NFL 2010 Divisional Playoff Wrap Up

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh - How happy was I as this game went in to halftime?  The Ravens had driven down the field against the Steelers and scored, caused some turnovers and scored, and basically rendered the Steelers useless.  Then after halftime, a fumble by Ray Rice (12 carries, 32 yards, 7 receptions, 32 yards), an interception by Flacco, and the next thing you know the Steelers are tied, and would end up winning this game.  What a turn of events.  The biggest play was the 3rd and 19 that the Steelers had and somehow with only 8 guys rushing the Ravens allowed Antonio Brown (3 catches for 75 yards) to get behind them and catch the game clinching 58 yard reception.  I still can't believe that Webb let ANYONE get deeper than he was and throw the safety in their too.  This all came down to the Ravens offense not being able to throw (and catch) the ball.  Flacco had a pedestrian outing along with Housh (3 catches for 38 yards, and the biggest drop in recent playoff history), Boldin (1 catch for -2 yards), and Mason (0 catches).  Flacco even had time for the majority of the game, but they were just off.

Yes, the Steelers won, but the Ravens gave this game away.  Big Ben (19 of 32, with 2 TDs) had 226 yards passing and the Steelers as a team were held to 71 yards rushing (Mendenhall 20 carries for 46 yards, 2 TDs).  That tells you that there was a lot of defense when there weren't those big plays.  I saw Ray Lewis' interview after the game and you could tell he wanted to blow a fuse.  Sad way to end a nice playoff run.  Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.      


Green Bay @ Atlanta - Whatever Aaron Rodgers had for a pre-game meal, please give me several servings of that.  Rodgers (31 of 36 for 366 yards, 3 TDs) torched the Falcons en route to a playoff high for the Packers in points (48 points).  The Falcons looked good right before halftime and then Tramon Williams' INT return for a TD sealed the deal.  Yes, it was only 28 to 14 at that time, but it was over.  The Falcons couldn't get it going.  I think there's something about getting the bye that works against the team that has it.  Matt Ryan looked lost and even the strength of the Falcons team (rushing the ball) was only able to amass 45 yards.  The Atlanta defense looked outclassed and this was a terrible showing, especially at home.  Inquisitive Mind 0 - 2 for the week. 

Seattle @ Chicago - This was the perfect game by the Bears up until that ill advised pass by, no not Cutler (15 of 28 for 274 yards, 2 TDs, 8 carries for 43 yards, 2 TDs), but Matt Forte (0 for 1 for 0 yards, 1 INT, 25 carries for 80 yards).  Why not just run the ball out of the Wildcat if there's no one to throw to?  Why even call that play?  You're handing the beatdown out to the Seahawks, but you decide to confuse them and run the Wildcat?  The best part of this was watching the Mike Martz react on the sideline.  (blank stare)  Cutler had a great game, and almost made you think that he should be in the backfield as he danced into the end zone twice.  The Bears defense kept the Seahawks at 34 yards rushing for the game and spent enough time in the Seahawks backfield to become drinking buddies with Hasselbeck (26 of 46 for 258 yards, 3 TDs). 

After the game, I happened to be listening to some sports talk radio and one caller called in saying that he was happy the Bears won, but he was upset with the play of Julius Peppers.  I almost ran off the road, because either he didn't watch the game or he just doesn't know any better.  Peppers is the one guy on that defensive line that team game plan against.  He was double teamed the majority of the game and in some cases there were 3 people that he had to deal with.  This allowed people like Tommie Harris, Urlacher, and Briggs to make all the plays.  That won't show up on the stat sheet, but I'll bet you no one in the Bears locker room will say anything differently.    Inquisitive Mind 1 - 2 for the week. 

New York Jets @ New England - The Jets talked the talk and they walked the walk by jumping on the Patriots and never letting up.  Maybe the ghost of Randy Moss finally caught up to the Pats.  After falling behind early, they weren't able to stretch the field as the Jets found ways to stop that dink and dunk offense.  Mark Sanchez (16 of 25 for 194 yards, 3 TDs) looked like an NFL QB and the Jets continued to pound the ball with both LT (10 carries for 43 yards) and Greene (17 carries for 76 yards, 1 TD).  Brady was sacked 5 times and hit numerous times.  That's the blueprint for beating the Patriots, get Brady (29 of 45 for 299 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) uncomfortable and run the ball.

There was a lot of talk going on, with even Welker (7 catches, 57 yards) sitting at the beginning of the game for his 'foot' diatribe to the media a few days earlier.  I wonder how it must feel to beat those guys, because you know it has to be something if your starting wide receiver is doing a cartwheel after the game.  The week off really effected the timing of that Patriots offense, that's all I'll say.  Inquisitive Mind 2 - 2 for the week. 

It was a fun week, always fun when the Patriots lose, but I'm crying on the inside about my Ravens.  I'm still not sure how they lost that game.  We'll see what next week brings. 

NFL 2010 Week 14 Picks

Quick week again.  Let's get to the picks.

Cleveland @ Buffalo - The Browns are just playing too well.  The Bills are looking to have the worst record to possibly get a QB next year, via the draft.  Delhomme will get another start, so hopefully the old QB can get one more win out of him.  Winner - Browns. 

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh - Tough division game.  The Bengals have been playing better the last two weeks, but the Steelers need to play well but minimize the hits to Big Ben.  I'll look for a lot of Mendenhall on the ground and then the Steelers defense to finish this one off.  Winner - Steelers. 

Green Bay @ Detroit - I like what the Lions have done in the past weeks, but they are going up against a team that has to win to try and keep pace with the Bears in the division.  It's indoor and the Packers HAVE to find a way to run the ball.  They are similar to the Colts, if they can get some semblance of a running game going, the Packers should have a cakewalk.  Winner - Packers. 

Tampa Bay @ Washington - This one is a tough one.  I will say that the Bucs are the better team but something about the Redskins sending Haynesworth home will galvanize this Redskins team.  I'm not even sure why that makes sense because he really hasn't played much the entire year.  I'm supposed to pick the Redskins, but I can't in good faith.  Winner - Bucs. 

Atlanta @ Carolina - Shouldn't be a contest.  The Panthers are that bad and the Falcons want this win to hopefully end up with the best record in the NFL.  Winner - Falcons. 

Oakland @ Jacksonville - This game is going to be close.  The Jaguars are showing everyone that they truly belong.  They have to win these games because the Colts looked energized and back on their good foot, with a mathematical chance to sneak up on the Jaguars and win the division.  Look for a lot of MJD and minimizing the mistakes on offense.  Winner - Jaguars.

Seattle @ San Francisco - Two very bad teams.  With news that the 49ers are going to start Alex Smith, they are making this pick easy for me.  What does Troy Smith have to do to start the remainder of the season?  Seattle in (hopefully) a blowout.  Winner - Seahawks. 

St. Louis @ New Orleans - This is a tough one.  The Rams have played well, but are they good enough to beat the Saints at home?  The Saints haven't blown anyone out in a while and this Rams team can run the ball well enough to keep them in the game.  Hmmmm,.......tough one,.....Winner - Saints. 

Miami @ New York Jets - What do you do after an a$$ whuppin?  Well, I guess we'll see when the Jets take the field on Sunday.  Miami needs help at the QB spot, because Henne probably isn't the answer.  Jason Taylor is looking to play more in this game since he'll be playing against his former team (Dolphins) and I expect him to wreak havoc.  Winner - Jets. 

Denver @ Arizona - Kyle Orton, it's time to get back on the horse.  Orton had a nice few games of throwing for over 300 yards a game and last week was pitiful.  Arizona is just that bad so I expect a big game from Lloyd and Orton.  Winner - Broncos. 

Kansas City @ San Diego - Hi Brodie Croyle, welcome to the pressure cooker.  The Chargers are looking to make their normal push into the playoffs with the loss last week being a slight blow, but beating the Chiefs would be a pretty big deal if they can pull it off.  Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, I hope that you've rested those legs.  Winner - Chiefs. 

New England @ Chicago - There's snow on the ground and more coming.  All in all I don't think that will be an issue for either team.  The question is how do you beat a Tampa 2 defense?  You dink and dunk the ball up and down the field.  Does that tell you who I'm picking?  Winner - Patriots. 

Philadelphia @ Dallas - The Cowboys are playing inspired ball and this will definitely be a test for their defense with the Eagles coming to town.  Remember that the Bears 'stopped' Vick and he still threw for 300 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, and ran for another TD.  The Eagles just need this game too bad to lose this one.  No Dez Bryant for the Cowboys and the Eagles get Samuel back.  Winner - Eagles. 

New York Giants @ Minnesota - If this game is played, yes I say that because more snow expected in the midwest and the dome can't be cleaned off with the high winds that are presently blowing through the Land of 10,000 lakes.  It will get played at some point, but I doubt Monday.  Anyway, this gives Favres shoulder a chance to heal (maybe God is a Favre fan) which may or may not be a good thing.  The Vikings need this win, but I think for some reason the Giants find a way to win this game.  Winner - Giants. 

