Dallas Cowboys And New York Giants Start The NFL Season-To The Winner Goes The Spoils, Like The NFC East Title

Regular season NFL football has finally arrived, and it is only Wednesday. Does it have something to do with with the DNC, I wonder? Usually, Thursday is the day NFL football games are scheduled. Oh well, not important. The question is only rhetorical and a day early is just fine with me. I now have something to look forward to on those other Sundays and Monday nights other than the endless, repetitious parade of repeat movies on AMC and FX. I just can not get into the preseason games.

We will now get answers to some of these looming questions. Will Peyton Manning take the Denver Broncos to the playoffs and ultimately the Super Bowl. Who will end up being the permanent starting quarterback for the New York Jets. Will the Cleveland Browns finally put together a winning team? Will the New Orlean Saints be able to rise above all the controversy of the past off season? Will the Indianapolis Colts overcome the stigma that one player doesn't make a team? I am sure you the reader have questions of your own. At least now we will be able to get the answers.

All eyes will be on Eli Manning and Tony Romo in the season opener tonight. Who will emerge on top? This first game could set the tone for both quarterbacks and their season. They will be playing at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The Cowboy's have a bone to pick, no offense Brown's fans, with the Giants for the loss that was handed them in last year's regular season finale in which the Giants clinched the NFC East title. I am picking the New York Giants to win this one and my decision is not based on any player superiority because I just don't see any, but simply on the fact the Giants are playing at home.

No major insights today. Let the games begin.  

Week 14 NFL Picks-Can Tebow do It Again

My choice for the Browns verses Pittsburgh game on Thursday night was a no brainer, and not surprising, the Browns lost. They couldn't even take advantage of a hobbled Roethlisberger. No further comment needed. The wildcard picture is still wide open in the National Conference and in the American Conference one slot most likely will be filled either by Pittsburgh or Baltimore. Baltimore plays Indianapolis Sunday and I am expecting no surprises there either. Wouldn't it be something to see all three teams from the AFC North in the playoffs, excluding you know who of course. Cincinnati faces off with Houston in what should be a good game. Two surprises, the Buffalo Bills at the start of the season were hopefuls, but have fallen from grace, and the Detroit Lions are still hanging on with their pinky. San Diego can still make it if Denver and Oakland have a meltdown.

The Bengals need to show they can win against teams with a plus record and Houston would be a good place to start, and it isn't optional. Andy Dalton and A. J. Green face a tough defense in the Texans. A decent showing from Benson will help the cause. Houston, on the other hand, has continued to win despite their quarterback loss. They will be facing a decent defense in the Bengals as well. Stop the run, win the game.

San Diego is back on track, although it was the offensiveless Jaguars they took advantage of last Monday. Their chances are slim at best on making it to the playoffs. The Chargers need to win and keep on winning, and that still leaves their chances very slim. Philip Rivers may have finally got his head on straight, maybe. We will see. Buffalo lost Fred Jackson, but even though that was a huge blow to their offensive attack, it is not the sole reason they have been losing. The Bills have been giving up two many points, which leaves their offense hard pressed to match. When an offense is forced to press than mistakes often follow, just ask Rivers.

Tim Tebow showed alittle more quarterback than running back his last outing, which is a good thing. However the Broncos are doing it, the fans have at least something to cheer about. They went from being a punching bag to being the boxer. Chicago's defense is built to take on the offense Denver has been putting out with Urlacher as its foundation and if the Bears are to win, it will have to be with defense. Chicago will seek to box Tebow in, so outside passes and screens will be the way to go for Tebow and let McGahee take on the middle.

One of the most animated coaches in football is the Giant's Tom Coughlin. The more unstable the Giant's offense is, the more entertaining Coughlin is, and the cameras know this. I'll watch the Giants just to see the antics of Coughlin. It's entertaining. They're winning, then they're losing, and then they're winning and losing. Dallas has been surging, but I think the Giant's pass rush is going to give Tony Romo fits and Eli Manning is going to give the Dallas secondary fits. Both Romo and Manning are proned to making knuckleheaded mistakes at times, but Romo will win in this category.

