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 13 Picks

Ok, we started the week off with the Eagles and a win, so let's see if we can keep it up.

New Orleans @ Cincinnati - It's time for the movers and shakers to move and shake.  The better teams (the Saints) are trying to shore up their playoff position in the NFC, while the terrible teams (the Bengals) are quietly doing quarterback and head coach searches.  The Saints are starting to get their backfield in order and healthy and I imagine that the Bengals won't put up much of a fight.  Carson Palmer, this is your audition for your next team.  Winner - Saints.

Chicago @ Detroit - The Bears, as a collective unit should play the lottery because they have been THE luckiest team this season.  They get to go against another 3rd string quarterback in Drew Stanton.  The Bears are positioning themselves to win their division and this is a division game.  The Lions have played well, but I don't think they have enough bullets in their guns to pull off this upset.  Cutler will make this interesting though.  Winner - Bears. 

San Francisco @ Green Bay - The Packers are trying to keep pace with the Bears and they get a softie this week with 49ers coming to town.  The 49ers are without Frank Gore for the year, but they do have Troy Smith who has played well.  I expect that Smith will see lots of blitzes and the Packers have the corners to cover the 49ers receivers.  Both teams are essentially pass oriented at this point and without a decent ground game on either side, always go with the best defense.  This should be a blow out by the Packers, but I think I'll just take a nice win.  Winner - Packers. 

Jacksonville @ Tennessee - The Titans have to do better than last week.  Chris Johnson has to get more than 10 yards.  Jacksonville took an 'L' last week, but this is their bounce back week.  A win here could almost guarantee that the Jaguars will be going to the playoffs.  The pressure is on.  Winner - Jaguars. 

Denver @ Kansas City - Which team will show up?  The Broncos have been playing well, led by Kyle Orton of all people.  The Chiefs have been playing well due to the play of Dwayne Bowe (and to a lesser extent, Matt Cassel).  The game is in Denver and the Broncos normally play well there.  I told the fellas that I would pick the Chiefs, or at least I was leaning that way, but for some reason my hands want to type,......Broncos.  Bad hands.  Winner - Chiefs.

Cleveland @ Miami - Tough game to pick.  Cleveland is the team that Miami should be, a grind it out running team.  Miami will have problems (as do most teams) with Peyton Hillis and a healthy Jake Delhomme.  Somebody from Cleveland has to beat a Miami team this year,....at least once.  Winner - Browns.

Buffalo @ Minnesota - Why do I still like the Vikings?  Favre is declining, AP is coming off  a sprained ankle, and Buffalo has played pretty decently as of late.  The Bills re one dropped pass from beating the Steelers last week.  Maybe the Vikings' defense steps up at home and makes this game tough for the Bills?  Winner - Vikings.

Washington @ New York Giants - This should be an easy game for the Giants.  The Redskins offense is unimaginative and mostly ineffective, but with a wily QB (McNabb) and an opportunistic defense (sometimes), the Redskins COULD win this game, but I think that the Giants are just too good to let that happen, especially at home.  Winner - Giants.   

Oakland @ San Diego - Well the Raiders were hot for a second, but now they aren't even lukewarm.  Somehow this team fell off (maybe the constant switching of quarterbacks can do this you) and I don't see them getting it all back together any time soon.  The Chargers are starting their regular late season push as they are concentrated on making the playoffs after their terrible start.  Antonio Gates will probably play again in this game but he won't be 100%, and even that didn't hurt them last week.  If the Raiders do wake up, this would be the game to do it.  Winner - Raiders. 

Carolina @ Seattle - Two bad teams.  The Panthers have to travel across the country and the Seahawks need a win.  This one should be easy.  Winner - Seahawks. 

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay - This one ought to be interesting.  Both teams are playoff bound and this is a division game.  The Bucs have played well most of the season and they will sneak up on you if don't watch them.  The Falcons are one of the most complete teams in the NFL and they will need that balance to beat this Bucs team at home.  Winner - Falcons. 

St. Louis @ Arizona - Derek Anderson ought to try and hit a few more receivers instead of blowing up on the media.  That will be harder with the Rams defense coming at him.  The Rams offense will have some problems with a motivated Cardinals defense.  I have no confidence in anyone the Cardinals put under center, sorry.  Winner - Rams. 