Baltimore @ Houston - My main man Ray Lewis takes his Ravens team to Houston.  Houston is a dangerous team because of their balance on the ground and in the air.  I've been waiting for Flacco to have a breakout game, more importantly having that big game with Anquan Boldin.  Will this be the night?  Closer game than most think, but again, in Ray I trust.  Winner - Ravens.

Who you got?!?!

NFL 2010 Week 13 Wrap Up

Should be another good week, the Eagles started us off with a win, so let's see what else happened.

Philadelphia @ Houston - Wrap up here.  Inquisitive Mind 1 - 0 for the week. 

New Orleans @ Cincinnati - And for a second I thought that the Bengals were going to upset the Saints.  The Bengals used some timely running by Cedric Benson (19 carries for 49 yards, 2 TDs) to pull ahead of the Saints, but just like that Drew Brees (24 of 29 for 313 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) led his team down the field to a win in the last minute.  This has been a microcosm of the Bengals season, just good enough to not win.  At least they can say that most of the team showed up, but the dynamite is already set around the foundation of this team.  Only 4 more weeks till they detonate.  Impressive game by Chris Ivory (15 carries for 117 yards, 2 TDs) for the Saints who now look more dangerous than ever.  Inquisitive Mind 2 - 0 for the week. 

Chicago @ Detroit - Again?  The Lions got jobbed again by a questionable call.  I will say this again, the Bears are THE luckiest team in the league this year.  They put together a good enough game, excuse me, great game by Jay Cutler (21 of 26 for 234 yards, 1 TD, more importantly only 1 turnover) and the defense was able stop Drew Stanton (a 3rd string QB).  I am just not sold on the Bears, don't know what it is, but they keep winning.  Inquisitive Mind 3 - 0 for the week. 

San Francisco @ Green Bay - Aaron Rodgers (21 of 30 for 298 yards, 3 TDs) once again turned into Superman and put the Packers on his back.  James Starks was able to gain 73 yards on the ground to give the Packers a semblance of a running game.  No running game for the 49ers spelled doom and not only for the season but for Mike Singletary's job.  Inquisitive Mind 4 - 0 for the week. 

Jacksonville @ Tennessee - MJD (31 carries for 186 yards) had a monster game where he almost out gained the entire Titans offense (190 yards vs. 220 yards).  Nuff said.  The Jaguars are leading their division and looking good going down the stretch.  Inquisitive Mind 5 - 0 for the week. 

Denver @ Kansas City - Matt Cassel (17 of 31 for 196 yards, 1 TD) and Jamaal Charles (21 carries for 116 yards) led a balanced Chiefs attach while Kyle Orton (9 of 28 for 117 yards) reverted to some of his worst Bears games and the Chiefs escaped with this ugly win. The Chiefs can make this very interesting in the AFC if they win their division.  They have shown the ability to put points on the board or win knock'em out drag'em out games like this.  They have a good running game with Charles and Jones and a decent QB when Cassel shows up.  Inquisitive Mind 6 - 0 for the week. 

Cleveland @ Miami - Cleveland found a way to win when Peyton Hillis (18 carries for 57 yards) was stopped most of the game and Delhomme (24 of 34 217 yards, 1 TD) for  was their go to guy.  It really helped matters that Chade Henne threw 3 picks, but the Browns found a way to close out the Dolphins with a Phil Dawson field goal as time expired.  If this Browns team actually had a QB, they might be dangerous.  Still the city of Cleveland is 0-2 against Miami this fall.  Inquisitive Mind 7 - 0 for the week. 

Buffalo @ Minnesota - Favre got hurt and Tavaris Jackson finally got some meaningful reps in a game.  Jackson (15 of 22 for 187 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs) had a decent game, but the Vikings depended on the running game behind Peterson (16 carries for 107 yards, 3 TDs) and Gerhart (12 carries for 54 yards) for the win against the Bills.  This is the way they should have been playing all year long, making the run a priority and then passing when they needed to.  Mathematically the Vikings aren't out of the playoffs, so there is some hope.  Inquisitive Mind 8 - 0 for the week. 

Washington @ New York Giants - The Giants scored so quickly and often I thought this was a misprint as the score came across the ticker.  The Giants got great games from Ahmad Bradshaw (25 carries for 97 yards, 2 TDs) and Brandon Jacobs (8 carries for 103 yards, 2 TDs) and I could have played QB for the Giants and we still would have won this game.  I will again say this, Eli Manning is an average QB, albeit one with a Superbowl ring, but average none the less.  Great Giants defense in this game too.  If they get on a roll, the NFC is going to be exciting in the playoffs.  Inquisitive Mind 9 - 0 for the week. 

Oakland @ San Diego - Jason Campbell (10 of 16 for 117 yards, 1 TD) didn't have a great game, but he did what he had to do to manage this Raiders team to a win.  Again, great ground game by Bush (23 carries for 95 yards, 1 TD) and McFadden (19 carries for 97 yards, 1 TD) to go along with a good Raiders defensive game.  The Chargers came into this game smelling themselves (they always start late and then start winning games in December to make the playoffs) but they didn't have that magic that they normally do.  This could be the end of the Norv Turner years in San Diego.  Ron Rivera, you may have just gotten your chance to be a head coach.  Inquisitive Mind 10 - 0 for the week. 

Carolina @ Seattle - Two bad teams.  One had to win, sorry Panthers.  John Fox you deserve better.  When you look at the stats, you really can't tell which team won.  Now that's bad football. Inquisitive Mind 11 - 0 for the week. 

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay - GREAT game.  The Bucs are hungry and they played tough but one bad throw by Freeman ended this game.  The Bucs gave the Falcons all they could handle, but in the end the resilient Falcons notched another 'W'.  Freeman (19 of 38 for 181 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and Ryan (18 of 36 for 205 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) and Blount (20 carries for 103 yards, 1 TD) and Turner (24 carries for 88 yards, 1 TD) had very similar games, so it really came down to field position and that late INT for Freeman.  I wouldn't want to play this Bucs team in the playoffs.  They have learned how to win in a short time and they have a pretty damn good young QB.  Inquisitive Mind 12 - 0 for the week. 

St. Louis @ Arizona - Well, the Cardinals used all 3 of their QBs and it still didn't matter.  The Rams were led by Steven Jackson (28 carries for 102 yards, 1 TD) and they are now 6-6 and they are leading their division.  That says a lot about that division, but the Rams are going to the playoffs.  Think about that for a few minutes.  Inquisitive Mind 13 - 0 for the week. 

Dallas @ Indianapolis - You've got to be kidding me.  The Cowboys won this game?  As I sat there and watched it I was amazed that Manning was not able to take advantage of that Cowboys secondary.  They were down to practice players (not really, but close) at one point.  You can tell that Manning is pressing and making bad decisions when you take a look at his 4 INT game.  He needs those receivers that he has to be healthy and right now, their health and the lack, well non existent running game is putting way to much pressure on 'The Machine'.  It's over for the Colts, no playoffs this year.  Inquisitive Mind 13 - 1 for the week. 


Pittsburgh @ Baltimore - This was more of a sloppy game than I thought it would be.  The Ravens offense had several opportunities but they just didn't look good last night.  For some reason when they are on offense I sit there and say, 'they aren't going to move the ball', just not inspired by their offense.  Even with the game on the line, they should have at least tied that game last night but Flacco wafted a pass that fell short to a wide open receiver.  The Ravens have got to be smarting from this game.  Inquisitive Mind 13 - 2 for the week. 


New York Jets @ New England - That was an old fashioned a$$ whuppin.  Tom Brady (21 of 29 for 326 yards, 4 TDs) looked like the NFL MVP in this game with his stellar performance and the Patriots put themselves at the top of the discussion about who will be representing the AFC in the Superbowl.  What happened to the brash New York Jets?  Inquisitive Mind 14 - 2 for the week. 


Great week on the picks with only the Ravens and Cowboys letting me down.  I'm 114 - 77 for the year and gaining some ground as the season pushes toward a close. 

NFL 2010 Week 12 Picks

Yes, we're running late this week, but all of that sleep from the turkey is the only reason.  Let's see what we have on tap for the rest of this week.

Green Bay @ Atlanta - A very interesting game.  One team that's all pass and defense, the Packers, against a well rounded team at home, the Falcons.  I keep saying that the Packers can't keep this up, but for some reason they continue to win.  Winner - Falcons.


Pittsburgh @ Buffalo - Unless the Steelers bus has an accident en route to the stadium, this one is easy.  Winner - Steelers.


Carolina @ Cleveland - Talk about another easy one.  The Browns should be able to run the score up on this bad Panthers team and it's in Cleveland,.......Winner - Browns. 


