Nov

29

Tell These Guys to Just Shut Up and Play!

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You know the players, you see their faces week in and week out, yelling and screaming and complaining about something. Year in and year out in the National Football League, a select few players always seem to have a gripe about something, and this season has been no different. With that, its time to take a quick glance and some of the loudmouths of the league once again and some of the more interesting gripes this year around the league:

Chad Johnson – Chad has been on fire as of late, but it seems like his success has only come after the entire “Ocho Cinco” fiasco has been put behind him and the team. Johnson was insane to think that he would ever get away with coming out for a game with his new “name” on his back with a makeshift nameplate. Sometimes you get a sense that once CJ puts all the talking and showboating behind him, he could be one of the best wide outs ever.

Michael Vick – I know I get tired of hearing about how much talent Michael Vick has, and when he finally gets that talent to the surface, watch out! Uh, Michael, you’ve been in the league six years, five plus as a starter, and you still are waiting for your talent to surface? Sunday’s post game finger flip meltdown just shows that this guy really needs to get out of Atlanta. The last four games his QB rating is 54, and his team has lost five straight. Earlier this year he stated on Inside the NFL he’d like just one day with the Colts offense. How bout one day next season with say – the Raiders offense?

Tiki Barber – Up until the playoff loss to Carolina last year, Barber was widely known as one of the classiest players in the league. Since then his mouth has gotten him in quite a big hot water. Two instances of calling out the coaching staff, and then taking the platform to announce earlier in the year that he “likely won’t play next year,” has caused quite a few headlines in the biggest media market in the world. Then he uses his weekly one hour radio show to rip those former players now on TV that slammed him for making the whole retirement announcement when he did. Time for Tiki to keep his trap shut.

Jeremy Shocky – Yes, New York is so big, you can have two big mouths on the same team. For all the hype that Shockey gets, his mouth is almost always bigger than his numbers. He has yet to have a 100-yard day receiving this year, and has five games with three or less catches. Of course that didn’t stop him from blabbering after the Monday night loss to Jacksonville last week that the Giants can’t be beat if they “play their game” and that there is “no way in He**” that the Cowboys can beat the Giants. We’ll see if those words hold true this week when Dallas comes calling on the struggling Giants.

Terrell Owens – Give T.O. credit, as his mouth has gotten quieter and quieter since Tony Romo has been in the lineup and the Cowboys are in first in the NFC East. Earlier in the year, you couldn’t go a day without there being some drama from the Owens camp. From the hamstring injury, to the children’s book, to the pain med overdose, I think its safe to say we’ve all had our fill of T.O. for one season.

Braylon Edwards – The 2nd year Browns wide out has made lots of negative headlines the last two weeks with his tirade about a hit that teammate Brian Russell had on Chad Johnson in week two, then Sunday he got into it on the sideline with QB Charlie Frye. Edwards has shown plenty of flashes of talent, but is well on his way to having his off the field comments overshadow his on the field talent. People around him had better sit him down and shut him up – before its too late.

Nov

29

Thursday Night Week 13 Prediction

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Baltimore at Cincinnati – The Ravens at 9-2 are flying high, and with a win on Thursday in Cincy can clinch their second AFC North title in four seasons. It’s do or die time for Cincy, as a loss here would drop them to 6-6, and likely put a major dagger in any wild card playoff hopes. The last time the two teams met in Baltimore, the Ravens jumped out to an early lead, then held on 26-20 as the Bengals had some late shots but melted down, including the scene of T.J. Houshmandzadeh throwing his helmet when he didn’t get a pass interference call on the last drive of the game. Cincy still is giving up a lot of yards, but their defense got a boost last week with a 30-0 shutout of the Browns, their first since 1989. The Ravens defense also delivered Sunday, shutting out rival Pittsburgh 27-0. This game will be filled with emotion, and I think that despite all the success that the Ravens D has had, the Bengals offense the last three games has scored 102 points (34 per game), and for just a week will derail the celebration of the Ravens soon to be AFC North title. Cincinnati 24 Baltimore 17

Nov

28

NFL Power Rankings Week 12

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11 down, 5 to go in the NFL for the 2006 season. Lots of great games still await for the last five weeks, and this is truly when paychecks are earned in this league. Many teams are still in the thick of the race for a playoff spot, and that brings us to this weeks Power Rankings. If the team has a number next to it, that’s where they were a week ago.

