2015-16 NFL Week 2 Picks

Denver @ Kansas City

The Broncos come into KC with the media (and everyone else) wondering if Manning is done and a great defense.  The Broncos escaped with a win last week against Baltimore, more because of their defense than anything they were able to do on the offensive side of the ball.  Rumors swirled around Manning's arm strength and whether the noodle is already gone week 2 into the season.  I won't say that this is the biggest game of the season but this is the first match-up of the two teams many expected to be fighting for the AFC West title and possibly one of the teams headed to the Superbowl.

Denver brings their defense to town and the Chiefs are trying to up the ante with there's.  The Chiefs have to love the fact that they are going against an immobile QB and if they can keep the Broncos in 3rd and long situations, they'll know exactly what spot Manning will be in.  On offense, I imagine that we'll see more of Jamaal Charles split out to put him in one on one situations with the Broncos LBs.  Can Alex Smith repeat his performance from week 1?  If he does, the Chiefs might be big winners at home.  

Winner – Chiefs

Houston @ Carolina

The Panthers found a way to win last week and look to do the same this week.  I'll say it again, I don't know who Cam Newton is going to throw the ball to.  Last week it was Jerricho Cotchery, but someone else has got to step up.  With Houston and this defense coming to Charlotte, they are going to have to run the ball to have a chance.  On defense, the Panthers star, Luke Kuechly  hasn't been cleared to play and the Panthers may want to be cautious with rushing him back.

The Texans are already changing their QBs.  Ryan Mallet gets the start and it seems like Hoyer may be the backup for the rest of the year (life comes at you fast).  This Texans defense played well last week and hope to continue that with the homecoming of Jadeveon Clowney being a big story this week. I'm sure his people from SC will make the trek to Charlotte.  Should be a good game.

Winner - Texans

San Francisco @ Pittsburgh

The Steelers have had some time to heal from their butt whuppin given to them by the Patriots.  They better hope that better equipment was really the reason behind their play on that Thursday night opener.  Looks like the offense is just counting the games to Leveon Bell returns, but the Steelers defense has got to at least line up correctly this game and show us something.  

The 49ers come off a strong showing against the Vikings.  Again, this offense looks rudimentary but as long as Kaep is comfortable, they have a chance.  This 49ers defense should have Steelers fans crying for the days that their defense was this dominant.  

Winner - 49ers

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans

Talking about being comfortable, that's something that Drew Brees wasn't last week and looks to be that way all year long.  This Saints team feels like a rebuilding year, but they are still pushing forward and trying to fix/rebuild this car (team) while they're on the road driving it.  The Saints have to run the ball a little more and let Brees pick his spots.  Brees can't have 48 attempts again this week.  

Jameis shat the bed in his first start so the hope is that he can shake it off and play better.  Word is Mike Evans is 100% and returning from injury so he should have both of his tall dominant receivers to go along with tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins.  I am also looking for a pulse from this Bucs defense, since Lovie did not die on the cross for you guys to play this horribly.  

Winner - Bucs

Detroit @ Minnesota

The Vikings have got to get back into Viking football.  That consists of feeding AP the ball and I expect that he'll get at least 30 touches this game.  AP looked out of sync last game, almost like he missed playing football for a year.  Once that ground game gets going, you take some of the pressure off of young Teddy Bridgewater and I think this Viking team starts winning.

The Lions might have it this year and by 'it' I'm talking about a chance to play for the division title. They've normally had the talent but there was always something missing, but I like this all around team and it'll be exciting to see them get going.  Megatron was off his game last week also so I expect a big game between him and Stafford.

Winner - Lions

Arizona @ Chicago

The Bears come off a game where they actually played well, they just happened to run into the best QB in the game.  This is game number 2 at home and I could see the Bears getting a win with the same strategy as last week, run the ball and limit Cutler's mistakes in the passing game.  If they can do that, they'll keep this one close. 

The Cardinals can be electric on offense and Carson Palmer looks very good.  The Bears don't really have anyone that can cover the Cardinals wideouts so I expect big games from Fitzgerald, Floyd and the Brown brothers (I know they aren't brothers).  We'll see if Chris Johnson gets the start for the injured Andre Ellington and whether Johnson has anymore in the tank.  

Winner - Cardinals

New England @ Buffalo

Tyrod Taylor gets his first dance with the Patriots.  Belichek has always been good with scheming against new starters in the league so I'm sure he'll have something for Taylor.  Taylor just has to hand the ball off and pick his spots on offense and hope that the Bills defense is ready for the challenge.  

The Patriots are always ready and remember they have to very good TEs (one excellent and one good).  The Patriots will try to contain Taylor in the pocket and not allow him to make plays with his feet.  This is definitely must see TV.  

Winner - Bills

San Diego @ Cincinnati

The Bengals looked good last week and they are hoping to keep this one a contest.  They need to pound the ball and then let AJ Green expose this Chargers defense.  They can't let this game become a shootout, but they are going to have to put up points against the Chargers.  Rivers in a baseball hat is the best place for him if the Bengals want to win. 

The Chargers hope they have rested enough to put up numbers again this week.  They can't start slowly like they did last week but they gotta find a way to get stops on defense.  I've said that they are going to have to win shootouts all year long and the Bengals have enough firepower on offense to keep up with them, although the Chargers definitely have the better QB. 

Winner - Bengals

Tennessee @ Cleveland

This will be a long season for the Browns.  Manziel will probably start again and he's been limited at practice with an injured elbow.  Hopefully he's ready to go, but again, he doesn't have a lot of help on this Browns team.  Browns gonna have to run the ball a lot and keep Manziel from further hurting that arm.  

The Titans had a great first week with their rookie QB.  The only question is where do they go from here?  Prior to the season many felt the Titans didn't have anything in the cupboard and after one game some think otherwise.  I am actually still in the camp of them NOT having much to go along with Mariota.  I expect this to be a rough day at the office for him.  