Jacksonville @ New York Giants - Ok, this is it.  The Jaguars can not win this game.  They have been playing some good football as of late and have gotten some pretty lucky bounces, but there's no way they go to the New Meadowlands and win this game.  Bradshaw lost his starting spot and this Giants team has to be steamed with the way they played last week.  Winner - Giants. 


Minnesota @ Washington - Is this the old QB Bowl?  McNabb isn't quite 40 yet, although his body might beg to differ, but this is a bad game and hopefully not too many people have to watch.  The Vikings have been my pick all year, but they have let me down at every turn.  Again, I don't know why I pick them, but maybe they answer the bell for Leslie better than they do Childress.  Winner - Vikings. 


Tennessee @ Houston - No VY, and we're getting a third stringer starting.  This is just the type of game that the Titans would man up and win.  The Texans need this win badly and I could imagine Jeff Fisher taking a head coaching position in Houston next year with all of the craziness that's going on in the Titans locker room.  Note to Vince Young, if you are man enough to cuss someone out, be man enough to apologize in the same manner, to his face.  Winner - Texans.


Kansas City @ Seattle - This is the statement game of the year for the Chiefs, are they for real?  I think so.  Seattle has played well about half the season and you never know which team will show up, but this Chiefs team has the playoffs in their grasp and this is one of those gotta win games.  Winner - Chiefs.


Miami @ Oakland - More Gradkowski for the Raiders and I think I'm going to try out for the Dolphins starting QB spot.  Miami has the long road trip this week and if they game plan like they did against the Bears (not one Wildcat formation) then this game is already over.  Going with the Silver and Black.  Winner - Raiders. 


St. Louis @ Denver - Cheaters never win!!!  Well sometimes they do (ask the Patriots) and sometimes the fruit from those teams fall very close to the tree (ask Denver).  The Rams are just too young and I imagine that the Mile High air is going to hurt the Rams especially this late in the season.  Winner - Broncos. 


Philadelphia @ Chicago - I can guarantee one thing, Cutler won't throw a pick to Asante Samuels because he'll be out of this game with a knee injury.  I imagine that Cutler will still try to find him on the sidelines though.  This is the game for the Bears to show whether they are real or if this is all a facade and smoke and mirrors.  They have the defensive front to keep Vick in check, but everyone if going to have to play well.  Briggs is the man that will shine if the Bears win.  Winner - Eagles. 


Tampa Bay @ Baltimore - This game screams defense but I'm not sure if the Bucs can hold up their end of the bargain.  It's late in the year and the Ravens don't usually play badly because this is moving time (moving up the ranks).  LeGarrette Blount, meet the Ravens defense, we'll have the Epsom salt ready for you after the game.  Winner - Ravens. 


San Diego @ Indianapolis - Can Rivers do it two weeks in a row?  He had a spectacular game last week, but this Colts team is hungry and both teams need a win to keep up with the Patriots.  Manning just isn't the same guy without his full complement of receivers, but he's still going to stick it to the Chargers defense.  The Colts defense can get to Rivers and Gates is out yet again.  Rivers' options appear to be similar to Manning.  Which QB is better?  Winner - Chargers. 


San Francisco @ Arizona - Is anyone going to be watching this game?  I mean most people in Arizona and California won't so I expect to have a Monday Night Football black out.  Of course it will be on, but I'm not tuning in to watch Derek Anderson and whomever the 49ers trot out there to play this game.  Hopefully Troy Smith has a great game on Monday Night so that Chucky and Jaws don't have to go on and on with filler for this game.  Winner - 49ers. 


Who you got?

NFL 2010 Week 11 Picks

At least we started out on the good foot with the Bears game this week.  I was surprised that some folks actually picked the Dolphins, even I couldn't do that in good faith.  Let's finish up the week strong.     


Buffalo @ Cincinnati - I almost think that the Bills should win this game.  The Bengals have sucked this year and there's really nothing that is redeeming about this team.  They lost their kicker for the year, they have a QB who is struggling to get back to being the QB that many thought he would be, they can't seem to run the ball, and the TO/Ocho combination is terrible.  BUT, they are playing the Bills and they are playing this game in Ohio.  Why am I doing this?  I'm going to say this now, if they don't win, I will not pick them the rest of the year, period.  Winner - Bengals. 



Detroit @ Dallas - Jason Garrett is 1-0 for the year and he's done a great job of motivating this team to actually showing up for a game.  The Lions are a dangerous team as long as Megatron is on the field and they have proven that I could start at QB and he'll still get the ball.  The Cowboys' corners have been terrible for most of the year and this will definitely be a test for them.  Both defensive lines are good and should provide each offense with their own issues.  I expect that Suh will help the Cowboys continue the string of not being able to run the ball effectively.  This is at Jerry's World, so gotta go with the home team.  Winner - Cowboys.  


Washington @ Tennessee - You have a Redskins defense that is still giving up points to the Eagles and Mike Vick, and a Titans squad that really underachieved last week by losing to the Dolphins (even though the Dolphins almost ran out of players).  Which team has the gumption to step up and make it two bad weeks in a row.  Randy Moss had 1 catch last week in his debut and we know he's better than that.  They have had some time and I expect Moss to show out this weekend against this weak Redskins secondary.  For the Redskins, I'm just waiting for Shanahan to pull McNabb again.  Does it happen this week?  Winner - Titans.


Arizona @ Kansas City - The Cardinals are terrible and it's time for this Chiefs team to show me something or I will revert back to calling them the Chefs.  Dwayne Bowe seems to be able to catch balls as of late and the defense has got to make a run back to the first four games of the season.  They were pretty much in a groove up until the loss against Indy, but they played well even then.  If they can turn the clock back, just a little, and play some defense, this should be an easy game for the Chiefs.  Winner - Chiefs. 



Green Bay @ Minnesota - Another 'job' game for Childress and a must win for the Vikings if they have ANY hope of making it to the playoffs.  If the Vikings lose this game, I'm pretty sure Childress is done, but so is the team for this year.  The Packers are coming off a bye week and hopefully they were able to find the fountain of recovery because they needed it badly.  The sad thing is that I think Favre will see a younger version of someone resembling him, behind a decent offensive line, throwing the ball all over the field, and he may come to tears.  Maybe the Vikings drop Rodgers and start a blowout and we see a little of Tavaris Jackson in this game?  I doubt it.  Winner - Vikings. 


Houston @ New York Jets - The Jets come off of a close win against the Browns and now they get a Texans team that is looking for some respect.  The Texans are coming off of a lost game to the Jaguars on a hell mary and they needed a win last week, so the urgency is there.  All of the luster has worn off of this team since their great start, including a win over the Colts.  The Jets have been quiet, which is something I never thought I'd say.  The bravado that the Ryan led Jets were talking has toned down a lot.  Can they get it all back together and start the talking again?  Winner - Jets.   


Oakland @ Pittsburgh - How do you make up for losing a close game against the Patriots?  You get a chance to prove to the world that you can beat the Oakland Raiders.  The Raiders aren't the sacrificial cow that they have been over the last few years and they come to Pittsburgh with a good running game (Bush and DMC) and Jason Campbell peaking.  This will be a closer game than most think if Campbell doesn't regress.  Again, it's hard to beat Pittsburgh at home (although the Patriots did).  Winner - Steelers. 


Baltimore @ Carolina - Baltimore, easy.  Winner - Ravens. 


Cleveland @ Jacksonville - The Jaguars aren't that good, but sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, ask the Bears about that.  The Jaguars snuck a win last week and they have been playing pretty well as of late following the lead of David Garrard.  The Browns have also shown a pulse these past few weeks and they seem to be coming together on the defensive side of the ball at the very least.  This is a coin toss.  Winner - Jaguars.   



Tampa Bay @ San Francisco - I would normally say that this is a win for the 49ers and easy, but the Bucs are not laying down for anyone.  With a youth enthused team led by Josh Freeman and LeGarrette Blount, this Bucs team is dangerous.  The 49ers have been given a shot in the arm by searching and finding a QB on their roster in Troy Smith.  Smith has been able to lead this 49ers squad to some wins and he may get another this weekend.  This ought to be a hard fought game and a good one to watch.  Winner - 49ers.


Seattle @ New Orleans - The return of Reggie Bush?  Bush is trying to make his return from breaking a leg earlier in the season and going against his old coach my be the best opportunity for success.  The Seahawks have been up and down all year and I think (let me count here,.......) it's time for them to be up this game.  They should be able to play with the Saints for at least a quarter or two but in the end, the better team should win.  Winner - Saints. 


Atlanta @ St. Louis - I know which team better win.  The Falcons, as I repeat here often, are one of the best teams in the NFC.  They can run with Turner, throw with Ryan, and they have Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez to catch the ball.  The defense is one of the better ones in the league and they are playing a Rams team that is struggling just to keep players on the field.  Even with that said, the Rams have been a team that will take a win from you if you let them stay in the game.  Atlanta will have to jump out early and try to put any fire that this Rams team has out.  Winner - Falcons.   