NFC Top 5

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1. Chicago (1) – Lots of talk in Chi-town right now about the struggles of Rex Grossman and the problems of the Bears offense. A loss in New England with too many turnovers has only sparked that talk, and its time for the Bears to grind down and get back on track. Their remaining 5 games are against some weak competition, with Detroit and Green Bay rounding out the schedule. Still up two games for home field, they should get it with ease.

2. Dallas (2) – The Cowboys are starting to look like a team with a deep January run in them, but those hopes have to be finalized with a win this weekend in the Meadowlands vs the 2nd place Giants. Tony Romo looks poised and under control of the offense, and this past week in a beating of the Bucs the defense was able to take their shots. The Giants game Sunday will go a long way in showing us how far the Boys can go.

3. New Orleans (4) – New Orleans rebounded after two bad losses to top the rival Falcons on the road to regain the division lead in the South. This team looks as if they have the talent to win a first-round playoff game at home, but then if they have to head to Chicago in round two it could get ugly. Nevertheless, Sean Peyton is going to get some major consideration for coach of the year.

4. Seattle (5) – The weather and Matt Hassleback were both frightful in the first 20 or so minutes on Monday night, but just as things settled down, so did the Pro Bowl QB as the Seahawks finally put away the Packers. Shaun Alexander’s 201 yards on the ground couldn’t have come at a better time, and now it looks as if the Hawks can finally start to put away the division and focus on defending their NFC title in the playoffs.

5. Carolina (3) – The Panthers get this spot by default, as they are the best 6-5 team in the conference, edging out the Giants. They had a shot against a weak Redskins team to stay tied for the division lead, but laid an egg and walked out of FedEx field a game back. Right now they seem more like the makings of a wild card team, but the schedule with at Philly, the Giants and Steelers at home, then road games at Atlanta and New Orleans to end the year does them no favors.

 

NFC Bottom 3

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1. Detroit (1) – The Lions continued to look like footballs version of the “Bad News Bears” on Thanksgiving, as they bumbled and stumbled their way to a loss to the Dolphins. What hurt more was watching former QB Joey Harrington rip them up, and walk away with the postgame drumstick. Things should not get much better this week at New England, and once January 1st hits, this team is going to have to take a major look at the structure of the entire organization.

2. Arizona (2) – They at least showed a pulse for the second straight week, despite losing to the Vikings 31-26 at the Metrodome. It is hard to believe with a former Pro Bowl RB that the team could only rush for 17 yards Sunday, and that is an area that must be addressed in the offseason. Matt Leinart showed some heart in trying to get his team to rally, but in the end throwing 51 passes is not going to be a number that will translate into wins for the Cardinals.

3. Tampa Bay (-) – Thanksgiving was ugly for the Bucs as they looked more interested in heading for the bus in parts of their 38-10 beating in Dallas. Things looked good early as they went up 7-0, but then the wheels came off, and the effort was just lackluster. This season has to be a major letdown after winning the NFC South a season ago, and one has to wonder what changes will be made in the offseason.

 

 

AFC Top 5

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1. Indianapolis (1) – The Colts discovered they have an up and coming star at RB Sunday night as Joseph Addai ran for 171 yards and 4 TD’s in a 45-21 route of the Eagles. That type of running attack is going to make the Colts even more dangerous come playoff time. The defense did allow the Eagles to get within 31-21 with 10 minutes left, but were able to put the game away with a defensive TD. Two interesting games at Jacksonville and Tennessee await the Colts.

