words for Lovie, OFFENSIVE LINE. Or Cutler and Forte will be asking for trades soon. (Urlacher is now OUT FOR THE SEASON, just reported. Sad.) Inquisitive Mind 11-3 for the week.

Buffalo @ New England - Tom Brady is back. He was rusty at the beginning of the game, but he brought the Patriots back from an upset against the Bills. Two touchdowns by Ben Watson won the game. The Bills looked as thought they were going to get a win and catch Brady on an off night. The Bills were able to run the ball effectively and their defense played pretty well. This one really hurt if you're a Bills fan. Inquisitive Mind 12-3 for the week.

San Diego @ Oakland - What's with these close games? The Raiders, yes the Raiders had the Chargers on the ropes. The Raiders surprised everyone by pounding on the Chargers by running the ball right down their throats. I only have a few things to say about this game: 1) Is this the Chargers team that's supposed to go to the Superbowl this year? Why is Sproles playing more than LT in crunch time? Can Richard Seymour bring that defense to a higher level all by himself? Is Norv Turner the worst head coach ever? Inquisitive Mind 13-3 for the week.

Okay boys and girls, this week is done. I ended at 13-3 which isn't a bad start of the season. Let's see if we can keep it up next week.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Urlacher Out

Brian Urlacher is out for the year after having surgery on his dislocated wrist this morning. This is the heart of the Bears defense, but Bears fans don't fret too much, Urlacher can be replaced. Lovie you should be calling Derrick Brooks right now!!!


If you're a Bears fan, are you crying in your beer this morning? Is the season really over already?!?!

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

NFL Week 1 Picks

Here we go, the NFL season kicks off on Thursday night and it's going to be exciting. Last year picks ended up being okay, but I am working on this. This is year 2 and we're going to see if I learned anything. Again, I'm trying to perfect this and take this to Vegas so I can quit my day job. I pick all of the NFL games each week straight up. I will give you some picks based on the spread if you leave some comments (and ask for the help). Each week I'll tally my picks and misses and keep a running total for the year.

And we're off,.........

Tennessee @ Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh starts the season at home with a tough conference foe. The Steelers still have all of their pieces and it doesn't look like they will need much to beat the Titans. The Titans lost their defensive stopper in Haynesworth, and although Coach Fisher always prepares his teams, I don't think they'll have enough. Winner - Steelers.

Miami @ Atlanta - Year 2 for Matt Ryan and I expect him to be even better. They still have a potent running game and now he has a great tight end in Tony Gonzalez. The Falcons defense should be better. Miami brings in Year 2 for Tony Sparano. This team will compete and they will definitely give the Falcons some fits on both offense and defense. I still am not sold on Chad Pennington being a good QB, he's average at best, but they do have Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. This will come down to whichever defense makes stops. Winner - Falcons.

Denver @ Cincinnati - Surprise, Brandon Marshall got reinstated. The Broncos have just had a terrible off-season with the trade of Cutler and the possible trade of Brandon Marshall. Add to this the injury to the finger of Kyle Orton. Orton won't be able to throw the deep ball because of his finger and he's really got no one to throw to except Marshall. The Bengals have Palmer back off of an injury riddled season. They are actually depending on Cedric Benson to lead their running attack. Let's just say that I'm happy that Palmer is healthy. Winner - Bengals.

Minnesota @ Cleveland - Just what Favre needed to prove that he still has it, a Browns team that gave up almost 150 yards (avg) on the ground last year and some good weather. I expect AP to get about 200 yards in this game and for Favre to look wonderful going 20-25 with about 2 TDs to put the icing on the cake. The Browns will start Brady Quinn (why would they start Andersen?) and will probably get blown out. I imagine that the QB carousel will be on full blast by about week 3 of the season for the Browns. Winner - Vikings.

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis - Not much to say about this one. The Jaguars have lost a lot on defense and their offense (outside of MJD) is not that good because of their lack of depth at WR. yes they got Tory Holt and I expect him to do well, but he's all they got. The Colts start the first year AD (After Dungy). I think more of the same in the past years. Manning will play well, they will run the ball a little more, and the defense should be ready to eat the Jaguars lunch. Winner - Colts.

Detroit @ New Orleans - Can anyone say 0-17? The Lions are starting Duante,....no they are starting Matthew Stafford. Big mistake here. I like Stafford, but he is going to get them an 0-3 start before he gets pulled for Culpepper. At least Culpepper gives them a better chance to win now (not often, but at least now). The Saints are one of the teams to watch this fall. They are going to march up and down the field on the Lions, and I'm putting them on the 40 point alert (meaning they should easily put up 40 points in this game). Brees should have another great season. Winner - Saints.

