Week Four NFL Picks-Will This Be The Week Browns?

I for one can't wait until Jake Delhomme is back out on the field calling the shots. Seneca Wallace has not impressed me. Although he had 18 completions in the Baltimore game, 7 of them were to Hillis, which means he is throwing short. Unless the Browns threaten the secondary of their opponents with shots down the field the outcome is going to be the same every week. They are not like the Steelers who can win on just running. Hillis had a good game running with 144 yards, but face it, that will not happen consistently.

The Bengals are coming to town and this Sunday is a must win or it's going to be a long and frustrating season for the Dawgs and the fans. Mohamed Massaquoi says in reference to the passing game 'it's early', but the dark clouds are amassing on the horizon quickly and everybody knows what that means in Northeast Ohio, a long and cold winter.

I was 7-9 in Week Three of my picks. I am going to have to think out of the box more if I am going to improve on my picks. The Saints lost in a shocker. Although, as I said last week New Orleans has not been impressive and Atlanta could surprise them and guess what, they did. Minnesota and Dallas finally got their first wins, Cowboys against the redhot Texans and the Vikings against the not so redhot Lions. They both have a bye this Sunday.

St. Louis and Seattle both got first wins and they did on the road against teams you thought they would have lost to. This week they play each other. Rams' Jackson is improving from an injury but still out of practice and iffy. Seattle beat San Diego despite Rivers throwing for 455 yards and Tobet running for 73. What happen? The Seahawks were ball hawking and forced 5 turnovers. St Louis doesn't stand a chance against Seattle. Neither does Detroit against Green Bay with the Packers breathing fire from their loss to Chicago.

Three games to watch are Baltimore at Pittsburgh, Washington at Philadelphia, and Chicago at NY Giants. Flacco is coming off an impressive showing with his three touchdown passses against hapless Cleveland. He will be facing a much more staunch defense in the ever aggressive Steeler secondary with Polamalu roaming wild. Got to give the edge to the Steelers. Vick is back in form for the Eagles and will prove to be to much for Washington. Chicago is flying high after stunning the Packers in the final seconds of a hotly contested game. True, the Packers shot themselves in the foot with all those penalties and losing a fumble in the final minutes courtesy of Urlacher. That's what it is all about and that's what wins games. Watch out New York, the Bears are coming to town with an attitude.

That's my take this week and these are my picks. Thinking out of the box. Oh, Cincinnati coming to Cleveland. What does the box say? Mangini, get Joshua Cribbs to go long a few times and let's see what happens, or Massaquoi, or somebody. Take a chance, you may be surprised at what happens. You couldn't do any worse.

 

SUN, OCT 3 TIME (ET)

San Francisco 18 at Atlanta 24 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Georgia Dome
Cincinnati 23 at Cleveland 24 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Cleveland Browns Stadium
NY Jets 30 at Buffalo 20 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Seattle 20 at St. Louis 17 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
Edward Jones Dome
Denver 21 at Tennessee 28 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
LP Field
Detroit 15 at Green Bay 34 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Lambeau Field
Baltimore 23 at Pittsburgh 27 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
Heinz Field
Carolina 17 at New Orleans 37 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Superdome
Indianapolis 34 at Jacksonville 13 4:05 PM CBS Tickets L
EverBank Field
Houston 25 at Oakland 20 4:05 PM CBS Tickets W
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Washington 18 at Philadelphia 27 4:15 PM FOX Tickets L
Lincoln Financial Field

Arizona 17 at San Diego 28 4:15 PM FOX Tickets W

Qualcomm Stadium

Chicago 24 at NY Giants 27 8:20 PM NBC Tickets W

New Meadowlands Stadium

MON, OCT 4 TIME (ET)

New England 32 at Miami 20 8:30 PM Tickets

Sun Life Stadium

Week Three NFL Picks-Put Them On Ice.

Iced- 1. to put in ice. 2. covered with ice. 3. to freeze a field goal attempt by means of a time-out. Washington's Gano had a chill run up his spin after he found out his field goal attempt that passed through the uprights for the potential win was iced. His next attempt went wide right and the Redskins went from elation to cold hard reality in a matter of seconds, a stunning loss to Houston. Timing is everything. Another case in point. Troy Polamalu launched himself over the Titan's offensive line and landed on the Titan's quarterback all made possible by perfect timing of the count and snap. Steelers beat the Titans 19-11 and Week Two of the 2010 season is now history.

