Posts About ‘Vikings’

Digital Dads NFL Power Rankings

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Ugh I can haz hottub now? (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

I’d like to propose an immediate rule change to the NFL: that no team from the NFC West be allowed into the playoffs. They are all going to finish the season with a losing record, yet one of them will inexplicably host a playoff game. Are you kidding me? A losing record and you get to host a playoff game? That’s just ridonkulous.

That aside, Favre is gone – finally. The Bears should move up a couple spots just for that. The Patriots still hold my number one spot, but I nearly moved them down because of the near-loss to the Packers, but let’s be honest – they came together in the fourth quarter and kept the Packers at bay. They deserve to stay at number one. I’m kicking the Steelers to the curb though.

Enough talk! Power Rankings. Kick ass. Previous week in ().

1. (1) New England Patriots (12-2): A close win, but good hands defense keeps the Patriots holding at number one. Their tackling, or lack thereof, almost knocked them out of the top spot but…

2. (2) Atlanta Falcons (12-2): A win over the struggling Seahawks isn’t enough to propel the Falcons back into the top spot. The top team in the NFC should coast to the playoffs now.

3. (7) Baltimore Ravens (10-4): The loss by the Steelers puts the Ravens in position to steal first place. The win over the Saints shows they deserve it.

4. (4) New Orleans Saints (10-4): The Wild-Card is all but theirs now that the Packers took another loss. Think about it.

5. (5) Philadelphia Eagles (10-4): Like I said, the war for the division came down to the Giants v. Eagles game. The Eagles prevailed thanks to a failure of defense by the Giants.

6. (9) Chicago Bears (10-4): A week after I said they can’t win in the cold, they played like it was summer against the Vikings in even worse field conditions.

7. (10) New York Jets (10-4): Beating the Steelers was huge for this team that has been struggling solidifying themselves as a team to beat.

8. (6) New York Giants (9-5): A complete failure on defense and special teams helped the Giants lose to the Eagles. Just pathetic. It’s not the punters fault they lost this game. Quit blaming him.

9. (12) Kansas City Chiefs (9-5): A solid win on the road nearly locks up the division, but it ain’t over yet. The Chargers are still sniffing around.

10. (17) Indianapolis Colts (8-6): If it came down to a tiebreaker at the end of the season, the Colts would win over the Jags because of their record against common opponents.

11. (8) Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6): They needed a win against the Colts and didn’t get it. They aren’t out of it yet, but they have to win and the Colts have to lose at least one.

12. (3) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4): They’ve already clinched a playoff spot, but losing to the Jets shows some vulnerabilities.

13. (13) San Diego Chargers (8-6): The Chargers have a better in conference record than the Chiefs, and get the Broncos & Bungles to finish out the season. They could make a run at the division. The Chiefs have to lose though.

14. (14) Green Bay Packers (8-6): Put a fork in ‘em, they’re done. Rookie inexperience by Flynn lost the game for the Packers, with it went their hopes at making the playoffs.

15. (11) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6): Not only have the Bucs not beat a winning team this season, but they allowed Detroit to break their long road losing streak. When will you people realize the Bucs suck?

16. (18) Oakland Raiders (7-7): Certainly out of the running for the playoffs, the Raiders still have a pretty good shot at making their season a winning one.

17. (22) Tennessee Titans (6-8): If the Titans finish 8-8, Jeff Fisher should still be fired. His decision making this season has been atrocious.

18. (15) Miami Dolphins (7-7): The Bills always give the Dolphins trouble late in the season, they should have been better prepared. They weren’t and now are mathematically eliminated.

19. (16) St. Louis Rams (6-8): And so starts the loser bracket. The Rams could be hosting a playoff game with a losing record. They shouldn’t be allowed to.

20. (23) Dallas Cowboys (5-9): The Cowboys just want people to know that they are still around, and still America’s team. They can do this by upsetting the Eagles in week 17.

21. (19) Seattle Seahawks (6-8): Also in the running for the crummy NFC West is the Seahawks, who have no chance at a winning season.

22. (20) Houston Texans (5-9): Nevermind the Texans, they are just watching. No really, pretend they aren’t there.

23. (21) San Francisco 49ers (5-9): The Niners, what can be said about this team with such a history except they suck? It’s all Crabtree’s fault. Ever since his existence on the team it’s been all downhill.

24. (24) Cleveland Browns (5-9): Even with the return of Colt McCoy, the Browns still couldn’t knock off the Bungles to have hope of a winning season.

25. (25) Washington Redskins (5-9): Fire everybody, including the owner. It’s the only way this team will ever compete.

26. (26) Minnesota Vikings (5-9): Finally. He’s had a great career, but Favre just looked defeated after that hit. Retire to the hot tub buddy.

27. (28) Detroit Lions (4-10): Hey, nice way to break that road losing streak. Too bad it’s on the road to a terrible season overall.

28. (29) Buffalo Bills (4-10): Minor spoiler alert: the Bills will not be getting first pick in the draft!

29. (27) Arizona Cardinals (4-10): This team was in the Superbowl? When? In this century? Who’s the QB these days anyway?

30. (31) Cincinnati Bengals (3-11): A close win over the falling Browns solidifies this team as… as… nope, still losers.

31. (30) Denver Broncos (3-11): Possibly the worst this team has ever been in the history of the franchise. Why? Coaching? Nah, they fired that guy and they are still losing.

32. (32) Carolina Panthers (2-12): Hey, a win. Doesn’t matter. Right now the top draft picks are cringing at their options.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 15

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

Best friends forever? (image: Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

Last week was not as expected. First off, I’ll be the first to admit that I was completely wrong about the Chiefs against the Chargers. It seems that they can’t win without Cassel at the helm and the Chargers completely owned them, handing them a shut-out. Yes, I was wrong. I think this is the most wrong (wrongest perhaps) that I’ve been all year long. All in all, last week was a disappointment at 9-7 (124-85 on the year.) The Jets and the Packers really let me down with those losses, and I was way off on the Bears. Even though I picked the Patriots to win that game, I had no idea it would be a blowout. Anyway, enough dwelling on the past.

This week we already have one team that has clinched so can relax just a little bit (Patriots) but probably shouldn’t. As the Colts have taught us in the last couple years, if you don’t get either a late loss or sit all your starters once you hit the playoffs you lose the first game. Hopefully the Patriots won’t sit everyone and will come out to win and win big. I’m feeling good about this week all around. The Bears get an unexpected second snow game, the season is winding down and the playoff picture should be a bit clearer after this week. Perhaps. So crack open a natty light, step out into the cold in your shorts and a wife beater and have the little woman read you these here picks. Get ‘er done!

Featured Game:

Philadelphia at NY Giants Line: -3.0
This is the big one. As far as the next couple of weeks are concerned – they don’t matter. What matters is this NFC North showdown between the Giants and the Eagles. They meet in the New Meadowlands carrying the same record and the need to win. This Giants defense will be a challenge for Vick though, it’s not the Texans and it’s not the Cowboys. It’s the Giants. While the Giants will have a struggle keeping the ball out of the hands of the Eagles secondary. Eli, even though he threw a couple of picks last week, still managed to pull off the win. For the sake of continuity, with what I’m not sure, I’m going to take the Giants just because they are at home and probably have watched enough tape to be able to contain Vick and DeShaun Jackson’s showboating ass.

Tailgate City: (The Rest):

San Francisco at San Diego Line: -9.0
The Chargers must be reading this column. I’ve been dogging them all year round for just not being good enough, and now here they are – a game behind the Chiefs and poised to take over the division. A win at home against the on-again/off-again (mostly off) Niners could be just what they need to propel them into a tie for the division lead. This is important because the Chiefs play at the Rams this week, which could really go either way. Needless to say, I’m taking the Chargers at home.

Cleveland at Cincinnati Line: -1.0
The Browns cannot win with Jake Delhomme at the helm. Maybe at some point the guy could play football, hell he took the Panthers to a Superbowl, but now he loses games. The good news is that Colt McCoy practiced this week and should start for the Browns. Good, because I was hoping they hadn’t given up yet. As for the Bungles, well Chad and T.O. on the Ocho show blamed pretty much everyone in the organization for the failure of the team – besides themselves. From ownership to the coaches, T.O. did everything to put himself out of blame. Going on television and blaming the coaches and owners is stupid for a player, and he’ll be out next year. Not saying he was wrong, just didn’t pick the correct forum. Browns to win on the road, the Bungles are a mess.

Washington at Dallas Line: -6.0
The Cowboys nearly pulled off the win against the Eagles last week, which would have been a really good sign for this franchise – this year. Kitna has done a good job filling in for Romo, even though he’s been a little inconsistent. He’s accurate though, and doesn’t put the ball on the ground as much as he did in Detroit. Credit a strong offensive line for that factoid. The Redskins couldn’t manage to beat the Bucs, because they play like shit. Every close game for the Redskins this year has been low scoring and ugly. This won’t be a close game. The Cowboys are going to pistol whip them and refuse to finish last in the division. Cowboys at home.

Houston at Tennessee Line: -1.5
Who knew that at this point in the year the Titans would be doing so terribly? We thought with Vince Young and Chris Johnson and the best defense in the league they were a sure thing for the Superbowl. Not so. The Titans are a constant disappointment, week after week. They had their chance last week against the Colts at home, several chances in fact. How’s that 4th and 1 punt with 4 minutes left looking now? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Meanwhile the Texans are no better. Again, so much promise with that defense and Matt Schaub, but no – it hasn’t happened for this team. This is another battle for the bottom. That being said, I’m taking the Texans on the road because while they aren’t winning, it’s not for lack of trying.

Jacksonville at Indianapolis Line: -5.0
The battle for the AFC South begins and ends with the Colts. While the Jags currently lead the division, they have not clinched it and three weeks is enough time for the Colts to stage a hell of a comeback. Will they? Well, they have to start doing that this week then. Peyton has looked flustered all year long, and the truth is that teams are not afraid of his chicken dance anymore. In fact, there is probably enough tape on him at this point to be able to pinpoint every flap of the arm. Either the Colts need to start doing things differently, or get used to losing. I’m taking the Jags on the road. They have the spark, and are exciting to watch. They seem like they are having fun while the Colts seem depressed.

Kansas City at St. Louis Line: -0.0
The Rams have a chance to do something they have not done in a long, long time – go to the playoffs. All with rookie Sam Bradford at the helm. They took a thrashing last week at the hands of Drew Brees and the Saints, but I think that was more the Saints then it was lack of quality play by the Rams. Bradford has been deadly accurate and Steven Jackson is having a great season running straight ahead. No major injuries have kept him in the line-up. As for the Chiefs, unless Cassel is back by this week – they have no chance. As of this writing, he’s limited in practice and is day to day. The truth is, you need more than a week to recover from an appendectomy. He won’t be in the line-up on Sunday. I’m taking the Rams at home.

