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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: Week 9

Thursday, November 1st, 2012

At this point in the season I usually reveal my season percentage. Sadly, I haven’t been keeping real good track of my week to week record. I guess I could go back and add it all up, but I really don’t feel like doing that. You are welcome to do so though, last week I was 9-5 so you can tack that on to the previous weeks. If it helps, when I’m wrong – I’m royally wrong.

Well, the Cardinals did not upset the Niners last week, which means I didn’t get to look like a genius. In fact, Alex Smith looked like a playoff QB as he picked apart the Cardinals. Manning got a lot of praise as well as he picked apart the Saints secondary, and Tom Brady, well, he had the Rams in London. That game was pretty much a given for the Patriots. Then there was my boys, the Browns. The Browns beat the listless Chargers 7-6. Note the Browns tend to win or lose by single digits. They sink other teams right on down to their level. That’s why they are hard to pick. Wheedon isn’t looking half bad though.

I’ll tell you who is looking bad, Cam Newton. Last year he was on fire. His rookie year. People didn’t know what to expect. This year, his bag of tricks is all used up and he’s still making rookie mistakes, which are unforgivable at this point. He needs to buck up and start making better decisions. Speaking about better decisions, Vick didn’t turn over the ball at all this week and still managed to lose the game, even mentioning after the game that Reid might replace him at QB. Though the real loser was the Philly defense, who were working under a new coordinator. How’d that work out for you Reid? The Philly faithful are calling for his firing. I think it’s time.

In other news, those of you on the East Coast reading this, well, I hope you are reading this and not without power or stranded somewhere surrounded by shitty water. The rest of you can donate to Red Cross if you want to help. Don’t send food or clothes, just cash. In other, other news, it appears as if all games will be played this weekend, haven’t heard otherwise. So munch down on your kids Halloween candy and get ready for Week 9 picks!

Kansas City at San Diego -9.0
I don’t think there is a team worse than the Chiefs right now. The Chiefs are not playing inspired football. Quinn didn’t help, as went down with a head injury. Cassel made Carson Palmer look like John Elway. What a contrast. Meanwhile the Chargers are probably the most lethargic team in the league with that kind of offensive talent. What is going on there? I think they win this week, but hell, they aren’t going to catch the Broncos.

Denver at Cincinnati +3.5
Speaking about the Broncos, they looked great on Monday night as Manning systematically dismantled the New Orleans secondary. I don’t think he was pressured all night. If you don’t pressure Manning, he’ll kill you. I think the Bengals bring a shit ton of pressure on Manning and make this an exciting and close game, but I’m taking the Broncos. You’ll notice a lot of road teams are favored this week as well, but you have to be careful as statistics favor the home team.

Baltimore at Cleveland +3.5
Statistics in this match-up don’t favor the home team sadly. The Browns can never seem to beat the ex-Browns, at home or away. So is this the week? Should I put “upset special” up there? As much as I want the Browns to win, even with a depleted defense the Ravens are still offensively better than the Browns defense. However, I expect this to be another sickeningly slow, mistake prone close game. Ravens by a nose.

Arizona at Green Bay -11.0
After the Cardinals beat the Giants earlier in the season, and the Packers were losing I might have said that this could be a major upset. Since then, the Packers are back to dominating form and the Cardinals are pretty shitty. Skelton doesn’t have that star power, know what I mean? Packers are down a couple of receivers, but it doesn’t matter. Pack to win.

Chicago at Tennessee +3.5
The Bears had a tough game last week against the Panthers, and frankly, I was a bit surprised. They travel to visit the Titans, who blew it in overtime against the Colts. The Titans defense is terrible, I think losing Finnegan has hurt the secondary. Either way, the Cutler to Marshall connection can’t be beat right now, and Forte is earning his money, unlike Johnson, who will get stuffed by the Bears run defense. Bears to win.

Miami at Indianapolis +2.5
Well, a bit of Luck and the Colts are looking like they could challenge the Texans for the division. Maybe. Probably not. No fucking way. A late win against the Titans does not a division winner make, though Luck is showing great poise in the late stages of the game. Last week I said the Dolphins are playing with passion, and their whipping of the Jets proved that. With Tannehill questionable, and Moore bruised up, I still think the Dolphins win this game, just on defense alone.

Carolina at Washington -3.5
The Panthers are terrible right now. They showed some spark against the Bears, but that’s all it was. It wasn’t electricity. The Redskins have a little bit of that, but I still wonder if RG3 has that lasting power. He makes good, non rookie decisions, but still tends to run a bit too much. This should be interesting, with two running QB’s, but I’m taking the home team.

Detroit at Jacksonville +4.0
I immediately regretted picking the Seahawks to win last week, knowing that the Lions would pull of another last second win. Stafford is getting better at that. The Madden curse is strong for Calvin Johnson, now limping a bit after last week. He’s been a ghost this season, struggling with the double team and getting open. But just throw him the ball! However, this has opened up other lanes for Stafford. Adding Mike Thomas (in a trade with the Jags) this week will give Stafford even more options. Detroit wins this game, cause the Jags really do suck.

Buffalo at Houston -11.0
The Bills are a constant disappointment of bad play calling and timid defense. The Texans are going to kill them. The Bills need to be cleaned out from top to bottom. This organization has been sitting in the corner wearing the dunce cap for far too long. Texans to destroy them.

Tampa Bay at Oakland -0.0 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
The 3-4 Bucs meet the 3-4 Raiders in a re-match of what I call “The Gruden Bowl.” Good thing he’s not calling this shit bag of a game. The Bucs are hot one minute, not the next. This week they were hot against the Vikings on the road, the receivers standing up and making Freeman look real good. The Raiders looked good (by comparison) against the Chiefs, but still turned over the ball too much. That’s the key here, turnovers, and the Bucs get ‘em. Bucs to win on the road.

Minnesota at Seattle -5.0
Tough call here. Can I call a friend? Actual stat from NFL.com: “Christian Ponder has never played a game in the Pacific Time Zone in either college or the NFL.” This stat was tweeted by @scotthanson at the exact moment I was writing this paragraph. No bullshit. So what does that stat mean? It means he’s due. Maybe. The Hawks are playing tough, and Pete Carroll has shown he’s not afraid to take risks. It wasn’t enough against the Lions last week, but I think that Russel Wilson is better than Ponder, as far as poise and decision making. This game could be tough, they both play in loud stadiums, but this is a loud outdoor stadium. I’m taking the Hawks at home.

Pittsburgh at NY Giants -3.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
This is one of my favorite match-ups of the year. These two teams are tough on defense and unforgiving. The Steelers have a running game problem, but their back-up Dwyer ran strong last week, and like Bradshaw can hit holes hard and low. That sounded dirty. The key is going to be the Steelers defensive secondary. Can they stop Manning and his receivers? Probably not, but the Giants will have trouble with Big Ben as he thrives under pressure where Eli doesn’t. Pressure Eli, win the game. Also, get turnovers. I’m taking the Steelers to upset.

Dallas at Atlanta -4.0 GAME OF THE WEEK!!
Game of the week for two reasons. The first being that the Falcons are currently 7-0 and could go 8-0, the second being that the Cowboys are going to get exposed. Sure, they came back against the Giants last week, but six fucking turnovers by the Cowboys, four by Romo, should have led to an ass whupping, yet the Boys hung in there. Why? Cause the Giants let them. They toyed with them, gave Eli the ball and won the game. The Cowboys can’t do that. Matt Ryan can. Atlanta wins this game, because the Cowboys will not have fixed their turnover or Romo problem.

Philadelphia at New Orleans -3.0
Hey, how about that – Vick had no turnovers last week and still played like shit. The whole team did. The defense was terrible. Good thing they fired their coordinator. The Saints have no direction with no coach. Someone needs to step up and be a leader. Home in the dome, the Eagles in town and threatening any hope of a winning season, it’s now or never Saints. Do it. Saints to win.

Bye week at N.Y. Jets
Consistently proving they have no idea what they are doing. The NY Jets.

Bye week at St. Louis
For once, giving up is an option in the NFC West.

Bye week at San Francisco
Watch out Niners, the Hawks are looking tough.

Bye week at New England
Tom Brady has majestic hair.

Tags: Cowboys, Giants, Jets, nfl, Picks, predicitions, redcross, Romo, sandy, Steelers, Tom Brady, week 9
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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game 2012: Week 3

Thursday, September 20th, 2012

From 9-7 week one to 7-9 week two, you can only assume that this week I’ll go 5-11. Not sure where I went wrong, I picked the Carolina upset, but put too much faith in the Bears and the RedSkins. Not to mention the Cowboys losing and the Broncos losing in spectacular fashion. Pretty sure that this tear of bad allergies I’ve been on lately has clouded my vision when it comes to picking these games. I don’t think in my decade of doing this I’ve ever started out this bad. That makes me 50% on the season so far and that sucks major sack.

Speaking about sacks, the Bills grew a pair and slaughtered the Chiefs in Buffalo. Then Vick won again, this time against the Ravens. I’m telling you, this guy is a fraud and he will be outed as a fraud soon enough. It’s tough to say week two who the winners and losers are really going to be. We have some surprising 2-0 teams and some really surprising 0-2 teams. Then we have standout rookie QB’s and mostly non-standout rookie QB’s. There isn’t a split there. Then we have the Patriots, who I predicted to go 16-0. Then we have the Browns, who are 0-2, but scrappy as hell still. Then we have… nevermind, it’s a mess.

So while DigitalDads glorious leader CC Chapman is off in Spain speaking at some conference about something related to something or other, the rest of us schulbs get to stay here and not eat cool food. But, we get to watch football. So take that CC! Either way, the picks are in, my mind is set (not really) and here comes week three, starting with another Thursday night game. Damn deadlines. Last weeks column was a lengthy 2500 words, I’ll be keeping that count lower going forward. At least, I hope. Seems like I’m losing you all after the open. On with the picks!

New York at Carolina +2.5 UPSET SPECIAL!!
How close the Giants were to going 0-2, but Eli is a professional and took control late in the game once again to beat the Bucs. This week, Bradshaw is sidelined which means the running game might struggle a little bit. Carolina surprised the Saints last week, and looked good doing it. They did it on the ground, which goes against defensive gameplans when playing against Cam Newton. That is, he didn’t run everything. I’m taking the Panthers to upset.