Indianapolis @ New England - Two of the games best QBs face off against each other:  Brady vs. Manning.  Manning is dealing with not having his usual targets on the field, but he's made it work with the fill ins that the Colts have.  The Patriots are riding high after beating the Steelers at home and they get to stay at home and welcome the Colts.  The Patriots young defense was able to make some plays in Pittsburgh and the question now is will they be able to do the same thing against a Manning led offense.  My money is on Manning.  Winner - Colts. 


New York Giants @ Philadelphia - Is Mike Vick still on fire?  The Giants defense will find out.  The Giants have the personnel upfront to keep Vick in check, but I'm not sure if their second level (LBs) is good enough.  They also have to worry about McCoy and Jackson who are explosive also.  The Giants can grind the ball with Jacobs and Bradshaw, which could limit Mr. Vick's touches.  The more Vick is on the sidelines, the better chance the Giants have.  Can they pull off the upset?  Winner - Eagles.   


Denver @ San Diego - This has shootout written all over it and that's hard to say when you have Kyle Orton as your starting QB.  Orton has played, by far, his best season as a QB.  The Chargers don't really scare you on defense so I expect that the Orton to Lloyd combo will be ordered up several times this game.  Philip Rivers has shown that he too has an arm and is willing to throw to anyone with a Chargers jersey on since the Chargers have had problems from injuries and holdouts all year long.  Do the Broncos have enough to keep pace?  Winner - Chargers.  


Who you got? 

NFL 2010 Thursday Night Wrap Up

Baltimore @ Atlanta – This game pretty much went as I thought it would all the way up to the end.  The Falcons were able to move the ball against the Ravens defense in the air, but not on the ground as we saw Turners' numbers (17 carries, 39 yards).  Roddy White did indeed play and play well he did.  White ended the game, literally, with 12 receptions for 138 yards, and 2 TDs (with his last one being the game winner).  The Ravens scored a TD with 1:05 left on the clock in the 4th quarter and we (yes, you did too) all thought that it was over.  Well, the Ravens defense choked and after some incidental contact, White walked into the end zone for the game winner.  The Ravens played pretty well for the majority of the game, with that bend, but don't break mentality.  Joe Flacco led the Ravens with a good game (22 of 34, for 215 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT) and thought he had a game winner in hand.  Normally, scoring the go ahead points and then putting the Ravens defense on the field means a 'W' for the Ravens, but Matty 'Ice' Ryan (32 of 50 for 316 yards, 3 TDs) quickly led his team to the 'W' at home.  One team had to win.  Great way to step up for the Falcons.  Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.

NFL 2010 Week 10 Thursday Night Pick

Welcome to Thursday Night Football!!!!!  I don’t know if the wife is going to be able to stand it.  She’s already on me about too many sports going on in the house, NBA, NFL, College Basketball, and occasionally a College Football game.   Well, I’ve only got my picks for the Thursday Night game so here we go. 

Baltimore @ Atlanta – Well Ray Lewis leads his Ravens team into the dirty south.  Not the best town for Ray based on previous history, but let’s talk about football.  The Falcons have been up and down all season.  They have all of the tools in place to be a force in the NFC, but with Roddy White nursing an injured knee (possibly won’t play), the Falcons are going to have to step it up on offense.  With White out and the Ravens able to handle Gonzalez at the TE spot, who can be the catalyst for the Falcons?  Matt Ryan, you better be raising your hand.  The Ravens have the running and passing game going (with the exception of TJ 'Who's Your Mama', where you at?), and we always can count on the Ravens defense showing up.  The Ravens are enjoying the return of Ed Reed.  It'll take about 4 weeks for him to be 'back', but this will be an important game for him too.  You all know that ‘In Ray, I trust’, so……Winner – Ravens.  

Who you got?

NFL 2010 Week 9 Wrap Up

Whew!!!  Finally something good happens to my picks this week.  We were close to getting that perfect week, but as we all know, close only works for horse shoes and hand grenades.  Let’s see what happened. 

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta – The Falcons were able to pull this one out with a goal line defensive stand, stopping LeGarrette Blount to win this game.  Matt Ryan had a steady game (24 of 36 for 235 yards, 1 TD) eventhough he lost his #1 target in Roddy White.  The Falcons are on top of the NFC South and could be dangerous for just about any team out there.  They run the ball well with Michael Turner (24 carries, 107 yards, 2 TDs) and the defense has been able to make some stops when needed.  Great game for the Bucs too, they lost by about a yard.  Inquisitive Mind 1 – 0 for the week.

Chicago @ Buffalo – All this talk about going to the running game for the Bears and this is what you do?  Yes, the Bears ended up with 105 yards rushing as a team but some of that (39 yards) came from Cutler running for his life.  This Bears team is just bad.  Hopefully they will spend some money in the offseason on offensive linemen.  Any player they draft that doesn’t have the designation ‘OL’ should promptly be followed by season ticketholders turning in their tickets.  No one is going to want to watch this next year.  Did I mention that they won?  Just barely.  Inquisitive Mind 2 – 0 for the week. 

New England @ Cleveland – Here’s what I said on Friday – ‘The real question is which Browns team shows up.  Will it be the team that beat the Saints, or the team that shows up almost every other week?  I’m on record that the Patriots aren’t that good (their record says otherwise), but I don’t think this Browns team is quite ready yet.  Maybe this is one more step closer to the Mike Holmgren coaching era in Cleveland’.  Peyton Hillis (29 carries, 184 yards, 2 TDs) singlehandedly destroyed the Patriots, and he also made Colt McCoy look pretty good (14 of 19, 174 yards).  There may be life in Cleveland after LeBron because this Browns team looks to be on the come up.  Inquisitive Mind 2 – 1 for the week. 

New York Jets @ Detroit – This is the team you don’t want to play.  The Detroit Lions played well against the Jets and it took overtime for the Jets to pull this one off.  This was a good hard hitting game that even included (my vote for Defensive Rookie of the Year) Ndamukong Suh missing an extra point.  Santonio Holmes (5 catches, 114 yards) was the difference in the Jets passing game and Calvin Johnson (1 catch, 13 yards) got shut down by the Jets defense.   There had to be joy on that Jets plane home because they stole this one from the jaws of defeat.  Inquisitive Mind 3 – 1 for the week. 

New Orleans @ Carolina – Was this the Charlotte Mecklenburg football team or the Panthers?  This was a no contest from the beginning and that’s about all you can say.  I think John Fox sealed his job with this game and probably was glad that he made it home yesterday in one piece.  Inquisitive Mind 4 – 1 for the week. 

Miami @ Baltimore – The Ravens defense showed up and put this game away.  Joe Flacco (20 of 27, 266 yards, 2 TDs) was great and Ray Rice (22 carries, 83 yards) led the Ravens on the ground.  Inquisitive Mind 5 -1 for the week. 

San Diego @ Houston – Are you kidding me?  You let Philip Rivers just throw the ball all over the place?  The running game in San Diego is pathetic and you chose to let Rivers throw the ball?  Houston had me screaming yesterday because they gave this game away.  Literally they gave it away.  Not Antonio Gates, and you could barely name the other receivers on the Chargers team.  Arrrrgggghhh!!!  Inquisitive Mind 5 – 2 for the week. 

Arizona @ Minnesota – Again, how did the Cardinals lose this game?  You’re up 14 with 4 minutes left and you lose the game in overtime?  This was the game for Childress’ job and I wanted the Vikings to win, but the Vikings need to get rid of Childress.  If you just watched the post game press conference you would have thought that this was a loss for the Vikings.  Childress was melancholy as usual, even throwing in a jab at his quarterback (if you want to tell and joke and you don’t normally tell jokes and the joke is about a sore subject for you team, you probably don’t want to tell the joke).  The Vikings can turn this around if they all kiss and makeup, but that’s a big ‘IF’.  Inquisitive Mind 6 – 2 for the week. 

New York Giants @ Seattle – What I said on Friday – ‘We are now seeing the beginning of the Charlie Whitehurst regime in Seattle.  He’s never thrown a pass in an NFL game and he gets to face a well rested Giants front line.  There’s no way that this ends well for the Seahawks, right?’  Inquisitive Mind 7 – 2 for the week. 

Indianapolis @ Philadelphia – Whew!!!!  The Eagles held on to this game when I thought for sure that Peyton Manning and the NFL were going to make sure that the Colts won this game.  Here are my issues:  1) If you are going to suspend guys and fine them for hitting people in tight spaces, you need to fine and suspend the QBs that throw them the ball into the tight places.  I pray that Austin Collie is somewhere and he’s well this morning as you never want to see anyone get hurt.  But when you go down the seam with a LB in the chase position, and two safeties who are coming to knock you out, bad things are going to happen.  Collie got had time to brace himself and he drop his head and he was hit by 3 people in a matter of seconds.  This was a good football hit (not the outcome that you want) and it was a fumble.  2) If you don’t take the skirts off of these QBs, I’m not going to watch the NFL.  I’m sorry, I’d rather watch high school and college ball than watch Peyton Manning get 15 yard penalties because a defender was swiping for the ball and happen to hit him in the head with their hand.  You are taught from a young age to bother the QB if you can’t hit him, or hit whatever you can.  It’s just sad to see what this has come to.  Inquisitive Mind 8 – 2 for the week. 