Buffalo at Miami Line: -5.5
While the Patriots have already locked up this division, if every other contending team in the AFC loses all their remaining games and the Dolphins win all of theirs I think they have a chance at the playoffs. I don’t really feel like checking that right now. However, they have at least the hope of a winning season, which is good for this team that has struggled to find their identity. Are they a running team? A passing team? What happened to the Wildcat formation? Ronnie or Ricky the primary? Henne, Thigpen & Pennington have all taken snaps this year. Regardless, even though they somehow managed three wins the Bills are not really any good. They may have found their QB of the future, but of the present he won’t beat the Dolphins in Miami. Dolphins to win at home.

Detroit at Tampa Bay Line: -6.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
This could be an interesting game for a couple reasons. First off, the Lions defense has been playing very tough this year and the team as a whole have come very close to winning some very lopsided match-ups. Meanwhile, the Bucs defense has been spotty at best and they still are yet to beat a team with a winning record. To be fair, they have still beaten more teams than every team in the NFC West. Based on the quality of play from the Lions, I’m thinking they have a quality chance at winning this game. Even though they are on the road, I still think they are going to win. Plus, I refuse to pick the Bucs. Lions on the road.

Arizona at Carolina Line: -3.0 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
The Cardinals put their steel toe down on the Broncos throat last week, and finished the job. The Broncos are toast thanks to the Cardinals, who haven’t put a hurting on a team like that all year long. The Panthers suck. 1-12. Are you kidding me? Cardinals to win.

New Orleans at Baltimore Line: -1.0
While it appears that the Ravens may have faltered a bit in their game against the Texans, I think it was just the defense toying with them for fun. Like a cat playing with a ball of yarn. The defense on this squad is at this point the best in the league. I mean they have to be right? Whenever they get in a jam, the defense gets them out of it. This week they welcome the Saints to town, who are trying to catch the Falcons for the division. Man, I’ve said that word a lot in this column today. Anywho, they won’t do that because they aren’t going to beat the Ravens. That’s right. I’m picking against probably one of the most magical teams in the league. Frankly, I don’t give a shit who wins, I just want to see Colston vs. Reed. You know that’s going to be an awesome match-up. Anyway, Ravens at home.

Atlanta at Seattle Line: +7.0
Another team that is struggling to find themselves is the Seahawks. They are like a pre-pubescent boy getting hair in strange places and reacting terribly to it. While Marshawn Lynch has found steady employment, it’s questionable if Hasselbeck will have it as a starter next year. Start looking at draft boards for a QB boys. The Falcons roll into town with the best record in the NFC and tasting the playoffs. The ‘Hawks paltry defense doesn’t stand a chance against the best running game in the league. Falcons to win easy on the road.

Denver at Oakland Line: -7.0
The Raiders are not done yet, but there is already talk of a coaching change. More specifically – a firing. If Tom Cable wants to keep his job he needs to win every game this year including this one. Which really shouldn’t be much of a challenge. The Broncos should be winning, they have all the tools to win but don’t seem to be gelling. They won’t at this point. The Raiders should be able to roll easy in this one. Raiders at home.

NY Jets at Pittsburgh Line: -6.0
Ok, I’m going to completely re-form my opinion about the Jets. They stink. There, I said it. Pats fans rejoice, the Jets are now on my shit list. What the hell happened to this team? I thought they had a defense that couldn’t be challenge? Yet a blowout at the hands of the Pats followed by a tough loss to the Dolphins have turned this team into a very questionable franchise. Following those two losses with a visit to Pittsburgh is just terrible news for the Jets. Where are the Bills when you need them? The Steelers are playing it rough this year, taking the hits and handing them out (Harrison.) This week, they’ll be bruising up the Jets mighty good. Taking the Steelers at home, and the Jets – J E T S Jets – to lose big.

Green Bay at New England Line: -0.0
Really? The line on this game is zero? I looked – it’s true. Zero. Dunno how that’s possible if Rodgers is still on the bench. Aaron Rodgers may not play. Really, he shouldn’t play a week after a concussion, nobody should. However, after he left the game last week, the Packers O-line left as well. Back-up QB Flynn had little or no protection and was slaughtered by the Lions defense. Regardless, with or without Rodgers the Patriots offense, Tom Brady and the defense will be too much for the falling Packers. Taking the Patriots to win at home.

Chicago at Minnesota Line: -0.0
The Bears get another snow game this week. After falling hard, hard, to the Patriots at home in the snow the Bears get to travel to Minnesota to play at a college stadium in weather that is being forecast at -19 below with the wind chill. They proved last week they can’t play in bad weather like they used to. The Vikings have called up some dude named Ramsey or something like that, from G-d knows where to take the snaps because Favre is old and Jackson has turf toe after one start. Weak Tavaris. That was your shot and you’ve blown it. I’m taking the Bears on the road, in the snow.

That’s it. Limited close as I have a lot of work to do. Enjoy the rest of the week. Drink some egg nog. Eat some rum balls. Yearrghh football!!

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 14

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

Matt Cassel is looking towards the playoffs. (Image: www.reuters.com)

With Tom Brady and his golden locks winning on Monday night against the Jets, that brought me to 12-4 on the week. Which makes me 115-78, that’s like a 60% win percentage. Hey, if you’ve been betting the moneyline on every single game this year – that means you’d be a winner! Not by much, but at least it’s not a losing record. Don’t worry, there will be a column at the end of the year highlighting all of my mistakes. Or at least the giant glowing ones. Like most of my playoff predictions at the beginning of the year.

So we enter Week 14 now. The Thursday night game is a staple, one that I constantly forget to watch. Scott Hanson of the NFL RedZone has unknowingly become my best friend in the whole wide world. If it wasn’t for the NFL RedZone, this column would not be possible. Yes, I’m totally marking out to the NFL RedZone, but c’mon – how else would I be able to see the big plays of every single game? Enough marking out, we should really get into the picks this week. There are some massive games this week. Games that would make Peter North question his manhood. So nuzzle your ass in your Lazy-Boy and get comfy (make sure you put a pillow in between the laptop and your balls) – here come the picks.

Featured Game:

Kansas City at San Diego Line: -7.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
It was tough picking the featured game this week. Basically, when I do – this is the game that I’m saying will be the best game of the week. Most weekends, I’ve been pretty right on. Some haven’t turned out the way that I planned. For me, it’s most important for this column and the continuity of the universe that I get this one right. That being said, the Kansas City Chiefs are on the tip of every one’s tongue. In a division that in recent years has seen the Chargers on top, the Chiefs are on top with a two game lead over the Chargers. That’s why this game is so important for the Chiefs. A win gets them one game closer to the playoffs and winning the division, while a loss keeps the Chargers well alive to come back and take the division. I’ll say it like this cause it’s true, but this is the Chiefs division and playoff berth to lose. It’s a good thing they have been playing killer football lately. The play action is alive and well with Matt Cassel at the helm, I have no doubt they will make the playoffs this year. The road goes through sunny Southern California first. I’m taking the Chiefs to pull off the upset and send the Chargers packing.

Tailgate City (The Rest:)

Indianapolis at Tennessee Line: +3.5
I’m not sure what this game means for these two teams. Right now, they are both in line behind the Jaguars for the division and any hopes at the playoffs. However, neither team is playing playoff caliber football and if I could pick them both to lose this game I would. Peyton and the boys got rocked sideways last week against the Cowboys, losing in overtime. What the hell happened there? What happened was sloppy QB play and a roster full of injuries. The Titans got hopelessly smacked around by the Jaguars. I’m rooting for the Titans to win this game though, since they are a game behind Indy and Indy is a game behind the Jags. These two teams don’t even deserve to be in a playoff race. Titans at home.

Cleveland at Buffalo Line: -1.0
The Browns pulled off a close win last week, relying on strong defense instead of back-up QB Jake Delhomme. The interceptions won the game for them, and sunk the Dolphins. This week Colt McCoy should be back, which good because they travel to Buffalo to take on the scrappy Bills. That’s what you call a 2-10 team that comes close every week – scrappy. However, the Bills have had a tough time with stingy pass defenses and strong running games this year, and the Browns have both those things. I’m looking for the Browns to take this game and get one more closer to breaking even. Browns to win.

Green Bay at Detroit Line: +7.0
The Lions just can’t get a break this year. They hung in the game last week and a late roughing call (that shouldn’t have been a call) against Suh kept the Bears in it, eventually netting them the win. Too bad for the Lions though. They don’t suck this year, but based on the win/loss record one could argue that point. So is this a good team? Winning at home against Green Bay would prove it. However, that’s probably not going to happen. The Packers slowed down for a couple weeks, but the win over the Niners last week should propel them far enough for a win this week. Packers on the road.

New York at Minnesota Line: -0.0
The Vikings are now Favre-less. Chances are, he’s going to miss a start for the first time since 1992 or some crazy shit like that. This is a good thing. Look, I respect Favre and think he’s probably the greatest QB of my generation, but he should have hung up the cleats last year. Now he just looks the fool and you know if he starts this weekend it’s a stunt and he’s still running the team. Tavaris Jackson needs his shot, his own chance to fail and he’ll have a huge test against the crazy strong pass rush of the Giants. However, as Vick proved – that pass rush has holes. It’s just a matter of knowing how to exploit it. So the question for the Viking is whether or not their offensive line can give Tavaris enough time to let routes develop. If not, the Vikings are screwed. I’m taking the Giants on the road in what will be a surprisingly close game.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh Line: -9.0
Ah, the AFC North, my favorite division. The Bungles have no shot in this game – or do they? The AFC North fully subscribes to the whole ‘every other Sunday’ theory but in reality the Bungles have no weapons greater than T.O., Ochocinco and Palmer – yet continue to lose. Why is this? They have a competent running game, can develop the play action – yet their defense is one of the worst in the league. Plus, as I predicted (though I didn’t think it would be this bad) they don’t seem to have the cohesion of a team. This is why they will continue to lose, especially against a team like the Steelers, who won a bruising cage match against the Ravens. Rothlesberger is hurt, but I bet he’ll still play. It really won’t matter. They should rest him. Steelers at home.

Tampa Bay at Washington Line: +3.0
In all reality, this should be a win for the Buccaneers. Look, it’s clear I don’t like the Bucs – I haven’t picked them all year and I refuse to. That’s my agenda so bite me. However, they haven’t beaten a team with a winning record all year. Lucky for them, only one more team they play at this point (the Saints) have a winning record. They get the Redskins, then the Seahawks, then the Panthers then the Saints. They have a pretty good chance of finishing 10-6. They have a young team, one of the youngest in the league so it’s not a surprise they aren’t beaten the veteran teams. However, this match-up is interesting because here you have the young’ens on the Bucs, and the old hats on the Redskins in McNabb, Shanahan, Moss & Hanesworth (who has been a non-factor this year.) The Redskins can play good offensive ball every once in a while, but have the worst ranked defense in the league. The bottom. Number 32. Regardless, I refuse to pick the Bucs. Skins to win at home.

