Week 12 Picks

Here they are -- the rest of week twelve! There are no more bye weeks--it's a straight shot to the home finish. It's been tough to make some of these picks, because you don't just want to pick the obvious choices. As football fans, we know that there is always some team who comes out of no where and wins at least one game on any given week. That's why they play the game! My goal is to find those teams.
So the only pick I got wrong was Packers/Lions—I had both the Cowboys and the Ravens in their respective games. Not a bad start.

Vikings (2-8) v. Falcons (6-4)

Pick: Falcons

Panthers (2-8) v. Colts (0-10)

Pick: Panthers

Browns (4-6) v. Bengals (6-4)

Pick: Browns (if Hillis is back)

Bills (5-5) v. Jets (5-5)

Pick: Bills

Texans (7-3) v. Jaguars (3-7)

Pick: Texans

Buccaneers (4-6) v. Titans (5-5)

Pick: Titans

Cardinals (3-7) v. Rams (2-8)

Pick: Rams

Redskins (3-7) v. Seahawks (4-6)

Pick: Seahawks

Bears (7-3) v. Raiders (6-4)

Pick: Raiders

Patriots (7-3) v. Eagles (4-6)

Pick: Patriots

Broncos (5-5) v. Chargers (4-6)

Pick: Broncos

Steelers (7-3) v. Chiefs (4-6)

Pick: Steelers

Turkey Day Football

Well, NFL, you finally get what you want. Some decent games on Thanksgiving.
From calling for the game to be taken away from the Lions and Cowboys last year, we're screaming with delight at the games this year. The Lions have a chance to unseat the undeafeated Packers, the Dolphins and Cowboys are both on three game winning streaks and the brothers face off for the first time tonight. Every game has something interesting for fans. Congrats, NFL, eat your heart out.

PICKS

Lions (7-3) v. Packers (10-0)
Pick: Lions
Dolphins(3-7) v. Cowboys (6-4)
Pick: Cowboys
49ers (9-1) v. Ravens (7-3)
Pick: Ravens
(I will be at that game)

PS Also, I am sorry for dropping the ball last weekend on getting picks up here. I have them written down and will be posting a week 11 wrap-up. I had to go out of town and didn't have internet access.

Week 10 Wrap

First off, a game pick for tonight's game. 

Game pick:

Jets (5-4) v. Broncos (4-5)

Pick: Broncos

Here are the biggest stories of week 10! We are proud to report that the single wing offense is now back in style, with everyone's favorite quarterback running it. The Dolphins got another win, but we're not talking about it because they beat the Redskins. The Chargers got completely thrown off by their fast start and now feel the need to make up for it. The Eagles are out of the playoffs. The Saints are back, capitalizing on their oppoents' mistakes. The only reason the 49ers are not the best team in the league is because the Packers are undefeated. Who'd have thought? 

Raiders v. Chargers (24-17)

What are these Chargers? They are skidding rapidly out of control. If they’re not careful, they will soon be out of the running entirely for the playoffs. One more loss and they may consider themselves done. They need to get it together. The Raiders, let by Carson Palmer, beat them? That shouldn’t be. I think it’s more that the Chargers beat themselves. They need to put more points on the board because their defense can’t hold a team to less than 17 points. They need to get out of this skid. But how, I couldn’t tell you. Oh here’s a thought—beat the teams you’re supposed to beat.

Cardinals v. Eagles (21-17)

The Eagles are done. Stick a fork in them, they’re done. It’s over for the dream team. These are big words, but I think after this, their sixth loss already of the season, it will be an unbelievable uphill climb. And I don’t think the Eagles are up to it. They have at least two more games (New England and New York Giants) that they have a very real chance of losing. And if they lose Vick, which it looks like they might, then it’s all over. Vince Young is not the answer. In fact, he’s the reason they’re in this ‘dream team’ hole. Sorry Philly. Try again next year.

Broncos v. Chiefs (17-10)

The single wing is back. And the Denver Broncos are running it, whether they know they are or not. It’s not a full traditional single week, but it is very similar. A strong, almost running back like, quarterback who gets the snap and can run, hand it off, or throw it. Tim Tebow had eight pass attempts and two completions. That’s it. And they won. Now, it was the Chiefs. But no one is prepared for this offense. It’s something that hasn’t been seen in the NFL. Vick was too much of a passer to be called a single wing tail back. But John Fox should dust off Pop Warner’s playbook, because it’s all the hope he had now.

Saints v. Falcons (26-23)

After the fluke at St. Louis, the Saints have been back on track. However, I would say that this game came down to two things—Mike Smith’s poor decision, brought on by his lack of faith in his defense to stop Drew Brees and the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive line’s inability to block anyone. A yard was all they needed. Couldn’t even come close to getting it. But New Orleans took the ball and won with a kicker who they called at back to school night to come kick for them. Imagine that.

