Some Stunners On Sunday And A Monday Night Game To Go

The question whether Detroit would remain undefeated was answered with an strong affirmitive. The Steelers game was fury unleashed and the poor Titans were the recipients of that fury. Maybe, Rothlisberger should play with a special shoe all the time. But the big difference for the Steeler offense was the protection of Rothlisberger, giving him an opportunity to pick his targets and pick his targets he did. San Fran pummeled Tampa Bay. New Orleans and Green Bay continued their winning ways. New York Giants were viciously stung by Seattle. I was 8-5 in a topsy-turvy weekend of football.

Will Baltimore remain on top of the AFC North? The Ravens will be taking on a tough opponent from the Lone Star State, Houston Texans, who was bested by Oakland in their past outing. The drought has appeared to have affected the Texans, who look good one week and mistake proned the next. Against a tough Baltimore defense, mistakes can prove to be costly.

This is how I would have begun my picks for Week 6, but an important circumstance arose this past week and I had to make a trip to Ohio, so I didn't get the opportunity to finish my article. Detroit no longer stands on top with Green Bay as the only undefeated teams. They lost to a revived San Fran team, who is making a run for the playoffs. New Orleans was stunned by one of San Fran's previous victims, Tampa Bay. Baltimore remains on top of the AFC North and the Cleveland Browns sunk lower into the abyss. The Brady Bunch mounted an end of the game drive and handed the Cowboys a heart breaking loss. Carolina Panthers still Cam not win a game. The Bills got skinned by the Giants and Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta all won.

There is one game left I can make a pick on. It looks to be a fairly easy pick, considering one of the opponents hasn't won a game yet this year, Miami. Their opposition is the New York Jets, who Miami seems to find a way to beat. Not likely this time, not even remotely likely. Miami will have Matt Moore tacking snaps in place of Chad Henne, and Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas just haven't been doing it for the Dolphins. The Jets can be mistake prone at times, but that won't be the case against a weak-on-the-pass Miami defense. Look for Santonio Holmes to have a good game.

MON, OCT 17	TIME (ET)	TV	RESOURCES	LOCATION
Miami at NY Jets	8:30 PM		Tickets	MetLife Stadium

Week Two Picks-Will It Be Offense Or Defense?

The quarterbacks ruled Week One. Will they continue their domination going into Week Two? A few of them may, like Brady, Rodgers, and Brees, but Cam Newton had his day in the sun, and jury is still out on Henne-who. The defenses of New England, Green Bay, and New Orleans were offensive, what will Week Two reveal? The Cleveland Browns need to do only one thing? What is that one thing? And the Pittsburgh Steelers need to continue doing only one thing? What is that one thing?

The Packers are going to rain on Cam Newton's parade this week when they bring relentless pressure on the rookie quarterback in the form of Matthews and company. Newton will have no where to throw and no where to run. On the otherhand, Aaron Rodgers should continue his winning ways with a deep on talent receiving core. The Saints first game revealed a vulnerable secondary, so they will have to step up their pressure on Cutler via the pass rush or it may be a long afternoon, forcing the Saints to abandon the run and rely strictly on Brees to equalize the score, which he has the ability to do.

The Cleveland Browns start the season once again on the bottom, so they need to reverse their direction and that can only be accomplished with a win. Mistakes and miscues dominated their game play both on defense and offense. Indianapolis was extremely inept in their first game and that was understandable because they are suffering from an identity crisis with Peyton out. They are like a boat without a rudder. Cleveland is favored to win, but I am not so sure. Kerry Collins could have a Henne day. Pittsburgh needs to continue their losing ways, but facing Seattle, in Pittsburgh, and looking like a dog that just got its tail stepped on, unlikely.

San Diego is taking on New England this week. Could it be another shoot out? The Chargers barely survived their meeting with the ho-hum Vikings and they will be in hostile territory. The key to victory for them will be how much pressure they put on Brady, but even if they accomplish that, Brady adapts quickly, making a victory a long shot. Philip Rivers will have to be on the top of his game to overcome the point differential. Philadelphia is visiting Atlanta. Michael Vick will be returning home to what will be an unfriendly environment. Anyway you look at it, it is going to be a dog fight. The game is favored to be run dominant, but I think it will be decided by the pass.

