Sunday Picks

Championship Round Selections

2012-01-22T00:33:00.001-05:00

Baltimore Ravens +7 @ New England Patriots

Having attended a lacrosse crazed private school filled with
insufferable Ravens and Pats fans, no matter who wins this game, we
all lose.

The Texans were clearly the better team last weekend. Unfortunately
for Houston, TJ Yates happened on the way to the AFC Championship.
Baltimore's offense looked stagnant and ineffective. Making matters
worse, Ed Reed suffered an ankle injury. Reed will certainly play,
but how limited will he be? The Ravens defense without Reed is like
Harold Melvin without he Blue Notes. The Pats, on the other hand,
decimated an overachieving Denver team. Lest we all forget, Denver
was left for dead. Pundits calling for Tebow rationalized the move by
assuming the season was a lost cause. The Patriots won big against an
overmatched team.

A couple of predictions:

- Ray Rice runs all over the Patriots defense.

- Joe Flacco misses an open Torrey Smith at least twice

- Brady makes some surprisingly bad reads resulting in at
least 1 interception

- Wes Welker terrorizes LarDarious (French for "The rDarious") Webb.

The Patriots will by virtue of Joe Flacco's ineptitude and misplaced
sense of self worth. However, its close and the Ravens run the ball
well enough to keep Brady on the sidelines. Danny disagrees with my
pick as he is a firm believer that in the NFL, during the post season,
DEFENSE wins games...

Eric - BAL 20 NE 27
Danny- BAL 24 NE 23

New York Giants +2 @ San Francisco 49ers

When did this Giants team turn into the '72 Dolphins? Humility has
gone the way of the Do-Do in New York. With shades of the 2007 team,
New York is wildly impressive. They're a more evolved team. They
have a fantastic passing attack, great offensive guard play, the
threat of a running game, and they get after the passer with as many
people as we've seen. That may not sound like evolution, but I argue
differently. The running game provides a real threat. While it isn't
likely they'll dominate (say 160+ yards), it's a real and dangerous
threat they may. This idea (the threat) is more important that what
actually occurs. It keeps teams honest and off balance and accounts
for a major portion of the opposition's preparation. Brandon Jacobs
sucks- most of the time- but the pendulum may swing wildly and he'll
resemble Otis Anderson circa 1989. They're protection is fantastic up
the middle. Guards often go unheralded due to the attention placed
upon tackles. The ability to protect allows a QB to feels safe and
move up in the pocket which helps to mitigate the opposition's outside
rushers (likely their best pass rush players). Defensively, the
Giants sport a pass rush foursome that helps overcome seeming
secondary deficiencies. The secondary lacks an all star case, but
with the right pass rush they're more than competent. Given enough
time with modern rules, even Deon Sanders wouldn't stand a chance.
The Giants are an evolved team. Whether by accident or not, they've
helped create a modern blueprint.

The 49er's are as old school as they come. The play defense well, run
the ball well, pass deep only on occasion and do not turn the ball
over. It's a mix that will always keep you relevant. However, they
lack a certain something offensively. I have enjoyed the resurgence
of the 49er's and the redemption of Alex Smith. If you'll recall,
Smith became the de facto number 1 pick after Matt Lienart decided God
only gives you so many years to enjoy sorority crush parties and went
back for his senior year. Smith was not ready for such pressure..
Especially with a team that had zero stability and a dearth of talent.
As much as I have enjoyed watching Smith, I am concerned how he will
fare against this New York pass rush. Can Frank Gore take enough of
the load off of Smith to allow a typical David Akers led win?
Doubtful.

Danny on the other hand agrees with a lot of the above ink, but he
still believes in the 49ers defense. After beating the Saints last
week with some big time plays from Alex Smith the 49ers get another
home game and they will be more than ready for this game thanks in
large part to the SHOULD BE- Coach of the Year in Jim Harbaugh. This
guy is a beast and has the 49ers rolling. They will create turnovers
from INT-happy Eli Manning, but let's not forget the history of Jacobs
and Bradshaw fumbling against good teams that force turnvovers. The
49ers will play safe football causing this to be a close game and
leave a side door open for Eli, but I just don't think he pulls it
off. Hell of a year for him, but the 49ers have been consistent all
season long and consistency is expected on Sunday.

Eric - NYG 24 SF 19
Danny - NYG 17 SF 24

Divisional Round Selections

2012-01-14T10:42:00.001-05:00

Lines according to BOOKMAKER.EU

Eric's Picks and Previews -

Houston Texans +7.5 @ Baltimore Ravens

Joe Flacco feels disrespected. As well he should, because few respect
him at the level they do Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the elite. When
Baltimore swoons, its largely due to Flacco. This week, the Ravens
will host a rookie QB with no business starting a playoff game in one
of the few hostile environments left in the NFL.

This week Flacco faces the number two defense in the NFL and if
Houston somehow finds an early lead, the pressure will mount.
Baltimore seems to stumble when playing from behind. Unfortunately,
TJ Yates is the quarterback. As well as Arian Foster continues to
play, he can't do this alone. Andre Johnson came back strong last
week and looked frisky giving hope to the Texans's cause. The Texans
will give Baltimore a scare but Houston will remember 2011 as the
"What If?" year.

Eric: HOU 17 BAL 24
Danny: HOU 10 BALT 27

New York Giants +7.5 @ Green Bay Packers

The Giants are riding a high and ferocious wave of confidence heading
to Green Bay. They carry themselves with the look misplaced
accomplishment. In the previous two weeks they dispatched a terrible
Dallas team and a poorly coached Falcons one. It feels an awful lot
like 2007 again. The Giants passing game morphed into a much more
dangerous beast after the re-emergence of its running attack. Eli is
on the cusp of elite status after keeping the Giants afloat during a
time when the Giants sported no running game and a host of defensive
injuries. Eli and company will give the Packers all they can handle.

Can the pass rush get to Rodgers before he unleashes his communist
passing attack? Early in Rodgers tenure, he took a beating and still
performed. Rodgers will hang in the pocket and take his licks. In
all of the record breaking hoopla, many of us forgot about the
insanely efficient play of Rodgers. The loss of a key planner on the
coaching staff will not hurt the game plan but it does take away from
the routine of preparation. The Giants momentum and the off field
distractions will take away from the performance but not enough to
cede the victory to New York.

Eric: NYG 24 GB 30
Danny: NYG 27 GB 38

Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots -13.5

In a perfect world, Tim Tebow would win the Super Bowl MVP and turn
heel like some sort of WWE wrestler, body slam Rodger Goodell, go on a
rant disparaging the city of Indianapolis and dye his stubble black a
la Hollywood Hulk Hogan. Alas, the world is not perfect and cheaters
prosper. New England wins running away.

Eric: DEN 13 NE 35
Danny: DEN 31 NE 30 (Yes he actually does have Tebow over Brady -
preview is in separate blog post)

New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers +3

Drew Brees is playing at too high of a level to be stopped. Even
though he is on the road going against arguably the best defense in
the league, I think the Saints touchdowns will beat the 49ers field
goals.

Eric: NO 28 SF 17
Danny: NO 17 SF 20

PLAYOFF PICKS - WILD CARD WEEKEND

2012-01-07T10:45:00.001-05:00

THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME! Here are Eric and Danny's selections for
Wild Card Weekend

LINES ACCORDING TO BOOKMAKER.EU

SATURDAY 4:30PM (eastern standard)

Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans -4

The public has moved this line up 1 point in favor of the Texans which
is shocking to me. The Texans are banged up and have Yates and
Delhomme as their quarterback options. Andy Dalton has been tested
all season, as has the Bengals defense, and they have made it to the
post season. Look for Scott and Benson to get a lot of touches to try
and find seems in the Texans stout defensive front seven. Utilizing
the running game to open up the play action pass attack as well as the
well-known quick passes from Dalton, the Bengals have a great
opportunity to upset a very hungry Texans franchise for a playoff win.
I don't trust the Texans quarterback situation and I know both
defenses will keep this game close.

ERIC'S PICK: CIN 16 HOU 21

DANNY'S PICK: CIN 17 HOU 16

SATURDAY 8:00PM

Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints -10.5

It is extremely hard to bet against Drew Brees. Now throw in a home
game and its even harder to bet against him. Eric likes the Saints by
8, but I think this game will be closer. Brees ultimately will get it
done, but Stafford and his receiving corps are too efficient not to
keep this game within reach. It comes down to the Lions defense
making plays and creating turnovers. Looking back at last years loss
in Seattle, Brees was hit on basically every drop back and their third
down conversion rate was horrible. Playing in front of a hyped up
home town crowd I do not believe Brees will be one and out again.
Statistically, Brees is the best quarterback in the NFL this season.
Rodgers has been simply amazing winning 20 of his last 21 (Flynn
started 2 of the past 23 (1-1)). Stafford throws touchdown passes,
but he is not as safe with the ball as Brees. Brees gets this win and
moves on to San Francisco next weekend.

ERIC'S PICK: DET 30 NO 38

DANNY'S PICK: DET 30 NO 35

SUNDAY 1:00PM

Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants -3

Are the Giants for real or simply the beneficiaries of playing an
incompetent Dallas secondary twice in the closing weeks of the season?
Victor Cruz and Jason Pierre-Paul represent two of the biggest
breakout stars of the 2011 season. Cruz and Nicks present massive
headaches for any opposing secondary and while his numbers went way
down, running back Ahmad Bradshaw still finds his way into the end
zone.

The Falcons played as consistent as a team could throughout the
season. They rarely appeared great but never terrible. I don't feel
they have enough upside potential to dominate teams and the Giants
continue to demonstrate teams cannot allow them to hang around. Julio
Jones and Roddy white should have little trouble finding openings in
the New York Secondary and while not the force of nature he once was,
Tony Gonzalez remains a viable red zone threat. The Giants hold the
potential to dominate the line of scrimmage and make big plays on
offense. They appear to have momentum and confidence coming into the
playoffs. The Packers snuck in last year and went all the way as did
many of these Giants a few years ago. Until the confidence waivers,
I'll ride New York while Danny is on the other side with MATTY ICE.

