2015-16 NFL Week 1 Picks

Welp, I got the itch to start writing again and this seems like a great time.  I will probably have to play with the format a little to make sure that I am providing good content, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy.  Ok, now we’re done with that,…let’s get back to NFL football.  Welcome 2015-16 NFL Season, you have been sorely missed. 

Pittsburgh @ New England – We’ve had to endure, Deflategate, the Seahawks not running the ball, Spygate (revisited) and just in general all of the stuff that the Patriots have gotten away with over the last several years.  Can we move past all of this to get to some football?  That’s what the NFL wants us to do.  They have hijacked the entire summer over this silliness.  On to the game,……The Steelers come in to this game without LeVeon Bell (suspension) and Maurkice Pouncey (injury) and with a lot of new faces on their defense.  You used to be able to depend on the Steelers, no matter the year, to put a staunch defense on the field and this new group will have an opportunity to set that tone.  Ex-Florida State LB, Lawrence Timmons should become a stalwart for this defense, this is his time. 

On the offensive side of the ball, the Steelers have Big Ben and they hope that’s enough until Bell can return.  With Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant as his two leading targets, and let’s not forget the ageless Heath Miller, the Steelers will probably toss the ball around a lot more this year.  I imagine that Big Ben should be on par for a near 5000 yard season (has already had 4 4000+ yard seasons).  The question all season will be whether the defense will be able to slow down some of these offenses so that the Steelers can put up some wins. 

Now to the reigning Super Bowl Champion Patriots (can I tell you how much that hurt to type?).  Roger Goodell messed up the whole deflated ball issue and allowed Tom Brady to slip back into the starting lineup.  I had been practicing how to spell Garoppolo for a while.  But now we get a pissed off Tom Brady, at home and many feel he has something to prove.  All I have to say is that Brady will be Brady.  No LeGarrette Blount (suspension) but these are the Patriots and they basically will list (insert name) as their starting RB and run for 4 TDs on you.  They kept the same WRs in Edelman and Amendola, but more importantly they have Gronk(owski).  We’ll probably see a lot of double TE sets (nothing has changed in New England) with Scott Chandler able to do some of the same things that Gronk can do.  The bigger questions for the Patriots come on defense where they lost of boatload of people (Browner, Revis, Wilfork, etc.) and whether this somewhat inexperienced defense will be able to step up to the plate.  Jamie Collins, Jerod Mayo, and Chandler Jones will be the core of this defense, but everyone wants to see if this secondary will be able to stop anyone. 

Winner – Patriots.

2013-14 NFL Week 2 Picks

Bad week last week and I'm still a little pissed so I haven't even done my wrap up for last week yet.  It'll be short, but it's coming up.  Let's turn it around this week.  I'm going to jump in since I have to get Thursday's pick up.  Leh go,......

New York Jets @ New England - The Jets ride in after their first win of the season and everyone can kind of exhale now.  Geno Smith was OK in his , but with Sanchez reportedly out for the rest of the season, at least this team knows it's going with Geno (barring an injury). 

The Patriots took everything they had to beat the Bills last week with a rookie QB and Danny Amendola is already hurt and most likely out of this game. Shane Vereen broke his wrist and he's out for this game. That leaves this team with Tom Brady and the Patriots, without him they'll never go platinum or win too many games. Some are predicting a Jets win against the hobbled Patriots. I'm feeling froggy so I'm jumping on with them. Winner - Jets. 

(Had to get these in quick, so we'll cut to the chase.)
 

St. Louis @ Atlanta - Should be a good game, higher powered offense (Falcons) going against a very good defense (Rams). Both of the starting WRs for the Falcons are gametime decisions, but I expect them to play.  Winner - Rams.

Carolina @ Buffalo - The Panthers need to bounce back from last week and I think they are in a better position than the Bills.  EJ Manuel gets another start and we're watching you young Manuel, we're watching you.  Winner - Panthers. 

Minnesota @ Chicago - The Bears host the Vikings and they have to be scared about facing AP.  Yes, I said scared.  AP got held in check last week (outside of one big run) and he's gonna be looking to make up from that performance.  Add in the rain in Chicago and this ought to be a good one.  Winner - Bears.

Washington @ Green Bay - The Redskins want to play a lot better than they did in the first half of their first game.  The Packers just played possibly the best team in the league last week.  Someone is going to be very upset after losing this game.  Winner - Packers.

Miami @ Indianapolis - What's the over/under on the number of times Mike Wallace blows up during and after this game?  The line is 3 and I'm taking the over.  Winner - Colts.

Dallas @ Kansas City - How about dem ribs?  We know Romo is banged up and we know the Chiefs are going to go after him.  Will he last? Will the Cowboys run the ball?  Winner - Chiefs.

Cleveland @ Baltimore - C'mon Ravens, this is the Browns.  Winner - Ravens.

Tennessee @ Houston - Everything about this game screams Texans, but they have to prove something to me.  Let's hope they put a complete game together.  Winner - Texans.

San Diego @ Philadelphia - I guess we'll see Chip Kelly's offense for the second time.  I hope Vick takes fewer hits this game or he won't make it through this season.  Winner - Eagles.

Detroit @ Arizona - Hmmm, Suh got suspended last week, so how will he respond with his play?  Still think that the Lions have more to show on offense this week, but this should actually turn into a very good game.  Winner - Cardinals.

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay - How many points will the Saints score is really the only question in this one.  Winner - Saints.

Jacksonville @ Oakland - It's sad that Jacksonville is this bad.  Winner - Raiders.

Denver @ New York Giants - If the Giants don't get pressure on Peyton, this Manning Bowl is going to the elder Manning.  Winner - Giants.