Both Cam Not-Win and Tim Tebow score more with their legs, but between the two of them, Tebow wins more. Everyone makes a big deal about Cam Not-Win, but he has not proven himself as a pocket quarterback. Until he does that, Panthers will not be a true contender and he will not be considered a true quarterback, unless they redefine what a quarterback is. Running quarterbacks do not go to the Super Bowl. However, Tebow is supported by a good defense that keeps the opposing points low and the offense in the game to make the winning score. The other rookie, Andy Dalton, has proved himself the way a quarterback does, with his arm.

One final note. The hit on Colt McCoy was an obvious cheap shot by Harrison. When you watch the replay, Harrison had enough time to calculate his hit on McCoy. It is true McCoy exposed himself more to a frontal hit when he changed his posture from a run to a throw, but Harrison was head hunting from the get go, going in high with the top of his helmet all the way.

THU, DEC 8                            TIME (ET)   TV       LOCATION
Cleveland at Pittsburgh                8:30            NFL      Heinz Field
SUN, DEC 11                          TIME (ET)   TV       LOCATION
Kansas City at NY Jets                1:00 PM     CBS      MetLife Stadium
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville          1:00 PM     FOX      EverBank Field
New England at Washington       1:00 PM     CBS      FedEx Field
Atlanta at Carolina                      1:00 PM     FOX      Bank of America Stadium
Indianapolis at Baltimore            1:00 PM     CBS      M&T Bank Stadium
Philadelphia at Miami                 1:00 PM     FOX      Sun Life Stadium
Minnesota at Detroit                   1:00 PM     FOX      Ford Field
New Orleans at Tennessee         1:00 PM     FOX      LP Field
Houston at Cincinnati                1:00 PM     CBS      Paul Brown Stadium
Chicago at Denver                     4:05 PM     FOX      Sports Authority Field at Mile High
San Francisco at Arizona           4:05 PM     FOX      U of Phoenix Stadium
Buffalo at San Diego                 4:15 PM     CBS      Qualcomm Stadium
Oakland at Green Bay               4:15 PM     CBS      Lambeau Field
NY Giants at Dallas                  8:20 PM     NBC      Cowboys Stadium
MON, DEC 12                        TIME (ET)    TV       LOCATION
St. Louis at Seattle                     8:30 PM     ESPN     CenturyLink Field

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 Twelve NFL Picks-Still Some Question Marks

There were no real surprises this past week, except maybe Buffalo crushing Cincinnati by scoring 49 points. Cleveland and Jacksonville was going to be close as well as the Indianapolis and New England game. The Patriots and Colts confrontation turned out to be everything it was expected to be, scoring wise that is. Manning out passed Brady by over 200 yards and had four touchdowns to two, but was also tagged with three interceptions. The Patriots running attack by Green-Ellis and Woodhead netted 165 yards and two touchdowns.

I was 9-5 in Week Eleven. A nice improvement over the previous week disaster picks. This week opens with three games on Turkey Day. The New England at Detroit contest should be a no brainer. The Lions are out matched in this one and can't seem to get a break from misfortune. New Orleans at Dallas two weeks ago would have been a simple choice, but Dallas has picked itself up off the turf by winning two in a row. New Orleans past two victories were over losing teams. This one will not be easy for the Saints since they are playing in hostile territory. Cincinnati at New York Jets is the final Thursday game. If the Bills can score 49 points against the Bengal defense, what will the Jets do? The Jets have acquired a reputation for executing last minute heroics in the likes of Santonio Holmes, saving themselves from what could have easily been a losing record for the season.

Games to watch on Sunday are Green Bay at Atalnta, Philadelphia at Chicago, San Diego at Indianapolis, and Carolina at Cleveland. Green Bay is on a roll and Aaron Rodgers is on fire. Atlanta has a strong offensive attack of their own spearheaded by Matt Ryan and Michael Turner. Atlanta's one weak spot is on defense against passing, which Rodgers will attempt to exploit. Chicago is on the top of their division and so is Philadelphia. The Eagles look strong in all categories and Vick has been dead on with his passing. Chicago will have to contain Vick and force him to his right and Cutler will have to avoid the costly mistake.