St. Louis at Chicago -7.0
Last week I underestimated the Rams and over estimated the Bears. The Rams won on a late field goal miss by the Redskins, but were with them the whole game. I wouldn’t say Bradford looked sharp for once, cause he didn’t, but the defense looked a whole hell of a lot better. Cutler is already under fire from Bears fans and talking heads, for what? Losing against Green Bay? Give me a break. Bears are solid. Bears to win at home.

Buffalo at Cleveland +3.0 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
Pretty much every Browns game will be the crapfest of the week. This team is plucky, but they aren’t going to get the wins by staying in the game. If anything, the thing that has kept them in the game has been opposition defense. The Bills defense isn’t as great as beating the Chiefs would make them seem. That was all Bills offense. This after a week in which Fitzy threw like 100 interceptions. Expect him to throw more against Cleveland. This game could go either way, and even though I predicted the Browns to go 1-15, I’m taking them to win this week.

Tampa Bay at Dallas -9.0
That line is really deceiving. The Bucs defense is strong and made Eli Manning look like a rookie last week. Meanwhile, the Cowboys took a drubbing at the hands of the Seahawks. I didn’t see many highlights from this game on the Cowboys side. I expect the Bucs to stay in the game, maybe get damn close to winning it, but I’m taking the Cowboys to bounce back this week with a home win.

Detroit at Tennessee +4.0
So far this season Calvin Johnson isn’t really living up being my first round pick in many fantasy leagues. Instead, the Lions are relying on the ground game of Smith and a lot of tight end involvement. Ok, I can dig on that. The Titans are hurting, taking another beating this past week. Locker is back in the game, but he’s not any good yet. Of course that offensive line isn’t helping much. Detroit should send the Titans to 0-3.

Jacksonville at Indianapolis -3.5
Another beating last week were the Jags at the hands of the Texans. They just couldn’t stop the run to save their lives. While the Colts don’t have the strongest running game, their defense is starting to mesh a little bit and they held Peterson to 60 yards last week. Luck is syncing with his receivers and I’m telling you, this team is going to surprise you. Colts to win.

NY Jets at Miami +3.0
Yet another ass whipping last week, but the Dolphins were on the winning side of it. Who knew? Reggie Bush rushed for 172 yards in one fucking game! If you thought he was done, he ain’t. Bush faces a stingy run defense, but a secondary that gives up a lot of yards. Tannehill is going to have to come out of his rookie shell a bit if he hopes to beat the Jets. Sanchez isn’t the best QB, but he can find the holes in a crappy secondary just as good as any other QB. Jets to win.

San Francisco at Minnesota +6.0
This is pretty easy to pick. The Vikings aren’t that good at all. Ponder is going to find himself backing up Tannehill next year if he doesn’t get it going with his receivers. The defense is terrible, the offensive line is shaky… the Niners are going to tear them a new one. Niners to win.

Kansas City at New Orleans -9.5
The Saints are the best 0-2 team. I hate writing that. That’s so cliche. What a flaming pile of turd. Sadly, they are. The Chiefs by no account should be able to handle the Saints, and the Saints were bested by better teams, I think. Anyway, the Chiefs are having trouble getting any offense going this season and the Saints really, really need a win. Saints at home.

Cincinnati at Washington -2.0
Oh man, the Redskins were so close to starting off the season 2-0, but a late missed field goal kept them from the win. Other than that, this is the best this team has looked in years. They finally have a franchise QB and while he doesn’t quite have the receiver core he’s going to need for the future, RGIII is looking good. The Bengals almost lost to the Browns, so, Redskins to win.

Philadelphia at Arizona +5.5
Ugh. I dislike both these teams. Vick is a piece of shit and has gotten lucky the past two weeks to go 2-0. Both times, he should have lost. The Cardinals surprised everyone last week with their pretty clean win against the Patriots. It wasn’t a blowout, they nearly lost save for the Patriots taking too many late penalties. The Cardinals aren’t ready for the basement in the NFC West this year. Cards to win at home and surprise the Eagles.

Atlanta at San Diego -3.0
Does Philip Rivers have a new favorite tight end? Dante Rosario with two touchdowns last week, Antonio Gates with zero. How many of you have Rosario on your fantasy team? So many teams are running dual TE sets right now, it’s hard to pick just one and stick with him. I suggest going with the match-ups and picking one up off waivers. Basically, whomever is playing the Browns. I’d pick the Chargers any other day, but the Falcons defense made Manning look like a chump last week. They are playing great across the middle of the field, where Rivers likes to throw. I’m taking the Falcons to win. Not just cause I have Ryan, Falcons D & Tony Gonzalez on my fantasy team.

Houston at Denver +1.0
As much as I want to pick Denver to win this game, as much as I want to see Peyton do well in Denver, the Texans have one of the best past rushes and the best running games in the league. Foster is going to shred the Denver defense, who then will be shredded in the air. The only hope for Denver is that Peyton gets his communication with the offensive line straightened out because they were a mess last week. He’s bringing years of chicken calling at the line to a line that isn’t used to it. Houston to win on the road.

Pittsburgh at Oakland +3.0
Carson Palmer threw for nearly 400 yards against the Dolphins, yet still looked like shit. There was no running game, and that was against a mediocre defense. How do you think they are going to do against a good rush defense in the Steelers? Not so well. Eventually the Steelers have to play the Ravens twice, but not this week. Steelers to win on the road.

New England at Baltimore -3.0 GAME OF THE WEEK!!
I was screaming at the television as Flacco, with nearly two minutes left in the game against the Eagles, kept flinging the ball to short yardage or outlet receivers, or going for it deep, rather than just get it to Rice. Rice was tearing up the Eagles all game, they couldn’t handle him. He didn’t touch the ball but once on an outlet pass in that final possession. So the Eagles won and the Ravens looked like tools. Same thing for New England, they had a final chance to drive for a field goal and win it, but penalties and Brady flinging the ball around like a wild man kept them from it. It made no sense. Seemed like panic coaching. Both coming off a loss, this game is a replay of the AFC Championship last year, in which the Ravens should have won. So I’m picking them to win this week instead. I know, I predicted the Pats to go 16-0, obviously that’s not going to happen.

Green Bay at Seattle +6.0
Wow. All I have to say is wow about the Seahawks. I mean, who saw that coming? The whole team came together and Russell Wilson looked damn good for a rookie QB. He was making smart decisions and picking apart that Cowboys secondary for first downs. But it was the veteran Lynch that really put the Cowboys away. Green Bay though is coming off a week and a half rest, a re-energized defense. They still don’t have much of a running game, but they are the stronger team. I’m sticking with the Packers on this one.

Tags: nfl, Packers, Patriots, Picks, Ravens, Tom Brady, week 3
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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 3

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Can Fitz lead the Bills past the Patriots?

Bam. Last week I went a smooth 14-2, my only misses being the losses by the Ravens and the Niners. This would have been a huge win, but then I realized that a bunch of people in the office pick ‘em pool went 14-2 and they were just guessing. Dammit. Either way, that brings me to 22-10 on the season, so at least I’m well over 50%. I need another huge week to get to that 68% goal and stay there for the rest of the season. Experts, suck it. Week three bitches!

Featured Game

New England at Buffalo Line: +9.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
At the beginning of the season, before the Bills were 2-0, I said that the Patriots might lose one or two games this year, and one of them is going to come at the hands of the Bills. Well, here we are in week 3 and the Patriots are meeting a hot 2-0 Bills team in Buffalo. If this game were in Foxboro, I’d pick the Pats, no doubt. However, it’s not. The Patriots simply own the Bills over the last couple years, but this year the Bills seem a bit – better. But their two wins did come against the Raiders and the falling Chiefs, so how good are the Bills really? The Patriots have a good defense, but their secondary is suspect. Tom Brady is on pace for like 2 billion yards (thanks to bad secondary play of the Dolphins.) Can Fitzpatrick take advantage of a shoddy secondary to push ahead of the Patriots? Can the Patriots pressure Fitz so he makes mistakes? Because he hasn’t made many thus far. These question and more will be answered on Sunday! (Sunday Sunday Sunday.) Anyway, I’m taking the Bills to upset. That’s what my gut says.

Tailgate City (The Rest)

San Francisco at Cincinnati Line: -1.0
The Niners certainly found a way to lose last week. Bad coaching and clock management sent them into overtime only to lose. Had they taken the defensive penalty and the first down – rather than the field goal, the Cowboys wouldn’t have had enough time to catch up. Instead, they are now 1-1. Weak. The Niners are a better team than how they were coached last week, so hopefully that shows when they roll into Cincinnati, also 1-1 after losing at Denver. The Bungles are establishing a nice running game, and Dalton is no slouch at this point. Really, the two QB’s (Dalton and Smith) are pretty evenly matched. I’d say this game will come down to special teams play, of which the Bungles are severely lacking. The Niners to win on the road and Ginn to run at least one return back for a TD.

Miami at Cleveland Line: -2.5
Hey, the Browns are favored! Two weeks in a row. Picking them last week against the Colts was easy, picking them this week against the terrible Dolphins is even easier. The Dolphins have so many holes in their offensive attack, I don’t know where to start. Is it with their complete lack of a rushing attack or even proper blocking? Is it with Henne and his inability to pick up defensive changes and blitzes? Whatever Ricky Williams was giving those guys in-between games is gone, and they are just flat sucking. After losing to the Bungles, the Browns quickly rebounded though and McCoy is finding some sweet brown rhythm with his receivers. I’d look for Hillis to have a huge day running against the Dolphins this weekend. Browns to win.

Denver at Tennessee Line: -4.5
What’s up with the Titans? One week they get beat by hapless Jacksonville, the next week they upset the Ravens? Did you see that one coming? Hasslebeck found a definite groove with Kenny Britt down the sidelines, that’s for sure. So now they welcome Denver to town, who finally allowed Tim Tebow to come into the game – at slot receiver. Really, it’s almost time for him to come in at QB. But it’s going to take a couple more losses for the TEBOW TEBOW TEBOW chants to hold any weight with the coaching staff. This week though, should add to that loss column as the Titans may just be better than we thought in week one. Titans to win at home.

