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.

NFL Week 3 Picks

After a decent 9-7 start in Week 1, I was a miserable 5-10-1 last week for a total thus far of 14-17-1.

Here's my picks for this week.

Eagles - 8.5 (Can't see my Giants winning this one; would love to be wrong)
Jets -2.5 (Could see the Raiders pulling off an upset)
49ers +2.5
Pats -7
Saints -3.5
Dolphins -1.5
Broncos +7
Lions -3
Panthers -3.5
Chargers -14.5
Ravens -5.5
Falcons +1
Cardinals -3.5
Packers -4.5
Steelers -10.5
Cowboys -3 (Redskins could pull of yet another upset in Big 'D')

Mark Schlereth is Wrong

Former NFL offensive lineman Mark Schlereth was just on ESPN discussing the Justin Tuck-Flozell Adams incident that took place in the Giants-Cowboys game Sunday night.

Schlereth is angry, and I mean angry, that Adams was fined $12,500 for his trip of Tuck that resulted in a shoulder injury to the Giants defensive lineman. (Adams was also fined that much because of another attempted trip later in the game, but Schelereth didn't bring that up.)

Schlereth contends that you have to stop the defender from getting to the QB no matter what. That if he had been fined every time he tried to trip a player, he'd have "played for free". Schlereth actually wants the union to step in to do something about these type of fines.

Has he lost his mind? Or more precisely is Schlereth biased as a former o-lineman, which in turn clouds his judgement? I'll go with the latter, though maybe a little bit of the former is correct too.

I agree, you have to stop the defender from killing your QB. But you do it within the rules, which means you do NOT make a play with intent to injure and that's exactly what Adams did. Tackle the player, hold them, whatever, but you do not perform just a blatantly dirty act to get the job done.

Adams isn't a first time offender. He is the most penalized offensive lineman in the league. Therefore, I stand by my original thought which is that Adams should have been suspended for one game.

You are very wrong Mark Schelereth.

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 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 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 5

We were 8-5 last week, putting us at 35-24-1 thru 4 weeks.


Big Blue is back in action this week against an underachieving Seattle Seahawks squad. No Plaxico Burress though as he sits out with his suspension. The Giants should have plenty of other weapons to go to though in his absence.
Giants -7 vs. Seahawks
We like this spread a lot better than when it was 9.5. Prediction Giants 27 Seahawks 17

Colts -3 at Texans
Texans could pull off an upset against a struggling Colts team, but the Peyton Mannings should be okay for another week.

Titans -3 at Ravens
It's a road game, but we're surprised the Titans are only laying 3 points. We'll take them quite happily.

Chargers -6.5 at Dolphins
The Dolphins should score some points, but their defense won't stop the Chargers offense.

Panthers -9.5 vs. Chiefs
Larry Johnson won't be rushing for 198 yards against the Panthers defense.

Redskins +6 at Eagles
Maybe we're putting too much into a 'skins team that we knew would play well against the Cowboys last week. We think the Eagles still win, but a field goal is the difference.

Bears -3.5 at Lions
How can anyone even consider taking the Lions.

Packers -4 vs Falcons
The Falcons have really baffled us this season. We keep taking them at the wrong time. We waffled on this one too with Aaron Rodgers being a game time decision. But we'll go with the Pack at home.

Broncos -3 at Bucs
Broncos defense shouldn't be challenged by the Bucs offense, and that will be the difference.

Patriots -3 at 49ers
Frank Gore should have a big day, but the Pats should win by six.

Bills +1 at Cardinals
Why are the Cardinals favored?

Cowboys -16 vs. Bengals
We were going to go with the Bengals and then we chickened out. Big spread or crappy team. Tough one, but the Cowboys will take out their frustration from last week's loss.

Steelers -4 at Jaguars
This should be a great game. Who scheduled Pburg for all these night games?

Saints -3 vs. Vikings
Hard to make heads or tails out of this Vikings squad. Brees should breeze.

NFL Picks - Week 5

We were 8-5 last week, putting us at 35-24-1 thru 4 weeks.


Big Blue is back in action this week against an underachieving Seattle Seahawks squad. No Plaxico Burress though as he sits out with his suspension. The Giants should have plenty of other weapons to go to though in his absence.
Giants -7 vs. Seahawks
We like this spread a lot better than when it was 9.5. Prediction Giants 27 Seahawks 17

Colts -3 at Texans
Texans could pull off an upset against a struggling Colts team, but the Peyton Mannings should be okay for another week.

Titans -3 at Ravens
It's a road game, but we're surprised the Titans are only laying 3 points. We'll take them quite happily.

Chargers -6.5 at Dolphins
The Dolphins should score some points, but their defense won't stop the Chargers offense.

Panthers -9.5 vs. Chiefs
Larry Johnson won't be rushing for 198 yards against the Panthers defense.