San Francisco @ Seattle - Wet weather, big offensive line, and a great running back.  That's who'll win.  Winner - 49ers.

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati - Can the Steelers piece together enough people to play in this game.  The defense supposedly got pissed off during the week and should be ready to play, but can they score points too?  Winner - Bengals.

Who you with?!?!?!?

Catching Up on NBA, NFL, Golf, and more

It's been a long tough summer and I'm getting back into this blogging mode.  Let's just jump right in and catch up:

NBA:

Los Angeles Lakers:  There have just got to be Jedi in the Lakers front office to get the deals that they get.  First Pau Gasol for a hearty dinner (I used to say a ham sandwich, but that other Gasol brother turned out pretty good) and a 2 liter of Mountain Dew, but now they get Dwight Howard for what amounts to a turkey sandwich that someone left in a hot car for a day and 3 Caprisuns (not cold, just straight out the box).  The Lakers must grow Jedis in their organization because these deals just don't happen for other teams.  With Dwight, the Lakers have kept Kobe's window of opportunity for #6 open for 2 years.

Miami Heat: Juwan Howard may finally call it quits as a basketball player, but he may end up as a coach for the Miami Heat come this fall.  Juwan is a good guy, and I'm glad that things are working out for him.  He got his rang too.

OKC Thunder: After showing the love to Serge Ibaka in the form of a 4yr/$49M deal, the Thunder gotta figure out what to do about Harden.  They know they gonna be a tax paying team, so let's just say it's gonna come down to how much more they gonna pay.  IF they can get Harden for the same deal as Ibaka, I think it'll all be great for the Thunder.  If not, Harden plays out next year and becomes a free agent in 2013.  I'm really interested if they can sell Harden on the team and what they've built when he's staring at all them $$$s.


NFL:

New York Jets:  As I sat watching the Jets last night, all I could keep saying is, 'the Jets better have a great dayum defense this year, or they in trouble'.  The other thing that kept going through my mind was that if Tebow would have been the person to score or throw for the touchdown that would have given the Jets their first (and only TD) in the preseason,...Mark Sanchez was going to be on his way out of town today.  I like Tebow, he has something about him, but he's not a starter in the NFL.  But I will say this, I think he will be the starter for the Jets by Week 4 if they get off to a slow start.  NY fans will have Sanchez on a fastboat outta there.

Seattle Seahawks:  Hey, all isn't bad with Matt Flynn, at least his pockets straight.  He got a 3yr/$26M deal that averages about $6M per year.  That's great money if you can get it, but it's not NFL starter money.  With Russell Wilson being named starter for the opener, it gives the Seahawks a chance to play the rookie and if he's good, they didn't really invest BIG money in Flynn.  to Mr. Russell Wilson, get your game on brother.  We'll be rooting for you here.

New England Patriots:  I guess the one person that has to be unhappy right now is Wes Welker.  We know he's a team guy, but the Patriots have essentially let Welker know where he stands in their plans by re-upping both Gronk and Hernandez (5yr/$40M, $12.5M signing bonus, $16.4M guaranteed).  The Patriots will be running two TE sets until the dogs come home.  The beuaty of it all is that many teams can't matchup with them when they have both TEs, Welker and Lloyd running around.  I expect Brady to throw for about 40 TDs this year.  I guess the only difference is that Welker knows he won't be there next year.

Philadelphia Eagles:  Vick already hurt?  Vick has a rib injury that, trust me, will linger for a while.  If this team starts off slow again, I'm not sure what they can do to turn it around.  We know they won't fire Andy Reid and the Eagles don't really have a seasoned backup QB.  I've wanted this team to win big since the Reggie White and Jerome Brown days, since Cunnigham, since Carmichael, and for some reason they can't get it done.  I hope this is their year.

Chicago Bears:  Everyone is concerned that the Bears are limping into the season.  Urlacher had his knee recently scoped and isn't back to full strength yet.  Peppers is battling 'continual soreness' (plantar faciitis) and this defense is already one injury to the linebacking core from being seasoned to being old.  But, just like every other Bear year in recent memory, the Bears have a problem on their offensive line.  I think I just saw Mike Tice on Michigan Ave taking applications for left tackle for anyone over 6'5" (if you're in Chicago, just walk down the street, someone will approach you with an offer).  It'll help that Cutler won't be taking as many deep drops this year, but they gotta find a way to give him time for him and Brandon Marshall to cook this year. 


Golf: 

Where or where has the Tiger that I once knew gone?  Yes he was in contention on Friday after tweaking his back, but he went to hell in a hand basket after that.  Each week, I wait to see the Tiger that dominated golf on a weekly basis and sadly to say, I'm not sure if that guy is ever coming back.  But, I will be waiting and watching and hoping.

The 2012 Ryder Cup is coming to the Chicagoland Area and I plan on being there.  We'll see how many photos I can get and maybe an interview or two.  Should be fun.  

 More to come,......

2011-12 NFL Championship Picks

Only 4 teams left and two great games this weekend.  Let's see what my picks are looking like this week. 

Baltimore @ New England - The Ravens travel to New England to face possibly the hottest team in NFL.  Tom Brady had a monster game against the Broncos and it made everyone forget about the holes in this team.  Six touchdowns can do that.  We do know that the Patriots have Brady, Welker, and the best two tight ends in the game, Gronkowski and Hernandez, and basically not much else.  The defense leaves everyone wanting and have been described as the worst pass defense in the history of football.  Somehow it doesn't stop the Patriots from winning. 
    