SUN, SEP 18	TIME (ET)	TV	RESOURCES	LOCATION
Kansas City at Detroit W	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Ford Field
Oakland at Buffalo W	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Ralph Wilson Stadium
Tampa Bay at Minnesota L	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Mall of America Field
Chicago at New Orleans W	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Superdome
Baltimore at Tennessee L	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	LP Field
Cleveland at Indianapolis W	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Lucas Oil Stadium
Jacksonville at NY Jets W	1:00 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	MetLife Stadium
Seattle at Pittsburgh W	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Heinz Field
Arizona at Washington W	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	FedEx Field
Green Bay at Carolina W	1:00 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Bank of America Stadium
Dallas at San Francisco W	4:05 PM	FOX	Tickets | Travel	Candlestick Park
San Diego at New England W	4:15 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Gillette Stadium
Houston at Miami W	4:15 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Sun Life Stadium
Cincinnati at Denver W	4:15 PM	CBS	Tickets | Travel	Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Philadelphia at Atlanta W	8:20 PM	NBC	Tickets | Travel	Georgia Dome
MON, SEP 19	TIME (ET)	TV	RESOURCES	LOCATION
St. Louis at NY Giants W	8:30 PM		Tickets | Travel	Metlife Stadium

Week 13 NFL Picks-The Best Is Yet To Come

What a week in NFL football. One player should have kept on running into the stadium tunnel and out the gates and one official should have lost himself in the crowd. The player was Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson verses the Steelers. A perfectly executed pass in overtime landed right into his hands in the end zone and he dropped it. One of those defining moments when a thin line separates you from being a  hero or a goat. As quickly as the ball slipped through his hands so to the game for the Bills. An official missed an obvious pass interference on Reggie Wayne that ended up with Wayne on the ground and Eric Weddle of the Chargers running 41 yards with a pick into the end zone. Mistakes like that by officials definately impact the final outcome of a game. Alright, you could argue Indy was being manhandled by the Chargers, but at that juncture in the game it was still only 19-14 and who knows what could have happened with the proper call and the Colts having a fresh set of downs at midfield.

Week 12 is now in the books and I was 9-7. New Orleans is at Cincinnati and an easy call, unless the Bengals finally play to the potential that was expected of them. Roll on Big O's, Cincinnati's stars of Follywood. Chicago is firing on all cylinders. Detroits spark plugs are a bit fouled causing them to stall out at crucial moments. Still, the Bears can't allow themselves to get caught napping at the wheel because the Lions could suddenly surge unexpectedly. Buffalo is visiting Minnesota. The Bills are the hard luck team of the season. The dropped pass in the end against the Steelers in overtime epitomized that foregone conclusion. I give the edge to the Vikings only because it is a home game.

There are quite a few games of interest this week. Washington is at NY Giants. The Giants need a win to stay in contention with Philadelphia. The Giants defense is up to the challenge, but their offense needs to avoid making the game altering mistakes it has been prone to commit. Dallas is at Indianapolis. Dallas has vastly improved themselves and Indianapolis has been trying to overcome critical injuries in their running and passing attack. The frustration is written all over Manning's face. It's a must win for the Colts. Pittsburgh is at Baltimore. The Steelers showed their vulnerability against Buffalo. This game will be a fierce battle for the number one spot in the AFC North. The NY Jets at New England game will be a fight for dominance in the AFC East. The Jets have been fortunate for a good part of the season. They will need a heavy dose of fortunate against the Patriots because they are outmatched by the Brady machine. The Patriots defense will need to keep Ladanian Tomlinson in check and cover Santonio Holmes like a blanket in the final minutes.

Finally, Cleveland travels to Miami. Jake Delhomme will start for the Browns. Delhomme looked steady in the first half against the Panthers last week and then briefly lost it at the start of the second. Jake does not have a pass with alot of zip. He needs to stay away from trying to slip passes into close coverage or lofting it towards the sidelines. Peyton Hillis should get the ball often giving Cleveland a balanced attack and opening up opportunities for Jake to take advantage of. Miami is not the Panthers and are a formidable foe. The Jets strong spot, pass defense, will be matched against the Browns weak spot, pass offense. The Jets key to victory will be controlling Hillis. Good luck with that one Miami and hope to see more of Joshua Cribbs.