2. Baltimore (3) – Don’t look now but the Ravens are getting better each week, and they look like a team that can give the Chargers and Colts a run for their money in the playoffs. A shutout win over the Steelers knocks them out, and a win over the Bengals in Cincy Thursday night all but clinches the division with four games to play. If they can grab the AFC #2 seed a title game in Indy vs the Colts would be very interesting.

3. San Diego (2) – There may have been a slight letdown Sunday as the Chargers struggled most of the day, but were finally able to put the Raiders away with a 21-14 win. Two TD’s in the final 9:46 was the difference after trailing 14-7, but they got the job done and that’s the most important thing. Phillip Rivers was just 14-for-31 for 133 yards, and those numbers have to be better if this team wants a shot in January. At 9-2 they have two big home games after this week vs the Broncos and Chiefs that should wrap up the division.

4. New England (4) – Despite beating the best team in the NFC, I couldn’t get the Pats ahead of the Chargers of Ravens, but trust me, they can beat those teams if they play in a playoff setting. Tom Brady showed some serious heart in getting the Pats past the Bears, and actually showed some emotion after running for a first down past Brian Urlacher. They should move to 9-3 this week as they host the weak Lions, then a big matchup with the red-hot Dolphins in Miami could be the game that cements the AFC East title.

5. Kansas City (-) – The Chiefs take the 5th spot as they look like a team that can be the #1 or #2 wild card in the AFC. I was worried about Trent Green coming in, but after Thursday I’d have to say that he does not look like a QB you have to be overly concerned about if the team can get in the playoffs. At 7-4 they have to keep winning to make it in, and this weeks game at Cleveland should get them closer.

 

AFC Bottom 3

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1. Oakland (1) – What a statement this team could have made Sunday if they didn’t blow up in the last 9 minutes and give San Diego two scores in a 21-14 loss. Oh well, again, the defense showed some life, and the offense actually scored touchdowns 7 and 8 this season. At 2-9, it looks as if they and the Lions will fight it out for the #1 spot in April’s draft.

2. Cleveland (2) – The Browns are in self destruct mode right now, and the whisperings about Romeo Crennel and his future are starting to pop up in the local media. Sunday’s 30-0 loss was a major setback, and maybe even more so since players on the team are starting to infight on the sidelines. With the Chiefs coming in and then a short week and Thursday night game at Pittsburgh, Romeo had better get his team back or else things are going to get even worse.

3. Houston (3) – How many fans you think will be in Oakland Sunday for the Texans vs the Raiders? Not many. Houston at 3-8 have lost four of five, and didn’t score a TD till the 3:54 mark Sunday in a loss to the Jets 26-11. They only ran for 25 yards, and David Carr threw 54 passes for 321 yards, numbers that usually translate into a loss. Something has to give Sunday in Oakland.

Nov

27

Ravens Defense Puts Any Pittsburgh Hopes to Bed

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If anyone had any reservations that the Super Bowl Champion Steelers were going to make a run for the playoffs, all talk has been quickly put to rest following Sunday’s Ravens dominating 27-0 win in Baltimore. The Steelers, now 4-7, are dead in terms of a repeat shot at the Bowl in February, as even winning out, which seems unlikely, would only put them at 9-7, which will probably not be enough to even make it as the 6th seed in the AFC.

Talk will, and rightfully so, now turn to the Ravens, and all that they did yesterday in making the Steelers look more like a JV team, pounding them up and down the field for 60 minutes. The numbers that the Ravens defense were able to compile were staggering – 9 sacks for 73 yards, three Steeler first downs in the first half, six straight three-and-outs to start the game for Pittsburgh, two interceptions, and a fumble returned for a touchdown. The Steelers simply never stood a chance.

While Pittsburgh was being manhandled by the Ravens defense, the Baltimore offense was not too shabby against a solid Steelers D, going down the field on the opening series for a score, then putting up 10 more points in the second quarter to take a 17-0 lead at the half that might as well been 100-0. Jamal Lewis ran for a tough 66 yards on the Steelers D, and Steve McNair had a solid day throwing, going 18-for-24 for 140 yards and a score. The bigger thing is he did not make mistakes, and the Ravens offensive line never missed a beat against a Steelers defense that usually can make big plays with its blitzes and coverages.

