Checking In,......

It's definitely been a minute since the last post but we gotta start somewhere.  Let's take a look at what's been going on,.......

Fortunately for us, Football is back on.  Week 1 of the preseason is complete and although there are some story lines, we know that this can change within a week.  I'll highlight a few:

Cutler looked like he was dodging people again as the Bears O-line looked terrible in their debut.  Maybe it is the turf at Soldier Field or maybe it's the guy bringing in the players.  Either way, something has to be done.  You paid Cutler upwards of $50M, now protect him and give him a chance. 

Tavaris Jackson looked as out of place in Seattle as he did in Minny.  I like the kid, but he's gotta find a home somewhere.  Not saying that Seattle isn't it, but Josh Portis looked real good running that team.  I'm just sayin.

Tim Tebow is going to be alright.  I know a lot of people have piled on the kid and yes, he's #2 on the depth chart, but I'm putting my money on Tebow to prove everyone wrong.  He may not have the best delivery or the best footwork or whatever you want to throw in there, but he is a winner.  Count me as a believer (in more ways than one).

No Peyton Manning for the Colts.  If he doesn't play any games in the preseason I'm worried.  I know he's a veteran and everything but until I see him out there with that bad neck and all running around throwing the ball,..I'm not going to believe he's healthy enough to play this year.  Without Manning, the Colts aren't going to be very good, and it's tough right now because he's looking for a mega deal from the Colts.  Watch this one.

Plaxico Burress is back as a Jet and he hasn't played yet?  When did he injure this ankle (all jailhouse jokes aside)?  I actually want to see him succeed, so let's hope he heals quickly and gets back on the field.

I know it's one game, but if you could write a redemption story, Michael Vick being an accurate passer might be the biggest thing out there.  He looked great against Baltimore, and he was putting the ball exactly where it needed to be.  He looked like a shorter, left-handed, more mobile, Peyton Manning.  Philly fans don't get too excited just yet. 

In New England, we all know that if Brady should go down they have two guys in Hoyer and Mallett that may be able to step in and help this team still win games. 

Osi Umenyiora finally finds the Giants practice field and hopefully a new deal so that we don't have to hear about this anymore.  Maybe he was hurt, maybe he wasn't,...just pay the dude and keep moving Giants.

Chris Johnson and I are still hanging out (just kidding) because he can't get a deal with the Titans that pays him more.  The Titans say that they will make him the highest paid back in the league if he comes to camp, and Johnson wants the deal done before he reports (let's meet on the practice field and get this done).

Daunte Cullpepper is coming in for a tryout with the 49ers.  Talk about scrap heap.  Wait,...hold on,...I'm getting a phone call,...it's from the 49ers,......(pause)......, ok, I'm heading out to Cali for a tryout too.  Gotta pack up and go. 


From the NBA:

Kendrick Perkins was arrested on misdemeanor disorderly conduct and intoxication after being involved in an altercation outside of the The Ticket nightclub in Beaumont, TX.  Hey, I'm not judging, he was at a club, probably had a few drinks and at least he wasn't driving.  He got into an altercation with the club owner and possibly some other people, but my issue is he was in the area hosting a camp that helped raise money for his foundation which aims to 'help children learn life skills and drug awareness'.  I guess he needed a real life situation to discuss with the kids.

The impasse that is the NBA Lockout rolls on and no one really seems to be interested in making any deals or even talking that much until October.  I hope they can get this worked out, because we need basketball. 

Everybody and their mother is talking about playing overseas while the lockout continues.  Some have signed contracts and others are positioning themselves to follow suit.  Nothing like getting paid on your summer vacation. 

Will Phil Jackson out of LA, and openings across the NBA, more specifically in NY, it seems as though some feel that Phil would be a perfect fit for the Knicks.  D'Antoni's days seem to be numbered and Phil would make a great target for the Knicks brass.  Could you imagine Phil working with Melo and Amare with a few extra pieces? 