Dallas @ Indianapolis - No Marion Barber for the Cowboys, which may not be a big issue, but the Colts are missing a lot of players too.  The Colts offensive line doesn't allow Manning to get touch most of the time, so it will be up to the Cowboys defensive front to get to Manning.  The Cowboys offense will have to find Dez Bryant again, because he's too good to go catchless in a game.  Winner - Colts. 

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore - If you like football, you should like this game.  Two teams who don't like each other and love show that dislike on the field.  This game is a divisional game and a rematch which the Ravens won earlier in the year.  Normally I go with a split between these teams, but if Big Ben can't move, he'll definitely be a sitting duck.  Winner - Ravens. 

New York Jets @ New England - The game of the week and it's fitting that it's on Monday Night.  The Jets get a chance to get a crack at the suddenly hot Patriots.  The Jets seem to have lost some of their mojo as of late or they actually have stopped all of the talking.  The Patriots are slowly killing teams with Brady making lots of short passes and then every now and then going deep.  The Jets are looking good because they are leaning on the veteran legs of LT, their defense and their QB who isn't turning the ball over a lot.  Tough game to pick, but I gotta go with,.......Winner - Patriots.  

Who you got?

NFL 2010 Week 6 Picks

I know that we're hitting the road late with my picks, but I took the day off and I slept in and have been spending time with the fam this morning.  Nevertheless, here they are.  Enjoy your weekend.

Seattle @ Chicago – I hate to admit this, but the Bears could end up with a 10-6 record and make the playoffs this year. I bet a haircut that they wouldn’t go 10-6, so it’s looking like I’ll be out of some money. The Seahawks come to town and I expect the Bears defense to take over this game. I hope that Hasselbeck has his life insurance paid up, because this could be painful for him. At least we get to see Pete Carroll in Chicago this weekend, right? Think about it Bears fans, if they make the playoffs, you get at least 2 more years of Lovie. Winner – Bears.


Miami @ Green Bay – Will he or won’t he? Aaron Rodgers may play in this game. If he doesn’t, the Packers have no chance. Miami should be able to win this game because they play within their system and that system works, normally. Look for a big game from Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Winner – Dolphins.

San Diego @ St. Louis – The Chargers are killing themselves. They have to get off to a hot start or they don’t seem to be able to win. The Rams aren’t the best team out there but they really have a chance to win this game. Can I finally get a good game out of Ryan Matthews? Winner – Chargers.

Baltimore @ New England – Whew!!! You just traded Randy Moss, got Deion Branch and you are playing a Ravens team that has a problem stopping the pass, sounds like a match made in heaven. The Patriots will try to throw the ball and the Ravens will try to hit Brady as many times as they can. The Patriots are going to end up playing right into the Ravens hands with this one. If the Patriots win, look for a big game from Welker and the young tight end. If the Ravens win, look for a big game from the Ravens passing game. Winner – Ravens.

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay – Maybe the Saints aren’t done, but they are hurting. Did anyone imagine that Reggie Bush would have this kind of effect on a team? I mean since he’s gone down, the Saints have gone down a little each week. Tampa Bay played pretty well last week by picking off Palmer 3 times. Was Palmer that bad or are the Bucs getting better? Winner – Saints.

Detroit @ New York Giants – The Lions are playing well and now they get the big lights of the big city. The Giants had a great game against the Bears, but they haven’t consistently played well. The Giants should be able to run the ball on the edges, because Suh is dominating the middle of that defensive line. Shaun Hill is playing pretty well and he’ll need to be lights out (ode to the soon to be released Shawne Merriman) for the Lions to be close. Winner – Giants.

Atlanta @ Philadelphia – Imagine this game in Atlanta. Could you see the signs that would be taken by the NFL? Because the signs that would be created would not be suitable for TV. Vick, if he plays, gets to face the team that gave up on him. Yeah, I said it. They should have tried their best to help him recreate his image. Yes he lied to the owner and everyone else, but so have other players. If Kolb plays, this isn’t a big deal of a game. The Falcons are the better team, but it’s hard winning in Philly. Winner – Falcons.