Against the Ravens, the Patriots have to keep the pocket clean and allow Brady time to make decisions and pick this Raven's defense apart.  I don't think that they have to run the ball that much, because their short passing game is nothing more than a run game.  If they get about 100-120 yards on the ground, I think they beat the Ravens.  I'm still not sure how you stop that two TE set because they cause so many match up problems.   

     The Ravens come in with question marks.  As they have all year long, the Ravens have to find the right mix of play calling.  Ray Rice is the piece that stirs the pot, but they also have to have Flacco throw the rock to keep that defense honest.  The issue has been and continues to be, how much can they trust Flacco?  He's had his good and bad games that leave everyone, including his teammates wondering.  If Flacco can have a good game against the worst passing defense in the history of the NFL, this should be an easy game for the Ravens.

     On defense, the Ravens are solid and will need to get to and hit him often.  Brady is good but has shown a level of frustration when you hit him on a consistent basis.  If he has time to sit back there, the Ravens might get 30+ points put on them.  Not sure how they handle the two TE sets, but they will have to be physical with both of them and hope that they can disguise coverage to make Brady make a few mistakes. 

In the end, I gotta stick with the team that I came with,.....Winner - Ravens.

New York Giants @ San Francisco - The 49ers come off an improbable win against the Saints.  They played a helluva game and they surprised many the way they won.  I personally thought this was the best game that Alex Smith has ever played.  The 49ers banged the Saints with the run until they finally got a big one late in the game.  Smith was hitting receivers in stride and he had to mind meld with Vernon Davis because they were reading each other's thoughts. 

     The 49ers defense played the way they have all year long.  They played hard and they hit.  I mean they really hit you when you get the ball.  I swear I saw Ronnie Lott out there last week in that secondary, but it was Whitner.  They get pressure up front and that limits the amount of time you have to get the ball out.  The Giants offensive line is going to have problems. 

     The Giants have the perfect mix of run and pass where they should win this game.  As long as Bradshaw holds on to the ball and Jacobs stops tiptoeing through the line, the Giants should be able to set the tone.  Heavy run and then Eli (Nicks, Ballard, and Cruz too) can take over from there.  On the defensive side of the ball, not much needs to be said.  I think the Giants front four make us remember Alex Smith of two or 3 years ago.

In the end, I don't trust that Alex Smith can have another game like he did last week and I unfortunately have put all of my eggs in to the NYG basket.  Winner - Giants.

Who you got?!?!?!?

Catching Up

Yep, I'm back refreshed and ready for some football.  Let's see what's been going on.

Fantasy Football:

I've joined 3 leagues this year and that's probably one too many.  The league on NFL.com and created by my guy @Malik sucks.  It's 20 teams, and I couldn't make the draft so I used the automatic drafting tool and I didn't even get a starting QB in the league, not one.  What kind of BS is that?  I digress,......so that team will probably be on cruise control all year long unless I can pull off a trade.

NBA:

Well, the players are still locked out and it's not looking good for people expecting the NBA season to start on time.  The owners are making a hard line and that's not going to work out well for the players.  We'll see what happens with this one, but my expectation is that you will find more NBA ballers at these smaller leagues and possibly during the Vegas league that is being pushed by (Adidas) Joe Abunassar.  Some folks have been pushing for such a league with only pros allowed so that a collective can market the game more than smaller groups of players. 

NFL:

Yes, it's that time and we are only a few days away from the Saints and Packers starting the 2011/12 NFL Season.  Yes, I'll be starting with the picks and I look forward to a great year.  Let's look at some team specific stuff.

Indianapolis Colts - Yes,that is fear that you see coming from the Colts headquarters as they have Manning's neck checked out yet again.  If he's out for more than these next few games, I doubt that anyone has to worry too much about the Colts in the playoffs this year.  Manning streak of games started should end and then they'll start talking about the other Manning (Eli).

Chicago Bears - Why Lance Briggs would ask for a raise now is beyond me.  He really has no leverage and this is just a distraction to the team.  If anything, they need to find a new #1 receiver will their present #1, Roy Williams, not able to catch a cold, butt naked in a winter storm. 

Washington Redskins - Are starting Rex Grossman for the first game of the season.  @Mike C. you are probably jumping up and down about the argument we had about Rex.  Yes, Rex will start and that'll give him the status of being a starting QB in the NFL, but this is more out of necessity than choice.  He'll be pulled in a few weeks, watch. 

Kansas City Chiefs - After taking a beating, Matt Cassel is practicing but he his ribs might keep him out of game 1 for the Chiefs.  I doubt he'll miss the first game of the season but it's tough for a QB to start the season with a target on his chest (literally).  The Chiefs need Cassel at 100% in order for them to have a chance at the playoffs.  I don't know how ribs heal until you take some time off. 

Pittsburgh Steelers - James Harrison is still recovering from back surgery but isn't at 100% yet.  If anyone knows him, he'll be out there game 1.  Harrison is an important piece to the Steelers defense and they gotta hope that he won't break down during the season.  In my opinion, any surgery on your back isn't minor and needs to be rehabbed accordingly. 

New England Patriots - A return of Moss?  Not likely, but Tom Brady has had discussions with the mercurial WR as of late.  I find it hard to believe that any team would take a flyer on Moss unless they were in a dire situation.  With the acquisition of Ochocinco and the rest of the Pats WR corp, the Patriots could probably do without Moss.  With that said, never say never. 

Cincinnati Bengals - Return of Palmer?  Palmer was actually seen at Paul Brown Stadium recently and that's about it.  The Bengals did cut his little brother (Jordan) as their #2 QB, so maybe that makes Carson a little more upset?  Carson is leaving $11.5M on the table by 'retiring' instead of playing for the Bengals this year.  he must really be pissed to not want to pick up that check.  I'm not sure how this one turns out, but you've got to think that Carson doesn't have anything else to do that would make him that amount of money (he says he doesn't need the money), but the Bengals aren't trading him or releasing him.  Interesting,.....