Atlanta at Carolina Line: +7.5
Matty Ice. The nickname has stuck. With a calm and cool demeanor, not looking flushed or rushed he came back down-field against the Bucs and put the winning score on the board. This kid is lights out when the situation calls for a comeback. Two minute drill? Forget about it. He’s mastered that and the one minute drill. The Falcons are playing as a unit. The defense is strong and seemed to have an off week against the Bucs. Do not underestimate your opponent! Especially a team with absolutely nothing to play for or to lose – like the Panthers. Last in almost every offensive stat, holding the single worst record in the league the Panthers are playing terrible football right now. Expect more of the same as the Falcons come to town and tear them apart. Call it practice. Falcons on the road.

Oakland at Jacksonville Line: -4.5
Oakland continues to baffle and surprise. The massive win over the Chargers last week was epic for this perennially struggling team. In the long run – the next four weeks – I don’t think that win will be enough. They are going to be too far out for the Wild Card and KC is pretty much running away with the division. So good effort fellas, maybe next year. Which makes them dangerous for a team like the Jags, who are on the cusp of locking down the AFC South. They are playing like it too, ever since that hail mary win – the Jags haven’t looked back. This week, I’d look for Maurice Jones-Drew to go for 200+ against a run defense that hasn’t been stingy enough this year. Jags to win at home.

St. Louis at New Orleans Line: -9.5
Bradford has had great poise this year, and like Mark Sanchez and Ben Rothlesberger before him could see the playoffs in his rookie year. I say could because this Rams team is only 6-6 yet they lead the division with that record. Frankly, the NFC West could go to one of three team. Kind of sad huh? This week they travel to another comfy, loud dome to play the Saints. The Saints started the season a bit slow, but in recent weeks have woken up and taken back the field. Yet last week they nearly took a spanking by the Bungles. What happened there? Well, the defense took a strong nap. This week, back at home, the crowd won’t let that happen and Bradford has not played in such a hostile place as New Orleans (as far as noise levels during the snap count.) I see this being another rough game for the Saints, as the Rams will come out quick and fast. Expect a comeback by the Saints. Saints to win at home.

Seattle at San Francisco Line: -4.5
The break even Seahawks, who have been about as consistent as a rash drive down the coast to visit division rival 49′ers. To say this game is huge for the Niners is an understatement. This game is more than huge. It’s gigantic. You see, the Niners invested a lot of money and stress in Michael Crabtree last year to very little payoff. At the same time they took a huge chance with Mike Singletary in bringing him on as the head coach. So far both have been to little avail and Singletary will be looking for a new job at the end of the season. However, even at 4-8 they still have a chance in this division, and this game is it. This is a must win for the Niners, which leads me to pick the Seahawks on the road to win. The Niners don’t perform well under pressure. They don’t have the line-up for it.

New England at Chicago Line: +3.0
A week after the two best teams in the NFC played, the two best teams in the AFC played each other. Now we get the best in the AFC versus the best in the NFC. This may as well be the Superbowl. How can I even think about picking a winner in this game? Both these teams are playing at the top of their game right now, especially the Patriots who simply destroyed the Jets last week. So, since I have to make a pick I’m going to go out on a limb and pick the Bears. No wait, I’m gonna pick the Pats. No wait, I’m gonna pick the Bears. Crap. Ok, let’s flip a coin – the Bears are at home, yet the Pats play well on the road and certainly in the weather. A win puts the Pats further away from the Jets, while the Bears have a chance to lock up the division with a win. Man, this is a tough one. Ok, I’m taking the Pats on the road. Final decision.

Miami at NY Jets Line: -6.0
I said the Jets would ‘hang in there’ against the Patriots on Monday night. Boy, was I wrong about that. They got worked. The Patriots beat them on offense, beat them on defense and just beat them. No doubt that they started fresh at practice this week. Hopefully instead of focusing on what they did wrong, they focused on the Dolphins because this ‘Fins team is not to be taken lightly. They also suffered a loss last week, and although it was close – it was a tough defense that brought them down. And while I didn’t see a tough defense on Monday night against the Pats, the Jets supposedly have one of those. I expect it to wake back up for this cold weather game. Ricky and Ronnie don’t run as well in the snow, which leaves the passing game – which hasn’t been fantastic lately. Jets at home.

Denver at Arizona Line: -0.0 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
The Broncos fired Josh McDaniels this week. That would make for an interesting story line, except they suck and that’s why he’s gone. His record has been terrible since he’s been coaching the Broncos, so perhaps it’s time he take a break. Meanwhile the Cardinals are doing no better and are the only team in their division that has no chance at the playoffs. Both these teams suck, this match-up will be terrible to watch and no-one cares who wins. I don’t even think the fans will win this one. Since I have to pick a winner – Cardinals at home.

Philadelphia at Dallas Line: +3.5
The NFC East is a fun division. One week the Giants are looking like they are going to run away with it, then another week the Eagles get on top, while the Redskins keep it fresh by never letting us know if they are for real or not. Then there is the Cowboys. The Cowboys have been a huge let down this season and were the first to fire their coach. However, Jon Kitna is showing some spark, which culminated with his beating of the Colts last week. This could be an interesting game for the Eagles. The important thing for the Cowboys of course is to contain Vick. The Bears did it, and since then Vick has almost been a non-factor (as much as Vick can be a non-factor.) However, the Eagles should prevail with a win on the road.

Baltimore at Houston Line: +3.0
The Ravens played a nice violent game against the Steelers last week, which was really no surprise. A couple fines were handed out after the game and the Steelers are nursing a couple bloody noses. It’s no doubt they’ll bring that type of pain to the Houston game, but they don’t hate the Texans like they hate the Steelers. They will beat them though, the Texans at this point really don’t stand a chance. Ravens to win on the road.

I just want to make one closing point about the NFL RedZone channel, Comcast does not offer it in HD in my area. I have to watch it on an HD TV in regular definition. Now, I know the NFL owns all the cameras and is broadcasting the channel in HD, cause Verizon FiOS offers it. So my question to Comcast is – is this going to change? Because I will switch to Verizon and encourage others to if this doesn’t change next year. In fact, it’d be better if it changes by Week 15. Punks.

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Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 13

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

Will the Jets be celebrating this Monday night? (image: NFL)

Last week was another good week for my picks as I went 11-5 (103-74 on the season,) but like I said – this late in the season it only gets easier to make the right predictions. Want to know my secret? Pick the team with the best record, don’t pick the Cowboys, Bucs or Bungles. Or the Lions. Or the Bills or Vikings. Or the Cardinals or Niners.

So this week brings us back to a lot of divisional play, which is going to make the difference in a lot of teams making the run for the playoffs or not. Ouch, I just got a shoulder stinger there. That’s from typing the word “playoffs.” Playoffs? Playoffs? Yeah, right around the corner. Frankly, I think it’s going to be a great discussion when an 8-8 team from the NFC West gets into the playoffs yet a possible 10-6 team or 11-5 team from another division gets left out. The top 12 teams should get in, not just cause you were the cream of the crap in a shitty division.

Anyway, that’s a discussion that the players union can have with the owners after they sign a new contract next year. That is – if they sign a new contract next year. That whole strike thing is looming once again in the background, no one is talking about it much, but it’s there. On a side note, my soundtrack for writing this post today is The Vitrolum Republic. Groovy. Now, how about some picks! Let’s get it on!

Featured Game:

NY Jets at New England Line: -3.5
The battle for AFC supremacy starts and ends with these two teams. While the Ravens and Steelers may pose a threat in the playoffs, the AFC Championship game is going to feature one of these two teams (or possibly both since one will most likely get the Wild-Card and the other win the division.) So much to @bigguyd’s chagrin, I can’t automatically pick the Patriots in this match-up. I think there is more to it than just Tom Brady and the killer offense and competent defense of the Patriots. The Jets seem to eke out a win week after week, usually staying in the game with strong defense. This is going to be the real test of Mark Sanchez’s resolve this year. Their last meeting ended in a huge win for the Jets at home, but this time they are visiting the Patriots and have changed a bit since Week 2. They seemed dominant then, and now just seem like they are good enough to hang in there, but not win. So, I’m going to pick the Patriots to take this game at home and shore up the top spot in the AFC East.

Tailgate City (The Rest:)

Houston at Philadelphia Line: -9.0
The Texans pulled off the win at home against the struggling Titans to stay in the playoff race. That’s right, even at a paltry 5-6 they still have quite a good chance at competing for the AFC South crown. Go figure. This has more to do with the Colts losing than them winning. This week, they are surely watching tape of the Bears win over the Eagles to learn about that Vick fellow. Can they contain? I think they’ll try, but the hostile Philly crowd noise and the cool weather may stifle the offensive communication, whether or not they contain Vick. Plus, the Philly D ain’t half bad. Philly to win at home.

New Orleans at Cincinnati Line: +7.0
The Saints need to win this game, that’s all there is to it. If they hope to somehow inexplicably steal the division from the Falcons they need to keep up by not getting upset by crappy teams. The Bungles could upset, I don’t think they will – but it’s possible. They have all the weapons to upset, oh wait, they don’t have a defense. Forgot about that. I suppose you’d need one of those to win. Saints on the road.

Chicago at Detroit Line: +3.5
Da Bears are back. Frankly, I’m loving it. I’m not a Bears fan but this team is looking good lately. I picked them to beat the Eagles last week and they didn’t dissapoint in one of the best games of the weekend. They found a way to contain Vick by generally keeping a three man front and giving him no where to throw, then he got shut down on the run because they had a free safety or corner coming in when he started to leave the pocket as the three and/or an additional linebacker came on the rush. It was good football. The Lions can’t compete with good football right now. They put a couple points on the Patriots, but in the end couldn’t keep up. Bears on the road.

San Francisco at Green Bay Line: -9.5
The Packers loss last week really sets them back in the division. In order to gain ground on the Bears (since the wild card will most likely go to the Saints) they are going to have to win the rest of their games in dominant Packer fashion. While the Niners pulled off a win against the Cardinals last week, Troy Smith still had a rough game and didn’t look confident in the pocket. This is daunting for this team that really needs a boost since Steve Young left. I’m looking for the Niners to come out shooting, but miss the target by a couple touchdowns. I just don’t think their defense has a chance against Rodgers. Packers to win at home.

Jacksonville at Tennessee Line: -0.0
Oddly enough, this is the battle for the division – this week at least. Every team in this division has a valid shot at winning it – maybe even with a paltry 9-7 record. Which is going to suck for teams with a better record in a better division. The Jags are the surprise team of the AFC, even with their record. They have been pulling off some surprise wins, but fell back down to Earth against the Giants last week. They needed that win, but thankfully the Titans dropped to the Texans. Should be interesting going down the next couple of weeks. I’m taking the Jags to win this week, just because the Titans are still having trouble running the ball and passing the ball. Ouch.