Kansas City @ Oakland – The Raiders have won 3 in a row.  They haven’t done that in years and they are looking pretty good.  They came back against the Chiefs and were able to take this game into overtime.  The Chiefs had chances to come home with a win, but in a hard fought game like this, you can’t really fault either team (too much).  Inquisitive Mind 8 – 3 for the week. 

Dallas @ Green Bay – The crying will continue for the Cowboys.  Last night’s debacle should have sealed the fate of their head coach, the assistance head coach, the ball boy, and anyone else who is paid by the Cowboys.  Last night was a total a#& whoopin and pictures from the sideline suggests that grown men can cry.  The Packers defense got in the game and it was pretty much over when it started.  Jerry Jones is somewhere today and he is HOT!!!!  Wade Phillips, get on the bus.  Inquisitive Mind 9 – 3 for the week. 

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati – The Steelers did what I thought they would do, go into Cincinnati and beat up on the Bengals.  This Bengals team has way too much talent, but the key may be that they are limited at the QB position.  I’m not sure what’s going on but Carson Palmer looks to be toast.  He’s just not the same guy, pre-knee operation.  The sad part is that the Bengals have no other option to turn to because the backup is his little brother.  They are 2-6 and the season is pretty much over.  I have a feeling that Marvin Lewis is pretty much over too.  Inquisitive Mind 10 -3 for the week. 

I’m glad I was able to bounce back with a 10-3 week, because otherwise it was starting to get depressing.  That brings me to a 73-56 record for the year.  We’re going in the right direction.  Lookout week 10. 

NFL 2010 Week 9 Picks

Last week was terrible.  It’s gotta get better.  Here’s looking at a perfect week.  Can I pull it off?  Let’s see. 

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta – The Falcons better win this game and handily.  They are playing a dangerous Bucs team that seems to be right there in being able to perform well each week.  Their defense has stepped up in the past weeks and rookie LeGarrette Blount had a coming out party last week.  I like watching a young team grow, but this should be one of those bumps in the road for the Bucs.  Winner – Falcons.

Chicago @ Buffalo – This will be an interesting game.  The Bears are coming off their bye week with the promise of reshuffling their offensive line and also planning on running the ball more consistently.  Here’s to hoping.  This game is important for the Bears, because this Bills team has been playing well (not winning though) and all they need is an opportunity to make someone look bad.  This might be their week.  Winner – Bears.

New England @ Cleveland – The real question is which Browns team shows up.  Will it be the team that beat the Saints, or the team that shows up almost every other week?  I’m on record that the Patriots aren’t that good (their record says otherwise), but I don’t think this Browns team is quite ready yet.  Maybe this is one more step closer to the Mike Holmgren coaching era in Cleveland.  Winner – Patriots.

New York Jets @ Detroit – The Jets get to travel to the comfy confines of Ford Field and they get a team that may be up to playing against the brash team from New York.  The Lions defense has played pretty well lately and Calvin Johnson seems to always find the ball eventhough he’s really their only wide receiver threat.  The Jets have the people to clamp down on the Lions to make this a tough game for the Jets.  In the end, the Jets have to play better and I think they capitalize on this opportunity.  Winner – Jets. 

New Orleans @ Carolina – The Panthers welcome their NFC South rivals from Louisiana.  I’m not sure what else I can say about this game.  The Saints are playing well after beating the Steelers last Sunday so I expect them to beat the tar out of the Panthers.  Winner – Saints. 

Miami @ Baltimore – This ought to be a good game.  Two good defenses and two offenses that won’t give the game away, with the exception of the Ravens letting Joe Flacco ‘do what he do’ at the present time.  Flacco has been playing great as of late and looks to continue to do the same against Dolphins.  Look for the Ravens to pull this one out.  I don’t expect a lot of points in this game unless one team decides to turn the ball over.  Winner – Ravens. 

San Diego @ Houston – This is a hard game to pick.  The Texans are coming off of a loss against the Colts (you just can’t spot them 14 points at home and expect to win) on Monday night, so they have the short week, but they at home.  We know the Chargers will get to the game at half time and then start playing.  The question is how many points can the Texans score before halftime?  No Gates for the Chargers (or at least that’s the plan as of right now) so I imagine that the Chargers will have a rough time.  Winner – Texans. 

Arizona @ Minnesota – This is the game for Childress’ job.  If they lose this one, I expect that he’ll keep on driving until her gets home and that’ll be the end of the Childress era in Minny.  The Cardinals have a rotating QB situation and a decent running game.  The Vikings defense will step up this week, guaranteed.  Winner – Vikings.

New York Giants @ Seattle – We are now seeing the beginning of the Charlie Whitehurst regime in Seattle.  He’s never thrown a pass in an NFL game and he gets to face a well rested Giants front line.  There’s no way that this ends well for the Seahawks, right?  Winner – Giants.

Indianapolis @ Philadelphia – The return from injury for Vick and he gets the Colts defense that looked great against the Texans.  Hopefully the time off let LeSean McCoy’s ribs heal.  This will be a good game.  The Colts defensive ends will have to keep contain and Vick will have to learn to not take such big hits.  What’s the Eagles’ record coming off a bye?  Winner – Eagles.

Kansas City @ Oakland – The Raiders are looking good and hope to keep their brief period of domination (2 games) going.  The Chiefs have been looking good and they should win this game.  This is a division rival game.  No Asomugha, but there’s a chance that changes.  This one is difficult, but I guess I’m going with the Chiefs.  Winner – Chiefs.

Dallas @ Green Bay – It’s all over but the crying and even that is probably not going to stop for a while in Texas.  The Packers are still hurt and they won’t have Donald Driver, but they are at home and the tundra is at least close to being cold.  Dallas seems to have already checked out for the season.  I thought they played well had it not been for the turnovers last week (can you guys catch the ball?), but the outcome simply destroyed their psyche.  It’s a must win for the Cowboys or we might see the first firing of a head coach.  Winner – Packers. 

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati – Should be an even game.  The Steelers are rolling on all cylinders and the Bengals are struggling big time.  I think this is another ‘job’ game, meaning that if the Bengals lose this, they might have sealed the fate of Marvin Lewis.  The Steelers are just that good.  Winner – Steelers.

Who you got?

NFL 2010 Week 7 Picks

Week 7 and we're looking good.  Lots of parity or at least a lot of teams playing badly right now.  The league has sent out videos to teach these guys how to hit and I'm not sure that it's something that many will take into practice.  These players have been taught how to play the game and punishing people is part of the game.  You never want to hurt someone, but you do want them thinking about you and not the play that they are about to make.  Anyways, back to the picks.  Here they are,...............

Cincinnati @ Atlanta – The Falcons are looking to bounce back from that debacle last week where they didn’t show up against the Eagles.  The Bengals are looking for ways to ignite their offense and all of the pressure seems to be squarely on Carson Palmer’s shoulders (and rightly so).  Palmer hasn’t played well this season and he has tons of weapons.  The Bengals don't have a backup for Palmer, except his little brother and we all know that inserting him in the game would be a huge mistake.  I guess the Bengals have to dance with the lady they brung.  Winner - Falcons.

Washington @ Chicago – After a humbling loss last week against the Seahawks, what Bears team will show up?  The Bears are going to have to bring it this weekend.  The Redskins are a solid team with a decent offense, but they are underrated on the defensive side of the ball.  The Bears normally play McNabb tough, but I imagine that you’ll see a big game from Arakbo and Landry, and maybe, just maybe big Haynesworth shows up this weekend.  Go with the team with the better offense.  Winner – Redskins.    

St. Louis @ Tampa Bay – Hmmmm,….this is a pretty even game.  The Rams can run the ball and they seem to be playing pretty well as of late.  They have you thinking that on any weekend they can beat pretty much anyone.  There’s nothing to do in Tampa (except strip clubs, but I wouldn’t know anything about those), so I imagine that the Rams come to town and play a solid game and escape with a win.  Winner – Rams. 

San Francisco @ Carolina – It worked last week, so let’s try it again.  The 49ers get their 2^nd win of the season.  They have got to solve the issue that is their QB situation, but they are limited by having only Alex Smith and David Carr, but they do have former Ravens QB Troy Smith as their 3^rd QB.  Come one Singletary, Troy can’t be that bad.  Winner – 49ers. 

Buffalo @ Baltimore – The Ravens get Ed Reed back to help that defense get better and hopefully they can find TJ Houshmandzadeh and get him off the milk carton he’s been on all year.  This will be a long trip home for the Bills after this but whuppin.  Winner – Ravens.