 

THU, DEC 2 TIME (ET)

Houston 20 at Philadelphia 28 8:20 PM NFL W 

Lincoln Financial Field

SUN, DEC 5 TIME (ET)

New Orleans 27 at Cincinnati 18 1:00 PM FOX W

Paul Brown Stadium

Chicago 24 at Detroit 23 1:00 PM FOX W 

Ford Field

San Francisco 17 at Green Bay 24 1:00 PM FOX W 

Travel Lambeau Field

Jacksonville 23 at Tennessee 15 1:00 PM CBS W

LP Field

Denver 20 at Kansas City 23 1:00 PM CBS W

Arrowhead Stadium

Cleveland 27 at Miami 24 1:00 PM CBS W 

Sun Life Stadium

Buffalo 20 at Minnesota 21 1:00 PM CBS W

Travel Mall of America Field

Washington 24 at NY Giants 27 1:00 PM FOX W

New Meadowlands Stadium

Oakland 21 at San Diego 28 4:05 PM CBS L 

Qualcomm Stadium

Carolina 18 at Seattle 24 4:15 PM FOX W 

Qwest Field

Atlanta 24 at Tampa Bay 20 4:15 PM FOX W 

Raymond James Stadium

St. Louis 20 at Arizona 23 4:15 PM FOX L

U of Phoenix Stadium

Dallas 20 at Indianapolis 34 4:15 PM FOX L

Lucas Oil Stadium

Pittsburgh 23 at Baltimore 24 8:20 PM NBC L 

M&T Bank Stadium

MON, DEC 6 TIME (ET)

NY Jets 20 at New England 33 8:30 PM W 

Gillette 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 Nine NFL Picks-Tampa Bay Leaping To Victory

The Cowboys tipped the ball and the game to the Jaquars as they continue to self destruct their season. The Vikings are hopelessly sinking into a quagmire and Favre continues to get brutalized. Green Bay didn't score a single touchdown in their confrontation with the Jets, but neither did the Jets, not even a field goal. Tampa Bay leaped over Arizona in a close one and the beginning of the year prophecy is looking believable. Oakland and St Louis are looking like the new threat on the block. The Detroit Lions finally got their just reward, a victory. Indianapolis is looking like, Indianapolis. The Bazzaro World of NFL 2010 is getting freakier with every passing weekend. There is a cold wind of change blowing through the the corridors and tunnels of the National Football Leagues stadiums.



We are at the half way point of the season. Week Eight was predictable, but at the same time unpredictable. My picks were 8-5. If Carolina beats the Saints and Seattle beats the Giants this coming Sunday I will not shave for the rest of the season, unless the Browns beat New England and Detroit beats the Jets to keep things in balance, then the deal is off. Come on Mangini, let's see Joshua Cribbs in the wild "Dawg" formation. What can you lose, the game? Or how about a few shots down field to Cribbs, air it out. Think big. Use your imagination. Bill Belichick is coming to town and he now has a running attack to compliment his passing assault.

Putting Ochocinco and Owens on the same team is asking for trouble and that is what the Bengals are in, a heap of trouble. Cincinnati has lost four in a row and in the cellar of the AFC North. Pittsburgh is their next opponent and prime time Monday Night Football is the venue. Will TV celebrities Ocho and Owens, the big O's, shine in the spotlight or will the Steeler defense steal the show? Pittsburgh is coming off a stinging loss and will be looking for redemption. Polamalu verses Palmer, and the winner is Polamalu by a knockout.

Dallas is going to Green Bay. Although the Packers have not been impressive, the Cowboys are less impressive, to put it mildly. The truth of the matter is they have been embarrassing themselves to the extent Cowboy fans are wearing paper bags over their heads. The Cowboys are befuddled, bewildered, and beaten. Sometimes it looks like players have quit on the season and that's where the Cowboys are at. That having been said, Kitna is going to put it together this Sunday, if his receivers don't sabotage his efforts, but will still fall short of victory in the Packers house.