Denver at Kansas City Line: -9.0
The Chiefs are on a roll this season. Another big win last week is pushing them further up the Power Rankings and closer to the playoffs. They need to keep an eye out for the Chargers though, who are only a game behind and looking to be heating up. Thankfully, the Chiefs get the Broncos at home this week. This should be a cake game for them, since the Broncos have apparently forgotten how to play football. The KC offense will be too much for the water thin Broncos defense. KC at home.

Cleveland at Miami Line: -4.5
The Dolphins pulled off a kind of upset last week against the Raiders. Both Henne and Thigpen got playing time, but it didn’t seem to matter because all they had to do was hand the ball to Ricky. I’m still undecided if that was good play by the Dolphins, or crappy play by the Raiders who have been strong against the run most of the season. However, a win is a win. The same can be said about the Browns. They won against the Panthers, but Delhomme nearly threw the game away – literally. The Browns can not win with him going forward. They need Colt McCoy back. He’s missed practice thus far this week, but should be back on Sunday. With his rocket arm and the running power of Hillis, I’m taking the Browns to upset on the road.

Buffalo at Minnesota Line: -5.5 UPSET SPECIAL!!
Buffalo might be far out of it when it comes to playoffs, or even a winning season, but they are not out of it when it comes to competing for the win. Their ultra competitive game against the Steelers came after a killer win against the Bungles. That’s the way they are playing right now. Only a late dropped TD pass killed them against the Steelers. So as they travel to the comfy dome of Minnesota, one has to think they stand a pretty damn good chance of winning. Especially with the Vikings coming off a win at Washington. Usually that would pump a team up, and it will, but the Vikings have been anything but consistent. I’m taking the Bills to upset on the road.

Washington at NY Giants Line: -7.0
The Redskins took a tough loss at home to the struggling Vikings. This was a turning point for the Redskins as it dropped them to 5-6. They’ll be lucky if they get to 8-8 on the year, but I’m thinking it’s going to be more like 6-10 the way they are going right now. They travel to New York to face off against their division rival Giants. The Giants are looking hot at the moment – at the moment. Again, this is another inconsistent team – especially on defense. However, this week should be a good one for them as the Redskins offense still isn’t clicking with McNabb. Just shut down Santana Moss and you can control the game. Taking the Giants to win at home.

Oakland at San Diego Line: -13.0
The Chargers proved that they should not be underestimated with that huge beat down of the Colts. Hell, even if they had won by one point it still would have been a beat down. They controlled Manning, they covered the receivers well and their offense exploded into the end zone. They looked like the Chargers look on paper, which is a good thing. Meanwhile, the Raiders are back to being what we expect from the Raiders – losers. Which is why I’m taking the Chargers at home, just cause the Raiders are well, the Raiders.

Dallas at Indianapolis Line: -5.5
The Colts looked hurt and sad after that loss to the Chargers. But remember, this is Peyton Manning’s team. Do you think he’s going to let them lose two weeks in a row? I don’t think so. The Cowboys at the moment are Jon Kitna’s team and while that did them well one week, it won’t do them well against the Colts at home. The Colts are too good at home with the crowd to lose this game to the nearly coach-less Cowboys. Colts at home.

St. Louis at Arizona Line: +3.5
No way the Rams lose this game. Not now, not after the season they’ve been having. Bradford has been playing awesome rookie football, and their defense has been keeping up with even the best offenses. The Cardinals started off looking like they could compete, but they quickly proved that they really couldn’t. It all boils down to quarterback problems with this team. Neither QB that has started this year has done a lick of shit. Andersen looks rattled almost all the time, having no pocket protection hasn’t helped him a bit. Rams to win on the road.

Carolina at Seattle Line: -6.0
Every week I seem to be looking at one game and can’t think of anything good to say. This is that game. The Seahawks are a so-so team at best, and haven’t really proven anything on offense or defense. The thing is, they could still win the division – with a losing record! The NFC West is just shit. Thankfully for the Hawks, the much, much worse Panthers come to town. Should be an easy win for the Seahawks, but you never really know do you? I’m taking the Hawks, but leaving open the possibility that the Panthers might upset.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay Line: +3.0
The Bucs proved last week that they can’t win against a team with a winning record, and now the best team in the NFC comes to Tampa Bay. Forget it. The Bucs don’t stand a chance against the Falcons this year. Deluded bandwagoning Bucs fans might think so, but they don’t. Falcons to win easy on the road.

Pittsburgh at Baltimore Line: -3.0
Only one of these teams is going to make the playoffs. That’s a sad reality based on how well they are both playing. Well, how well the Ravens are playing. They haven’t faltered much at all this season, but the Steelers near loss to the Bills last week kind of gave me some pause in picking this team to win the division. I think the Steelers are the Jets of the AFC North. They have been winning, but honestly their wins have been fairly close and there is a lot of luck involved. You know, like a coin toss. The Ravens have all the cards in this match-up, it’s their game to lose and I don’t think that they will. Ravens at home.

That’s all folks. Week 13 in a nutshell. A 2000 word nutshell. Whatever. You’ll notice that there was no crapfest of the week this week because frankly, they are all good match-ups. Even the Thursday night game, which usually is sub-par at best. Hell, I’d even watch the Bucs game just to see them get worked by the Falcons. All good shit. Stay tuned next week, when I talk more football. If you haven’t figured out the theme with this column by now, perhaps it’s time for a nap.

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Digital Dads NFL Power Rankings

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Maybe that's why the Panthers are losing. Their Cheerleaders are overdressed. (Image: NFL)

Not too much changed this week. Ok, that’s a lie – pretty much everything changed this week. A new number one though, and some winners had to be dropped because of the quality of the win. I can do that. These are my power rankings. Sadly, Green Bay did not replace Atlanta in the rankings here. Sorry random commenter.

If you can’t figure it out, last week’s ranking is after this weeks’ ranking, so you can see what changed.

1. (2) Atlanta Falcons (9-2): Back in the top spot, the win against Green Bay solidfied them as best in the NFC.

2. (1) New England Patriots (9-2): The Lions put up quite a fight, but the Patriots prevailed in the end. The close win keeps them out of the top spot.

3. (3) New York Jets (9-2): Oh hai Patriots. Can we haz division lead yet?

4. (9) Chicago Bears (8-3): With the biggest jump of the week, the Bears move up because they found a way to contain Vick and win big, stealing the division from the cheeseheads.

5. (8) New Orleans Saints (8-3): Watch out Atlanta, the Saints are not going quietly into the night.

6. (5) Baltimore Ravens (8-3): The Ravens win over the Bucs was much more convincing than the Steelers win over the Bills.

7. (7) Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3): Yeah, the Steelers won, but barely. Only a dropped TD by the Bills in OT gave the Steelers a chance.

8. (10) New York Giants (7-4): The win over the Jags jumps them above the rest of the 7-4 teams, but will they stay there?

9. (11) Kansas City Chiefs (7-4): Another win for the Chiefs means they are that much closer to the playoffs. Watch out for those Chargers though.

10. (15) San Diego Chargers (6-5): Speaking of the Chargers, they are far from out of it. The win over the Colts proved that.

11. (4) Philadelphia Eagles (7-4): The Bears proved Vick is human after all. Now the rest of their opponents have tape to watch on how to stop him.

12. (6) Green Bay Packers (7-4): Rodgers might be one of the best QB’s in the league, but losing isn’t helping this team make the playoffs. The Bears are putting them in the rear view.

13. (16) Miami Dolphins (6-5): They might not make the playoffs, but they sure aren’t going down without a fight. Expect them to make some noise and possibly play spoiler.

14. (22) St. Louis Rams (5-6): Does it bother anyone else that this is the best team in the NFC West?

15. (21) Houston Texans (5-6): In reality, they are only one game out of the division lead. Go figure. It can still happen for this team.

16. (17) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-4): What’d I say? The Bucs cannot beat teams with a winning record. May as well write them off now.

17. (13) Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5): They better start winning if they want to lock up the division. It’s gonna be a tough couple of weeks.

18. (12) Indianapolis Colts (6-5): Same thing for the Colts. Losing to the Chargers might knock the wind out of them for a couple weeks though.

19. (18) Washington Redskins (5-6): They couldn’t beat the struggling Vikings, and only the Cowboys are worse in the division. And 8-8 finish is what they are aiming for.

20. (14) Oakland Raiders (5-6): I’m beginning to think that the five wins created hype that is just that. Their true colors are beginning to shine through.

21. (23) Cleveland Browns (4-7): This team could very well have a winning season – with Colt McCoy, not with Jake Delhomme.

22. (19) Tennessee Titans (5-6): The Titans are shaken up, rattled and confused. Rusty Smith better learn to throw and fast.

23. (20) Seattle Seahawks (5-6): In the worst division in football, the mess that is the Seahawks offense still has a valid shot at the playoffs.

24. (27) San Francisco 49ers (4-7): Even at a current 4-7 the Niners could still win the division and go to the playoffs at 9-7 or 8-8. Seriously. Same for every team in this crappy division.

25. (30) Minnesota Vikings (4-7): A win for the new coach. Awh. And he gets the game ball. Awh. They’ll still end up with a losing record.

26. (25) Dallas Cowboys (3-8): At this point, Jerry Jones has got to be asking himself if that massive TV was worth it. All the replays suck.

27. (24) Buffalo Bills (2-9): So close, yet so far again for this team. Knocking off the Steelers would have been huge.

28. (28) Arizona Cardinals (3-8): It’s getting really hard figuring out which of these losing teams is the worst. Andersen was getting booed last night at home. Ouch.

29. (29) Denver Broncos (3-8): The Broncos have some thinking to do in the offseason, like hiring a defense.

30. (26) Detroit Lions (2-9): Nothing like losing at home on Thanksgiving huh? Aren’t they getting tired of that?

31. (31) Cincinnati Bengals (2-9): Bungles. Cannon fodder at this point.

32. (32) Carolina Panthers (1-10): Delhomme practically handed them the game and they still couldn’t win. Pathetic.

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The Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 12

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

Will Greg Jennings be leaping this week against the Falcons? (Image: UPI/Brian Kersey)

Wow. I went 12-4 (92-69 on the season) last week and I would have went 14-2 had I not picked emotionally against the Bucs and the Cowboys. I can’t help it. I refuse to pick those teams no matter how it affects my stats. At least I’ve gotten the hang of picking the Broncos, who are on the suck list. Admittedly, at this point in the season it gets a bit easier to pick games. To a point, I mean, I did go 5-9 in Week 10.