MLB:

As the playoffs get ready to start, I've been promised that we'll have some coverage on the MLB items.  Stay tuned. 

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 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 12 Wrap Up

New England @ Detroit - Suh had his big game but the Lions weren't able to hold on for this win.  For a second there I was like, this might have been the upset special for Turkey Day, but in the end the old reliable Patriots won the game.  Finally Tom Brady put up a monster performance (21 of 27 for 341 yards, 4 TDs) and the Patriots defense finished this blowout.  The Lions played pretty well though, can't knock them for trying.  Inquisitive Mind 1 - 0 for the week. 


New Orleans @ Dallas - Arrrggghhhh.  The Cowboys had this game and lost it late.  I just knew that they were going to win.  The fact that they were thatclose and Dez Bryant didn't record a catch has to say something about this team.  Yes, the Saints played well and Brees was able to lead his team down for a late win.  For some reason the Cowboys still can't run the ball, why?  Inquisitive Mind 1 - 1 for the week. 


Cincinnati @ New York Jets - The Bengals should just call it quits because they suck.  From their head coach on down to the players, this team needs to be blown up.  Carson Palmer should just sit down so that his brother can play and find me some guys off the street that want to play wide receiver.  The Jets looked bad in this game and still won by 16.  I think that's the most telling stat.  I didn't even wait for TO's press conference, this was snooze city all the way.  Inquisitive Mind 2 - 1 for the week. 



Green Bay @ Atlanta - This was a close one.  The Falcons looked like they were going into another overtime game when Rodgers found Nelson for a 10 yard touchdown, but they found a way.  They drove down and Matt Bryant hit a 47 yard field goal to win this game.  Rodgers had another great game (26 of 35 for 344 yards, 1 TD) but it was the combo of Ryan (24 of 28 for 197 yards, 1 TD) and Turner (23 carries for 110 yards, 1 TD) that turned the tide for the Falcons.  The Falcons haven't lost a game at home and are 9-2.  Someone better recognize.  Inquisitive Mind 3 - 1 for the week. 


Pittsburgh @ Buffalo - You're kidding me right?  I just knew that someone had gotten hurt in this game since it took the Steelers well in to overtime to handle the Bills.  (GJ, I was right, Big Ben sprained his foot).  The Steelers defense has been abused as of late as the Bill did pretty much what they wanted to do in the 2nd half.  IF Steve Johnson makes that catch in the end zone (all by himself) this is a loss for the Steelers.  Thank God for small miracles.  Note to Steve Johnson, great for manning up and admitting fault on that drop, but don't take it too hard.  You've had a great season and we expect more from you in the future.  Inquisitive Mind 4 - 1 for the week. 


Carolina @ Cleveland - You're kidding me right?  The Panthers almost stole one here.  The Browns beat the Panthers with Peyton Hillis (26 carries for 131 yards, 3 TDs) and (gulp) former Panther Jake Delhomme (24 of 35 for 245 yards, 2 INTs).  Malik, I know you're somewhere today still crying in your beer from the hyperbole that is the Carolina Panthers.  Inquisitive Mind 5 - 1 for the week. 


Jacksonville @ New York Giants - This just came down to the league righting itself.  This was a game of two average teams playing each other and one of the average teams had to win.  It took a late TD pass from Manning (the not so good one) to Boss for the Giants to go ahead and then a fumble recovery to clinch.  My biggest question is why are the Giants average when they have LOTS of talent on both sides of the ball?  I just don't get it.  Inquisitive Mind 6 - 1 for the week. 


Minnesota @ Washington - No AP (injured in 2nd quarter), an old QB, a defense that isn't playing well, and somehow the Vikings met a team that is worse than they are.  Toby Gerhart played for the injured AP with a 22 carry (for 76 yards, 1 TD) performance that wasn't spectacular but it at least let the Vikings know they have a solid backup that can handle a pounding.  Favre gave (Leslie) Frazier the game ball, how nice.  Inquisitive Mind 7 - 1 for the week. 


Tennessee @ Houston - Chris Johnson, 7 carries for 5 yards.  That's all I have to understand.  Time to blow up the Titans too.  Sorry Fisher, but you'll find greener pastures real soon.  Waiting to see if Andre Johnson gets suspended (I doubt it) for his fight with Courtland Finnegan.  At most I expect his wallet to be about $100K lighter.  Inquisitive Mind 8 - 1 for the week. 


Kansas City @ Seattle - Cassel didn't have to throw for a lot of yards (233), but his 4 TDs led the way to a dismantling of the Seahawks.  Charles (22 carries, 173 yards, 1 TD) and Bowe (13 catches, 170 yards, 3 TDs) had banner days and this is what Scott Pioli was looking for out of this team.  Now if they could only do this against one of the better teams in the league. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 1 for the week. 


Miami @ Oakland - Chad Henne did his best Dan Marino impersonation (17 of 30 for 307 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) and the Williams/Brown combo combined for 44 carries for 180 yards and 1 TD.  The Gradkowski led Raiders were again terrible and no running game to speak of (16 total rushing yards) means that the Raiders have got to pick a QB and stick with him.  I personally think Campbell is the better of the two, but it's not my pick.  Inquisitive Mind 9 - 2 for the week. 


St. Louis @ Denver - The Rams are for real.  They are on top of the NFC West at 5 and 6.  They are going to make the playoffs.  Write it down and take a picture of it.  Bradford threw for 308 yards and 3 TDs, on the road.  I am just amazed by this.  Yes, the NFC West is weak, but this team shouldn't be in the hunt and they are.  Inquisitive Mind 9 - 3 for the week. 


