NFL Week 9 Wrap Up

Good week, and I got close to my perfect week, but nothing yet. Let's take a look and see how I did.

New York Jets @ Buffalo - What is going on with my Bills? I mean they come out of the gate like gangbusters and then they go on this shittae run of loses. The Bills looked terrible again on Sunday and lost to the Jets. Turnovers and lackadaisical play does it yet again. Marshawn Lynch with 16 yards on 9 carries? Edwards had a decent game minus the 2 INTs, but this Bills team needs to do some soul searching. And yes, Thomas Jones had 12 carries for 69 yards and a TD, and Brett Favre had his first game, in a long while, where he hasn't thrown for at least one TD (well, as Brett put it, at least to his teammate). Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.

Detroit @ Chicago - I talked with one of my guys about how this game was a trap game for the Bears and lo and behold they almost got caught. The Bears jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but by halftime, they were down 23-13. Then, Kyle Orton gets hurt and out comes Rex Grossman. Every Bears fan had to be holding their breathe. Probably even more so when one of Rex's passes (I think one of the first he threw upon entering the game) went right off the chest of a Lions player. Rex was able to calm it down for a little bit, and ended up helping the Bears win this game at home. Kyle Orton is out for a month with a high ankle sprain, per reports, but I think he fractured something in that ankle. I'll prognosticate and say he's out for 6 weeks at best. Inquisitive Mind 1 - 1 for the week.

Jacksonville @ Cincinnati - That's why they play the games. This had to be the biggest upset of the weekend. The 0-for Bengals welcomed in the Jaguars and lulled them to sleep enough for the Bengals to win this game. Ryan Fitzpatrick looked great (quarters 1-3), probably due in part to the great running game that the Bengals got from Curtis Enis, no I mean Cedric Benson (24 carries, 104 yards, 1 TD). Chad Johnson was so happy to get a TD (he ended up with 2) that he didn't even have a dance prepared. The Jaguars came out flat and didn't make this a game until the 4th quarter. They almost tied it with a two point conversion, but it should have never come down to that. Inquisitive Mind 1 - 2 for the week.

Baltimore @ Cleveland - The Ravens keep finding ways to win these tight games and they are 5-3 to show for it. They have a rookie QB that continues to play well and they are led by their potent defense. Cleveland, I just don't have words for that team. They are so talented at several positions, but for some reason they can't get it together. Ray Rice broke off for 154 yards on the ground, Flacco managed the game well (17 of 29 for 284 and 2 TDs), and Terrell Suggs continues his TD making plays with an interception and return for TD to seal the deal. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 2 for the week.

Green Bay @ Tennessee - The Packers almost pulled this off. The Packers used Aaron Rodgers consistent play and Ryan Grants ground game to take the Titans into overtime. Both defenses played well and this was a low scoring affair that the Titans love. Rob Bironas sealed the deal in overtime to keep the Titans undefeated and looking more and more like THE team to beat in the AFC. Some people thought that the Titans had an easy schedule at the beginning of the year and that was the reason behind their record, but with back to back wins over two powers (Indianapolis and Green Bay), the Titans are for real. Inquisitive Mind 3 - 2 for the week.

Arizona @ St. Louis - The Rams got on the board quick with an 80 yard catch by Derek Stanley, but that was pretty much the highlight of the game for the Rams. The Cardinals scored often and put up 24 points in the 2nd quarter alone. Kurt Warner is still showing that he can put up arena football numbers (23 of 34 for 342 and 2 TDs), Tim Hightower is slowly moving Edge into retirement (22 carries, 109 yards, 1 TD), and the wide receiver tandem of Boldin and Fitzgerald (both with 6 catches and 80+ yards a piece) continues to roll. Inquisitive Mind 4 - 2 for the week.

Houston @ Minnesota - AP finally had a good breakout game (25 carries, 139 yards, 1 TD), Gus Frerotte had an equally impressive outing (11 of 18, 182 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT), and the Vikings defense knocked out Matt Schaub. Under normal circumstances that would attribute to a blow out, but Sage Rosenfels came in and played admirably for the Texans in a loss. Inquisitive Mind 5 - 2 for the week.

Tampa Bay @ Kansas City - This was about as ugly a game as you could get from the Bucs. They fell behind 24-13 at the half and were on the verge of losing to the Chiefs. Something ignited them and Jeff Garcia (31 of 43 , 339 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) was able to produce a come from behind win in overtime. The Chiefs pulled out all the stops (Mark Bradley to Tyler Thigpen for 6) but couldn't find a way to win. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 2 for the week.

