Week Ten NFL Picks-Go Browns

It was a spectacle, a marvel. Just when you thought the Vikings were ascending into the deep abyss the hand of something, a something I can't give an identity because I don't know what to call it, reached down and pulled them out to play another day. Favre threw for a career-high 446 yards and completed 36 of 47 passes with two touchdowns. The Raiders topped the Chiefs in OT thus proving they are now legitimate contenders for their division title. Sebastian Janikowski took the game ball in this one. The Colts receiving core took another hit while Manning fell short in a last ditch effort in their loss to The Eagles. The Lions shot themselves in the foot again. An over aggressive hit on Tomlinson going out of bounds put the Jets in a position to tie the game in the last seconds of regulation. Then in overtime you could have blinked your eyes and missed the final outcome. That's how quickly the Jets moved into field goal range for Nick Folk to kick the winning score. Dare I mention the results of the Dallas Cowboys game? Does the new movie with Denzel Washington "Unstoppable" bring anything to mind? Another weekend in the books.

I was 10-3 for Week Nine. I am getting closer to the perfect score. Some last minute heroics changed the outcome of several games, otherwise I could have been 7-6. Week to week you think the picks should be easy, but this year is anything but easy. Baltimore at Atlanta is first on the list since it is a Thursday night game. Atlanta is coming off a big win and feeling their Cherrios or Wheaties, whichever one you favor. This one will be entertaining. Atlanta has only one weakness and that is passing defense. Baltimore is steady across the boards offensively and defensively. Atlanta is playing at home, that is the edge in this one. Cincinnati showed a spark of life against the Steelers. Peyton Manning acquired a sliver called Michael Vick he is going to want to extract. Indianapolis should beat the Bengals despite their receIver woes. Dallas is going to New York to play the Giants. Nothing more needs to be said other than it will be brutal, the flight back for the Cowboys.

The two games I have selected as ones to watch are the New York Jets at Cleveland and New England at Pittsburgh. All Pittsburgh has to do is review the game highlights of the Patriots verses the Browns last weekend. It was a thing of beauty. Belichick no doubt is painfully reviewing them also, attempting to figure out how he can patch up the big whole in his defense. It won't be an easy victory for either team, but the Steelers will prevail in the end.
 
Finally, the match up between the Jets and Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Cleveland fans will be expecting a repeat performance. Hillis is coming off a huge display of running prowess, but the Jets are strong against the run. Colt McCoy will be tested in this game as to whether he can carry the the team to victory. My suggestion to Mangini is get Joshua Cribbs involved in a big way to give support to McCoy. Mangini has listened and gotten imaginative in the play calling and needs to continue to step it up. Do that and I will take the Browns all the way to the end.
 
THU, NOV 11 TIME (ET) 
Baltimore 20 at Atlanta 21 8:20 PM NFL W
Georgia Dome
SUN, NOV 14 TIME (ET)
Detroit 23 at Buffalo 20 1:00 PM FOX L 
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Minnesota 24 at Chicago 21 1:00 PM FOX L
Soldier Field
NY Jets 24 at Cleveland 27 1:00 PM CBS L 
Cleveland Browns Stadium
Tennessee 23 at Miami 18 1:00 PM CBS L 
Travel Sun Life Stadium
Cincinnati 20 at Indianapolis 30 1:00 PM CBS W 
Lucas Oil Stadium
Houston 23 at Jacksonville 24 1:00 PM CBS W 
EverBank Field
Carolina 15 at Tampa Bay 24 1:00 PM FOX W 
Raymond James Stadium
Kansas City 28 at Denver 17 4:05 PM CBS L 
Invesco Field at Mile High
Seattle 18 at Arizona 24 4:15 PM FOX L
U of Phoenix Stadium
Dallas 14 at NY Giants 28 4:15 PM FOX L
New Meadowlands Stadium
St. Louis 23 at San Francisco 16 4:15 PM FOX L
Travel Candlestick Park
New England 24 at Pittsburgh 28 8:20 PM NBC L 
Heinz Field
MON, NOV 15 TIME (ET) 

Philadelphia 27 at Washington 24 8:30 PM W 

FedEx Field

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

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 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

Brett Favre Will Play Another Day

I for one am glad to see Brett Farve has not retired. NFL football would not be the same. I was saddened when John Elway retired. When Elway played you were in constant anticipation that something big was going to happen and more than not it did. If Favre would have exited the game it would have been an end to an era of which Elway was a part of. An era of the quarterback's quarterback. I hope he plays until he is sixty years old.

I'm sixty-one years old and I still love to play the game. I can't run as fast as I used to, I can't throw as far as I used to, but I still enjoy the competitive chutzpah that is rapped up in a football game along with the quest to excell individually in a team environment and leaving nothing undone on the field of play. Favre can't leave with it undone.

Brett had a phenominal season in 2009-10: TDS-33, INT-7, YDS-4,202, RTG-107.2. He was having a phenominal playoff run. Against the New Orleans Saints, the Vikings dominated in every aspect. Farve was dominating. Nagging Viking mistakes kept the Saints alive. Then came the cross-field pass that ended the Vikings hopes for a Superbowl appearance and for Farve, left it undone.

Elway left the game on top, he didn't leave it undone. Farve has done everything in his illustrious career. He has proven to be durable and a winner. He is the only player to win the AP Most Valuable Player three consecutive times (1995–97). He has led teams to eight division championships (1995, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, and 2009), five NFC Championship Games (1995, 1996, 1997, 2007, and 2009), winning two (1996 and 1997), and two Super Bowl appearances, winning one (Super Bowl XXXI).