Winner - Browns

Atlanta @ New York Giants

Hopefully Eli won't tell any of his players not to score again.  Giants are so much better when they run the ball and limit Eli (Mr. Turnover) from giving the ball away.  

The Falcons hope to keep up the swarming play that their defense exhibited against the Eagles.  If they can do that, this team will have taken several steps ahead of where they have been in the past few years.  Can we also get Matt Ryan to not turn the ball over a few times?  He's got the people to exploit the Giants secondary, but we'll see if he's Matty Ice or Matty Ice Water. 

Winner - Falcons

St. Louis @ Washington

They are the (redacted)!!!  They played terribly last week and the younger Gruden is going to have us believe that they are on the rise.  I think until they release RGIII this team won't do well.  It's gotta be karma.

The Rams come off a good game and a good win against the Seahawks.  The offense seemed to click last week and there are rumblings that they might have a certain rookie running back available this weekend, Todd Gurley.  Rams defense played well last week and I expect them to dominate this week too.

Winner - Rams

Miami @ Jacksonville

The Jaguars?  All I have to say is if Blake Bortles doesn't show up and be the QB that I thin he can be, we're gonna have to go down to Jacksonville and have a stern talking to with that young man.  He has a n opportunity to be good but he can't turn the ball over (out there impersonating Andrew Luck or Eli Manning).  

The Dolphins pissed into the wind last week and almost got it all over themselves.  They barely snuck out a win against the Dolphins and this week they have to play another team that many expect them to beat.  Can the Dolphins live up to the hype that many have for them this year or are we all doomed to what this underachieving team do just that again this year?  

Winner - Dolphins

Baltimore @ Oakland

Talk about playing terrible last week?  The Raiders lost their QB early because he didn't slide and from there it just went downhill.  Carr is one of these young QBs that has the skillset, but he's gotta be able to perform.  He has help and a pretty decent defense.  Carr you can't do it all and you shouldn't try to.  Spread it around and prosper. 

The Ravens start this game as Game 1 ATS (After Terrell Suggs).  Jason Babin was signed to replace Suggs and the Ravens will try to keep it rolling.  The hope is that they can get something going on offense too.  Steve Smith had a terrible game last week and I don't remember him ever having bad games back to back.  Will love to see how this defense responds to this challenge.  

Winner - Ravens

Dallas @ Philadelphia

Maybe in week 2 the Eagles offense will be in tune this week.  I know one thing, they better find a way to keep people off of Bradford or he won't make it an entire season.  He got a precautionary x-rays on his ankle after week 1 and that doesn't bode well for the oft-injured QB.  DeMarco Murray has got to have more than 9 yards this game, especially since he's going against his old team that let him go.  

The Cowboys are working without their star wideout in Dez Bryant for who knows how many weeks (4-8).  We expect this offensive line to dominate the Eagles and let one of the Murray replacements run on the Eagles defense.  If that doesn't happen Tony Romo will have a lot of attempts and maybe a mistake or two, so I think they'll be running the ball.  

Winner - Cowboys

Seattle @ Green Bay

Game of the week to me.  The Packers come off a pretty solid game against the Bears.  They lose Bulaga on the offensive line so that puts Aaron Rodgers' life at risk since the only fault that one could find with the Packers is their o-line.  Rodgers will have to worry about the Seahawks coming from just about everywhere this game.  Look for Lacy to have a big game.

The Seahawks are rebounding from their loss last week to the Rams on some questionable calls from their O coordinator and head coach.  Can they get it all working?  The defense missed Cam Chancellor but with no solution seemingly coming on that front, the Seahawks have got to get back to the type of football that allows them to win, run the ball with Lynch and then let their newly paid QB find his new target in Graham.

Winner - Seahawks

New York Jets @ Indianapolis

The Colts try to bounce back after a dismal showing last week.  TY Hilton is questionable so some other receiving targets are going to have to step up (Dwayne Allen and Andre Johnson, ahem!!).  The Colts offensive line was just that last week, offensive and they have to find a solution to keeping their QB up right for the majority of the game.  

The Jets, well, didn't look too bad last week.  Ryan Fitzpatrick played decently and the ground game led the way.  With the Colts defense being as soft as tissue paper, we actually might have a 250 yard rushing game for the Jets as a team.  

Winner - Jets

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,......

NFL Update

New Orleans Saints - WOW!!!  Sean Payton is suspended an entire year by the NFL for his leading Bounty Gate and the Saints are docked two 2nd Round picks (1 each year in 2012 and 2013).  This is a heavy fine, but I think expected in light to the shenanigans that have been going on.  A few questions:

1) Who else is going down with the ship, Greg Williams? (Question answered in update)

2) Will this change the culture in the NFL?

3) Was this really necessary?

4) Why aren't the refs who sat and watched Brett Favre get hit after the whistle in the bounty game not disciplined?

UPDATE: Micky Loomis (GM) is suspended 8 games. Joe Vitt (Assistant Head Coach) is suspended 6 games and fined $100K.  Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely.  Saints were fined $500K.

New York Jets - The Jets have acquired Tebow Mania for a 4th round pick.  I'm not sure that this is a good move because if they can't mold Sanchez, how do they expect to make Tebow better?  Maybe it'll be easier next time they get away from running the ball, they just sub Tebow in to show Sanchez this is what we need to be doing.


What's your take on all of this?

NFL 2010 AFC Championship Game Wrap Up

New York Jets @ Pittsburgh - Well, this game was a little different than I expected, but still close enough.  I said that Mendenhall will get a lot of carries, the Jets corners will have to cover all of the Steelers receivers, hat Heath Miller and Spaeth will have big games, that Brett Keisel and Harrison will be in Sanchez's back pocket, and finally that the Steelers would close out the Jets if they got out to a big lead. 