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh – Are you serious? Are you going to start Colt McCoy against the best defense in the league? His first NFL start? I guess we’ll see a lot of Josh Cribbs in the wildcat to help ease McCoy into this game. This is a divisional game so it usually is a nail biter and will probably be close, but this is Big Ben’s first game back. I imagine he’ll be testing out that arm of his. Winner – Steelers.

Kansas City @ Houston – Houston does this every year, right? They get our hopes up about being a good team and then boom, they are out of it. The Chiefs are playing pretty damn good football and they just have to find a way to get rid of Cassel and get a real QB. Pioli, can we pull the plug on the Cassel experiment? Try and get some of that $63M back and let him go on his merry way. Winner – Chiefs.

Oakland @ San Francisco – Ok, here we go. This is it, the first win of the season for the 49ers. They can’t keep getting to the well and not drinking. Just doesn’t make sense. Yes, I know Carr isn’t that much better than Alex Smith, but I’d be finding out just how much better he is by playing him on Sunday. Winner – 49ers.

New York Jets @ Denver – Hopefully someone can stop the Orton to Lloyd connection. Otherwise, this may be a long game for the Jets. The Jets offense is coming along pretty well and Mark Sanchez is making good decisions and not turning the ball over. He’s definitely showing that he won’t be the reason they don’t get to the big game this year. It’s time for the Jets to make a statement game, that will have Ryan talking trash during the press conference. Winner – Jets.

Dallas @ Minnesota – Two teams that need a win. The Cowboys look terrible and the Vikings are struggling on offense. This will be week two of Randy Moss with the Vikings again and it’s at home for the Vikings. This could go either way. I gotta go with the better defense and I think we can all agree that it’s the Vikings. Winner – Vikings.

Indianapolis @ Washington – If I’m a corner playing in this game, I don’t even worry about thinking about the play before. I anticipate that Manning and McNabb will both throw for 325+ yards and neither defense will be able to stop the other teams’ offense. The scoreboard should get a workout during this game, but I imagine that the Colts find a way to win this game late. Winner – Colts.

Tennessee @ Jacksonville – Jacksonville has been playing so well lately. It hurts my hurt that they are going on national TV and they are going to lay an egg. Winner – Titans.



Who you got? Hopefully I can make it above .500 this week.

NFL 2010 Week 4 Wrap Up

The theme of this week was close games.  If you liked nail biters, you enjoyed Week 4.  Let’s take a look at what happened.  It won’t be pretty for me this week. 


San Francisco @ Atlanta – Whew!!!  I got this pick right, but I have to tell you that I feel for the 49ers.  I mean they have played some great football, but no W’s yet.  They dominated this Falcons team and they came thisclose to getting their first W, but it just wasn’t meant to be.  They held Matt Ryan in check (273 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs) and even kept the Falcons ground game under 100 yards.  For the Falcons, these are the types of ugly games you have to win in order to be in the hunt later in the year.  Test passed for the Falcons, moral victory to the 49ers.  Inquisitive Mind 1 – 0 for the week.

Cincinnati @ Cleveland – The Battle of Ohio and the winner is the Browns?  Seneca Wallace got the start for the Browns and he managed this team to a victory.  The Browns seem to have found their key to success and that’s to keep giving Peyton Hillis the ball.  Hillis had 27 carries for 102 yards and 1 TD.  The Browns were also able to stop the run by keeping the Bengals, as a team, to 67 yards.  TO had a big game and a long TD reception, but it just wasn’t enough.  I got the over/under of TO losing it and starting to make his way for his exit out of Cincy at 3 weeks (under).  Inquisitive Mind 1 – 1 for the week. 

New York Jets @ Buffalo – This was a blowout and wasn’t even as close as the 38-14 score indicated.  Funny stat was that Mark Sanchez threw for 161 yards (2 TDs) and LT had a monster game of 133 yards (2 TDs) on the ground.  Add in Shonn Greene’s 117 yards on the ground and this was a TKO by halftime.  Inquisitive Mind 2 – 1 for the week. 

Seattle @ St. Louis – Remind me never to pick the Seahawks again.  They showed up in St. Louis and laid an egg.  Sam Bradford looked good while the Rams got a gutted out performance from Steven Jackson.  The Seahawks just looked terrible.  Inquisitive Mind 2 – 2 for the week. 