Redskins +6 at Eagles
Maybe we're putting too much into a 'skins team that we knew would play well against the Cowboys last week. We think the Eagles still win, but a field goal is the difference.

Bears -3.5 at Lions
How can anyone even consider taking the Lions.

Packers -4 vs Falcons
The Falcons have really baffled us this season. We keep taking them at the wrong time. We waffled on this one too with Aaron Rodgers being a game time decision. But we'll go with the Pack at home.

Broncos -3 at Bucs
Broncos defense shouldn't be challenged by the Bucs offense, and that will be the difference.

Patriots -3 at 49ers
Frank Gore should have a big day, but the Pats should win by six.

Bills +1 at Cardinals
Why are the Cardinals favored?

Cowboys -16 vs. Bengals
We were going to go with the Bengals and then we chickened out. Big spread or crappy team. Tough one, but the Cowboys will take out their frustration from last week's loss.

Steelers -4 at Jaguars
This should be a great game. Who scheduled Pburg for all these night games?

Saints -3 vs. Vikings
Hard to make heads or tails out of this Vikings squad. Brees should breeze.

NFL Week 3 Picks

The thought of the Giants going 3-0 is mind boggling, but it better happen. Cincy is falling apart and though we hate, hate, hate that the Giants are double digit favorites, we have to take them.
Giants -13.5 vs. Bengals Giants 31 Bengals 13

Chargers -9 vs. Jets
The Monday night match up has an angry (thanks to Ed Hoculi) 0-2 Chargers team that should run roughshod over the Jets. LT2 is a no go for this one, but that shouldn't matter.

Falcons -5.5 vs. Chiefs
This could be an ugly game. The Falcons lured us into to taking them in week 2 and then let us down. There was no way the Chiefs were going to lose to the Raiders. Wrong again. Ok, someone has to win. We think it is the Matt Ryan led Falcons.

Bills -9.5 vs. Raiders
With Darren McFadden slowed by turf toe, the Bills should crush the hapless Raiders.

Titans -5 vs. Texans
We went back and forth on this one. The outcome is we think the Texans will suffer from not having played in 2 weeks.

Cardinals +3 at Redskins
We see this one coming down to a last second field goal.

Patriots -12.5 vs. Dolphins
We're not making that Miami mistake 2 weeks in a row.

Bucs +3 vs. Bears
Should be a close battle. We just can't get behind Kyle Orton. Or Brian Griese for that matter.

Panthers +3.5 at Vikings
Tavaris Jackson is out, Gus Ferrotte is in. More imporantly, Adrian Peterson is out. Panthers should go to 3-0, while the Vikes drop to 0-3.

Seahawks -9.5 vs. Rams
Flip a coin. We don't know where to go here. Seattle is a major disappointment and the Rams stink.

49ers -4 vs. Lions
We don't like either team, but the Lions suck more than usual on the road.

Saints +5.5 at Broncos
Should be a high scoring game as neither team's defense is too spectacular. Broncos win, but Saints keep it close.

Steelers +3.5 at Eagles
Steelers offense isn't as good as the Cowboys, but there is no way their 'D' will get burned like Dallas' did. Steelers should win out right.

Jaguars +5 at Colts
Injuries and all, the Jaguars should stay close or beat a Colts team that is going through a tough stretch.

Ravens -2 vs. Browns
Another to flip a coin on. This game is usually filled with field goals. Browns remain winless.

Cowboys -3 vs. Packers
Cowboys are the better team.

NFL Week 3 Picks

The thought of the Giants going 3-0 is mind boggling, but it better happen. Cincy is falling apart and though we hate, hate, hate that the Giants are double digit favorites, we have to take them.
Giants -13.5 vs. Bengals Giants 31 Bengals 13

Chargers -9 vs. Jets
The Monday night match up has an angry (thanks to Ed Hoculi) 0-2 Chargers team that should run roughshod over the Jets. LT2 is a no go for this one, but that shouldn't matter.

Falcons -5.5 vs. Chiefs
This could be an ugly game. The Falcons lured us into to taking them in week 2 and then let us down. There was no way the Chiefs were going to lose to the Raiders. Wrong again. Ok, someone has to win. We think it is the Matt Ryan led Falcons.

Bills -9.5 vs. Raiders
With Darren McFadden slowed by turf toe, the Bills should crush the hapless Raiders.

Titans -5 vs. Texans
We went back and forth on this one. The outcome is we think the Texans will suffer from not having played in 2 weeks.

Cardinals +3 at Redskins
We see this one coming down to a last second field goal.

Patriots -12.5 vs. Dolphins
We're not making that Miami mistake 2 weeks in a row.

Bucs +3 vs. Bears
Should be a close battle. We just can't get behind Kyle Orton. Or Brian Griese for that matter.