1.  Mendenhall has come a long way from the brash youngster who called out Ray Lewis in his first game against the Ravens (he ended that game with a broken collarbone or something after Lewis hit him).  He has now become the next name in line as the Steelers' starting running back.  Mendenhall had 27 carries for 121 yards, and 1 TD.  He also had 2 receptions for 32 yards.

2.  The Jets did a decent job covering everyone, but Big Ben was able to find 7 different receivers with Heath Miller leading the field with 2 catches for 38 yards.  Not your Don Coryell Chargers, but when the running game was as good as it was, you're really only passing for those longer 3rd down conversions. 

3.  Heath Miller (from above) and Matt Spaeth had good games, but it was more in the blocking and protecting of Big Ben.  Spaeth was only targeted once in the passing game but finished the game with no catches. 

4.  Brett Keisel and  Harrison spent a lot of time pressuring Sanchez and both ended the game with 7 tackles a piece.  Timmons and Farrior led the Steelers in tackles, 10 and 8 respectively, but as a whole this Steelers defense did their job.  They did let up at the end which could have cost them the game, but they were good enough for long enough. 


All in all the Jets' didn't play a bad game, they just started late. It was 24-3 at halftime and their defense didn't allow the Steelers to score in the second half.  They have to be kicking themselves for the first half that they played.  Had they be able to keep the Steelers to 17 or maybe even 20, this would have been a lot more tenuous down the stretch. 

Congrats to the Steelers for returning to the Superbowl with a chance to get number 7 for their organization.  It's been a tough year for the Steelers, but the good teams are able to bounce back.  Inquisitive Mind 2 - 0 for the week. 

NFL 2010 AFC Championship Game Pick

Now that we have that NFC Championship Game Pick out of the way, let's get to the next game.

New York Jets @ Pittsburgh - People are talking about how these two teams are somewhat identical, but I have to kindly disagree.  The Steelers come into this game a little banged up (Polamalu and some of the offensive lineman) but basically in pretty good shape.  Big Ben is on his game and that gives the Steelers the option of running or passing against you.  I am a little concerned with the injuries to the O-line during the Ravens game, but they should be ok.  Mendenhall will get lots of carries and we'll see how good the corners from the Jets really are as they battle (literally) Hines Ward.  The more quick passes to give their receivers some space to run will loosen up that Jets defense and keep them guessing.  Look for big games from Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth (in those double tight-end sets).  On defense the Steelers will have their hands full with the resurgence of Shonn Greene and 'The Closer' in LT.  Polamalu has to play in this game to take away anything in the middle of the field.  I'm looking for Brett Keisel and James Harrison to be in Sanchez's back pocket.  Nothing that much different from the regular season.  If the Steelers get up on the Jets, they will definitely close them out, Mike Tomlin will accept nothing less.  I wonder what he said to them at half time of the Ravens game.

The Jets come in as quiet as church mice this week, an extreme turnaround from the bravado prior to the Patriots game last week.  Not sure if this really fits them.  The Jets played a knock out drag'em game concentrating on the run last week, which is probably the best thing for them.  Shonn Greene has become that power runner that the Jets need (and even had a little bit of speed), who also doesn't fumble the ball.  LT comes in as a change of pace, but is dangerous as ever when given more carries.  Mark Sanchez has struggled a bit with his play, but he has played well enough to actually help his team win.  If he can turn back the page a few weeks, when he was scorching hot and playing extremely well, the Steelers will be in trouble.  On defense the Jets will need to mix it up in an effort to confuse Big Ben.  At times Big Ben holds on to the ball in order to escape a sack or make a big play and if the coverage can confuse him enough to allow the pass rush to get to him, they can create turnovers.  The defensive line will sub often so look for strong play from the vets Jason Taylor and Trevor Price.  Revis and Cromartie (and Eric Smith when the Steelers go 3 or 4 wide) will need to be big for the Jets to win this game.  They are going to have to cover Mike Wallace, Ward, Randle El, and Sanders. 

In the end, the Jets are a little more finesse than power on the offensive side of the ball and the Steelers are power on both sides of the ball.  The Jets have played well to get to this point, but I think the dream ends this weekend.  Winner - Steelers.

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 Wild Card Weekend Picks

Well, the season is over for most and now it's time for the real teams (well, the Seahawks did make the playoffs) to duke it out to see who will win the Superbowl.  Let's see what's on tap. 

New Orleans @ Seattle - The charade can now stop since we know that Hasselbeck would start this game.  The Seahawks boast a pretty good running attack with Lynch and Forsett.  While neither of them is great by themselves, the number of touches that each will have (and a consistent running game) could spell doom for the Saints.  Look for at least 30 carries between Lynch and Forsett.  Of course you start your more veteran QB and if he falters bring in Whitehurst.  Matt has looked more like Tim as of late and he seems to be very fragile, so the fewer drop backs the better.  Mike Williams has resurrected his career and he's the Seahawks #1 guy, but in this game I think you have to watch Obomanu.  The defense has given up over 368 total yards so they will definitely have to step it up if they are looking to play next weekend. 

The Saints come into this game looking for people off the streets that can run the ball.  They have lost both Ivory and Thomas for the year which leaves them with Reggie Bush and a host of other people.  Maybe Bush can do what he did last year in the playoffs and show up and play big for the Saints.  They'll probably need him to do something because you can't risk Brees dropping back and throwing 50 times in this game. The Saints defense is opportunistic and I think they'll be able to make either of the Seahawks QBs play badly.

In the end, this may be a closer game than some think and anything can happen in a one and done situation.  Winner - Saints.

New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts - The Colts come into this game with a good feeling that they finally have their quarterback back.  Manning had hit a stretch of games where he was turning the ball over like he was flipping pancakes.  Now, he's gotten back into the swing of things and surprise surprise, the Colts have figured out how to R-U-N the ball.  Look for Addai to have another big game as the Colts will do their best to mix it up against the Jets.  Manning normally plays well against Rex Ryan led defenses, so I'll expect more of the same.  Reggie Wayne will have a tough time going against either corner, but he'll show up.