SUN, NOV 7 TIME (ET)

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

Georgia Dome

Chicago 23 at Buffalo 21 1:00 PM FOX W

Rogers Centre

New England 24 at Cleveland 23 1:00 PM CBS L 

Cleveland Browns Stadium

NY Jets 27 at Detroit 24 1:00 PM CBS W

Ford Field

New Orleans 30 at Carolina 18 1:00 PM FOX W 

Travel Bank of America Stadium

Miami 17 at Baltimore 24 1:00 PM CBS W

M&T Bank Stadium

San Diego 28 at Houston 25 1:00 PM CBS W

Reliant Stadium

Arizona 20 at Minnesota 23 1:00 PM FOX W 

Metrodome

NY Giants 34 at Seattle 15 4:05 PM FOX W

Qwest Field

Indianapolis 31 at Philadelphia 23 4:15 PM CBS L 

Lincoln Financial Field

Kansas City 14 at Oakland 27 4:15 PM CBS W 

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Dallas 24 at Green Bay 27 8:20 PM NBC W 

Lambeau Field

MON, NOV 8 TIME (ET)  

Pittsburgh 28 at Cincinnati 20 8:30 PM

Paul Brown Stadium

Week Eight NFL Picks-Will The Craziness Continue?

Can you sensibly explain how the Giants won their outing against Dallas on Monday Night Football? Three interceptions and three fumbles and still scored 45 points to outlast the pathetic Cowboys. Brett Favre has become totally discombobulated. He now has ten interceptions to seven touchdowns for the year. When he looks out over the secondary he envisions himself running through tall green grass on the sand dunes of a faraway beach. Retirement is looking better all the time. San Diego is suffering a complete meltdown adding four more turnovers to their list of mishaps. Then, finally there is the Saints, who suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the lowly last place Browns. Great defense was the final analysis, but I think there is something more sinister happening here. The 2010 Football Follies continue.

Week Seven I was 9-5. Somewhat better, but considering the craziness, that is not bad. Washington is at Detroit. Detroit has been experiencing woes of its own, but you expect that out of the Lions. They are better than their record shows. Washington should win on good defense and Detroit gives up alot of run yardage. Can Cincinnati live up to their expected potential against Miami? Tune in Sunday to find out. Tampa Bay is fulfilling what was said of it at the beginning of the season, that it would take its division. Maybe, the jury is still out. The Bucs should win against Arizona. Indianapolis was beaten by Houston the first time around. It's not going to happen this time even with Clark and Collie out and Reggie Wayne left to be double teamed. The Colts will persevere.

Games to watch are Green Bay at NY Jets, Tennessee at San Diego, Minnesota at New England, Seattle at Oakland, and Pittsburgh at New Orleans. Oakland's Darren McFadden had a monster Sunday against Denver and should have a decent outing against Seattle. Seattle is 4-2. It should be close. I favor the Raiders. Collins and Young are both questionable with injuries. The Tennessee and Charger game is a tough one. The Chargers should prevail if they correct the disorder called the "muffs". The Pack is back and the Jets are on a roll. The Jets have alot going for them with the home advantage included. Roethlisberger is back and Pittsburgh appears unstoppable. Drew Brees was fleeced by the Brown's defense and the Steelers look to do the same. That brings us to Minnesota at New England. Favre has stress fractures in his ankle and Moss is probably looking for some pay back against New England. It is a tough call. Minnesota's defense will have to step up to win this.
 
SUN, OCT 31 TIME (ET)
Washington 23 at Detroit 20 1:00 PM FOX L
Ford Field
Jacksonville 24 at Dallas 21 1:00 PM CBS W
Cowboys Stadium
Miami 24 at Cincinnati 27 1:00 PM CBS L
Paul Brown Stadium
Buffalo 18 at Kansas City 20 1:00 PM CBS W
Arrowhead Stadium
Carolina 17 at St. Louis 21 1:00 PM FOX W
Edward Jones Dome
Denver 23 at San Francisco 24 1:00 PM CBS W
Wembley Stadium
Green Bay 24 at NY Jets 27 1:00 PM FOX L
New Meadowlands Stadium
Tennessee 20 at San Diego 30 4:05 PM CBS W
Qualcomm Stadium
Tampa Bay 20 at Arizona 17 4:15 PM FOX W
U of Phoenix Stadium
Minnesota 27 at New England 23 4:15 PM FOX L
Gillette Stadium
Seattle 21 at Oakland 26 4:15 PM FOX W
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Pittsburgh 28 at New Orleans 24 8:20 PM NBC L
TSuperdome
MON, NOV 1 TIME (ET)

