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

Browns Lose To Lions-Chicago Next But Not Least

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

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

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

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

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.

Terrell Owens In A Brown's Uniform-You Have Entered The Twilight Zone

The Cleveland Browns have been disfunctional for too many years now since their remake. Last year they imploded with disfunctionality, but ended the season with a flicker of hope and a tiny strand of decency. Read an article recently where Joshua Cribbs talked about bringing Terrell Owens, the master of disfunction, to Cleveland.

Sure Owens has put up impressive numbers through his career and sure he may be a hall of fame candidate at some point, but he also has a reputation for causing disruption on an offense. Something the Browns do not need at this fragile time in their reconstruction, unless through some unexplainable transformation and rehabilitation over these past months, Owens has become a team player.

The Browns need team players on their roster, like the acquisition of Jake Delhomme. True, it was just an article and just something Cribbs randomly suggested, but when it comes to Cleveland anything that can happen will happen. I haven't seen anything further on the subject, so this may just end up to be idol chatter, like the possibility of an oil platform in the Gulf exploding and becoming one of the biggest environmental disaster in history.

Picture Jake Delhomme In A Brown's Uniform-Number 17

How many Brown's fans out there think the Jake Delhomme aquisition is a good one? I know there is probably some nays and some yays. One thing for sure, Jake Delhomme is a very likeable fellow on and off the field. He takes performing well seriously. You can discern it by his demeanor on the field of play during a game, whether it is the excecution of a great play or a mistake resulting in a setback.

Delhomme probably is his own biggest critic. He is honest and forthright about his own shortcomings and you can tell he wants to win for the team. He is the ultimate team player and not just out to glorify himself in order to get to the next level in his career. He has the game heart of a Brett Favre, meaning he loves the game, and the winning attitude of a John Elway, meaning he never gives up on the idea of a victory. Sorry Brown's fans, I have always admired John Elway's winning spirit regardless of his ability to administer the debackle of a Brown's championship season.

Whether Delhomme will raise the Brown's to the status of a playoff contender and winner remains to be seen. The Brown's definitely ended the previous season moving in the right direction. Mangini finally smartened up and used Joshua Cribbs versatility properly. Looking for good things out of Cribbs in the 2010 season. Hopefully the off season moves and changes will continue that winning momentum into the next. If Cleveland is to ever bring home a championship trophy, I believe it will be through the Cleveland Browns.

Final question to ponder. What would you think of Terrell Owens possibly wearing a Brown's uniform in 2010?

Superbowl XLIV-And The Winner Is?

It is time to make the final pick of the NFL season. The scene is Miami, the place-Sun Life Stadium, the event-Superbowl XLIV, the opponents-Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. Whodat you say? Yah, that's right, and unless your living under a tree in a remote jungle I'm not informing you about something you don't already know. Not alot can be said about tomorrow's game that hasn't already been said. The statistical configurations have all been calculated and the comparisons have been assessed. What's left now neither calculators nor stat sheets can measure. All that matters is what comes from inside, gives this happening breath and life, causes the pulse to quicken and the adrenalin to flow. The thing that causes individuals to reach beyond their physical boundaries and fly.

Peyton Manning possesses it. All you need to do is observe Manning in action. His demeanor, his expressions all exude this thing I am talking about. When he approaches the line of scrimmage after breaking the huddle you can see the determination in his body language as he reads the defense. As a commander he makes the necessary adjustments and positions his troops. There is no hesitation once he is set and without pause zeros in on his target. You know how things are going because you see it in his face. You see the disappointment when he fails to execute a third down, the dissatisfaction when the offense settles for a field goal, and when in a dog fight the complete focus on matching blow for blow until an edge can be exploited. When on the sidelines waiting for his next shot, the wheels continue to turn in his mind, never breaking his concentration.

Drew Brees possesses it. Brees has quietly gone about his business for years now and finally, deservedly reached the goal. He has piled up the yardage and has one of the best pass completion percentages of quarterbacks. His presence on the field inspires his teammates and the fans. When things break down on the line and the pressure is felt, his determination to find an open receiver is relentless and more times than not he will find that one receiver. His exibits the quiet, patient kind of reflection as he sits on the sidelines waiting his turn with the ball, kind of like a cat waiting and at the right moment springing into action onto its prey.

The Indianapolis Colts have already been to the Superbowl, so their fans know what they want to see. This is the first time for the New Orleans Saints and their fans emotions equal their expectations. Based on that perspective, I would give the edge to the Saints, but that won't be enough. Peyton Manning is a proven winner with a heart to match. Drew Brees is an equal in many ways. It is a tough call. I give the edge to Peyton Manning in that he is a consistent winner, always has been, and will be considered in the books and in hearts one of the best quarterbacks to have played the game.

 

SUN, FEB 7 TIME (ET) 6:25 PM CBS

New Orleans 25 at Indianapolis 30 Tickets

Sun Life Stadium

Indianapolis Colts-An Offense Built For The Superbowl

Superbowl XLIV is nearly upon us. There are high hopes it will be an entertaining Superbowl. Whether it will match last years down to the last minute, edge of your seat excitement remains to be seen. This years opponents, the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints with their high octane offenses, have that potential. It is the Saints first trip to the big event, for Manning and company it is old hat.

Peyton Manning is a dying breed of quarterbacks. He is the quarterback's quarterback whose sole job is to manage the offense, hand the ball off when planned, and drop back to methodically pick the opposing teams secondary apart by pre-arranged schemes, but at the same time be capable of improvising while dodging 300 pound-plus missiles when it becomes necessary. He is part of a group of quarterbacks who can be compared to the dinosaurs, an extinct creature who has seen its day, but fascinates us when we see them brought to life in the movies through our modern technology. The future of quarterbacks is in transition. This year we saw more teams utilize the running back in the quarterback position with the option to run or pass, but you don't see any of those teams in the Superbowl do you. This Sunday you will be watching a living dinosaur at the apex of his supremacy.

That being said, Manning has a great supporting cast. He has a line that is not equaled by any other. Manning is the most protected quarterback in the game. The Colts offensive line have done their duty well in protecting the most valuable asset on the field and without complaint. When a game is done and victory is in hand do the cameras and microphones hurry over to congragulate them and ask them about the defining moments of the game? Do they get to bask in the glory and receive the accolades? Perhaps, that is the way they prefer it, a group of men who go about their business unpretentiously.

Manning also has a core of receivers perfectly matched to his talents. Dallas Clark is a bulldog who punishes a secondary after the catch and also possesses the finesse to find the open spot where a pass can be dropped into. The name Peyton Manning cannot be spoken without Reggie Wayne being in there somewhere. They have been a tandem for a long time and are like a well rehearsed, perfectly blended symphony. Garcon and Collie are the newest kids on the block. They have gotten a fair share of the 33 touchdowns Manning has thrown this year. Joseph Addai had only 3 reception touchdowns, but all successful offenses are complimented by a good running attack and Addai supplies that necessary element.

Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts are made for the Superbowl. They have proven their worthiness to participate in the finale of the 2010 NFL football season with a 14-2 record and two playoff games won. The question now remains whether the New Orleans Saints defense will be up to the task of facing off with one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.