Well, it’s Week 12, and for those of you who are lamenting the end of the season wait until you see the slate of games on tap for this week. We of course have our perennial stinkers at Dallas and Detroit on Turkey Day, along with an additional Thursday night game that isn’t too bad, then the weekend offers up some great match-ups that will surely test the mettle of many teams.

There are a lot of questions on the minds of football fans going into Week 12. Is Matt Ryan really the best QB in the league? Is Brett Favre going to retire? Is Randy Moss going to run a competent pattern and not look so sad? Can the Bungles get top dollar for Ochocinco and T.O. at the end of the season? There are no real good answers to all these questions except “yes.” Yes, all that will happen. Or it might not. What do I look like to you? An 8-ball? Give me a break. I’m just a loon writing a loosely crafted NFL column. Sheesh. On to Week 12!

Featured Game:

Green Bay at Atlanta Line: -2.0
The battle for NFC supremacy starts here. This could very well be the NFC championship game this year. The football gods are kind by giving us this game a couple weeks early. The high scoring Green Bay offense against the stingy & sometimes rude Atlanta secondary. This game is going to come down to run defense, and I think Atlanta has the better run defense. This could pose a problem for the Packers, who have solidified themselves as a strong passing team, their running game falling just enough behind that a strong run defense could really affect the play action portions of the playbook. I’m hoping for a nice high scoring affair, with both teams swapping touchdowns until the very end. This game is going to come down to mistakes made, but both of these teams lead the league in forcing & recovering turnovers. This is the Ali / Frazier game of the year. But, I have to pick a winner. Since the Falcons are at home, no, shit. I have no idea. This is really a tough one. Packers in final play comeback win dramatic fashion. It’s the only way.

Tailgate City (The Rest):

New England at Detroit Line: +7.0
Seven? The line is only at seven? Are you kidding me? The Patriots spanked the Colts last week, on offense and on defense. If Peyton and crew couldn’t compete, what makes anyone think the Lions have a chance against this Patriots team? The Lions at this point are just a worn down speed bump on the road to the playoffs for a team like the Patriots. Patriots on the road easy. Though the Lions might put up a bit of a fight.

New Orleans at Dallas Line: +4.0
The Saints are right back where they are supposed to be – winning with flair. The Cowboys are where no one thought they’d be. On their second coach of the year with Jon Kitna at the helm. Did you see his shit eating grin during the pistol whipping of his former team last week? Well, reverse that grin and replace it with frustration. That’s what he’s going to have passing into the Saints secondary. Aside from easily predicting a Saints road win here, I’m also going to say that Dallas turns the ball over no less than three times.

Cincinnati at NY Jets Line: -9.0
The Bungles played a good first half of football against the sunk Bills. Then they went into the locker room. I have no idea what happened in there, but they came out and gave the game away in more ways than one. The defense fell apart, while Palmer was off target the rest of the game for the most part. The crowd was right to be showering them with boos by the fourth quarter. The Jets pulled off another close win, proving – nothing. They are getting lucky and that will fail them when they come back to divisional play. However, this week they get the Bungles at home, so I’m predicting a win to stay even with the Patriots.

Pittsburgh at Buffalo Line: +6.5
Whoa, the Bills were the highest scoring team last week. Of course, they were playing the aforementioned Bungles, whose defense could have given up 200 yards to a monkey with a bag of candy corn. Fred Jackson, while still a very good runner, is going to have a hell of a time against the Steelers front four. The key to Buffalo even staying in this game is how their offensive line plays. In order for Fitzpatrick to even have a chance throwing the ball, they are going to have to open up the play action – and that means running. I wouldn’t count on it. It’d be nice to say that the Bills have a chance, but they don’t. Steelers with the win on the road.

Carolina at Cleveland Line: -0.0
The Browns pulled off another close – loss. This team comes so close and just can’t hold it together in the end. What happened last week? It’s easy. They were ahead and went into a prevent defense. Know what a prevent defense is good for? Preventing you from winning! They gave the Jags too much field, and didn’t keep up the pocket pressure that up until that point kept Maurice Jones-Drew and Garrard mostly silent. Which is why the Panthers might have a chance to stay in this game. They are outmatched, and it’s possible that McCoy could be sitting with a sprained ankle, but it won’t matter. The Panthers are playing with a QB called up from his couch a couple weeks ago. They are done. Cleveland to win at home.

Jacksonville at NY Giants Line: -7.5 UPSET SPECIAL!!
You know what, the Jags have gotten lucky. Or have they? Sure, that heave-ho against the Texans was luck, but then they did it again against the Browns as well. Just coming back at the last second to take the game. So is it luck or is it the defense stepping up late to give the offense a chance? Well sure, why not? This week they travel to visit the Giants, who are a confused little team. They got absolutely worked by the Eagles, losing the division lead. Will they rebound and trounce the Jags? I don’t think so. When this team gets down on themselves, they play like absolute shit. I’m taking the Jags to upset on the road.

Minnesota at Washington Line: -2.0
Sigh. The Vikings insist that Favre will be their starter this weekend as they travel to Washington to take on the Redskins. Are you kidding me Vikings? Look, Favre has had a fantastic – nay, legendary – career but it’s time to just admit the guy cannot carry a team like he used to. Or lets put it another way, if the offensive line is incapable of collapsing in on itself there is no way he can succeed. You’ve lost the division, there is no hope for the playoffs. It’s time to ween your next generation of QB. Don’t doom Jackson to be a perennial back-up, the kid can get better if you give him a chance. Meanwhile, the Redskins are coming off a strong win against the Titans. Sure, they were facing who-dat Rusty Smith, but still – they won. And that’s what counts. I expect them to carry some of that momentum against the struggling Vikings. Redskins to win at home.

Tennessee at Houston Line: -0.0
Oh how far the mighty have fallen. The Texans have the number one rusher in the league in Adrian Foster. He’s also scored the most touchdowns in the league – yet – the Texans are hugging the bottom of the division. They have some company in the Titans though, who are now without Vince Young, Kerry Collins was pushed to emergency back-up and rookie Rusty Smith from Florida Mid-Atlantic is taking the snaps. Chris Johnson has not been the destructive force he’s been in the past and while the Titans started off with one of the strongest defenses in the league, have slowed down a lot. Which is why I’m taking the Texans to win at home this weekend.

Miami at Oakland Line: -0.0
What were your expectations for these two teams? I expected the Dolphins to be much better than they are, but a shaky passing offense that never found it’s rhythm and a constant quarterback problem has destined this team to once again miss the playoffs. The Raiders, well, what do you think I expected them to do? Lose of course. And now they are. That loss to the Steelers last week should put them out of the winners circle – but will it? This is a scrappy team that is getting it done as best they can and the benefits of a sub-par division give them a strong chance at the playoffs. This is a must win for the Raiders, and apologies once again to King Digital Dad CC Chapman, but the Raiders will win this game.

Kansas City at Seattle Line: +1.0
The Chiefs won again last week, are 5-0 at home but 1-4 on the road. Do stats like that matter a bit? We’ll see this week as they travel to the great rainy north to face off against the 5-5 Seahawks. The Hawks are far from out of it thanks once again to being in a crummy division. In fact, they lead the division. They could very well make the playoffs with a losing record. It’s very possible. That doesn’t bode well for the state of the NFC. It’s not going to bode well for the Seahawks when they lose to the Chiefs this weekend.

Philadelphia at Chicago Line: +3.5
This is a tough one. Really, it is. If there is one team in the league I would think that has a chance at containing Vick. The Redskins couldn’t do it, the Giants couldn’t do it so can the Bears do it? It’s not like this kind of play from Vick is a surprise to anyone, he did it when he was with the Falcons. Containing Vick is the first priority for the Bears, everything else after that point is secondary. The Eagles defense gives just enough up for the Bears to take advantage, but they absolutely have to contain Vick. That means corner blitzes with a spy, or some sort of contain. Well, there really is no cure. However, I’m going to go out on a limb and predict the Bears to somehow eke out a win this weekend.

St. Louis at Denver Line: -5.0
This would be the crapfest of the week if not for the Rams still having quite a good shot at winning their division. This game is another of those must-win games this week. Bradford has been having a pretty good rookie season, the most important factor is that he’s still standing after 11 weeks of getting roughed up by opponents defenses. The Broncos are nothing without Shanahan, and since he’s moved on this team has just sunk. Yes, they did okay last year but this year – when they were supposed to be better – they weren’t. Orton just looks unhappy to be there. I’m taking the Rams to upset on the road.

Tampa Bay at Baltimore Line: -7.5
Here’s the test for the Bucs – beat a team with a winning record. They have not done so yet, hell they haven’t played but two teams with winning records and lost both times (obviously.) The Ravens are a hell of team to try to prove your mettle against. Aside from my heartfelt dislike for the Bucs, I really don’t think they stand a chance on the road against the Ravens. The defense will be too strong for them, and their defense just won’t be good enough. I think their loss against the Steelers showed us that. Taking the Ravens to win at home.

San Diego at Indianapolis Line: -3.0
How about the Chargers on Monday night against the Broncos? Was it the Broncos crappy pass defense that let Rivers go for 233 yards and four touchdowns? Or perhaps it was just Rivers playing like he’s supposed to be playing. On the flip side, the Colts performed just the opposite, Peyton playing like he’s not supposed to be playing at all. This could be an interesting game, just because both teams are on a different type of rebound. The difference maker in this game is going to be the pass defense – obviously. It’s tough to really look at this game from the outside and think that either team is that much better than the other one. Considering this is a must-win for the Chargers (there are a lot of those this week for sure) I’m going to take the Colts to win. They are playing at home. How can they not?

San Francisco at Arizona Line: +2.5 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
Eh. Who cares?

Well on behalf of all of us here at Digital Dads – have a freaking awesome Thanksgiving. Eat until your belt bursts, watch football, play football, drink beer and deep fry turkeys. If you feel like blowing up half rotten pumpkins in the backyard, go for it. It’s the holiday. Blowing things up should be a tradition, and is a tradition. Boom. See ya Week 13.

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Digital Dads NFL Power Rankings

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

Tom Brady and the Pats are killing it right now. (Image: NFL)

Another week in the NFL is gone. How about some Power Rankings? This week, a lot of movement since half the league lost, and half the league won. Go figure. If you disagree, leave some comments. Perhaps I’ll read your comment and laugh. Perhaps I will ignore it. No one knows.

If you can’t figure it out, last week’s ranking is after this weeks’ ranking, so you can see what changed.

1. (3) New England Patriots (8-2): That easy win over the Colts secured the top spot this week for the Pats. They are the team to beat in the AFC, I just don’t think anyone will.

2. (1) Atlanta Falcons (8-2): Still rolling, the Falcons are putting the rest of the NFC in the dust.

3. (2) New York Jets (8-2): Another close comeback win for the Jets. The cardiac kids have returned.