The Jets will have a healthy Mark Sanchez, which is something they haven't had for a few weeks.  Sanchez went through his own bad stretch of games where it looked like he had regressed a little.  The Jets have some pieces on offense, and I think we'll finally see a lot of LT (isn't this why they got him?) and Dustin Keller making some plays.  On the defensive side of the ball the Jets have been more talk than anything this year.  They have to step it up and play some defense which will mean getting hits on Manning and shutting down Wayne and or Tamme. 

Who wins this one?  Should be a good game and maybe the Jet's bravado actually shows in their play on Saturday.  Winner - Colts. 

Baltimore @ Kansas City - The Chiefs come into this game clicking.  Matt Cassel and Bowe have some chemistry going on and then you add to that the running of Charles and Jones and a sometimes stingy defense, and you have a pretty solid team.  The Chiefs even have a home game for the playoffs.  That may not be a good thing, because of the history of old Chiefs' teams that have played well and been at home for the playoffs have lost all of those games (I think 0-8). 

The Ravens come into this game still wondering why they are paying Anquan Boldin the money they are paying him and him not being able to put up any numbers this season.  I don't fault Boldin for some of this, but he's gotta show up in this Ravens offense for them to roll.  The Ravens have Flacco and Ray Rice, and they may have to run the ball a little more to keep that Ravens defense off the field.  I say that to say that the Ravens defense isn't as good as it was in the past, and they are propping people up to play corner (Dwayne Bowe should be licking his chops to go after this secondary), so they can't allow the Chiefs to have long drives for scores. 

In the end, I like the Chiefs in this game, but I can't pick against the Ravens.  I'm sorry.  Winner - Ravens. 

Green Bay @ Philadelphia - The Eagles took last week off while starting Kevin Kolb.  This will be the varsity game against the Packers.  The Eagles have to get it back together, specifically Vick because this is his contract game.   The better he does, the bigger his check is in the off season.  They haven't looked good on offense or defense as of late.  Vick is taking too many hits and to me the play calling has changed significantly over the past two weeks.  The Eagles have to get McCoy going and get Vick going at the same time.  Maybe the big downfield strike to Jackson within the first 10 plays needs to be taken out?  All in all I think the offense will be able to right it self, but the defense is the big question.  Is Samuel playing?  He's GOT to have a big game with Jennings (GB) running around out there catching passes from Rodgers.  

The Packers probably would have been hosting this game or maybe even have had this week off had it not been for an injury to Ryan Grant early in the season.  Rodgers has played very well all year long and even without a running game he's still performing (3922 yards passing this season).  The Packers defense has two good corners and they are fast enough to keep up or get to Vick at any moment.

This is going to be a great game.  Vick still has some magic left in him and the Packers have a pretty darn good QB themselves.  Why didn't the Packers get the Seahawks or someone?  Hard to pick because I want the Eagles to win, but I think that the Packers have a great chance to get the 'W'.  Winner - Eagles. 

Who you got?!?!

NFL 2010 Week 14 Picks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who you got?!?!

NFL 2010 Week 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 8 Picks

Not a bad week last week, but let’s see if we can build on this.




Miami @ Cincinnati – Can we do it two weeks in a row? Well, can Palmer do it two weeks in a row? Miami is a tough team that consistently plays well, and that comes from good coaching (and some talent). The Bengals have got to run the ball which may be a chore against the Dolphins, but that helps Palmer be better. It’s a home game and you gotta think that the Bengals are going to get on track at some point in order to save their head coaches’ job. We’ll see. Winner – Bengals.



Jacksonville @ Dallas – The dust has settled and now the Cowboys have to play the hand they were dealt. Jon Kitna is the starter and it’s been almost 2 years since his last start. He was able to get Dez Bryant involved last week and I expect that he’ll continue that. Dallas has to figure out their running game, is it going to be Barber, Jones, or whomever? Get one and stick with him until he gets hurt. The season is pretty much over unless they get something miraculous going on in Dallas. This game should allow them to at least get a win and feel good about themselves. IF they lose to this Jaguars team, they shouldn’t even show up for the rest of the year. Winner – Cowboys.



Washington @ Detroit – Matthew Stafford will get the start for this game. This week they get another NFC East squad in the Redskins. Based on the performance last week by the Redskins against the Bears, Stafford may want to let Stanton take this start. I do expect that the Redskins defense will play pretty well in this game, but I expect the Redskins to have problems running the ball against the Lions front 4. I don’t expect that Stafford will be as good as he has looked in previous weeks, so I gotta go with the veteran. Winner – Redskins.



Buffalo @ Kansas City – On the surface, this would be an easy pick because the Chiefs are showing that they can put points on the board and they can play some defense. Then they get the Bills offense that put up a lot of points and gained a lot of yards against a normally stout Ravens defense. Ryan Fitzpatrick is looking like a better version of Matt Cassel when he was in New England, but of course Fitzpatrick went to Harvard. This could be a test for the Chiefs that they really have to pass since this is a team that they should beat. Are they up to the task? Winner – Chiefs.



Green Bay @ New York Jets – The Jets are coming off of their bye and things haven’t been as entertaining without them being in the news. A week away allows Revis to rest his hamstring, and probably was a good break for this team. I imagine that they will make quick work of the Packers since they don’t have a running game and I think the Jets will get to Rodgers enough to beat him up. The Bears should be happy this week because they are on a bye and they get to watch the Packers lose. Winner – Jets.



Denver @ San Francisco – I guess call me crazy too. I really think that the 49ers can win the NFC West, unless the Seahawks just turn it on. None of the teams in that division are blowing me away. Yes, the 49ers are having QB issues, but I think that it gets better with Troy Smith starting this week. Here’s to lightening in a bottle for Smith. The Broncos need to bounce back from last weeks’ thrashing at the hands of the Raiders (of all teams), so I expect this to be a close game. Winner – 49ers.