San Diego at Indianapolis is the meeting of two good quarterbacks once again, although I give the edge to Manning. Manning will be looking to avenge himself for last weeks loss and the Colts are in a must win situation to get ahead of opportunistic Jacksonville in their division. San Diego is first in passing yardage and first in defending against the pass. Rivers can match Manning touchdown for touchdown. Should be a good game.

The Browns have an opportunity to get back on the winning track against a weaker Panther team. Peyton Hillis should put up some big numbers in this one and the Browns defense will be too much for the low scoring Panther offense. The home fans should enjoy this one.
 
THU, NOV 25 TIME (ET)
New England 34 at Detroit 18 12:30 PM CBS W
Ford Field
New Orleans 23 at Dallas 24 4:15 PM FOX L 
Cowboys Stadium
Cincinnati 20 at NY Jets 24 8:20 PM NFL W
New Meadowlands Stadium
SUN, NOV 28 TIME (ET)
Green Bay 24 at Atlanta 27 1:00 PM FOX W 
Georgia Dome
Pittsburgh 32 at Buffalo 15 1:00 PM CBS W
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Carolina 10 at Cleveland 24 1:00 PM FOX W
Cleveland Browns Stadium
Jacksonville 21 at NY Giants 23 1:00 PM CBS W
New Meadowlands Stadium
Minnesota 24bat Washington 20 1:00 PM FOX W
FedEx Field
Tennessee 18 at Houston 27 1:00 PM CBS W
Reliant Stadium
Kansas City 23 at Seattle 24 4:05 PM CBS L

Qwest Field

Miami 20 at Oakland 23 4:05 PM CBS L
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

St. Louis 21 at Denver 24 4:15 PM FOX L 

Invesco Field at Mile High

Philadelphia 27 at Chicago 21 4:15 PM FOX L 

Soldier Field

Tampa Bay 17 at Baltimore 24 4:15 PM FOX W

M&T Bank Stadium

San Diego 28 at Indianapolis 30 8:20 PM NBC L

Lucas Oil Stadium

MON, NOV 29 TIME (ET)

San Francisco 20 at Arizona 27 8:30 PM L 

U of Phoenix Stadium

Week Eleven NFL Picks-The Craziness Continues

It was another wild and crazy weekend in the NFL. The new and improved Cleveland Browns nearly pulled off another win against a contending team. Buffalo Bills got their first win of the season against the hard luck Detroit Lions. The Denver Broncos took all of their frustrations out on the hapless Kansas City Chiefs. The inept Dallas Cowboys showed the potential that was expected of them at the beginning of the season. Jacksonville has become the most entertaining football team of the season with its "let it all loose" win over Houston. New England pummeled the defense of the Steelers to make up for the previous Sunday's embarrasement in Cleveland and the Vick vs McNabb show on Monday Night Football was like sending Cujo(no pun intended) against Barney the Dinosaur. The Bizarro World of 2010 NFL football continues. Will the Chicago at Miami game on Thursday night set the tone for what is to come? Tune in and we will see.

Week Ten was my worse picks ever. I was a ridiculous 5-9. If I can't do better than that this coming week I'll shave my head and get a tattoo of the Carolina Panthers. Chicago and Miami are fairly matched, but Chicago has the edge on defense. Thigpen may surprise Chicago's defense, so they will need to stay on their toes to keep that edge. Green Bay is at "what are they going to do now" Minnesota. The Vikings are finished for the year, so now if they are going to win it will be to preserve their pride and it will be tested against the Packers. Still, this one is a tough one to call because with Favre anything can happen. Oakland is on the top of their division and if they want to remain there they are going to have to beat an angry Steeler defense in thirsting-for-blood Hines Field. If the Raiders are to win this one it will have to be done with running and defense.

The games to watch this week are Cleveland at Jacksonville, Indianapolis at New England, and NY Giants at Philadelphia. Jacksonville is going to be loud and rowdy. David Garrard is coming off one of his better games and looking strong. Maurice Jones-Drew, the offenses ace-in-the-hole at running back, is pounding the opposition. Couple the two together and you have a formidable foe. Colt McCoy is playing error free ball and is improving week to week. The Browns can easily match the Jags running offense with Peyton Hillis. I give the edge to the Browns because of having the better defense.
 