Miami @ Denver - Finally. I picked the Dolphins and they delivered. This was an all out team win for the Dolphins. Pennington ended the day with 281 yards and 1 INT, Ronnie Brown had 20 carries for 59 yards and 1 TD, but the Dolphins defense was able to slow the Broncos down and get the win. Inquisitive Mind 7 - 2 for the week.

Atlanta @ Oakland - This was terrible. You don't even wish this kind of futility on the Raiders, even if you're a Broncos' fan. The biggest stat for this game was that the Raiders were held to under 100 total offense. Say that again to yourself. Inquisitive Mind 8 - 2 for the week.

Dallas @ New York Giants - Is it me or what? Why did Brad Johnson start? Why did Brad Johnson continue to play after the 1st INT? Why did Brad Johnson continue to pay after the 2nd INT? Who's calling the plays for this Dallas team? When is someone getting fired? We all knew coming into the game that Bollinger was the better QB to start, Johnson just doesn't have it anymore. I'm not saying that Bollinger is the answer, but he's all you got. The Cowboys looked inept and the one offensive TD to TO just highlighted how far this team has fallen. With all of this said, the Giants dominated this game. I thought Johnson wasn't going to make it out of this game with that Giants front 4 coming after him the way they did. Looks like the Cowboys are done, and no Romo is going to be able to save them. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 2 for the week.

@ Seattle - It took the Eagles some time to break this one open, but they finally did. Donovan McNabb looked good and LJ Smith's backup, Brent Celek caught a career high 6 receptions for 131 yards. Why can't LJ do that? (Fantasy Football question, sorry.) Seneca Wallace hooked up with Koren Robinson for the longest pass play in Seahawks history, but that wasn't close to being enough. Inquisitive Mind 10 - 2 for the week.

New England @ Indianapolis - This game over the last few years has always provided fireworks of some sort. Last nights game provided none of that. The Colts edge the Patriots out with a kick from, who would have thunk it, Adam Vinatieri for the game winner. The Colts are at least at .500 and maybe, just maybe they can make a run to the wild card, but they don't look anywhere close to being the dominate team that we have seen over the last few years. Inquisitive Mind 11 - 2 for the week.

Pittsburgh @ Washington - The Steelers decided to play tonight. The Redskins started off fast by recovering the onside kick and stopping the Steelers early to jump out to a 6 point lead, but that's where it all ended. Willie Parker ran the ball well, and even with Big Ben being replaced by Byron Leftwich, due to injury, the Steelers rolled on to a win. The Steelers defense stopped the Redskins running game and sacked Jason Campbell 7 times. Sad to watch this game because I picked the Redskins. I guess you never bet against Mike Tomlin on Monday night. Inquisitive Mind 11 - 3 for the week.

NFL Week 9 Matchup

Not a bad week last week, but I am still searching for an undefeated week with my picks. I stand at 71-45 for the year. Let me relax, light a candle, and see if I can't predict a little better this week.

New York Jets @ Buffalo - Well, Favre had a terrible last game and so did the entire Bills team. The Jets will need to work more on the ground while the Bills will need to make sure their receivers still work, well actually their quarterback. Trent Edwards has got to make something positive happen this week. The Bills are at home and this game is important if they want to show the league that they are for real. Both teams should run the ball well but this will come down to quarterback play and I think that Favre is either showing his age or he's hurting. Winner - Bills

Detroit @ Chicago - Just when the Bears thought it was safe to come out and play they get the Lions. No I don't think that the Lions have the team to beat the Bears, but this is the trap game for the Bears. They are coming off their bye and they are at home. Calvin Johnson could wreak havoc on the Chicago secondary and make this game a lot closer than it needs to be. In the end, I doubt the Lions defense has enough to stop a potent Bears offense (when's the last time you could say that about the Bears?). Winner - Bears

Jacksonville @ Cincinnati - TJ Houshmandzadeh has come out and said that the Bengals won't go winless this year. He didn't promise a win against a certain team, but he said there's no way they go 0-16. Is this the week? I'd have to say 'NO'. The Jaguars are on a roll and their quarterback is playing good ball. The Bengals really don't have any offense and Ryan Fitzpatrick can be good in spurts, but that's it. I imagine that the boo birds come out, against the home team, right before halftime. Winner - Jaguars

Baltimore @ Cleveland - With all of the craziness that's been going on in Cleveland, they luck up and get the Ravens at home (tongue in cheek). It's about time for a Brady Quinn sighting in my mind. Jamal Lewis doesn't look like a good pick this week in Fantasy Football because he's going against this Ravens defense. The Ravens are showing that they trust Flacco a little more and opening the offense for him. The worst case if he doesn't succeed is that they have a good player in Troy Smith right behind him. Maybe, just maybe the Browns head coaches will find a way to text the Ravens defense saying 'I'm going to have a big game against you guys - signed Kellen Winslow' and then all of their problems will be solved. Winner - Ravens