Houston 22 at Indianapolis 32 8:30 PM W 

Lucas Oil Stad

Week Seven NFL Picks-Hard Hitting

The Browns, Detroit, and Tampa Bay all lost last Sunday, so the 2010 season is returning to some resemblance of normality. Remember last week I said if those three teams won their games it would only confirm it will be a wacky Bizzaro World season. No apologies are necessary. The Brown's, who entered the season with higher expectations than what their record reflects, have been shredded by offensive injuries. Colt McCoy did a decent job considering the receivers he was left with in the Pittsburgh game. Detroit has been showing a desire to win, but is sabotaged weekly by unfortunate turn of events. Tampa Bay had been looking like a contender, but got clobbered by the Saints. St Louis on-the-other-hand beat San Diego and is in the thick of it in their division.

I was 8-6 in Week Six. Even the darts aren't helping in my quest for a perfect week. St Louis is playing Tampa Bay. I am taking the Buccaneers for no particular reason other than playing at home. You might say Jackson could be a factor in favor of the Rams and the Buccaneers running game has been non-existent, but Sunday that will change in what will be a close game. Baltimore should be able to handle the Bills and New Orleans will dominate the Browns mercilessly. Cincinnati at Atlanta and Washington at Chicago are both tough calls, but I am going with the home teams to win. Arizona at Seattle will decide the number one team in the division. Seattle will overcome.

The games to watch this week will be New England at San Diego, Minnesota at Green Bay, and NY Giants at Dallas. San Diego has been hurting itself by continous costly mistakes and New England has a strong offensive attack with the addition of Branch. It will be close and high scoring. New England will prevail with a strong blitz attack. Minnesota is strong all around defensively and offensively and Green Bay has been struggling. If Brett Favre can avoid the one costly pick the Vikings will win. The Giants offense is coming together, but their defense has been stepping up and Dallas is lacking the winning spark. Romo will be harassed and the Cowboys will trip over their own feet again.

This past week was controversial with all the concussions. The cameras can go into slow motion, but the players cannot. Once a player commits themselves there is no turning back and anything can happen. You have people moving in different directions and collisions are inevitable. Receivers and quarterbacks are often in vulnerable positions and you can tell a flagrant head shot from just plain aggressive football. Those should be flagged and fined. I have played football and butted heads on several occassions. That is the nature of the game.
 
SUN, OCT 24 TIME (ET)
Cincinnati 20 at Atlanta 24 1:00 PM W
Georgia Dome
Washington 23 at Chicago 24 1:00 PM L
Soldier Field
St. Louis 20 at Tampa Bay 21 1:00 PM W
Raymond James Stadium
San Francisco 20 at Carolina 18 1:00 PM L
Bank of America Stadium
Buffalo 15 at Baltimore 24 1:00 PM W
M&T Bank Stadium
Philadelphia 21 at Tennessee 24 1:00 PM W
LP Field
Jacksonville 28 at Kansas City 17 1:00 PM L
Arrowhead Stadium
Pittsburgh 30 at Miami 23 1:00 PM W
Sun Life Stadium
Cleveland 17 at New Orleans 34 1:00 PM L
Superdome
Arizona 18 at Seattle 23 4:05 PM W
Qwest Field
New England 28 at San Diego 27 4:15 PM W
Qualcomm Stadium
Oakland 24 at Denver 20 4:15 PM W
Invesco Field at Mile High
Minnesota 27 at Green Bay 24 8:20 PM L
Lambeau Field
MON, OCT 25 TIME (ET)

NY Giants 28 at Dallas 20 8:30 W 

Cowboys Stadium

The Browns Lose More Than Just The Game-Now What To Do?

Atlanta Falcons batter the Cleveland Browns 20-10. Quaterbacks limping, running back hobbling. Well, so much for a turn around. The Browns are back in the losing category, probably for good unless Mangini begins to change his stubborn ways and tries something inspiring. Yah, for a couple of weeks Hillis was running over 100 yards in each game and the Browns won one of those games.

Whoopty do. The Browns were still missing a passing attack. The bottom line is you cannot be successful in the NFL if you don't challenge the field vertically. The Browns need to get Joshua Cribbs more involved in the passing attack. Mangini is making the same mistakes he made last year until he woke up and began to utilize Cribbs more aggressively. The Browns play Pittsburgh this week and guess who is back, Ben Roethlisberger. How did the Browns beat the Steelers last year? Well, the weather was a little nasty for one.