Philadelphia @ Tennessee – Kevin Kolb gets the start.  (Think before you type the next sentence IM).  Last week I let my feelings be known about Kevin Kolb and he went out and destroyed the Atlanta team (my fantasy team defense), so with that said what do I say this weekend about him?  I don’t think that he can do it two weeks in a row.  The Titans will maybe have VY on a gimpy knee, but if they have Kerry Collins, this turns into an even contest.  The Titans defense is pretty stingy and they are a feisty group and the Eagles will be without DeSean Jackson.  I expect a lot of 8 in the box to stop the Eagles running game.  Because ‘in Kolb, I don’t trust’, I have to go with the Titans.  Winner – Titans. 

Jacksonville @ Kansas City – The Chiefs lost a close one last week, that they should have won.  Jacksonville is starting, who?  In Kansas City?  This has blowout written all over it.  Winner – Chiefs.

Pittsburgh @ Miami – Big Ben in game 2 of his season.  He looked a little rusty last week, but I still will look for the Dolphins to make him make a mistake in the passing game while trying to load the box and stop Mendenhall.  Miami, can run the ball, but this is the Steelers defense and I don’t care what these guys were told about playing, they are going to hit people in the mouth and take names.  Look for a lot of penalties in this game.  Winner – Steelers. 

Cleveland @ New Orleans – This game ought to be entertaining and may not be the blowout that some expect.  McCoy played decently against the Steelers last week and he actually may have Cribbs and Massaquoi back from concussions.  This will be a very interesting test for the Browns this weekend.  The Saints are looking to keep throwing the ball downfield and seem to be on the uptick as of late with their play.  Winner – Saints. 

Arizona @ Seattle – After a surprising win against the Bears last week the Seahawks return home and get the Cardinals.  They can’t lose this game, right?  They seem to be turning the corner, right?  Okung played well against Peppers last week, so he should be ready for an active Cardinals defense, right?  Winner – Seahawks. 

New England @ San Diego – No Gates, No Merriman, No Jackson.  San Deigo can’t seem to get to the games on time because they seem to wait and start playing in the second half.  The Chargers will have to run the ball a little more, but I just don’t see them playing well enough to win against a suddenly hot Patriots team.  How many points will both teams score?  Let me know your over/under.  Winner – Patriots. 

Oakland @ Denver – Starting at QB for the Raiders, Kyle Boller.  (Crickets chirping).  Jason Campbell bombed, Bruce Gradkowski is hurt and he bombed, so why not go with QB #3?  (This week must be an ode to former Ravens QBs).  The Raiders should get back McFadden from a hamstring injury and they should actually go into this game with no stress on them since I don’t think that anyone outside of their locker room thinks they will win.  They are playing in Denver and I expect that it’ll be close, but the Broncos should eek this one out.  Winner – Broncos. 

Minnesota @ Green Bay – Brett Favre returns to Green Bay in purple.  Yeah!!!!  This would be a bigger deal if the Vikings had a better record.  The Packers are beat up all over the place.  Marshawn Lynch would have looked great in the Green and Gold.  This should be a shootout if the Packers can protect Rodgers, otherwise, the Packers 2^nd stringer should prepare to play this weekend.  Winner – Vikings.

New York Giants @ Dallas – The Cowboys need a win badly.  They are playing in their billion dollar stadium on Monday night in front of the world.  I think that everyone’s job is on the line despite Jerry Jones’ statements to the contrary.  The Giants are starting to roll and play a lot better and this will be a rough game for the Cowboys to have to win.  The Cowboys need to go a lot of 3 receiver sets and find Dez Bryant for his coming out party.  We’ll see what happens.  Winner – Cowboys.  

Who you got?!?!?!?  

NFL 2010 Week 5 Picks

Bad week last week, but you have to be like a corner, you have to have a bad memory.   Let's get it going this week.  Good games are on tap. 

Jacksonville @ Buffalo – On the surface, this looks like an easy win for the Jaguars.  They are going up against a terrible Bills team that is already in rebuilding mode for the next two years.  After beating the Colts last week, this could be a let down game, but I hope not.  Winner – Jaguars. 

Tampa Bay @ Cincinnati – I don’t know what to say about this game.  The Bengals have to start getting some W’s or they are done for the playoffs (already?).  They have to get back to the ground game with Benson and with the Bucs defense not necessarily a good run stopping D, I expect a big game from Benson.  Although I know he’s all Mr. Reality Show now, Ochocinco has got to do something on the football field.  Tampa Bay could sneak this one if the Bengals come out lackadaisical.  Winner – Bengals.   

Atlanta @ Cleveland – The Browns are coming off of their win in the battle of Ohio last week and I’m not even sure who’s starting at QB.  I said last week it shouldn’t matter (I was wrong because they beat the Bengals) and I’ll say it again this week, it shouldn’t’ matter.  The Falcons are slowly trying to turn the corner and get them in the drivers’ seat in the NFC.  With teams like the Packers (injuries) and the Vikings (injuries) holding out hope of a M.A.S.H. unit this is the time to get ahead in the standings.  Winner – Falcons.

St. Louis @ Detroit – This should actually be a good game.  I don’t think that either team is good, but it seems as though both of them are really competing.  The Rams are looking good with a banged up Stephen Jackson and Calvin Johnson could probably catch passes from me and that makes the Lions dangerous.  The Lions are the home team and that’s where I have to go with my pick.  Winner – Lions. 

Kansas City @ Indianapolis – The only undefeated team left in the league and they get the Colts after the Colts got embarrassed last week by Jacksonville.  The Colts defense is struggling with their injuries, while the Chiefs defense has had two weeks to prepare and play the way that they have been playing.  If the Chiefs win this game, they have to be the feel good team of the year.  I know better than picking the Chiefs, but you know what,…I’m riding.  Winner – Chiefs.

Green Bay @ Washington – Will the Packers be able to dress enough starters?  It seems as though everyone is dinged up on this team and over the past two weeks they have had problems closing people out and finishing games.  This is not the game they want to play against a Redskins team that always seems to be one big play away on offense and they are playing decent ball on defense.  If the Packers can run the ball, they will win.  That’s a big IF.  Winner – Redskins. 

Chicago @ Carolina – Let me get this right, Peppers felt that he was mistreated by the Panthers over his contract requests, the Panthers are starting a rookie QB, the Panthers have no running game, the Bears have no passing game with Todd Collins back there (please get Hanie in the game), the Bears have no running game, and people are expected to watch this?  I could actually see this game ending in a 5-0 score.  An opportunity to get the Bears back winning over that debacle from last week and maybe get Cutler healthy.  Winner – Bears. 

 

Denver @ Baltimore – Well, we know the formula to beat the Ravens, and that’s run the ball against them.  Most of the time it works, even though the Steelers lost to the Ravens by executing that same game plan.  The problem is that Peyton Hillis is hurt and we’re not sure who the Broncos are going to trot out there on Sunday to run the ball.  The game is in B-more and the Ravens offense HAS to get clicking.  That means you TJ.  Winner – Ravens.    

New York Giants @ Houston – If I’m Matt Schaub, I really consider wearing a flack jacket from Friday until Monday.  If last week was any indication, the Giants are hungry and they are all about hitting the QB.  The Texans offensive line is better than the Bears that gave up 10 sacks last week, but the Giants have the pieces to at least put up 4 or 5.  Eli Manning may consider a similar type jacket because half of his offensive line is presently being shifted around to fill in the holes.  That doesn’t bode well for him either.  This may be the time for more Brandon Jacobs for the Giants since Bradshaw is a little beat up.  No Andre Johnson for the Texans, gotta go with the….Winner – Giants. 

New Orleans @ Arizona – Lance Moore has already scored a TD.  It’s time for Brees and company to rebound.  After a good game against the Vikings opening weekend, they have almost played down to their competition.  I feel sorry for Fitzgerald having to play with this crew.  The defense is decent, but the offense is horriawful.  Save Fitz!!!!  Winner – Saints.

San Diego @ Oakland – A good ole AFC West Showdown.  The Chargers go into Oakland with a red hot Antonio Gates and hopefully a two headed monster at RB with Tolbert and Matthews (coming back from a bad ankle sprain).  The Raiders are just the Raiders right now.  They don’t instill any fear and Bruce Gradkowski is starting for the Raiders.  Run DMC (McFadden) is out for this game so happy returns to Michael Bush in the Raiders backfield.  The Raiders just don’t have enough offense for this one.  Winner – Chargers. 

Tennessee @ Dallas – The Titans have not been able to run the ball that well and Chris Johnson is looking more and more like he’s barely going to break 1600 or 1700 yards this year (no where near the 2000+ that many predicted).  Dallas has had a week to breathe and make some minor changes to their offense, but more importantly they should be healthy coming in to this game.  I’m still not sold on Roy Williams, but it’s time for Miles Austin to have a breakout game.  Dez Bryant is probably hurting from the $50K+ dinner bill he paid, but he should be playing.  Winner – Cowboys. 