Detroit at Minnesota Line: +4.0
Of one prediction I am glad is coming true, it’s the Lions. They are just killing it. They really haven’t had a solid challenge though, with only the Bucs and Chiefs in their rear view. I’m waiting for when they play Green Bay – in Green Bay. Then we’ll see if they are for real. For now, they’ll have to settle for the Vikings. I’m surprised they are only four point favorites, because their offense has been outstanding lately. Stafford is showing great poise and leadership, and it helps that the defense is doing their part as well. Honestly, this is a playoff team right now. Keep it up Detroit. My fantasy team is stacked with Detroit players. Detroit to win. With the points.

Houston at New Orleans Line: -5.5
The Texans are killing it right now and with the Colts out of the way already, there is no reason they shouldn’t take the division. Unless they find a way to lose the big games – and this is one of those big games. Arian Foster being out hasn’t affected the Texans offense too much, besides slowed down the run game, but when you have receivers like Andre Johnson, who needs a run game? Flat out, the Texans have to be 100% on defense in order to beat the Saints. Give one inch to the downhill running of Sproles or the play calling of Sean Peyton and they may as well give up the game. I’m taking the Saints to win this game at home though, as much as I want to give it to the Texans, the Saints offense is going to be a bit too much for the Texans secondary.

New York at Philadelphia Line: -0.0
Both NFC East games have zero lines. That’s how close, and how crappy this division is. Everyone else might say it’s cause this division is that good, and there will be one playoff team to come out of it, but they won’t make it past the first round. The Giants, after getting lucky on Monday night against the Rams, Eli really played like crap, visit Philly to take on Vick. You already know what I think of Vick. I think he’s a fraud. Mistakes will cost him against the Giants defense, who have proven that they are a heads-up defense. Pressuring Vick won’t be enough, they have to force turnovers in the secondary. That is, if Vick even plays after suffering a concussion. That being said, I’m taking the Giants in this game because, well, I don’t know. Just am. Deal.

Jacksonville at Carolina Line: -3.5
Cam Newton is on pace for like 6,000 yards this season, Brady on pace for about 7,000. So how is it that Newton has passed for over 400 yards in both games this season, yet is 0-2? How is it that he’s passed for that many yards? Here’s why all QB’s are finding their receivers wide open more often – there was no offseason. A lot of teams have new players in DB and Safety positions and there was no offseason for them to train on coverage and gel. They are doing that now. Newton isn’t a god, he’s just throwing into crappy coverage. Plus, the Carolina running game is shit. Stewart isn’t getting through the line because the run blocking stinks. So Cam is getting more passing plays, and more deep passing plays. Of course, he’s also got a few interceptions as well. He’s human. He makes mistakes. He’s good though, can read defenses and leads his team. Now if he can only lead them to a win. This could be his week as the Jags come to town. I think this is where Cam ekes out his first win. Cats to win.

NY Jets at Oakland Line: +3.5
Oakland looks like they could actually be for real this year. I mean, compared to previous years in which they sucked balls. They played Buffalo to the end last week, never giving up but I don’t think their defense is where it should be just yet. And they are going to need defense against the Jets, who also come strong with defense. I don’t really see the Jets losing this game. While Sanchez isn’t quite an elite QB just yet, he’s got a good thing going with his tight ends and running backs. He knows how to throw the slant and toss, it’s the deep ball he needs to work on. Over the shoulder Mark, over the shoulder. However, shouldn’t be an issue against the Raiders. Jets to win.

Baltimore at St. Louis Line: -3.5
An injured QB, Stephen Jackson sidelined, the Rams are not starting the season off as they would like. Hey, how about next year you draft some fucking offensive linemen who can block for more than a split second? And Carnell Williams, you silly mother fucker. Dead ball or not, how about you don’t stand there like a statue and you get that fucking ball? Needless to say, the Ravens are going to come into St. Louis with a serious axe to grind. They lost last week, to the Titans, and probably aren’t taking that very lightly. Doubtful they’ll repeat that weak ass performance. The Ravens front D-line will be too much for the Rams O-line. Run Bradford! Run! Ravens to win on the road. And the Rams are favored! Put some money on this one.

Kansas City at San Diego Line: -15.0 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!
Here’s why this is my crapfest game of the week. As good as Rivers is, is as bad as the Chiefs are right now. Have they even scored a touchdown this season? Fans in KC probably wish they could chant for Tebow at this point. And now, with Johnson out for the season, the Chiefs are hurting. The Chargers offense is going to be too much for the Chiefs defense and the Chiefs offense is nonexistent. You’ll see a double digit deficit by the end of the first quarter in this one. Bolts to win at home. And hell, with the points.

Green Bay at Chicago Line: +4.0
There is something suspect about the Packers, I just can’t figure out what it is. While they haven’t exactly shored up a consistent running game, Aaron Rodgers seems to handle the play action pretty damn well and the Packers continue to rack up the score. The Bears are in for a fight, but they are a scrappy team. The key will be pushing Forte through the line and avoiding the sack power of the high pressure Green Bay linebacker core. Green Bay special teams have also been on point so far this year, so expect them to chase Hester down – who has a penchant for fumbling on receptions this year (not on returns.) Anyway, I’m sticking with the Packers for now, so taking them to win this great NFC match-up.

Arizona at Seattle Line: +3.0
Kolb isn’t doing too bad in Arizona, going for 251 yards in the air last week, 300 the week before. I’d say Seattle would be the true test, but that’s bullshit. Seattle is still trying to find their ground after pistol whipped by the Niners then the Steelers. However, Rice could be back in the game on Sunday, which may help Tavaris Jackson get rid of the ball on the out routes. Also, Carroll probably spent the week yelling at safeties who let Wallace and the other Steelers receivers run hog wild open all over the field last week. Who are we kidding? The Seahawks will be lucky if they win three games this year. This one ain’t it. Cardinals on the road.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay Line: -1.0
The Bucs have been showing that they have some fourth quarter spunk, making a run at the Lions then coming back to beat the Vikings. That won’t work against the Falcons, they have to come strong out of the gate to get on top of Matt Ryan and crew. I don’t think they’ll be able to though. If there is one secondary that is clicking this year, it’s the Falcons secondary. The Bucs defense showed some serious spark against the Vikings, but that was the Vikings. The Falcons though, have got to be able to open up the field against the Bucs and run their defense ragged. I think with the appropriate amount of pressure on young Freeman, the Falcons will prevail. Falcons to win.

Pittsburgh at Indianapolis Line: +11.0
There is a rumor swirling on the internetwebs that the Colts are making phone calls to a one Brett Favre. Are you fucking kidding me? The Colts are following up one bad QB decision with another one. Listen, here’s what you do – give the ball to Painter. Or, if you really want to spend the fucking money, pay off the Bungles and get Carson Palmer. It’ll cost the same as wooing old man Brett out of retirement. Don’t do it. Don’t be that team. That being said, they’ll lose to the Steelers. Do I even need to say why? I don’t think so. If Ben is on your fantasy team, start him. Steelers to win.

Washington at Dallas Line: -0.0
And then we come to the Monday night game. I’ve already handed out my crapfest of the week, but this isn’t it. Wow. Tell you what Dallas, I’ll trade you. This candy bar for Tony Romo, cause if you throw either of them in the pool – they look like shit. The Cowboys won last week because the Niners fucked up – NOT because the Cowboys played well. That being said, the Redskins have actually been playing well, so I’m giving this contest to them. Redskins to win, on the road, in Dallas, sinking Romo.

Tags: cam newton, defense, nfl, Packers, Patriots, Predictions, Tebow, Tom Brady, week 3
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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: One More Week

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

One more week. How about some snacks?

So last week I said that this week would be my week one picks. I lied. I totally forgot we still had another week to go, hell my fantasy drafts aren’t even all completed. Anyway, I’ve decided to fill this space with some random ramblings related to football. Or not related to football, but mostly related to football. You get the point. I’ll start off with a question, then my answer. My question is what are you looking forward to in week one of the NFL season?

My answer, is I’m looking forward to Michael Vick busting out and costing the Eagles a shit ton of money. Without even starting a game this season outside of a mediocre pre-season, they have signed him to a six year, $100 million dollar deal. That’s the second one of his career. As a side note, he’s broke and nearly all his income is going to debt collection. So he sure did need this deal. The thing is, from my perspective, he’s still not a good pocket passer and his gimmick of running around like a loose pitbull on chicken legs isn’t hard for good defenses to figure out. Cover the receivers, put a spotter on him and it’s game over for the Eagles. Teams figured it out late in the year last year, and Vick was mega human again. It might fool most of the teams on their schedule, but not the top ones and not the ones in the playoffs.

The other thing about Vick is he’s just one James Harrison hit away from getting another season stopping injury. The Eagles play the AFC East this year. You think the Jets (whom they start the season against) and the Patriots are going to go easy on him or be fooled by his antics? Both these teams have excellent secondary defenses and aren’t going to let him win the game by himself. Bottom line, I still think the guy is overrated just a bit. Yes, he can extend plays and help the offense, but he’s still not a true quarterback and I don’t think he ever will be.

Next question, why is Brady Quinn not starting at tight end? The guy is built like a tight end, not a quarterback, not to mention it might be his only chance to start in a NFL game. Otherwise, he could be out of football in a few short months. He’s third string behind a rookie (who is really no better than him) and a veteran that is yet to really prove he’s got the muster to lead a team. Denver should get their shit together and help this kid salvage his career while he’s still young. Move him to TE and let him play.

Colt McCoy. This kid is going to be awesome. He’s got killer poise and pocket presence and he can run too. Colt, aside from having an amazing football name, is going to be an MVP someday for sure. He reminds me of a young Tom Brady, or John Elway really.

I really don’t have much else to talk about this week. I’m hoping Oregon beats the crap out of LSU, considering that LSU can suffer a loss and still be in the thick of it in the SEC, where a one loss PAC-10 team is all but finished. So, that’s it. Next week, week one predictions for sure this time. I promise. Pinky swear and what not.