Philadelphia @ Chicago - I can honestly say this, the Bears won this game.  They played the BEST game of their season in slowing down Vick.  Their ends didn't get greedy and try to increase their sack totals, they stayed in their lanes and made it a rough night for Vick and company.  Jay Cutler looked about as good as I've EVER seen him.  His 14 of 21, 247 yard, 4 TD performance was almost as amazing as Vicks' play against the Redskins, more so because of who Cutler is.  I've always said that he has interceptions in him and since he didn't throw any in this game,...look out.  The Bears are 8-3 and in position to go back to the playoffs.  I'll lose a bet if they win 3 more games, but they could end up getting Lovie and extension or at least working during the final year of his contract.  Inquisitive Mind 9 - 4 for the week. 


Tampa Bay @ Baltimore - This game was a lost closer than I thought it'd be.  I thought the Ravens offense would top the 30 point plateau but 17 was enough.  The Ravens defense pretty much held suit as they stopped LeGarrette Blount and Josh Freeman.  I am a little concerned with the Ravens with the loss of Le'Ron McClain and the offense not using Boldin.  What's going on here?!?!?  Still a win for the Ravens, which pushes them to 8-3 and 5-0 at home this year.  The AFC is going to be tough this year.  Inquisitive Mind 10 - 4 for the week. 


San Diego @ Indianapolis - That old New Edition song rang in my ears last night 'Is this the End?' while I was watching Peyton Manning get hit.  He's just not the same QB when you're able to hit him and hit him hard like the Chargers did for the majority of the night.  Rivers didn't have a big stat game (185 yards passing) but he showed us how he can pick apart a defense.  The Chargers defense returned two picks (out of the 4 total) for TDs and Tolbert added an additional one.  Both teams are 6-5 now, but unless the Colts get some of their injured players back, I think the Colts are thisclose to being done for the season too.  Inquisitive Mind 11 - 4 for the week. 


San Francisco @ Arizona - Troy Smith had a good game and the 49ers improved to 3-1 with him at the helm which begs to question why he wasn't playing before now?  Yes he was sick and was out of commission for a while, but he is by far the best QB on the roster.  Now with Frank Gore done for the season, we'll see if this 49ers team has any heart and if Smith can lead them to some more wins.  They aren't mathematically out of the NFC West running. Inquisitive Mind 12 - 4 for the week. 


Another great week as we head toward the finish line.  I'm solidly at 100-75 for the year, but still behind the masses at ESPN.  Gotta try and catch them. 

NFL 2010 Week 12 Thanksgiving Day Picks

Ok, Happy Thanksgiving.  Been cooking all morning and arguing about the Miami Heat with different people after their loss last night (I might have to post all of that stuff).  But I digress, let's take a look at the Turkey Day Games in the NFL.


New England @ Detroit - The Lions have been playing well and they are playing a dinged up Tom Brady.  Can the Lions finally play close enough to get a win on a nationally televised game with the world snacking on turkey?  I want to,...I mean I really want to, but I just can't.  Look for Suh to have a big game for the Lions.  Winner - Patriots. 


New Orleans @ Dallas - This is a big game for the Cowboys.  I loss here and I think we stop hearing about all of this Tony Romo returning stuff.  The Saints travel to Jerry's House and they should be getting Reggie Bush back today.  I am a little concerned for Bush because he hasn't been hit in that leg yet and I imagine that the Cowboys will be told to tackle low.  If that Cowboys defensive line can get some pressure on Brees, I expect this one to be closer than many think.  I think that the Saints are the better team, but for some reason, I gotta go with my gut on this one.  Winner - Cowboys.


Cincinatti @ New York Jets - Even the trash talk from this game doesn't have me excited.  Like I said, the Bengals are officially off of my pick list this year.  The Jets have found a way to win over the last few weeks and that has to account for something.  At the end of the day, I think they get way too much pressure on Carson Palmer and we may even see his brother in this game (replacing Carson).  If the Jets win this game, I can't wait to see TO's press conference.  This might make my entire day.  Winner - Jets. 


Who you got?

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?

Moss Gone

WOW!!!  Talk about shocking.  The Vikings have released Randy Moss a day after he made several statements to the media after the 28-18 loss to the Patriots on Sunday.  Here’s an excerpt:

"Let me hold it down. Alright. I really haven't had a chance to talk to the guys, so this is no disrespect to the Minnesota Vikings and their organization. The captains, Wilfolk, Tommy Boy, Mayo, Kevin Faulk, man I miss them guys, man, I miss the team. It was hard for me to come here and play. It's been an up and down roller coaster emotionally for me all week. And then to be able to come in here and see those guys, running plays and I know what they're doing, and the success they had on the field, the running game, so I kind of know what type of feeling they have on their locker room, man. I just want to be able to tell the guys, I miss the hell out of them, every last helmet in that locker room.”

Adoration for former team, check.  He kept on going though. 

"Like I said, it's been an emotional roller coaster all week. Tried to prepare, tried to talk to the players and coaches about how this game was going to be played, couple tendencies here and a couple tendencies here. The bad part about it, is you have six days to prepare for a team, and on the seventh day, that Sunday, meaning today, I guess they come over and say, 'Dag Moss, I guess you was right about a couple plays and a couple schemes they were going to run.' And it hurts as a player, that you put a lot of hard work in during the week, and at the end of the week, Sunday, when you get on the field, that's when they acknowledge about the hard work that you put in throughout the week. That's actually a disappointment”.

