Disgrace On A Sunday Night

Outside of some super Super Bowl performances the NY Giants are a complete disgrace on prime time football.

Doesn't matter if it's a Sunday, Monday, or the rare Thursday night game. You don't want to call the season opener crucial, but when you're facing the Dallas Cowboys in a divisional game,  crucial fits the bill.

That's why Sunday's 36-31 Cowboys win hurts the  Giants. It's amazing that the score was that close considering the Giants committed six turnovers.

Whether it was an Eli Manning awful interception on the first play from scrimmage or David Wilson's two fumbles, Da'rel Scott causing an interception due to a slow reaction,  or a fluke bounce on a punt causing yet another score, the Giants could have lost by 30.

The defense played a decent game,  though Jason Witten continued to treat linebackers and DB's like fleas on a Great Dane. He caught his usual pair of TDs against the G-Men.

On the bright side,  Victor Cruz caught a trio of scores and Hakeem Nicks was very effective,  and when they didn't turn the ball over they were able to move on the Cowboys defense.

On the other side of the coin coach Tom Coughlin told the team at halftime that it was the worst game he had ever seen. After 60 minutes he must have really had some comments about the team.

Giants' Season Is Not A Collapse

People keep talking about the New York Giants' season collapsing, but I beg to differ. There is no collapse when a team plays to the level and talent that they are really at. Face the facts, the Giants could easily have been 2-6 rather than 6-2 after eight games. We all knew the schedule was going to become a bear (though they didn't play Chicago outside of pre-season) in the middle of the season. This is a mediocre team that became worse with injuries.

Just look at the way the season has gone. in week 1 they lost to a miserable Washington Redskins team. Eli Manning had a horrible game, which caused many fans to once again doubt his ability. His all-pro type season has changed all that, even if he still makes the occassional poor decision. Then again those bad throws usually come after a Giants penalty, dropped pass, or some other mistake.

Week 2 saw a relatively easy win against the Rams that kick started a three game winning streak. They came from behind, to a lot of people's surprise, myself included, to beat the Eagles and then made a 4th quarter comeback against the Arizona Cardinals. The latter game could have been a loss had the referees ruled Victor Cruz' faux pas as a fumble rather than being down by contact.

Week 4 saw a humiliating loss to the weak Seattle Seahawks. To make it worse they lost to back up QB Charlie Whitehurst after they had knocked starer Matt Hasselback from the game. A second three-game winning streak followed, with all of the games determined in the 4th quarter. Lawrence Tynes' kicked the game winning field goal with 1:32 left to beat Buffalo and the Giants embarrassed themselves for most of their match with Miami before pulling out a 20-17 win. The next two weeks would be two of the best Giants' performances of the season.

There was the 24-20 victory over the New England Patriots that had us all thinking "maybe this team can do something big!". Arguably, they played an even better game against a tough San Francisco team the following week, but fell 27-20. And then the laughter stopped.

First came the terrible loss to rusty Vince Young and the Eagles and the utter blow out by the New Orleans Saints, 49-24. Suddenly a three game losing streak dropped the Giants' record to 6-5, a game behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East. Next up? The Green Bay Packers' All-World offense this Sunday.

The prospect of a 6-6 record with four games to go is pretty assurred. However, the Giants could still make the playoffs. It sounds crazy, but it is true. The remaining schedule has two games with Dallas, one with Washington, and the battle of MetLife Stadium vs. the Jets. It would be tougher, but it is possible the Giants could make the playoffs at 9-7 (10-6 should be a definite.). In order for that to happen some things needs to change.

There is nothing you can do about injuries, and unfortunately, the Giants are riddled with them on both sides of the ball.

With the loss of Ahmad Bradshaw, the running game has completely disappeared. Brandon Jacobs shot his mouth off about playing time and criticized the fans, but has done anything with his new found playing time. It hasn't helped that the offensive line is getting overpowered in run blocking situations either. D.J. Ware has had a chance to step up, but has done nothing but drop screen passes. Da'Rel Scott fumbles more times than he carries the ball, or so it seems.

Hakeem Nicks is the only reliable receiver that Manning has to depend on. Victor Cruz has made some huge plays and some huge mistakes, but he looks like he could be the real deal in the long run. Mario Manningham, currently injured, is the epitome of an airhead. Wrong routes, dropped passes, and not knowing where he is on the field are all part of Manningham's reportoire. Ramses Barden could develop into a good wideout, but he's still getting experience. The bloom seems to be off the rose that is tight end Jake Ballard, whose play has been very ordinary the last two weeks.

The Giants pass rush has disappeared and quarterbacks are taking advantage with their new found time. People are quick to criticize the secondary, which has been subpar, but you can only cover a receiver for so long when there is no pressure on the QB. The Giants linebackers are a mess with injuries and inexperience. This seems to be the case almost every year. (Calling Bill Parcells, please draft a load of linebackers for the Giants.)

The kicking game has actually been the most consistent facet of the Giants' game, and that's just sad. Getting back to Eli, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN said the other night that "Eli is an island". No words are truer. He is doing everything he can to get his team to win. Now he needs Tom Coughlin and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride to help him out. The Giants can't run, so throw more screens and slants to replace parts of the running game. Hell, throw some wildcat in there to shake things up. Or go with a 2 minute offense for most of the game.

It's hard to believe with all the bad things I mentioned that the Giants could make the playoffs, but they can. Granted, they won't go far, but they could be playing in the new year.

A Giant Disgrace

Football season is effectively over me. There is still one game to go in the regular season, plus the playoffs and Super Bowl. But it's done. When the clock read 00:00, the Giants season was done. Oh and that was the end of the first half, not the game.

The Giants, in their final home game at Giants Stadium, didn't bother to show up. A disgraceful display on both sides of the ball led to a 41-9 blowout at the hands of the Carolina Panthers. The loss, combined with the Cowboys and Packers wins, eliminated the Giants from a possible playoff appearance.

The entire game changed on one series in the first quarter and the Giants never recovered. ,It appeared the Giants were headed for a 7-0 lead when they marched right down the field on the game's first possession. But an Eli Manning TD pass to Steve Smith was negated by a Madison Hedgecock hold and a couple of plays later Mario Manningham fumbled away the football and the season. The Panthers completely dominated from that moment on.

The Giants defense which finally showed up last week against the woeful Redskins, reverted back to their "can't stop anyone" form. Jonathan Stewart rushed for the third highest (206) total yardage by any opponent in Giants' history.

It was a sad finish for the fans, especially those long time season ticket holders who can't afford the exorbitant prices at the new stadium.

As for next year, Tom Coughlin will likely be back. He's only two years removed from a SB championship. But defensive coordinator Brian Sheridan is likely gone. It's obviously not all his fault. The players did not get the job done. This was a defense that was supposed to better than last year's. Some heads will probably roll among the players as well.

O-Coordinator Kevin Gilbride's job is most likely safe, though he will probably look for a head coaching job. And what happened to this team's vaunted running game? Brandon Jacobs has played every game and maybe that's the problem. He's been very ordinary - yesterday he had six carries for one yard before leaving with a banged up knee.

True Blue

Big props to the NY football Giants tonight. There were many talking heads that kept referring to this afternoon's match up with Tampa Bay as a "trap game". That there would be a tremendous let down after the emotional victory over Dallas last Sunday night, they said.