Peyton Manning is not throwing as many touchdowns like he was in the beginning of the season. Injured receivers may have something to do with that, maybe. Usually Manning is able to overcome that kind of set back by utulizing the potential talent he is given to work with. Case in point is tightend Tamme. He has stepped in place for injured Dallas Clark and has done an excellent job. Tom Brady has faced a similar dilemma and has prevailed. Rob Gronkowski has become Brady's go to guy, at least in the game against Pittsburgh that became apparent. Neither team has a dominant running game. The Colts are strong against the pass and the Patriots are weak against the pass. I give the edge to the Colts, but you are never sure about anything when it comes to Belichick.
 
The NY Giants at Philadelphia game will be a closely contested game. If Manning can stay mistake free the Giants will have a chance, otherwise its lights out. Michael Vick has found his niche. The Giants defense is going to have their hands full.
 
THU, NOV 18 TIME (ET)
Chicago 27 at Miami 21 8:20 PM NFL W
Sun Life Stadium
SUN, NOV 21 TIME (ET)
Buffalo 18 at Cincinnati 28 1:00 PM CBS L
Paul Brown Stadium
Detroit 21 at Dallas 23 1:00 PM FOX W 
Cowboys Stadium
Washington 23 at Tennessee 24 1:00 PM FOX L 
LP Field
Arizona 18 at Kansas City 21 1:00 PM FOX W
Arrowhead Stadium
Green Bay 28 at Minnesota 20 1:00 PM FOX W 
Mall of America Field
Houston 27 at NY Jets 24 1:00 PM CBS L 
New Meadowlands Stadium
Oakland 23 at Pittsburgh 28 1:00 PM CBS W
 Heinz Field
Baltimore 27 at Carolina 15 1:00 PM CBS W
Bank of America Stadium
Cleveland 27 at Jacksonville 24 1:00 PM CBS L
EverBank Field
Tampa Bay 23 at San Francisco 21 4:05 PM FOX W

Candlestick Park

Seattle 17 at New Orleans 30 4:05 PM FOX W

Superdome

Atlanta 24 at St. Louis 20 4:05 PM FOX W

Edward Jones Dome

Indianapolis 28 at New England 27 4:15 PM CBS L 

Gillette Stadium

NY Giants 20 at Philadelphia 28 8:20 PM NBC W 

Lincoln Financial Field

MON, NOV 22 TIME (ET)

Denver 18 at San Diego 27 8:30 PM W 

Qualcomm Stadium

Saints and Colts Move on to the Championships

Mad Louisiana Superdome, two teams enter, one team moves on. The New Orleans Saints move on in the playoffs after dismantling the Arizona Cardinals both offensively and defensively. Ater Hightower took the first play of the first series 70 yds for a touchdown, the Saints answered with a touchdown of their own, and there was no looking back. The Cardinals were looking at the backs of the Saints runners and receivers as they crossed the goal line. The final score was Saints over the Cardinals 45-14.

Where do you begin with the Saints. It was a full team effort. No one player stood out statistically. If you were to pick out the player of the game, it would be Reggie Bush. Bush put out an outstanding rushing effort with 84 yds on 5 carries and a touchdown, but it was his 83 yd punt return for a touchdown that made him the standout player of the game. Drew Brees did not rack up the yardage as he usually does in the passing department, but he was very efficient with the 247 yds he spread around the field to his various receivers. Colston, Henderson, and Shockey were all recipients of Brees passes for touchdowns.

The Saints defense shut down the could-have-been potent Cardinal offense as they harassed Kurt Warner and  stifled the running game after the Hightower run. The defense only had one sack and three quarterback hits, but with superb pass coverage, they disrupted Warner and his receivers enough to keep them off balance.