Baltimore, as if there was any doubt, is now the class of the AFC North. They have cemented their place as the best team in the division with recent home wins over the Bengals and now the Steelers, and with a rematch on Thursday night against the Bengals on the slate this week, Baltimore, already up three games with five to play, has a shot to all but clinch with a win at Paul Brown Stadium. Not that doing so will be easy with a Bengals offense that has caught fire since a loss a few weeks back to the Ravens, but with the Baltimore defense playing like they did Sunday, they will be almost impossible to beat.

Give credit to Brian Billick for making what may go down as the move of his coaching career, and letting go of offensive coordinator Jim Fassel five weeks ago. All that the Ravens have done since then is go 5-0, and build what is now a lead just too big to overcome for the Bengals in the AFC North. Can the Ravens keep it turned on in the playoffs? If the defense plays like they did Sunday, I wouldn’t want to be seeing purple come January.

Nov

27

Despite Problems – Now Not the Time To Sit Grossman

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While the Chicago Bears 17-13 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday was not all that unexpected, the bigger fish to fry in Chicago right now is the play of quarterback Rex Grossman, and what it means as the Bears make their playoff run and set their sights on home field advantage. Grossman struggled again on Sunday, throwing three picks and completing just 44 percent of his passes for 176 yards. He was unable to lead the Bears to the end zone from the Pats five at one point, allowing the opportunity to slip away with a fumbled snap.

Grossman’s season seems to be slipping away a bit, he was red-hot to start the season, throwing 10 touchdowns and three interceptions over his first five games. In the last six games, he has thrown eight touchdowns, but the bigger number is the 11 picks that he has thrown as the Bears have gone 4-2. He has also lost four fumbles in his last six games and in four of the six games was under a 50 percent completion rate.

The Bears are not set to take a look at putting backup Brian Griese in to try and get an offensive spark going, nor should they. Putting Griese in would right now do more harm than good. Grossman is the franchise quarterback and must be allowed to work through his struggles. Only when the team starts losing on a regular basis, or Grossman gets so bad that it cannot be avoided, should a switch be made.

Newspapers and sports talk shows will light up with talk about putting Griese in for Grossman, as many comparisons will be made with last season when Grossman replaced Kyle Orton after the Bears got off to a great start, only to fold down the stretch and in the second round of the playoffs at home to the Panthers. Let’s not forget that Grossman was a big reason why the Bears offense was on fire to start the season, and now is not the time to make a move and sit him. At least not yet.

 

 

 

Nov

27

Vick Should Sit for his Post Game Flips

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If the Atlanta Falcons had any wits about it, they would think long and hard about taking a stand against one of their own, and sit Michael Vick for at least one game for his “gesture” at the end of the game Sunday in the Georgia Dome against the New Orleans Saints. If you missed it, Vick was caught on camera, not once, but twice, flipping off Falcons fans at the Dome as they jeered him after the teams latest 31-13 loss to the Saints to put Atlanta at 5-6.

Vick had another terrible game, and the fans during and then after the game let him know about it. He was 9-for-24 for 84 yards, and despite his 166 yards on the ground, could only lead the Falcons to just 13 points. He also was sacked three times, and was hit 12 times behind the line of scrimmage after throwing passes from a tough Saints defense that seemed to be in his head from the start.

Despite all that, his actions towards fans that pay good, and a decent amount, of money to watch him play football, good or bad, did not deserve to have the finger flipped at them as he walked off the field. As usual with pro players, their actions come first, then their minds catch up with them to think about what they have done. After the incident, Vick quickly tried to make amends with an apology that seemed somewhat forced considering the PR nightmare that may come of this.