Giants v. 49ers (20-27)

Who would have guessed that this would be a high powered, exciting match up? Oh and meaningful! But it lived up to expectations. Jim Harbaugh is becoming a daring coach, much like a Sean Payton. He’s shown faith in Alex Smith that no one has given him in a long time, probably since he was drafted. Harbaurgh seems to have figure out what got the last few 49ers coaches was what to do with him, how to get him to perform. With no off season and all! Alex Smith, you should give your Coach a big hug and an expensive watch—he just saved your career. 

Week 10 Picks!

Welcome to week 10! It's do or die now for a lot of teams (though it's really been do or die for the Eagles all season). The Colts will finally win a game, perhaps? The Panthers are going to start turning those flashy numbers into wins, hopefully. Ravens will continue to dominate, while the Steelers will show Andy Dalton what it's like to face a playoff caliber team. Lots to look forward to here. 

Saints (6-3) v. Falcons (5-3)

Pick: Saints

Lions (6-2) v. Bears (5-3)

Pick:  Lions

Jaguars (3-5) v. Colts (0-9)

Pick: Colts

Broncos (3-5) v. Chiefs (4-4)

Pick: Chiefs

Steelers (5-3) v. Bengals (6-2)

Pick: Steelers

Titans (4-4) v. Panthers (2-6)

Pick: Panthers

Texans (6-3) v. Buccaneers (4-4)

Pick: Texans

Redskins (3-5) v. Dolphins (1-7)

Pick: Dolphins

Rams (1-7) v. Browns  (3-5)

Pick: Rams

Bills (5-3) v. Cowboys (4-4)

Pick: Cowboys

Cardinals (2-6) v. Eagles (3-5)

Pick: Eagles

Ravens (6-2) v. Seahawks (2-6)

Pick: Ravens

Giants (6-2) v. 49ers (7-1)

Pick: Giants

Patriots (5-3) v. Jets (5-3)

Pick: Patriots

Vikings (2-6) v. Packers (8-0)

Pick: Packers 

Week 9 Wrap-up

Everything you needed to know about Week 9, all written out for your reading pleasure. If you read nothing else of this post, please read the bit about the Ravens Steelers game at the end. I've tried to let it go, but I'm tired of hearing it. Joe Flacco and the Ravens have earned some respect, and it's time to give it to them. 

Dolphins v. Chiefs (31-3)

The Dolphins finally won a game. I’m not going to brag too much about how I picked them to win this game, but there it is. At any rate, they finally won. Though it’s been coming for a while (many of their games have been close theses last few weeks, I don’t know how much positives can be taken from it. Yes, they beat the Chiefs, who have resurged and are fighting. However, I still don’t believe the chiefs are a true contender, so that’s that. Tony Sparano can’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. He’s got one monkey off his back, but he needs to prove this wasn’t a one-time deal. For now though, congratulations Miami, you earned it.

Broncos v. Raiders (38-24)

Tim Tebow, where do you come from? One week you stink so badly everyone is calling for your head, the next week you’re off the charts. Make up your mind. This kind of inconsistency can really hurt a team. However, there is the issue of who they were playing. The Lions and the Raiders are not the same two teams. The Lions are a power team, poised to make a run at the playoffs. The Raiders are also an inconsistent team with a struggling quarterback. All that being said, Tebow did play well. The debate isn’t over yet, and won’t be until the end of the season. Even then, it probably won’t be. Get ready for the rollercoaster Denver.

Giants v. Patriots (24-20)

A rematch of Super Bowl XLII, the Patriots have been itching for this game since. However, they once again let the Giants get them on the last drive. The Giants, after that strange loss to the Seahawks, have been playing quite well. They’ve got a tough schedule coming up, but it appears as if they are up to the task. Expect the Giants to come out swinging for the last remainder of the season and possibly win the NFC East. Is it finally time to take the Patriots off their pedestal as the best team in the AFC? Yes, it is. For the last few years the Patriots have been on the downslide, since that home playoff loss to the Ravens. Not in the regular season, but for sure in the playoffs. And now it seems to be occurring in the regular season as well. With the Bills and Jets coming up in the division behind them, New England needs to act fast to save their playoff hopes.

Packers v. Chargers (45-38)

The Packers are the only undefeated team left at the halfway point of the season. People are crowning them the Super Bowl champs again. But after seeing this game, I’m not quite ready to go that far. Where was the defense? The hallowed defense that kept them in and won them so many games last year. Where are they? Sure they created turnovers against the Chargers, but they let them come back and have a true chance to win. Fix it, Green Bay and maybe you can fulfill the dream of another perfect season. I’m still trying to create that bandwagon…but we’ll see how long it lasts. Be glad Aaron Rodgers can put up 50 points by himself.

