Wild Card Weekend-It's All About Quarterbacks

I finished out the regular season 182-74 on my picks. Now, it's playoff time and the craziness continues. How the heck did it come to be that Pittsburgh(12-4) has to go to Denver(8-8) for the Wild Card? Well, that's just the way the rules bounce it. Denver just continues to defy the odds despite losing their last three games and finishing the season with more points scored against them than they scored against opponents. The only other team in the playoffs with that similar distinction is the New York Giants, and they took their division also.

It is going to be cold and snow on Sunday in Denver. Nothing the Steelers can't handle, except the air is thinner in Denver than Pittsburgh. With the colder air chilling the ball somewhat, maybe we will see some kickoffs returned instead of the ball sailing into the stands. Of course, touchdowns have to be scored or field goals kicked for that to happen. So, Denver's kicker is going to get quite cold standing idle on the sidelines. Defense is the only way I see Denver winning this game because the Steelers are going to be all over Tim Tebologny sandwiched between two linemen. Tebow will be doing the Tebow not in thankfulness, but to pick himself up off the turf. Roethlisberger has been there, done it. Nothing more needs to be said.

Cincinnati will be at Houston. Cincinnati has risen from the ashes of last season on the arm of a rookie, Andy Dalton. It is always helpful to have a go to guy, and Dalton had A.J. Green. The Bengals have also succeeded with good defense. Dalton and company will be facing a tough defense in the Texans, who have been strong both against the run and the pass. Houston will be looking to stuff the run, thus forcing the Bengals to rely on rookie Dalton's arm with hopes he will make a crucial mistake in the process. Houston has been struggling on offense as of late with T.J. Yates at the helm, even with a strong running attack in Arian Foster. The Bengals obvious objective, stop Foster. Do that, job won.

Atlanta at New York Giants will be a bruising game. Atlanta closed out the season with a blowout against Tampa Bay. Turner ran wild and the defense picked off three passes. It will be a tougher go this week against the Giants. This game is probably the most evenly matched that can go either way. Eli manning had an on again, off again season, showing brilliance one moment and total frustration the next. Last week, against Dallas, he was on. We will have to wait to see which Manning shows up on Sunday.

Detroit at New Orleans, and all that needs to be said is Drew Brees. Too many weapons for Detroit to handle, unless they can get a handle on Brees. It is a bit strange two of the Saints three losses in regular season were against two of the worst teams, Tampa Bay and St. Louis. They are playing in the Superdome where such meltdowns don't occur. New Orleans defense needs only to do one thing, shutdown Calvin Johnson.

SAT, JAN 7                 TIME (ET)      TV       LOCATION
Cincinnati at Houston      4:30 PM       NBC      Reliant Stadium
Detroit at New Orleans    8:00 PM       NBC      Mercedes-Benz Superdome
SUN, JAN 8                 TIME (ET)      TV       LOCATION
Atlanta at NY Giants      1:00 PM       FOX      MetLife Stadium
Pittsburgh at Denver       4:30 PM       CBS      Sports Authority Field at Mile High

Week 12 Turkey Day NFL Picks-Will It Be a Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood

Green Bay has pretty much wrapped up their division as they continue their quest for an undefeated season, unless they suffer an unexpected set back like the Idianapolis Colts. Detroit started the season off like gangbusters, but have faultered somewhat the past five games. Whether the Lions make it to the playoffs will be decided today against the Packers. Miami is gaining momentum each week they play and Dallas has shaken the early season cobb webs loose. Baltimore needs to stay a step ahead of Pittsburgh and San Fran is breezing along comfortably in their division.

Aaron Rodgers is on a record setting pace, but will be facing a tough on the quarterback Lion's defense. Rodgers rarely makes a mistake and that is what makes him unbeatable. The Lion's, if they are going to win this game, will need to score touchdown for touchdown. Rodgers has way more weapons in his arsonal than Matthew Stafford does, so the Detroit defense will have to come up with a game plan that will neutralize some of those weapons. The Packers task on defense is much simpler, take out Calvin Johnson and job won, but the Packers chink in their armor is the defensive secondary. If the Lions drive a wedge into that chink the Packers will become vulnerable to a possible fatal blow and bye, bye undefeated season.