ERIC'S PICK: ATL 24 NYG 28

DANNY'S PICK: ATL 27 NYG 24

SUNDAY 4:30PM

Pittsburgh -8 @ Denver

ERIC - With the bloom officially off the Tebow rose in Denver, very
few feel the Broncos can muster any sort of magic to prevail over the
Steelers. Despite injuries to Mendenhall and Roethlisberger, the
Steelers remain heavy favorites. Defense and a power running attack
fueled Denver's mid-season surge. Since then, running back Willis
McGahee began to show his age and star linebacker Von Miller suffered
a lingering thumb injury. This placed more pressure on Tebow, or
perhaps the Divine, to engineer unlikely wins. Tebow's receivers
cannot seem to find any separation or threaten teams down field which
allowed defenses to key in on Denver's quirky run-heavy offense.
While there's nothing more in this world I'd like to see more than
Tebow trucking James Harrison in Mile High for the go ahead touchdown,
it is a bridge too far. Pittsburgh will struggle offensively but it
will not take much to win this one. If God is in fact on Tebow's
side, I doubt he'd provide any divine intervention for a backdoor
cover.

DANNY - I see this game as a huge opportunity for Denver. Teams have
figured Tebow and the Bronco's offense out, but have the Bronco's
figured that out as well so will they develop a new game plan for the
Steelers. I will assume John Fox is a smart man and will break out
some new schemes that the Steelers haven't scene on film yet. Tebow
should not be throwing the ball 25+ times in this game. McGahee and
Ball should run it 35-45 times and hopefully find some creases in the
Steelers defense. Where Tebow has to be effective is with the
playaction pass game, and I believe he will. Decker, Royal, and
Thomas will get open on the Steelers defense as they will be in
press-man coverage probably 95% of the game. The Steelers are banged
up on both sides of the ball. Pouncey has been ruled out, Big Ben's
ankle is lingering and that is bad for his style of play going against
the Broncos premier pass rushers in front of the Denver faithful.
Everyone in Vegas and the Media is betting against Tebow, and that is
exactly why my money is on Denver. Take the points and I am going
with the money line +325. Tebow OUTRIGHT!

ERIC'S PICK: PITT 20 DEN 10

DANNY'S PICK: DEN 16 PITT 13

Week 17 NFL Picks

2012-01-01T05:10:00.001-05:00

Lines from BOOKMAKER.EU

Detroit - 5 @ Green Bay

Detroit finds itself on the cusp of the playoffs and a likely trip to
meet the NFC East division winner. Green Bay will have little reason
to risk any players of significance but those that do play will give
the Lambeau faithful a reason to cheer. Matt Flynn looked impressive
in spot duty when called upon to fill in for Rodgers. This game
presents a good opportunity to engender himself to team's in need of a
quarterback and some hope. This game will come down to the wire.

Eric: DET 30 GB 27
Danny: DET 27 GB 20

Dallas @ New York Giants -3

"Past performance is no guarantee of future results" is a common
statement found in the fine print in almost any investment vehicle's
literature. This sort of disclaimer runs in the face of any
investment prospectus data. Open one up and almost everything you see
lists performance results over specified times periods and usually
comparisons to similar options. Dallas's past performance under
similar conditions gives cause for concern. Concern that borders on
outright pandemonium.

The keys to victory appear identical for both teams. Both teams
require pressure on the quarterback to assist their under-staffed
secondaries. Neither team's secondary can hold its own against the
opposing receivers. Jason Pierre-Paul played like an all-pro over the
previous three weeks and Dallas left tackle Doug Free cannot seem to
hold his own with any sort of consistency since th team moved crafty
veteran Kyle Kosier to the right side of the line to aid the
development of Tyron Smith. Dallas lost starting left guard Montrae
Holland to a torn bicep last week and it appears Derrick Dockery will
get the start in his place. Simply stated, the Giants have a clearer
path to victory, Dallas collapse-demons aside. Weak blind side
protection combined with a badly swollen throwing hand which limits
grip strength gives major cause for concern in Dallas. Romo continues
to play well in spite of poor protection and a spotty running game.
He will put up some points but I cannot shake the feeling that the
Giants are going to keep him under duress and in pain most of the
night. Dallas isn't deep enough to overcome injuries and the coaching
staff cannot compensate for the lack of depth and talent in certain
positions. Giants roll.

Eric: DAL 13 NYG 30
Danny: DAL 24 NYG 30

San Francisco @ St. Louis +10.5

Kellen Clemens outplayed Sam Bradford in his limited opportunities
this season and it appears the Rams may end up with the number one
pick in the draft. I am not suggesting the Rams give up on Bradford.
However, it is likely the Rams will install a new coaching staff and
look to start the rebuilding process over yet again. Choosing the
Rams to cover does not indicate a feeling of confidence in this Rams
team but a lack of faith in the 49ers ability to blow teams out.

The 49ers reached 30 points in a game just twice this season. The
last 30 point plus game occurred in early October against the woeful
Bucs. The 49ers simply lack the offensive firepower to blow teams
out.

Eric: SF 24 STL 17***************Lock
Danny: SF 26 STL 10

New York Jets @ Miami -3

The Dolphins continue to impress and the Jets to disappoint. Jason
Taylor announced this game will be his last and Tomlinson indicated it
might also be his final game. The Jets still hold an outside shot at
the playoffs but the Jets defense no longer scares anyone and the
offense is slow and prodding. I blame Rex Ryan for Rob Ryan. If Ryan
would not have overachieved these past two years his twin may still be
tooling around with the Cleveland Browns instead of running the
defense for the Cowboys. The Jets front office needs to get this team
younger and faster. They also need to consider the possibility of
bringing in someone to challenge Mark Sanchez and not a 60-year-old
Mark Brunell whose only reason to stave off retirement is to pay off
bad debts. The Dolphins may not have a chance at the playoffs, but
they're the better team in this matchup.

Eric: NYJ 20 MIA 24
Danny: NYJ 17 MIA 23************Lock

Chicago @ Minnesota -2

Josh McCown makes his triumphant return as will Chris Berman's
obligatory Josh "Tears of" McCown joke. A 1967 Motown song that
references Pagliac, no wonder Berman's such a hit with the kids.

Eric: CHI 10 MINN 17
Danny: CHI 17 MINN 20

Buffalo +11 @ New England

We've come an awfully long way since the Bills defeated the Patriots
in week 3. Back then the Bills were 3-0 and offensively unstoppable.
14 weeks and a 59 million dollar contract mistake extension later, the
Bills are back to being the Bills. Fortunately, CJ Spiller continues
to impress as the primary running back. The Patriots have trouble
stopping anyone defensively so look for a competitive game and the
Bills to give the Pats a slight scare.

Eric: BUF 30 NE 34
Danny: BUF 30 NE 35

Carolina @ New Orleans -7

Will Drew Brees play in the 2nd half when Payton sees the 49ers
dominating the Rams on the scoreboard? Not worth it risking Brees's
health for the #2 seed that the 49ers will lock up Sunday.

Eric: CAR 24 NO 34
Danny: CAR 31 NO 27

Washington +9 @ Philadelphia

Meaningless NFC East game could make for a lot of points. However,
both coaches are on the hot seat. And even though I think both of
their jobs are safe, I think a bad performance from either team would
turn into very negative media attention that neither coach wants to
have to deal with (on top of the current load they are dealing with).
Expect both teams to play hard today.

Eric: WASH 17 PHI 20**********Lock
Danny: WASH 20 PHI 31

Indianapolis +4 @ Jacksonville

It will be a much more interesting off season if the Colts lose and
wind up with the number 1 pick.

Eric: INDY 20 JAX 21
Danny: INDY 16 JAX 24

Tennessee -1.5 @ Houston

Houston won't take a three game skid into the playoffs. They will run
the ball all afternoon and head into the playoffs with a nice win
under their belts.

Eric: TENN 21 HOU 23
Danny: TENN 17 HOU 24*******Lock

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta -11 1/2

Atlanta is stuck in the #6 seed if Detroit wins. Chris Redman will
see a lot of game action if this is the case, so expect a closer game.

Eric: TB 13 ATL 27
Danny: TB 24 ATL 20

Baltimore -2 @ Cincinnati

Everyone and their mother is picking against the Bengals. This is a
solid public fade, take the red head.

Eric: BAL 27 CIN 21
Danny: BAL 16 CIN 20

Pittsburgh -6.5 @ Cleveland

Big Ben wants to take some reps in the first half. Some of the
Steelers defensive starters will get some time off in the second half
as well. I expect the Browns to give the Steelers a big time fight in
a meaningless game.

Eric: PITT 24 CLE 7
Danny: PITT 17 CLE 13

Kansas City +3 @ Denver

Tebow-time. Huge game in Denver. Matt Prater's foot will seal the
deal in the 4th quarter. I believe Tebow will have his guys playing
at a higher level on Sunday.

Eric: KC 7 DEN 10
Danny: KC 13 DEN 23

San Diego @ Oakland -3

Is Darren McFadden ever playing football again? I see Norv Turner
going out on a high note. Again, a solid public fade taking SD here.

Eric: SD 20 OAK 24
Danny: SD 24 OAK 20

Seattle -3 @ Arizona

Jackson vs Skelton on Sunday. Kolb was a waste of money for Arizona.
The defense of Seattle is too strong for this Cardinals offense. Earl
Thomas will shadow over Fitz all day. Seattle should win this game
convincingly.

Eric: SEA 20 ARI 13
Danny: SEA 24 ARI 10

Week 16 Picks NFL

2011-12-24T09:16:00.001-05:00

LINES ACCORDING TO BOOKMAKER.EU

Thursday Night Football - Danny had Indianapolis outright, Eric did
not pick the game

Oakland @ Kansas City -2

It appears the Chiefs want the interim tag removed from Romeo
Crennel's title. I felt Haley received a raw deal doing much of
anything in a season in which his offensive stars (Charles, Moeaki and
Cassel) all succumbed to injuries and he lost his best defensive
player in Eric Berry. Oakland played well last week but still lost
giving me cause to call it a season for Oakland. The Raiders have
more talent but so did the Packers. The Chiefs finish strong giving
former New England GM Scott Pioli a reason to make another former
Patriot the permanent head coach.

Eric : OAK 21 KC 24
Danny: OAK 17 KC 28

Jacksonville +7 @ Tennessee

Locker may get the start, Hasselbeck is a game-time decision. Chris
Johnson should play, but I like the Tennessee defense and the passion
they are playing with. Win out and they still have a shot at the
playoffs.

Eric : JAX 13 TENN 18
Danny: JAX 10 TENN 23

Miami -10 @ New England

New England gets a scare due to their inability to stop the run but
too much offense for Matt Moore and company.

Eric: MIA 24 NE 31
Danny: MIA 27 NE 31

Arizona +4 @ Cincinnati

All of the sudden the Cardinals look not terrible. I hope Kevin Kolb
didn't get in on that hideous Phoenix real estate market with hopes
he'd be around to see it rebound…because he won't. Kolb's like Kyle
Orton without the pizzazz.