I improved my picks to 9-7 for the week. Week Three, anything can happen. Minnesta is 0-2 and desparately in need of a victory. Fortunately they are facing Detroit at home, but don't count Detroit out so easily. Brett Favre needs to chill and not press the panic button. Run, screen, run Brett. Minnesota should win. Dallas is 0-2 also. They need to press the panic button. Houston is hitting on all cylinders. Watch out if Houston's running and passing game merge. I give this one to the Texans.

Philadelphia's Andy Reid has been playing the roulette wheel in his quarterback decision concerning who he is going with, but it seems the ball has landed on Vick's number, for now. Vick had a great game against Detroit. The jury is still out on this one because that was Detroit, Jacksonville is next and after them is Washington. The Jaguars are tough at home. Garrard had a melt down with four interceptions against the Chargers. If the Jaguars establish a solid running attack they will be in it.

The Cleveland Browns play the Ravens in Baltimore. If I were to go by statistics the Ravens would be my choice. The Browns need to win or its going to be a repeat of 2009. Joshua Cribbs is going to be the difference in this one, if Mangini gets his head out of the clouds and manages the talent. Here we go Brownies, here we go. The Patriots, Colts, and San Diego should win. New Orleans has not looked impressive and Altanta could surprise them. The game to watch will be the Jets and Dolphins. It will be Miami hot and both teams will be doing some heavy sweating. Maybe they will get cooled off by an iced field goal attempt. As to who, take your pick.
 
SUN, SEP 26 TIME (ET)
Tennessee 23 at NY Giants 24 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
New Meadowlands Stadium
Pittsburgh 18 at Tampa Bay 17 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Raymond James Stadium
Cincinnati 24 at Carolina 18 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Bank of America Stadium
Cleveland 20 at  18 Baltimore 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
M&T Bank Stadium
Dallas 20 at Houston 28 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
Reliant Stadium
San Francisco 23 at Kansas City 21 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
Arrowhead Stadium
Detroit 15 at Minnesota 27 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Metrodome
Buffalo 17 at New England 28 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Gillette Stadium
Atlanta 23 at New Orleans 24 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Superdome
Washington 20 at St. Louis 10 4:05 PM FOX Tickets L
Edward Jones Dome
Philadelphia 27 at Jacksonville 24 4:05 PM FOX Tickets W
EverBank Field
Oakland 23 at Arizona 18 4:15 PM CBS Tickets L

U of Phoenix Stadium

San Diego 30 at Seattle 12 4:15 PM CBS Tickets L

Qwest Field

Indianapolis 34 at Denver 20 4:15 PM CBS Tickets W

Invesco Field at Mile High

NY Jets 20 at Miami 21 8:20 PM NBC Tickets L

Sun Life Stadium

MON, SEP 27 TIME (ET) 

Green Bay 27 at Chicago 24 8:30 PM Tickets L

Soldier Field

The Browns Bark Is Bigger Than Their Bite-Lose to Kansas City

Here we go again Brown's fans, here we go. Wimper Wimper. Week Two, another weak showing and another killer interception. One bright spot out of the whole game was the 65 yard reception-touchdown by Joshua Cribbs. Other than that, the Browns made only one trip to the red zone with a poor third down efficiency to match and were a no-show in the second half. Mangini needs to stabilize the offense by making up his mind as to who is going to play what. Uncertainty wreaks havoc on a teams cohesion.

The Browns defense stood tough and it was the nose of the ball that finally sealed the Browns fate. The defense didn't allow one offensive touchdown and had two picks. The secondary limited Matt Cassel to 176 yards, but the line gave up 132 yards on the ground to Jones and Charles. Dawson's missed field goal could have been the clincher but there are just to many variables in a game to say that with any certainty.

Quote, "It's not good football," Mangini said. "It's not smart football. It's not winning football. We can't play that way." Mangini should have said, "It's not good coaching. It's not smart football. It's not winning football. We can't coach that way." Attitude reflects leadersip. It's the task of the coaching staff to organize the talent it has chosen into one cohesive unit where each of its parts enhances the other. Mangini needs to go back to what began the four game win streak last season.

The Browns needed to win these first two games because it is only going to get worse from here with a tough, no-breather schedule ahead. Meanwhile, the Steelers continue to find ways to win and the Bengals field goaled their way to victory. So, where does that leave the Browns? It leaves them at the bottom of the barrel, in the cellar, ground zero. You can't get any worse than that. What's it going to be Mangini? Can you pull off a Houdini and come back from the dead?
 
