Week 14 NFL Picks-Things Are Beginning To Take Shape

The Patriots dominated and handed the Jets, who were playing on borrowed time, a reality check. Ben Roethlisberger showed some nifty moves and sent the Ravens packin' after a brutal divisional confrontation. Dallas continued their revival defeating the Colts, while Peyton Manning imploded again. Oakland Raiders ravaged the inconsistent Chargers with a relentless running attack. Minnesota is a different team with Sidney Rice back on the field as demonstrated in the Vikings butt-kicken on the Bills. Chicago survived a scare from the continue-to-find-ways-to-lose Lions.

I was 12-4 for Week 13, my best week yet. As I looked the schedule over for Week 14 there could be some surprises on hand, especially in this bizzaro season of the NFL. Green Bay is playing Detroit and shouldn't take it lightly because sometime, some game everything will fall in place for the Lions, for once. Aaron Rodgers continues with the hot hand and Donald Driver showed he still plays with the enthusiasm of a young bull. Brady looks comfortable behind his offensive line and has a potent arsenol to draw on, add to that the running of Green-Ellis and the addition of Woodhead. The Patriots will be tested by the Chicago defense and if they prevail, there will be no stopping them. Baltimore will be breathing fire after their loss to the Steelers, so watch out Houston, there is hell to pay. Opportunity knocks for the Colts this weekend. They are playing the discombobulated Tennessee Titans. Totally frustrated Peyton Manning will be looking for redemption after 8 interceptions in two weeks.

Games of interest this week are Miami at NY Jets, NY Giants at Minnesota, Oakland at Jacksonville, and Cleveland at Buffalo. Miami is coming off a horrendous loss to Cleveland. Both Henne and Sanchez made some bad decisions in their previous outings, but that can happen to the best of them. Miami needs to go back to the wildcat or use Ricky Williams more. The winner of this game will be decided by the run and defense. The Giants offense has been plagued by mistakes, but somehow finds a way to win through their pass rushing defense. The Giants and Vikings are matched in the running game. It has not yet been decided whether Favre will be playing. If he does play they may be carrying the Iron Man out on a stretcher this time, maybe. Protection will be key for both quarterbacks. Jacksonville is now in control of the AFC South. Maurice Jones-Drew continues to steamroll opponents, which is Oakland's weak spot on defense. Oakland has a running attack of its own, but the edge goes to Jacksonville at quarterback and defensive takeaways.

Heavy snow has hit the Buffalo area this week and the weather for Sunday looks like a mix of rain and snow. Good ole football weather, got to love it, wouldn't have it any other way. The Bills and the Browns are teams that play in the elements, always have. The Bills have lost some tough games. Their record is not the true reflection of  their efforts. Buffalo is weak on the run, so that fact and the weather may play into the Browns strength, Peyton Hillis and Ben Watson. The Browns have been living off the short game with Jake Delhomme and it seems to work. The Browns defense has been opportunistic in crucial moments with picks, but will need to pay attention to Fred Jackson.

Mangini, get Joshua Cribbs more involved any way you can. Go for the long ball a few times, an aspect sorely missing. A winning team must be able to go vertical. You may catch Buffalo off guard since they will be loooking for the run or the quick hit. It's the perfect set up and the Bills won't be expecting it.
 
THU, DEC 9 TIME (ET)
Indianapolis 34 at Tennessee 15 8:20 PM NFL W
LP Field
SUN, DEC 12 TIME (ET) TV
Cleveland 24 at Buffalo 20 1:00 PM CBS L
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Cincinnati 23 at Pittsburgh 27 1:00 PM CBS W
Heinz Field
Green Bay 26 at Detroit 24 1:00 PM FOX L 
Ford Field
NY Giants 23 at Minnesota 24 1:00 PM FOX L
Mall of America Field
Tampa Bay 20 at Washington 23 1:00 PM FOX L
FedEx Field
Atlanta 30 at Carolina 17 1:00 PM FOX W
Bank of America Stadium
Oakland 22 at Jacksonville 24 1:00 PM CBS W
EverBank Field
Seattle 20 at San Francisco 17 4:05 PM FOX L
Candlestick Park
St. Louis 20 at New Orleans 28 4:05 PM FOX W
Superdome
Miami 23 at NY Jets 21 4:15 PM CBS W
New Meadowlands Stadium
Denver 18 at Arizona 24 4:15 PM CBS W
TU of Phoenix Stadium
Kansas City 24 at San Diego 27 4:15 PM CBS W
Qualcomm Stadium
New England 30 at Chicago 23 4:15 PM CBS W
Soldier Field
Philadelphia 28 at Dallas 20 8:20 PM NBC W
Cowboys Stadium
MON, DEC 13 TIME (ET)
Baltimore 20 at Houston 13 8:30 PM W
Reliant Stadium

Miami Singing The Blues After Cleveland Browns Last Minute Takeaway 13-10

The Browns struggled their way to a victory in the closing minute of the game against mistake riddled Miami. All the mistakes for Miami came from Chad Henne throwing three interceptions. You would like to say it was great defense on the part of the Browns, but the truth of the matter was the Dolphins inept offense led by Henne. Still, the opportunities presented themselves and the Browns accepted the gifts courtesy Henne. The last one caught by Browns' Mike Adams led to Dawson's winning kick.