Obviously, part of these feelings were based on past Giants performances in these situations and just the way the league "flows" in general. It was also stated despite these same talking heads also saying the Bucs could be one of the worst teams in the league.

The latter statement was the one proven true this afternoon as the Giants absolutely destroyed the Buccaneers 24-0. The Giants defense, missing a large chunk of personnel, still managed to hold the Bucs to 86 total yards. That's not a quarter total, that's the entire game.

The Giants meanwhile ran the ball down their Bucs' throat. Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 104 yards on just 14 carries. Brandon Jacobs was 26-92 and 1 TD. Eli Manning with an efficient day- 14-24 161 Yds 2 TD 0 Int.

Next week? Yup, another trap game on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Snow is Coming, Get Snacks!

Can't be snowed in without enough snacks for a weekend of football. The divisional round is upon us with some great games. Most would agree that the Panthers-Cardinals match up is the only one where the winner is pretty much a given. Then again, that's why they indeed play the games.

The Giants and the Eagles battle for the 3rd time this season in Sunday's NFC East showdown. We're confidently nervous or is it nervously confident? Either way, Big Blue will have all its forces at the ready, most notably Brandon Jacobs. And while Jacobs and others may not be 100%, they are ready to go.

The field could be slick based on the snow and/or freezing rain moving into the area tomorrow morning and lasting into Sunday. Plus ya never know with the winds in the Meadowlands. Eagles kicker David Akers, one of the best, is only 11-22 in FG attempts at Giants Stadium.

Tough pick here, we were thinking 23-20 Giants, but that would mean they wouldn't cover the 4 point spread. So we will go Giants -4 Prediction: Giants 24-19


Panthers -9.5 vs. Cardinals
Even with a quick strike offense, we don't see the Cardinals putting up much of a fight in this game. The Panthers are an experienced team with a devastating running game.
Prediction: Panthers 31 Cardinals 13

Ravens -3 at Titans
The Ravens are playing very good football right now and even though the Titans had a fantastic season, we still don't totally trust Kerry Collins. Especially against the Ravens. This one comes down to the kickers, both of which are good, with Matt Stover kicking the game winning FG late in the 4th.
Prediction: Ravens 16 Titans 13



Steelers -6 vs. Chargers
No Ladainian Tomlinson will put extra pressure on Darren Sproles. Chargers will have to adapt to frigid conditions. Steelers have too many pluses and experience to lose this one, setting up a black and blue match up with the Ravens in the AFC title game.
Prediction: Steelers 27 Chargers 16

Playoffs to date: 2-2

NFL Picks - Week 17

We've reached the regular season end of the line (Mrs. MM is very happy about this). Another mediocre 8-8 week leaves us at 122-113-15 for the season. And this, of course, is the toughest week to decipher. Teams are trying to make the playoffs, others can't get home soon enough. So who knows who cares and who doesn't?

The Giants have nothing to play for on this Sunday, but their opponents, the Vikings, are looking to capture the NFC North or at worst a Wildcard spot. Big Blue will rest plenty of regulars - this is nothing like the regular season finale with the Pats last year. Therefore we have to go with the Vikings despite laying 7 points. Vikings -7 Prediction: Vikings 27 Giants 13

Jets -3 vs. Dolphins
What incredible finale to the regular season - Favre vs. Pennington in a possible do or die match that no one saw coming. We actually think the Jets will bounce back from last week's snowy misery to win it. Of course, being they are the Jets, we could be completely wrong.

Bucs -13 vs. Raiders
The Bucs need a win and some help to make the playoffs. Jon Gruden will make sure the first part happens against his old nemesis.

Packers -11 vs. Lions
Part of us was thinking that the Lions would keep this close...then we had coffee and cleared our heads.

Eagles -1.5 vs. Cowboys
The Cowboys are the better team. The Eagles actually could make the playoffs with a win and a bunch of other teams losing. While the latter isn't likely, we do think they'll spoil the 'boys day, and we would love that.

Bears +3 vs. Texans
We could see the Texans winning this game to finish at .500 and match their best home record (6-2). Somehow we think Da Bears will prevail.

Panthers -2 at Saints
Panthers have a playoff spot locked up, but not the division or a bye in round one. Their defense should be able to contain Drew Brees enough and the Saints won't stop the Panthers running game.

Falcons -14 vs. Rams
Matt Ryan and Co. will do all they can to win the AFC South.

Bengals -2.5 vs Chiefs
No one cares, but Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tyler Thigpen might at least put on a pretty good show.

Jaguars +11 vs Ravens
Jags quit on the season a long time ago, but we think Jack Del Rio will get his team pumped up for this one. Ravens win, but don't cover.

Titans -3 vs. Colts
No clue how this one plays out, because we have no clue how much either side will play their starters.

Steelers -11 vs. Browns
Even if Big Ben and his fellow starters sit most of the day, this should still be a cake walk. Romeo Crennel's nightmare is almost over.

Patriots -5.5 at Bills
Buffalo may be getting all revved up to play spoiler, but it ain't happening.

Seahawks +7 at Cardinals
Cards probably win, but 'hawks are good enough and Cards are bad enough to make this close.

Redskins +3 vs. 49ers
Again, tough to call. We're not sure who'll win, but something like 17-16 sounds pretty good.

Chargers -8 vs. Broncos
At first we though the Broncos would keep it close, but the more we thought about it, the Chargers are going to blow Denver off the field to win the AFC West. Wonder if Ed Hoculi will be watching?

NFL Picks - Week 17

We've reached the regular season end of the line (Mrs. MM is very happy about this). Another mediocre 8-8 week leaves us at 122-113-15 for the season. And this, of course, is the toughest week to decipher. Teams are trying to make the playoffs, others can't get home soon enough. So who knows who cares and who doesn't?

The Giants have nothing to play for on this Sunday, but their opponents, the Vikings, are looking to capture the NFC North or at worst a Wildcard spot. Big Blue will rest plenty of regulars - this is nothing like the regular season finale with the Pats last year. Therefore we have to go with the Vikings despite laying 7 points. Vikings -7 Prediction: Vikings 27 Giants 13

Jets -3 vs. Dolphins
What incredible finale to the regular season - Favre vs. Pennington in a possible do or die match that no one saw coming. We actually think the Jets will bounce back from last week's snowy misery to win it. Of course, being they are the Jets, we could be completely wrong.

Bucs -13 vs. Raiders
The Bucs need a win and some help to make the playoffs. Jon Gruden will make sure the first part happens against his old nemesis.

Packers -11 vs. Lions
Part of us was thinking that the Lions would keep this close...then we had coffee and cleared our heads.

Eagles -1.5 vs. Cowboys
The Cowboys are the better team. The Eagles actually could make the playoffs with a win and a bunch of other teams losing. While the latter isn't likely, we do think they'll spoil the 'boys day, and we would love that.

Bears +3 vs. Texans
We could see the Texans winning this game to finish at .500 and match their best home record (6-2). Somehow we think Da Bears will prevail.

Panthers -2 at Saints
Panthers have a playoff spot locked up, but not the division or a bye in round one. Their defense should be able to contain Drew Brees enough and the Saints won't stop the Panthers running game.

Falcons -14 vs. Rams
Matt Ryan and Co. will do all they can to win the AFC South.

Bengals -2.5 vs Chiefs
No one cares, but Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tyler Thigpen might at least put on a pretty good show.