Question: I wonder if Jake Delhomme's injury really kept him out of the game or it was an opportunity for a look-see what Seneca Wallace could do? Just a thought.

Week Two NFL Picks-Should Be Another Wild Week

Week one is in the books. Pittsburgh ran away with the ball in overtime against Atlanta. New Orleans Brees-ed passed Minnesota, but not impressively. Cincinnati's top two receivers left the house while New England brought down the house. Cleveland dropped the ball as Tampa Bay plucked it from thin air. The Colts aired it out and got drunk on Fosters. Tennessee won con-Vince-ingly over a Young Oakland. If week one is a precursor of things to come then we are in for a wild ride.

I was 7-9 for week one. What happen? Anything that can happen will happen on any given Sunday or Thursday or Monday. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Vince Young and the Titans are for real and they will have a chance to prove it again against the Steeler defense this week. Brett Favre is in flux with his receivers and should rely on the screen to Peterson as a backup until he finds his sweet spot. Cleveland is going to have to get imaginitive with their game plan against an opportunistic Kansas City if they want to start their new win streak. San Diego shouldn't play in the rain, but should be alright at home in sunny San Diego, maybe. Jacksonville's quarterback finished his first game with a rating of 138.9 and three touchdowns. Garrard could prove to be a handful for the Chargers. New Orleans at San Francisco, a no brainer. Should be a breeze for the Saints.

The one game I will have my spy eye on will be the Giants at the Colts game. Manning against Manning. It can't get much better than that. Ely had tree touchdown passes against Carolina, but also had three picks. A somewhat shacky start. But that doesn't always tell the true story, tipped balls and all. Peyton is coming off one of his most productive yardage games with 433 yards. He also threw for three touchdowns and still came up short in the points column. The Colts were in the red zone only three times with all that yardage and were 4-12 in third down efficiency. That may explain why they lost to Houston, aside from the fact that Foster ran all over their defense. Will it prove to be a shoot out or a run off? Stay tuned.

Just an added thought-I saw somewhere on the internet T.O. has an IQ of 134. They always did say there is a fine line between genius and insanity. Well, maybe genius is a stretch.

SUN, SEP 19 TIME (ET) 
Pittsburgh 18 at Tennessee 23 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
LP Field
Miami 20 at Minnesota 24 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
Metrodome
Arizona 17 at Atlanta 23 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Georgia Dome
Baltimore 17 at Cincinnati 27 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Paul Brown Stadium
Kansas City 20 at Cleveland 21 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
Cleveland Browns Stadium
Chicago 14 at Dallas 24 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
Cowboys Stadium
Philadelphia 30 at Detroit 20 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Ford Field
Buffalo 15 at Green Bay 28 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Lambeau Field
Tampa Bay 17 at Carolina 21 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
Bank of America Stadium
Seattle 22 at Denver 20 4:05 PM FOX Tickets L
Invesco Field at Mile High
St. Louis 12 at Oakland 23 4:05 PM FOX Tickets W
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Houston 28 at Washington 24 4:15 PM CBS Tickets W
FedEx Field
New England 34 at NY Jets 18 4:15 PM CBS Tickets L
New Meadowlands Stadium
Jacksonville 23 at San Diego 30 4:15 PM CBS Tickets W
Qualcomm Stadium
NY Giants 28 at Indianapolis 35 8:20 PM NBC Tickets W
Lucas Oil Stadium

MON, SEP 20 TIME (ET)

New Orleans 37 at San Francisco 13 8:30 PM Tickets W
Candlestick Park

The Bengals Debacle And The Browns Disappoint

Ocho was a no-sho and T.O. was a no-go in the final play of the first half in the Bengals game against the Patriots. You would think the Bengals top two wide receivers would have considered it necessary to be there for that crucial play with their team down 24-3, but the soon-to-be reality TV stars had left the field. Ocho and T.O. are seriously in need of a reality check, or maybe the reality of it is the Bengals are unsuspecting participants in a new reality show called "The New Candid Camera Show" starring Ocho and T.O. and the joke is on them. Okay, maybe we should cut them a little slack, after all Ocho was thirsty and needed a drink of water and T.O. was having a problem with his new shoes. No way. They could have toughed it out just like the rest of the team. This is only the beginning, the Bengals are in for alot of drama this season, but they already knew that, after all, it was part of the package deal. Smile, your on Candid Camera.