Indianapolis defeated Baltimore 20-3 in the night game. There were no real individual standouts in this game. Peyton Manning had 246 yards on 30 completions out of 44 attempts and two touchdowns. Manning spread his passes among seven different receivers. Joseph Addai had only 23 yds on 11 carries. Wayne and Collie each had a touchdown off Peyton passes. A fairly decent effort for the Colt offense.

The Colts defense kept the Ravens offense in check. Joe Flacco had only 189 yds on 23 completions and was picked off two times by the Colts secondary. Ray Rice had 67 yds on 13 carries and 60 yds on 9 receptions, but was unable to cross the goal line. The Colts defense shut out the Ravens in two red zone attempts and went away with one field goal for their efforts.

Saints and Colts move on to the next level in the Playoffs and it looks like the road to the Superbowl is running through New Orleans and Indianapolis at this point. We will see what happens today in the Dallas at Minnesota and NY Jets at San Diego games. I am not yet fully convinced Dallas has what it takes to get past the Vikings and San Diego has to get over the mountain of falling short in the Playoffs after they beat the Jets, who have not matured enough for this level of play

Picture: No doubt that Reggie Wayne crossed the plain of the goal line.

The Second Week Of Playoffs And My Picks

I was one hundred percent wrong last week with my picks. NY jets just plain outplayed Cincinnati, Dallas Cowboys dominated Philadelphia for the second week in a row, Tom Brady and the Patriots fell flat on their you know what against Baltimore, and Green Bay against Arizona was a nail biter with the Cardinals clipping the Packers in overtime. Its anybody's game from here on out and these are my picks for this weekend.

Arizona at New Orleans will be the first game on Saturday. Will this be the break out game for the Saints after faultering the last few weeks of regular season? Hopefully the Saints will have their game faces on. The Cardinals pass cover defense was shredded by Rodgers and if that was an indication of a weakness, it will be exploited by the potentially explosive Saints offense and master of disaster, Drew Brees. Kurt Warner will have to match pass for pass or its lights out, which probably will be the case in the Superdome.

Baltimore looked good against New England, but that is where it will end, that is, in Indianapolis. The key for Baltimore will be to coral Peyton Manning, if that is possible, but highly unlikely. Nobody could do it all season. Too many weapons at Manning's disposal complimented by the running of Joseph Addai. The only weakness Indianapolis has is the defense. Baltimore has a weapon of it's own in Ray Rice. Ball control can keep a quarterback like Manning off the field. That will be the Ravens task, keep the ball out of Manning's hands. Good luck Baltimore, but I don't believe in luck.

This is it, the big game of the week, Dallas at Minnesota. I have not been a believer in Dallas, but the past two weeks have changed things. Dallas looks cool, calm, and collected. They are comfortable with themselves and what they can do. Miles Austin had completed a fantastic season and carried it into the playoffs. Whitten and Austin are Romo's primary targets, but as seen by last week's game, will sneak a pass to one of his other receivers. If Jones has a repeat in the running department, it will make Romo's job easier. The Vikings are going to have to stuff the run and rattle Romo. For the Vikings, we know what Favre and Peterson can do. Weather not a factor here. Going to be a close game.

NY Jets at San Diego, the final game of the week. The NY Jets I think will be in over their heads with this one, but what do I know, I thought the Bengals were going to beat them. The Chargers have been in this situation plenty of times and are a experienced playoff team. The Jets and Sanchez have proven they are good, but aren't ready for this. Philip Rivers is a 4000 yd plus passer, Sanchez is not. The Jets only hope is Thomas Jones and the defense. Thomlinson is a well balanced back, if the run game isn't there, he is a good receiver. Throw a Jackson and a Gates into the mix and the Chargers can score quickly and at will.

SAT, JAN 16 TIME (ET)
Arizona 27 at New Orleans 34 4:30 PM FOX Tickets W
Superdome
Baltimore 18 at Indianapolis 30 8:15 PM CBS Tickets W
Lucas Oil Stadium
SUN, JAN 17 TIME (ET)
Dallas 24 at Minnesota 27 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W
Metrodome
NY Jets 20 at San Diego 37 4:40 PM CBS Tickets L
Qualcomm Stadium

NY Jets Outplayed Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengal's Bernard Scott took the opening kickoff from Jay Feely 56 yards to the Jets 36 yard line. It looked like it was going to be the Bengal's game. Three plays later Carson Palmer passed to Laveranues Coles for 4 yards who then fumbled the ball and Shaun Ellis recovered the fumble for the Jets. It was all down hill from there. The Jets defeated the Bengals 24-14.

