Can Schaub and the Texans continue their winning ways?

Well, I improved to 9-7 last week (17-15 overall on the season.) That’s just considering win/loss. Didn’t do that great considering the lines. Pittsburgh surprised me with their win over the Titans, who were disappointing for a team I picked for the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Jets held true to my upset pick, beating the Patriots.

The big storyline this week has been the Cowboys and the Vikings. Both now 0-2, the question is which team will self implode first? I think it’s going to be the Cowboys. There is a lot of pressure in that division to win, and it isn’t easy. That’s not saying the NFC North is easy for the Vikings, but at least this week they have the Lions, who could very well surprise them. Even though they’ve got a defense that would easily give up 300 yards rushing to John Goodman after a sausage & meatball bender, their offense is getting better.

So without further yapping, here are this weeks picks, for your reading enjoyment I have removed any semblance of accuracy. Remember, statistics show if you always bet on the home team, you’ll have about a 70% chance of being 100% right. Or something like that.

Featured Game:

Cowboys at Texans Line: -3.0
The Texans upset the Colts. Then they upset the Redskins in a thrilling overtime victory that easily could have gone the other way. It came to icing the kicker. Really? The Texans are winning, and are looking to open up 3-0 against the struggling Dallas Cowboys. If any team is going to self destruct, it’s going to be the Cowboys. Whitten looked shaken up and went out of the game early, so Romo was lost when looking towards the middle of the field against the Bears. It was a close game, and Dallas blew a chance for a lead when the kicker missed a 44 yard field goal. If Dallas hopes to put anything through the uprights, I think it’s time for a new kicker. I’m taking the Texans to beat the Cowboys under the giant HD TV screens, and get this – the Texans are favored.

Tailgate City (the Rest):

49′ers at Chiefs Line: +3.0
The Niners looked strong against the Saints on Monday night, almost serving the Superbowl champs with an upset. Too bad they put the ball on the ground no less than 4 times, losing 2. You just can’t do that if you want to win games. So was the last second field goal by the Saints to win it good play by the Niners to push it that close, or bad play by the Saints? I’m going bad play by the Saints. The Chiefs have played the Chargers and Browns, beat both, and opened up 2-0 for the first time since 2005. Can they keep it going with another win? I think so. Taking the Chiefs to upset.

Lions at Vikings Line: -10.5
The Lions were down 18 with 6:17 left in the game against the Eagles then came back to within 3, even recovering an onside kick. Was this against a complacent Eagles defense or do the Lions actually have that spark in them? Best ran for 78 yards on 17 carries with 2 TD’s, while backup starter Shaun Hill tossed two TD’s and 335 yards. Not too bad against the generally tight Eagles secondary. The Vikings lost to the Dolphins. Not by much, 14-10, but they lost. And they didn’t look good doing it. Harvin was injured, Favre was tossed to the ground like hamburger. I’m really surprised the 0-2 Vikings are favored in this match-up by 10.5 points. I’m taking the Vikes to win, but the Lions to keep it close. Hell, maybe they’ll upset.

Bills at Patriots Line: -14.5 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
The Patriots lost by 2 touchdowns against the Jets, so what happened? Well, the Jets defense swallowed up the running game and kept Randy Moss under control. They won’t have that problem with the crappy defense of the Buffalo Bills. However, that .5 on the line is tempting. Patriots to win, but Bills to cover.

Falcons at Saints Line: -4.0
The Saints needed a late field goal to bounce the Niners and allowed Frank Gore to push their D-line back for 112 yards and a score. They also lost Reggie Bush, who probably won’t be back for 4-6 weeks. So can their D-line hold back the rushing attack of the Falcons? Even with Norwood and Turner out, Snelling is a very capable back and rolled the Cardinals last week. The Saints are going to have to be careful against the Falcons and even though they are favored, can’t get complacent with their division rivals. However, I’m taking the Saints at home with the points.

Titans at Giants Line: -3.0
Seriously, at the beginning of the season I had the Titans in my head as a Superbowl contender. Now, after opening 1-1 I’m not so sure. Last week, against the Steelers, the Titans offensive line was dominated by the Steelers front. The Giants have a tough front line too, that will be chasing either Young or Collins, it really doesn’t matter. The big question will be, can Chris Johnson run against the Giants? After netting just 34 yards against the Steelers, that’s what he’ll be looking to do. The Giant may have lost to the Colts, but they at least didn’t sustain any injuries. However, Eli was rushed, pressured and lost two fumbles. Not good for fantasy owners. I’m taking the Titans to surprise the Giants on the road, one of the few road wins I’m picking this week.

Steelers at Buccaneers Line: +3.0
I’m still not picking the Bucs. Even at 2-0, forget it. They beat the Browns, which should only count as half a win and they beat the Panthers by a close margin. They aren’t dominating, they are just getting lucky. I’m surrounded by Bucs fans who think otherwise, but they blinded by the billboards. The Steelers are too good of a defensive team to allow newcomer Freeman to surprise them at all. I’m taking the Steelers to win, with the points.