Denver @ Tennessee – Just as I am ready to think that the Titans might be real this year, they put up a performance like this.  This was the first game where the Titans looked like they put it on cruise when they feel they are the better team.  The Broncos showed up and fought to the end with Kyle Orton having another monster game with 341 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT.  That’s twice in the same year that Orton has thrown for over 300.  Denver played well and snuck a win.  Inquisitive Mind 2 – 3 for the week. 

Detroit @ Green Bay – I could almost put Bears jerseys on the Lions and it would have been a similar game to the game from last Monday night.  The Packers were up, but then they started losing steam because they can’t run the ball and the Bears came back to beat them.  Fast forward to this weekend in what should have been a run away win for the Packers.  The Packers were up and then all of a sudden a few penalties, Shaun Hill throwing a few bombs (one to Calvin Johnson) and the Lions were right back in this thing.  If they had another minute in this game,...the Packers would have lost back to back games.  Inquisitive Mind 3 -3 for the week. 

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh – The best game of the week!!!!!  Mendenhall was able to get his 79 yards on the ground but more importantly his 2 TDs, but this was a defensive struggle.  This was a rare occasion where you couldn’t be mad as a Steelers fan for this loss.  Yes it was at home, and it was a division loss, but you’ve gone 3-1 without Big Ben.  The Ravens were happy that Houshamdzadeh finally contributed and I think this opens up their offense a little more.  Baltimore will be dangerous, but I think the Steelers are in the drivers seat in the AFC.  Inquisitive Mind 4 – 3 for the week. 

Carolina @ New Orleans – Looking at the score I would have imagined that Drew Brees and half of the offense didn’t play.  The Saints won this game but they haven’t looked like the team that beat the Vikings on opening night.  It seems as though the loss of Reggie Bush has severely changed what they do.  Yes, Lance Moore is playing well, but something ain’t right.  We’ll need to watch this one a little more.  Inquisitive Mind 5 – 3 for the week. 

Indianapolis @ Jacksonville – I can’t believe what happened.  Yes the Jaguars play the Colts tough in Jacksonville, but this Jaguars team is basically done, so what do they do, go out and beat the Colts.  David Garrard hasn’t looked this good since East Carolina.  He was an efficient 17 of 22 for 163 yards and 2 TDs.  The Jaguars were able to get out on top of the Colts quickly and held on to the win with a 59 yard field goal by Josh Scobee.  What’s wrong with the Colts?  We know they can’t run the ball, but this team looks to be lacking something also.  Inquisitive Mind 5 – 4 for the week. 

Houston @ Oakland – Arian Foster ran just about anywhere he wanted.  He only played 3 quarters due to a benching by his team for the first, and he still managed to get 131 yards rushing and another 56 yards receiving.  The Texans jumped out on the Raiders, but the Raiders did battle back to make this a game.  If they could have stopped Foster, they may have won this one.  Inquisitive Mind 6 – 4 for the week. 

Washington @ Philadelphia – I guess I got my wish, eh?  Vick gets hurt after becoming a sandwich and on trots Kolb.  I think that Andy Reid should have been fired on the spot for insisting that Kolb is the heir apparent for the QB position with the Eagles.  HE IS NOT THAT GOOD.  Am I the only one that sees that?  Kolb performed ok, throwing for 201 yards, but outside of that, he just doesn’t have ‘it’.  At no point in that game did the Eagles team react like, ‘Kolb is in the game, now we’re going to win’.  McNabb had a decent game and the Redskins were able to salt this one away late.  The Philly fans gave McNabb a standing ovation at the beginning of the game (they should have) and Andy Reid gave McNabb a big hug after the game (as he was probably saying, we can jump in the hot tub time machine and go back a few months and not trade you, come with me now).  What will the Eagles do now with Vick probably out for a game or two?  Kolb?  Inquisitive Mind 6 – 5 for the week.

Arizona @ San Diego – This is the Chargers team that I’ve been waiting to see all year long.  These are the type of stats that they should be putting up each game with Rivers throwing for 241 yards (2 TDs), Tolbert (you can really put in any back here) running for 100 yards (1 TD), and Gates receiving 144 yards (2 TDs). In my best Arnold voice ‘Go Chargers Go’!!!!  Inquisitive Mind 7 – 5 for the week. 