Miami is a tale of two seasons. The turn around is due to Matt Moore and Reggie Bush. Bush will tear a defense up on screens and will burn the secondary once he gets into the open field. If Bush has an excellent day Miami will have a good chance of winning. The Dolphins front line will need to pay attention to where Demarcus Ware is at all times or Moore will be running for his life. Moore's use of play action and screens will be a plus in his favor at avoiding Ware. Tony Romo has been on fire as of late and avoiding "the wish I had a V8" moment that left one scratching their heads over what he was doing in the final moments of earlier games. The Cowboys are dealing with injuries in key offensive postions, so a win hinges on Romo's play. Avoiding the interception or fumble is paramount.

Baltimore has been floudering on offense since they took down Pittsburgh. They lost to what-will-they-do-this-week Seattle and barely escaped the newly revised Cincinnati Bengals, who are chomping at their heals. On top of it, the Ravens defense has been giving up points. Ray Lewis is questionable, which if he doesn't play, Baltimore will be weaker against the run, and against the 49ers that would be Frank Gore. Joe Flacco and Torrey Smith have been making connection since the Pittsburgh game. We will see if that continues. Baltimore thrives on the mistakes of their opponents and forced three interceptions out of the Bengal's Dalton last Sunday. This will be more difficult with Alex Smith. Smith has been making good decisions under center and his favorite target to score is Vernon Davis. San Fran has a defense that is equally as tough as Baltimore. So, this game may be decided by the field goal kickers.

THU, NOV 24                        TIME (ET)    TV     LOCATION
Green Bay at Detroit                12:30 PM    FOX    Ford Field
Miami at Dallas                        4:15 PM      CBS    Cowboys Stadium
San Francisco at Baltimore      8:20 PM      NFL    M&T Bank Stadium

Week 10 NFL Picks-The Season Begins For Cincinnati

After what I thought was one of the best Sundays of football in the NFL's long illustrious history the saying, "That is a tough act to follow," is apropos. Teams like Baltimore, NY Giants, and Arizona proved "It ain't over till it's over." San Diego fell short of putting their game into overtime against Green Bay, but it was entertaining. The Chargers stand at a crossroads in their division. Cincinnati continues to surprise, but will be tested when they faceoff with Pittsburgh. Chicago exstinguished the fires of Philadelphia on Monday Night Football, but will be jumping into the frying pan against Detroit this Sunday. The line up looks good.

The Bengals success this year covers the huge mistake they made last year, and that was putting Noshow-Cinco and TOed-Owens in the same lineup. Enough said about that. Two rookies have taken center stage in Cincinnati, Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. They have been the catalyst for the offense, but have been supported by a good defense. It has been said their schedule for the first half of the season might have something to do with it, but their first 8 games may have given them the time to prepare for what's coming.

The Pittsburgh game will test whether they can cut the mustard. Pittsburgh had victory snatched away from them by Baltimore and will be looking for redemption or someone to hit. It will be a good game, but in order for Pittsburgh to lose this one, they will have to seriously stumble.

San Diego is in a three way tie in their division. Philip Rivers doesn't like to lose. No suprising revelation in that statement. He puts his heart and soul into every game and when he does lose, you see the disappointment written all over his face. Mistakes have plagued his game play. He has been trying to force the ball into passing situations that backfire. San Diego takes on Oakland Thusday night. Injuries have been disruptive, but good teams overcome. Well, maybe if your not Indianapolis. What may help the Chargers cause, Ryan Matthews is expected to play.

San Diego's injuries will be offsetting because Oakland has injuries of its own in key positions, like running back Darren McFadden, who was having a great year. Michael Bush has been filling in very nicely. Carson Palmer is now calling the plays and is listed as probable. Despite San Diego's woes, the only way I see Oakland winning this one is by their defense stepping up and creating mistakes.