Tags: brady quinn, Broncos, colt mccoy, Colts, eagles, nfl, Patriots, Tom Brady, vick
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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: 2011 AFC Predictions

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

Can Colt lead the Browns to the playoffs? (image: US Presswire)

AFC North

Cleveland Browns
The official outlook for the Browns is that this is a rebuilding year. This is the year that they expect Colt McCoy to dig in his heels as a starter, and new head coach (and offensive coordinator) Pat Shurmur to show that he’s got the chops to lead this team. He’ll be instituting a west coast style offense, and I think that Colt and his main receivers, Massaquoi and Robiskie will take to it well. The addition of Brandon Jackson to the backfield with Peyton Hillis will solidify their running game for sure. The questions still remain on defense. Look, the Browns have had a hot and cold defense the past couple years – when they are on, they are on. But when they aren’t, they give up a lot of passing yards. The addition of rookies Joe Haden & T.J. Ward in the secondary will help on those third and long stops, but a bunch of unproven defensive ends up front could pose a challenge. I’m looking for the Browns to do well this year. I don’t think they’ll make the playoffs, but I think they’ll at least break even on the year. As a Browns fan, I’d love for them to make the playoffs, but I hold no illusions about what this team is right now, and that’s in the middle of a transition to a better team.

Baltimore Ravens
The biggest changes for the Ravens had to be the switching up at wide receiver. Houshmandzadeh didn’t get along with the coaching staff, so he’s gone. Derek Mason was also let go, along with Donte Stallworth (worthless) and tight end Todd Heap. Le’Ron McClain and Willis McGahee also packed their bags and left Ravens camp in the offseason as well. Really though, who cares? The Ravens signed Anquan Boldin. He’s going to certainly click with rocket arm Joe Flacco. Tack on a couple good rookie receivers and the rejuvenated Ricky Williams in the backfield and you’ve got a certain offensive threat with this team. The defense, still lead by Ray Lewis will be the key to victory though, can they beat out the Steelers for best defense in the AFC? We’ll find out week one, as these two teams meet for the first time in the season. I have a feeling they’ll be seeing each other in the playoffs as well.

Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have their work cut out for them in the first couple weeks, with visits to Indy, Baltimore and Houston lined up. The aging Steelers team still has it though, and not to mention still has nearly every starter from last years Superbowl team. This is a good team. The defense is going to be touch to score against this year, just like every year. James Harrison & Troy Polamalu are back from surgery, solidifying that defense. Their main goals are to stay healthy. The only questions hover around the offensive line, but are those real concerns? Ben won two Superbowls basically scrambling for his life, still making plays regardless of the holes that opened up in front of him. He’s a threat when he’s on the run, so for all we know the sub-par play of the offensive line is completely intentional. However, if their opponents find a true way to rattle Rothlesberger by taking advantage of the holes in the line, then the Steelers might need to worry. I doubt it though. The Steelers are on their way back to a division title and the playoffs for sure this year.

Cincinnati Bengals
Well, the “Bungles” are certainly back in full swing. I keep wondering why Marvin Lewis still has a head coaching job. I think after this year, and another losing season, he’ll finally be shown the door. If he even lasts all season. I mean, your star QB retired young rather than play another season for you. That’s got to be a bad omen right? Palmer has a lot of game left in him, he was that disgusted, Cincinnati ruined him that much that he simply retired. Well, the Bengals are now left with rookie Andy Dalton and perennial back-up Bruce Gradowski in the QB spot. Gradowski will probably be starting, but it doesn’t really matter who starts. This team is going to stink. T.O. and Ochocinco added very little to the offense last year, and they’ll add even less this year as they are both gone. The defense is full of holes, like wide gaping holes. I’ll be suprised if this team racks up three improbable wins this season.

AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags were an up and down team last year, with star running back Jones-Drew playing through a knee injury all year. They finished the season 8-8 and 3rd in the league for rushing. That’s not too shabby, but they’ll have to do better this year. They always seem to compete well in this division and I don’t see that changing. What I do see changing is the quarterback situation. I expect Garrard will be out by game three and rookie Blaine Gabbert will be taking the snaps under center. I only say that because of the whipping that Garrard tends to take behind a spotty offensive line. The big deal is the defense though. They underwent a bit of an overhaul in training camp and need to do better than the 28th overall rank they had last year.

Indianapolis Colts
The Colts made it to the playoffs last year, after having in my mind – a terrible season. I say that because of the slate of injuries both on the offense (Gonzalez being a key one) and most of the offensive line. This year, everyone is healthy and ready to go. Donald Brown needs to break out at running back, especially with his pass blocking skills. It’s part of the job Donnie. Peyton is coming off neck surgery, which could be an interesting storyline if he gets re-injured. I sure hope he doesn’t though. His goal, and the teams goal is the Superbowl – and playing it at home (Lucas Oil is the location for Superbowl XLVI.) I can at least see them in the playoffs for sure.

Tennessee Titans
Adding Matt Hasselbeck to replace the retired Kerry Collins and the departed Vince Young was a smart move. A really smart move. Hasselbeck can still play, and even if he physically can’t – Jake Locker can. Locker is in one of those advantageous positions, like Aaron Rodgers, getting to train under a consistent and reliable veteran quarterback. Locker should relish holding the clipboard this year, because his time will come and this will make him a better QB when it does. What the Titans are waiting on however, is Chris Johnson. After leading the NFL in rushing two seasons in a row, blowing the rushing records out of the water, the Titans are yet to give him the lucrative deal that he’s looking for. The problem for Johnson is that the Titans have 3rd year back Javon Ringer taking the handoffs in preseason games, and he’s doing a good job. Johnson better make up his mind quick. Adding Barrett Rudd was another smart move, the guy might not be the best linebacker in the game, but he’s a great spirit and a leader. That’ll help. Cortland Finnegan is back in the secondary after a short holdout, and while he’s a bit of a dirty player – he’s a good player. The Titans should do well this year, but not playoff well.

Houston Texans
New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips wants to win. The guy can’t do it as a head coach, so he wants to do it back in the position that he thrives at. First move, Mario Williams has been moved to the outside. Not sure why he wasn’t there in the first place. The guy has the chops to change games. Get him into a spot where he has the best chance to do so. Andre Johnson is one of the most consistent wide receivers in the league, and Matt Schaub and him should be getting along just fine once again. The Texans have all the tools to be a winning team, and even a playoff team. This isn’t the first year one can say that about them though. This team needs to come out strong if they want to compete.

AFC East

Miami Dolphins
Chad Henne or Matt Moore? I’d say, who else you got? Tony Sparano will be looking for a new job at the end of the season. Look, I know you Fins fans are optimistic about this team, and if the Fins can figure out how to use Reggie Bush they might have a shot at some good wins. But seriously folks, they aren’t in the class of the Patriots or even the Jets. They are in a class by themselves. That class has a good defense, but not a game changing defense. That class has a moderate offensive line, but not a game changing one. The special teams play is pretty good, but that’s not going to be enough to save this team. They should be fun to watch though, as they never play a home game in the snow.

New York Jets
Derrick Mason and Plaxico Burress joins Santonio Holmes running routes for the Jets this season. That’s a hell of a receiver core for Sanchez to throw to. The only issue is, can Sanchez hold it together and be consistent enough to get these guys the ball? In my mind, he’s still young and still a bit shaky at times especially when shooting for the deep targets. Expect to see L.T. as a good third down back, with Shonn Greene carrying the load. The Jets need to worry about the pass rush on defense however, as Sanchez needs a good deal of time to hit those deep threats. I’d like to think that the Jets have a good shot at the playoffs, but they are ripe for the upset. Plus, challenging the Patriots like that was a terrible idea. They’ll be gunning for them for sure.

New England Patriots
What needs to be said about the Patriots that hasn’t already been said? They have only gotten stronger with the addition of defensive superstar Albert Haynesworth and new WR Chad Ochocinco. Both these players have had their share of issues in the past, but for some reason the Patriots system starts them with a clean slate. Bellichick is still running the defense, so he must be happy that Shaun Ellis of the Jets is now on the line next to Haynesworth. The only question that remains is that of the starting running back, but then – running back by committee has worked well for the Patriots so I don’t see why it won’t work again this year. Jets coach Rex Ryan challenged other teams to beat the Pats, he double dog dared them. I challenge them to do the same. This team is your AFC Champion this year.

Buffalo Bills
The Bills were all kinds of awful last year, but make no mistake – they are finally moving in the right direction. This team hasn’t had a bright spot since losing the Superbowl four years in a row. And yeah, for this franchises – that was a bright spot. Chan Gailey will find success with the team, especially with young QB Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the offense. This kid was a tremendous asset last year. He threw for over 3000 yards, with 23 TDs and 15 INTs. He’ll be a good fantasy pick this year, even if they don’t rack up more wins than last year (4.) The Bills are in a tough division, their offensive line is a mess and their run defense is terrible. They’ll win a few, but they have a long way to go. I’d look for them to upset someone in the division late in the season as they start to click.

AFC West

Oakland Raiders
Who is coaching this team? Hue Jackson? Who the hell is that? Frankly, it doesn’t matter. The Raiders haven’t been good since they lost to the Bucs in the 2002 Superbowl and frankly, they weren’t that good back then either. Darren McFadden is constantly getting screwed by a terrible offensive line, even though somehow they managed to be second in the league in rushing last year. Not sure how that happened with eight losses, but whatever. Jason Campbell will be taking over as full time starter, and he’s got Trent Edwards to come in when it’s clear that he sucks. Or the offensive line makes him suck. Whatever the case, don’t start lining up for playoff tickets for this team for a couple years.

Kansas City Chiefs
You weren’t seeing things last year. That was the Chiefs and Patriots cast-off Matt Cassel in the playoffs. Yes, they lost in the first round but they had a hell of a good time getting there. They ranked first in rushing in the league, but 30th in passing. They have to improve that offensive stat if they hope to get back to the playoffs this year. I think, with the addition of Steve Breaston and draft picks Jonathan Baldwin and Dexter McCluster, that stat will improve and the Chiefs will be right back in the playoffs.

Denver Broncos
Not everyone is a Tebow fan. Merril Hoge of ESPN says Tebow’s mechanics are such a mess that there’s simply no turning him into an effective NFL quarterback. “You’ve got to look at a couple flaws that Tim Tebow had at Florida and still has in the National Football League that I don’t believe ever get better,” Hoge said. “First of all, his delivery is such an elongated motion that you have to have a complete, clear pocket for him to be successful down the field. If you don’t have that, you’re going to struggle.” That’s the biggest story coming out of the Broncos camp, who the starter will be. Will it be Orton? Will it be Tebow? Or will it even be Quinn? Who the hell knows? John Fox has the swagger to change this team for the better, picking a quarterback would be a good place to start.