Peyton Hillis pounded out 57 yards on the ground and caught 7 passes for 22 yards, not his usual output. Jake Delhomme managed to avoid the usual mistake and threw for 217 yards and 1 touchdown. Ben Watson was the offensive standout with 10 receptions for 100 yards and the recipient of the Delhomme touchdown pass. Mohamed Massaquoi pulled in 4 passes for 81 yards, a decent showing. The offense got the job done even though their third down efficiency was terrible at 2-14.

The Browns' defense only had one sack through the whole game and 2 hits. Adams, Elam, and Haden each had a pick. Aside from that, there was alot of punting from both sides, which gives you the idea that offense was lacking, especially when it came to 3rd down conversions. Miami's only bright spot, if you want to call it that, was their running game, and that wasn't enough to eliminate the Miami fans disgust, which they vocalized frequently through the game.

The Browns have won two in a row and four of their last six games. They are now 5-7. They can realistically win their next two games, but the final two of the season will be against Baltimore and then Pittsburgh. Those games will be nasty to say the least. Baltimore and Pittsburgh both have punishing defenses. Will Jake be ready for that conflagration? He could be, with the help of Peyton Hillis and Ben Watson.

It may be time for Mangini to call out the wildcat offense or think about airing it out once in awhile, something that has been lacking in the offense. Also, Joshua Cribbs is still missing from the offensive scheme and that is somewhat perplexing. Is it because of his injury or is it because Mangini just isn't playing him? If Mangini wants to beat the Ravens and Steelers, Cribbs would be a key ingredient. Wouldn't that be something, to win their final four games and end with a record of 9-7? Enough to be in the playoffs in some divisions. Mangini, if you make that happen, that would be a Super Bowl season in my books.

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

Browns Narrowly Escape With A Win Over The Panthers 24-23

It was delightfully cruel to send former Panther quarterback Jake Delhomme out against his previous team. Although, the delightfully almost turned into frightfully when Jake blew a decent lead and nearly threw the game away with a costly pick that went all the way for a Panther score late in the third quarter and the lead. Jake tentively recovered in the fourth to beat his former team with the help of a Dawson field goal and a Kasay last ditch effort missed field goal.

The star of the game was not Delhomme, but Peyton Hillis. Hillis turned in another strong effort scoring all three touchdowns and grinding out 192 combined yards. He was the go to guy once again and remains the top target of Brown's quarterbacks. Delhomme spread the passes around to six different receivers and threw for 245 yards. It was good to see Robiskie and Massaquoi get an increase in production as they combined for 11 catches and 102 yards.The offense threw a few surprise plays into the mix, which was good to see. One was a Hillis pass attempt that fell short of its target in the end zone. If successful, it would have been the play of the game.

Carolina played a decent game. Jonathan Stewart put in a 98 yard game. Mike Goodson ran for 55 yards and racked up another 81 yards from catches. Goodson also scored the Panthers only offensive touchdown on a 26 yard run. Clausen got beat up by the Brown's defense and still managed to make a game of it. Their defense hung in tough and had two picks. One by Captain Munnerlyn for 37 yards and a score.

The Brown's are back on the winning track. Hillis continues to be the workhorse of the offense both in running and receptions. It was good to see Mangini using some imagination in the play calling. I saw a couple of plays that could have been big ground gainers if they were successfully executed. Mangini should continue to throw in the surprises. It was also good to see the wide receivers more involved. Still, the long ball is lacking and to be a legitimate offensive threat you must have in your possession the potential for quick strick capability. Joshua Cribbs was back retrieving kicks and punts, but was missing in the overall offensive scheme where he needs to be and possibly that potential quick strike. A team will not make it to the playoffs on running alone. Miami is next on the list.

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

Browns Fade In Final Minutes And Lose To Jags 24-20

The Browns were overtaken in the final minutes against the Jags. Despite giving up the losing touchdown near the end, the Browns defense did everthing they possibly could to win this one and the Jags offense did everything they could to throw a bone to the Browns time and time again, to no avail. Dawson missed two 51 yard field goal attempts that could have made the difference in the score. Long kicks are tough, but making one is what sets the great ones apart. All chances for a playoff spot, remote as it were, are now a chewed up splintered bone.

The Jags offense threw four interceptions and put the ball on the ground twice. Garrard accounted for four of those turnovers. He was harrassed and manhandled by the Browns defense who sacked him four times. T. J. Ward had two interceptions and Joe Haden and Abram Elam each had one. Elam also gathered up a fumble for a touchdown in the third quarter. The only weak spot for the Browns defense was the running game where they gave up 133 yards to Maurice Jones-Drew and a touchdown.

Peyton Hillis was stuffed throughout the game in the running department, but seemed to be McCoys primary receiver in this one gathering up 6 receptions for 95 yards. Colt McCoy had a so-so game with 241 yards and a touchdown. The Browns are still lacking a key element in their offense, the long ball threat. Until they have that quick strike potential, they will not be a genuine threat. Mangini needs to show more confidence in McCoy's abilities and unleash him to explore that capability out. He needs to show more confidence in his receivers also, or find a receiver with that potential. The Browns were missing an important piece of their offensive puzzle in Joshua Cribbs.

Where do the Browns go from here? They go back home to play the Carolina Panthers and hopefully get back to winning. This game will be a good place to start. Go for broke Mangini, set the Dawgs free. Let's see some fireworks.

Week Eleven NFL Picks-The Craziness Continues

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

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

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

Candlestick Park

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

Superdome

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

Edward Jones Dome

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

Gillette Stadium

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

Lincoln Financial Field

MON, NOV 22 TIME (ET)

Denver 18 at San Diego 27 8:30 PM W 

Qualcomm Stadium