Brett Favre just can't shake the one devastating mistake that has been plaguing his play these past few years. One minute he is flying high only to come crashing down the next. It is petty much heart breaking to see that happening to such a great player. Favre was unstoppable in the second half of Monday Night Football flicking touchdown passes with ease and hacking away at the Jets tenuous lead. In the closing minutes it looked like the Vikings were going to snatch victory right out the Jets hands.

Vikings ball on their own 16 with 1:48 left and down 22-20. First play Favre passes incomplete deep right to Moss. Next play defender falls down, Harvin wide open, Favre passes over Harvins outstretched arms for what could have been a huge gain and a demoralizing blow. Third down, play begins, Favre is forced to his right and sees Shiancoe open and throws the ball to him, but didn't see Lowery who was shielded by other players jump in front of Shiancoe where the pass bounced off his facemask and into his arms. How quickly the game changes. One minute celebration, the next deflation. The Vikings are down, but are they out? Dallas Cowboys are next. Stay tuned, the football follies have just begun.

Week Five NFL Picks-Who Will It Be Week

The biggest shocker of Week Four was the Colts loss to the Jaguars and the fashion in which it was accomplished. A one desparation shot at the crossbars with the game clock almost spent succeeded and Josh Scobee was running around like a crazed madman. The 59 yard field goal left the Colts with their jaws on the ground and handed them their second loss. Crucial mistakes by the Colts assisted in their downfall. The best game of the week in my opinion was the Steeler and Ravens matchup. It was head to head all the way to the end. With a few ticks left on the clock Joe Flacco found T.J. Houshmandzadeh wide open in the end zone for the winning score. The most lopsided victory of the week goes to the Patriots on Monday Night Football against Miami by the score of 41-14. This one was all defense and special teams for the Patriots. Miami looked solid until after halftime when it all unraveled.

I was 9-5 in Week Four. Decent, but still have to improve. Trying for that perfect week. This weeks game to watch is the Atlanta-Cleveland game. Can the Browns make it two in a row? Atlanta is hot and the Browns will need to be on their toes, especially Dawson, since Atlanta likes it close having played two overtime games thus far this season. I'm picking the Browns at home. The question this week involves the Detroit Lions. Can they get their first win? You can't fault them for trying because trying is what they have been doing week to week. What can go wrong does go wrong in the Lions case. This week against the Rams the Lions will have their opportunity, if some odd thing doesn't mess it up.

 

Most of the other match-ups this week are your pretty standard, run of the mill games. The only exception will be the game between the Vikings and the Jets. Randy Moss is back and Brett Favre has a big piece of the offensive puzzle completed. The Jets are on a winning streak and will be getting a piece of their offensive puzzle in place with Santonio Holmes returning. Who will have the biggest impact: Moss or Holmes? Stay tuned to Monday Night Football. It will be a good one. Oh, almost forgot the Giants and Texans game.  Run Foster run. Nothing more needs to be said.

 

SUN, OCT 10 TIME (ET)

Jacksonville 21 at Buffalo 18 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W

Ralph Wilson Stadium

Tampa Bay 15 at Cincinnati 24 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L

Paul Brown Stadium

Atlanta 20 at Cleveland 23 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L

Cleveland Browns Stadium

St. Louis 14 at Detroit 18 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W

Ford Field

Kansas City 17 at Indianapolis 34 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W

Lucas Oil Stadium

Green Bay 30 at Washington 23 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L

FedEx Field

Chicago 25 at Carolina 21 1:00 PM FOX Tickets W

Bank of America Stadium

Denver 17 at Baltimore 24 1:00 PM CBS Tickets W

M&T Bank Stadium

NY Giants 27 at Houston 30 1:00 PM FOX Tickets L

Reliant Stadium

New Orleans 23 at Arizona 12 4:05 PM FOX Tickets L

U of Phoenix Stadium

San Diego 28 at Oakland 20 4:15 PM CBS Tickets L

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Tennessee 18 at Dallas 17 4:15 PM CBS Tickets W

Cowboys Stadium

Philadelphia 24 at San Francisco 20 8:20 PM NBC Tickets W

Candlestick Park

MON, OCT 11 TIME (ET)

Minnesota 27 at NY Jets 24 8:30 PM Tickets L

New Meadowlands Stadium

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

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