Detroit destroyed Denver before their bye, but Denver is not Chicago. The Lions are a dominate passing team with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Chicago's defense just shut down Michael Vick and company on Monday. So, Stafford and company will have their hands full, hopefully footballs. If their defense plagues Jay Cutler like they did Tim tebow, half the battle will be won.

Chicago's challenge will be to shut down Stafford and cover Johnson. The easier of the two would be to strike at the point of attack, Stafford. Chicago has the defense that can harrass and disrupt the quarterback via Julius Peppers, and Brian Urlacher dropping back into coverage. Jay Cutler has a rifle arm and if he is in rythmn with his receivers, Detroit will be looking from behind. All in all, if both teams live up to their expectations, it will be a good game. Maybe, one of those down to last minute thrillers.

I don't know what to say about the cleveland Browns. Luckily, they are playing St. Louis in Cleveland. At least they won't be in a hostile environment, but that could change. The Browns defense will have to control Steven Jackson, the Rams main offensive weapon. Unfortunately, they couldn't stop Arian Foster and Ben Tate last Sunday. Both Houston backs had a hundred yard plus day. Jackson will be like a fired up thoroughbred race horse waiting for the gates to open. The Browns coaching staff has finally wised up to using Joshua Cribbs at wide receiver. It's about time. This week the Browns are even giving consideration to using him at the running position.

THU, NOV 10                      TIME (ET)   TV     LOCATION
Oakland at San Diego             8:20 PM     NFL    Qualcomm Stadium

SUN, NOV 13                      TIME (ET)   TV     LOCATION
Arizona at Philadelphia          1:00 PM    FOX    Lincoln Financial Field
Tennessee at Carolina            1:00 PM     CBS    Bank of America Stadium
Houston at Tampa Bay           1:00 PM    CBS    Raymond James Stadium
Washington at Miami             1:00 PM    FOX    Sun Life Stadium
Jacksonville at Indianapolis   1:00 PM     CBS    Lucas Oil Stadium
Denver at Kansas City            1:00 PM    CBS    Arrowhead Stadium
Buffalo at Dallas                     1:00 PM    CBS    Cowboys Stadium
New Orleans at Atlanta          1:00 PM    FOX    Georgia Dome
St. Louis at Cleveland            1:00 PM    FOX    Cleveland Browns Stadium
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati          1:00 PM    CBS    Paul Brown Stadium
Baltimore at Seattle                4:05 PM    CBS    CenturyLink Field
NY Giants at San Francisco   4:15 PM    FOX    Candlestick Park
Detroit at Chicago                  4:15 PM    FOX    Soldier Field
New England at NY Jets        8:20 PM    NBC    MetLife Stadium

MON, NOV 14                    TIME (ET)   TV    LOCATION
Minnesota at Green Bay         8:30 PM    ESPN   Lambeau Field

Week 7 NFL Picks-Some Good Matchups And Some It's Over Before It Starts

Week Six Monday Night Football saw a game that was pretty much even across the board when it was over. Darrelle Revis and Brandon Marshall battled all night in the end zone. Marshall had several scoring opportunities foiled as well as dropped. Matt Moore was pummeled by the Jets rush, forcing him to come up short on some of his passes. Revis picked off one of those passes and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. Its those little things that make a difference in winning and losing and it was the Jets who ended on top. The Week 7 lineup is probably split between obvious wins and it's anybody's guess.

Detroit's game against Atlanta this Sunday will be a crucial one since they are coming off a loss. It will be a test of their resilience and ability to overcome a setback. Playing at home is one on the plus side for them, although they are 3-0 on the road. The Lions had a problem stopping Frank Gore and will be facing another tough runner in Michael Turner. It is a glaring statistic that when Turner has a 100+ game and scores, Atlanta wins. Detroit's defense must stop Turner and put the ball into Matt Ryan's hands, which if Detroit is not careful could be tricky. Matthew Stafford has proven his ability to put it the endzone with Calvin Johnson. It didn't happen in the San Fran game because the 49er's did a good job checking Johnson in the endzone. Atlanta isn't San Fran defensively, so Stafford will be looking that way.