Jaguars +11 vs Ravens
Jags quit on the season a long time ago, but we think Jack Del Rio will get his team pumped up for this one. Ravens win, but don't cover.

Titans -3 vs. Colts
No clue how this one plays out, because we have no clue how much either side will play their starters.

Steelers -11 vs. Browns
Even if Big Ben and his fellow starters sit most of the day, this should still be a cake walk. Romeo Crennel's nightmare is almost over.

Patriots -5.5 at Bills
Buffalo may be getting all revved up to play spoiler, but it ain't happening.

Seahawks +7 at Cardinals
Cards probably win, but 'hawks are good enough and Cards are bad enough to make this close.

Redskins +3 vs. 49ers
Again, tough to call. We're not sure who'll win, but something like 17-16 sounds pretty good.

Chargers -8 vs. Broncos
At first we though the Broncos would keep it close, but the more we thought about it, the Chargers are going to blow Denver off the field to win the AFC West. Wonder if Ed Hoculi will be watching?

NFL Picks - Week 16

Wow, we stunk out the joint last week and we're "fortunate" to go 6-9-1. That dropped ups to 114-105-15 . We've gotten off to a 1-0 start with the Colts win over the Jags, but these last weeks of the season are very hard to read. Speaking of hard to read, it's hard to take the temperature of the Giants right now. Big Blue has some key injuries and the Plaxico Burress mess, which has effected the offense more than we thought it would.

From looking like they had the #1 seed wrapped up, the Gints now have a tough game with the Panthers, who are tied with the Giants at 11-3. Brandon Jacobs is questionable, but right now is more probably than out. The Giants need Fred Robbins back as well to stop the Panthers running game, and Dominik Hixon to fill in for Buress. We could see thePanthers winning this, but we have to go with the Giants -3. Prediction Giants 19 Panthers 17

Cowboys -5.5 vs. Ravens
The last regular season game at Texas Stadium and the crowd and Cowboys will fired up. It will be too much for Joe Flacco and the Ravens. Too bad this game is on the NFL Network. You guys suck.

Seahawks +3.5 at Jets
Flip flopped on this one too. We're convinced the Jets will win this game, but it will come down to a field goal. This is Mike Holmgren's last home game coaching the 'hawks and we think Seattle will be amped up.

Steelers -2 at Titans
Wow, what a tough schedule the Steelers have had down the stretch. But they've come out on top and have only gotten stronger. We see them making it a long day for Kerry Collins.

Eagles -4.5 at Redskins
Eagles are on a roll and the Redskins are rolling over.

Dolphins -3.5 at Chiefs
Dolphins have been playing all close ones and they better not look ahead to the finale with the Jets.

Saints -7 at Lions
Should be a Brees.

49ers -5 vs. Rams
zzzzzzz, but Shaun Hill should have a big day.

Patriots -8.5 vs. Cardinals
Tough one. Pats blew out the hapless Raiders last week, but they've had some tough ones, and the Cards are a division leader. But as we have said before, is there a worse 1st place team than the Cardinals?

Bengals +3 at Browns
Remember when this was a good game?

Falcons +3.5 at Vikings
The Vikings are playing really well on the defensive side of the ball and Adrian Peterson is a monster. But the Matt Ryan and the Falcons are finding ways to win.

Texans -7 at Raiders
Wow, the Texans will be over .500 when the game is over. Who'd have thunk it?

Broncos -6.5 vs. Bills
No reason to go with the Bills.

Bucs -3.5 vs. Chargers
Bucs 'D' should make the difference.

Bears -4 vs. Packers
Packers season is done.

NFL Picks - Week 16

Wow, we stunk out the joint last week and we're "fortunate" to go 6-9-1. That dropped ups to 114-105-15 . We've gotten off to a 1-0 start with the Colts win over the Jags, but these last weeks of the season are very hard to read. Speaking of hard to read, it's hard to take the temperature of the Giants right now. Big Blue has some key injuries and the Plaxico Burress mess, which has effected the offense more than we thought it would.

From looking like they had the #1 seed wrapped up, the Gints now have a tough game with the Panthers, who are tied with the Giants at 11-3. Brandon Jacobs is questionable, but right now is more probably than out. The Giants need Fred Robbins back as well to stop the Panthers running game, and Dominik Hixon to fill in for Buress. We could see thePanthers winning this, but we have to go with the Giants -3. Prediction Giants 19 Panthers 17

Cowboys -5.5 vs. Ravens
The last regular season game at Texas Stadium and the crowd and Cowboys will fired up. It will be too much for Joe Flacco and the Ravens. Too bad this game is on the NFL Network. You guys suck.

Seahawks +3.5 at Jets
Flip flopped on this one too. We're convinced the Jets will win this game, but it will come down to a field goal. This is Mike Holmgren's last home game coaching the 'hawks and we think Seattle will be amped up.

Steelers -2 at Titans
Wow, what a tough schedule the Steelers have had down the stretch. But they've come out on top and have only gotten stronger. We see them making it a long day for Kerry Collins.

Eagles -4.5 at Redskins
Eagles are on a roll and the Redskins are rolling over.

Dolphins -3.5 at Chiefs
Dolphins have been playing all close ones and they better not look ahead to the finale with the Jets.

Saints -7 at Lions
Should be a Brees.

49ers -5 vs. Rams
zzzzzzz, but Shaun Hill should have a big day.

Patriots -8.5 vs. Cardinals
Tough one. Pats blew out the hapless Raiders last week, but they've had some tough ones, and the Cards are a division leader. But as we have said before, is there a worse 1st place team than the Cardinals?

Bengals +3 at Browns
Remember when this was a good game?

Falcons +3.5 at Vikings
The Vikings are playing really well on the defensive side of the ball and Adrian Peterson is a monster. But the Matt Ryan and the Falcons are finding ways to win.

Texans -7 at Raiders
Wow, the Texans will be over .500 when the game is over. Who'd have thunk it?

Broncos -6.5 vs. Bills
No reason to go with the Bills.

Bucs -3.5 vs. Chargers
Bucs 'D' should make the difference.

Bears -4 vs. Packers
Packers season is done.

NFL Picks - Week 15

UPDATE 8:10 PM - WOW, did we stink out the joint today.

A decent 9-7 record in week 14 put us at 108-96-14 for the year. We're 1-0 this week having taken underdog New Orleans against Chicago in the Thursday night game.