Panthers +3.5 at Vikings
Tavaris Jackson is out, Gus Ferrotte is in. More imporantly, Adrian Peterson is out. Panthers should go to 3-0, while the Vikes drop to 0-3.

Seahawks -9.5 vs. Rams
Flip a coin. We don't know where to go here. Seattle is a major disappointment and the Rams stink.

49ers -4 vs. Lions
We don't like either team, but the Lions suck more than usual on the road.

Saints +5.5 at Broncos
Should be a high scoring game as neither team's defense is too spectacular. Broncos win, but Saints keep it close.

Steelers +3.5 at Eagles
Steelers offense isn't as good as the Cowboys, but there is no way their 'D' will get burned like Dallas' did. Steelers should win out right.

Jaguars +5 at Colts
Injuries and all, the Jaguars should stay close or beat a Colts team that is going through a tough stretch.

Ravens -2 vs. Browns
Another to flip a coin on. This game is usually filled with field goals. Browns remain winless.

Cowboys -3 vs. Packers
Cowboys are the better team.

A Night of Memories, Laughter, and Tears

The 27th annual Thurman Munson Award dinner was held last night at NYC's Marriot Marquis. The Yankees' Melky Cabrera and Alex Rodriguez were among the award winners. Proceeds from the dinner went to the AHRC New York City Foundation, which helps serve children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Thurman's widow Diane has helped to raise nearly $9 million for the foundation.

Some, such as the granddaughter Thurman never knew, were awestruck by his legacy. 12-yr old Madison was attending her first awards dinner.

"Is Grandpa really this loved in New York?" she asked her grandmother, Diana Munson.

Oh yes he was; still to this day. Amazingly, Diane Munson has never been to her late husband's locker in Yankee Stadium. With the Yankees moving across the street next season, that is about to change.

"To me, it's very touching," she said. "I want this to be a private moment in my life and in the lives of my children."

Another award recipient last night was Craig Biggio, the recently retired Houston Astro. A catcher, Biggio idolized Munson while growing up on Long Island, and attending Seton Hall University in NJ. When the Astros came to Yankee Stadium for an interleague game in 2004, Biggio made sure he stopped by The Captain's locker.

"The way that he played the game, his uniform was always dirty," Biggio said. "He truly was my hero growing up."

Melky and the Mets' David Wright weren't even born when Munson died, but both appreciated the magnitude of the evening.

"To be associated with Thurman and everything he did -- not only for New York, but everything off the field -- is just an incredible honor," Wright said. "I take a lot of pride in doing everything that I can in giving back to the New York fans.

Melky was also happy to still be in New York.

"I was a little worried about getting traded because I wanted to stay with my teammates. I'm really happy the trade didn't go through."

The Giants had a representative in Defensive End and Super Bowl champ Justin Tuck, who stopped by to express his good wishes.



Melky poses with the Knicks' Jamal Crawford, Diane Munson , and friends.








Sources - Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and Peter Abraham of the Journal News.

A Night of Memories, Laughter, and Tears

The 27th annual Thurman Munson Award dinner was held last night at NYC's Marriot Marquis. The Yankees' Melky Cabrera and Alex Rodriguez were among the award winners. Proceeds from the dinner went to the AHRC New York City Foundation, which helps serve children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Thurman's widow Diane has helped to raise nearly $9 million for the foundation.

Some, such as the granddaughter Thurman never knew, were awestruck by his legacy. 12-yr old Madison was attending her first awards dinner.

"Is Grandpa really this loved in New York?" she asked her grandmother, Diana Munson.

Oh yes he was; still to this day. Amazingly, Diane Munson has never been to her late husband's locker in Yankee Stadium. With the Yankees moving across the street next season, that is about to change.

"To me, it's very touching," she said. "I want this to be a private moment in my life and in the lives of my children."

Another award recipient last night was Craig Biggio, the recently retired Houston Astro. A catcher, Biggio idolized Munson while growing up on Long Island, and attending Seton Hall University in NJ. When the Astros came to Yankee Stadium for an interleague game in 2004, Biggio made sure he stopped by The Captain's locker.

"The way that he played the game, his uniform was always dirty," Biggio said. "He truly was my hero growing up."

Melky and the Mets' David Wright weren't even born when Munson died, but both appreciated the magnitude of the evening.

"To be associated with Thurman and everything he did -- not only for New York, but everything off the field -- is just an incredible honor," Wright said. "I take a lot of pride in doing everything that I can in giving back to the New York fans.

Melky was also happy to still be in New York.

"I was a little worried about getting traded because I wanted to stay with my teammates. I'm really happy the trade didn't go through."

The Giants had a representative in Defensive End and Super Bowl champ Justin Tuck, who stopped by to express his good wishes.



Melky poses with the Knicks' Jamal Crawford, Diane Munson , and friends.








Sources - Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and Peter Abraham of the Journal News.