The Bengals could not recover from the numerous mistakes that plagued their game. Cedric Benson was the only Bengal who had a good game. Benson had 169 yds on 21 carries and one touchdown. Carson Palmer on the other hand had a horrendous day. In the beginning of the game all his passes sailed too high for his receivers to haul in. Palmer was harassed by the Jet's defense in key situations and just wouldn't let him get into a rythmn. Palmer had 18 completions out 36 attempts and one touchdown. Chad Ochocinco was dogged by cornerback Darrelle Revis and ended the game with only 28 yds. Near the end Ochocinco had a chance to make it a game when he came close to hauling in a pass in the corner of the end zone, but lost it when he hit the ground. Shayne Graham missed two field goals, which really hurt their cause.

The Jets played a well rounded game on both sides of the ball. Mark Sanchez quarterbacked an excellent game. He made clutch passes in key situations. Sanchez had 12 completions out of 15 attempts for 182 yds and was mistake free. Dustin Keller had two big pass plays and scored one touchdown on a 39 yd catch and run. Shonn Green pounded out 135 yds on 21 carries and one touchdown. The Jet's defense showed why it is number one in the NFL taking it to the Bengal's offense with their blitzing shemes. It was a complete team effort.

The Jets move on to the next level. Their full of confidence and seem to be peaking at the right time. They now have to wait for the outcome of tomorrow's game between Baltimore and New England to see who their next opponent will be. A good start to the Playoffs. Just a side note: The Cowboys took it to the Eagles big time by the score of 34-14 and will be moving on in the Playoffs. My picks this week have already been shattered.

Wildcard Weekend Starts The Playoffs

The final week of regular season I was 9-7 because of a few shockers or was it a matter of concealing game plans so you don't tip your hand stradegy by a few teams who knew they would meet in the Wildcard Playoffs. Whatever the case, this week looks like repeat weekend except for one and that is the Baltimore at New England game. Philadelphia and Cincinnati were both man handled, that is shutout, zippoed, nada points in their losses and New England was out done by Houston. Baltimore was the only winner out of the bunch. This week is going to be a different story.

Philadelphia will be taking the gloves off this Wildcard Weekend against the Cowboys. Tony Romo is going to be harrassed mercilessly from begining to end. Dallas will not be able to contain Desean Jackson and Philadelphia will be relying more heavily on establishing the running game to set up the passing. On the other hand, Dallas has moved up the rankings to number five. The Cowboys have a run game of their own and a strong receiving squad for Romo to choose from, especially with Witten. The key will be protection, if it isn't there game over, this will go for both sides of the field. This contest will be entertaining.

NY Jets at Cincinnati will be another contentious game. The Bengals are vulnerable and have't been producing the points in any great bunches. Cincinnati will attempt to pound it out with Cedric Benson, who was missing in the last game. The old Carson Palmer will emerge and the number one defense will get stung. The Jets faired better this season than what was expected by getting to the playoffs. The Jets run game is tops with Thomas Jones and will be key to their success in this game. If the Bengals stuff the Jets run game and the burden falls on Mark Sanchez they will get some picks, end of story and the season for the Jets.

Green Bay dominated Arizona in their final outing. The Packers are a solid team with all kinds of weapons offensively. Aaron Rodgers manages the offense well and utilizes their strong points. You can't go wrong with targets like Jennings and Driver and Ryan Grant can find the first down marker to keep drives going. The Cardinals defense will have to find a way to disrupt Green bay's rythmn because if they don't, they are in for a frustrating experience. Arizona can produce alot of points themselves with Kurt Warner, but pressure is his Achilles Heal. The Cardinals offensive line will have the major task of protecting Warner.