San Diego Chargers
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. That’d be three reasons why the Chargers failed to make the playoffs last year, and three things they need to fix if they want to make the playoffs this year. Aside from that, special teams needs to tighten up, and Rivers needs to stay healthy. Like seriously top of his game healthy. This kid could be a superstar, but his offense needs to hold on to the damn ball. They do that, they will win and take the division. If they don’t do that, then they are as good as screwed and you can expect some seriously major changes next year.

Next week: My Fantasy Picks

Tags: AFC, football, Jets, nfl, partiots, Predictions, raiders, Tebow, Tom Brady
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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: AFC/NFC Championships

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Can Big Ben beat the Jets Defense? (image: NFL)

In some circles of Football critics, it could be said I went 2-2 last week, others would say since I didn’t exactly pick the Steelers to win that I went 1-2. Others would say that the Patriots actually won that game and we’re all hallucinating the Jets being in the AFC championship. Really, did anyone but Jets fans see that one coming? I know the Pats fans are still crying into their Tom Brady branded towels and Snuggies. They are a bunch of whiners anyway. #notitlesinboston.

So Wild-Card weekend was wild, the divisional weekend was wild, though the Seahawks losing was pretty predictable, but hell – can I really say that after the last couple weeks? So are there any surprises left? Of course there are, mostly in the form of the Jets. Let’s be honest, Green Bay has been a bit of a surprise, beating the Falcons like that, but the match-up is a classic and doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. But the Jets do. They beat the Pats like little smacking around little girls in helmets and pads. They scared the crap out of Brady early and he never recovered. They are the surprise. Let’s break it down.

No. 6 New York Jets (13-5) at No. 2 Pittsburgh Steelers (13-4)
The Jets beat the Patriots with constant pressure on Tom Brady. They got to him early and got him scared and that’s how he played the rest of the game. The Jets also established an early run against the Patriots, leaving the secondary guessing and when the deep pass came, they weren’t prepared for it. The difference between Tom Brady and Big Ben is that Ben can get hit over and over and it won’t bother him a bit. The Jets are going to have to roll in a dump truck if they think they can pressure Ben more than the Ravens pressured him in their three games this season. So they are going to lose that advantage. The other advantage is also nullified in the Steelers run defense. The Jets are going to have a hard time breaking through, and Sanchez and the Jets offense relies on the play action. Obviously, that’ll be hard to set up without first establishing the run. However, the one thing the Jets do have going for them is their confusing looks on defense. They weirded out Peyton and they flushed out Brady, will they be able to rattle Ben as well? Perhaps a little bit, but Ben has proved that he can adjust pretty well, and will. The Steelers offense will be relentless on the Jets defense the entire game, and it helps they are playing at home. I’m taking the Steelers to make it back to the big game.

No. 6 Green Bay Packers (12-6) at No. 2 Chicago Bears (12-5)
Have you noticed that both championship games are between the #6 seed and the #2 seed? Probably. I just noticed that. The #6 seed Packers totally trashed the top seeded Falcons last week, taking them to task on offense and on defense. It was a complete surprise. I mean, at best we expected it to be a close game but they ended up running away with it. Aaron Rodgers showed just as much, if not more, mobility than Matty Ice, getting out of a lot of close jams and making some big plays. Not only that, but rushing for two touchdowns himself. When you let the QB rush for two touchdowns and he’s not Michael Vick, then that is a failure on defense. The Bears welcome the visiting Packers with open arms, and a strong defense that is sure to trouble Rodgers a little bit. The fact is, the Bears haven’t relied on their defense this year, they have won games on the back of their offense. Last week they used weapons on offense that haven’t been used all season, blasting the Seahawks back to the Pacific coast. The Packers secondary isn’t going to make it easy for the Bears though, which is to be expected. I’m taking the Packers to win this game on the road, just because of the beating they gave the Falcons.

There you have it, Packers vs. Steelers in the Superbowl under the lights in Dallas. I’ll go ahead and pick the Steelers to win it all. Ugh, I hate doing that being a Browns fan, but I think their defense will be enough to stop the Packers offense. Anyway, more on that next week if I’m right.

Tags: Bears, Ben Rothlesberger, cutler, Jets, nfl, Packers, Rex Ryan, sanchez, Steelers, Superbowl, Tom Brady
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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 16

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

Da Bears should roll this weekend. (Image: NFL)

Look, not every week of picking football games can be a good week. I’ll be the first to admit that. I went a dismal 8-8 last week (132-93 on the season,) but you have to admit that some of the contests were close enough that my picks weren’t complete bullshit. Enough of that defensive crap, the point is that the season ain’t over yet, and there are a few divisions that have yet to crown a winner and one division that will crown one with a losing record.

Speaking of the NFC West, I’d almost like to see the winner go in with a terrible record. I’m talking a 6-10 record. It’s possible. I think. Most likely at this point it will be either an 8-8 team or a 7-9 team depending on how the next two weeks roll out for them. Meanwhile, some favorable match-ups around the league give a lot of teams that are on the brink, the chance to clinch a playoff berth, making Week 17 a bit less stressful. The Steelers have the best chance, since they get the visiting Panthers.

Also, don’t forget about the Collge Bowl games going on this week and next! Boise State vs. Utah should be a fun one, and of course I’m waiting for my Buckeyes to whip the Razorbacks. Hellz yeah. In the meantime – here’s some picks. Oh, and if you need a snack Sunday afternoon – how about this?

Featured Game:

NY Jets at Chicago Line: -0.0
First off, what the hell Rex? Foot fetish videos on YouTube with your wife? Really man? You know that the Bears fans are going to have some creative signs to go along with this shit. That being said, and hopefully not too much of a distraction, the Jets are coming off a huge win over the Steelers. While it was no longer than any other regulation football game, it was a game of endurance and the Jets prevailed. I was a bit surprised, because the Jets hadn’t been showing any offense of late. Which they’ll have to do against the Bears. Defense isn’t going to do it. The Bears have been too good on the offensive side of the ball. Even though they took a heartbreaking loss to the Pats – that was the Pats. The Bears are used to the cold now. I’m looking for them to come out and win. This game is heavy for the Jets, as they are trying to secure that wild-card spot, and the Bears want to lock up the division. The big game Bears will be out in this one.

Tailgate City (The Rest:)

Carolina at Pittsburgh Line: -15.0
The Steelers got humbled a bit last week against the Jets, but Steelers fans shouldn’t be dismayed – they will be in playoffs. It’s just a question of as the division leader or as a wild-card. This week, tied with the Ravens in record, the Steelers need to win. Especially since the Panthers have been sucking all season. Not only have they had failures on defense and offense, the coaching decisions haven’t been winning ones. This team has been playing not to get shut out since week 5. They might not have that luxury against the Steelers run defense, since the run is only half cocked weapon the Panthers have. Steelers to win.

Dallas at Arizona Line: +7.0
The Cardinals are in the fortunate position of being the only NFC West team not in contention for the division. I say that because they have nothing left to play for, which makes them dangerous. Of course, the Cowboys also have nothing left to play for besides a bit of self respect. Jon Kitna has had a pretty good season so far though, which should secure him a starting job somewhere next year – like Minnesota. The Cowboys should win this one easy, and do some endzone dancing. But you never know.

New England at Buffalo Line: +9.0
The Patriots still have not clinched the division, but another win should do it. And hey, what do you know – it’s the Bills! The Bills surprised everyone last week with their win over Miami. However, experiencing a sudden turnaround with two weeks left in the season is pointless. Looking at the match-ups though, if there was one bottom of the barrel team that could definitely play spoiler it would have to be the Bills. Back in week 3 the Bills nearly pulled off the upset over the Patriots, losing 38-30. That was before the Pats lost to the Browns, then turned their season around. I see Buffalo competing pretty hard in this game, but I just can’t see them upsetting the Pats. Pats to win.

Baltimore at Cleveland Line: +3.5
The Ravens currently own the tiebreaker in the AFC North, but a loss here would obviously knock them out of first place. The Browns at home in December are not to be underestimated. They have a team in place that has kept every loss close this year, even with that bonehead Jake Delhomme holding the ball. Peyton Hillis is the key to the Browns playing spoiler for the Ravens. If he can get a running lane against the Ravens defense, then the Browns can prevail. The thing is, the Ravens only allowed 84 yards and 54 yards by the Steelers in the two games they played this year. That’s a pretty stifling run defense. So what chance does Hillis have? A pretty good one because the Browns have the threat of a QB with mobility. The problem there is the first big hit by Ray Lewis and Colt McCoy might be afraid to run. However, just to shake things up and since the Browns finish the season at home against the Steelers, I’m going to pick the Browns to win this game.

Tennessee at Kansas City Line: -5.0
The Chiefs are so close, yet so far. The Chargers are nipping at their heels, but still a game behind. The Chargers have the Bungles this week, while KC gets to stay at home and welcome the Titans to town. The Titans have Kerry Collins back at the helm, which helped them look like the team they were supposed to be against the Texans last week. They smacked the Texans around, Chris Johnson was back on his feet after not being able to bust through many lines this season and the Titans racked up a confidence building win. Sure, they are out of it, but Jeff Fisher wants to keep his damn job. Beating the Chiefs, a division leading team could help him do that. The Chiefs though, might be too strong on offense to let the Titans keep a lead. The Titans are going to have to come out quick and strong and keep the pressure on Cassel in order to win. I’m going out on a limb here and taking the Titans to upset on the road.

San Francisco at St. Louis Line: -2.0
The Rams are a huge failure this year. Sure, Bradford has had a good rookie season, and yes they are leading the division with a losing record – but shouldn’t they have a winning one? The fact of the matter is that this team will get into the playoffs and host a fucking playoff game with most likely a 7-9 record. It’s sad and demands a rule change. They are barely good enough to compete week to week. This week they face the Niners who with only five wins can also win the division – if they win this game. Please, for the love of all that is holy in the celestial arena of football – do not let that happen. Rams to win.