The Jets are playing for their playoff life. One thing in their favor is they have a defense that can tear the opposing team apart and create crucial mistakes, as they did in the Miami game. San Diego is not Miami when it comes to offense. Philip Rivers has only 6 passing touchdowns for the season, but the Chargers find a way to win despite, usually with the help of Nick Novak. The Chargers can move the ball offensively, but without Antonio Gates they are missing an important part of their scoring attack. There is a possibilty Gates will play, so watch out Jets. Revis will have to step it up again and the defensive line will have to apply the pressure. For the Jets offensively, Sanchez will have to avoid the critical mistake and Shonn Greene must have a good running game, San Diego's weak spot. If Santonio Holmes has a touchdown, the Jets will be competitive.

Seattle Seahawks shocked the Giants this past week. The Cleveland Browns are on the bottom in their division again after being bested by Oakland. This is an anybody's guess. The Browns will no doubt be missing Hillis, maybe, and continue to play silly games with the wide receiver position. Joshua Cribbs is still used sparingly in the passing attack, which baffles me. The Browns just need to let it all hang out and use Cribbs like the Steelers use Wallace. Colt McCoy can win if he is given the green light and a go to guy. The Seahawks will be without Tarvaris Jackson, weakening their offense even more. This is an opportunity for the Browns to get on the winning road. Whether they stay on it depends on their willingness to go for broke and do the obvious, out of the ordinary, move to Cribbs at wide receiver permanently.

Baltimore needs to take Jacksonville seriously even though it may look like a cake walk. Can Cam-do or Cam-not, that is the question? Stay tuned Sunday. Green Bay at Minnesota, not like it used to be with Farve, Minnesota that is, not Green Bay. The battle of the Titans against the Texans, a possible shoot out. I'm looking for a 100 percent pick this week with no surprises.

SUN, OCT 23                           TIME (ET) TV       LOCATION
San Diego at NY Jets L               1:00 PM  CBS    MetLife Stadium
Chicago at Tampa Bay L             1:00 PM  FOX    Wembley Stadium
Washington at Carolina W           1:00 PM  FOX    Bank of America Stadium
Atlanta at Detroit L                      1:00 PM  FOX    Ford Field
Seattle at Cleveland W                 1:00 PM  FOX    Cleveland Browns Stadium
Denver at Miami L                       1:00 PM  CBS    Sun Life Stadium
Houston at Tennessee L               1:00 PM  CBS    LP Field
Kansas City at Oakland L            4:05 PM  CBS    Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Pittsburgh at Arizona W              4:05 PM  CBS    U of Phoenix Stadium
Green Bay at Minnesota W         4:15 PM  FOX    Mall of America Field
St. Louis at Dallas W                  4:15 PM  FOX    Cowboys Stadium
Indianapolis at New Orleans W  8:20 PM  NBC    Superdome

MON, OCT 24                         TIME (ET)  TV     LOCATION
Baltimore at Jacksonville L        8:30 PM  ESPN   EverBank Field

Week 5 NFL Picks-Will Detroit Lions Remain Undefeated

The Steelers got drubbed in a game where the final score should have been worse than it was if it wasn't for Houston mistakes. The Lions overcame a deficit in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys to remain undefeated. Trying-to-figure-out Cincinnati handed Buffalo its first loss. Baltimore defense manhandled the Jets and Sanchez. Green Bay, New england, New Orleans, and New York Giants all won their games. Last but not least, surprise Tennessee easily took the Browns down. I was 10-6 in Week Four. This is a bye week for some teams, which includes the Browns. There are only 10 games scheduled.

Tennessee at Pittsburgh will be interesting. First, Ben Roethlisberger is going to play despite the foot injury and Mendenhall is out, but that is of no consequence. The big problem with the Steelers last week, Wallace, their go to guy, did not figure into the passing attack. It seemed Roethlisberger favored Brown throughout the game. Now, whether that mistake was by design or Wallace was flat out covered, in order to win against the Titans, the Steelers will have to find a way to get the ball to Wallace. Tennessee's defense is tough and they will be going after Roethlisberger, who is lacking protection. Matt Hasselbeck will be tested in this game by a Steeler blitz attack, and if he overcomes it, I will be a believer.

