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

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?