The Hall of Fame Class may not have had the notoriety as others, but Dennis Rodman was able to steal the show with his honesty and emotion.  Rodman has long been overly flamboyant with the different hairstyles, the outfits, the attitude, and of course the basketball.  With former coach Phil Jackson at his side, Rodman gave his HOF speech and you could tell that he was grateful for even being there.  Good moment for everyone.

From MLB:

Dan Uggla's 33 game hitting streak was stopped by, of all teams, the Cubs.  Uggla had the longest hitting streak in the majors over the last 5 years.  It's important to know that Uggla had been carrying the Braves with other major players (C. Jones, McCann) in and out of the lineup during his streak.  

Carlos Zambrano is ejected from a game against the Braves and not only goes postal on the ump, but he cleans out his locker and goes home.  The Cubs have suspended Zambrano for 30 days without pay and they have to make a decision about this guy.  He is largely a cancer on this team and his outburst don't help.  The team that's probably glad they didn't pull the trigger on acquiring Zambrano, the Yankees. 

A-Rod may be returning from his injury and he may not go to jail for being in the home during an illegal card game.  Talk about a win win. 


From the NCAA:

The $1M question:  Should athletes get paid?  More and more discussion is going into this and we'll see what happens.  ESPN is doing a piece on this and it's funny to see Nick Saban talking about 'this is a revenue generating' sport and the money goes back into the school and not into his pocket.  Isn't he getting paid upwards of $4M a year (9 year; $42M deal in 2009)? 


What else have I missed?  What are you looking forward to in the next week?  When will the NBA Lockout end? 

Catching Up - NCAA Tournament (3-29-11)

It's been a minute or two since my last post, but wow, this has been a great tournament.  Let's touch base on some items:

1) It hurt to see my Dukies lose to Arizona, but I knew that they would have problems with Tristan Thompson or Derrick Williams in one of those matchups.  Williams D-E-S-T-R-O-Y-E-D the Blue Devils all over the court and dare I say (this hurts) that the Blue Devils qu, it's hard to write this,...the Blue Devils quit.  I've never seen a Coach K team just pack it in, but I got that feeling watching the game (they basically pulled a Jay Cutler).  All of the people that say that Nolan had a bad game because of Irving on the floor, I just don't buy.  Nolan just had a bad game, at the worst possible time. 

2) Shaka Smart has this VCU team looking like world beaters.  Their last game against Kansas was just hard to put into words.  It was like watching a heavyweight fight and the favorite (Kansas) came out and got a few jabs in early (their 6-0 lead) and then challenger (VCU) landed like a 6 punch combination.  Kansas was stunned for the entire rest of the first half.  They played better in the second half but they were just too far behind.  VCU is going to have to pony up some money to keep Smart and we'll soon see how much money that will be. 

3) While VCU is the darling this year, please don't forget about Butler.  They find a way to win or at least they put themselves in the position to win.  I do think that Florida gave the game away in regulation and we won't talk about that Pitt game.  How do you not get a better shot than a fade-away 3 pointer when you had over 20 seconds left on the clock and the game is tied?  Arrrrrggghhhhhh.  All I could do was to talk to my son about what to do in that situation and that the kid could have gotten that 3 point shot anytime he wanted to during that game (with probably the same result).  Nevertheless, Butler has to be the favorite going in to this game and maybe they win it all this year.  They only missed it by about 4 inches last year.  We'll see.

4) John Calipari has a chance to win it all.  This Kentucky team is loaded and they are athlethic and long enough to cause each of these other 3 teams problems.  I'm wondering when Jones will turn it back on to the way he was playing earlier in the year.  Harrellson has been the piece for the Wildcats, and I would imagine that him stepping up makes missing Enes Kanter all that much easier.  Our prayers go out to Coach Cal and his family as he is dealing with his father and their loss of Cal's mom. 

5) K-E-M-B-A.  This guy is actually carrying a team and has done this for a while.  He's in such a groove and seems to have command of the Huskies offense and their ability to win.  Funny story, one of my guys (yes T-Rell) saw Kemba working out this summer with Tim Grover and came away VERY VERY unimpressed.  He didn't see why this kid was garnering any attention.  Suffice it to say, T-Rell has eaten those words since Kemba beat his cousin, Dion Dixon, and the Bearcats in the second round of the tournament.  But back to Kemba, he can get the Huskies all the way there, he's that good.  We'll see what happens from here. 