Cincinnati will be at Jacksonville. Jacksonville is a one dimentional offense and the Bengals have a steady defense. Cincinnati's defense needs only to control Maurice Jones-Drew and the rest will be up to their offense. Blaine Gabbert will have to avoid the big mistake when the game comes to rest on his arm if they should fall behind in the score, which probably will be the case. Andy Dalton has proven he can win, Gabbert has yet to notch number one.

Green Bay has been cruising along and will be hosted by Atlanta. Green Bay just has too many weapons with a quarterback and receiving core that run like a well oiled turbo charged engine. Atlanta's defense will need to step it up a notch by putting pressure on Aaron Rodgers and hope their offense can match whatever Rodgers puts up. The Packers defensive secondary is vulnerable and if the offensive line gives Matt Ryan the time, that could be a possibility. The Falcons will have the home crowd behind them, which should help out alittle, hopefully.

The big game will be Chicago at Detroit. Detroit has proven their legitimacy as a contender and their win against Dallas substantiated that. After years of losing, this is a welcomed change for the steady Detroit fan. Monday night, Detroit and its fans will be in the spotlight. Stafford and Johnson are a deadly combo. Eight of Stafford's 11 touchdowns have been to Calvin Johnson. Chicago's task will be to break that combo up. It is their only hope. They are in a division with two undefeated teams and a must win stuation. Matt Forte and Devon Hester are Chicago's impact players, but if Detroit stuffs the run Jay Cutler, who has only 5 touchdown passes for the season, will have to win it, unless the defense scores some touchdowns.

The playoff picture is beginning to take some shape. There are a few teams who need to win this weekend or they will fall seriously behind with little hope of recovery. The only division that is still wide open is the AFC North. Baltimore and Cleveland are on a bye week.

SUN, OCT 9                          TIME (ET) TV  LOCATION
Tennessee at Pittsburgh L          1:00 PM CBS  Heinz Field
Seattle at NY Giants L               1:00 PM FOX  MetLife Stadium
Cincinnati at Jacksonville W     1:00 PM CBS  EverBank Field
New Orleans at Carolina W       1:00 PM FOX  Bank of America Stadium
Oakland at Houston L                1:00 PM CBS  Reliant Stadium
Philadelphia at Buffalo W          1:00 PM FOX  Ralph Wilson Stadium
Kansas City at Indianapolis L    1:00 PM CBS  Lucas Oil Stadium
Arizona at Minnesota W            1:00 PM FOX  Mall of America Field
Tampa Bay at San Francisco L  4:05 PM FOX  Candlestick Park
NY Jets at New England W       4:15 PM CBS  Gillette Stadium
San Diego at Denver W             4:15 PM CBS  Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Green Bay at Atlanta W             8:20 PM NBC  Georgia Dome

MON, OCT 10                      TIME (ET) TV  LOCATION
Chicago at Detroit W                 8:30 PM ESPN Ford Field

Week 4 NFL Picks-Will The Former Losers Continue To Be Winners

A change of scenery is good. It's refreshing. It's engaging. It gives the eyes a different perspective and challenges the senses. The scene of the NFL maybe under going a change. Although Green Bay, New Orleans, New England, and Pittsburgh are familiar landmarks, it is good to see former downcasts like Buffalo, Detroit, Cleveland, and Oakland entering as possibles in the playoff scene of NFL football. And, one thing this young season has shown us is the top choices are all very vulnerable. So, with this welcomed change the picks should get more difficult. I was 12-4 in Week Three.

Buffalo's offense has been a running and passing juggernaut and going up against Cincinnati should not change that. It's a good thing because the Bills are seriously lacking a defense. If their offense should faulter, the door may open for the Bengals, who must strike quickly to take advantage. In order for Cincinnati to have even a remote chance of making it a competition, their running game with Benson must be relied upon or hope their better defense can force a mistake deep in Buffalo territory. Buffalo has been playing smart ball. Just look at how they kept Brady from getting back on the field in the last minutes of play.