Brett holds many NFL records, including most career touchdown passes, most career passing yards, most career pass completions, most career pass attempts, most career interceptions thrown, most consecutive starts, and most career victories as a starting quarterback.

Brett Favre will have another phenominal season, if he doesn't suffer a serious injury and the Vikings offense stays intact. Those are some big ifs. Already the Vikings are experiencing a challenge with injuries to two of Brett't primary targets. Rice out for half the season and Harvin ailing and iffy from week to week.

Whoever steps into the Vikings receiving corp under Brett's influence will become a productive receiver. The screen pass to Peterson will be an effective option this year under these circumstances as well as the tightend position, until another wide receiver becomes the happy recipient of the Favre yardage machine. My prediction is Brett Favre will not leave it undone this year, barring no out of the blue setbacks.

Indianapolis Shines-New Orleans Survives-Move on to Superbowl XLIV

The way it started out in Indy it looked like the Jets were going to make it a challenge. The Jets were making big offensive plays and pressuring Manning, but it wasn't sustained. Peyton Manning and company weathered the brief onslaught and were superb. The final blow, a high pass from Sanchez was tipped by the receiver into the awaiting arms of the Colts secondary with about a little over two minutes left. Lights out for the Jets, Colts win 30-17. In a game that was everything you expected it to be the Vikings and Saints battled it out hit for hit, point for point. Brett Favre was battered relentlessly and the Vikings offense developed slippery fingers. Despite Minnesota dominating the second half it ended in overtime with several booth reviews and a field goal by Hartley. Saints won over Vikings 31-28.

Peyton Manning picked the highly touted Jet secondary apart. He had 377 total passing yards on 26 completions out of 39 attempts. Three of those completions were for touchdowns. Garcon and Collie were Manning's primary targets and between the two they had 274 of those yards and a touchdown a piece. Dallas Clark caught a 15 yd reception for the third touchdown. Joseph Addai contributed nicely with 80 rushing yds on 16 carries. It could've been worse for the Jets with Indy in the redzone a total of six times and settling for three Matt Stover field goals in three of those redzone visits.

Mark Sanchez was a bit of a surprise in the second quarter when he hooked up with Braylon Edwards for an 80 yd touchdown. Then he connected for 9 yds to Dustin Keller and a score. The Jets coasted into half time with a 17-14 lead, but that is where it ended. Sanchez had 257 yds on 17 completions. The Jet offense was shut out in the second half by Indy's defense and their balloon was finally popped with the only pick of the day by Indy's Kelvin Hayden. Jones and Greene combined for 83 yds and did not have much of an impact on the up-for-the-challenge Indy defense. The Jets were only in the redzone one time.

Brett Favre was in the fight of his football life. He was driven into the ground, helped off the field limping, and came back time after time. He then made a costly interception in the final minute letting a opportunity to win slip by. Favre out gunned Drew Brees with 310 yds on 28 completions out of 46 attempts and one touchdown. Adrian Peterson ran for 122 yds and had three touchdowns. Their defense hung in their time after time and controlled the Saints passing attack, but after all was said and done, the 5 turnovers was the Vikings demise.

The Saints had 257 total yds on offense and still, and I say luckily, pulled it out. Drew Brees only had 197 yds on 17 completions, but made the most of those completions with three touchdowns. Pierre Thomas had 61 yds on 14 carries with one touchdown running and one receiving. Obviously, the difference was not the Saint's offense, but the ball-hawking of the their defense who forced the Vikings to put the ball on the ground five times and gathering in two interceptions.

Vikings and Saints was a wild one to say the least. One has to feel sorry for Brett Favre who took such a pounding and remained determined not to let it rattle him. Unfortunately, the interception will no doubt haunt him as he considers his future. The Jets and Colts ended the way I expected it to. Peyton Manning and company continues to steamroll over their opponents. Now it is on to Superbowl XLIV.

Vikings and Jets Move on to the Championships

Brett Favre proved you are only as old as you feel and right now he's got to be feeling pretty youthful. Favre threw four touchdowns and the Minnesota Vikings destroyed the Dallas Cowboys 34-3. The Viking defense took the ball away and the offense put it away. Near the end of the game the Cowboys were incensed about the Vikings running up the score. The whole idea of playing is to score when you have the ball and that is what the Vikings did, they played the game. The game is played for 60 minutes and you give it all you got until the final second. Someone give the Cowboys a "Tearable Towel".

Brett Favre was magnificent and played one of his best games of the year. He didn't rack up the yards, he didn't need to because the defense gave him great field position and he was pinpoint perfect in taking advantage of it. Sidney Rice was Favre's prime target and had a career day scoring three touchdowns with a total of 141 yds. Adrian Peterson had 63 yds on 26 carries.

No mercy was shown. The Vikings defense ripped the offensive line of Dallas apart and frustrated Tony Romo. They forced Romo to fumble two times and picked off one of his passes. The defense also had six sacks and ten quarterback hits. Romo was only permitted 198 yds total and the running attack of Dallas was controlled.

A somewhat uneventful game between the Jets and the Chargers ended with the Jets winning by the score of 17-14. The backbreaker for the Chargers was Shonn Greene's 53 yd run for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Nate Kaeding shot them in the foot missing three field goal attempts. The Chargers just could not excecute in a game they should have won. What topped the game off was the decision by Turner to onside kick when there was enough time left to stop the Jets and force a punt in their own half of the field if the Chargers had kicked it down field. You can't say with certainty what might have happened, but it would have been the smarter thing to do.

NY Jets play Indianapolis for the American Football Conference Championship. Minnesota will be playing New Orleans for the National Football Conference Championship. One more weekend of Conference Championships and the Superbowl will be set with its opponents identified.