“I would like to apologize for my inappropriate actions with fans today,” the quarterback said in a statement released by the Falcons. “I was frustrated and upset at how the game was going for my team, and that frustration came out the wrong way.”

The Falcons management must have gasped in horror when they saw what Vick did as he left the field. He is their poster boy and the face of the franchise, and despite the fact that he has been the talk of much backlash this season at the Falcons collapse, he is still the player that the team looks to on many Sundays to sell tickets and put fans in the seats. That image may quickly change after this incident.

That is exactly why the team has to take a stand now, and make Vick realize what he has done by making him pay for his actions by sitting him for at least one, if not two games. At 5-6, the Falcons are now somewhat of a longshot to quickly recover and make the playoffs out of the NFC. Not that this move would mean the team would be throwing in the towel, but it may come at a good time to get a change of pace quarterback like Matt Schaub in their to see if he can change the fortunes of the Falcons.

For Vick, maybe he is sorry for what he did, but for what he did he must pay a price, and for the Falcons, they should take a hard look at sitting him down for a game or two to show their fans that such actions will not be tolerated.

 

Nov

27

Panthers Push Derailed In Washington

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In the National Football League, it seems that you are only as good as your last game. If that is truly the case, than the Carolina Panthers have a long way to go if they think they are going to be able to make the kind of run they did last year when they found themselves in the NFC Championship game before getting beat up in Seattle. Sunday in basically a game that they had to have to keep pace with the front running Saints, the Panthers played one of their worst games of the season, losing to a Redskins team that had little to play for, 17-13 at FedEx Field in Washington.

Maybe more alarming is that Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme, a veteran who has played in plenty of big games with the Panthers, was outshined by a quarterback playing in just his second Pro football game. While the numbers don’t translate, Skins QB Jason Campbell threw for 218 yards, two TD’s and one pick, but made the play of the day with the Skins down 13-10 with 4:26 left. Campbell, who could not hear the play that was called because his transmitter in his helmet went dead, called a play that ended up resulting in a 66-yard catch and run between he and tight end Chris Cooley that resulted in a score that put the Redskins up for good.

Delhomme, who seemed shaky most of the afternoon, had two chances to lead the Panthers back in the final minutes, but ended up getting sacked on one 4th down, then threw an awful interception in the end zone as he looked for Steve Smith in the last Panthers drive of the game. Delhomme threw 38 times, completing 23 passes for 168 yards, two touchdown and two interceptions. He was only sacked once, but never seemed to get in any sort of rhythm that allowed him to get the ball to Smith, the teams playmaker.

The stunning Panthers loss also was stinging since the Saints got back on track in Atlanta, ending their two-game losing streak to regain a one-game lead in the NFC South. The Panthers still have a game in the SuperDome left with the Saints to try and get back that one game, but if Delhomme and the offense sputters like Sunday against the Redskins, the division is already lost.

Nov

24

Tiki and Tom Have a Sit Down on Barber’s Spew

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First the Giants lay an egg in Jackonville Monday night.  Then loud mouth Jeremy Shockey goes into meltdown mode postgame, telling the media that the Giants can’t be beat if they play on all cylinders.  Then Tiki “leave me alone I’m going to retire” Barber gives the old team spirit with a mouthful of “the coaches should have run the ball more” speech to the media in the same postgame.  Welcome to the sudden nightmare that the New York Giants season has become.

Friday the story of the saga broke that Giants coach Tom Coughlin had a sit down with Barber about the situation of Tiki going to the media with his concerns.  I for one agree with coach Tom.  Tiki has more than enough forums to speak his mind, including a radio show that he hosts with his brother, Ronde, once a week on Sirius Radio.  Now he has to spew to the media how the Giants didn’t run enough Monday night?  Give me a break.

Barber, who has already been bitten with criticism about his decision to basically announce his retirement during the season, came out on Friday and defended himself and what he says he is – a team guy.  “I’m not a bad team guy,” he said. “That’s people’s perception and they’re entitled to their perceptions. My teammates — and I’m pretty sure my coaching staff — know that all I care about is winning. Some people may think I have an ulterior agenda, whether it be rushing yardage or whatever, may come into their minds, but all I care about is winning.”