Eric: ARI 27 CIN 24
Danny: ARI 10 CIN 16

Denver @ Buffalo +2.5

Tebow gets back on track, Denver runs the ball 40+ times today and
they eat up the clock against a depleted Bills defense.

Eric: DEN 23 BUFF 20
Danny: DEN 20 BUFF 16

St. Louis @ Pittsburgh -12

Take the under in this game as Big Ben is out and the Rams won't be
able to do anything offensively. I see a low score and a Steelers
win.

Eric: STL 10 PITT 28
Danny: STL 6 PITT 13

New York Giants +3 @ New York Jets

It is ironic that the two New York teams will duke it out for the
title of "least disappointing" in their shared stadium located in New
Jersey. Both teams laid an egg last week. The Giants can rebound
and win the division outright thanks to wins over their division
rivals. The Jets, on the other hand, have an outside chance at a
wildcard. Jason Pierre Paul terrorizes Sanchez and old school Tom
Coughlin takes Rex Ryan down a few pegs.

Eric: NYG 28 NYJ 20
Danny: NYG 17 NYJ 27

Minnesota @ Washington -7

Replacing Rex Grossman is getting more difficult each day. The
Redskins began a surge once a playoff opportunity ended and Matt
Barkley decided he'd rather spend Sunday's with USC coeds than with
the likes of Shannahan squared. Washington wins again giving false
hopes to misguided Redskins fans everywhere.

Eric: MINN 16 WASH 24
Danny: MINN 24 WASH 21

Tampa Bay @ Carolina -7 ½

Tampa is in a freefall while Carolina is playing consistent football
and getting better each week. I expect a very good performance from
Carolina's defense.

Eric: TB 14 CAR 24
Danny: TB 16 CAR 34

Cleveland @ Baltimore -13

Baltimore is without Anquan Boldin for the rest of the regular season,
expect Ray Rice and Ricky Williams to carry the load the next two
weeks.

Eric: CLE 13 BAL 27
Danny: CLE 13 BAL 24

San Diego @ Detroit -2

Phil Rivers is playing out of his mind when in comparison to the first
9 games of the season, no INT's last 5 games. Stafford and Detroit had
a great comeback win last week in Oakland, but I don't see Detroit's
defense getting key 3rd down stops against San Diego's offense. I
expect a MONSTER stat day from Rivers and Vinny Jackson.

Eric: SD 27 DET 24
Danny: SD 38 DET 30

Philadelphia @ Dallas -1.5

The Dream Team vs. America's Team. Neither moniker feels right…ok,
the latter feels about right. Who knows what teams will show up?
Dallas' only real defeat came at the hands of the Eagles. They've led
or been tied in the 4th for each of their other losses. The Eagles
victory felt overwhelming. Dallas was lucky to have scored at all.
Jason Babin is in a groove and rookie Tyron Smith will have his hands
full. On the other side, we could see a monster game from Trent Cole.
Left Tackle Doug Free continues to struggle after receiving his
offseason contract extension. With an ailing Felix Jones and a Washed
up Sammy Morris filling in for DeMarco Murray, the pressure will rest
squarely on Tony Romo. He doesn't exactly have the best track record
in these situations.

Eric: PHI 34 DAL 21********LOCK
Danny: PHI 30 DAL 27

San Francisco -2 @ Seattle

San Fran is on a short week after beating the Steelers, and have to
travel to Seattle to face the red-hot Seahawks and the 12th man.
Seattle will win this game and Pete Carroll will once again try to
sneak into the playoffs.

Eric: SF 17 SEA 10
Danny: SF 10 SEA 13

Chicago @ Green Bay -13

For those of you who think Rodgers won't play if Seattle wins on
Saturday; you're wrong. McCarthy will play Rodgers and the offensive
starters for a minimum of 3 full quarters to get them back in elite
form and scoring points. Only way Rodgers comes out earlier is if he
has thrown 3-4 TD passes and the Packers are up by 20.

Eric: CHI 13 GB 31
Danny: CHI 17 GB 34

Atlanta +7 @ New Orleans

What a great MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL matchup. Everyone remembers the
Mike Smith play call to go for it on 4th down in their own territory
in overtime. Well, Atlanta's defense has drastically improved since
then and the offense is beginning to play with a lot of consistency.
Expect a very good game and both quarterbacks will impress.

Eric: ATL 31 NO 34
Danny: ATL 24 NO 20

Week 15 Sunday NFL Picks

2011-12-18T08:06:00.001-05:00

Lines according to Bookmaker.eu

1 Parlay to look at Sunday: Bengals -7, Seattle +3.5, Broncos
+7.5, Lions -1.5 4 team parlay $50 to win $614
1 3-Team 10point Teaser for Sunday: Seattle +13.5, Washington +16,
Denver +17.5 $360 to win $300

Thursday: Danny and Eric both had Atlanta -12

Saturday: Danny had Dallas -7, Eric had Tampa Bay +7

Carolina @ Houston -6.5

A nice matchup for the Texans. The Panthers defense ranks among the
worst in the league and after watching a few games, I'd venture a
guess no team is worse. T.J. Yates looked serviceable as a rookie
starter last week. In fact, the drop off from Lienart to Yates is
negligible. Houston's defense and run first approach, which is
markedly different from years' past, allows them to find continued
success despite suffering injuries to key players. Losing those
players will prevent any sort of a deep run, but they'll do enough
this week to get a win.

Eric: CAR 24 HOU 27
Danny: CAR 20 HOU 27

Washington +6 @ New York

Jason Pierre-Paul held his coming out party last week in Dallas. He
displayed flashes of greatness in weeks past but failed to dominate an
entire game. Washington is without starting left tackle Trent
Williams due to failed drug tests. If JPP can produce another outing
like the one he turned out last week, we should see the bad to
downright awful Rex Grossman. Grossman's saving grace could come in
the form of a terrible Giants secondary and a run defense that allowed
Felix Jones to run rampant. Emerging star Roy Helu is in line for a
big day if the Washington defense can quell the surging Eli Manning.
Every Redskin fan I know took pride in last week's game against New
England. The general consensus of the fans, and likely the team, is
play well enough to keep it close but don't do anything to hurt our
chances at Matt Barkley.

Eric: WASH 20 NYG 24
Danny: WASH 27 NYG 24

Miami @ Buffalo -2

The Bills are depleted on their offensive line and Cameron Wake is
overdue for a big game. Miami lost their coach and is coming off a
bad home loss to Philly, I expect them to play hard on the road and
put it to the Bills.

Eric: MIA 17 BUFF 14
Danny: MIA 24 BUFF 20

Seattle +3 1/2 @ Chicago

The drop off from Jay Cutler to Calen Haine is astronomical. It will
likely render questions over Cutler's ability to return for the
playoffs moot. Without Cutler and Forte, the Bears must rely on
former guys like Marion Barber, Johnny Knox and Roy Williams for
offense. Not a happy prospect.

Eric: SEA 19 CHI 17
Danny: SEA 16 CHI 13****** LOCK

New Orleans -7 @ Minnesota

Drew Brees is coming off a poor performance in Tennessee last week.
The Saints are playing a bad team in Minnesota (even with a 85%
healthy AP) so I expect the Saints to score early and often and
probably have another Joe Webb sighting in the 2nd half for the
Vikings.

Eric: NO 31 MINN 14
Danny: NO 38 MINN 20

Cincinnati -7 @ St. Louis

The Red Head has played the Ravens, Texans, and Steelers in the past
three weeks....how excited is Cedric Benson, Dalton, and AJ Green to
face a depleted Rams defense. The Rams are amped to have this season
come to an end. Expect a Bengals shutout denied by a very late
Jackson TD Run.

Eric: CIN 28 STL 13
Danny: CIN 27 STL 10*********LOCK

Tennessee -6.5 @ Indianapolis

Is this the week the Colts get their first win of the season? Nope.

Eric: TENN 23 INDY 10
Danny: TENN 24 INDY 16

Green Bay -13½ @ Kansas City

Rodgers and the Packers will keep steamrolling through the NFL, but
expect Kyle Orton to keep the Chiefs in the game throwing the deep
ball to Dwayne Bowe and some screen passes to Dexter McCluster.

Eric: GB 38 KC 20
Danny: GB 35 KC 24

Detroit -1 1/2 @ Oakland

Oakland's newly acquired interception machine Carson Palmer landed in
the best situation possible. He no longer would see Pittsburgh and
Baltimore twice a year. Instead, he would play with a talent group of
skill players against the dregs of the AFC. Perhaps he would make a
decent CFL quarterback, or the UFL (if it still exists). Detroit will
have running back Kevin Smith back this week. When healthy, Smith
puts up nice numbers and this team needs a running game. While Smith
will surely have some ailment by the end of the game, he'll do enough
damage to open up the passing attack. Rookie Titus Young came on
these past few weeks and as defenses begin to take notice, Calvin
Johnson, who is due for a big game, will benefit.

Eric: DET 31 OAK 18*************LOCK
Danny: DET 24 OAK 16

New England @ Denver +7.5

Don't. Stop. Believin'.

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray Tim Tebow my soul to keep, if the
Pats should win by more than eight, I pray my bookie understands why I
pay him late.

Eric: NE 23 DEN 24
Danny: NE 27 DEN 31

New York Jets @ Philadelphia -3

A shady little secret about the Jets: They cannot stop the run.
LeSean Mccoy is the most important player on the Eagles offense.
Getting him involved in the game is paramount to Phily's success. The
Eagles are a team whose parts are greater than their sum. Some of
these parts need to find their way out of town so that Philly can
rebuild organically. This game means a great deal more to the Jets
but I like Jason Babin (the most productive off-season acquisition)
and Trent Cole to wreak havoc on Mark Sanchez and goad him into some
poor decisions.

Eric: NYJ 17 PHI 23
Danny: NYJ 24 PHI 20

Cleveland @ Arizona -6.5

If Cleveland offers Colt McCoy and a 4th rounder for Kolb, do they
take it? It clears cap space, gives Arizona a backup to the viable
John Skelton and the opportunity to groom a young guy for the next few
seasons.