Tennessee @ San Diego – Will Vince go this week? Will the Chargers get out of the gate this week? I’m pretty much giving up on the Chargers. They are having problems with their depth at LB but they are going to let go Merriman, they are having problems with their WR but they don’t want to pay their best one in Jackson, and for some reason this pool of talent just can’t seem to get it going. Sounds like front office and coaching issues to me. The Titans have a great running game and some underappreciated receivers. They just continue to push forward and win games. I expect that they will continue that trend this week. Winner – Titans.



Tampa Bay @ Arizona – Somebody has to win this game, right? The Cardinals need a QB and the Bucs need a consistent RB. This will be indoors and maybe this Bucs defense gets a little faster? I really have no idea. I just feel sorry for Fitzgerald having to endure this down period for the Cardinals. Winner – Bucs.



Minnesota @ New England – So the big question is how is Brett’s ankle? We know he can still text, but can he play this week? Yes, the streak is on the line and I imagine that Childress will start Jackson. If that happens, look for the Vikings to be energized with T-Jack back there and I think they’ll be excited enough to get this win. The Patriots haven’t looked good (barring that one game against the Ravens) since they traded Randy Moss. Are they still an elite team without a big play receiver? The Vikings have to have this game, in the biggest way. Winner – Vikings.



Seattle @ Oakland – The Raiders come off their best game in what, 10 years? They play a Seahawks team that seems to find a way to win. Can Jason Campbell play well two games in a row? That may be the biggest question. For some reason I think that he has turned the corner. Hasselbeck may play well in this game also, but I think it’ll come down to the running game of each team, so DMC (McFadden) vs. Marshawn Lynch. Who you got? Winner – Raiders.



Pittsburgh @ New Orleans – The Saints NEED a win and they get to welcome the Steelers into the bayou. I would normally say that this would be an ambush, but I think this is the worst thing for the Saints. The Steelers have been playing decent/good ball when they decide to run, and the Saints have problems stopping the run. Brees won’t have a lot of time back in that pocket, so I gotta go with the better defense. Winner – Steelers.



Houston @ Indianapolis – Rematch!!! The Texans hit the Colts early and often in their last game. The Texans have had some rough patches as of late and the Colts aren’t really impressing me. The Colts have lost Collie and Clark and it seems as though everyone is beat up otherwise. This game is in Indy on Monday night and that’s when magic happens. Going against the grain here. Winner – Texans.



Who you got?!?!?

Where There's Fire, There's More Fire

Add this to the fire that has been Revis vs. Moss for the Jets/Vikings game tonight.  From Tim Kavanagh at ESPN:

New York Jets cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie have talked some smack about Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss leading up to the two teams' matchup on "Monday Night Football." Based on Moss' play in Week 2, one could argue that only one of those two is qualified to issue such commentary; then again, Revis has shut Moss down in prior meetings. Compared to what Cromartie and Revis said, Moss had a more diplomatic answer when asked about the chatter. "Between me and him is a mutual thing," Moss said of Revis to the Vikings Entertainment Network per the New York Post. "It's more of us competing. I think he gets caught up a little bit with how he talks. I've never said anything about him, good or bad. I still give him his respect, but he hasn't given me mine yet. Sooner or later, I'll get it."

I'm betting on Moss to win this battle.  We'll see who wins the war.  Who do you think will come out on top in the game tonight?  Is Moss washed up?  Is Revis, THAT dayum good?  

NFL 2010 Week 3 Wrap Up

Tennessee @ New York Giants – This one just seemed odd.  The Titans were clicking on all cylinders and it was the Giants that seemed to lose their cool and not really want to play football.  Two early picks for Eli Manning hurt the team (one his fault, the other not really), but it was the penalties that doomed the Giants.  You expect a more veteran team like them to not make the mistakes they made.  They pretty much folded the tent and I think they are done.  They really need a leader on that team and Manning isn’t the one.  I wonder if it’s too late to call Antonio Pierce and get him back in the fold.  It’s gotta be worth the shot.  Inquisitive Mind 0 – 1 for the week.  

Pittsburgh @ Tampa Bay – I guess we know which team is for real.  These Steelers are dangerous and that’s without a QB.  I say that without any harsh words for Charlie Batch, because the Steelers win with Batch.  Check the records, when he plays they win.  Mike Wallace has been quiet up until this game, and then he breaks out with a 2 TD performance and 100+ yards (and I sat him for TJ Houshmandzadeh on my fantasy team).  I don’t think many people would expect that the Steelers could go 4-0 or at worst 3-1 and then get Big Ben back.  I hope a lot of you picked them for the Superbowl.  Inquisitive Mind 1 – 1 for the week.  

Cincinnati @ Carolina – Well the Jimmy Clausen era started off about as expected, nothing spectacular.  The surprising part was Carolina’s defense actually held a mistake prone Bengals offense to 20 points.  Word of the wise to Steve Smith, calm down on the rookie, it’s his first start.  Inquisitive Mind 2 – 1 for the week.  

Cleveland @ Baltimore – Peyton Hillis had 144 yards rushing in this game.  That usually spells an ‘L’ for the Ravens, but Joe Flacco and Anquan Boldin put it on their backs to get this win.  The pair hooked up for 3 TD scores and they got 80 yards from Ray Rice to finish this game on top.  The Ravens ‘D’ looked lackadaisical, something that we rarely see, but I imagine that they’ll be ready for next weeks encounter with the Steelers.  Inquisitive Mind 3 – 1 for the week.  