Big doings in Big 'D' tonight as Big Blue go to Dallas for the Sunday night game. And if you've read this blog you know just how much we hate the Giants in prime time. Stressful games, bad games, some wins. Scary. Giants don't have Brandon Jacobs or Plaxigun, but the Cowboys have been in-fighting (and possibly T.O. and Jason Witten literally coming to blows) all week, at least according to Dallas papers. We still like the Giants though, especially as 3 point underdogs. Oh how we hate the 'Boys. Giants +3 Prediction: Giants 27 Cowboys 17

Jets -7.5 vs. Bills
The Jets are coming off back to back disappointing weeks, but the Bills have been pathetic for longer than that. Jet fans jump back on the bandwagon after this one.
The Jets got big time lucky in winning, but that didn't help those who sided with them on the point spread. Loss

Packers -2 vs. Jaguars
The Pack has been struggling, but the Jags quit weeks ago.
The Pack is just not a good team and it showed today. 20-16 Jags. Loss

Colts -17 vs. Lions
We hate huge spreads, but we hate the Lions more.
We certainly didn't expect the Lions to hang in there, but they did in only losing by 10. Loss

Redskins -7 at Bengals
Some (Mike Francesa) would have you believe that the Deadskins season is done. Clinton Portis went after coach Jim Zorn on the radio, the offensive line is banged up, etc.. But the Skins could still save their season and we don't trust Cincy.
We really hate when Francesa is right. Loss

49ers +6.5 at Dolphins
Miami has been getting undeserved good sized spreads. Sure they are 8-5, but for the most part they don't win by much. Same goes for today even if Frank Gore doesn't play.
Pegged this one perfectly. Unfortunately, we didn't do that too often today. Win

Seahawks -2.5 at Rams
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Looks like it was a better game than we expected and we got it right. Win

Titans -3 at Texans
With Houston's improved play this could be an entertaining one.
The Texans are hot, 4 straight wins and hand the Titans their 2nd loss. Loss

Steelers +3 at Ravens
Along with the Giants-Cowboys, the game of the week. Black and blue football sees the Steelers continue to rise to the top of the AFC.
Just as advertised and Steelers with another come from behind win. Win

Broncos +8 at Panthers
Despite their big win over the Bucs, we're not jumping back on the Panthers bandwagon so fast. Their offense has still been erratic and the Broncos big play 'O' can keep this close. Carolina wins though.
Boy did we have the wrong take on this one. Loss

Chargers -5.5 at Chiefs
Norv Turner's time in SD is almost over.
Chargers win, but very unimpressively. Loss

Cardinals -3 vs. Vikings
Tough one. Both teams are inconsistent. Toss of an imaginary coin.
Is there a worse looking first place team than the Cardinals? Loss

Patriots -7 at Raiders
Despite Matt Cassel grieving for the loss of his Dad, this game shouldn't be close for the Pats like last week's squeaker with Seattle.
Blow out city. Nice game for Cassel. Win

Falcons -3 vs. Bucs
We're on the Matt Ryan bandwagon for sure.
The Ryans do it again with a late FG. Push

Eagles -14 vs. Browns
Poor Romeo Crennel.

NFL Picks - Week 15

UPDATE 8:10 PM - WOW, did we stink out the joint today.

A decent 9-7 record in week 14 put us at 108-96-14 for the year. We're 1-0 this week having taken underdog New Orleans against Chicago in the Thursday night game.

Big doings in Big 'D' tonight as Big Blue go to Dallas for the Sunday night game. And if you've read this blog you know just how much we hate the Giants in prime time. Stressful games, bad games, some wins. Scary. Giants don't have Brandon Jacobs or Plaxigun, but the Cowboys have been in-fighting (and possibly T.O. and Jason Witten literally coming to blows) all week, at least according to Dallas papers. We still like the Giants though, especially as 3 point underdogs. Oh how we hate the 'Boys. Giants +3 Prediction: Giants 27 Cowboys 17

Jets -7.5 vs. Bills
The Jets are coming off back to back disappointing weeks, but the Bills have been pathetic for longer than that. Jet fans jump back on the bandwagon after this one.
The Jets got big time lucky in winning, but that didn't help those who sided with them on the point spread. Loss

Packers -2 vs. Jaguars
The Pack has been struggling, but the Jags quit weeks ago.
The Pack is just not a good team and it showed today. 20-16 Jags. Loss

Colts -17 vs. Lions
We hate huge spreads, but we hate the Lions more.
We certainly didn't expect the Lions to hang in there, but they did in only losing by 10. Loss

Redskins -7 at Bengals
Some (Mike Francesa) would have you believe that the Deadskins season is done. Clinton Portis went after coach Jim Zorn on the radio, the offensive line is banged up, etc.. But the Skins could still save their season and we don't trust Cincy.
We really hate when Francesa is right. Loss

49ers +6.5 at Dolphins
Miami has been getting undeserved good sized spreads. Sure they are 8-5, but for the most part they don't win by much. Same goes for today even if Frank Gore doesn't play.
Pegged this one perfectly. Unfortunately, we didn't do that too often today. Win

Seahawks -2.5 at Rams
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Looks like it was a better game than we expected and we got it right. Win

Titans -3 at Texans
With Houston's improved play this could be an entertaining one.
The Texans are hot, 4 straight wins and hand the Titans their 2nd loss. Loss

Steelers +3 at Ravens
Along with the Giants-Cowboys, the game of the week. Black and blue football sees the Steelers continue to rise to the top of the AFC.
Just as advertised and Steelers with another come from behind win. Win

Broncos +8 at Panthers
Despite their big win over the Bucs, we're not jumping back on the Panthers bandwagon so fast. Their offense has still been erratic and the Broncos big play 'O' can keep this close. Carolina wins though.
Boy did we have the wrong take on this one. Loss

Chargers -5.5 at Chiefs
Norv Turner's time in SD is almost over.
Chargers win, but very unimpressively. Loss

Cardinals -3 vs. Vikings
Tough one. Both teams are inconsistent. Toss of an imaginary coin.
Is there a worse looking first place team than the Cardinals? Loss

Patriots -7 at Raiders
Despite Matt Cassel grieving for the loss of his Dad, this game shouldn't be close for the Pats like last week's squeaker with Seattle.
Blow out city. Nice game for Cassel. Win

Falcons -3 vs. Bucs
We're on the Matt Ryan bandwagon for sure.
The Ryans do it again with a late FG. Push

Eagles -14 vs. Browns
Poor Romeo Crennel.

NFL Picks - Week 13

Before we get into anything else, we continue to be, surprisingly, shocked at Plaxico Burress' antics. We have to agree with Steve Politi of the Star Ledger, the sooner he's gone, the better.

Back to football. We were 2-1 on Thursday. Still shocked that the Eagles were favored by 3. Apparently they should have been favored by 15. Amazing how ordinary Kurt Warner can look under a pass rush.

Big Blue won't have Burress, who wasn't going to play anyway, but may have Brandon Jacobs back. We'll see at 1:oo EST, when the Giants and Redskins take the field at FEDEX Field. It'll be a wet, muddy ball game with rain expected all day in the D.C. area. The Giants are favored by 3.5 and that sounds good to us. Giants -3.5 Prediction: Giants 27 Redskins 13
We weren't far off on this though it looked early on that the Giants would win in a blow out. By half time it was a game, but the Giants superiority shined through. WON

Jets -8 vs. Broncos
It wasn't that long ago we would have thought there would be no way the Jets would be favored by 8, especially against a potent Broncos offense. But the Jets have won 5 in a row and the Broncos defense has been more porous than Paris Hilton's pants.
Did not see the Broncos offense rolling and playing good enough defense to win. LOSS

Bills -6.5 vs 49ers
The Bills have been a tremendous let down this year. They looked like they could easily take the AFC East once Tom Brady went down, but they've been miserable, especially QB Trent Edwards. Edwards bounced back with a big game in the Bills win last week against the Chiefs. He and the Bills will need to do it again this week against a Niners team that has nothing to lose. San Fran won't have to worry about the weather, as the temps will be at a mild Buffalo 41.
Trent Edwards missed the 2nd half, but this Bills team is pathetic. A 10-3 loss to the Niners? C'mon! LOSS