4. (6) Philadelphia Eagles (7-3): Hopping over the Giants for the NFC East lead is enough to bump them up a couple spots. Can Vick be stopped?

5. (4) Baltimore Ravens (7-3): The Raven drop to make room for the Eagles. Sorry Flacco. Keep trying.

6. (5) Green Bay Packers (7-3): What’s that Green Bay? The Bears are in the rear view mirror. Who will make it to the finish line first?

7. (8) Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3): The Steelers don’t have an easy road to the playoffs, they finish the season against the scrappy Browns. Need to pad the wins before then.

8. (11) New Orleans Saints (7-3): Back to form, the Saints are looking like winners. Can they take the division from the Falcons?

9. (13) Chicago Bears (7-3): Is that a picnic basket boo-boo? No, that’s the Bears beating Miami and climbing up the NFC North ladder.

10. (7) New York Giants (6-4): See ya Giants. That loss to the Eagles was a spirit killer. Good luck fighting for the wild-card.

11. (16) Kansas City Chiefs (6-4): They could very well win their division with an 8-8 record.

12. (9) Indianapolis Colts (6-4): Watch out Indy, the Jags are about to crawl over your old bones for the divisional lead.

13. (19) Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4): Two surprise comeback wins in a row have put this team right back into contention. Good thing the Titans keep losing.

14. (10) Oakland Raiders (5-5): The question as to if the Raiders are the real deal was answered when they got worked by the Steelers.

15. (17) San Diego Chargers (5-5): A very crucial win for the Chargers over the Broncos keeps them in the mix, for just another week or two at least.

16. (12) Miami Dolphins (5-5): Dolphins are toast. With the Jets and Pats three wins ahead, the Fins are looking like canned tuna.

17. (18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3): The Bucs beat another sub .500 team. This team is yet to beat a team with a winning record, and they won’t.

18. (23) Washington Redskins (5-5): Call it luck, call it whatever you will, but the Redskins beat the Titans on the road. Go figure.

19. (15) Tennessee Titans (5-5): That ill timed loss to the Redskins has nearly buried this team. However, they still have a very real chance to get right back in it.

20. (21) Seattle Seahawks (5-5): The .500 record pretty much sums up what’s going on with the Seahawks.

21. (22) Houston Texans (4-6): Bad Texans, bad! Losing isn’t helping your case any.

22. (20) St. Louis Rams (4-6): They looked so good at the start of the season, but couldn’t hold it together.

23. (14) Cleveland Browns (3-7): Ouch. Another close loss drops the Browns well into the losers bracket.

24. (31) Buffalo Bills (2-8): The massive ass kicking of the Bungles helps the Bills retain some sense of self.

25. (29) Dallas Cowboys (3-7): Kitna was one happy puppy after beating the snot out of his former team.

26. (26) Detroit Lions (2-8): Yep, that’s the Lions team that we’ve come to love. Can they get it together on Turkey day?

27. (24) San Francisco 49ers (3-7): The Niners haven’t been shut out at home in a long time. They have become the epitome of pathetic.

28. (28) Arizona Cardinals (3-7): And, there go the Cardinals off into the sunset. See ya birdies.

29. (25) Denver Broncos (3-7): The Broncos are no longer being questioned for their ability to win. They are assumed to be losers now.

30. (27) Minnesota Vikings (3-7): Firing Childress was the first good thing this team has done all season. Now, bench Favre and you might have a shot at some dignity.

31. (30) Cincinnati Bengals (2-8): Again, with weapons like T.O., Palmer & Ochocinco – how does this team keep losing?

32. (32) Carolina Panthers (1-9): They brought in a stay-at-home dad to QB the team. Nuff said.

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The Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week 10

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

The Dawg pound is pumped up for their 3-5 team

There were a couple games last week that were so freaking close, but ended up in the loss column for me. The Colts, the Chiefs and the Bills all lost by a couple points. At the same time, there were some clear winners like the Giants and the Packers, and some clear losers like the Dolphins, Cowboys & Panthers. But forget all that, there was only one game that was the pinnacle of Week 9. That game, was the Browns beating the Patriots, and that game – I picked the Browns to upset again.

Not only did my Browns beat the snot out of the Patriots, but they did it with relative ease. At no point in that game were the Patriots in control, at no point in that game did it even look like they would mount a comeback. That was the Week 9 highlight, a week in which I went a respectable 8-5 (74-56 on the season.) A week in which no football player sexted a cheerleader. A week in which Randy Moss wasn’t in the news. A week in which the Browns beat the top team in the AFC. Or did I already mention that?

The losers are looking like winners right now, at least, some of them. The Lions lost, but came real close to knocking off the Jets. The Raiders surprised the Chiefs, and of course – the Browns won. Though it’s clear who the real losers are right now. Dallas, Buffalo & Carolina. They are done. Toast. Wade Phillips (Cowboys) is gone. Will Gruden replace him? Maybe Cowher? Who knows. Know what I know? It’s Week 10 in the NFL, and here’s some picks.

Featured Game:

NY Jets at Cleveland Line: +3.0
No analysis needed. I’m taking the Browns to continue winning against teams that are supposed to be the best in the NFL. The Saints, the Patriots and now the Jets will fall to the Browns. Every week brings a new bag of tricks that their opponents don’t seem to be prepared for. Tricks aside, this team is playing great on defense, Peyton Hillis is running like an out of control train – 184 yards against the Patriots – and Mangini seems to know what he’s doing. I know they are a five loss team at this point, but they remind me a lot of the Saints last year. Doing whatever it takes to win, and completely surprising their opponent. Colt McCoy has shades of Peyton Manning, changing plays at the line, and Steve Young, scrambling for a TD. Meanwhile, the Jets are on a downward spiral. Not sure what has happened to this team in recent weeks. They barely pulled off a win against the Lions, and looked like shit doing it. I don’t think that their run defense will be able to handle Peyton Hillis, and I don’t think that Sanchez and the O-line will be able to slow down the Browns defense. Browns to win at home.

Tailgate City (The Rest:)

Baltimore at Atlanta Line: -1.0
Maybe I underestimated the Ravens last week. They handled the Dolphins with clean efficiency, cutting off most of the running game and the passing game. They picked off Henne three times in the game, which helped keep the score gap big enough to cut off any hope of a comeback. This week though, they play the Falcons in Atlanta. This is going to be a tough match-up as the highlight of both teams is the run defense. I’m looking for the Falcons to make a mark in this game as solidifying themselves as a tough NFC team – tough enough to take down one of the toughest AFC teams. Falcons at home.

Detroit at Buffalo Line: -3.0
The Lions once again came damn close to pulling off an upset against the faltering Jets, taking them to overtime. The Jets needed all four quarters to catch up and take the Lions to overtime. Unfortunately for the Lions, the Jets won and Detroit dropped to 2-6. One could say they are the best 2-6 team but that’s not good enough to salvage a season. This week, they get the 0-8 Bills, who they can surely sympathize with after having a season without a single win. Are the Bills on the same track? They are favored this week against the Lions, and could be playing in the snow. Last week I thought the Bills could pull off an upset against the Bears, they didn’t. They found a way to lose with a late interception. Expect more of the same this week. I’m taking the Lions.

Minnesota at Chicago Line: +1.5
With 27 seconds left, the Vikings scored to bring the game against the Cardinals into overtime, where they got the win. Favre through for a record 446 yards, but they still had to rally from 14 points down to force overtime. Maybe his two interceptions had something to do with that. The Bears, who should be a threat, are no threat. Even if Favre is completely off his game and throwing like shit, expect Adrian Peterson to run all over the Bears. The only plus for the Bears is the cold weather and how it affects Favre’s joints. I still am taking the Vikings though. Makes more sense considering how sloppy the Bears are playing.

Cincinnati at Indianapolis Line: -7.0
The Bengals put up a good fight against the Steelers last week, but couldn’t pull off the upset. They were playing from behind the whole game and were shut down late by the Steelers defense. The Bengals are still having a problem establishing a run game, and all those passes when playing from behind are starting to play against them. The Colts secondary is fast, but they are having inconsistencies at receiver. They looked outmatched and confused against Vick and the Eagles. I think they’ll bounce back this week with a strong win against the Bengals at home, mostly because of the 12th man – the crowd. Have I mentioned how awesome the Indy home crowd is? Yes? Ok. Indy to win at home.

Tennessee at Miami Line: +1.0
The Titans have one of the best defenses in the league, one of the best offenses as well, yet are not favored in this match-up in Miami. Are you kidding me? Did the bookies not watch the Dolphins roll over and get prison raped by the Ravens defense? How in the hell can Miami expect to pull off an upset win against the Titans defense if they couldn’t get past the Ravens defense? Henne has some great targets in Marshall and Hartline, but that won’t be enough to stop the Titans. I’d expect a little back and forth in the first half, but once the Miami D-line gets a little tired in the legs, that’s when Chris Johnson will run all over and through them. Taking the Titans on the road.

Carolina at Tampa Bay Line: -7.0 UPSET SPECIAL!!
I won’t pick the Bucs. You all know that. The Panthers suck, but since I won’t pick the Bucs this has to be the upset special of the week. Who knows? Perhaps this is the week that the Panthers finally get their second win. Either way, not picking the Bucs. They lost to the Falcons, that made me happy. Perhaps they will lose to the Panthers this week, which will also make me happy. Panthers on the road.

Houston at Jacksonville Line: -1.0
Noooooo!! Houston lost to San Diego! For a moment it looked like they could win that game. What happened? Oh, they have the NFL’s worst past defense. That’s what happened. While the Jaguars don’t have the best passing game in the league, they have one that is good enough to take advantage of the horrible secondary of the Texans. This sucks for the Texans, because their season was looking good until that loss to the Colts a couple weeks ago. The only positive here is the Jaguars loose run defense. It’s middle of the pack at best, but the Texans Foster knows how to find the holes. I agree with this line, it’s going to be a close game, but I’m taking the Jags at home.

Kansas City at Denver Line: +1.0
Man, the Chiefs were on quite a roll there for a while weren’t they? Who knew that they’d be derailed by the Raiders last week? This week they travel up to Mile High to face division rivals Denver, who last played in London against the Niners in a game that I went null on. They won, but not convincingly by my standards and I still don’t feel confident picking the Broncos to do anything but win, or lose or whatever. Can I predict a tie? I’m just going to take the Broncos at home, but I’ll probably end up being wrong about them again, but I think my other picks are solid enough to hold me up this week. Denver at home.

Dallas at NY Giants Line: -14.0 CRAPFEST OF THE WEEK!!
If you think that the Cowboys got blown out against the Packers last week in their 45-7 loss which was the final straw in Wade Phillips’ back – wait until this week. While the Packers were womanizing the Cowboys, the Giants were smacking around the Seahawks like the sissy kid on the playground getting popped in the head by dodge balls. If the Cowboys want to salvage their season, it’s too late. If they want to salvage their pride, hell, it’s too late for that too. They are toast, and the Giants are going to kill them. This is the crapfest of the week because it’s just going to be painful and watch the Cowboys just get destroyed. If it’s not clear, Giants to win at home.