6) The Fab Five, Jalen Rose, Grant Hill, and Duke.  Yes, I watched the ESPN documentary on the Fab Five.  Didn't know until the end that Jalen was the producer.  Man, I remember when that team hit the scene and man, those were some bad dudes.  I do understand what Jalen was saying about not being recruited by Duke and the perceived lack of 'soul' of brothers that went to Duke. 

(Several stories here)  My cousin went to an HBCU in Durham, NCCU and dated a young black girl that went to Duke.  She often encountered the stigma associated with being black and going to Duke and how it made you less of 'black' person.  With that said, she was smart and wanted to be a doctor (which she is today) so she made the best choice for her when it came to schooling. 

I ran track for a local Durham track team (do the Durham Striders still exist?) and we were always over at Wallace Wade Stadium for practice and meets.  I took courses during the summer (while in high school) at Duke, and was all ready to play for Steve Spurrier at Duke but he left for greener pastures (Florida) in 1990.  But the stigma I encountered (and I never enrolled at Duke) was that I was trying to be 'white' by going there. 

So the perception was there about blacks that attended Duke.  With that said, I think Jalen would have done himself a service by saying that 'when I was 17 or 18 I thought this way, but now that I'm older and wiser I see the error of my ways'.  I think this would have allowed him to keep it real and also let everyone know that we all grow and evolve.  Without doing that Jalen, and rightfully so, caught a lot of backlash from not only Grant Hill, Bobby Hurley, Coach K, and a whole bunch of other people.  I don't think that Coach K recruits in certain households and not others, I think he recruits the best talent.  Coaches gotta win.  Jalen was a left handed, 6'8" point guard who wasn't really a defensive player and wasn't a great shooter.  Think of the guys on those Duke teams: Hurley, Brian Davis, Thomas Hill, Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, Antonio Lang, Bill McCaffrey, etc.  Jalen wasn't going to get Hurley's spot and he also wasn't going to be happy with coming off the bench. 

Hopefully this all goes away and we can get back to talking about basketball and how it brings all people together for the common good.  Jalen, write an apology letter or something and finally make this go away. 

The only odd thing is that as good as that Fab Five team was they lost to the ACC's best in back to back years ('92-Duke, '93-UNC). 

NFL 2010 NFC Championship Game Wrap Up

Green Bay @ Chicago - As I sat and watched this game, I thought that maybe I should become the next Ms.(Mr.) Cleo.  I said that the Bears would have to limit the bad decisions and turnovers by Cutler and play well on defense.  I also said that Johnny Knox would have a big game.  I said this about the Packers 'On defense, I'm looking for a big game from BJ Raji and Cullen Jenkins.  If the two of them cause problems up front, not only will they be able to get hits on Cutler, but they may force him into some bad throws and that's all Woodson and Williams are waiting on'.  Let's get to the tale of the tape.

1.  Cutler missed on a few passes early, but his worst decision was quitting on his team.  Ask any athlete that's been hurt and had a significant injury, they can tell you when it happened.  I can't by Cutler's excuse that he hurt his knee sometime in the 2nd quarter.  This is the NFC Championship game, and by all accounts the Bears played terrible, but they were still in this game until the last INT by Hanie.  This is Cutler's first foire into the playoffs with a chance to go to the Superbowl, and this is what you do?  Number 2, you go in early at halftime and you come back out without a knee brace on?  I mean if your knee is hurt that bad, they have knee braces (and probably a shot or two) that will help you get through the next 30 minutes and try and win this game.  We can assume that Cutler chose neither.  Number 3, Unless this MRI comes back with 3 torn ligaments, I expect that Cutler will be vilified in a city where toughness is an expectation.  Number 4, if the training staff/doctor told you that you shouldn't play, a competitor would have been seen on the sideline in Lovie's ear trying to get him to reconsider or something.  There should have been a screaming match with a helmet thrown or something.  This just doesn't look good for Cutler, even with Urlacher doing what he was supposed to do by standing up for his teammate.   