Dallas @ Houston – This was the Cowboys team that many expected to show up all season.  They looked hungry and they came out to play ball.  The Dallas defense held the normally electric Texans offense to a subpar game and the Dallas offense had a great game from (gulp) Roy Williams (say that a few times for it to stick).  The Cowboys needed this win, but this doesn’t address all of their issues.  The Cowboys as a team barely got over 100 yards and I will say this, if they can’t run, they’ll be home during the playoffs.  Inquisitive Mind 4 – 1 for the week.  

San Francisco @ Kansas City – I feel sorry for Mike Singletary.  I thought this was the game to turn it around for the 49ers.  The only thing that got turned was the 49ers and they got turned out!!!  Alex Smith probably is somewhere seeing if he can cash in on his life insurance and I’m sure that Mike Singletary is somewhere about to pop a blood vessel (for real, someone better watch this guy this week).  The Chiefs are for real.  They have won every way that they can so far this season and at 3-0 and another Chargers loss, they look good for the AFC West crown.  Inquisitive Mind – 4 – 2 for the week.  

Detroit @ Minnesota – Thanks for a few mistakes by the Lions.  The Vikings didn’t look great but at least they put some points on the board.  To make things worse for them they lost their starting center and their starting TE (Shiancoe).  It seems like all the bad luck in the world is hitting them right now, but if they can just keep their heads above water (.500 ball) for the next 6 games,…..they just might be in the drivers seat in the NFC when they get healthy.  Note to Childress, when a RB has 28 or more carries a game, the team wins 75% of the time.  Just something I thought I’d drop.  Inquisitive Mind 5 – 2 for the week.  

Buffalo @ New England – Are you kidding me?  The Bills put up 30 points?  Did Jim Kelly walk through that door?  The Patriots better hope their offense doesn’t have an off day or they are toast.  Inquisitive Mind 6 – 2 for the week.  

Atlanta @ New Orleans – The best game of the week!!!  The 49ers can at least revel in the fact that they can up with the blueprint for beating the Saints.  The Falcons followed that blueprint 1) run the ball (202 total yards on the ground) 2) keep the Saints offense on the sidelines (45:50 time of possession) 3) have a little luck (Hartley missing a kick and Payton calling a timeout before the Falcons missed kick).  Good game by the Falcons.  Inquisitive Mind 7 – 2 for the week.  

Washington @ St. Louis – Maybe McNabb needed to throw for 400+ yards.  A very game Rams team showed up and spanked the Redskins.  The Rams lost Stephen Jackson to a groin injury, but his backup Kenneth Darby picked up where he left off.  The Rams had 37 rushing attempts,…somewhere someone in Minnesota should be listening.  Inquisitive Mind 7 – 3 for the week.  

Philadelphia @ Jacksonville – The Mike Vick Experience 2.0.  4 combined TDs.  Throwing out of the pocket to just about everyone.  Scrambling when necessary.  This is the best that Mike Vick has ever played, and yes I’m talking only a two game sample.  If he would have played like this in Atlanta and didn’t have that bad math incident, he’d be the closest thing to a god in Atlanta right now.  Kolb should enjoy this opportunity to watch because it’s going to happen for a while.  The other side of this is that Mike Vick must have had cash registers rolling in his head because he’ll be a free agent at the end of this year.  Somebody’s gonna pay.  Inquisitive Mind 8 – 3 for the week.  

Oakland @ Arizona – Somebody had to win and it should have been the Raiders, but that’s how the ball bounces.  This was an ugly game and it came down to the usually automatic Janikowski.  He missed a 32 yarder to win the game and he also missed two other field goals earlier in the game (41 and 58).  It has to suck for him.  Inquisitive Mind 8 – 4 for the week.  

San Diego @ Seattle – Maybe Pete Carroll should have gone to San Diego?  The Chargers are not in a good place right now.  They are missing Vincent Jackson and it showed on Sunday.  The running game isn’t what it used to be and being a pass first team isn’t going to help you win a lot of games.  Add in Leon Washington’s two kick-off returns for touchdowns (101 yards and 99 yards) and the Chargers are in trouble.  Inquisitive Mind 8 – 5 for the week.  

Indianapolis @ Denver – Kyle Orton was thisclose to throwing for 500 yards.  Let that marinate for a little.  That used to be almost 3 games of output for him.  Too bad this performance came in a loss to the Colts.  Manning threw for 325 yards and neither team could run the ball so we got to see an aerial show.  Austin Collie had a monster game with 171 yards and 2 TDs.  Inquisitive Mind 9 – 5 for the week.  

New York Jets @ Miami – Braylon I’m sorry.  I should have started you and stuck with you like the Jets did, but I was a bum.  Plus I listened to the crew about this game.  I thought it was a toss up, but the fellas (Terrell, Allen, and Daniel) all had me lean towards the Dolphins.  Somebody should find Braylon Edwards and make sure that he doesn’t go and get another drink after this win.  Inquisitive Mind 9 – 6 for the week.  

Green Bay @ Chicago – (Shaking my head in disbelief).  How can a team be 3-0 and not have won a game?  Introducing the Chicago Bears.  The Packers beat themselves last night with the 17 penalties, even though they took it to the Bears the majority of the night.  I’ve said here before that Cutler has those INTs in him and he was lucky that 2 were dropped last night and 2 more were overturned by penalties.  No running game to speak of for both teams, and this is supposed to be the Black and Blue Division?  The guys at Union Station agreed with me so I won’t be walking this week, but I might go over to Soldier Field today and try and get some of that good ‘ole home cooking that the Bears seem to have going over there.  Inquisitive Mind 9 – 7 for the week.  