Philadelphia @ San Francisco – Ok, this is it.  The 49ers first win of the season.  I’m not going to say much more but this is their game.  LeSean McCoy is dinged up and will actually be wearing a flak jacket for his ribs.  Kolb is not that good, and I think that we’ll see that this week.  Can anyone get Andy Reid a cab outta town?  Kolb is his guy, right?  Winner – 49ers. 

Minnesota @ New York Jets – Gotta save the best for last.  The Jets have been talking all year long and now with a trade to the Vikings, Randy Moss gets an opportunity to play against the Jets again this year.  Moss will have an opportunity to go after Revis (maybe) and Cromartie who have both talked trash this week about Moss and their ability to frustrate him into ‘taking his foot off the pedal’.  All I have to say is if Revis plays, I expect him to be going long with Moss because Favre is going to test that hamstring.  This is a big game for the Vikings because they need this win, but I will say this again (take a picture):  If the Vikings can play .500 ball until they get Rice back, Shiancoe healthy, Harvin healthy, and then add Moss and AP they will be my pick for the NFC Champions.  Winner – Vikings. 

Who you got?!?!?

NFL 2010 Week 4 Picks

Yes, we're running late today with the picks, but hey, sometimes the day job gets in the way of the fun.  But the day job allows us to have fun.  Remember that.  Looking to make last week go away and try to get something with at least 10 or 11 picks right.  We'll see.  Good luck to McNabb in his return to Philly this week. 

San Francisco @ Atlanta – The Falcons proved me right last week with a W against the Saints and I think they have to get it going so that they can make this NFC race a good one. It’s a home game and the 49ers are bringing in a crew with a new OC and lots to work on. This could get dicey, but I expect a big game from Matty Ice. Winner – Falcons.


Cincinnati @ Cleveland – The Battle of Ohio. Too bad this won’t be too much of a battle. Looks like Jake Delhomme is starting at QB and that pretty much says it all. The Bengals have got to get it going or they are going to be sitting at the bottom of their division soon. The best thing for a QB that’s struggling is to hand the ball off. Cedric Benson should go for almost 150 in this game. Winner – Bengals.


New York Jets @ Buffalo – Last week I said the Bills didn’t have a chance and they came thisclose to beating the Patriots. Let’s say that it was a fluke. Winner – Jets.


Seattle @ St. Louis – I’m having a problem with this game. The Seahawks are not impressing me but something about them says don’t give up on them yet. Hasselbeck has some talent around him and some talent to protect him. He’s still a decent QB and that’s got to mean something. The Rams will be either with a slightly injured Steven Jackson or without a slightly injured Steven Jackson. Without a running game this is an easy pick. Winner – Seahawks.


Denver @ Tennessee – Let VY continue to roll on. This team is finding a way to get it done each week. Jeff Fisher normally has pretty good defensive teams, but VY is making sure that people can’t load the box to stop Chris Johnson. Winner – Titans.


Detroit @ Green Bay – After losing that game against the Bears last week, I imagine that the scoreboard operator is going to have a hard time keeping up with the Packers this week. Detroit will be able to score also, but I want to see how Calvin Johnson does against the Green Bay corners. He’s got height on them, but will Shaun Hill be alive to throw the ball? Winner – Packers.


Baltimore @ Pittsburgh – There will be a number of bruises after this game. All I have to say is that Rashard Mendenhall may not want to ever talk trash to Ray Lewis again after what happened last year with Rashards’ shoulder. The Steelers will plan on running the ball and I expect Mendenhall and Lewis to meet on several occasions. This is a tough one to pick. I like the Ravens, but that Steeler defense is playing out of their minds right now. Can I pick both teams? Would that count? Winner – Ravens.


Carolina @ New Orleans – Unless Drew Brees and half the offense don’t play, there’s no question about this one. Winner –Saints.


Indianapolis @ Jacksonville – This is the last thing that the Jaguars needed, a visit from Peyton Manning when he is playing this well. Add to the fact that I could probably start for the Jaguars at QB and it’s just not looking good. Winner – Colts.


Houston @ Oakland – Two teams going in opposite directions. What’s up with the QB situation in Oakland? I thought that given the right opportunity that Jason Campbell could work out there nad he’s sitting on the bench behind a guy who’s name most people can’t spell. They have a running game this year and I just thought things would be better. (Shaking head) Sad. Winner – Texans.


Washington @ Philadelphia – Oh, how I would love this game if Kolb were playing. It’d be a blowout for the Redskins and Donovan would actually have to shake his and Andy Reid’s hand at mid field after the game. Alas, no Kolb, but there will be a Mike Vick sighting and it has nothing to do with dogs. Vick is on a roll and now that he understands that a pocket is something you throw out of, he’s probably the most dangerous QB in the league. Winner – Eagles.


Arizona @ San Diego – Why do the Chargers play like this? IT CAN’T BE THE TALENT!!! Someone, please go to CareerBuilder.com and put out a job description for the Head Coach for the San Diego Chargers. The first line would be ‘Anyone except Norv Turner’. These guys waste talent every game by playing lackadaisical football. But they’re playing at home and it’s the Cardinals. Winner – Chargers.


Chicago @ New York Giants – I said last week that the Giants have folded their tent. We’ll see how far from the camping grounds they have driven after this game. The Bears have stopped the run, but can’t run. They’ve gotten luck from the two games at home and 1 team that hasn’t played well against them. They are 3-0 and I think everyone is surprised. I have to pick the Bears, right? Winner – Bears.


New England @ Miami – The Dolphins almost pulled it off last week and I think that they do it this week. The Patriots have shown us that they can’t play defense and Chad Henne had a helluva game last week against the Jets. More Henne and a few more touches by the running back by committee and the Dolphins go home happy. Winner – Dolphins.



Those are my picks. Who you got?

NFL 2010 Week 3 Picks

 It's on this week.  We're trying to ride the wave of a successful 12-4 week.  Let's see how it goes.  

Tennessee @ New York Giants – It’s too early in the year to start this song of ‘is you is, or is you ain’t my baby (QB)’.  VY was pulled last week for being ineffective and we had a Kerry Collins sighting.  Fisher, in my humble opinion is looking for the first opportunity to get rid of VY.  Fisher lost how many games last year with Collins at QB before he went to VY?  I digress, the Giants are in need of a win and I think that they get one, in the New Meadowlands.  How high can Brandon Jacobs throw his helmet into the stands this week?  Winner – Giants.

Pittsburgh @ Tampa Bay – Which team is for real?  The team with the suspended starting QB which has found a way to win behind a good defense as they line up just about anyone serviceable at QB, or is it the young team who has shown some flashes on offense while their defense has made a few plays here and there?  Both teams are 2-0 and The Bucs get an opportunity to play the Steelers at home.  Someone has to win.  Winner – Steelers.

Cincinnati @ Carolina – I’ve gotta be a sage or something.  The Jimmy Clausen era begins in Carolina this weekend.  You normally want your rookie to open at home (check) and with a decent ground game (ummm,….) to help him manage.  The Bengals will be looking for blood in the water.  I expect a lot of blitzing and a lot of stunts to confuse the rookie.  Good luck Jimmy.  Winner – Bengals. 

Cleveland @ Baltimore – This will be a slugfest, regardless of records.  The Ravens have got to get their offense rolling and get Flacco to stop throwing to the wrong color jerseys.  This Browns team ought to offer somewhat of a cure.  There was word that the Ravens are not going to kick away from Josh Cribbs, please tell me it ain’t so.  If the Ravens kick to Cribbs, this will be close, otherwise a nice win for the Ravens.  Winner – Ravens. 

Dallas @ Houston – Best game of the week.  Well, maybe.  The Cowboys are 0-2 and 0-3 might mean some heads start to roll.  They get a Texans team that is coming off a great win against the Redskins and for some reason, no one feels that putting 3 people on Andre Johnson is a good idea.  I got a feeling that the Cowboys finally wake up and put it all together.  Expect big games from Felix Jones and Jason Witten.  If the Cowboys lose this game, Jerry may want to fold up camp.  Winner – Cowboys. 

San Francisco @ Kansas City – I feel sorry for Mike Singletary.  If his team played with half his passion, they’d be 2-0.  Alex Smith didn’t look bad last week and this team’s success sits squarely on his shoulders.  If he can somehow limit his mistakes, this team makes a big turn for the better.  Kansas City is 2-0 and that’s about as good as it gets for them this year.  They have already exceed expectations.  Winner – 49ers.

Detroit @ Minnesota – Just what the Vikings needed, no not a WR, a cupcake.  The Vikes need to right their ship and get this team back on track like they were last year.  Continue giving AP his 20+ carries and for goodness sake find a healthy WR, somewhere.  Winner – Vikings.