Sure seems like his comments were meant to get him more carries and more yards.  Let’s face it, if Barber would have gotten the ball 15 more times Monday night, you know what the outcome would have been – the same, a Giants loss.  Barber ran for 27 yards on 10 carries, in a game that the Giants offense was doomed from the word go.

Coughlin quickly has to get this entire situation under control, and Friday he said as much to the New York Media – “People are to come to me if they have an issue with anything,” Coughlin added. “I’ll be glad to talk to them about it. It is not necessary to go to the media with this kind of stuff. It can be handled internally.”  Barber didn’t do that, and now, with the teams most two critical games of the season the next two weeks – at Tennessee vs the upstart Titans and at home vs the Cowboys, it will be up to coach Tom to get his team back, and shut his own players up.  

Nov

24

NFL Week 12 Predictions

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NFL Week 12 is already upon us, as hard as that is to believe. Thursday was a good start to the picks, going 3-0 with the Lions, Cowboys and Chiefs. Now at 100-61 for the season, its time to finish off this weeks edition of the pics to see if I can improve on last weeks 10-6 mark.

Arizona at Minnesota – This is the time of the year when you start to get some matchups with teams that have to start looking ahead to 2007, and this is one of those games. The Cardinals finally got a win last week at home, their first win since week one, while the Vikings meltdown continued in the heat in Florida. Minnesota, once 4-2, have dropped four in a row, allowing 21 points a game in those losses, and averaging just 11. This week they should finally rebound as the Cardinals are just awful on the road. Minnesota 24 Arizona 19

Carolina at Washington – The Panthers, now tied with the Saints in the NFC South, are starting to make some noise. Last week the Carolina defense put on a show, stopping the Rams offense from scoring in a 15-0 home shutout. The Redskins at 3-7 lost in Tampa Bay with new QB Jason Campbell, and without a running game the new starter will struggle trying to lead his team to points. Campbell was 19-for-34 for 196 yards and two TD’s in last weeks loss 20-17. With the Panthers D not allowing a touchdown in the last six quarters, I think the Skins will really struggle putting up points. Carolina 17 Washington 6

New Orleans at Atlanta – The Falcons season is on life support after three straight losses, and at 5-5 a loss here would be a killer, as it would put the Saints up by two games with just five to play. Atlanta’s problems revolve around an offense that can’t sustain drives, and a defense that has fallen apart since being so good early in the year. The Saints are putting up a ton of offense, but the last two weeks the defense has allowed too many yards which has translated into too many points. I see a big time shootout here with Michael Vick and Drew Brees as the stars. New Orleans 34 Atlanta 30

Cincinnati at Cleveland – The Bengals saved their season last Sunday with a win over the Saints, while the Browns gave up three TD’s in the final 9:44 to Pittsburgh to lose 24-20 at home. The last time these two teams played the Bengals were in high form, marching up and down the field at will in a 34-17 win in week two. The Browns have played better at home, giving tough games to Baltimore and the Steelers, and beating the Jets. Cincy has been so up and down this year, and with the sting of a loss in week two still bothering them, I’ll take the upset here. Cleveland 17 Cincinnati 14

Houston at New York Jets – New York, despite getting shut out last week 10-0 by Chicago, still has hopes of a shot at the playoffs with a 5-5 record. The pressure is on Chad Pennington to come up big vs the weak Houston defense, as Chad has not thrown for over 300 yards since week two. The Jets don’t score much, averaging just 13.5 per game over the last six games. The Texans lost a tough one at home to Buffalo last week on a TD pass with just :09 left. Houston is still not getting enough pressure on the QB and allowing way too many yards on the ground. The Jets playoff hopes will get a boost with this one. New York 24 Houston 17