Eric: CLE 13 ARI 17
Danny: CLE 9 ARI 17

Baltimore -3 @ San Diego

Grantland.com's Bill Barnwell wrote an interesting article that
entertained the idea Indianapolis would deal Peyton Manning next year.
He listed Baltimore as one of the top potential destinations. The
story of the Ravens revolves around the ebb and flow of Joe Flacco.
The defense is good. Very good. However, they are not a defense that
could will a team to the Super Bowl. The skill players are in line
and the emergence of Torrey Smith gives the team a speedy downfield
threat. Something the Ravens lacked for years. Baltimore can beat
any team in the league convincingly when Flacco hits. However, when he
misses, he does so badly and they lose to the likes of Jacksonville
and Seattle. One of my old college roommates, a die hard Ravens fan
(who denies that pro football even occurred prior to the franchises
inception) loves Flacco. His sentiment is similar to many who
frequent the bars in Federal Hill. Flacco's their guy. Baltimore
drafted him, developed him, and he certainly demonstrates the
potential to evolve into an elite quarterback. However, his time is
now. He's a veteran with an aging defense whose core will only
contend for another year or so. I think my friend, and many Ravens
fans, see Flacco like I see Romo. Only Flacco doesn't get the
scrutiny because Ray Lewis is the face of the franchise and Joe's a
goofy character who isn't cool in any sense. I don't mean that in any
malicious way. Rather, he's authentically not cool and does not seem
to come up on anyone's radar. Also, he doesn't wear goofy hats and
open collared shirts with a shit eating grin in his post game press
conferences nor are his melt downs as exceptional. Peyton will remain
in Indianapolis. However, a Manning led Baltimore team would scare
the shit out of everyone else in the AFC.

Eric: BAL 30 SD 24*****************LOCK
Danny: BAL 34 SD 30

Pittsburgh @ San Francisco +2.5

Big Ben's status is still uncertain, but Pouncey has been ruled out
for MNF. I think the hometeam has the defense to keep Big Ben in
check and not allow the big play down the field to Wallace or Brown.
Enough plays from Gore, Crabtree, and Davis will allow the foot of
David Akers (my ProBowl NFC Kicker) to get the win in a potential
Super Bowl matchup.

Eric: Pitt 24 SF 21
Danny: Pitt 16 SF 19

Week 15 saturday picks

2011-12-17T20:20:00.001-05:00

Danny : Dallas -7

Eric : Tampa Bay +7

Week 14 Picks - Danny

2011-12-11T09:58:00.001-05:00

Week 14 Selections against the spread

Lines according to Bookmaker.eu

Cleveland +13.5 @ Pittsburgh

Danny: Pitt 20 - 9

Indianapolis +16.5 @ Baltimore

Danny: Batlimore 34 - 13

Houston @ Cincinnatti -3

Cincy needs this game. These are two good teams and the Bengals need
this game more, so I lean towards the home team in a low scoring game
as both defense will stop the run.

Danny: Cincinnatti 17 - 13

Oakland +11.5 @ Green Bay

Big scoring affair Sunday in Green Bay. Rodgers won't have any issues
against the Raiders secondary, and Carson Palmer will be able to move
the ball against the Packers as they will be playing catchup the
entire game.

Kansas City @ New York Jets -10.5

Palko will stink out loud against the Jets and the turnover margin
will favor the Jets in a home blow out.

Danny: Jets 24 - 6

Minnesota @ Detroit -9

Stafford and the Lions will get back on track and put up a lot of
points at home.

Danny: Lions 37 - 17

New Orleans @ Tennessee +3

This is a let down game for Drew Brees and the Saints. The Titans are
getting in their groove thanks to Chris Johnson finally hit his stride
running the ball. The defense is causing turnovers and making big
plays. Hassellbeck has been consistent and he should find plenty of
room to pass against the Saints secondary by utilizing the playaction
pass. Take the Titans to win at home and upset a very hot NEW ORLEANS
team.

Danny: Tennesse 31 - 27

Philadelphia @ Miami -3

How can anyone confidently pick the Eagles? Yes they do have Vick and
Maclin back, but the Eagles have played with no consistency all
season. On the flip side, the Dolphins are playing as well as anyone
in the NFL and I will take the team that plays better defense and with
much more passion.

Danny: Miami 24 - 20

New England @ Washington +7.5

The Patriots win this game outright, but the Redskins will score
enough points to get this cover. Grossman had a huge December last
season and I think this is a good opportunity for him to have a very
productive game. The Patriots defense cannot cover squat, and the
Redskins defense will be fired up to get after Brady.

Danny: Patriots 34 - 30

Atlanta @ Carolina - 3

I am going with the hotter quarterback and the fact that Turner is
banged up and may not be playing for Atlanta. This has the potential
to be a shootout, which would be very different for the Falcons as
they have played UNDER the total 6 of their last 7 games.

Danny: Panthers 30 -27

Tampa Bay -3 @ Jacksonville

Throw in the towel for the Jaguars, their hearts aren't in it anymore.
Stop MJD and make 2-3 big play on offense and you win.

Danny: Bucs 17 - 10

San Francisco -4 @ Arizona

Vegas is setting this line up like it shouldn't be a suprise for the
public to see the Cardinals win this game outright. I firmly do not
believe the Cardinals can beat the Cowboys and then the 49ers back to
back. San Fran's defense is too stout.

Danny: 49ers 24 - 13

Chicago +3.5 @ Denver

This is my lock for Sunday. I love Tebow, and I said it since last
spring that the guy does not fit the mold of a quarterback in the NFL,
but he is a proven winner at every level and when he gets his
LEGITAMATE shot to start he will win. Enough said, the guy is on
fire. He has lit the fire for his offense and defense to get up off
their asses and has them playing with passion. My thought today is
that maybe Tebow can get the win but it'll be 3 points or less. Caleb
Hanie is not as bad as he is playing and I think he will settle in
today and have an impressive road performance against the Broncos.
The Bears defense will keep Tebow in check, and potentially cause a
big turnover and win this game themselves.

Danny: Bears 16 - 9

Buffalo @ San Diego -7

Shootout in San Diego ends with Phil Rivers having a career day and a
double digit victory.

Danny: Chargers 38 - 27

New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys -4.5

Big NFC East game, and it is the first of two between these foes in
the final four weeks of the season. Home team wins this game and Tony
Romo will come up in the clutch and outplay Eli Manning. The Giants
D-Line will get pressure on Romo but he will make plays with his feet
and having Miles Austin back will be huge for this Dallas offense.
Between Witten, Robinson, Austin, and Bryant this Giants secondary
should get torched today. Eli will find success too against the
pathetic Cowboys secondary, but coming off a terrible loss to Arizona
leads me to believe the Cowboys will come out fighting.

Danny: Cowboys 35 - Giants 30

St. Louis @ Seattle -10

The Seahawks will outplay the Rams, and expect Pete Carroll to be
jumping for joy on the sidelines as Marshawn Lynch and the 12th man
get another home victory.

Danny: Seattle 24 - 10

Week 14 Picks - Eric

2011-12-11T09:07:00.001-05:00

Eric's Week 14 Picks Against the Spread

Lines according to bookmaker.eu

Indianapolis -16.5 @ Baltimore

Indy is coming off of an impressive fourth quarter against the
Patriots. Dan Orlovsky is an obvious upgrade, but having Dan Orlovsky
as your starting quarterback in the NFL still isn't a happy prospect.
The Colts appear destined for 0-16 and the most talked about team
heading into the draft. Until then, they'll continue to play like a
turtle stuck on his back.

The Ravens seem to play down to their competition. Losses to
Tennessee and Seattle and a close call at home to Arizona give cause
for concern. They will not lose Sunday but the Colts should keep it
within 17.

Eric Picks: IND 17 BAL 28

Houston +3 @ Cincinnati

Since the founding of their franchise, the Texans annually find
themselves among the worst defenses in the NFL. Enter Wade Phillips,
who like some sort of svengali creates a juggernaut defense leading a
head coaching job where the team dumb enough to hire him wallow in
mediocrity.

The Texans game is centered on running and defense. T.J Yates doesn't
have to be Dan Marino, he simply needs to be Trent Dilfer. Injuries
took the Texans out of the running for a deep playoff run but they
will go on to have the franchise's most successful season yet. Andre
Johnson's injury presents the biggest issue. Without Johnson in the
lineup, defenses are free to concentrate solely on the run, but with a
2 game lead in the NFC South its not likely the Titans can catch up.

Eric Picks: LOCK****** Hou 21 Cin 17

Kansas City +10 ½ @ New York

Eric Picks: KC 14 NYJ 21

Minnesota @ Detroit -9

Eric Picks: DET 28 MINN 16

New Orleans -4 @Tennessee

Eric Picks: NO 34 TENN 27

Philadelphia +3 @ Miami

Two coaches, one making a late season stand to save his job and the
other a late season swoon to potentially lose it.

Eric Picks: PHI 24 MIA 20

New England -7,5 @ Washington

Eric Picks: NE 38 WASH 20

Atlanta @ Carolina +3

Eric Picks: ATL 20 CAR 24

Tampa Bay -3 @ Jacksonville

Eric Picks: TB 14 JAX 10

San Francisco @ Arizona +3.5

Eric Picks: SF 24 ARI 14

Chicago +3 1/2 @ Denver

Eric Picks: CHI 27 DEN 13

Oakland +12 @ Green Bay

Eric Picks: OAK 24 GB 34

New York +3 @ Dallas

Dallas looked hideous last week in Arizona but found itself in a
position to win another ugly game. Jason Garrett intervened and iced
his own kicker. This is like a NASCAR driver about to finish the race
under caution only to go out and ram the pace car.

The DeMarco Murray love fest is wearing thin. His numbers, the best
over a 5 game stretch in Dallas history was largely fueled by the 291
against the Rams. Plenty of running backs come and go and have
amazing short term stretches. Against a terrible Arizona running
defense, Murray found nothing. The Cowboys have talent in some areas
but are so void of it in others that they're destined to wallow in
utterly frustrating futility. If I weren't on so many pain killers I
would have ran to the closest living thing and killed it.