Detroit at Miami Line: -3.5
The Dolphins had a lot of chances to compete this year, but couldn’t get it together on defense or at the QB position to make a run at the Jets or Pats. Sparano will be out of job next year regardless because Bill Cowher has vocalized his interest in returning to coaching and mentioned the Dolphins as a possibility. There is no way they’ll pass that up. I fully expect that to happen. The Lions broke their road losing streak last week by beating the stupid Bucs, can they make it two in a row as they travel to south Florida? The Fins took a crushing loss to the Bills last week to completely eliminate them, so they are playing for Sparano’s job. I have a feeling they’d rather have Cowher. Lions to win on the road.

Washington at Jacksonville Line: -7.0
The Jags blew it last week. I mean, they really blew it. Beating the Colts would have put them solidly into first place in the AFC South. Now they have to hope that the Colts stumble and cannot lose a game. This is their must-win game, so it’s a good thing they have the Redskins coming to town. Already McNabb is talking about staying or going, I’m betting on going. Shanahan too. I’m calling it now – Shanahan back in Denver at the end of the season. Anyway, Jags to win at home. No question.

San Diego at Cincinnati Line: +7.5
Here’s where the Chargers can charge (get it, that’s a pun) into a tie with the Chiefs. They have to win this week at the Bungles and next week against the Broncos. That may seem like an easy path, but the Bungles have been a bit – ah – who am I kidding? The Bungles flat out suck balls this year. They have no chance against the Chargers offense. If I had to pick a blowout this week, I’d pick the Chargers to simply destroy the muddled Bungles.

Houston at Denver Line: -0.0 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
Teeeeebowwwwwwww!!! Teeeeebowwwwww!!! Teeeeebowwwwww!!! Tim Tebow gets the start for the terrible Broncos. Why not give the kid a chance? One has to think about Brady Quinn though. Will he ever get another chance in the NFL or did the Browns completely ruin him? The Texans had potential this season, and after five games were looking like a serious threat. Then they didn’t. This game means nothing, except maybe a coming out party for Tebow. So, Broncos to win.

Indianapolis at Oakland Line: +3.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
I swear I’m not drunk right now. As you can tell from the subject line, I’m going to be picking the Raiders in this match-up. Even though the line is close, this would be a huge upset as the Colts are fighting for a playoff spot. The Raiders are basically out of it, well, they are out of it, but this team has been exciting this year – for the first time in a long time. They are 7-7, and could be looking at a winning season. Also for the first time in a long time. The Colts are hurting with injuries to a lot of key starters. The latest was Collie, who was put on IR after a spate of head injuries. Peyton has only Reggie Wayne to depend on, and he’ll be double covered. They have no running game, and their run defense has been off and on all season. That’s why I’m taking the Raiders to pull off the upset in the black hole.

New York at Green Bay Line: -0.0
Rodgers and Giants rookie Brandon Graham engaged in a bit of friendly smack talk this week, after Rodgers was cleared to play. With Rodgers back, and Flynn’s rookie inexperience back on the bench, the Packers have a pretty good shot at upsetting the Giants. The Packers nearly beat the Pats, and it was only Flynn’s inexperience with time management that kept them out of the end zone at the end of the game. The Giants got beat by the Eagles on a complete failure of second half defense and special teams. Did they get too comfortable with their lead perhaps? Too cocky? They won’t be able to do that against the Packers, and I don’t think they will. I’m taking the Giants to narrowly escape the Packers, but I won’t be surprised if the Packers upset.

Seattle at Tampa Bay Line: -6.0
The Seahawks roll into Tampa needing to win out to win their division with a losing record. Obviously by now you know how I feel about that. Frankly, I’d like to see this game end in a tie so neither team gets the win but I know the chances of that happening are pretty extreme. So since I refuse to take the Bucs, who are not going to make the playoffs and no one on their staff will be getting coach of the year (ridiculous!) I’m going to take the Hawks to win on the road.

Minnesota at Philadelphia Line: -7.0
Any other year this would be a perfect Sunday night game, and while it will be a good game, it will be a lopsided contest. Favre is gone, and even though he was old and cold – he gives the Vikings the best chance to win at this point. The line on this game was zero, but I changed it for the sake of this post to 7. The Vikings are going to not only have trouble stopping Vick, but their special teams showed against the two times they kicked to Hester that they can’t tackle worth a shit. Deshaun Jackson offers the same type of speed and tackle avoidance. Forget it. Eagles to win big and get the home playoff spot.

New Orleans at Atlanta Line: -3.0
If there is one true game on the schedule this week that isn’t going to make a difference win or lose, it’s this one. The Falcons have locked up the NFC South unless they lose two and the Saints win their last two. However, that most likely won’t happen either way. This is going to be a hell of a good game between these two teams. Atlanta has been on fire all year, and the Saints came on late with their offense and haven’t slowed down – except against the tough defense of the Ravens. The Brees to Colston connection never got going in that game. They’ll have similar trouble against the Falcons secondary as well, but should do better in the flat. This is going to be a back and forth affair, with the Falcons prevailing in the end. Falcons to win.

That’s that. Week 16 in the bag. One more week then it’s time for the playoffs. Only good thing about that is it’s going to be less for you to read. Peace.

Tags: Bears, falcons, Favre, Jets, Matt Ryan, nfl, Packers, Picks, Predictions, Rex Ryan, Tom Brady
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Digital Dads NFL Power Rankings

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

How many Pats fans with they were that chick? (Image: Stetson)

I’m sure there are tons of New England fans out there that wish the season ended right now. Today. Last night was the last game. A massive blowout of the New York Jets. The Jets fell apart and the Patriots took advantage. Like I said in my picks last week, the Jets can’t afford to “get lucky” against the Pats, and they didn’t. Brady, and his manly locks, was at the top of his game last night. Striking with precision and poise and firing up the defense.

That being said, it’s no surprise to see the Patriots back in the top spot again this week. One would think they could hold on to it, but the season ain’t over yet. There were a couple surprises this week on the playing field, and the biggest one has to be the Colts. Since these are my power rankings based on algorithms that I come up with in my head, I can do what I want. And I dropped the Colts like a rock.

If you can’t tell, last weeks rankings are in those curvy line boxes next to this weeks ranking. Pay attention. Power Rankings. Now.

1. (2) New England Patriots (10-2): That wasn’t a win against the Jets, that was a statement. It stated “back the fuck off, this is our division.”

2. (1) Atlanta Falcons (10-2): That win against the Bucs looked harder than it was. Matty Ice likes a comeback.

3. (4) Chicago Bears (9-3): The Lions put up a fight for a little bit, but the Bears showed why they are a 1st place team.

4. (7) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3): Their violent cage match with the Ravens ended with a win, but will it be enough to hold the division?

5. (3) New York Jets (9-3): The Jets aren’t out of it yet, but they’ll be on the shame bus for at least a week.

6. (5) New Orleans Saints (9-3): A close win for the Saints, who didn’t seem to think they needed to bring their defense with them.

7. (6) Baltimore Ravens (8-4): This hurts the Ravens more than Big Ben’s nose. It has to be wins from here on out if they want that wild card.

8. (8) New York Giants (8-4): The battle for the NFC North is going to come down to the Giants vs. Philly. No one cares about the Redskins.

9. (9) Kansas City Chiefs (8-4): With the Raiders win over the Chargers, the Chiefs are now running away with the division.

10. (11) Philadelphia Eagles (8-4): A huge win for the Eagles, if they hope to beat the Giants for the division they better step it up a notch.

11. (17) Jacksonville Jaguars (7-5): The Jags drubbing of the Titans was only highlighted by the Colts also losing, catapulting the Jags into first place.

12. (12) Green Bay Packers (8-4): The Packers need to beat divisional teams. Like the Bears. I know they play the Bears again.

13. (14) St. Louis Rams (6-6): Uh, this team is in first place at 6-6. Sickeningly enough, the 4-9 Cardinals still have a chance at the division. Really.

14. (10) San Diego Chargers (6-6): This team flip flops more than a drunk politician on a cocaine bender on the tea cup ride.

15. (16) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5): Told you. The Bucs can’t beat a winning team. Who do they have left? Three losing teams then the Saints. Sadly, they could make the playoffs.

16. (20) Oakland Raiders (6-6): Only a game behind the division leading Chiefs. Let me repeat that – only a game behind.

17. (21) Cleveland Browns (5-7): Mathematically, the Browns still have a chance. Realistically, it may be too little too late.

18. (23) Seattle Seahawks (6-6): They just skittered by the scrappy Panthers, but a win is a win is a win.

19. (22) Tennessee Titans (5-7): Nice ass kicking by the Jags. The only reason they appear to have risen a couple spots is to make room at the bottom for even worse teams.

20. (13) Miami Dolphins (6-6): Whoops. The Browns defense was too much for the Fins. See ya next year.

21. (26) Dallas Cowboys (4-8): Huge win over the Colts. Massive, crazy win over the Colts. It won’t be enough to salvage a season, but still big.

22. (18) Indianapolis Colts (6-6): Oh how the mighty have fallen. That home loss to the hapless Cowboys puts the Colts nearly out of contention.

23. (19) Washington Redskins (5-7): The RedSkins are really slapping themselves for resigning McNabb long term.

24. (25) Minnesota Vikings (5-7): Nice win against the Bills. Now do that against a real team. The only plus here is that Favre is out. Vikings might have an outside chance.

25. (15) Houston Texans (5-7): Getting smacked around by the Eagles does not bode well for this struggling team trying still to find an identity.

26. (24) San Francisco 49ers (4-8): Even at 4-8 the Niners still have a chance to rally and win the division. I am not kidding.

27. (30) Detroit Lions (2-10): They put up a nice fight against the Bears for a bit, but were outmatched in the end. This team should have done much, much better this year.

28. (27) Buffalo Bills (2-10): No fucking way this team doesn’t get first pick in the draft next year.

29. (28) Arizona Cardinals (3-9): The Cardinals are the one NFC West team that actually doesn’t have a shot at the division.

30. (31) Cincinnati Bengals (2-10): The Bungles almost pulled off a major upset, but fell apart in the very end. That’s too bad. But not really.

31. (29) Denver Broncos (3-9): Josh McDaniels is available, maybe the Cowboys will hire him. Or the Vikings. Or the NFL Network.