Dallas @ Tampa Bay - We know that the Bucs are rebuilding and even Carnell Williams has been deemed the starter at the RB position. That would be great if it were a few years ago, but with no QB (why did they get rid of Garcia?) to speak of and a defense that I think will struggle, this is going to be a rough ride for the Bucs. Dallas gets their first chance to show how good they can be as a team without T.O. If the Cowboys are smart, they will run the ball, then run it some more, and then finally run it again. Don't let Romo start slinging the ball early. Winner - Cowboys.

Philadelphia @ Carolina - This ought to be good. The Carolina defense is ready to play. The offense has the running back tandem of Williams and Stewart (questionable). They finally have a few receivers who may be able to make a contribution outside of Steve Smith. The Eagles are the Eagles. You're going to get a lot of Westbrook, McNabb, and Jackson. Who will step up outside of the regulars? How will the defense be without former coordinator Jim Johnson? Winner - Eagles.

Kansas City @ Baltimore - Let's see here, a gimpy Matt Cassel, a rebuilt offensive line, no receivers of record, and you're going to Baltimore to play the Ravens defense. Doesn't sound good at all. I gave the Ravens a lot of isht for playing Joe Flacco over Troy Smith last year, but I can admit when I'm wrong. Flacco may struggle in his 2nd year, but he doesn't have to do it all by himself. The Ravens should be able to run the ball and let Flacco manage this game. When will they get him a real #1 receiver? Winner - Ravens.

New York Jets @ Houston - Hello Mark Sanchez, this is the NFL. Sanchez should be decent. He has a lot of weapons around him and a coach that saw how Joe Flacco was managed last year. Rex Ryan will give his QB the reigns, but he will watch closely. I expect the Jets will try to pound the ball against the smallish front of the Texans. With that said, the Texans are my team to watch this year. It seems as though they finally have it all together. Their defense is solid and they have a good offense. They will be at home and I think that will help them get win #1 of the year. Winner - Texans.

Washington @ New York Giants - The NFC East, going to be rough. The Giants bring it all with their running game and their defense. I think this year, the Giants defense will hurt 4 QBs before the season is over. I'm not an Eli Manning guy, he's OVERRATED. If you don't think so, let's see how he does this year with no name receivers. The Redskins finally get an opportunity to see Jason Campbell within the same system for the first time in his career. I think he'll be good, but the question is their backfield. Has anyone even seen Clinton Portis this year? Haynesworth will help the defense, but will it be enough? Winner - Giants.

San Francisco @ Arizona - We've had a full training camp with Mike Singletary and we'll see how the team reacts. They still have Shaun Hill starting at QB and that says a lot. The 49ers will be decent and they'll compete each game, but do they have enough talent? The Cardinals basically bring back the same team that went to the Superbowl last year. They are a little older, but if the offensive line can keep Kurt Warner upright, they are going to be dangerous. Look for Arizona to put up some numbers in this game. Winner - Cardinals.

St. Louis @ Seattle - Does St. Louis still have a team? Yes they have Stephen Jackson, but not much after that. If Marc Bulger makes it half of the season I'll be surprised and if he doesn't that just means more time for Kyle Boller (not a good thing). The Seahawks are the team to beat in the NFC West and they are going to make some noise in the NFC. Hasselbeck is finally healthy and they went out and got him a good receiver in Houshmandzedah. Winner - Seahawks.

Chicago @ Green Bay - This is a big game for Cutler. The Bears HAVE to beat the Packers twice every year (won't happen this year). Cutler doesn't have a #1 receiver, but he has Forte behind him and he'll keep defenses on their toes. Someone needs to get in touch with Lovie and tell him that Hester is best used as a kick/punt returner. You'll win the field advantage all day and give your offense short fields all day. Green Bay looks great. I mean Aaron Rodgers (I was not a fan) is the best decision that the Packers could have made to replace Favre. He threw for 4000+ yards last season and should do the same this year. Winner - Packers.

Buffalo @ New England - How mad will T. O. get during this game? I think that's really the only question. The Bills are good but not great and they get the Pats at home for game #1. The Pats got rid of Seymour (I'm sorry they sent you to the Raiders, that has to suck big time), but they have enough offense to beat almost anyone. Winner - Patriots.

San Diego @ Oakland - This is always a good game, no matter how bad the Raiders are. Why do they even still have a team? The fans are great, but whew. The Chargers are finally stacked and this is their year. If they ever want to win it all, they have to put everything together and it starts in Oakland. This should be a blow out. Merriman needs to stay away from all forms of Tequilla. Winner - Chargers.

Friday, September 04, 2009

Things I Don't Understand

The commish, Roger Goodell, has made the decision to reinstate Michael Vick so that he can play in Week 3 against the Chiefs. Thanks for nothing Commish. Is it just me or are we just really making more about this whole Michael Vick thing than necessary. I mean, we don't have to go back into this, but yes he killed some dogs and he lied about it. So freakin what?!?!?