Detroit will be tested this week in confused, don't know what I am supposed to do Dallas. Maybe, the Dallas offense should all wear detailed diagrams on their wrists, showing exactly where they are supposed to be on any given play. Or better yet, on each down Tony Romo should do it the old fashioned way in the huddle and draw on their jerseys where he wants each one of them to go. If Dallas achieves some resemblance of order on their offense, the Lions will have their hands full. It could be the battle of the tightends or the slaughter of the quarterbacks.

Cleveland was fortunate in their meeting with the Dolphins. Two great catches was all they needed and realistically was all they had all game long. Peyton Hillis will be back on the field and should have an impact on what the Browns will do. Protecting Colt McCoy from the blitz will be crucial or it will be a long day for the Browns in the negative, but the presense of Hillis should keep the Titans off balance. And what can you say about a team who loses to the Jaguars one week and beats the Ravens the next. The Titans have been a surprise and are dangerous, even without the dominant running game of Chris Johnson. Tennessee has been defensively good. All in all, the Browns and Titans look eerily similiar. Cleveland, get Joshua Cribbs involved, he is the trump card in this game.

Darren McFadden has been shredding opponents defenses and New England's defense doesn't look to be an exception. New England will go to the run more against an Oakland defense that has been giving up yardage on the ground, which will also take some of the heat off of Brady. It is highly unlikely Brady would have two weeks in a row where his picks equal his touchdowns. Ball control and time of possession will be key for Oakland, keep McFadden on the field and Brady off.

SUN, OCT 2	TIME (ET)	TV	RESOURCES	LOCATION
Detroit at Dallas L	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Cowboys Stadium
Carolina at Chicago W	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Soldier Field
Buffalo at Cincinnati L	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Paul Brown Stadium
Tennessee at Cleveland L	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Cleveland Browns Stadium
Minnesota at Kansas City L	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Arrowhead Stadium
Washington at St. Louis W	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Edward Jones Dome
New Orleans at Jacksonville W	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	EverBank Field
Pittsburgh at Houston W	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Reliant Stadium
San Francisco at Philadelphia L	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Lincoln Financial Field
NY Giants at Arizona W	4:05 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	U of Phoenix Stadium
Atlanta at Seattle W	4:05 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	CenturyLink Field
Miami at San Diego W	4:15 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Qualcomm Stadium
New England at Oakland W	4:15 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Denver at Green Bay W	4:15 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Lambeau Field
NY Jets at Baltimore W	8:20 PM	NBC	Tickets | Travel	M&T Bank Stadium
MON, OCT 3	TIME (ET)	TV	RESOURCES	LOCATION
Indianapolis at Tampa Bay L	8:30 PM		Tickets | Travel	Raymond James Stadium

Week 3 In The NFL-Rivals Weekend

Indy Colts just can't get cut a break, but who really cares. They face the Steelers on Sunday. So, the hometown fans won't have much to cheer about unless Manning, due to frustration from watching the massacre, runs out onto the field and grabs the ball from Kerry to take the snaps. It's a good thing there isn't any snow to make snowballs, if you get my drift. The rest of the games are not as obvious when it comes to picking the winner. I was 14-2 in Week Two.

The Houston at New Orleans game features two strong offenses. Houston's number one rated defense against the pass will be put to the test by Brees, but he has the uncanny knack of finding the open man. To prevent that from happening, the Texans will have to keep Brees from leaving the pocket and gaining extra time. In the Dome, at New Orleans, I give the edge to the Saints.

The New York at Philadelphia matchup is a division rival game with no real clear winner. Michael Vick is scheduled to start, but whether he will finish this one will be up to the Giants defense, who will be looking to take him out. The Eagles will be looking to establish a running attack, but that is the Giants defensive strength. The Giants receiving core is battered, so they will be relying on Jacobs and Bradshaw to set the tempo. If that fails, Eli Manning will be hard pressed to establish any kind of passing attack making him an easier victim to the turnover.

The New England at Buffalo matchup is a good one to watch. The Bills have a strong run game with Jackson, so if they can keep Brady off the field, their chances of surviving definately increases. That being said, Brady doesn't need alot of time because he can strike quickly with the deep on talent receiving core he has to work with. Both teams can put up the points, but the Patriots will put up more.