32. (32) Carolina Panthers (1-11): I’m hoping they win at least one more game so the Bills can get first pick in the draft.

Tags: Broncos, ESPN, Favre, nfl, Power rankings, Tom Brady
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The Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 9

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

Oh. That's why the Raiders are winning.

Seriously, I went 4-9 last week. This was my first losing week of the season, and what a crappy one it was. My upset special was dead wrong, not to mention the rest of my picks. Hell, let’s just leave it at that. It all sucked. The true meaning of “every other Sunday” for sure. That brings me to 66-51 on the season, which hurts a little bit because I really don’t want to drop below .500. The day I drop below .500 is the day I stop writing bullshit football predictions.

Another prediction I made that didn’t come true was that of Randy Moss going to the Chiefs after he got waived by the Vikings. I was a bit surprised that the Titans picked him up, considering his demeanor, but I suppose they could always use another player that might get caught in a “script” club. That being said, one can only hope that Randy Moss finishes his career on a high note, instead of fading into asshole obscurity.

Speaking of asshole obscurity, how about Brett Favre? Pretty much limping off the field after the Vikings loss to the Patriots – or during actually – the question has to be asked, is he done? Will he be limping back on to the field this weekend or is that it for him? If it is it for him, how many man tears are going to be shed all over his Wranglers during that press conference? Should have ended last season on the high note that it was, rather than the low note that this season is. Let’s not think about that, let’s remember him as he was – not as he is. This weeks picks start now.

Featured Game:

Kansas City at Oakland Line: -3.0
Yeah. You read that right. The Raiders are my game of the week. The Raiders are coming off another monster win and are looking like one hell of an offensive team. And not the kind of offensive that means that they stink. Not that those days are over, but I have to admit that I was dead wrong about them last week. Perhaps they are for real. Not sure yet, but getting there. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are for real – believe it or not. They are doing it on offense, they are doing it on defense and are making a bee-line for the playoffs. It’s strange to say it, but they have to make it past their divisional rivals first. This should be a high scoring back and forth affair that will come down to special teams and the turnover game. On that, and the chance that the Raiders may actually start Gradowski over Campbell (who has been getting them the wins) I’m taking the Chiefs to win.

Tailgate City (The Rest:)

Tampa Bay at Atlanta Line: -8.5
The highest scoring game of last week came from the Bucs vs. the Cardinals. The Bucs, whom I’ve refused to pick against all year long for moral reasons that I’d care not to explain, are a surprising 5-2. The Bucs were helped by two interceptions returned for TD’s, which knocked Max Hall out of the game. So perhaps the Bucs defense is back, but this strong divisional match-up will truly test the Bucs. The Falcons, also at 5-2, are coming off a bye-week and are no stranger to late game heroics, which have accounted for four of the Bucs wins. This week, I’m truly picking the Falcons to win because I think they are the better team, not because I will always pick against the Bucs. I’m not touching that line though. This is a one to three point victory.

Chicago at Buffalo Line: +3.0
Did Buffalo win last week? I don’t sit through anything past the first possession in overtime games. With five seconds left, and after missing the game winning field goal earlier in overtime, the Bills watched another close game slip through the cracks. What does this team need to do to win? Picking up Randy Moss might have helped, but they didn’t even show even the minor amount of interest. So it’s up to Fitzpatrick and crew to fight hard once again to get that win. Too bad the Bears are the team they are facing this week. The Bears, coming off a bye and also passing on Moss, are hoping they can rebound after an ugly loss to the Redskins. They have a much better chance of rebounding than the Bills have a chance at winning. But hell, let’s throw some karma the Bills way and pick them to accidentally win this week.

New England at Cleveland Line: +5.5 UPSET SPECIAL!!
Ok. This is a tough one. Do I pick the Browns to pull off a major upset once again? I mean, they did beat the Saints in the Superdome before heading out for the bye week. I think that win is the only reason that the line is as close as it is. The Patriots had little problem taking care of the Vikings last week, with constant pressure on Favre. The Browns most likely cannot handle that pressure, but then again, they handled the pressure of the highly ranked Saints defense. If the Browns plan on salvaging their season, picking them to upset is the only way. But do I do it against the strong Patriots? Do I? Yes, yes I do. Sure, it’s a bit of an emotional pick but I think Colt and Cribbs may just surprise the Browns ex-coach.

NY Jets at Detroit Line: +4.5
While the Jets defense kept them in the game last week against the Packers, the offense was dead on their feet. Not sure what happened there. The Jets were on a serious tear for a bit, looking like the best team in the AFC – easy. The Packers brought them right back down to Earth by stifling the offense. The Lions meanwhile, one of the few right picks I had last week, are starting to look more like a team than a collection of losers and misanthropes. This week however, they aren’t playing a team that will make the mistake of replacing their QB late in the game only to see that come back to bite them. The Jets don’t have quite that level of coaching problems. I’m taking the Jets to win on the road.

Arizona at Minnesota Line: -9.0
The Vikings are toast. I’m officially writing them off, along with the Cowboys. Based on that, even though they are undeservedly favored this week against the Cardinals, they are not a team that is set up to win. They are in turmoil, and the loss to the Patriots last week only highlighted all the issues from the coaching all the way down to the front line that is supposed to be protecting the QB. Forget it. If you haven’t noticed, this is the part of the season where I stop quoting stats from last week’s game and just give you the straight up truth. The truth is, the Vikings will not win this game. The other truth is that even though the Cardinals have no idea who they should start at QB, either loser #1 or Captain Interception, they should be able to handle the Vikings with effective defense. Cardinals on the road.

New Orleans at Carolina Line: +7.0
The Saints pulled off a monster win against the Steelers a week after taking a surprising drubbing from the Browns. Does this mean the defending champs are back in the game or does it mean that the Steelers had a rough day? Well, I think it at least means that the Saints defense is back in the game. Taking that defense on the road to the struggling Panthers shouldn’t be tough, especially since the Panthers are still struggling on both sides of the ball. It’s week 9. If you haven’t noticed who the winners and losers are then you aren’t paying attention. That doesn’t mean that the winners will win every game, and the losers will lose every game. The winners will win this game though. Saints on the road.

Miami at Baltimore Line: -5.0
The Dolphins continue their road trip through the AFC North, going up against the Ravens this week after treating the Bengals to a nice loss. Of course it helped with five field goals by the Dolphins Dan Carpenter. Against the Ravens defense there are going to be more chances for field goals than for touchdowns, as the Ravens defense has still held up pretty well against the run. Wait, don’t the Dolphins specialize in the run? Looks like Henne will have to go to the passing game against the Ravens. This could be a very good game on both sides of the ball. I don’t see this being anything less than a last minute win by the Dolphins. That’s right, I’m picking the Fins to beat the Ravens.

San Diego at Houston Line: +3.0
Damn those Texans. They weren’t able to upset the Colts twice in one season. Did I think that was actually feasible? Sure, why the hell not? Well, they aren’t out of it yet – not by a long shot and neither are the Chargers. How come everyone isn’t blowing smoke up Philip River’s ass? He’s one of the highest rated QB’s in the league and is killing it week in and week out. The Chargers are the sleeper team this year, the only thing really standing in their way is their habit of losing games in the fourth quarter and those pesky Kansas City Chiefs. This week though, the Texans should pose a good challenge, but the Chargers should win so I’m picking them to.

New York at Seattle Line: +7.0
The Giants got a much needed break last week, while the Seahawks got pistol whipped by the Raiders. It’s still strange to say that, and it’s not a fluke. The Giants are still playing strong, and shouldn’t have any problem wrapping up the NFC East this season. The Seahawks are going to be fighting for the division every step of the way until the final week, so these out of conference match-ups are much needed wins for both teams involved. The Giants are too good right now, and the Seahawks loss to the Raiders knocked them down a notch in my book. Giants to win on the road.

Indianapolis at Philadelphia Line: -3.0
The Colts put the Texans right back in their place with their dominating win on Monday night. They did it on the ground, through the air and with defense. The Texans didn’t see it coming. Gotta love that crowd in Indy, going absolutely silent when Peyton has the ball. Can’t ask for a better home crowd. It’s a complete 180 in Philly, having a home crowd with a clear “what have you done for me lately” mentality. They never shut up, and really shouldn’t be served alcohol. That being said, to see Philly favored against the Colts – why, because there might be cold weather – is a little off. For that reason, I’m taking the Colts to win on the road.

Dallas at Green Bay Line: -9.0 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
Bah. Dallas sucks. They have now joined the Bucs in teams I will not be picking the rest of the season. Jon Kitna? Whatever. The Packers got some serious heat going for them after beating the Jets last week in what could very well be a preview of the Superbowl. What? It’s possible. Either way, there is no way I’m picking the Cowboys to have even a slight chance of beating the Packers in Green Bay. Packers to win, easy.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati Line: +5.0
The Steelers looked like the Browns should have looked against the Saints last week. I think that’s about right. The Saints defense looked amazing for once this season, finally. Taking out the Steelers was a huge test of the defense, and then the offense kicked in for the Saints. Also – finally. The Bengals lost at home to the Dolphins last week, in a game that I would call “forgettable.” It’s not like the Dolphins dominated them, 15 points came from field goals, but it’s not like the Bengals answered the field goals with touchdowns. I’m taking the Steelers to win this week, which I don’t like doing because I hold out some misguided hope that perhaps the Browns will win out. Yeah right.

That’s it. Another brutal week of football this week for sure. I like the divisional match-ups, and for those of you that know me on a personal level know this – I will NOT be repeating last week’s consumption performance. You know what I’m talking about. This week, I’ll settle for a nice lukewarm Old Milwaukee Light and a bag of pork rinds with my NFL games thank you very much.

Tags: Bengals, Brett Favre, nfl, Packers, Patriots, Randy Moss, Steelers, Tom Brady
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The Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week Two

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Well I went a paltry 8-8 last week. Not bad considering it was the first week of the regular season. Some games where I said they could go either way – went the other way. My upset pick (Carolina) was dead wrong while my almost upset pick (KC) would have been right. So it was that kind of week. Plus, the stinking Buccaneers won. Whatever.