Another bad week.  I blame the Packers and the Redskins.  But it was also a great week.  I want to thank the folks over at ESPN for inviting me to the ESPN Chalk Talk.  I’m not sure how I made the list, but hopefully I can stay on it.  To Coach Gruden, yesterday at the Chalk Talk I asked you and Jaws (Ron Jaworski, for those that don’t know) why the Bears continue to try Hester?  I would have him as my main returner (both punts and kickoffs) because he helps you win field position each time.  That’s worth at least 3 to 6 points a game.  Coach Gruden’s response was that he wouldn’t kick to Hester and that’s the main reason why he’d be just my returner.  For every great pass that he caught (Dallas last week) there are other bad mishaps or opportunities for him to take big hits as a WR.  You just don't take the Lamborghini grocery shopping each week.  Then last night during the game Jaws referred to our conversation saying that you said you wouldn’t kick the ball to Hester after his punt return for a TD.  Get me some face time on a show guys. 

Record thus far, 19-13 plus this week leaves us at 28-20 for the season.  Not bad, but fighting for first place.        

NFL 2010 Week 2 Wrap Up

This was a good week!!!  The word of the week is turnovers, underlying the fact that unless you’re Baltimore and you have a lot of them, you should lose. 

Pittsburgh @ Tennessee – The Steelers find ways to win.  That defense is playing extremely well even though we don’t know who will start for the Steelers at QB next week, I still think they are ok.  Dennis Dixon hurt his knee which brought in Charlie Batch and the offense couldn’t get going.  After a great Week 1 performance, Vince Young looked terrible (I think the Steelers D had something to do with that) and even he was benched for Kerry Collins.  Sloppy game with lots of turnovers, but the Steelers lasted through it all.  Good hard fought win.  Inquisitive Mind 1 – 0 for the week.  

Miami @ Minnesota – I’ve said that Miami is a team that may not beat you but they won’t beat themselves either.  They are always fundamentally sound and it showed against a listless Vikings team.  AP got his 28 carries (maybe someone in Minny was reading this?), but Favre looked terrible.  He kind of has that snowball effect thing down pat.  Once it went bad, it kept getting worse.  He needs receivers and barring a miraculous healing effort by God, Sidney Rice will be too late.  Vincent Jackson is free and he’s available.  Inquisitive Mind 1 – 1 for the week.  

Arizona @ Atlanta – This is the Falcons team that I was looking for in Week 1.  The Falcons struck early and often and ran up the score on the Cardinals.  Ryan had a low total of passing yards, 225, but had 3 TDs.  Plus when you rush for more than 200 yards as a team, you don’t have to throw far.  Hopefully Michael Turner’s groin injury is as minor as they say.  This team has a chance to do somethings in the NFC this year. Inquisitive Mind 2 – 1 for the week.  

Baltimore @ Cincinnati – For those that follow, I trust in Ray and it hurt me to have to pick against him and the Ravens, but after seeing what I saw yesterday,……you gotta feel that somewhere, the nonsense has to stop.  I tripping penalty on a LB that gets blocked into a QB, a roughing the passer call on a LB when he is tackling a QB before the QB is in his throwing motion?  6 points.  The Ravens shut down the Bengals the entire game.  Flacco had an equally bad game with 4 INTs, and his team still should have won.  Ray will get a fine, but as he said, sometimes you just gotta be honest about things.  Inquisitive Mind 3 – 1 for the week.   
Kansas City @ Cleveland – Another good showing by the defense for the Chiefs and if not for them, this would have been an ‘L’.  Cassel looked terrible as this looked like a game between two bad teams.  Seneca Wallace showed that he’s better than Delhomee as he moved the Browns up and down the field pretty well.  I guess we’ll see him starting next week too.  All you can say is that the Chiefs are 2-0 (E. Wise, I know you’re somewhere smiling today).  Wow!!!  Inquisitive Mind 4 – 1 for the week.  

Chicago @ Dallas – Wow!!  Did these teams switch jerseys before the game?  The Cowboys looked terrible, at home.  I think we can go ahead and quash any of that playing the Superbowl as the home team talk.  Both teams stopped the others ground game which would normally give the edge to the Cowboys, but Jay Cutler played pretty well with a 21 for 29 for 277 yards and 3 TDs.  Jason Witten was knocked out of the game, but looked poised for a return, but it’s probably good the Cowboys erred on the side of caution.  Can the Cowboys cut Roy Williams now?  At least I was right about Dez Bryant showing up.  Inquisitive Mind 4 – 2 for the week.  

Philadelphia @ Detroit – Mike Vick looked good in (21 of 34 for 284 and 2 TDs) and out (7 carries for 37 yards) of the pocket.  I think this one came down to LeSean McMcoy having an equally good game.  McCoy ended the game with 120 yards and 3 TDs on 16 carries.  A Shaun Hill led Lions team didn’t go quietly in the night.  Jahvid Best (17 carries for 78 yards, 2 TDs) and Shaun Hill put up nice numbers and given a stop or two by the defense may have had a chance to win this game.  A lot closer than many thought.  Detroit might be on the way back to being good.  Inquisitive Mind 5 – 2 for the week.  

Buffalo @ Green Bay – No contest, period.  The Packers weren’t able to run the ball as much as I thought, but it really didn’t matter.  Inquisitive Mind 6 – 2 for the week.  

Tampa Bay @ Carolina – The Bucs came out and did work against the Panthers.  They controlled the game and Josh Freeman had a good outing (12 of 24 for 178 yards and 2 TDs).  The Panthers looked terrible and we saw both QBs (Moore and Clausen) look equally bad with the telling sign being John Fox saying that ‘it’s too early to tell who the starter for week 3 will be’.  I know already.  Inquisitive Mind 7 – 2 for the week.  

Seattle @ Denver – I knew I shouldn’t have gone with Pete Carroll on this one.  The Seahawks looked as bad as they looked good in Week 1.  If you didn’t see this game and you wonder how the Broncos won, you just have to look at one person’s stat line, Kyle Orton:  25 of 35 for 307 and 2 TDs.  Inquisitive Mind 7 – 3 for the week.  