Ok, he was hurt that his present team didn’t listen to him about tendencies and schemes that the Patriots exhibit during games, check.  And more,….

"There is a lot of film study that we leave in that room each day. I know how hard these guys work in New England and the only thing that I really tried to do was take what the best coach in football history has brought upon me, or the knowledge that he's given me about the game of football, and I tried to sprinkle it off to the guys the best way I know how. So I'm going to go ahead and end this interview, I have my family to see”.

Ok.  What is the problem here?  How do you just let this guy go?  Again, I’m calling for the Pack Your Bags Tour to come to team in Minessota and get Brad Childress.  Childress has mismanaged this team blatantly enough to warrant his dismissal.  What else does he have to do?  Trade AP?  When will Zigi make this decision to let go of Childress?  

What’s your take?  Did Moss cross the line with his comments?  Should he have been let go?  If you were a team, would you pick up Moss now?  Is this the end for him? 

NFL 2010 Week 6 Wrap Up

Always remember, it's gotta get better.  Last week was pure carnage, let's see what this week brings.   

Seattle @ Chicago – Hassel beck looked like the Hasselbeck of old.  He controlled this game and made the Bears defense look, average.  The Bears offense looked like their offense of late, pretty much nothing.  Cutler didn’t look like all of the cobwebs were gone for him from that concussion and the running game is just about as bad as it gets.  Cutler took some more hits this game and it came from bad offensive line play (again).  This was a game that even though the Bears played terribly, they (gulp) should have won this one.  I don’t know what else to say.  I do know this, I’m starting a Hanie fan club and I’m going to write a letter to Lovie, ‘PLAY YOUR BEST QB’.  Hello Marshawn Lynch and welcome back to being a viable option on a decent team.  Inquisitive Mind 0 – 1 for the week.  

Miami @ Green Bay – The Packers have gone from the darlings of the league to a sad example of what injuries can do to your Superbowl aspirations.  With no running game to speak of, defenses are able to just come after Rodgers and he may have come back a little early from his concussion too.  He had some big plays, but in the end the Packers are just too beat up.  The Packers were able to take this into overtime with a gutsy QB sneak, but the Dolphins ground game was the difference.  Both Williams and Brown had over 60 yards and that’s what did it.  Inquisitive Mind 1 – 1 for the week.  

San Diego @ St. Louis –  This is what I said on Friday - ‘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’. Rams win.  Chargers need to clean house and that starts with Norv Turner.  Only Wade Phillips is doing a worse job coaching.  Inquisitive Mind 1 – 2 for the week.  

Baltimore @ New England – This game came down to heart, determination, and veteran guile to get the win.  Normally you associate that with the Ravens, but on this day, the Patriots were the ones that were celebrating.  Welcome back Deion Branch, where have you been?  Branch’s return to the Patriots this week and his 99 yards receiving was the catalyst for the Patriots.  The Ravens had this game won, but couldn’t stop the Patriots when they needed to.  All I’m saying, is Round 2 of this matchup will be a great game to watch.  Inquisitive Mind 1 – 3 for the week.  

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay – To answer my own question about the Bucs defense, Carson Palmer (Cincinnati) was just that bad against them.  This game was never in question and seemed more like a Division 1 team playing against a Division 3 team.  Drew Brees played catch and toss all day, while Chris Ivory put up 158 yards on the ground.  Where did this guy come from?  Inquisitive Mind 2 – 3 for the week.  

Detroit @ New York Giants – Whatever’s happening in Detroit, I want some.  The Lions didn’t win this game, but they were right there.  They lost Shaun Hill (9 of 15 for 91 yards and 1 TD) to a broken arm early and put in Drew Stanton, and he goes out and throws for 222 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT.  A few plays here and there and the Lions win this game.  Yes, that’s putting a lot of ‘if’s’ together, but they are close.  The Giants got a strong running game from Bradshaw (133 yards) and Jacobs (2 TDs) and that seems to help (any QB) Eli Manning a lot.  Inquisitive Mind 3 – 3 for the week.  

Atlanta @ Philadelphia – It’s hard to win in Philly and maybe that’s why the Falcons didn’t even show up.  I mean they had a bus that brought 53 players to the Linc, but I think they were Clone rejects or something.  The Falcons stunk this up and that’s pretty much all you can say.  Kevin Kolb actually looked good, real good (326 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT). Great game by Jeremy Maclin too.  To Dunta Robinson and DeSean Jackson, get well.  Inquisitive Mind 3 – 4 for the week.  

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh – Big Ben looked rusty, but when you have that defense and the weapons he has, I could probably manage a win as the starting QB for the Steelers.  With that said, a big game by Mike Wallace (3 catches for 90 yards, 1 TD) (thank God for that) and a good game by Mendenhall (27 carries for 84 yards, 1 TD).  The Browns didn’t play as bad as I thought they would.  McCoy looked decent.  The Steelers are going to be (if they already aren’t) DANGEROUS.  Get well Josh Cribbs.  Inquisitive Mind 4 – 4 for the week.  

Kansas City @ Houston – (Still scratching my head)  The Chiefs had a great game from Cassel (20 of 29 for 201 yards, 3 TDs), both running backs (Jones – 100 yards, 1 TD Charles – 93 yards), a great game out of Dwayne Bowe (108 yards, 2 TDs), and they LOST?!?!?  The Texans scored 21 points in the 4^th quarter to get a comeback win against the Chiefs.  My only issue with this game is as follows:  When Matt Schaub drops back to pass, what’s the percentage of the time that you would think that he goes to Andre Johnson?  80%, 85%, 90%,….something close.  Why not double cover Andre Johnson and roll the dice with Jacoby Jones beating you?  Especially when the games on the line?!?!?  (Mark and Tracy, I went Chiefs and they let me down.)  Inquisitive Mind 4 – 5 for the week.  