Bucs -4 vs. Saints
This is a huge game for the Bucs who have a chance to lock up the #2 seed in the NFC playoffs. The Saints can get back in the NFC South and Wildcard races with a win. Bucs 'D' prevails.
Close ball game, the Bucs blew a 20-10 lead before prevailing 23-20. Not good enough to cover though. LOSS

Packers -3 vs. Panthers
Carolina had a lot of the warts exposed by the Falcons last week. QB Jake Delhomme admitted he's still hurting from off-season elbow surgery. The Pack is just a game behind in the NFC North despite a 5-6 record. With the Vikings and Bears squaring off, the Packers can make up some ground.
Another good game that saw the Pack rally from a 21-10 deficit to take a 28-21 lead, only to lose 35-31. LOSS

Dolphins -8 at Rams
The fish aren't likely to catch the Jets or Pats in the division, but they're still in the Wildcard mix. They barely beat the Raiders 2 weeks ago and were embarrassed by the Pats last week. They should bounce back this week against a hapless Rams team.
The Dolphins are not really that good. Yes, they won 16-12, but they should have crushed this Rams team. LOSS

Ravens -7 at Bengals
Another favorite, but how can you blame us? The Ravens bounced back nicely from their loss to the Giants, with a blow out win over Philly. They sit just one game back of the Steelers in the AFC North. The Bengals have one win. 'Nuff said.
Never a contest, Ravens roll. WON

Colts -4.5 at Browns
Brady Quinn is out for the year with a broken finger, which means Derek Anderson is back in. The Colts are without star DB Bob Sanders, but their offense has been clicking and their 'D' has improved.
Dull..this game was on CBS while the Giants were on Fox. Can't imagine too many people chose this game to watch. Browns already lost Quinn, now Anderson is probably done for the year too. Browns covered though. LOSS

Falcons +5 at Chargers
The Chargers season is slipping away, but if they run the table they can get back to the playoffs. No matter what happens, Norv Turner is probably done as coach in San Diego. The Falcons are rolling by rookie QB Matt Ryan and it should continue today.
We were on the money here. Ryan's great rookie season continues. WON

Steelers -1 at Patriots
Great game...Matt Cassell and the Pats offense has been red hot, but the Steelers defense is still solid. Should be a low scoring game with the boys from iron city prevailing.
Not even close, the Steelers blow out the Pats, 33-10. WON

Raiders -3 vs. Chiefs
Boy is this game now what it used to be. The Raiders are playing a little better since Tom Cable took over and had a resounding win over the Broncs last week. Both teams stink, but this game could actually be entertaining.
The Chiefs won this 20-13. You want to know why? Because for some reason Cable ran a fake FG with Jankowski running the ball. WTF! LOSS

Bears +3 at Vikings
A huge game in the NFC North, where these two teams are tied at an underwhelming 6-5. Will go with the Bears 'D' in this one, thought we also expect a big day from A.P..

Jaguars +3 at Texans
Good God, who scheduled this one? Even if the Jags were playing up to par, did anyone think the Texans were worthy of MNF?

NFL Picks - Week 13

Before we get into anything else, we continue to be, surprisingly, shocked at Plaxico Burress' antics. We have to agree with Steve Politi of the Star Ledger, the sooner he's gone, the better.

Back to football. We were 2-1 on Thursday. Still shocked that the Eagles were favored by 3. Apparently they should have been favored by 15. Amazing how ordinary Kurt Warner can look under a pass rush.

Big Blue won't have Burress, who wasn't going to play anyway, but may have Brandon Jacobs back. We'll see at 1:oo EST, when the Giants and Redskins take the field at FEDEX Field. It'll be a wet, muddy ball game with rain expected all day in the D.C. area. The Giants are favored by 3.5 and that sounds good to us. Giants -3.5 Prediction: Giants 27 Redskins 13
We weren't far off on this though it looked early on that the Giants would win in a blow out. By half time it was a game, but the Giants superiority shined through. WON

Jets -8 vs. Broncos
It wasn't that long ago we would have thought there would be no way the Jets would be favored by 8, especially against a potent Broncos offense. But the Jets have won 5 in a row and the Broncos defense has been more porous than Paris Hilton's pants.
Did not see the Broncos offense rolling and playing good enough defense to win. LOSS

Bills -6.5 vs 49ers
The Bills have been a tremendous let down this year. They looked like they could easily take the AFC East once Tom Brady went down, but they've been miserable, especially QB Trent Edwards. Edwards bounced back with a big game in the Bills win last week against the Chiefs. He and the Bills will need to do it again this week against a Niners team that has nothing to lose. San Fran won't have to worry about the weather, as the temps will be at a mild Buffalo 41.
Trent Edwards missed the 2nd half, but this Bills team is pathetic. A 10-3 loss to the Niners? C'mon! LOSS

Bucs -4 vs. Saints
This is a huge game for the Bucs who have a chance to lock up the #2 seed in the NFC playoffs. The Saints can get back in the NFC South and Wildcard races with a win. Bucs 'D' prevails.
Close ball game, the Bucs blew a 20-10 lead before prevailing 23-20. Not good enough to cover though. LOSS

Packers -3 vs. Panthers
Carolina had a lot of the warts exposed by the Falcons last week. QB Jake Delhomme admitted he's still hurting from off-season elbow surgery. The Pack is just a game behind in the NFC North despite a 5-6 record. With the Vikings and Bears squaring off, the Packers can make up some ground.
Another good game that saw the Pack rally from a 21-10 deficit to take a 28-21 lead, only to lose 35-31. LOSS

Dolphins -8 at Rams
The fish aren't likely to catch the Jets or Pats in the division, but they're still in the Wildcard mix. They barely beat the Raiders 2 weeks ago and were embarrassed by the Pats last week. They should bounce back this week against a hapless Rams team.
The Dolphins are not really that good. Yes, they won 16-12, but they should have crushed this Rams team. LOSS

Ravens -7 at Bengals
Another favorite, but how can you blame us? The Ravens bounced back nicely from their loss to the Giants, with a blow out win over Philly. They sit just one game back of the Steelers in the AFC North. The Bengals have one win. 'Nuff said.
Never a contest, Ravens roll. WON

Colts -4.5 at Browns
Brady Quinn is out for the year with a broken finger, which means Derek Anderson is back in. The Colts are without star DB Bob Sanders, but their offense has been clicking and their 'D' has improved.
Dull..this game was on CBS while the Giants were on Fox. Can't imagine too many people chose this game to watch. Browns already lost Quinn, now Anderson is probably done for the year too. Browns covered though. LOSS

Falcons +5 at Chargers
The Chargers season is slipping away, but if they run the table they can get back to the playoffs. No matter what happens, Norv Turner is probably done as coach in San Diego. The Falcons are rolling by rookie QB Matt Ryan and it should continue today.
We were on the money here. Ryan's great rookie season continues. WON

Steelers -1 at Patriots
Great game...Matt Cassell and the Pats offense has been red hot, but the Steelers defense is still solid. Should be a low scoring game with the boys from iron city prevailing.
Not even close, the Steelers blow out the Pats, 33-10. WON

Raiders -3 vs. Chiefs
Boy is this game now what it used to be. The Raiders are playing a little better since Tom Cable took over and had a resounding win over the Broncs last week. Both teams stink, but this game could actually be entertaining.
The Chiefs won this 20-13. You want to know why? Because for some reason Cable ran a fake FG with Jankowski running the ball. WTF! LOSS

Bears +3 at Vikings
A huge game in the NFC North, where these two teams are tied at an underwhelming 6-5. Will go with the Bears 'D' in this one, thought we also expect a big day from A.P..