Another rival game is Green Bay at Chicago. Jake Cutler will have to avoid the turnover if the Bears want any kind of chance to win this one. The Packers will be putting the heat on Cutler, so the Bear offense will have to get Forte involved more to prevent that from happening. As seen in the Saints game, the Packers secondary can be picked apart by a capable quarterback. Aaron Rodgers will be facing a tougher defense in the Bears than he has faced in the first two games.

Finally, the Washington at Dallas game. The question at hand, will Tony Romo survive, if he plays? The Dallas line will have to protect him alot better than they have in prior games. If they do, Dallas will come off the victor. The Redskins have a balanced offensive attack, so the Dallas defense will have their hands full. Rex Grossman has been getting the job done, but will have to avoid making that crucial mistake, which he has conmmitted three times in the past two games.

Its going to be a good weekend of NFL football. There are alot of evenly matched teams where it could go either way, and that includes the Baltimore at St Louis game, considering what happened to the Ravens last Sunday. It is also good to see the Detroit Lions finally giving their fans a legitimate reason to cheer. Jacksonville's new slogan, "You're darn tootin', we gotta blitz Cam Newton. One game to keep a close eye on is the Miami at Cleveland. Will the Browns make in two in a row? It's Henne-one's guess, so to speak.

SUN, SEP 25	TIME (ET)	TV	RESOURCES	LOCATION
Houston at New Orleans W	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Superdome
NY Giants at Philadelphia W	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Lincoln Financial Field
Jacksonville at Carolina L	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Bank of America Stadium
New England at Buffalo L	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Ralph Wilson Stadium
Miami at Cleveland W	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Cleveland Browns Stadium
San Francisco at Cincinnati L	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Paul Brown Stadium
Denver at Tennessee W	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	LP Field
Detroit at Minnesota W	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Mall of America Field
Baltimore at St. Louis W	4:05 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Edward Jones Dome
NY Jets at Oakland W	4:05 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Kansas City at San Diego W	4:05 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Qualcomm Stadium
Arizona at Seattle W	4:15 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	CenturyLink Field
Atlanta at Tampa Bay L	4:15 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Raymond James Stadium
Green Bay at Chicago W	4:15 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Soldier Field
Pittsburgh at Indianapolis W	8:20 PM	NBC	Tickets | Travel	Lucas Oil Stadium
MON, SEP 26	TIME (ET)	TV	RESOURCES	LOCATION
Washington at Dallas W	8:30 PM		Tickets | Travel	Cowboys Stadium

Browns Lose To Lions-Chicago Next But Not Least

Wow. The Cleveland Browns lost to the Detroit Lions in preseason game number three 35-27. Does this mean the Lions are looking like a powerhouse this year or are the Browns going to do a repeat of last year? Fumbles, fumbles, and more fumbles can be a teams undoing. It's only pre-season.

Jake Delhomme is a quarterback with heart and he demonstrated that again in this game. After being facemasked and slam-twisted to the turf, Jake got up from the ground, brushed it off ready to continue play. Just another day on the job, business as usual. Delhomme was 20-25 with 152 yds and one touchdown pass. He's just having fun.

Joshua Cribbs made a great catch along the sidelines in this game. Will Cribbs see more touches this year as a wide receiver? Last year Cribbs was the Browns one constant. He was their biggest yardage producer and showed his versatility in any situation. Looking for Joshua Cribbs to have a great year no matter what position he finds himself in. They should think of changing the name "wildcat offense" to "wilddog offense" in the Browns case.

The Brown's finished the season last year with a winning streak of four. They have one more preseason game to play and then it will be off to Tampa Bay for the season opener at Raymond James Stadium. Hopefully the fumble thing will be worked out along with all the other little mishaps so the Browns can continue the winning streak(preseason games don't count). They will be a winner this year, just how much of a winner remains to be seen, although I did say Super Bowl XLVI in an article last season. Is that a bit of a stretch? Does it snow on the eastside of Cleveland in the snowbelt?