Eric Picks: LOCK******** NYG 28 DAL 20

St. Louis @ Seattle -10

Eric Picks: STL 10 SEA 17

Week 13 NFL Picks

2011-12-01T20:20:00.001-05:00

Danny

Eagles -3
Tenn +3
Chicago -7
Oakland +3
Pitt -6
Cleveland +7****underdog lock
Jets -3
Atlanta -3******lock
Tampa Bay -3 *****lock
New Orleans -9
Denver +2
San Fran -13
Dallas -4
Green Bay -6
New England -20
Jacksonville +3

Lines from bookmaker.eu

NFL Picks Thanksgiving Day Special

2011-11-24T12:29:00.002-05:00

Eric's Picks

Detroit 33- 27
Dallas 24- 20
Baltimore 17- 13

Minnesota +9
Cincinnatti -7
Carolina -3 *****LOCK
St. Louis -2.5
Bills +9***********LOCK
Houston -3.5
Washington +4
Tampa Bay +3
Chicago +3
New England -7
San Diego -6
Pittsburgh -10.5
Giants +7

Danny's Picks

Green Bay -4
Miami +7
Baltimore -3
Chicago +4.5****lock
New England -6
San Diego -6****lock
Tampa Bay +3.5
Jaguars +3.5
Cincinnati -7
St. Louis -3
Atlanta -9
Carolina -3
Jets -9
Seattle -3.5
Giants +7
Chiefs +10.5

3 Team Parlay to consider: Chicago +3, Carolina -3, San Diego -6 (4th best pick is New England -7)

WEEK 11 NFL PICKS

2011-11-19T14:23:00.001-05:00

Lines according to BOOKMAKER.COM

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Eric and Danny both had JETS -6

BUFFALO @ MIAMI -1.5

Reggie Bush came out of nowhere to redeem Miami'sacquisition and my
fantasy season. The Bills suffered a true beat down last week at the
hands ofDallas. Buffalo pulled the trigger a little early on the
Fitzpatrick, but at least he can show his face at alumni events now
that he's reached the median salary for a Harvard grad.

Eric: MIA 24 BUFF 27
Danny: MIA 26 BUFF 20*********Lock

Cincinnati @ Baltimore -6.5

Cincy showed a lot in their ability to hang with the Steelers. The
Jekyll and Hyde Ravens continue to confound everyone. They obviously
can hang with the best but can't seem to understand that games against
bad teams count too. Boumce back game for the Ravens in a nice win
over Cincy. The Bengals are a year away from making a playoff run. A
few more picks (thanks Oakland) and a key signing will put them on par
with Pittsburgh and Baltimore. I haven't been this excited about a
red headed quarterback since Jay Schroeder,and I think he was blonde.

Eric: CINCY 17 BAL 32*********Lock
Danny: Cincy 16 Balt 24

Jacksonville @ Cleveland -1

Who cares. Two offenses going nowhere, and two defenses that should
keep this game below 40 total points.

Danny & Eric: JAX 17 CLE 14

Oakland -1 @ Minnesota

The Raiders looked good last week against the reeling Chargers.
Michael Bush will get his chance as a lead back next season somewhere
else. He's played exquisitely in each opportunity given to him.
Perhaps Palmer isn't going to be the epic interception machine I'd
hoped. Even if he plays well enough to win this division, the trade
wasn't worth it. Whoever does come out of the AFC West is destined
for a first round playoff exit. I'm starting to really dig this
messyTebow thing. If he continues to win with this ugly but
entertaining brand of pro football resulting in an AFC West Crown for
the Broncos, what can the Broncos brass do? The fans will riot if
they go with a more conventional QB next year, and there's no way
teams cannot find a way to shut down this option style offense. I will
root for a Vikings win. However, the Viking secondary is depleted and
Palmer seemingly developed a nice rapport with these young Raiders
receivers. Unless Jared Allen can absolutely terrorize Palmer on just
about every pass play (a distinct possibility), the Vikings will give
up some big yards through the air and I cannot see Minnesota doing
enough to keep upaside from Peterson running rampant.

Eric: OAK 24 MINN 17************Lock
Danny: OAK 17 MINN 23 *************Lock

Dallas -7 @ Washington

Dallas is something else. You never know what to expect. The easy
choice is to take the Cowboys coming off the Bills blowout and the
Skins falling apart. It's difficult to ascertain why the Redskins
sturdy defense faltered. The Washington QB situation combined with a
few key injuries completely derailed their season. According to
reports,Grossman will start but does it really matter?

Dallas looked great last week and apparently DeMarco Murray is the
greatest thing since Emmett Smith. A running game makes the offense a
world better. Since Marion Barber circa 2009, the Cowboys have lacked
a run game. This offensive deficiency put too much pressure on Romo
to win the games through the air. He's a good piece of the puzzle but
he's not a Manning or Brady that over compensates for the lack of a
balanced offense. While I do not see Murray continuing his record
setting pace through the rest of the season, I feel this incarnation
of the Cowboys is more of a contender than any team since Wade's first
year when they finished 13-3.

On the other side of the ball, inconsistency still pervades. Dallas
allowed over 100yards rushing in each of its last 3 games. The
secondary, however, is playing well over the past two games that
played a larger role in the victories given both the Seahawks and
Bills played most of the game from behind. I still see plays where
the defense looks confused- lots ofpointing and yelling with guys
moving into position just before the snap. The Bills lone touchdown
came when a confused Dallas D only put 10 men on the field, leading to
the most painfully contrived TD celebration ever witnessed. I think
Rob Ryan shuts down Washington but it will result from Washington's
dearth of talent. Dallas' second best defensive player, LB Sean Lee,
is playing with a club on his dislocated wrist. If his injury
worsens, or 33 year old CB Terrance Newman acts his age, the defense
will enter into a free fall.

Too much offense from Dallas, too much Grossman from Washington.
Cowboys win going away…but it doesn't mean anything aside from the
fact Dallas can pad their record on the dregs of the NFL.

Eric: DAL 35 WASH 17
Danny: DAL 34 WASH 20

Carolina +7 @ Detroit

Detroit needs a running game to get back into contender's status.

Eric: CAR 24 DET 28
Danny: CAR 30 DET 34

Tampa Bay +14 1/2 @ Green Bay

This is a trap game written all over it. Green Bay is due for a let
up and they face a big Detroit game on Thanksgiving. Tampa Bay always
seems to play well in this situation. Closer than expected here.

Eric: TB 20 GB 33
Danny: TB 24 GB 30

Arizona + 10 @ San Francisco

Alex Smith is playing some good football, and he will have to make
some plays in this game as the Cardinals will put a lot of people in
the box to stop the run. I expect Vernon Davis to have a big play and
the 49ers will get the win.

Eric: ARI 20 SF 24
Danny: ARI 10 SF 20

Seattle @ St Louis -3

Seattle is coming off a big home win, while St. Louis barely escaped
Cleveland with a W.

Eric: SEA 17 STL 21
Danny: SEA 27 STL 20

Tennessee +6 @ Atlanta

Matt Ryan is too good at home to lose back to back games. Tennessee
will force the run with Chris Johnson and look to open up the
play-action passing plays. Home teams sneaks it out here.

Eric: TENN 20 ATL 24
Danny: TENN 24 ATL 28

San Diego @ Chicago -3.5

Phil Rivers has to show up and play a clean football game in Chicago
in order to give his team hope that they can overcome the media and
the bad play of late, and take down the AFC West by week 17.

Eric: SD 21 CHI 28
Danny: SD 27 CHI 28

Philadelphia @ New York -5.5

Eric is leaning towards the Giants in a big win. Danny likes the road
underdogs to show up in a big way for Andy Reid and get a win to keep
a glimmer of hope for the playoffs in the Eagles locker room.

Eric: PHI 17 NYG 31
Danny: PHI 20 NYG 17

Kansas City @ New England -15

Kansas City is a big public underdog here. New England wins but look
for the Chiefs defense to get them a cover.

Eric: KC 10 NE 35
Danny: KC 17 NE 30

WEEK 9 NFL PICKS

2011-11-12T21:16:00.001-05:00

LINES ACCORDING TO SCORESANDODDS.COM

Arizona at Philadelphia -14

Arizona traded away a good player and a nice pick for a mediocre QB.
Kolb's not likely to play leaving the Cardinals to the hands of John
Skelton. Larry Fitzgerald remains in wide receiver purgatory. I keep
betting on the Eagles and keep losing. This is it, if they lose this
one, call the season a failure and start over.

Eric: ARI 13 PHI 24
Danny: ARI 13 PHI 38 ***********Lock

Tennessee at Carolina -3 ½

Tennessee misses Kenny Britt in a terrible way. He freed up the
underneath passing game for Matt Hasselbeck. Chris Johnson play, or
lack thereof, puts even more pressure on a passing game without its
star. Newton's impressive play has yet to translate into very many
wins. He starts to change that this week.

Eric: TENN 24 CAR 30
Danny: TENN 20 CAR 27

Houston -3 1/2 at Tampa Bay

This is a big potential let down game for the Houston Texans. They
have the bye week approaching and they are coming off a few good wins.
On paper the Texans win this game, and that is what Eric thinks will
happen. However, the Bucs are not done in the NFC South and they will
show up in the second half to win this game outright. Freeman and
Blount have big second halves for the Bucs.

Eric: HOU 31 TB 27
Danny: HOU 20 TB 24

Washington +4 at Miami

John Beck courageously marches back into Miami to face the team that
drafted him but saw fit to give up after only a handful on win less
starts. Can he keep his win less starter streak alive? I sure hope
so. Sure Rex was wildly inconsistent and prone to making handfuls of
awful mistakes, but at least he could make a great throw now and
again. That said, I (Eric) think the Skins D shuts the Dolphins down
completely.

Eric: WASH 17 MIA 10*******Lock
Danny: WASH 13 MIA 20

Jacksonville at Indianapolis +3

If they're going to win one, this is probably it. If not, they will
find themselves in the cat bird seat for Andrew Luck leading to a
number of interesting story lines in the months prior to the draft.
Don't lose sight of the Jaguars defense, coming off a bye, should put
up a very stingy fight.

Eric: JAX 17 IND 20
Danny: JAX 24 IND 16

Denver at Kansas City -3 ½

I hear Denver's putting in the option for Tebow. That ought to win a
few championships.

Eric: DEN 17 KC 21
Danny: DEN 16 KC 27

Buffalo +5 1/2 at Dallas

The Cowboys were the top running defense in the league 3 weeks ago.
Since then, they gave up back to back 100 yard performances and
appeared to have no answers. Fred Jackson plays a lot like McCoy and
looks poised to have a nice game. Dallas will get some pressure on
Fitzpatrick, but will have to play more conservatively due to Jackson.
They have the fire power to keep pace with the Bills yet something
about their red zone play calling terrifies me.

Eric: BUFF 27 DAL 28 **********Lock
Danny: BUFF 31 DAL 27

New Orleans -1 at Atlanta

Matt Ryan at home is always solid, but can he step up in this HUGE
divisional matchup and outplay a superbowl MVP?

Eric: NO 35 ATL 33
Danny: NO 27 ATL 31

St. Louis +3 at Cleveland

A boring low scoring game here, or maybe this will turn in to an
explosive high scoring affair! Doubtful, we like the Rams regardless.

Eric & Danny: STL 21 CLE 10

Pittsburgh -3 at Cincinnati

It's a well known fact, James Harrison has no respect for red-heads.
Put up or shut up for the Bengals, Big Ben shows his game in this one.