Jaguars +3 at Texans
Good God, who scheduled this one? Even if the Jags were playing up to par, did anyone think the Texans were worthy of MNF?

NFL Picks - Week 12

UPDATED 11/24 2:15 PM
Two weeks ago we lost the Thursday night game and had a great Sunday. No so in week 11, where we screwed up the Jets-Pats and the trend continued on Sunday. A miserable 5-11 week put us at 85-71-14. We hope to have a bounce back week after winning this past Thursday's Steelers-Bengals game.

Big Blue is out in AZ, where until last season's Super Bowl, they have always struggled. Of course that game was against the Cardinals. The Cards are 7-3, but they're division simply stinks. Kurt Warner is having a big year, but will still cough up the football under pressure. This is a different Giants team than the ones that gagged on games out west. We expect them to drive Warner crazy and cover the 3 points even if Plaxico Burress doesn't play and Brandon Jacobs is limited by his sore knee. Giants +3 Prediction: Giants 27 Cardinals 17
An entertaining game that showed the most important thing on the offensive side of the ball is to keep the offensive line healthy. No Brandon Jacobs or Plaxico Burress, but thanks to the heroics of Domenik Hixon, another 37 points on the board. WIN

Titans -5.5 at Jets
The game of the week pits the unbeaten Titans against the suddenly hot Jets (7-3). We still don't trust the Jets though. They have the top scoring team in the NFL, but 103 of those points came against the Rams and Cardinals in 2 games. They had a huge win over the Pats on Thursday and plenty of time to prep for the Titans. That being said the Titans are a better all around team and Kerry Collins is having a super year. We did get a good laugh last Sunday night though when NBC analyst and former Collins teammate Tiki Barber said he trusted Collins more than Brett Favre in a big spot. It seems Tiki forgot about that Super Bowl with the Ravens.
Okay, we admit it. We're going to have to start respecting the Jets. They dominated to win their 5th straight. Hey Tiki Barber, still think Kerry Collins is better than Brett Favre under pressure? LOSS

Browns -3 vs. Texans
Brady Quinn is going to try to play with a broken finger, but even if he can't go, we trust Derek Anderson a whole lot more than Sage Rosenfels who is filling in for Matt Schaub.
What a stinker of a game. Sage Rosenfels was far from great, but was compared to the two headed combo of Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson (13-32 145 yds 3 INT) LOSS

Bills -3 at Chiefs
Buffalo has to turn their season around very quickly or this is going to be a lost year. The Bills have lost 4 in a row after starting out the season 5-1. They have a chance to get back in the playoff hunt with this week's game and next week's match with the 49ers.
Bill snap their losing streak in dominant fashion by embarassing the Chiefs at home. Trent Edwards threw for 2 scores and ran for 2 more as the Bills put 54 points on the board. WIN

Patriots PK at Dolphins
The Pats have a number of injuries, especially at running back, but they should be able to bounce back from their OT loss to the Jets 11 days ago. The Dolphins barely escaped with a win against the woeful Raiders and haven't proven enough to be picked in this one.
The Pats wanted to show their world, "hey, we're still here" after losing to the Jets last week and the Dolphins earlier this season. It was all NE this time around, putting uo 530 total yards and 48 points. Matt Cassel threw for over 400 yards for the second straight game. WIN

Cowboys -9.5 at 49ers
The Cowboys car is definitely not running on all cylinders, but they should be able to handle a 3-win Niners team. Washington's offense is a lot better than San Fran's and Dallas' 'D' was able to hold them down.
Beating up on a patsy always makes you feel good. Yesterday 35-22 Cowboys win wasn't as close as it sounded. T.O. with 213 yards in receptions. WIN

Lions +8 vs. Bucs
This is a big stretch. It's difficult, we mean really difficult to take the Lions. Daunte Culpepper is only playing his 3rd game of the year and that's without a training camp. But the Lions play better at home and this Bucs team is overrated (we now expect a 34-13 blowout).
We thought we actually had something when the Lions went up 17-0. Final score, Bucs 38-20. Bucs used punt and INT returns to make up for only 255 total yards. Lions remain winless. LOSS

Ravens -1.5 vs. Eagles
Rookie Joe Flacco faces a tough pass rush for the second straight week. The Eagles are coming off their putrid performance against the Bengals. We think Flacco outplays Donovan McNabb in a tight one.
The Donovan McNabb era may very well be over in Philly. After last week's OT debacle, McNabb was pulled at halftime after an 8-18, 2 INT start. The Ravens bounced back from last week's loss to the Giants by dominating in every way imaginable. Quintin Demps (100 yd kick return) and Ed Reed (108 yd INT return) scored TD's while Saverio Rocca blocked a punt for a safety. WIN

Bears -8 at Rams
The Bears made us look real bad against the Packers last week, but Kyle Orton had the chance to shake some rust off. The Rams are pathetic. Without Stephen Jackson they are REALLY pathetic.
The Bears bounced back from last weeks drubbing at the hands of the Packers by steamrolling an awful Rams team. Matt Forte rushed for 132 yds and 2 scores. WIN

Jaguars -2 vs. Vikings
The Jags have been banged up all season, particularly the offensive line. It's led to a 4-6 record for a team that came into the season as one of the AFC favorites. The Vikings are only a game better (5-5), but it's got them in a three way tie in the NFC North. Jags should be able to a decent job of keeping Adrian Peterson in check.
All right, we give up on the Jags. We keep expecting things to change, but this team is done. LOSS

Panthers +1 at Falcons
Another great game. There's a lot of feeling that the Panthers are overrated. They certainly have underachieved on the offensive side of the ball. Matt Ryan is playing great and will have a good test today. We could have gone either way on this, but heck, we needed to pig some 'dogs.
The eeny meeny miney mo methodology didn't work on this one. The Falcons took a big step forward with a win that exposed the Panthers warts. LOSS

Broncos -9 vs. Raiders
Oakland has beaten the Broncos a number of times in Denver, but not today. The Broncos give up plenty of points, but they will score plenty today too.
Mike Shanahan must be using a ton of dye in his hair. How else would he not be silver or pulled every hair out of his head after watching his team's performance. 31-10? To the Raiders? LOSS

Redskins -3.5 at Seahawks
Deadskins are coming off the tough loss against the Cowboys last week, and need a win to get back on track. Seattle has been awful, but they do have Matt Hasselback back. Shouldn't be enough to pull off an upset though.
Clinton Portis rushed for 143 yards. The Seahawks only had 228 yards. The Seahawks had 2 turnovers to the Redskins 1. So did this end up only being a 3 point Redskin win? Wich was a loss for us! LOSS

Colts +2.5 at Chargers
The Colts will probably be without their all world defender, Bob Sanders, but Peyton Manning is playing a lot better (translation - knee is healthier) and the Chargers find one way after another to lose.
Adam Vinatieri is still money. A 51-yd FG to win it for the Colts. The Chargers season is sliddddddding away. WIN

Packers +2.5 at Saints
We don't trust either of these teams. We're not reading anything into the Packers romp over the Bears last week. We really don't trust this Saints team that has continually led us down after making the NFC championship game 2 years ago. Ryan Grant will have a big night and the Pack will win MNF.