Disappointment, disappointment, disappointment. The Browns lost to the Buccaneers in their opener 17-14. I thought for sure the Browns were going to continue where they left off last season, but they were plagued by a continuing preseason problem. Fumbles and interceptions are drive stoppers and the Browns had three that were costly. Jake Delhomme had an okay day, but the two interceptions he threw did not help his cause or the Browns. I think Mangini needs to return to the offensive scheme that started the winning streak last season with the victory over the Steelers, the wildcat offense, or in the case of the Browns, the "wilddog offense". I'm not saying the Browns should rely on the wildcat offence, but use it at opportune times. In doing so Mangini will be using the versatility of Joshua Cribbs to the maximum. The Browns are going to have to get imaginative if they want to beat Kansas City in the home opener, the same Kansas City that shocked San Diego on Monday Night Football.

Week One NFL Picks-2010 Season Begins

The stage is now set. The play is primed to begin and the curtains are ready to go up. The opening act will set the tone for things to come and it is anticipated to be an eye-popper. The Minnesta Vikings and New Orleans Saints will step back onto the field to face off in quarter five after a long halftime.

It seems like just yesterday they collided in the NFC Championship at the Superdome. The Saints walked away victorious, but the victory was somewhat hollow because they were dominated by the Vikings through the four quarters of their match. The Vikings were plagued by their own mistakes that dogged them at every turn and finally brought them to their knees in unwilling submission. The Vikings have a score to settle and Brett Favre, haunted by that final errant pass, will be looking for redemption. It will be bruising, but the Vikings will overcome and Brett will find peace.

The first games of the regular season are tough calls because you only have the preseason to base your judgements on and there is no certainty in what you have observed. It takes a few to get a feel for how all the acquisitions, trades, and draft picks will pan out.

I am looking for the Cleveland Browns to vastly improve themselves this season. Last year they were plagued by a quarterback controversy and it took some time for Mangini to finally wake up to the versitily of Joshua Cribbs. Cleveland will be in Tampa Bay for their first game. There is talk the Buccaneers are going to win their division. Something to do with the last-place team has won the division the following season in all but one year. Good luck with that one. The Browns will egde the Bucks in the opener.

I am very interested in seeing how it all shakes out for the Bengals with Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco competing for top spot in the wide receiver spotlight in Cincinnati. Owens claims to have changed and Ochocinco is what he is. Could be alot of drama in store for Palmer and company or just maybe the acquisition will increase the strength of their deep threat. I am quite sure the cameras will be honed in on their every move.

That's my take for this week, the rest is below. I will be making my picks each week, so come back and compare your choices to mine. Looking forward to the first kickoff and the beginning of a great season of NFL football. Question: What should the wildcat offense be called in Cleveland? The answer is in one of my previous posts.
 
THU, SEP 9 TIME (ET)
Minnesota 30 at New Orleans 28 8:30 PM NBC Tickets L
Superdome
SUN, SEP 12 TIME (ET)
Carolina 17 at NY Giants 21 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
New Meadowlands Stadium
Atlanta 24 at Pittsburgh 21 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L
Heinz Field
Cleveland 23 at Tampa Bay 17 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
Raymond James Stadium
Denver 18 at Jacksonville  20 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
EverBank Field
Indianapolis 27 at Houston 24 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
Reliant Stadium
Miami 21 at Buffalo 15 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Detroit 21 at Chicago 23 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Soldier Field
Oakland 17 at Tennessee 27 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
LP Field
Cincinnati 27 at New England 28 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W
Gillette Stadium
Arizona 14 at St. Louis 16 4:15 PM FOX Tickets L
Edward Jones Dome
San Francisco 18 at Seattle 16 4:15 PM FOX Tickets L
Qwest Field
Green Bay 28 at Philadelphia 20 4:15 PM FOX Tickets W
Lincoln Financial Field
Dallas 30 at Washington 18 8:20 PM NBC Tickets L
FedEx Field
MON, SEP 13 TIME (ET)
Baltimore 18 at NY Jets 23 7:00 PM Tickets L
Travel New Meadowlands Stadium
San Diego 30 at Kansas City 24 10:15 PM Tickets L
Arrowhead Stadium