Chicago @ New York Giants – This is what I was expecting from the Giants front 4 LAST year when I said that they would knock several QBs out of a few games.  Jay Cutler was sacked 9 times in the first half against the Giants.  Chalk it up to an offensive offensive line and Jay Cutler have sticky fingers (holding on to the ball too long).  Nevertheless Todd Collins entered the game and had an uneventful outing also.  He was retired after taking a bad hit.  Enter Caleb Haine.  At least he survived and for those that look for silver linings, in my humble opinion, Haine is better in this offense than Cutler would be.  If Hanie gets a start or two or some decent mop up duty with Collins injured, he might be the closest thing to Kurt Warner for this Mike Martz led offense.  The Giants ended the game with 10 sacks (3 a piece for Umenyiora and Tuck) and decent performances from both Jacobs and Bradshaw (hold on to the ball fellas).  The Giants may not be dead after all.  Side note: The funniest thing I’ve heard said about this game came from Terrell - ‘after Collins bounced passed the ball to Chester Taylor he cut the TV off’.  The Bulls do need a back up point guard.  Inquisitive Mind 7 – 6 for the week. 

New England @ Miami – Special Teams!!!  That’s all anyone can say.  I think the Dolphins are still wondering how this butt whuppin happened.  In two minutes and 16 seconds the Patriots scored 14 points and from there the route is on.  How does Patrick Chung block a field goal and a punt from the same side of the formation?  You are taught early on special teams (and any offensive line play) to block inside out.  Meaning take away the inside gap from the defender because that’s the fastest way to the QB/kicker. I imagine that that will be ingrained in the Dolphins special teams unit this week.  No catches for Moss and only 50 yards receiving for Brandon Marshall.  Chad Henne looked terrible with his 3 INTs and Tom Brady became the youngest QB to reach the 100 win plateau.  Great game by Davone Best and if you haven’t already, add him to your fantasy team.  Inquisitive Mind 7 – 7 for the week. 

Wow, a .500 week.  Shoulda, coulda, woulda, been better.  All we can do is look forward to next week.  So far the season record is a painful 35-27, and the experts aren’t too far ahead. 

NFL Update

It seems as thought Torry Holt isn't out of a gig for a long time. He is in the midst of signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars and should be a great target for David Garrard since the Jags really don't have any receivers on their team. The Jags released (a nice way of saying cut) Matt Jones, Jerry Porter, and Reggie Williams, so if you can catch the ball and need a job, head on down to Jacksonville.

Here's Another Day at the Stoplight

More information on the incident with Jacksonville Jaguars' Fred Taylor. Supposedly someone (read: jealous club goer) told the police that there 'might' be guns in the car that Taylor was driving, his wife's Benz. So with this information in hand the police asked Taylor and his boys to get out of his car at gunpoint, and he was handcuffed while the K-9 units searched his car. He was told to quiet down on 3 occasions and didn't so he was given a citation for disorderly conduct. The police never found any guns, drugs, or anything else.

How does this happen and the cops not be in trouble? I would be pissed if the cops drew guns on me and my boys if we were driving off from the club because some jealous punk said that there 'might' be some guns in my car. I would be pissed if my car was searched, for no reason, and then I get a citation for disorderly conduct, while the cops get away with harassment. This sounds very fishy. Why aren't these cops on the hook for anything?

Lyrics (Color Blind) from another 90's hip hop artist, Ice Cube.

Prayers Going Out,...

Richard Collier, a Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle, was shot and critically wounded early on Tuesday morning outside an apartment building. He and a friend, Kenneth Pettway (who had been released by the Jags), were waiting outside of the apartment building when gunman sprayed their vehicle. Collier is in critical but stable condition after surgery today, while Pettway escaped with minor injuries. The motive of the shooters is still unknown while the police continue to investigate. I hope this young man makes it out of this predicament. Sad, very sad.

Blip on the radar

Reports coming out are that Fred Taylor has been arrested outside of a night club, Club Cristal, in Florida and charged with disorderly conduct. Let's just hope this is a small blip and nothing big. Fred has always been a decent guy and not in too much trouble.