Ravens v. Steelers  (23-20)

I’m going to go all over this one because it’s a big deal. A really big deal. Ravens Steelers, possibly the best rivalry of the NFL today. This game did not disappoint. It had everything –a close score, a last second drive and good defense. But this time, the RAVENS came out on top. Not the Steelers. It was Joe Flacco who led the last minute drive to win the game, threw the perfect pass and kept it all together. It is time for people, especially the Steelers players, to lay off Joe Flacco. I’m so tired of hearing that he’s a mediocre QB and that he can never win a Super Bowl. Newsflash, Pittsburgh players, he just beat you. Twice. AGAIN. Stop saying that he’s not good enough. Clearly, he is. Every QB has bad games and moments where things just don’t click. You trying to tell me Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t had those games? I know he has, because at least one came against the Ravens at the beginning of the season. Every QB, even the great ones, have games where things don’t work out. Where they look bad. But Joe Flacco has led his team to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons. Not too shabby. I know he hasn’t won a Super Bowl yet, but it took Peyton Manning, possibly the greatest QB of all time, if not certainly of our age, almost ten seasons to win a Super Bowl. Oh, and he lost one. Does that make him not an elite QB? Of course not. Long story short, lay off Flacco and start giving the Ravens the respect they’ve earned. 

Week 9 Picks

Here they are! I've got Miami finally winning a game -- I figure the Chiefs can't ride that high forever. Indy is not so lucky though. Bills over Jets because Mark Sanchez can't face the pressure. The Eagles will continue to get back on track. And Ravens Steelers? Can I really pick anyone besides the Ravens?

Dolphins (0-7) v. Chiefs (5-3)

Pick: Dolphins

Seahawks (2-5) v. Cowboys (3-4)

Pick: Cowboys

Buccaneers (4-3) v. Saints (5-3)

Pick: Saints

49ers (6-1) v. Redskins (3-4)

Pick: 49ers

Jets (4-3) v. Bills (5-2)

Pick: Bills

Browns (3-4) v. Texans (5-3)

Pick: Texans

Falcons (4-3) v. Colts (0-8)

Pick: Falcons

Bengals (4-3) v. Titans (4-3)

Pick: Bengals

Broncos (2-5) v. Raiders (4-3)

Pick: Raiders

Giants (5-2) v. Patriots (5-2)

Pick: Patriots

Packers (7-0) v. Chargers (4-3)

Pick: Packers

Rams (1-6) v. Cardinals (1-6)

Pick: Cardinals

Ravens (5-2) v. Steelers (6-2)

Pick: Ravens

Bears(4-3) v. Eagles (3-4)

Pick: Eagles

Byes: Panthers, Lions, Jaguars, Vikings 

Week 8 Wrap-up

Here are my week 8 wraps! Enjoy them --- and comment, if you so desire. Let the Tebow debate begin... or not. 

Vikings v. Panthers (24-21)

This was actually a good game. Despite the records of both teams, the game was close and well played. Both rookie quarterbacks played pretty well – Ponder and Newton continued to impress. However, I’m not sold on either. Ponder has time to convince me he is the answer, because he’s only played two games and won one of them. Newton, on the other hand, has played all of the games for his team and has only won two of them. He has put up flashy numbers, but if they don’t translate into wins, what does it matter in the long run? Look out for Ponder to continue to improve. Newton needs a little bit more of a running game and a defense before those flashy numbers can turn into wins.

Saints v. Rams (21-31)

What just happened? In all seriousness, what just happened? I have no idea what went down here. The Saints laid down for the Rams. Or were on such a high from last week’s utter beat down of the Colts. I have no idea what happened. The Saints need to take a long look at this tape and figure out how to avoid this in the future. First the Seahawks last year in the playoffs and now this. Good job, Rams. Save Spagnolo please!!

Lions v. Broncos (45-10)

The Lions are BACK. YAY. They got their swag back and are back on track. Stafford and the defense played well. However, there is  much to be said on the subject on Tim Tebow. The best Tebow related thing that happened was when one of the Lions’ defensive lineman ‘Tebowed’ on Tebow. I am not sold on Tebow. Really. Not at all. He’s a great human being, but that doesn’t mean he can play football. He looked great last week but now is questionable. He played terribly. Really badly. All of his problems came out in this one game – not going through his progressions, long delivery and poor accuracy. Welcome to Tebow time, Denver.

Patriots v. Steelers (17-25)

The Steelers are playing the best ball of their season right now. They’ve looked pretty good in all the recent games. Beat the Patriots is always an impressive feat. They’ve gotten their swag back and are ready to put up a fight against Baltimore. What was most impressive about this game, besides Ben’s accuracy, was the fact that they gave Tom Brady the ball with time left and stopped him. Not only stopped him, but scored points. However, this all being said, the Patriots mismanaged the clock when they had the ball down at the goal line in the 4^th. If they hadn’t done that, the outcome of this game might have been different.

Chargers v. Chiefs (20-23)

This was a good game. Newsflash – who are these Chiefs? They’ve won four in a row and are showing no signs of slowing down. They prevented the Chargers from getting in the end zone. That being said, the Chargers also didn’t capitalize on the chances they had. They let this one go away, but equal amount of credit should go to the Chiefs defense. These Chiefs have gotten their act together and really surprised me. I must admit I was ready to stick a fork in them so to speak when they were 0-3. Nice job, Haley and Cassel.

Cowboys v. Eagles (7-34)

The Eagles are back on track. Sorry Dallas, you ran right into the ACTUAL Eagles, rather than the turnover prone imitation that existed for the first few weeks.