NFL Picks - Week 12

UPDATED 11/24 2:15 PM
Two weeks ago we lost the Thursday night game and had a great Sunday. No so in week 11, where we screwed up the Jets-Pats and the trend continued on Sunday. A miserable 5-11 week put us at 85-71-14. We hope to have a bounce back week after winning this past Thursday's Steelers-Bengals game.

Big Blue is out in AZ, where until last season's Super Bowl, they have always struggled. Of course that game was against the Cardinals. The Cards are 7-3, but they're division simply stinks. Kurt Warner is having a big year, but will still cough up the football under pressure. This is a different Giants team than the ones that gagged on games out west. We expect them to drive Warner crazy and cover the 3 points even if Plaxico Burress doesn't play and Brandon Jacobs is limited by his sore knee. Giants +3 Prediction: Giants 27 Cardinals 17
An entertaining game that showed the most important thing on the offensive side of the ball is to keep the offensive line healthy. No Brandon Jacobs or Plaxico Burress, but thanks to the heroics of Domenik Hixon, another 37 points on the board. WIN

Titans -5.5 at Jets
The game of the week pits the unbeaten Titans against the suddenly hot Jets (7-3). We still don't trust the Jets though. They have the top scoring team in the NFL, but 103 of those points came against the Rams and Cardinals in 2 games. They had a huge win over the Pats on Thursday and plenty of time to prep for the Titans. That being said the Titans are a better all around team and Kerry Collins is having a super year. We did get a good laugh last Sunday night though when NBC analyst and former Collins teammate Tiki Barber said he trusted Collins more than Brett Favre in a big spot. It seems Tiki forgot about that Super Bowl with the Ravens.
Okay, we admit it. We're going to have to start respecting the Jets. They dominated to win their 5th straight. Hey Tiki Barber, still think Kerry Collins is better than Brett Favre under pressure? LOSS

Browns -3 vs. Texans
Brady Quinn is going to try to play with a broken finger, but even if he can't go, we trust Derek Anderson a whole lot more than Sage Rosenfels who is filling in for Matt Schaub.
What a stinker of a game. Sage Rosenfels was far from great, but was compared to the two headed combo of Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson (13-32 145 yds 3 INT) LOSS

Bills -3 at Chiefs
Buffalo has to turn their season around very quickly or this is going to be a lost year. The Bills have lost 4 in a row after starting out the season 5-1. They have a chance to get back in the playoff hunt with this week's game and next week's match with the 49ers.
Bill snap their losing streak in dominant fashion by embarassing the Chiefs at home. Trent Edwards threw for 2 scores and ran for 2 more as the Bills put 54 points on the board. WIN

Patriots PK at Dolphins
The Pats have a number of injuries, especially at running back, but they should be able to bounce back from their OT loss to the Jets 11 days ago. The Dolphins barely escaped with a win against the woeful Raiders and haven't proven enough to be picked in this one.
The Pats wanted to show their world, "hey, we're still here" after losing to the Jets last week and the Dolphins earlier this season. It was all NE this time around, putting uo 530 total yards and 48 points. Matt Cassel threw for over 400 yards for the second straight game. WIN

Cowboys -9.5 at 49ers
The Cowboys car is definitely not running on all cylinders, but they should be able to handle a 3-win Niners team. Washington's offense is a lot better than San Fran's and Dallas' 'D' was able to hold them down.
Beating up on a patsy always makes you feel good. Yesterday 35-22 Cowboys win wasn't as close as it sounded. T.O. with 213 yards in receptions. WIN

Lions +8 vs. Bucs
This is a big stretch. It's difficult, we mean really difficult to take the Lions. Daunte Culpepper is only playing his 3rd game of the year and that's without a training camp. But the Lions play better at home and this Bucs team is overrated (we now expect a 34-13 blowout).
We thought we actually had something when the Lions went up 17-0. Final score, Bucs 38-20. Bucs used punt and INT returns to make up for only 255 total yards. Lions remain winless. LOSS

Ravens -1.5 vs. Eagles
Rookie Joe Flacco faces a tough pass rush for the second straight week. The Eagles are coming off their putrid performance against the Bengals. We think Flacco outplays Donovan McNabb in a tight one.
The Donovan McNabb era may very well be over in Philly. After last week's OT debacle, McNabb was pulled at halftime after an 8-18, 2 INT start. The Ravens bounced back from last week's loss to the Giants by dominating in every way imaginable. Quintin Demps (100 yd kick return) and Ed Reed (108 yd INT return) scored TD's while Saverio Rocca blocked a punt for a safety. WIN

Bears -8 at Rams
The Bears made us look real bad against the Packers last week, but Kyle Orton had the chance to shake some rust off. The Rams are pathetic. Without Stephen Jackson they are REALLY pathetic.
The Bears bounced back from last weeks drubbing at the hands of the Packers by steamrolling an awful Rams team. Matt Forte rushed for 132 yds and 2 scores. WIN

Jaguars -2 vs. Vikings
The Jags have been banged up all season, particularly the offensive line. It's led to a 4-6 record for a team that came into the season as one of the AFC favorites. The Vikings are only a game better (5-5), but it's got them in a three way tie in the NFC North. Jags should be able to a decent job of keeping Adrian Peterson in check.
All right, we give up on the Jags. We keep expecting things to change, but this team is done. LOSS

Panthers +1 at Falcons
Another great game. There's a lot of feeling that the Panthers are overrated. They certainly have underachieved on the offensive side of the ball. Matt Ryan is playing great and will have a good test today. We could have gone either way on this, but heck, we needed to pig some 'dogs.
The eeny meeny miney mo methodology didn't work on this one. The Falcons took a big step forward with a win that exposed the Panthers warts. LOSS

Broncos -9 vs. Raiders
Oakland has beaten the Broncos a number of times in Denver, but not today. The Broncos give up plenty of points, but they will score plenty today too.
Mike Shanahan must be using a ton of dye in his hair. How else would he not be silver or pulled every hair out of his head after watching his team's performance. 31-10? To the Raiders? LOSS

Redskins -3.5 at Seahawks
Deadskins are coming off the tough loss against the Cowboys last week, and need a win to get back on track. Seattle has been awful, but they do have Matt Hasselback back. Shouldn't be enough to pull off an upset though.
Clinton Portis rushed for 143 yards. The Seahawks only had 228 yards. The Seahawks had 2 turnovers to the Redskins 1. So did this end up only being a 3 point Redskin win? Wich was a loss for us! LOSS

Colts +2.5 at Chargers
The Colts will probably be without their all world defender, Bob Sanders, but Peyton Manning is playing a lot better (translation - knee is healthier) and the Chargers find one way after another to lose.
Adam Vinatieri is still money. A 51-yd FG to win it for the Colts. The Chargers season is sliddddddding away. WIN

Packers +2.5 at Saints
We don't trust either of these teams. We're not reading anything into the Packers romp over the Bears last week. We really don't trust this Saints team that has continually led us down after making the NFC championship game 2 years ago. Ryan Grant will have a big night and the Pack will win MNF.

NFL Picks - Week 11

Last week we lost the Thursday night game, but finished a very solid 9-5 (though we were a very outstanding 6-1 at one point). This week we got the Thursday game wrong again, as the Jets finally beat the Pats, so hopefully that starts us off on another good week. To date we are 80-60-14 (.571).