Oakland @ San Francisco – Great job Jason Campbell, you made Alex Smith look like he was a real good 1^st round pick.  The 49ers finally cracked the win column and although they played down to their competition, they looked pretty good.  I am still wondering why Alex Smith isn’t holding a clipboard, but hey, I’m not a head coach.  Inquisitive Mind 5 – 5 for the week.  

New York Jets @ Denver – The Orton to Lloyd combination was slowed and the Jets escaped with a win in this one.  The Broncos played well, got 3 turnovers, but couldn’t put points on the boards.  LT ended the game with 55 yards on 16 carries (and 2 TDs) and had to be happy to see the scoreboard when they flashed the Chargers score.  Welcome to the league Tim Tebow as he scored his first TD of his professional career.  Inquisitive Mind 6 – 5 for the week.  

Dallas @ Minnesota – I don’t think that either team was able to get answers to the big questions, like are we good enough to win it all?  But, the Vikings were able to hold off the Cowboys and get a win at home for Randy Moss’ first game back (at home) as a Viking.  All I can say is that AP got 24 carries (73 yards, 1 TD) and after being blanked in the first half, Moss at least got 5 touches in this game.  Tony Romo was second on the team in rushing (with 31 yards) which spells doom in most cases.  I’m all for firing both of the coaches in yesterdays’ game.  Childress for mismanaging talent and the offensive play calling and Wade Phillips for just general malaise.  Inquisitive Mind 7 – 5 for the week.  

Indianapolis @ Washington – The Colts found a running game, Joseph Addai (138 yards, 1 TD) where have you been?!?!?  The Redskins kept this close by having their own 100 yard back, Ryan Torain (100 yards, 2 TDs).  This came down to a few defensive stops and the Colts were able to get them, and that was the difference.  Inquisitive Mind 8 -5 for the week.  

Tennessee @ Jacksonville – What did I say before this game?  ‘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’.  Both starting QBs got injured and we ended up watching bad football for the majority of the night.  I understand wanting to keep Chris Johnson in the game to get his 100+ yards, but you were already up 20 and there was no way that Trent Edwards (no matter how much John Gruden was trying to give him credit) was going to bring them back.  Inquisitive Mind 9 – 5 for the week. 

Ok, at least this week was better.  It seems as though each week gets tougher because teams are either playing down to their competition or the NFL is getting a little closer to parity.  Not sure what the answer is.  Nevertheless, that puts me at 51-39 for the season and I'm right on the heels of the ESPN guys.  

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 1 Wrap Up

I’m not sure what happened, but this week started well and then just went into the tank. I guess the underlying theme of Week 1 is wait until Week 2 before we start playing. Oh and another thing, let’s make sure that it’s not close to have a referee decide a game. Let’s get the tale of the tape.

Minnesota @ New Orleans – After an aggressive first drive for the Saints, this turned out to be a yawner. Not much excitement on either side of the ball, and each team seemed a little rusty to say the least (maybe there is an argument for an 18 game season). The Saints won, but I imagine that both teams will be better over the remainder of the season. Just one questions popped out during this game, I know Peterson had 19 carries, but this is game one of the season, why not give him 25? He didn’t put the ball on the ground. Sounds like Chilly is over coaching already. Inquisitive Mind 1 – 0 for the week.

Carolina @ New York Giants – We all knew that the Panthers had no chance in this one, but it just took the Giants a little while to wake up. Eli had 3 INTs to go along with 3 TDs, but we all know that the ground game will be the key for the Giants this year. And, I said it, Clausen will be the starter by week 3. After that hit that Moore took, we’re one step closer. Inquisitive Mind 2- 0 for the week.

Atlanta @ Pittsburgh – Talk about crying in your beer. This was a slugfest. The Steelers stopped the Falcons ground game and the Falcons stopped the Steelers air attack (yes, limited with Dixon back there). This came down to 3 things: 1) Polamalu’s pick in the 4th. The announcers were saying a great call by Dick LeBeau, no way. Polamalu jumped that route after he saw White catching it all day long. Beautiful play to get his toes in. 2) Jeff Reed’s two missed field goals (and one with the win on the line?) and lastly 3) Atlanta, is this all you got on offense? I mean Ryan can’t throw that deep out every 7th play and hope that it works and no running game to speak of. Falcons, you let me down. Also, I love it when I’m right about Ward. Inquisitive Mind 2 – 1 for the week.

Cleveland @ Tampa Bay – Maybe the Panther fans were right to laugh when I mentioned the best QB in this game being Delhomme. He proved that he’s a decent QB, but oh my goodness he is mistake prone. Freeman looked decent and the defense showed glimpses of years past. The Bucs snuck one out. Inquisitive Mind 2 – 2 for the week.

Denver @ Jacksonville – I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is the best game that Garrard has played in 2 maybe 3 years. The Jaguars had a balanced attack and the defense was teeing of on Orton like he was a piñata. Denver might be in trouble. Orton can’t keep taking hits like that. Inquisitive Mind 2 – 3 for the week.

Indianapolis @ Houston – The Texans beat the Colts. I think everyone in Houston is still partying. Yes, it’s the first game of the year, but 231 yards rushing by Arian Foster and a good/great defensive unit spells good things for the Texans. Even with Manning throwing for 433 yards (a career high) and having a 109 QB rating, this game wasn’t as close as the final makes it seem. If the Texans can play like this all year, that AFC South is going to be interesting. Inquisitive Mind 3 – 3 for the week.