San Francisco at St.Louis – What a turnaround for both teams as the 49′ers now look like a darkhorse for a playoff shot, and the Rams are just hoping to finish the year .500. Not what you would have thought when St.Louis started 4-1 and the 49′ers began the year 2-5. Frank Gore and the progress of Alex Smith has given the 49′ers fans reason to believe, and that is something that has been missing the past few years. St.Louis needs to run the ball to open up the pass, but with the 28th ranked rushing offense that won’t be easy. Marc Bulger needs some support from his O-line and recievers to open the field, and the 49′ers will be after him like week two when they beat the Rams 20-13 in San Fran. Tough one to call but the 49′ers seem to have some solid momentum going. San Francisco 26 St.Louis 17

Jacksonville at Buffalo – A critical game in the playoff hopes of the Jaguars, as they travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills. Despite a big Monday night win, the Jags suffered a major blow with safety Donovan Darius breaking his leg, ending his season in the win. The Jacksonville defense has been playing well, allowing less than 14 points in four straight games, and the team is 3rd in total defense. Buffalo got a big win in Houston last week, and J.P. Losman threw for a career high 340 yards. If Willis McGahee is able to come back after missing the last two games with broken ribs, that will only give the Bills more firepower. Despite that, the Jags know they have to find a way to get a win here and keep their playoff hopes alive. Jacksonville 13 Buffalo 10

Pittsburgh at Baltimore – Baltimore is looking for its first five game winning streak since 2000, and against the turnover happy Steelers, it looks as if they are in position to do so. A win here by the Ravens and you can gift wrap the AFC North to them, as they will be at least three games up on the Bengals depending on their game in Cleveland, and at five up on the Steelers with five to play. The Ravens second ranked defense should be able to pressure Ben Roethlisberger and hold Willie Parker in check, and Steve McNair and Jamal Lewis should be able to move the ball on a Steelers defense that is prone to the big play. The Steelers have no margin for error, but simply put – this is not their year. Baltimore 20 Pittsburgh 10

Oakland at San Diego – The Chargers look poised for a deep January run after two straight weeks of overcoming big deficits to move to 8-2. Last weeks win over the Broncos cemented them as the best team in the AFC West, and a win here would put them up two on the Broncos with five to play. LaDainian Tomlinson owns the Raiders, and in week one had a monster game. Look for much of the same here at home, with Phillip Rivers being able to move the ball against Oakland. The Raiders offense has scored just seven touchdowns, and things will not get much better here against a solid Chargers defense. Look for the lightening bolts to keep rolling. San Diego 28 Oakland 0

New York Giants at Tennessee – Anger and frustration is setting in for the Giants, who now need to win just to stay tied for first in the NFC East with the Cowboys. They travel to Tennessee on a short week, and with Eli Manning struggling, this by no means is a gimmie game for the big blue. The Giants come in after a season low 27 yards rushing, and the Titans, despite the 31st ranked defense in the league, allowed just 13 to the Eagles last week. In Tennessee’s last six games, they have won three, and lost two by a combined two points. The other was a blowout loss to the Jags, the team that New York lost to on Monday night. This should be interesting to see if the Titans can run on a Giants team that allows just 104 yards per game on the ground. Mark one for my choice for AFC coach of the year – Jeff Fisher. Tennessee 20 New York Giants 17

Chicago at New England – The end of a three-game road swing for the Bears has them in New England, where the Pats have lost two straight. Chicago can clinch the NFC North with a win and losses by Green Bay and Minnesota, but the bigger goal is to make sure they stay atop the NFC for home field come January. Both defenses are playing well, with the Bears allowing an NFL best 12 points per game, and the Pats coming off a 35-0 shutout of the Packers. It would seem to attack the Bears the Pats may want to try and spread the field and throw the ball, and Tom Brady, despite his problems at home, can still put up big games in the air. The Bears need Rex Grossman to be better than he has been the last few weeks, and his play is a concern. I think the Pats, with Brady and a good defense, can put a minor dent in the Bears run towards the NFC title. New England 17 Chicago 13