2.  Johnny Knox (targeted 6 times) must not trust Cutler because he doesn't seem to go all out when Cutler is throwing him the ball.  Enter Hanie and Knox becomes a different man.  Knox ended the game with 2 receptions for 56 yards (1 pass interference call that turned into an additional play for 20+ yards for the Bears) which isn't alot but when your QBs throw for a total of 218 yard, it's pretty good.

3.  BJ Raji and Cullen Jenkins must have heard me talking about them because they started the game of disrupting things and continued for the majority of the game.  Jenkins ended the game with 1/2 a sack, 2 tackles for loss, 2 QB hits (maybe one on Cutler's knee), and several more disruptions.  BJ Raji ended the game with 2 QB hits, and an 18 yard interception return for a TD.

4. Woodson and Williams played well covering the Bears receivers, but it was Sam Shields who had 2 INTs (1 sealed the game) and a sack to go along with 4 tackles, that paced the Packers in the defensive secondary. 

All in all, it was a sad day for the Bears.  Their defense played well, but their offense wasn't on the right track.  I've said all year long that Hanie is a better QB for the Bears (Martz) system and someone should think about that going forward.  Cutler has more tools than Hanie, but sometimes have a utility knife that can do 20 things really isn't worth having when you trying to open a can and you have a handy dandy can opener ready and available.  The Bears as an organization will have to stand by Cutler or his career here is done, so I expect that his MRI results will be substantially worse than they really are.

Actually this was quite prophetic too -   
'In the end, the Bears are playing at home (even though the field is TERRIBLE) and I think that their special teams will need to be special for them to win this game.  I expect the Packers to get to Cutler, and I even expect the Bears to get to Rodgers.  I don't trust Cutler in this big of a game.  So, to both Mike's (at the barbershop and at Union Station), Kevin (my Ray Lewis hater, he thinks Urlacher is better than Ray Lewis), and anyone else that I run across before the game here's what I got.  Winner - Packers'.

The Packers are on their way to the Superbowl and they really proved that they were the better team yesterday. Congrats and good luck in Dallas.  Inquisitive Mind 1 - 0 for the week. 

NFL 2010 NFC Championship Game Pick

From 4 to 2.......

Green Bay @ Chicago - This is it.  Time to show up and play ball.  The Bears get the Packers at home for the right to go to the Superbowl.  The Bears come in with an offensive line that started off as terrible early in the year but has ended up being respectable as of late.  That has led to improved performance by both Jay Cutler and Matt Forte.  Cutler has looked his best in the past few weeks, a great improvement from the erratic guy we saw earlier in the season.  The key for the Bears comes down to two things:  1) Cutler and 2) Defense.  Now you might say, duh, isn't that what games normally depend on the QB and the defenses?  Cutler can't 'miss' against this Packers defensive backfield.  He had some INTs dropped against the Seahawks and he's good for throwing at least 1 pick in this game.  If Cutler limits the turnovers and bad decisions, I think the Bears win this game.  Look for a big game from the diminutive Johnny Knox, who seems to play well against the Packers.  On the defensive side of the ball, (Lovie please read this before gametime) the Bears CAN NOT sit back and let Rodgers complete passes in that Cover 2 with the whole 'bend but don't break' mantra.  The Bears are going to have to send corners, LBs, and parachute people in in order to get hits on Rodgers.  Bring out all of the plays that you haven't used all year.  When they get to Rodgers, they can't be like the Falcons and miss hitting him, they have to bring the pain.  If Rodgers is dinged or injured, it's game over for the Packers.