Now we come to Baltimore at New England. The Patriots will be without a pivatol player in Wes Welker. You cannot replace a key player like Welker. Tom Brady will have to rely on his other receivers to get open. They are going up against a tough Baltimore defense that can be stingy, but has shown vulnerability in past games. The weather in New England will be a major factor and a strong running game in cold weather and a frozen field is a must. Baltimore has Ray Rice for this job. If Lawrence Maroney runs like a mad dog for New England, Brady will get the upper hand.

It is going to be a an exciting start to the playoffs, two games on Saturday and two on Sunday. Purchase all you snacks and drinks ahead of time and get ready to hunker down for some NFL football.

SAT, JAN 9 TIME (ET)
NY Jets 18 at Cincinnati  26 4:30 PM NBC Tickets L
Paul Brown Stadium
Philadelphia 28 at Dallas 27 8:00 PM NBC Tickets L
Cowboys Stadium
SUN, JAN 10 TIME (ET)
Baltimore 20 at New England 24 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L
Gillette Stadium
Green Bay 28 at Arizona  21 4:40 PM FOX Tickets L
U of Phoenix Stadium

Week 17 NFL Picks

This past week my picks were dismantled by the top teams in the NFL. The Colts contemptuous move to sit Manning thus wiping out a perfect season and the losses by New Orleans, NY Giants, Minnesota, Baltimore, and Miami contributed to my 9-7 record. This week I think throwing darts at a list on the wall with my eyes closed will come up with better results. Well, I don't have darts, so it will be what it will be.

Indianapolis at Buffalo, depending on who the Colts will sit, is a tough call. What the heck, I will take the Colts. New Orleans has lost the it factor and better get it back fast. Carolina is taking on the role of spoiler. NY Giants, what can you say about their recent ignoble fall from grace. Minnesota is in a must win and are at home. Baltimore should beat Oakland and Miami is battered, which gives the Steelers the edge. Cinncinati at NY Jets will be a rocking game. The Jets have everything to lose, but I am taking Cinncinati's run game. Arizona is at home against Green Bay and should win. San Diego should have no problem with hapless Washington.

Now we come to the two biggest games this coming Sunday, Philadelphia at Dallas and Jacksonville at Cleveland. The Eagles and Cowboys game is going to be a street fight, two rival gangs fighting over dominance of the same turf. The Eagles will come out battered, but victorious. "Here we go Brownies" is echoing in the corridors of Cleveland Stadium once again. With Jacksonville you never know what team will show up week to week, which favors the Browns who are flying high. Let Cribbs and Harrison pound the spots off the Jaquars before the home crowd and end the season looking ahead to a better next season and beyond to Super Bowl XLVI, which I am anticipating the Browns to be in.

SUN, JAN 3 TIME (ET)

Indianapolis at Buffalo 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L

Ralph Wilson Stadium

Jacksonville 20 at Cleveland 27 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W

Cleveland Browns Stadium

Chicago 24 at Detroit 15 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W

Travel Ford Field

San Francisco 20 at St. Louis 18 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W

Edward Jones Dome

Pittsburgh 28 at Miami 18 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W

Travel Land Shark Stadium

NY Giants 24 at Minnesota 27 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W

Metrodome

Atlanta 20 at Tampa Bay 21 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L

Raymond James Stadium

New Orleans 23 at Carolina 26 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W

Bank of America Stadium

New England 30 at Houston 20 1:00 PM CBS Tickets L

Reliant Stadium

Green Bay 20 at Arizona 27 4:15 PM FOX Tickets L

U of Phoenix Stadium

Washington 12 at San Diego 34 4:15 PM FOX Tickets W

Qualcomm Stadium

Tennessee 30 at Seattle 17 4:15 PM CBS Tickets W

Qwest Field

Baltimore 20 at Oakland 18 4:15 PM CBS Tickets W

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Philadelphia 34 at Dallas 20 4:15 PM FOX Tickets L

Cowboys Stadium

Kansas City 13 at Denver 23 4:15 PM CBS Tickets L

Invesco Field at Mile High

Cincinnati 24 at NY Jets 21 8:20 PM NBC Tickets L

Giants Stadium