Miami @ Buffalo – Somebody had to win this game and the Dolphins just eeked it out. Not much else to say. If you watched this game, I apologize for the 2 ½ hours of your life you won’t get back. Inquisitive Mind 4 – 3 for the week.

Detroit @ Chicago – WHEW!!!! What in the halibut is going on here? I’m sorry, this was a loss for the Bears. Johnson caught that pass and was getting up when he lost the ball. I’m waiting on the NFL to review this one. Bears fans have a lot to be happy about: 1) a win is a win 2) Urlacher played pretty well and didn’t get hurt 3) and they may have found their #1 receiver in Matt Forte (well, this is really a joke). Forte rushed for 50 yards and had another 151 yards in the air. How can Lovie be so arrogant? Doesn’t he know that he has exactly 15 more games to be the head coach of the Bears? Inquisitive Mind 5 – 3 for the week.

Oakland @ Tennessee – Can I take get a do over on this one? Yes, I used big IFs earlier but the Raiders looked horriawful, with the exception of Darren McFadden. He did prove that he can carry the full load (even if only for one game). The Titans will end up a lot better than some guessed if they can play like this the rest of the year. VY had a decent game and only had 17 attempts, while Chris Johnson did his work. Inquisitive Mind 5 – 4 for the week.

Cincinnati @ New England – If this game were another 2 quarters long,……the Bengals didn’t start playing football until after halftime. You can’t do that and expect to win at Gillette Stadium. Wes Welker looked good in his return to the big stage and I’m still trying to find how Ochocinco had 12 receptions for 159 yards. Did I turn the channel or something? Maybe the Bengals will wake up and start playing now. Inquisitive Mind 5 – 5 for the week.

Arizona @ St. Louis – How quickly the mighty have fallen. It’s going to be a long year for the Cardinals if they are going to play like this. Both teams looked horriawful, but one of them was a few inches from a Superbowl two years ago and the other team was starting a rookie QB and if you watched the game, you couldn’t have picked which team was which. Bradford might actually be the real deal. Inquisitive Mind 6 – 5 for the week.

San Francisco @ Seattle – I bet you a dollar to a donut that no one on that 49ers team slept well last night. They probably won’t sleep at all this week. They looked worse than horriawful. 2 field goals is all they could get? From a 49ers standpoint, I point to one stat line: 26 of 45 for 225 yards and 2 INTs. Alex Smith, please pack your bags. Happy to see Hasselbeck play well since he’s been beaten up so much the last few years. I wonder if the NCAA would take some of Pete Carroll’s money he made as coach of USC because he knew guys were cheating (old bone to pick)? Are the Seahawks for real is the question? I guess we will know if about 3 more weeks. Inquisitive Mind 6 – 6 for the week.

Green Bay @ Philadelphia – I never root for anyone to get hurt, but I have to say that Kolb playing the way he did and leaving the way he did is ‘KARMA’. You don’t get rid of McNabb just because. Kolb sustained a concussion right before halftime (hopefully he’ll be ok) and then we got Mike Vick. The pack played well, but may have lost Ryan Grant for a significant time after the injury to his ankle. Brandon Jackson more than filled his shoes while Aaron Rodgers was throwing to just about everyone all day long. I guess we’ll have to see if Andy Reid was right by saying that ‘Kolb is his QB when he’s healthy again’. Inquisitive Mind 6 – 7 for the week.

Dallas @ Washington – You’ve got to be kidding me?!?!??!? This came down to a final play with the Cowboys throwing a TD and they lose. Somewhere, Daniel Snyder is smiling so hard his face is cracking. If the Cowboys don’t get an O-line and soon, all of this home team for the Superbowl stuff isn’t going to happen. Which Cowboy coach made that play call before the half? He should be cleaning the all the bathrooms in the new Cowboys Stadium. The Redskins snuck this game away from the Cowboys, but a win is a win. Inquisitive Mind 6 – 8 for the week.

Baltimore @ New York Jets – This was a smash mouth game that should have been a joy to watch for those that appreciate defense (and some bad offense).  The Jets brought all of the bravado but no offense to speak of.  I doubt they completed a pass for more than 10 yards at any one time.  The Ravens defense, led by Ray Lewis smothered and hit the Jets all night.  Shonn Greene may not touch the ball for a week or two after letting it hit the ground so much last night.  In the end, the better offense won.  Flacco to Boldin looks like a good pairing.  Is it me or does Flacco always seem to throw off of his back foot?  The scary thing is that both teams will get better.  Bad omen for the Jets is that they may have lost Kris Jenkins for an extended period of time.  Inquisitive Mind 7 - 8 for the week.


San Diego @ Kansas City – This is reason #4080 that Norv is NOT the coach that the Chargers need.  This was a loss to the Chefs (still the funniest commercial ever).  The Chargers looked lackadaisical and not ready for football.  The Chiefs didn't really have that much on offense and they still won.  If anything I was surprised that the Chiefs defense is actually starting to look like a unit.  Great kick return by rookie Dexter McCluster.  Great upset by the Chiefs.  Inquisitive Mind 7 - 9 for the week. 

Well, that's Week 1 down and I think that I'm happy it's over.  A 7-9 record is not how you want to start the season, but hey, we have a long way to go.  I'm not too far off of the professionals.  

Fred Taylor signed

Fred Taylor has signed a deal with the Patriots for right around $6M per year, but the number of years hasn't been released (or at least I can't find it yet). This should be a definite help to the Patriots ground game. Taylor should be able to find lots of holes behind that Patriots line.

This sounds like a good deal, what do you think? The Patriots need a ground game and they got Taylor on the cheap. AFC just got a little tougher.