The Packers have got to run the ball.  Yes, that'll be hard against the Bears defense, but they have to have a commitment to running the ball, which equates to 20-25 carries.  They might actually pop a big one on the Bears.  Rodgers has all of his receivers playing at a high level, so the offensive line has got to protect Rodgers from the likes of Tommie Harris and Israel Idonije.  No I didn't say Julius Peppers because they are going to have to double team him, period.  That leaves the Idonije's and Harris' one on one and those guys are pretty good.  On defense, I'm looking for a big game from BJ Raji and Cullen Jenkins.  If the two of them cause problems up front, not only will they be able to get hits on Cutler, but they may force him into some bad throws and that's all Woodson and Williams are waiting on.  Clay Matthews is a little dinged but he'll be ready to go.  The Packers will test this offensive line to really see how well they have gotten.

In the end, the Bears are playing at home (even though the field is TERRIBLE) and I think that their special teams will need to be special for them to win this game.  I expect the Packers to get to Cutler, and I even expect the Bears to get to Rodgers.  I don't trust Cutler in this big of a game.  So, to both Mike's (at the barbershop and at Union Station), Kevin (my Ray Lewis hater, he thinks Urlacher is better than Ray Lewis), and anyone else that I run across before the game here's what I got.  Winner - Packers.

NBA 2010 Week 14 Picks Thursday Night Game

Thursday Night Football seems to come quicker and quicker each week.  Let's see what's on tap.

Indianapolis @ Tennessee - Just what Peyton Manning needed, a bad pass defense to face.  Manning has struggled mightily this year, and especially the last 4 weeks.  Yes, he's pressing but some of it is because his main targets are on the sidelines in street clothes.  I've always said that receivers help make a QB and vice versa, but this is the ultimate case (Elway is the exception).  Manning only has Wayne as his proven receiver on the field and we're down to 3rd string tight ends and 2nd string receivers.  These guys don't have the experience with Peyton to 'know' where he wants them to be.  Manning has also gotten that tunnel vision where he won't pull a Tom Brady (dink and dunk), but he's more Jay Cutler (looking for the big play).  If the Colts can run the ball, just a little bit, they should be able to win this game easily.  The Titans are still without Vince Young and I have never had confidence in Kerry Collins.  Winner - Titans.

Who you got?

NFL 2010 Week 11 Thursday Night Wrap Up

Chicago @ Miami - This is the game the Bears needed.  They dominated the Dolphins and the Dolphins helped out.  I have no idea why the Dolphins didn't roll out the Wildcat, not even once.  You line up a third string QB (behind a third string center) and you let him drop back and pass all night, with the expectation of winning the game?  Thanks for contributing to the Bears win.  With that said, I wasn't sure who was the third string QB, Cutler or Thigpen.  This was a sad game to watch.  The Bears are 7-3.  Think about that for a moment.  No, I don't think that they are a good team, more lucky than anything, but they are 7-3.  This has definitely been a crazy year.  Inquisitive Mind 1 - 0 for the week.  

NFL 2010 Week 11 Thursday Night Pick

Short week this week and the Bears get to travel to Miami.  More Thursday Night Football.  Yesss!!!


Chicago @ Miami - The Dolphins are beat up as Tyler Thigpen will make the start tonight, but I imagine that we'll see a lot of the Wildcat since the Dolphins are close to calling Marino to suit up tonight.  The Bears take a strong defense to Miami and a shaky offense.  This is a definite advantage for the Bears, but I could see the Dolphins winning this one. Can Cutler throw the ball to the dark colored jerseys?  Winner - Bears. 


Who you got?

NFL Week 10 Wrap Up - Thursday Night Game

Chicago @ San Francisco - Wow!!! Are you for real? 5 INTS? I know that some of them weren't Cutler's fault, but you just can't throw 5 picks in a game. The Bears just looked terrible. Their offensive and defensive lines can't do their jobs, so you end up with Forte getting 40+ yards rushing but then 100+ receiving yards. The 49ers looked equally inept and they were just able to pull this one out. If you were lucky you could have watched Wade and LeBron battle each other in Miami. Inquisitive Mind 1 - 0 for the week.