Philadelphia at Indianapolis – Philly might as well start looking to 2007, as the loss of Donovan McNabb is going to be way too much to overcome for them to make a run at the playoffs. The Eagles were struggling with him as of late, and now without him there is not much hope. Indianapolis is coming off their only loss of the year, 21-14 to Dallas, and will look to rebound at home against the short-handed birds. You can look for the Colts to do a better job this week running the ball, as they have been held under 100 yards rushing in three of their last four games. Indy knows that even at 9-1, they have to keep winning to hold onto home field in the AFC. The Eagles are just looking to survive without McNabb. Indianapolis 27 Philadelphia 14

Green Bay at Seattle – The Hakws were flying high before last weeks big setback to the 49′ers. They fell behind 20-0 before a furious comeback fell short, leaving them at 6-4. Matt Hasselbeck is back in the fold as starter for Seattle, and that alone will be a lift. Shaun Alexander should start to get his legs under him as well, which gives stability to the Seattle offense for the first time in about two months. When Hasselbeck and Alexander play together, they are 3-0, apart, they are 3-4. Last week the Packers were shut out for the second time this year at home, and Bret Farve’s status for this week is up in the air with an elbow, but with Todd Bauman now as the backup, you can bet that Favre will give it his all to make sure he’s in there. This should be an interesting game, but the Hawks really need a win here. Seattle 29 Green Bay 24

 

 

Nov

22

Thanksgiving NFL Week 12 Picks

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With Turkey Day upon us tomorrow, I have to get a jump start on my picks for the week. Last week I went 10-6, not bad, to take my record for the season up to 97-61. For now I will give just my picks for the three Thanksgiving games, then do the rest come Friday as normal.

Miami at Detroit – It’s the return of Joey Harrington to Detroit, where you know he would like nothing better than to come in and beat his former team. Harrington was 18-40 in Detroit, and took a lashing from fans as the QB. Now with the Dolphins, they are doing almost a repeat of last season, starting out slow with and coming on near the end of the year. At 4-6, the Dolphins have won three straight, including a shocking win in Chicago. Last week at home they beat the Vikings 24-10 with solid D and basically mistake free ball from Harrington, who was 26-for-42 for 254 yards with a TD and one INT. The 2-8 Lions are a mess, and now will be without leading rusher Kevin Jones, who is out with an ankle sprain. The Lions allow 125 yards a game on the ground, so look for a steady diet of Ronnie Brown and an inspired effort from Harrington. Miami 24 Detroit 13

Tampa Bay at Dallas – A total trap game for the Cowboys, who are still riding high after last Sundays win over the Colts. At 3-7, Tampa Bay has yet to win on the road, and despite a home win vs the struggling Redskins last week are still one of the bottom feeders in the NFC. Tony Romo and the Cowboys seem to have it all together right now, and they realize that at 6-4 and tied with the Giants for the top spot in the NFC East that they cannot afford a letdown here. Plus they know a win here and they will have 10 days to get set for the rematch against the Giants at the Meadowlands on December 3rd. Look for Dallas to use its playmakers in Owens, Glenn, Jones, and Barber to eventually overcome the Bucs. Dallas 27 Tampa Bay 14

Denver at Kansas City – The first ever Thanksgiving night game will feature an interesting AFC West battle between the Broncos and Chiefs. The Chiefs got Trent Green back last week, and while he was just 9-for-16 for 102 yards, he will look to be more in form this week against a Broncos defense that is reeling. Denver’s defense began the year allowing just 7.3 points per game in their first 6 games (5-1), but since have allowed 102 points, 25.5 per game, in their last four, going 2-2. The Chiefs lost in Denver in week two in Damon Huard’s first start, losing a heartbreaker 9-6, but are a better team than then, and I think that the emotion of a Thanksgiving game at home along with Larry Johnson pounding the Broncos defense will be enough to overcome the Broncos. Kansas City 24 Denver 21

 

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