Eric: PITT 28 CIN 21
Danny: PITT 20 CIN 10**************LOCK

Baltimore -7 at Seattle

Classic trap game but I have zero faith in Seattle.

Eric: BAL 24 SEA 9
Danny: BAL 20 SEA 10

NY Giants at San Francisco -3.5

How does Eli Manning respond after a huge win against New England?
Can he fly across the country and perform against a superb defense? I
say he struggles, but the Giants defense should keep the game close.

Eric: NYG 24 SF 27
Danny: NYG 17 SF 23

Detroit +3 at Chicago

Eric loves the Lions in this matchup. He looks at this as a tough
game for the Bears to win after the MNF performance against the
Eagles. I see this game differently. The Bears get great pass rush
from the defensive line which allows them to keep their safeties 20
yards deep. This will allow the Bears to limit the big plays from
the Lions and really pressure them to have very successful drives. I
think the Lions score a lot of 3's not 7's and this allows Cutler to
have a big 4th quarter comeback win.

Eric: DET 31 CHI 24
Danny: DET 24 CHI 27

New England +1 at NY Jets

If Welker is shut down, and the Jets limit the big plays to Hernandez
and Gronkowski how can the Patriots win? I say Mark Sanchez costs the
Jets this game, and once again I will come out and say "How good would
the Jets be with a top tier quarterback?"

Eric: NE 31 NYJ 28
Danny: NE 27 NYJ 23

Minnesota +14 at Green Bay

Green Bay will win this game, I think it will be lower scoring than most think.

Eric: GB 35 MIN 24
Danny: GB 28 MIN 13

WEEK 9 - THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PICK

2011-11-10T20:09:00.001-05:00

San Diego -7 @ Oakland

Palmer and Rivers have 20 interceptions between them this season. Of
course, Palmer's 6 have come in just a game and a half. The Chargers
proved they have a lot of fight left in them after the hanging tough
with the Packers last week. Conversely, the Raiders have appeared
lost since losing Campbell and making the knee-jerk acquisition of
Palmer. The Norv Turner era Chargers continuously underperform in the
early part of the season, only to make a late surge. Fortunately for
San Diego, they play in the AFC West. They're essentially the hottest
waitress at Denny's. It appeared early on that Oakland could take
this dubious distinction from Norv's boys, but Jason Campbell's
shoulder dashed those hopes. San Diego does a lot of things fairly
well…decent run game, above average pass defense, middling run
defense. However, the team always relied upon Rivers efficient play
and their tall, fast, and sure handed receiving corps to keep them
among the league's top teams. Rivers, for whatever reason, now finds
himself in a slump. His struggles combined with injuries to Antonio
Gates and Malcolm Floyd appears to have bought the team back into the
middle of the pack. Even so, they remain a superior team to the
Raiders. Palmer isn't a good quarterback. Without the injured
McFadden, the Raiders lose their edge. Michael Bush is an adequate
replacement. However, McFadden gave the Raiders an edge in that he's
usually the best athlete on the field thus forcing defenses to account
for him at all times. You're never quite safe as a defense with
McFadden on the field. San Diego's journey to a first round home
playoff loss begins tonight.

DANNY & ERIC LOCK***

****SD 31 OAK 17*****

WEEK 9 NFL PICKS

2011-11-04T21:57:00.001-04:00

LINES ACCORDING TO (SCORESANDODDS.com)

Miami at Kansas City -4

The Dolphins put a little scare into the Giants last week. The
Dolphins look to have their sights clearly set on Andrew Luck, why
else would Sparano still be the head coach? The Dolphins have a few
pieces in place, if they could somehow get Luck and a defensive back
or two we could see a return to mediocrity in no time.

Kansas City continues to defy reason. The team continues to play
better without their best players. Thomas Jones is officially washed
up but Jackie Battle came out of nowhere to give KC a running threat.
Battle is a blessing for the Chiefs. Once Jamal Charles returns, he
will need a guy like Battle to spell him and take more of the load.
Charles, much like a Charlie Garner, isn't built to handle the
workload for a team's running game for a full season. This feels like
a letdown game from KC but I refuse to bet on Matt Moore under any
circumstances.

Eric - MIA 20 KC 27
Danny- MIA 20 - KC 21

Atlanta at Indianapolis +7.5

Herm Edwards feels the Colts should trade Manning and grab Andrew Luck
should the opportunity arise. There's a reason he's a (relatively)
young man without a coaching job. If the Colts find themselves
holding the number 1 pick, they could garner a King's ransom for it.
Now that rookie salaries have a reasonable cap, the pick holds a ton
of value. Why would you trade Manning and re-tool with a rookie when
you could trade the rookie and re-tool with one of the best QBs to
ever play the game?

Eric - ATL 23 IND 17
************Danny - ATL 31 - IND 16*********lock

Tampa Bay at New Orleans +8 1/2

Mr. Blount will be back in uniform for the Bucs and he will help keep
Drew Brees and the Saints offense off the field. Time of possession
will be huge for Tampa to pull off the upset here, but neither of us
see Brees losing two straight.

Eric - TB 17 NO 28
Danny - TB 24 - NO 30

NY Jets at Buffalo -2

I feel the Jets lack an identity. They certainly aren't as an
intimidating defense as they once were and Santonio Holmes and Sanchez
can't seem to get on the same page which likely stems from the lack of
a consistent ground game.

The Bills on the other hand are a solid offensive team with stars like
Fred Jackson and Stevie (Pro football players should not be named
"Stevie") Johnson. Last week the Bills killed John Beck more than
doubling their season sack total. However, that's not who they are.
They will play a little defense and out score you. They seem to play
up against good teams. The Jets aren't exactly good but they're an
AFC East rival who had their way with Buffalo for years. The Bills
will be up for this game and the Jets will find themselves on the
outside looking in on the wildcard race.

*****Eric - NYJ 17 BUF 24******LOCK
Danny - NYJ 20 - BUF 27

Seattle +12 at Dallas

I haven't turned a game off in a long time. Last week I went to bed
at half time of the Dallas Philly game. Exhausted and too tired to
punch things and yell, too hungover to start drinking again, I just
shut the TV off ate some Ambien and went to bed. Dallas looked like a
college kid who stumbles into his 8AM to find out there's a test.
Unprepared, soft and inferior. Each of the team's losses to that
point was a product of their shooting themselves in the foot. In this
game, they looked like the team from a year ago under Phillips. Can
they rebound against a terrible Seattle team? Losing this game would
relegate them to a fight with the Skins for the cellar of the NFC
East.

Romo continues to regress. My esteemed colleague holds a very low
opinion of Mr. Romo's ability. Granted, the evidence of Romo's
patchiness continues to mount. However, the man has all the tools
and ability. The question is, and I suppose always has been, is he
wired right? Marriage and burgeoning fatherhood appear to have made
Romo even less intense (and not to mention chubbier) than he was. I
wrote many of his early career follies off to his being callow and raw
but it appears he's hit the turning point. The turning point where
Romo would either become Danny White or Troy Aikman (from a career
standpoint not playing style) and he's gone down the road of the
former. Danny White was a fine player, my first jersey (one of those
little kid full fake uniforms) was that of Danny White. Danny never
won much more than a few playoff games, which might just be more than
we can expect from Romo.

****Eric - SEA 13 DAL 24*******Lock
Danny - SEA 20 - DAL 34

Cleveland +10 1/2 at Houston

Peyton Hillis will be MIA once again, no shot the Browns pull off an
upset, they may not get 10 points on the board against Wade Phillips'
Texans defense.

Eric - CLE 10 HOU 17
Danny - CLE 9 - HOU 24

San Francisco -3 at Washington

I hope Jimmy Harbaugh has another vicious hand shake up his sleeve,
because this will be a nice hard fought win in our nations capital.
No shot John Beck, Ryan Torain, and Anthony Armstrong take down the
49ers. This line is odd, but don't let it "tell you anything".

Eric - SF 28 WASH 10
******Danny - SF 24 - WASH 13**********LOCK

Cincinnati +3 at Tennessee

We both agree that the Bengals defensive line, and the 8 man rotation
they use on it, will eat up Chris Johnson and put pressure on Matt
Hasselbeck. Are the Bengals over hyped? Or is the defense under
hyped?

Eric - Cincy 24 TENN 17
Danny - Cincy 27 - TENN 17

Denver +7 ½ at Oakland

I will be wearing my Tim Tebow jersey on Sunday but I do not expect to
see anything different. This is all Tebow's fault; the BRONCOS STINK.
The offensive line is horrible, and they are not getting any ground
game from McGahee or Moreno. Tebow is passing to Eric Decker???
Palmer looks better in this game, but Michael 70's Bush will get it
done for Oakland.2422

Eric - DEN 17 OAK 24
Danny - DEN 13 - OAK 24

NY Giants +9 at New England

This will be a high scoring affair as both teams will be passing early
and often. Patriots secondary stinks, Giants is so-so but Brady is
due.

Eric - NYG 24 NE 27
Danny - NYG 30 - NE 37

St. Louis at Arizona -3

Anyone actually care about this game?

Eric - STL 13 ARI 17
Danny - STL 24 - ARI 16

Green Bay at San Diego +5.5

Will the real Philip Rivers please stand up? Eric doesn't think he
will, but I do. I think this is a true statement game for the
Chargers and I think Rivers will outperform Rodgers on this stage.
Curtis Brinkley will get some touches for the Chargers, a player I
think has potential as this season progresses, and I just think the
Chargers will step it up at home.

Eric - GB 35 SD 27
Danny - GB 31 - SD 34

Baltimore +3 ½ at Pittsburgh

Eric likes Baltimore, Danny likes the Steelers. Take the team that
has the better quarterback (PITT), the better coach (PITT), and the
consistency from the past two weeks (PITT). If Baltimore sputters
out of the gate again, don't expect them to come back on the Steelers.
This game is going to be physical and hard nosed for the entire 60
minutes.

Eric - BAL 24 PITT 23
Danny - BAL 20 - PITT 27

Chicago at Philadelphia -8

The Eagles finally got the unconfident mess they needed to get their
ship right in the Dallas Cowboys. Let's sit back and watch them reel
off about 5 wins in a row.