Da' Bears Win Big

The Bears not only get Cutler, but they also get Orlando Pace, the former left tackle from the Rams. The Cutler deal cost the Bears two (2009, 2010) 1st round picks, a 3rd round pick, AND Kyle Orton. That's a lot to give up, but I think that the Bears made a good deal, although the price was steep. They get a strong arm QB who can actually stretch the field. They have a decent defense that should be energized from this deal and they have a good special teams unit. This is going to put the Bears back on the map. Now if they can only add a little more depth on their offensive line, the Bears look like the team to beat in the NFC North. Now, what happens to Rex Grossman? Why is he still on the roster?

Did Jerry Angelo just save his job? Are the Bears the team to beat in the NFC North? Does getting Orlando Pace make them stronger on the offensive line?

Cutler, Chicago Bound

Talk about something that I never would have thought would happen, but it looks as though the Bears and the Broncos have a deal in place that will send Jay Cutler to Da' Bears. We'll see if this is actually true and what the Bears will have to give up.

What do you think about this? Is this a good destination for Cutler? Have the Bears finally pulled a fast one on someone?

Drama in Denver

When will this stop? I mean come on, this is really childish for grown men to act like this. Cutler, be happy you have a starting NFL gig. I will go on record to say that Cutler is a better than average QB right now. Could he be better down the road, maybe, or maybe he's as good as he'll ever be right now. You have a rookie head coach who just came from the Patriots and actually was instrumental with the development of Matt Cassel. IF, Cassel was available, what's wrong with inquiring or even having discussions? Cutler catches feelings because his coach doesn't come out and say he loves him. WTF?!?!?

Essentially, Josh McDaniels (head coach of the Patriots) leaves the Pats and comes to Denver. He gets a team with a lot of talent and he has a good QB. So imagine you come home to Kim Kardashian. She has all the things you need/want and if life ended there, you'd be happy. But, then you find out that Halle Berry is possibly available and because you grew up with her and maybe helped her early in her career, you inquire about whether she'd like to be with you. Any man would have to look into the possibility.

Now Culter is pissed because his new coach won't give him a hug and say 'I love you, man!!!'. Cutler isn't that good that he should feel slighted that the Broncos asked about Cassel. Get over it. Be a man and report to camp and do something other than sound like a little b$(@@).

Who's side are you on in this matter? Cutler? McDaniels? Do you even care? Will Culter end up getting traded?

NFL Week 2 Wrap Up

Maybe this is my bounce back week. Last week I went 9-7 on picks and this week I think we're finally in the groove. Fantasy Football is killing me, but we'll get to that later. Let's see the wrap ups on the games.

Tennessee @ Cincinnati - Am I snake bitten? Better yet is Carson Palmer? I know, I know, the weather played a role in this game, but Kerry Collins looked decent, what's up with Carson? The Bengals looked terrible two weekends in a row. Can we go ahead and say that they get no more press until they get a win? Inquisitive Mind 0 -1 for the week.

Green Bay @ Detroit - Aaron Rodgers is his name. Well, I don't know what to say. I gave this team zero chance to repeat their performance last year, but it looks like they are on the way back to the playoffs and thisclose to the Super Bowl. 328 yards and 3 TDs. That's Farve-esque. Inquisitive Mind 1 -1 for the week.

Oakland @ Kansas City - This was the Job Bowl. Lane Kiffin is on the hot seat and I think that Herm Edwards will be if his guys can't perform better than this. Kiffin is alive one more week and he should just thank his rookie Darren McFadden (21 carries, 164 yards and 1 TD). How can you win a game with your starting QB going 6 of 17 for 55 yards? Yes, 55 yards. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 1 for the week

New York Giants @ St. Louis - Let's pencil in the Giants and the Packers for the NFC title game. This was a rout, a but whuppin, whatever you want to call it. Had this been Madden game in any college dorm room, this would have been the mercy rule. Someone please make sure that Bulger is alive. He can't get hit like this and make it through the year. Manning tosses 3 TDs and all is well in Gotham. Inquisitive Mind 3 - 1 for the week.