Buffalo @ New England – The Bills come to New England and hopefully they enjoy the trip there because the outcome of this game is going to make for a long trip home.  Winner – Patriots.

Atlanta @ New Orleans – The best game of the week.  The Falcons finally showed what kind of team they can be and now they get to go to a different dome and prove just how good they are.  The Saints got by last week against the 49ers and they have to adjust to life without Reggie Bush.  I could see the Falcons winning this game,…..Winner – Falcons. 

Washington @ St. Louis – This should be an opportunity for McNabb to have a good game and not have to throw for 400+ yards.  The Rams just aren’t ready for primetime yet.  Winner – Redskins.

Philadelphia @ Jacksonville – Once again back it’s the incredible, Mike Vick.  Many people are saying this is a bad move, but let’s think back.  The Eagles brought in Vick when they had McNabb and Kolb.  We all knew they weren’t going to pay McNabb to stay so we knew he was gone.  Vick was supposed to be insurance, but we all saw how bad Kolb was as a substitute.  Andy Reid’s job is on the line, and he’s gotta win.  Shouldn’t we have seen Vick being the starter, until he loses?  He’ll continue the trend this weekend.  Winner – Eagles.   

Oakland @ Arizona – Somebody has to win.  I don’t think that Derek Anderson is a starter for any team and I can’t even spell Gradkowski, but the Raiders get it done this week.  Winner – Raiders. 

San Diego @ Seattle – Are we done with the Pete Carroll era yet in Seattle?  I think that they could use a good possession receiver who could help their QB, but they let him go.  The Chargers haven’t looked real good yet so I expect them to get it together on this road trip and put some numbers on the board.  Winner – Chargers.

Indianapolis @ Denver – After the debacle that was Manning Bowl II, the Colts look to be on the same page.  They get to go to Denver and I imagine that they are going to start pounding the Broncos upfront by running the ball and then let Manning take over from there.  Winner – Colts.

New York Jets @ Miami – After their first big win, Braylon Edwards decides to tie one on and get caught by the police.  From a fantasy impact, I’m mad as he77.  You gotta do better.  I will say this again, Miami is a team you don’t want to play.  They play fundamental ball and if you make a mistake they normally capitalize.  The Jets defense is going to have to pick up the slack from Edwards’ mistake.  Winner – Dolphins.

Green Bay @ Chicago – Ok, the guys at Union Station that manage the traffic (and our buses) have been on me all week about the Bears and how they are going to beat the Packers on Monday night.  I say that the Bears are now sitting on 1 loss (that was a Detroit TD) and ½ a W (the Cowboys beat themselves).  There is no way that the Bears are going to beat the Packers on Monday Night even if they played in Maui.  Even if I have to walk from the train station all week long,……Winner – Packers.  

Who you got?  

NFL 2010 Week 2 Picks

We definitely started the season off with a bang with our 7-9 record, so let's see if we can make less noise and some better picks.  

Pittsburgh @ Tennessee – Well Dennis Dixon gets his next test in Tennessee.  We all know from Week 1 that the Steelers defense can get them out of a lot of trouble, but the offense is going to have to step it up this time around.  The Titans will give the Steelers large doses of Chris Johnson, and I imagine that VY is going to have to throw the ball more than 17 times.  This ought to be quite the game.  Winner – Steelers.    

Miami @ Minnesota – Miami travels all the way to Minnesota and I imagine that their ground game will be ready to test the Vikings front 7.  The Saints seemed to run well against them in Week 1 and I think the Dolphins have a more dynamic group of runners.  I hope someone in Minny tells Childress that Chris Johnson got 27 carries in a laugher of a game last week for the Titans,…….give AP his carries!!!!  Winner – Vikings.

Arizona @ Atlanta – After giving away last week’s game to the Steelers, the Falcons are at home and hopefully they’ve implemented more than one pass play and more than 4 running plays or it’s going to be a long season.  The Cardinals can be tough against the run upfront, but I expect the home cooking to work in favor of the Falcons and give them their first win of the season.  Winner – Falcons.

Baltimore @ Cincinnati – When I look at this game, the one thing that comes to mind is that Cedric Benson was the first back in 61 games to get 100 yards on this Baltimore defense.  That’s a gauntlet being thrown down to this defense.  The Ravens on offense looked pretty good with Boldin last week and I expect some more work for Houshmandzadeh this week.  Which receiving core are you going to pick, Ocho and Owens or Boldin and TJ?  Winner – Bengals.

 

Kansas City @ Cleveland – The Chefs, they got their ‘i’ back so I’ll say the Chiefs surprised last week with a pretty good performance by beating the Chargers.  Cassel looked decent and the surprised play from the defense shocked me.  The Browns are already on quarterback number two with Seneca Wallace getting the start.  I can’t say much more about the Browns.  I think this one is closer than most expect, but I imagine that the Chiefs come out on top.  Winner – Chiefs.

Chicago @ Dallas – One team got a W with an asterisk (Bears) and the other got an ‘L’ for not showing up (Cowboys), so something’s got to give.  Hillenmeyer is out for the year with the Bears with a concussion, and DeMarcus Ware is coming back from a mild concussion himself.  What’s the over/under on the number of games Urlacher plays before he gets hurt?  There’s no way the Cowboys let the Bears come in and spoil the home opener for them, right?  Lots of running by the Cowboys and I expect Dez Bryant to show out.  Winner – Cowboys.

Philadelphia @ Detroit – Mike Vick, glad to see you back in the saddle.  The Eagles finally announces that Vick would start (we knew this was going to happen, right?) and he has been practicing with the 1^st team all week long.  Vick should be a lot better prepared and the game plan should be wide open.  Shaun Hill will get the start for the Lions, so I expect that he’ll see a lot of blitzing from the Eagles, but they will double Calvin Johnson (they are smarter than the Bears), so this one may end up being a blowout.  Winner – Eagles.

Buffalo @ Green Bay – The tundra isn’t quite frozen yet, but the Packers are feeling a little sick from losing their starting RB, Ryan Grant, in their first game.  Because of Aaron Rodgers, they can pretty much insert running back X and keep that machine moving.  The Packers defense seems to be close to mid-season form and the Bills don’t have anyone.  Winner – Packers. 

Tampa Bay @ Carolina – Well, Week 2 and it seems as though Matt Moore will start this game, but if he does, I don’t expect him to end it on the field.  We will probably end up with a Jimmy Clausen sighting preparing for his Week 3 start.  Neither team is loaded but I bet against the Bucs last week and lost.  Winner – Bucs.

Seattle @ Denver – I don’t think many people outside of Pete Carroll’s office thought they would play like they did last week.  Is this a sign of things to come or an anomaly?  They go to Denver who may be able to provide them with some issues on the defensive side of the ball, but I’m not sure anywhere else.  I don’t actually believe this, but I’m going with,…..Winner – Seahawks. 

St. Louis @ Oakland – Talk about two bad teams (at least right now).  The Raiders will once again turn to Darren McFadden to see if he can pull the load, which he should against this defense.  Maybe they’ll even open things up a little for Jason Campbell and this one should be over by halftime.  Winner – Raiders. 

Houston @ Washington – This is the test for the Texans.  You come off a game where many thought you couldn’t beat the Colts and now you get a team in the Redskins that everyone expects you to beat.  Are the Texans going to step up?  We know Arian Foster won’t get 231 in this game, but I expect a better performance out of Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson.  I liked the Redskins on defense last week and if they can keep that up, this won’t be the cakewalk that many think it will be.  This is the Texans year.  Winner – Texans.

New England @ New York Jets – I love the trash talk.  We all know that Moss plays when he wants and this is probably one of those where he plays.  Revis has a built in excuse with his sore hammy, but this will come down to whether the Pats can protect Brady.  As we saw in their game against the Ravens, they are going to bring it all day.  The Jets are just limited on offense with Shonn Greene (the dropsies) and Sanchez not wanting to complete a pass for more than 9 yards.  Winner – Patriots.

Jacksonville @ San Diego – Chargers, are you ready to start the season yet?  You are already looking up to the Chiefs in your division, and that should never happen.  Jacksonville surprised last week with a decent performance, but I expect the Chargers to be extra motivated after that debacle last week.  Winner – Chargers.

New York Giants @ Indianapolis – I guess this is Manning Bowl Part Deux.  Normally the better Manning should win this game and I think that holds.  Note to insurance agents, if an individual named Bob Sanders applies for any type of insurance, you probably want to deny him, he’s accident prone.  The Colts defense will be okay with Bullitt back there, but Peyton seemed to be already in mid-season form.  I’m just not a believer in Eli.  Winner – Colts. 

New Orleans @ San Francisco – I can already see it, Mike Singletary addressing the media after this game,…’I’d like to thank the Saints for kicking our a$$ like that because it’s something we need to learn from’.  Winner – Saints. 

Who you got?