Eric - CHI 23 PHI 34
Danny - CHI 24 - PHI 38

WEEK 8 SELECTIONS

2011-10-29T17:04:00.001-04:00

Points spreads from Bookmaker.eu
****indicates locks of the week picks against the spread

Indianapolis @ Tennessee -8.5

Danny - Tennessee 27 - 16
Eric - Tennessee 31 - 10

Jacksonville @ Houston -9

Danny - Houston 30 - 13
Eric - Houston 21 - 14

Minnesota @ Carolina -3

Danny - Carolina 24 - 16
Eric - Carolina 23 - 17

New Orleans @ St. Louis +13.5
^^^Sam Bradford QB STL - OUT

Danny - New Orleans 34 - 20
Eric - New Orleans 35 - 13

Arizona @ Baltimore -11.5

Danny - Baltimore 24 - 16
Eric - Baltimore 30 - 20

Miami @ New York Giants -9

Danny - New York 24 - 6
Eric - New York 23 - 7

Washington @ Buffalo -4.5
^^^Game being played in Toronto

Danny - Buffalo 27 - 16
Eric - ***Buffalo 23 - 14****

Detroit @ Denver +3

Danny - ***Detroit 31 - 24****
Eric - Detroit 27 - 13

New England @ Pittsburgh +2.5

Danny - Pittsburgh 27 - 24
Eric - ***New England 38 - 30 ****

Cleveland @ San Francisco -8.5

Danny - San Francisco 20 - 16
Eric - San Francisco 28 - 10

Cincinnati @ Seattle +3

Danny - Seattle 16 - 9 (****UNDER 37.5)
Eric - Cincinnati 17 -14

Dallas @ Philadelphia -3

Danny - Philadelphia 34 - 31
Eric - Dallas 28 - 24

San Diego @ Kansas City +3

Danny - San Diego 27 - 24
Eric - San Diego 24 - 20

Entering Week 8 - Thoughts

2011-10-29T16:31:00.001-04:00

TEBOW
Tim Tebow isn't going to be good. Sorry. He was terrible for most of
Sunday's game. His last second heroics might fly in Miami, where the
Dolphins are especially atrocious, but that dog will not hunt against
good teams. He'll always have a roster spot but your team is in
trouble if he's starting for more than a few games. However, he's the
best option in Denver right now. A team with some wiggle room in the
cap should land Orton as a high priced backup. Good backups are
undervalued in this hard salary cap world and I'd feel better about
Orton filling in for my team than someone like Kyle Boller.

CAMPBELL
Poor Jason Campbell; has anyone undergone more regime changes in his
career? Neither the Raiders nor the Redskins provided him with
stability and he played (relatively) well. Both teams appeared eager
to cut ties with him as soon as possible. The major mistake…err…trade
for Carson Palmer essentially guarantees Oakland will not retain his
services after this season. I know the Raiders only gave Palmer a
week to learn Offensive Coordinator Al Saunders' playbook and I know
he's not in playing shape, and I know he's rusty but Palmer just isn't
very good. Campbell appeared to have stabilized the Raiders and
developed a good rapport with their young and talented receiving
corps. Why not throw a 4th rounder and a carton of cigarettes to
Denver for Orton…bandage the situation and let Campbell come back next
season. The Raiders will finish third in the division this season and
Palmer quits football after next year. The Raiders' loss is the
Chiefs', Charger's, and Bengals' gain. Perhaps their new GM is a
utilitarian.

Week 7 Picks NFL

2011-10-22T13:04:00.001-04:00

Week 7 Picks for the NFL

(******=LOCK)

Chicago @ Tampa +2 (London)

Eric: Bucs +2 Tampa 27 - Chicago 24
Danny: Chicago -2 Chicago 24 - Tampa 20

Washington @ Carolina -2.5

*****Eric: CAROLINA -2.5 Carolina 24 - Washington 17
Danny: Carolina -2.5 Carolina 20 - Washington 16

San Diego @ New York Jets PK

Eric: Chargers PK San Diego 24 - New York Jets 14
Danny: Chargers PK San Diego 27 - New York Jets 16

Seattle @ Cleveland -3

Eric: Sea +3 Seattle 17 - Cleveland 10
Danny: Cleve -3 Cleveland 16 - Seattle 10

Houston @ Tennessee -3

Eric: Hou +3 Houston 24 - Tennessee 17
Danny: Tenn -3 Tennessee 27 - Houston 20

Denver @ Miami PK

Eric: Denver PK Denver 16 - Miami 13
Danny: Denver PK Denver 20 - Miami 16

Atlanta @ Detroit -3.5

Eric: Det -3.5 Detroit 24 - Atlanta 20
Danny: Det -3.5 Detroit 34 - Atlanta 27

Kansas City @ Oakland -3.5

Eric: KC +3.5 Oakland 17 - Kansas City 14
Danny: KC +3.5 Kansas City 27 - Oakland 16

Pittsburgh @ Arizona +4

Eric: Pitt -4 Steelers 31 - Cardinals 10
Danny: Pitt -4 Steelers 27 - Cardinals 20

St. Louis @ Dallas -13

Eric: St. Louis +13 Dallas 30 - St. Louis 28
Danny: Dal -13 Dallas 31 - St. Louis 16

Green Bay @ Minnesota +9

Eric: GB -9 Packers 34 - Vikings 13
Danny: GB-9 Packers 35 - Vikings 10

Indianapolis @ New Orleans -13.5

Eric: NO -13.5 Saints 30 - Colts 16
Danny: IND +13.5 Saints 31 - Colts 20

Baltimore @ Jacksonville +9

******Eric: BAL -9 Baltimore 35 - Jacksonville 13
******Danny: BAL -9 Baltimore 27 - Jacksonville 6

NFL Top 10 Rankings

2011-10-18T14:51:00.001-04:00

Following Week 6 -

Top 10 Team Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers

2. New England Patriots

3. Baltimore Ravens

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

5. San Diego Chargers

6. Detroit Lions

7. New Orleans Saints

8. San Francisco 49ers

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10. Dallas Cowboys
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Week 6 Picks

2011-10-16T11:59:00.001-04:00

Picks against the spread

St. Louis @ Green Bay -14

Eric - Rams +14
Danny - Packers -14

Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh -12

Eric - Jaguars +12
Danny - Steelers -12

Philadelphia @ Washington +3

Eric & Danny - Eagles -3

San Francisco @ Detroit -4

Eric - 49ers +4
Danny - Lions -4

Carolina @ Atlanta -3.5

Eric & Danny - Panthers +3.5

Indianapolis @ Cincinnati -6

Eric - Colts +6
Danny - Bengals -6

Buffalo @ New York Giants -3

Eric - Bills +3
Danny - Giants -3

Houston @ Baltimore -7

Eric - Texans +7
Danny - Ravens -7

Cleveland @ Oakland -7

Eric & Danny - Cleveland +7

Dallas @ New England -6

Eric & Danny - Dallas +6

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay +6.5

Eric & Danny - Saints -6.5

Minnesota @ Chicago -2

Eric & Danny - Vikings +2

Miami @ New York Jets -6.5

Eric & Danny - Jets -6.5
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Power Rankings Top 10

2011-10-13T09:45:00.001-04:00

Following Week 5, here are my Top 10 Teams in the NFL:

1. Green Bay Packers 5-0
2. Baltimore Ravens 3-1
3. Detroit Lions 5-0
4. New England Patriots 4-1
5. San Diego Chargers 4-1
6. Pittsburgh Steelers 3-2
7. New Orleans Saints 4-1
8. Washington Redskins 3-1
9. Buffalo Bills 4-1
10. San Francisco 49ers 4-1

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Week 5 NFL Selections

2011-10-09T12:53:00.001-04:00

Pressed for Time this week ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the
late submission

Philadelphia Eagles -3 @ Buffalo Bills - Both Eric and I like the
Eagles to win this game and cover the spread. Expect to see a big
first half, as usual from the Birds.

Eric - Eagles 31 - Bills 27
Danny - Eagles 34 - Bills 24

Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts -1.5

Eric - Indy 16 - KC 10
Danny - Indy 24 - KC 20

Seattle Seahawks @ New York Giants -10

Eric - Giants 34 - Seahawks 6
Danny - Giants 30 - Seahawks 13

Oakland Raiders @ Houston Texans -5

Eric- Texans 24 - Raiders 21
Danny- Texans 27 - Raiders 20

Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints -6.5

Eric - Saints 31 - Panthers 28
Danny - Saints 34 - Panthers 26

Cincinnati Bengals -1.5 @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Eric - Bengals 14 - 10
Danny - Bengals 24 - Jaguars 17

Tennessee Titans +3.5 @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Eric - Titans 24 - Steelers 21
Danny - Titans 20 - Steelers 16

Tampa Bay Buccanneers +3 @ San Francisco 49ers

Eric- Bucs 22 - 49ers 20
Danny- Bucs 20 - 49ers 17

New York Jets +7.5 @ New England Patriots

Eric - Patriots 28 - Jets 21
Danny - Patriots 27 - Jets 23

San Diego Chargers -3.5 @ Denver Broncos

Eric - Chargers 33 - Broncos 14
Danny - Chargers 30 - Broncos 20

Green Bay Packers @ Atlanta Falcons +6

Eric - Packers 31 - Falcons 28
Danny - Packers 38 - Falcons 34

Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions -5

Eric- Detroit 21 - Chicago 17
Danny - Detroit 31 - Chicago 20

NFL Week 4 Top Ten Rankings

2011-10-05T21:16:00.001-04:00

#1 - Green Bay Packers - Far and away the best team in the NFL.

#2 - Baltimore Ravens - Sloppy game against the Jets, but the defense was playing at such a high level.

#3 - New England Patriots - Even with Mayo out the Patriots defense is still their offense. Score more than the other team and they will win every game.

#4 - Detroit Lions - The Lions are no joke and their defense is terrific with the amount of pressure they get from their D-Line. The Lions are an absolute force to be reckoned with.

#5 - San Diego Chargers - The Chargers are notorious for being slow starters, but it is October and the change will begin this Sunday. Rivers hasn't even played well yet, this team is on the rise big time.

#6 - Tampa Bay Buccanneers - Joshua Freeman is a stud. All he does is win in the 4th quarter. The Bucs have a great, young defense and I believe they will win the NFC South over the Falcons and Saints.

#7 - New Orleans Saints - With the pass rush that they are getting on defense, I am impressed by the Saints. However, I would like to see more consistency from Brees before I am sold on the Saints.

#8 - New York Jets - In baseball good pitching beats good hitting, well for the Jets I think good defense will be a good offense. That being said, Sanchez and the Jets offense need to establish an identity and form some type of consistency.

#9 - Houston Texans - Andre Johnson's health is vital to the success of Houston. The defense is improved and ready to take the next step, but can the Texans play well all 16 games and win the AFC South?