Big Blue has a big battle this week with the defensively tough Baltimore Ravens (please don't make me watch Ray Lewis' asinine pre-game dance). The Ravens have improved on the offensive side of the ball with rookie QB Joe Flacco and a 3-headed running attack that includes former Rutgers standout Ray Rice.

The Ravens big trademark is their ability to stop the run game. The Giants on the other hand have the number one running game in the NFL. If the Ravens key too much on the run though, the Giants can exploit it with Plaxico (man to man coverage), Amani, the Bossman, etc..

We'll also see how the rookie QB can handle the Giants pass rush. The Giants are favored by a TD and the extra point, and although we think the Ravens will be a tough game, we think the Giants 'D' will be the difference in this one. Giants -7 Prediction: Giants 23 Ravens 13

Falcons -6.5 vs. Broncos
If this match up were in week one there would be no way we would take the Falcons. Then again the Broncos would have been heavily favored. But rookie QB Matt Ryan has been outstanding, especially at home, and the Broncos couldn't stop the school for the blind's offense.

Dolphins -10 vs. Raiders
Another who would have thunk it. The Fish favored by 10. A team that won only 1 game last year. Well this year's Raiders team makes last year's Dolphins team look like Super Bowl winner.

Colts -8 vs Texans
It's hard to have confidence in the Colts, but we figure they can handle this one.

Titans -3 at Jags
This should be the game of the day. Tough pick because we could see this being a 3-pt game.

Bears +3.5 at Packers
Probably still Rex Grossman, but the Bears 'D' is the difference maker.

Eagles -9 at Bengals
The Cheesesteaks shouldn't be 9 point favorites on the road, but the Bungles really stink.

Saints -5.5 at Chiefs
KC has been much more competitive of late, but the Saints have to wake up sometime. Don't they?

Panthers -14 vs. Lions
Jake Delhomme should have a bounce back game after throwing 4 picks last week. Daunte Culpepper is in for a long day.

Vikings +4 at Bucs
Adrian Peterson and too many faves are the only reason we're going with Minny.

Rams +6.5 vs 49ers
Worst game of the day.

Cardinals -3 at Seahawks
Blow out city.

Steelers -5 vs. Chargers
Good one

Cowboys -1 at Redskins
Romo in, Portis out.

Browns +5 at Bills
The Browns have accused each other of quitting, but this should still be a close game.

NFL Picks - Week 11

Last week we lost the Thursday night game, but finished a very solid 9-5 (though we were a very outstanding 6-1 at one point). This week we got the Thursday game wrong again, as the Jets finally beat the Pats, so hopefully that starts us off on another good week. To date we are 80-60-14 (.571).

Big Blue has a big battle this week with the defensively tough Baltimore Ravens (please don't make me watch Ray Lewis' asinine pre-game dance). The Ravens have improved on the offensive side of the ball with rookie QB Joe Flacco and a 3-headed running attack that includes former Rutgers standout Ray Rice.

The Ravens big trademark is their ability to stop the run game. The Giants on the other hand have the number one running game in the NFL. If the Ravens key too much on the run though, the Giants can exploit it with Plaxico (man to man coverage), Amani, the Bossman, etc..

We'll also see how the rookie QB can handle the Giants pass rush. The Giants are favored by a TD and the extra point, and although we think the Ravens will be a tough game, we think the Giants 'D' will be the difference in this one. Giants -7 Prediction: Giants 23 Ravens 13

Falcons -6.5 vs. Broncos
If this match up were in week one there would be no way we would take the Falcons. Then again the Broncos would have been heavily favored. But rookie QB Matt Ryan has been outstanding, especially at home, and the Broncos couldn't stop the school for the blind's offense.

Dolphins -10 vs. Raiders
Another who would have thunk it. The Fish favored by 10. A team that won only 1 game last year. Well this year's Raiders team makes last year's Dolphins team look like Super Bowl winner.

Colts -8 vs Texans
It's hard to have confidence in the Colts, but we figure they can handle this one.

Titans -3 at Jags
This should be the game of the day. Tough pick because we could see this being a 3-pt game.

Bears +3.5 at Packers
Probably still Rex Grossman, but the Bears 'D' is the difference maker.

Eagles -9 at Bengals
The Cheesesteaks shouldn't be 9 point favorites on the road, but the Bungles really stink.

Saints -5.5 at Chiefs
KC has been much more competitive of late, but the Saints have to wake up sometime. Don't they?

Panthers -14 vs. Lions
Jake Delhomme should have a bounce back game after throwing 4 picks last week. Daunte Culpepper is in for a long day.

Vikings +4 at Bucs
Adrian Peterson and too many faves are the only reason we're going with Minny.

Rams +6.5 vs 49ers
Worst game of the day.

Cardinals -3 at Seahawks
Blow out city.

Steelers -5 vs. Chargers
Good one

Cowboys -1 at Redskins
Romo in, Portis out.

Browns +5 at Bills
The Browns have accused each other of quitting, but this should still be a close game.

NFL Picks - Week 10

It's been a busy week, works, elections, general chaos, but now we're back. Plenty of Yankees stuff to talk about, but for now we're just going to make our NFL picks. We were 8-6 last week thanks to success in the late games and MNF. That puts us at 71-55-4 for the season.

We're already off to an -01 start after getting the Browns (-3.5) vs. Broncos game wrong on Thursday night. Big Blue with another big game tonight against the Eagles. You already know how we feel about prime time games. Despite that we will stay take the Giants and the 3 points.
Giants +3 Prediction Giants 19 Eagles 17

Jets -9.5 vs. Rams
We probably would have taken the Rams had Stephen Jackson been able to play, but since he's not we feel the Jets will manhandle the Rams. Yeah we know, we saw how the Jets had their skirts on against the Chiefs and Raiders.

Jaguars -6.5 at Lions
The Jags have some making up to do after last week's embarrassing loss to the Bengals.

Titans -3 at Bears
No Kyle Orton, which means a return to the unreliable Rex Grossman for Da Bears. The Bears 'D' should keep the game close, but the Titans will remain unbeaten.

Patriots -3.5 vs. Bills
We are off the Bills bandwagon for now. This team has looked horrible the last couple of weeks. The Pats without Brady still find ways to win.

Falcons -1.5 vs. Saints
The Saints lack of defense is absurd and their offense is hit or miss. It's only made worse with injuries.

Dolphins -8 vs. Seahawks
The fish laying 8? This is the Miami Dolphins that won one game last year? Oh yeah, they've brought excitement back to the retirement state.

Packers +2.5 at Vikings
Big test for Aaron Rodgers and company. Same can be said for Minny.

Panthers -10 at Raiders
You know things are going bad when you're a 10 pt dog at home. The Raiders had 77 total yards last week. Take it away Joe Biden, "let me say that again, 77 yards".

Chargers -14.5 vs. Chiefs
The Chargers are extreme underachievers, but they will have no problem scoring 40 or more against this KC team.

Steelers -3.5 vs Colts
Ben Roethlisberger or no Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers 'D' should be the difference maker. It helps that the Colts have no running game.

Ravens +2 at Texans
Baltimore would be favored if this were a home game. Schaub out, Rosenfels in at QB for Houston.

Cardinals -9.5 vs. 49ers
First Miami now this. The Cards by 9.5? Yeah, they're mediocre, but by far the best in their division.