Indianapolis @ Minnesota - Well Peyton looked rusty again, but that Colts D decided that they weren't going to get manhandled this game. They played the old bend but don't break by letting Adrian Peterson get his 160 yards (albeit on 29 carries) and finally Peyton put on his cape and came to save the day on a last second field goal. Well, Vinatieri hit the field goal, but Manning put them in position. The Colts should be back on track and may get Jeff Saturday back soon. Inquisitive Mind 4 -1 for the week.

Washington @ New Orleans - Thank God for Santana Moss (I should have played him this week aarrrgh) and Jason Campbell finally showing us he's something other than tall. This was a miniature slugfest, but the Redskins came out on top. Reggie Bush did get a 55 yard punt return for a TD, but a consistent diet of Portis finally help pay off (21 carries for 96 yards and 2 TDs). Inquisitive Mind 5 - 1 for the week.

Chicago @ Carolina - This is groundhog day for the Panthers. They came back and won at the end in week 1 against the Chargers and they do it again against the Bears. The Bears played well in the first half and limited the Panthers, but they must have stayed in the locker room. That 2nd half will haunt the Bears for weeks to come. Add the injury to Devin Hester (he heard a pop in his rib) and it's a bad week in Chicago. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 1 for the week.

Buffalo @ Jacksonville - The Bills attacked David Garrard and limited the Jaguars running game and they still had to hold on at the end of this one to win. Buffalo is quietly 2 and 0 in the AFC East and they may be for real. Here's wishing the Jaguars some health over the rest of the season. Inquisitive Mind 7 - 1 for the week.

San Francisco @ Seattle - I was wrong about one thing, Julius Jones finally showed up. O'Sullivan better get some help from his line, because he can't take the hits and the 8 sacks. He passed for 321, which was surprising with him spending a lot of time on the grass. Seattle was supposed to win the NFC West this year,...they may have some people in the Bay Area who disagree. Inquisitive Mind 8 - 1 for the week.

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay - Griese played a decent game for the soon to be traded Jeff Garcia (he was almost traded back to San Fran). The ground game for the Bucs controlled this game as Dunn and Graham got 10+ carries each and each scored a TD. Michael Turner how do you back up a 220 yard game? 42 yards. That's still 130 yards a game average. Nothing to cry about. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 1 for the week.

Baltimore @ Houston - We'll see on November 9.

New England @ New York Jets - Aarrgh!!!! This was the game,...Brett this was the time to make it happen. The Jets, as Denny Green would say, let the Patriots off the hook. I'm sorry I can't get on the Patriots bandwagon and Matt Cassel doesn't impress. The Pats are 2-0 and that's pretty much all that matters. Their defense played a helluva game. Can they do that for 14 more games? Inquisitive Mind 9 - 2 for the week.

Miami @ Arizona - All I have to say is Kurt Warner threw for 361 yards and 3 TDs and it's not the early 2000s. This should have been worse. Even Leinart got to play and it wasn't because of an injury. Inquisitive Mind 10 - 2 for the week.

San Diego @ Denver - Questionable calls aside, the Broncos wanted this more. The Chargers just aren't putting it all together. I'm not sure what it is. They have all of the talent but it's not working. Don't know if it's the coach, the injured stars, mojo, karma, or just bad luck. Can we just burn all of the uniforms and just start over. Maybe even just go back to the powder blues. Cutler played well and hooked up with crazy Eddie (Royal) for the game winner. Denver's on a roll and the Chargers look like the season is over. Inquisitive Mind 11 - 2 for the week.

Pittsburgh @ Cleveland - Terrible and ugly game by both sides. No continuity and the Steelers escaped with a win. Big Ben is hurt, something to watch in the up coming weeks. That shoulder isn't going to miraculously get better. Cleveland better stop reading their newspaper clippings, soon. Inquisitive Mind 12 - 2 for the week.

So, it was a pretty good week calling the games, that's 12-2 for this week to go with my 9-7 from last week with the Eagles and the Cowboys left to play Monday night. Go Eagles, and give me my best week so far in the season (yes I know we're only two weeks in).