Green Bay @ Tennessee - After beating the Colts on Monday night, the Titans get to host the Packers. The blueprint will be the same. Run the ball, make timely passes, and win. The Packers come in a little beat up at quarterback and running back. After having some success early in the season, Aaron Rodgers is looking to bounce back. This is going to be a tough game for the Packers and I don't think they have the moxy to pull it off. Winner - Titans

Arizona @ St. Louis - This is a hard game to pick. Early word is that Stephen Jackson is out, but I'm not buying that one, not yet. The Cardinals get back to full strength with Boldin back in the lineup and Kurt Warner wants a new contract. Nothing like stating your case by beating the Rams, soundly. The Rams are playing better, and if they can finally break out (Torry Holt, I mean you), they can actually make some things happen. I just don't think this is the week for the Rams. Winner - Cardinals

Houston @ Minnesota - What happens in the course of a week? I think the Vikings got healthier during their bye week and the fact that they aren't losing their big beef on defense (at least for this game) makes this game that much more interesting. The Vikings will continue to run the ball and try to manage the game. I'll say it again, we haven't seen an AP breakout game yet. Houston has quietly played well this year and it looks like they are turning the corner. Matt Schaub has provided some direction on offense while Mario Williams is finally making people think that maybe the Saints got it wrong for picking Reggie Bush instead of him. Going with the home team here coming off the bye. Winner - Vikings

Tampa Bay @ Kansas City - I can sum this game up in about 2 sentences. The Chiefs are without Larry Johnson for an extended period of time and the Bucs are coming off a close loss to the Cowboys. Nothing like giving the Bucs a reason to play better. I feel sorry for Tyler Thigpen this week as he is sure to get hit and hit hard sometime (probably often) during this game. Winner - Bucs

Miami @ Denver - This will be an interesting game. More interesting is my pick. Denver had been a high flying point producing team on offense, but that has slowed down as of late. The debacle at New England being the ultimate loss. They welcome the Dolphins into town this weekend. The funny thing is that I think the Dolphins are talented enough to win this game. They may not shock and awe you, but they will be prepared and they will play it tough. Dolphins don't do well in the cold, but I'll take them. Winner - Dolphins

Atlanta @ Oakland - The Raiders are still having all types of problems and I doubt they get any better anytime soon. I am however pulling for JaMarcus Russell who is having a decent year. Atlanta comes in with a good all around offense led by rookie Matt Ryan. The Falcons defense will get a chance to come after the Raiders after they get behind. I expect this one to be a blowout. What is former Falcon DeAngelo Hall going to do when he has to go against his former team? Winner - Falcons

Dallas @ New York Giants - This will be the game I watch. I'm not sure why though. All signs point to this being a blowout in the Giants favor because Brad Johnson can't stretch the field and all of the offensive play calls seem to forget that they have a beast in the Dallas backfield. But, isn't this the type of game where the Cowboys could come out and dominate. No one is giving them a chance and they are playing in NY. I can just see it now, Brad Johnson dropping back and throwing a deep ball to TO for a 50 yard TD,........then I wake up. Winner - Giants

Philadelphia @ Seattle - Matt Hasselbeck might as well hit the campaign trail with his wife since he won't be playing anytime soon. The Eagles defense won't allow Seneca Wallace to play like he did last week, although, he may be able to give them problems with his legs. I look for Donovan to play well and send his Eagles home with a win. Just call it the residual effect of the Phillies winning the World Series. Winner - Eagles

New England @ Indianapolis - At the beginning of the season this looked like the game of the week. 8 weeks later it's two struggling teams trying to right their ships, although the Patriots seem to have a head start on that. The Colts can't pass, run, or do anything right during game time, but you still can't count them out at home. Joseph Addai may play which will help, but for some reason these Patriots are giving me heartburn. Maybe they have found a way to make Matt Cassell a household name or maybe he is good? We'll see during this game. I still have faith in Peyton to get it done. They were thisclose last week to beating the Titans, so let's see if they can't finally make it happen. Winner - Colts

Pittsburgh @ Washington - This is going to be a better game than most think. The Steelers are playing off of fumes after a few close ones and the pounding that Big Ben has been taking. They do get 'Fast' Willie Parker back this week which will help their running game. Washington is sporting an equally good running game with Clinton Portis leading the way. This game is going to come down to Jason Campbell and whether he's made that step or he was just faking. Mike Tomlin has never lost on Monday night. There's a first time for everything. Winner - Redskins
**According to ESPN, the Presidential candidates are going to be interviewed during Monday Night Football.