I'll go into this briefly. I am a dog owner, love the dog, she's great. BUT, I own her. I paid for her. She is not a PERSON. The dogs he killed were HIS dogs. He paid for them. They are pets, not kids, not anything else, pets. Just the other day, I went to get dog food for my dog. While I'm there this kid comes in, as he does almost every two or three weeks to buy a mouse (based on the conversation between him and the sales rep at Petco). Either he is running some crazy experiments that require he replenish his mouse population or he is feeding something that particularly likes to dine on mice (my assumption is a snake). What's the difference here?


Anyway, the Commish should have just allowed Vick to play the entire season. He already served his time and his debt to society. Why make it linger on longer than that? Dante Stallworth accidentally killed a man (and lost his licenses because of it) and he is suspended for a year. When he comes back he won't be conditionally reinstated. Goodell has already said he can play once he gets back. Where are all of the DADD/MADD groups? Nowhere. But Vick kills some animals and PETA is posted up outside of his crib. Does this make any sense?


I digress. I'm just glad that Vick can now play in the NFL again. He shouldn't be kept from earning a living in the way that he was previously. Besides, he'll end up being the starting QB for the Eagles in 2010 or 2011.



What's your take on Vick getting back on the field? Is it good for the Eagles? Does Donovan see that he is training his replacement?

The Punch Heard Round the World

I just happened to be getting home late last night and caught the end of the Boise State/Oregon game and then it happened. LeGarrette Blount punches Byron Hout in the chin and almost knocks him out. A bad way to show sportsmanship by any measure, and even worse since Hout didn't see it coming. We all know that Blount shouldn't have done it, but I think a lot of people were at fault here. Let's take a look at that:
1) Blount lost his cool after a tough loss. It was a time when emotions were running
high and maybe Blount should have taken himself away from the crowd if he
was THAT mad.
2) Hout, a decent defensive player, should not have taunted Blount after the game.
There was no need for him to touch Blount nor talk smack to a guy who is that
much better than you as a football player. Not a good show of sportsmanship.
3) The stadium should not have shown replays of the punch on the big screen at the
game when all it was going to do was enrage the Boise State fans. Which, it did
and they obviously were screwing with Blount as he was leaving the field which
probably instigated him wanting to go into the stands. It's amazing what some
college kids will say when they know that security is around and nothing will
happen to them. Blount had already dropped a 250 pound guy with a helluva
right cross and then you have these college fans (probably 175 soaking wet)
standing behind the security lines talking smack.
We'll see what happens, but I expect that Blount will be suspended for several games. I don't believe that I'm saying this, but the kid is a kid and needs some leniency on this one. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yes, he needs to understand his emotions and how to handle them, but he is a kid also.
What do you think will happen? Should Blount be suspended for the year? She he be arrested on criminal charges?

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

It Always Happens,...

I think I've written out here how these holdouts normally go. Normally you get guys that want to holdout, veterans and rookies alike, because they want a few more dollars. Don't get me wrong, I want them to get all of the money that they can get because these NFL contracts aren't guaranteed (at least the big numbers) like the NBA deals. But, with that said, it's almost like the Madden Curse. Normally these guys hold out and then once they get their money, something bad happens. Our newest case in point is Cincinnati Bengals draft pick Andre Smith. He had already held out during an extended contract negotiation and finally signed earlier this week. Day one in practice, during a non contact drill, he fractures his foot. How you like me now?!?!? The vets on the team are probably more pissed because they won't get a chance to haze him or get his big body on the offensive line, and probably because he gets more money than most of them and hasn't played a down in the NFL yet.

I say all of this to say to all people. Negotiate early and often and try to get your deal BEFORE camp starts. Karma just doesn't seem to work well in these situations for the players. Michael Crabtree, the only unsigned rookie left, should tread lightly and buy as many rabbit's feet as he can.
What is your take on this? Are the Bengals just cursed? Will this guy live up to his draft selection? When does he play?

Fantasy Football Draft Results

Ok, the results are in and at first I think that I am happy. I think I did pretty well, but as we all see, one play can change a season (see Tom Brady last year). So without further ado, the 2009-2010 Cold Ones:

Donovan McNabb (PHI) - QB
Adrian Peterson (MIN) - RB
LenDale White (TEN) - RB
Anquan Boldin (AZ) - WR
TJ Houshmandzadeh (SEA) - WR
Greg Jennings (GB) - WR
Anthony Fasano (MIA) - TE
Kris Brown (HOU) - K
Miami - DEF

And then the bench:

Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) - QB
Ted Ginn Jr. (MIA) - WR
Michael Jenkins (ATL) - WR
Darrius Heyward-Bey (OAK) - WR
Tashard Choice (DAL) - RB
Donald Lee (GB) - TE
Laurence Maroney (NE) - RB



Well, what do you think? We have a 12 team league and as you know the pickings get slim towards the end of the draft. We'll see how this team holds up during the year. Looking forward to regaining the winner's plaque.