Bengals at Panthers Line: +3.5
What is up with the Panthers? Matt Moore is already sitting with Jimmy Clausen already coming in to replace him. It’s not known if this change is going to stick, or what it means for the team but the Panthers are sitting on a 0-2 start in a very tough division. The Panthers couldn’t move the ball against the Bucs last week, so what chance do they have against a surprisingly tough Bengals defense that managed to handle the Ravens. Though the Ravens offense isn’t that threatening. Plus, do the Panthers secondary have what it takes to keep Ocho and T.O. in check and not give up the long ball? This game could go either way, but I’m sticking with the former Bungles to get the job done with the points.

Browns at Ravens Line: -10.5
The Browns suck. Ravens win. Next.

Redskins at Rams Line: +4.0
The Rams looked… like the Rams against the Raiders last week. There was nothing spectacular about their loss to a crappy Raiders team. There is still nothing to talk about when it comes to the Rams. They haven’t shown anything that would suggest they are a playoff caliber team. No wonder Los Angeles doesn’t want them back. The Redskins, with the addition of McNabb aren’t doing so bad. Their loss to the Texans in overtime was a fluke if you really look at the tape. The kicker actually got iced. That’s on them. At 1-1 they shouldn’t be ruled out as a serious contender in the NFC East. I’m taking the Redskins to win, with the points.

Eagles at Jaguars Line: +3.0
Kolb is out. Vick is in. Named the starter for the first time in 4 years, Michael Vick will need his legs against the pocket creeping Jaguars. While the 1-1 Jaguars might have a bit of a defensive edge, their offense stinks. Garrard threw 4 interceptions against the Chargers, and the Jags turned over the ball a total of six times. Again, if you don’t win the turnover portion of the game, you aren’t going to win the game. The Eagles receivers are looking hot, and Vick took some time to learn how to pass the ball as well as scramble with it. I’d like to take the Jags at home, but I just don’t think they can do it against a revitalized Eagles team that is clearly over Donovan.

Colts at Broncos Line: +6.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
Last week I erred in taking the Seahawks to beat the Broncos. That was a mistake as the Broncos trounced the Hawks 31-14, with Orton going 300+ yards and a TD. Plus, the Broncos just had a death in the family, as WR McKinley apparently killed himself. As we know in the NFL, teams always play better after a death, because they are dedicating the game to the recently departed. It would suck if they honor his memory with a loss. Too bad they have the Colts though, which could be a hard team to beat – with Peyton and all. However, the advantage for the Colts over the Giants last week was rushing and shoving Eli around. This week, they won’t have that advantage as Orton has better protection. I’m taking the Broncos to upset the Colts in my upset special of the week.

Raiders at Cardinals Line: -4.0
The Raiders beat the Rams. I know, they are sure pumped up about that, but it was the Rams. Nothing special there. They probably would have gotten more resistance from a Pop Warner team. Of course, a Pop Warner team might have beat them. Even against the Rams, Williams was ineffective, making way for perennial backup Gradowski. However, it was Darren McFadden running for 145 yards and three Janikowski field goals that turned the game. The Cardinals meanwhile took a drubbing at the hands of the Falcons. The only bright spot was Tim Hightower’s 80-yard touchdown run. The Cards will bounce back this week, and beat the Raiders with the points.

Chargers at Seahawks Line: +5.5
The Chargers defense came strong against the Jags last week, forcing six turnovers. That’s crazy, and that kind of stat wins games. If they can do it again against the Hawks, then they’ll win this game as well. Considering that the Hawks secondary got smoked by the Broncos, the Chargers might not need any defense. I’m giving this one to the favored Chargers, though I think somehow the Seahawks will keep it close.

Jets at Dolphins Line: -1.5
The Jets beat the Patriots last week with strong defense. The loss of Revis didn’t seem to affect the Jets any, as Cromartie stepped up to make Randy Moss his bitch. I think Randy didn’t know how to play with a defender that is just as tall as him. Braylon Edwards went out and got a DUI in celebration, which means he’ll probably be facing a suspension. The Jets travel to Miami to face a pumped up Dolphin team that just upset the Vikings. The Jets defense will be too strong for the Dolphins, who did manage to put the ball on the ground a couple times against a so-so Vikings run defense. Jets to win.

Packers at Bears Line: +3.0
The Bears. No, DA BEARS beat down the Cowboys in royal fashion. Cutler was all over the Cowboys with 277 yards and 3 TD’s. Of course, this was after getting crushed a few times before his offensive line tightened up a bit. The Packers come into Chicago after a breezy win over the Bills, who are just sad to watch. Rodgers, who isn’t the most mobile QB, actually ran one in. The Bears defense is not that forgiving and this is going to be a violent and awesome football game. Perfect for Monday night, I don’t care who wins but I’m taking the Bears at home.

That’s it. Hopefully I’m looking at a better week than 9-7 by taking more home teams. Sorry about the lack of analysis on the Browns/Ravens game. I’m a Browns fan and just can’t find it in my heart to even look at the box score from the last game, or even talk about them in more than that one sentence. If you are a Ravens fan, then you understand. Because at one time, you may have been a Browns fan. Stay tuned next week for week 4, predictably, and feel free to leave disparaging comments.