St. Louis @ Oakland – Talk about an ugly game.  Bruce Gradkowski replaced Jason Campbell after halftime and the Raiders held on to a win.  Darren McFadden may have finally proven that he can carry the load with an awesome game (30 carries for 145 yards).  Somebody had to win, right?  Inquisitive Mind 8 – 3 for the week. 

Houston @ Washington – This was an amazing win for the Texans.  They were down 17 to the Redskins at home in the 3^rd quarter and many thought this was going to be a Redskins 2-0 start.  Then, boom, boom, boom and the Texans tie the game on a beautiful catch by Andre Johnson.  Matt Schaub ended up throwing for 497 yards (38 of 52) while McNabb threw for 426 yards (28 of 38).  This was gut wrenching for the Redskins, but I might have to say that the Texans are for real this year.  Inquisitive Mind 9 – 3 for the week.  

New England @ New York Jets – This game didn’t necessarily live up to the hype, but the Jets found a way to throw the ball downfield and I think, actually surprised the Pats.  Mark Sanchez looked like the better QB and there was a LT sighting (11 carries for 76 yards) for the Jets.  Moss got a touchdown reception, but other than that he had 2 catches for 38 yards.  Revis did end up leaving the game in the 2^nd quarter as his hammy tightened up on him.  This was a completely different Jets team from Week 1.  Good win, or it could have been trouble for the Jets.  Inquisitive Mind 9 – 4 for the week.  

Jacksonville @ San Diego – We had a Luke McCown sighting.  If you’re a Jaguars fan, that’s terrible news.  Phillip Rivers was efficient as ever with his 22 for 29 for 334 yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs (so he was really 24 of 29).  McCown replaced Garrard in the 4^th but got shaken up himself.  Garrad ended the game 15 of 23 for 173 yards, 1 TD, and 4 INTs.  Looks like the same ole Jaguars team that stunk last year.  Inquisitive Mind 10 – 4 for the week.  

New York Giants @ Indianapolis – This turned out to be a laugher.  I still have no idea why people continue to put Eli Manning in the discussion as a good QB?  The only thing that he and Peyton share is blood.  Peyton proved, yet again, that he is the best Manning around with a 20 of 26 for 255 yards and 3 TDs performance.  He controlled the game and the Colts defense continued to acquaint themselves with Eli.  The funniest part of this game was Brandon Jacobs throwing his helmet into the stands and pleading that ensued to get the helmet back.  How do you throw your helmet into the stands?  Inquisitive Mind 11 – 4 for the week.  


New Orleans @ San Francisco – This was a great game.  The 49ers had the game plan and pretty much executed that game plan, minus the 4 turnovers, and they almost pulled it off.  They were 3 inches from a win and that has to hurt.  So now we know how to beat the Saints:  1) Wind 2) Great mix of run and pass to keep Brees on the sideline 3) Some luck.  How many people will talk about the Heisman curse with Reggie Bush breaking his leg?  Inquisitive Mind 12 – 4 for the week. 

After that terrible last week, a 12-4 record really helps you bounce back.  So for the year we are at 19-13 and not in bad shape with the professionals.  WHO DAT?!?!?!?

NFL AFC Championship Game

Yeah, I know it's been a while, but let's get back into the swing of things with the NFL before it disappears. The AFC Championship game is set to go with the Indianapolis Colts hosting the New York Jets. I doubt many people had the Jets getting this far, but with their beat down (physically) of the Chargers, you really can't say much. The Colts got here by beating a one show pony Baltimore Ravens team. The Ravens probably could have won this game had it not been for the penalties and the turnovers. Let's see how this AFC Championship game will turn out.


Offense:


NYJ - The Jets are limited from a passing standpoint with rookie senior Matt Sanchez at the helm, but he has shown flashes. The Jets will continue to run the ball with both Thomas Jones and Shonn Green and minimize the rookie's opportunity to make mistakes (think Ravens 2000-2001).


Colts - Manning. That's pretty much all you have to say. He may go down as the best ever and he shows that by continuing to play football. He lost his favorite target in Marvin Harrison this year but hasn't missed a beat with Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. The more surprising piece is that he's done it with Garcon, Collie, and other guys off the street. Eli Manning had no such luck. I expect Manning to run a lot of hurry up sets to give the Jets defense fits. Amazingly, look for Addai or Brown to get between 20 carries combined.


Defense:


NYJ - The Jets were one of the top defenses at the beginning of the year and then fell off. Well, now they are back. I will say this, Ryan can scheme against any QB and I'd bet on his team's success most of the time. They will try and confuse Manning and hide their blitzes. The Jets are going to start blitzing Manning sometime today. Look for the match up of Revis on Wayne to help determine this game.


Colts - Bend but don't break, that's the Colts' defense motto. Well, they are going to have to stop the run primarily. Robert Mathis and Gay Brackett are going to need to have big games. I'm not so concerned with the Jets passing the ball because they should be able to get pressure on Sanchez.


Coaching:


NYJ - I will be 'surprised' if we lose to the Colts. Well, you can say what you want, but Ryan is deflecting all of the attention to him and not his team. That's something a good coach can do. Will it work? Not so sure, because his team has to go out and back up the bravado. I like Ryan from an X's and O's in a one game playoff, but can he scheme his team to the Super Bowl?

Colts - Jim Caldwell has pretty much picked up were Tony Dungy left off. Steady wins the race. Caldwell seems to have made great decisions for his team to keep them healthy and ready for a Super Bowl berth. Many thought that the perfect season was more important than winning it all, but the Colts are now in a position to make people forget about a perfect season if they can get a ring.

And the winner will be:

Colts. Yes this should be a close game with the defenses setting the tone, but I only bet against the other (Eli) Manning. I think in the end that Colts offense will out play that Jets defense and advance to the Super Bowl. Final score, Colts 24 - Jets 13.


That's my pick, what's your take? Do you think the Jets pull the win out? Maybe they are able to surprise yet again? Can the rookie, Mark Sanchez lead his team to the Super Bowl?