Seattle at Arizona Line: -3.0
Hasselbeck has been cleared to play against the Cardinals this weekend. Who cares? The Seahawks were on the verge of becoming a great team, then blowouts to the Raiders and the Giants have seriously set them back. Meanwhile, the Cards played a close game against the Vikings, but couldn’t hold the lead. This game could really go either way. It’s one of those middle of the division match-ups that decides which of these teams takes that tumble to the bottom. It think it’s going to be the Hawks. Taking the Cards to win at home, even if they can’t seem to decide which QB to start.

St. Louis at San Francisco Line: -6.0
Sam Bradford is looking like a bona-fide quarterback. Both these teams are coming off a bye-week, only one of these teams has a serious shot at the division. Alex Smith is not looking like a bona-fide QB, and has been replaced by Troy Smith for the moment. The Troy Smith to Ted Ginn connection wasn’t enough against Denver in London, and won’t be enough against the Rams this week. I’m taking the Rams to win in San Fran, if only because they are the underdog and have a serious chance at the division this year.

New England at Pittsburgh Line: -5.0
The Steelers defense won the game against the Bengals, had they faltered they would have easily lost to the Bengals comeback. Playing at home this week against the now confused Patriots, the Steelers defense is even stronger. While the Patriots were outplayed, outcoached and just plain beat by the Browns, they are a bounce back team. Sadly, the Steelers aren’t the team that allows bounce backs. Their defense will hold up, and they aren’t the ones questioning themselves as the best in the AFC, they are the best in the AFC. Steelers to win at home.

Philadelphia at Washington Line: +3.0
The NFC East games make for the best Monday night match-ups. This week, we get the Eagles, who beat the Colts, with Vick getting his legs going for 74 yards, a rushing TD, 218 passing yards and a passing TD. The guy is still the real deal. So can the Redskins defense contain him? It’s possible, the Colts just weren’t prepared for him, and he really was the game changing factor in that game. This game could go either way, but I’m going with the Eagles just because Vick is such a game changer.

Well, that’s it for this week kids. Enjoy the games, I know I will – especially that Browns vs. Jets match-up. I can tell you this much, Week 10 in the NFL means that the college football season is almost over, which means that the NFL season is that much closer to the end. However, do not worry – I will still be here after the season ends. I’m thinking about writing a women’s field hockey column.

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The Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Week One

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

Adrian Peterson is out for revenge against the Saints

Welcome to the official first edition of the Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game column. Here’s what you can expect from now until the Superbowl: sideways and illogical analysis sometimes being absolutely spot on, yet sometimes so far off it’s laughable; jokes at the expense of Ryan Leaf & JaMarcus Russell; some loose fantasy predictions; and advice on how to gamble away the rent money.

That being said, I would advise ignoring the lines this week. Most bookies are just getting a feel for how they can screw you this season, so the lines are really close to the vest. Plus, most of the play is divisional play, so that’ll be a good indicator of how these teams might play next week, so the bookies can adjust the lines. Either way, don’t hold me accountable if you lose money. I didn’t take the cash out of your wallet and hand it to the bookie behind the Circle K.

Alright, sit back, pop open a nice ice cold Pabst Light and let’s get it on!

Featured Game:

Vikings at Saints Line: -6.0
After the NFC Championship game last season, there is a now iconic image of Adrian Peterson, standing in the tunnel by himself, watching the Saints celebrate their win. He wanted to know what it felt like to win that game, to get the invite to the Superbowl. It was within his grasp and he knew it. Whether or not he felt Favre threw the game away with risky passes is neither here nor there, now Peterson and the Vikings get a chance for at least some redemption. Meanwhile the Saints have statistics on their side as the last 10 Superbowl winning teams have won their next season opener. This is going to be a Thursday night game you don’t want to miss. Two amazing offenses, two strong defenses and oh, did I mention Brett Favre? I’m taking the Vikings to pull off the upset.

Tailgate City (the Rest):

Dolphins at Bills Line: +3.0
Chad Henne opens up at the place where he had his worst game last season, the cloudy city of Buffalo, NY. This used to be a heated rivalry, but in recent years the Bills have been so bad that they are sad to watch. Every year I pick one team that I will always bet against. For years it was the Cardinals, then the Niners, last two years it was the Lions. This year, I’m taking the Bills and the Bucs to go on my ‘no gamble’ list. Take Miami to win if you must, but I’d just as soon not bother with this one.

Lions at Bears Line: -6.5
The only exciting thing about this early divisional match-up is going to be watching Ndamukong Suh in regular season action. What a better way to start than against the Bears on the road? Jay Cutler, watch out. Matt Forte will most likely be able to run at will against the Lions weak D-Line. If you have any Bears players on your fantasy team this would be the week to start them. This is one of the few games that I would recommend actually taking the points. Right now before the line goes up to -7.0.

Raiders at Titans Line: -6.5
There is no way the Raiders are going to start off the season with a massive upset of the Titans. This game is lopsided, but look at that line. 6.5? Less than a TD when you know that the Titans are going to smash the Radiers by at least two TD’s. And a safety. Chris Johnson is going to run all over the black and silver, hopefully not getting too much stuck in his cleats. Easily a 150 yard game for him. Expect Vince Young to taunt the entire Raiders D-line with ridiculous runs. Take the Titans with the points.

Bengals at Patriots Line: -4.5
To me it seems that Tom Brady is teetering on the edge between greatness and retirement. He just seems like a fragile snow globe at this point, I’m not sure why. With Welker back from injury and looking like the great receiver that he is, the Patriots have a shot to open strong this season. The Bengals mean well, I’m sure they want to win, but there is no way that Palmer has reached a level of communication with T.O. that will help them gain yards – for now. Expect much yelling by both Ochocinco and T.O. on the sidelines, at the coach, at the ref and at no one in general. I’m taking the Pats, but just barely and only cause they are at home.

Panthers at Giants Line: -7.0 !!UPSET SPECIAL!!
Bad kitty. Bad kitty. Oh wait, Delhomme is gone. Now it’s Matt Moore to Steve Smith for the touchdown! No wait, Eli Manning to Steve Smith for the touchdown! Eli and the Giants have only gone one way since their Superbowl win – down. The lines on both sides of the ball aren’t what they used to be, but the defense is a little bit stronger. However, some of the best downhill runners reside on the Carolina roster, including Jonathan Stewart who rolled the Giants for 206 yards in their final meeting of the year last year. The Giants open at home in their brand new very expensive stadium, it’s sad that they’ll open with a loss. I’m taking the Panthers to upset on the road.

Falcons at Steelers Line: -2.5
Rothlesberger is out. Holmes is gone. Leftwich is out. Dennis Dixon is starting. The Steelers offense is like JaMarcus Russell at a buffet line, everything has been picked through. Now, Hines Ward is still there and the defense is still strong as all get out. But can they stop the high flying pass wacky offense of the Falcons? The Falcons also have a strong ground attack with a momentarily healthy Michael Turner, but the Steelers defense is all healthy now as well, after showing some fatigue late last season. I’m taking the Falcons on the road, but this one really could go either way.

Browns at Buccaneers Line: -3.0 !!CRAP FEST OF THE WEEK!!
Do I have to? If this game is the one being shown in your home market, as it will be in my home market of Tampa, you may want to find something else to watch. I think Bowling is on ESPN. This game will either be a high scoring affair due to bad defense, or a low scoring affair due to bad offense. As mentioned earlier, the Bucs are on my no bet list so I’ll automatically take the Browns. That aside, I actually would pick the Browns to win just because their running backs aren’t as broken and their receiving core isn’t actually that bad. Delhomme…. nevermind. He should have retired. I’m going to start chanting “Colt Colt Colt” now.

Broncos at Jaguars Line: -3.0
This game will probably be played in the rain, as the forecast for this weekend isn’t looking so good south of the Georgia border. Orton will be getting used to life without Brandon Marshall, while the Jags will be relying on the legs of Jones-Drew more than ever now that Fred Taylor is gone. In a muddy, under attended game the Broncos defense might have trouble stopping David Garrard from going deep more than once. I’d take the Jags with the points, as coach McDaniels will be throwing his clipboard mid-way through the second quarter.

Colts at Texans Line: +2.5
Stat of the day: Matt Schaub led the league with 4,770 passing yards last year. 270 more than reigning Superbowl loser Peyton Manning. The Colts are coming into this season opener pissed off at losing the Superbowl to the Saints. They will be looking to start off strong by taking a strong grudge out on the Texans. You shouldn’t count the Texans down based on that though. Count them down by the Colts receiving core of Wayne, Clark, Garcon & Collie. Count them down because linebacker Brian Cushing is out. Count them down because of the young set of running backs they have in the backfield. Colts with the points. Note to the Texans though, if you lose this one, you better beat the Colts in Indy later this year, otherwise – no playoffs.

Arizona at St. Louis Line: +4.0
Am I the only one that thinks Derek Anderson is a good quarterback? He was given the bums rush in Cleveland after nearly leading them to the playoffs. Where is Charlie Frye now? So he gets a chance at succeeding in Arizona, now that Leinhart has been dumped. He doesn’t have Boldin to throw to, but he’s got Fitzgerald. He’s also got newly aquired Joey Porter on the D-line, who is sure to be in Sam Bradford’s face more than a few times. Bradford will be able to count the lines in Porters angry forehead by the end of the game. Expect Bradford to be on his back more than a lot lizard during Christmas shipping season. Take the Cardinals with the points.

Packers at Eagles Line: -3.0
I don’t see how the Eagles are favored in this game. Maybe because they are at home in their ultra-violent stadium, full of drunk and obnoxious idiots. Who will be real pissed when Aaron Rodgers puts up 200+ yards on them this weekend. And not just cause he’s my starting fantasy quarterback, well, mostly cause of that. The Eagles defense was middle of the road at best last season, and you can’t deny the Rodgers to Driver & Rodgers to Jennings connections. Driver can still smoke the safeties. Kolb gets his first official start as starter for the Eagles after wallowing in McNabb’s big ass shadow. The Green Bay defense is going to welcome him to the big leagues with plenty of pressure. I’m taking the Packers to upset.

49′ers at Seahawks Line: -3.0
The soon to be Santa Clara 49′ers open their season in the rainy north against the Seahawks. The niners, while having an offense with lots of potential, are carrying around too much bad mojo with a constantly angry Mike Singletary and the contract whining of Michael Craptree. Did I spell that right? The Niners are in a bad division, and so are the Seahawks. Hey, it’s the same division! Since their Superbowl loss to the Steelers, the ‘Hawks have completely fallen off the radar of the football nation, nearly making a run at the playoffs last year, but sucking just enough not to. I’m taking the ‘Hawks at home, but ignoring the points.