It’s a new week, which means new match-ups. Now that the first week is done, I’ve got a better feel for how teams should be performing (thanks to the NFL RedZone channel, which is freaking awesome.) Such as the Redskins looking good in their opener against the Cowboys, while the Ravens & Jets both looked great on defense, not so much on offense. It’s going to be a good week of football, so without further fanfare – this weeks picks. Remember, these are predictions by someone who does not have a crystal ball or a forwards / backwards time machine in his possession. Plus, the whole “any given Sunday” thing.

Featured Game:

Giants at Colts Line: -6.0
It’s only a matter of time that this game is the Superbowl. Too bad it’s not going to happen this year, I don’t see the Giants coming on that strong. However, last week they came out strong against Carolina and I regretted not picking up Eli as my fantasy QB (as I have since he entered the league.) That’s what I get. The passing game was crazy good, so the question is – without Bob Sanders in the backfield for the Colts, will their secondary be able to keep up with the Giants receivers? No matter what Peyton does, it’s going to be up to the defense to stop the high scoring offense of the Giants. Considering that the offense of the Colts sputtered against the Texans last week, that’s two strikes against the Colts. The only strike against the Giants is that they are playing in Indy, on Sunday night – where Peyton tends to shine. This is going to be a close one, but I’m taking the Colts at home. My gut is to take the Giants though, just because of their performance last week. Let’s compromise and take the Giants to beat the spread.

Tailgate City (the Rest):

Cardinals at Falcons Line: -7.0
Even after their tough loss to the Steelers last week, the Falcons looked good defensively. Perhaps it was the defense of the Steelers that made their offense look unimpressive. With the only scoring by the Falcons being field goals it’s a wonder they were able to hold the Steelers. They open at home against the Cardinals, coming off a close win against the Rams. What? Close win? Yeah, the Rams defense got through the offensive line and pressured Anderson the whole game. The Rams. You read that right. Based on that alone, I have to take the Falcons to win at home, but I think the Cardinals should keep it close.

Ravens at Bengals Line: +2.0
Well, the line on this one should say it all. The Ravens go into Cincinnati after fighting the Jets tooth and nail for a win that was all defense. Hopefully the defense took a couple days off to relax, and the offense took a couple days off from the beating they took by the Jets. Anquan Boldin had seven catches for 110 yards and a TD as he burned the Jets secondary. Meanwhile the defense held the Jets to 176 yards. Strong. The Bengals weren’t so lucky, getting drubbed by the Patriots offense. Where was the defense? Watching Welker beat them on the inside slants? Yeah, Ochocinco and Owens combined for 212 yards and a TD, but who gives a shit if you don’t win? Taking the Ravens on the road, with the points.

Chiefs at Browns Line: -0.0
Any other week, this would be my crapfest of the week. Considering how the Chiefs played on Monday night against the Chargers, this isn’t that week. Not only did they beat the Chargers, but they looked good doing it. Not to mention it was special teams and defense, with a 94 yard punt return for a TD and a goal line stand that saved the game. These aren’t the Chiefs of the last decade, this is a brand new team. Maybe. The Browns are no test of that theory, as while they have some hot receivers, they lost to the Buccaneers and that’s just sad. Chiefs on the road.

Bears at Cowboys Line: -9.0
The Bears should have lost to the Lions. They really should have, but they didn’t. Cutler through for 372 yards, including the game winning TD to Forte. That would be an impressive stat but it was against the Lions defense, who really still hasn’t improved. The Bears travel to Dallas to face a much tougher defense in the Cowboys. Romo had 282 yards passing, but was unable to make the last one count. The Cowboys offense isn’t going to take another week to start clicking. They will win at home, with points to spare.

Eagles at Detroit Line: +6.0
Is there a quarterback controversy brewing in Philadelphia? After Kolb left with a concussion against the Packers, Vick took over and ran for over 100 yards in the 27-20 loss. Eh. I don’t think there is a controversy. If Kolb is healthy, he’ll start. Meanwhile, Matt Stafford is out 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury. Ouch. Shaun Hill comes in to replace him, can’t say he could do any worse really. The bright spot on the Lions offense is Jahvid Best, who only ran for 20 yards, but had 2 TD’s. Fantasy owners were happy with that. This is a prove it or lose it game for the Lions – yes, already. The Eagles will prevail though, because they’ll stick Vick in and the Lions defense will have no answer for him. Eagles with the points.

Bills at Packers Line: -14.0
Forget it. The highlights from the Bills / Miami game were very few on the Buffalo side. The one highlight was a 31 yard TD pass to Roscoe Parrish from Trent Edwards. Even with Chan Gailey at the helm, the Bills still looked conservative and scared. The Packers are the complete opposite of that – confident and kicking ass. Rodgers only went 118 yards against the Eagles, but he looked good doing it. Even with Ryan Grant out for the season, the Packers will still be dominant. Especially against the Bills. I’m taking them to win, but I hate 14 point spreads, so no points. Of course, that’s saying the Bills will beat the spread. Eh.

Steelers at Titans Line: -5.5
The Titans played the Raiders, so no surprise that they trashed them 38-13. Johnson smoked the Raiders for 142 yards and 2 TD’s. He won’t be so lucky against the Steelers strong run defense, who only allowed a mild 42 yards to Michael Turner of the Falcons last week. Their pass defense wasn’t that great. So the Titans will be relying on Young to carry the team through an air attack. It’s possible with the Titans, but their strong point is their running game. This one is going to be close, so I’m taking the Steelers to cover the points and lose by like one or two.

Dolphins at Vikings Line: -6.0
The Dolphins pulled off a win against the Bills, but these two teams play each other tough every year. After watching some of the few highlights, I’m not real convinced that the Dolphins are playoff caliber – yet. This game is going to be the test of that. The Vikings are coming off another tough loss in New Orleans. They just can’t seem to get it done in the dome. Favre was throwing off his back foot the whole game, into the hands of Saints cornerbacks. This week he should get back to form as the Vikings take the Dolphins down a notch, with the points.

Buccaneers at Panthers Line: -0.0
The Panthers, who routed the Giants last season, got spanked in the second half by them this season. Moore threw three picks and only one TD. The Panthers looked defeated by the end of the third quarter. The Bucs, managed to beat Cleveland. Wow. Give them a freaking cookie. They beat the crappy Browns. Young Josh Freeman tossed 2 TD’s in their comeback (that’s right, they had to come back against the Browns) but it was old man Barber with his 65 yard pick-off return that made the difference. Still, refuse to ever pick the Bucs to win. I might be wrong, what, three times? Worth it. Taking Carolina to win.

Seahawks at Broncos Line: -3.5
Kyle Orton threw for nearly 300 yards in the Broncos loss to the Jags last week. Tebow also saw his first action of the season, unfortunately no one else did since no one watches Jags games. In this game, the Broncos were simply out coached (whatever the hell that means) and out played. Jones-Drew only put 98 yards on them, but that was because Garrard was busy throwing touchdowns. I’m taking the Seahawks to win, even though they blew out the Niners last week and not a good team. Taking them with the points too. In Denver. That’s right. Eat it Denver.

Rams at Raiders Line: -3.5 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
What can I say about these two teams that is positive? Let’s see, the Rams defense didn’t look halfway terrible against the Cardinals. Sam Bradford had a pretty good debut, passing for almost 300 yards. Anything good I can say about the Raiders? No, they suck. Bad. I mean, Jason Williams didn’t do a horrible job running away from the pass rushers, kind of fleet of foot. No contest, taking the Rams to win.

Patriots at Jets Line: +2.5 UPSET SPECIAL OF THE WEEK!!
The Jets engaged the Ravens in a strong defensive outing, but were unable to prevail in the end. Sanchez was rushed, bullied and flushed out of the pocket. The Patriots were busy smacking the hell out of the Bengals. However, I don’t care. Just to piss off @bigguyd I’m going to pick this game as my upset special of the week. The Jets are going to break in the new stadium with a huge win over their division rivals. The best way to do this is constant pressure on Brady and cutting off the slants to Welker. But I’m not going to tell them how to play, just that I think they’ll win.

Jaguars at Chargers Line: -7.0
The Chargers, coming off a loss against a very impressive Chiefs team, is looking to rebound in their home opener against the visiting Jaguars. The Jags racked up three passing touchdowns by David Garrard against the visiting Broncos, established via the ground game of Jones-Drew. The Chargers run defense wasn’t too spectacular against the Chiefs, and facing Jones-Drew could be quite a challenge. The guy can move lines and wear down defenses. I’m looking at the Jags to keep this one close, not because of defense, just keeping up in score. Taking the Chargers to win, but the Jags to beat the one TD spread.

Texans at Redskins Line: +3.0
Amazing. These two teams almost seemed destined to meet in week two after their upset wins in week one. The Texans took the Colts to task and solidly got that monkey off their back. The Redskins played a crushing defensive game with the Cowboys, prevailing in off a fumble return by DeAngelo Hall. McNabb stuck in there and wasn’t pressured (mentally) by a Cowboys defense he’s seen plenty of times. The Texans Arian Foster (who?) ran for 231 yards and 3 TD’s. But the Texans also gave up 433 yards and 3 TD’s passing to Manning. That’s a lot of passing yards to just give away. Their win was less their offense than it was the Colts run defense. However, they will continue their winning streak by beating the Redskins.

Saints at 49′ers Line: +6.0
Why do the Niners suck so bad? Why does such a storied franchise have such trouble winning? They took the biggest beating last week, getting smacked around by the Seahawks. There wasn’t much going on with the defense, not much going on with the offense. So what do they hope to do against the Superbowl champion Saints? Lose. Big. On Monday night, for the first time in a long time. Why are they on Monday night? I have no idea. Why is the line only six points? I have no idea. The Saints are going to DESTROY the Niners.

That’s it. Week two in the books. A quick note about Monday Night Football on ESPN – it stinks. The match-ups stink, the late start stinks, there is nothing good about it anymore. The best game of the week tends to be on NBC on Sunday night and that is due to shrewd negotiating by NBC. Later in the season – they get to choose their game and shift the schedule. That makes for some great match-ups being televised. This is key when you live in a shit market like mine, where Bucs games are the standard. Thank the gods (Zeus and friends) for the NFL RedZone. Stay tuned next week for Week 3! Leave some comments! Drink beer and grill things! Toss the football with the kids!

Tags: Bears, Eli Manning, Giants, Lions, nfl, Packers, Patriots, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady
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