Cowboys at Redskins Line: +3.5
McNabb continues his rivalry against Tony Romo and the Cowboys, except, without the rest of the Eagles. He gets his first start as the newest sucker to line up behind center for the Redskins. Good luck McNabb. That offensive line couldn’t protect a bag of sugar from a line of ants. Which is hard anyway, unless you put the sugar in a ziploc bag. Miles Austin will be the stand out receiver of the NFC this year, unless Romo has more trouble in his love life. For this contest however, I’m taking the Cowboys easy. If the Redskins aren’t a joke this year, I’ll be surprised.

Ravens at Jets Line: -2.5 !!DEFENSIVE SMACKDOWN OF THE WEEK!!
Oh yeah, this game is going to be awesome. I really hope CBS (who carries the AFC match-ups) shows this one in every market. Wait, what? It’s on Monday Night Football? Even better. This is the perfect Monday night game. Strong defense on both sides, the Jets featuring a secondary that is quick and ruthless, the Ravens with a front line that can’t be beat. Forget about Flacco, forget about Sanchez, this game is all about defense. Since I have to pick, I’m taking the Jets at home with the points, just cause they are favoring the bettor.

Chargers at Chiefs Line: +4.5
Philip Rivers knows what it takes to win. Matt Cassel knows what it takes to watch Tom Brady win. Cassel gets a chance to show that he’s not just a super back-up, but a super starter. Sadly, the Chiefs aren’t what they ever are, which is not much of anything. Not in my football watching lifetime at least. The Chargers will be picking apart the Chiefs defense like it’s lice in a middle school classroom. I’m not sure that made any sense. I’m taking the Chargers to win this one easy, though if I had to pick an upset special part two, this would probably be it.

That’s it. Agree? Disagree? Leave it in the comments. Stay tuned for Week Two next week, which makes perfect sense.

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NFL Preview: NFC Predictions

Monday, September 6th, 2010
Dance Party!

Will Favre & the Vikings be dancing their way into the playoffs?

Last week we took a look at the AFC in preparation for the upcoming season, this week I took a couple minutes out of my day contemplating which college football games to watch to make some equally wild NFC predictions. Yes, I am aware the win/loss math might not add up, but you get the picture. Frankly, I could have fixed it but I was having problems opening Excel, nah, that’s a lie. Just lazy is all. Anyway, here are my NFC predictions for 2010. Enjoy.

NFC North

Chicago Bears Last Season: 7-9 I will hereby refer to the Bears at the Bucs of the North. Because they too, will suck. Really, this is all it took for me to see that this team does not have it’s shit straight. Coach Lovie Smith says Devin Hester won’t return kickoffs. Are you kidding? The one highlight on this formerly great franchise isn’t being allowed to do what he does best. Hester makes a mediocre receiver at best, but a game changing and dynamic kick returner. Now, Smith could be just trying to not show his hand on this, but we’ll find out week one I suppose. With Hester returning kicks, the Bears could be unpredictably good. Without? Boring and unispired. Predicted Finish: 8-8

Green Bay Packers Last Season: 11-5 Aaron Rodgers came out from under the shadown of Favre and it was good. Even though they bit it in the playoffs last year, the Packers had a lot going for them on offense and the defense just keeps getting better. Rodgers will be the caliber quarterback that he looks like, even with the beard. The Packers will go deep into the playoffs this year and I’m actually predicting them to go all the way to the Superbowl. Predicted Finish: 14-2

Minnesota Vikings Last Season: 12-4 Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. And they’ll lose twice to the Packers. Predicted Finish: 12-4

Detroit Lions Last Season: 2-14 Two words. Ndamukong Suh. The Lions have had the worst defense in the league for three straight years. Perhaps Suh can change that. Stafford is looking like a real live NFL quarterback. However, this is still the Detroit Lions and they have a perrineal habit of losing. Ah, what the hell, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say Suh gives them an extra win just from bostlering the defense just a little bit. Predicted Finish: 3-13

NFC East

New York Giants Last Season: 8-8 Tom Coughlin needs to go. Since his Superbowl win, he’s slowly been losing control of the team. It’s this odd thing, but the Giants constantly seem stressed out. Eli Manning doesn’t have the composure that his older brother has, it seems like he’s always frustrated at his offensive line or at the slumping defensive line. The success of this team rests on how well they do in the division, as it does for all of the East. With McNabb still around, the Cowboys offense and well, the Eagles existing, this could be a rough year for the Giants. Predicted Finish: 7-9

Dallas Cowboys Last Season: 11-5 This is a tought team to call. Wade Phillips is a good coordinator, but he tends to fall apart in the playoffs. I know he’s the head coach, but still. Whiner Patrick Crayton is gone, thankfully, which means that Miles Austin will be the star receiver in Dallas. The Romo to Austin connection will be frequent, but not as frequent as that Romo to Whitten connection. The real question with the Cowboys is once they get to the playoffs, can they keep their shit together? I think this is going to be an exciting team to watch this year, but fans could be setting themselves up for another letdown. Especially in this division, which tends to be tough on itself. Predicted Finish: 12-4

Philadephia Eagles Last Season: 11-5 Hey, it’s Kevin Kolb! The Eagles were the Cowboys bitch last year, losing a record three times to Dallas. How in the hell this team made the playoffs I have no idea. Oh yeah, with the running of McNabb and Westbrook. While McNabb will be scrambling on almost every play in Washington, Westbrook is no longer part of the Eagles franchise. Could Andy Reid not see past the lunch buffet to realize that this team needs the strong ground attack skills of both McNabb and Westbrook? Kolb is a drop back passer, that puts a lot more pressure on the offensive line that caused McNabb to run for his life so many times. Hey, at least they have Michael Vick. Predicted Finish: 8-8

Washington Redskins Last Season: 4-12 I’d like to start with a quote from my 2004 pre-season preview, “As long as Snyder is in the house, the Skins’ will not see the playoffs except for on television.” I still hold this statement to be true, no matter how good this team might look on paper, no matter how many upsets they can pull off against Dallas, with Snyder running the show they will be a terrible franchise. Constant coach turnover, constant coordinator turnover, I’m surprised McNabb signed there. Donovan McNabb will have to play his former team twice this year, and he’ll be lucky if they can carry him away from those games in one piece. Another player fighting retirement, McNabb is in for a rude awakening. Welcome to the land of no pocket protection Donovan. Predicted Finish: 3-13

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Last Season: 3-13 There isn’t much to say about the Suckaneers, as they are affectionatly referred to in my home area of Tampa Bay. Since their Superbowl run this team has steadily declined, losing Monte Kiffen in the middle of the season was the last crack in their already fragile spine. Two young quarterbacks, an even younger coach and highly questionable running backs and wide receivers. I’m sure Kellen Winslow is loving his decision now. That was sarcasm. The Bucs suck and will suck. The only reason I’m giving them four wins is because they play the Browns. Predicted Finish: 4-12

Carolina Panthers Last Season: 8-8 Any Cats fans out there? No? Finally ditching Delhomme for Matt Moore seemed to be a good call last year for the Panthers. Picking up Clausen in the draft was also a good call because after all, this is the NFC south. Collar bones will be broken. The strong point with this team has always been their ground attack, expect more of the same this year. I’m talking to you defensive coordinators out there. The NFC South plays the AFC North this year in cross conference play, so this should be interesting because all three AFC North teams have strong run defenses (save for the Browns, who suck.) I don’t see the Panthers overcoming the defenses they’ll be up against to do better than last year. Predicted Finish: 8-8

New Orleans Saints Last Season: 13-3 I would love to say that Drew Brees and the high flying Saints offense will be back on top this year, headed straight back to the Superbowl. I think they playoffs are in their future, but knowing what we know – that’s a stretch. So what is it that we know? Well, Drew Brees graced the cover of Madden 11. We all know about the Madden curse? Right? Yeah, I know that’s some serious voodoo, but Brees is doomed. Aside from all that, the offense hasn’t changed much since last year, so the playoffs should be a lock as long as Brees can fight the curse. Predicted Finish: 12-4

Atlanta Falcons Last Season: 9-7 The Falcons are no longer a team to be ignored. Finishing the season by beating the Jets, the addition of Michael Turner last year seemed to help the ground game. Matt Ryan is on his way to becoming a great quarterback. However, this is a tough division to be in this year, as the other teams are heavy on the defensive end of things and Atlanta’s defense, not looking too fantastic. However, the only offensive minded team they have to worry about is the Saints, and we already know why they are doomed. Predicted Finish: 12-4

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks Last Season: 5-11 Am I the only one that thinks Matt Hasselbeck is just looking tired? Tired of playing for a team that lost to the Steelers in the Superbowl and hasn’t seemed to recover? Tired of playing in the rain, tired of throwing interceptions and just plain tired. How is this guy still playing? Is he on Zoloft or something? And now stuck with Pete Carroll hopping off the USC train to go back and take another shot at the NFL? And dealing with the loss of T.J. Houshmanzada? Ouch. Too many questions with this team, I predict doom. Predicted Finish: 6-10

San Francisco 49′ers Last Season: 8-8 Mike Singletary didn’t do half bad last year. A lot of times ex-players as coaches tend to bomb. However, Singletary didn’t take crap from anyone and pushed his team to perform. Frank Gore is damn fun to watch and Alex Smith looked like a bonafide NFL Quarterback. Sadly, there was one player Singletary rolled over for, Michael Crabtree. Without Crabtree, before giving into his ridiculous salary demands, the Niners were 8-5. After signing Crabtree, 5-7. Bad mojo abounds. Thankfully, being in the single worst division in football kind of helps. Predicted Finish: 9-7

Arizona Cardinals Last Season: 10-6 Matt Leinart will finally be getting the start over the now retired Kurt Warner. Wait, the Cardinals dumped Leinart? Really? Ok, so Derek Andersen will get the start after being shedded like dead skin from the Browns roster. Gone from the Cardinals are Antrel Rolle, Karlos Dansby and Anquan Boldin. Ken Whisenhunt is still there though, and he’s managed to turn this franchise around from the laughing stock they used to be. It all comes down to quarterback protection and clock management, something the Cardinals struggled with in the playoffs last year. If not for being in the worst division currently in football, playoffs wouldn’t be in their future. Predicted Finish: 11-5

St. Louis Rams Last Season: 1-15 Who cares? Sam Bradford cries himself to sleep every night. Predicted Finish: 2-14

So, if you missed it, my rundown for the playoffs:

NFC North: Packers
NFC East: Cowboys
NFC West: Cardinals
NFC South: Falcons
Wild Cards: Vikings, Saints

Stay tuned on Thursday for NFL Week One Predictions!

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