#10 - Pittsburgh Steelers - I can't count this team out. They have everything I think a championship team needs; a clutch quarterback in Big Ben, a ferocious and proven defense led by Polamalu, and a coach that can handle the big stage, and Tomlin is that guy without a doubt. Don't count out the Steelers just yet.
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Danny's Week 4 NFL Picks

2011-10-01T14:33:00.001-04:00

Week 4 Picks
(Lines are according to Scoresandodds.com)

Detroit Lions +2.5 @ Dallas Cowboys

The Lions offense will have to play fast against the Cowboys front
seven, but overall this is a mismatch. Matthew Stafford shouldn't
have an issue
passing against the Cowboys secondary. Calvin Johnson should have
another big day to already solidify his ProBowl selection. Tony Romo
will
keep his guys in it for as long as they can keep up, but with the
ferocious pressure coming from Detroits D-Line, led by Suh, Romo will
have major
issues having success. Take the points and savor the 4-0 start Lions fans.

Danny's Prediction: Lions 35 - Cowboys 24

New Orleans Saints -7.5 @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Drew Brees should have a big day against the Jaguars, and I am sure
Sean Payton will have his defense fired up to go against rookie
quarterback
Blaine Gabbert. Expect the Saints to win the turnover battle and turn
them into points. I expect a double digit win for the road team.

Danny's Prediction: Saints 31 - Jaguars 13

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles -9

The Eagles have to win this game and they must make a statement to all
of the teams in the league that they are a team to be reckoned with.
Michael Vick is 100% playing and I expect him to put up some big
numbers against a very poor 49ers secondary. The Eagles defense has
one
job to do and that is to shutdown Frank Gore and the 49ers running
game. Big Eagles victory on Sunday.

Danny's Prediction: Eagles 38 - 49ers 17

Washington Redskins -2.5 @ St. Louis Rams

I really wanted to go with the Rams here, but they have nothing to
offer on offense and I expect Bradford to struggle against the
Redskins secondary
and pass rush. Turnovers will win this game and I expect the Redskins
to win that battle.

Danny's Prediction: Washington 20 - St. Louis 17

Tennessee Titans @ Cleveland Browns +1

Home team is getting points after a terrific 4th quarter comeback in
the final minute last week against Miami. Colt McCoy is emerging as a
better
talent behind center and I expect him to have another positive day on
Sunday against the Titans. The Browns will utilize a healthy Peyton
Hillis to
set up some play action passes for McCoy to take shots down the field.
The Browns should be okay keeping Chris Brown in check (as he has
been
all season), and I think the injury to Kenny Britt will really hurt
the Titans passing game.

Danny's Prediction: Browns 24 - Titans 17

Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals +3.5

The Bills are coming off two big time come back wins; first against
the Raiders putting up 35 points in the 2nd half, and second against
the Patriots last
week where they caused Brady to throw 4 interceptions. The emotion
and energy spent in those two games will allow this trap game to come
into play.
Not only that, but the Bills have the Eagles coming into town next
week and I bet they are looking past the Bengals. Expect some
trickery and alot of
Cedric Benson from the Bengals offense.

Danny's Prediction: Bengals 24 - Bills 20

Minnesota Vikings -3 @ Kansas City Chiefs

I am going with the public, the Vikings will use the hell out of
Adrian Peterson to get a win on the road in Kansas City. Jared Allen
returns to his old team
and lights it up with 3 sacks. Vikings win their first.

Danny's Prediction: Vikings 27 - Chiefs 17

Carolina Panthers @ Chicago Bears -6.5

Must win game for the Bears, especially at home. The Bears defense
has too much speed and the safeties are too talents to let a very good
rookie
quarterback come into Soldier Field and upset the home team. Bears
get a big win and Cutler goes off on the Panthers secondary.

Danny's Prediction: Bears 27 - Panthers 16

Pittsburgh Steelers +3.5 @ Houston Texans

I think Houston wins this game, but I think the Steelers defense will
keep it close enough for Big Ben to bring in some late drama. Overall
the Steelers
are the better team, but the way the Steelers O-Line is playing and
the fire power the Texans have, I see Houston getting a very nice home
win in
front of a packed house. Arian Foster is full go for this game so
expect him to get plenty of touches.

Danny's Prediction: Texans 24 - Steelers 23

Atlanta Falcons -4.5 @ Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks got a nice win against Arizona last week, and by nice I
only mean that it is a good thing to get it on paper. The Seahawks
stink.
Jackson is a backup quarterback and will be exposed this week against
the Falcons defense that is fast and very hungry for a big win. The
Falcons MUST win this game, and Matt Ryan will use Roddy White and
Julio Jones for big plays. Michael "Burner" Turner will be able to
have
success against the Seahawks run defense since the linebackers and
safeties will have their hands full covering Tony Gonzalez. I think
this is a blowout
by halftime.

Danny's Prediction: Falcons 34 - Seahawks 13

New York Giants -1.5 @ Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals can win this game, but I expect the Giants pass rush to
put the pressure on Kolb and the secondary to double cover Larry
Fitzgerald
all game. If the Giants can control the time of possession by using
Jacobs and Bradshaw on the ground, and if the defense puts constant
pressure
on Kolb, I think this is a no brainer.

Danny's Prediction: Giants 17 - Cardinals 13

Miami Dolphins @ San Diego Chargers -7

Chad Henne has been playing well, while Philip Rivers has been shaky.
The Chargers need a big home win to boost up their team moral and get
them
going for the month of October. Rivers and Jackson will hook up for a
big play early and that'll be the game. Henne will have a set back
game and
Tony Sparano's seat will be getting very hot following this game.
Chargers need this more in my opinion.

Danny's Pick: Chargers 27 - Dolphins 16

Denver Broncos @ Green Bay Packers -12.5

That is a lot of points to lay, but the Packers are that good. The
Broncos won't get it done against the Packers defense that I am sure
will want to impress
their home town fans. Rodgers is poised to take his squad back to the
SuperBowl and he shows up big Sunday. Finley and Jennings will have
TD receptions
while Starks will have success on the ground against a bad defense.
Packers big win at home.

Danny's Prediction: Green Bay 41 - Denver 17

New England Patriots -5.5 @ Oakland Raiders

Don't read the papers Oakland players, it will get to your head. The
Patriots could have played last night and I would take them big here.
Let down game for
Oakland and Brady has a big day against a very slim secondary in Oakland.

Danny's Prediction: Patriots 37 - Raiders 24

New York Jets +3.5 @ Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens will win this game, but I think both defenses show up big
and make it a low scoring game. Flacco will out perform Mark Sanchez
and the Ravens
will keep their momentum going.

Danny's Prediction: Ravens 20 - Jets 17

Indianapolis Colts @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers -10

Curtis Painter making the start for the Colts. Enough said. He will
be eaten up by the Bucs defense. Expect Freeman and Blount to have
very solid
performances.

Danny's Prediction: Buccaneers 24 - Colts 10

NFL Week 4 Picks - Eric

2011-09-30T22:47:00.001-04:00

NFL WEEK 4 MATCHUPS

Detroit Lions +1 @ Dallas Cowboys

Troy Aikman said earlier this week that the current incarnation of the
Detroit Lions reminds him somewhat of the early '90s Cowboys. I can see
where he's coming from. I don't think they have the depth of those Dallas
teams but that's more of a function of a hard salary cap. Dallas once
famously swindled the Minnesota Vikings by trading away their biggest star.
The Roy Williams trade is certainly of a lesser magnitude, but it appears
some retribution was levied on Dallas.

Matthew Stafford's putting up great stats and running an offense that's putting
up over 30 a game. Calvin Johnson is the most unstoppable receiver in the
league right now. His rare combination of size, speed, and athleticism
makes him a tough out for the beleaguered Dallas secondary. However, it's
not all Johnson. WR Nate Burelson's still got some gas in the tank (as we
saw with his 7 catches for 93 yards in week 2), RB Javid Best has more yards
receiving than rushing and just as many TD's, and the Tight End combination
of Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler provide Stafford with a formidable
arsenal. Granted, Dallas' defense has been stout overall but they're weak
in the secondary and Stafford's proven he can stay cool under pressure. He
will stand in the pocket and take big hits and sacks but still deliver the
ball when left with any time. The running game has been ho-hum thus far and
Dallas doesn't give much up on the ground anyhow. There's just too much
fire power here for Rob Ryan's defense.

On the flip side, no Miles Austin, Romo's still injured as is Felix Jones
and Dez Bryant. Last week the Cowboys won in spite of their center losing
his damn mind and hearing voices and the wide receivers acting like they
blacked out the night before and woke up on the field. Field goals won't
cut it this time around and I hate the matchup between Suh and Rookie guard
Bill Nagy. Dallas will have to account for this mismatch all day, further
limiting their ability to move the ball in their normal offense. A fully
healthy Dallas could go toe to toe with the Lions high powered attack, but too
Dallas bodies are either out or playing hurt.

Eric's Prediction: DETROIT 34 - Dallas 17

Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals -3

The return of Ryan Fitzpatrick to Cincinnati. He'll go up against the team
that spurned him to bring back the Quarterback turned malcontent Carson
Palmer. Where's Fitzpatrick now and where's Palmer? I don't think anyone
really cares about any of that but, like ESPN, I can make up a fake subplot.
This feels like a hangover game for Buffalo. The past two weeks the Bills
have made incredible comebacks to win the game. The win last week took on
all kinds of significance for the team, it validated their success thus far.
Andy Dalton and AJ Green give this team a fighter's chance. Remember the
Bills gave up over two hundred yards to Welker last week knowing he
and Gronkowski
were the only receiving threats. My man Leodis (McKelvin) will likely draw
Green. Soon to be convicted felon Jerome Simpson provided balance in the
receiving game, but he only caught 1 ball last week and who knows what the
Bengals have in store for him this week. Cincy runs the ball well, something
New England didn't do at all. However, the Bills fared well against the
Raiders running attack only giving up 72 yards on 20 carried to McFadden.

Defensively, the Bengals have been pretty good. This is, of course,
according to the stats in their games so far. They've played the Brows, the
Broncos and the 49er's…not exactly murderer's row. This will be their first
test of the season. Leon Hall and Nate Clements provide a nice CB combo but
they'll struggle to keep pace with Johnson, Nelson, Jones and Chandler.
Fred Jackson is the key, he will open up the passing game (and perhaps even
contribute to it). The Bills are the better team but will they get up for
the game? They'll find a way to win, but it won't be pretty.

Eric's Prediction: BUF 24 - CIN 23

Washington Redskins -2 @ Saint Louis Rams

I've been wrong on just about everything so far this season except for
jumping off the Rams NFC West bandwagon (of course I picked Seattle to win
it instead but still). They pay a tough schedule and don't have enough
going for them. I'm not sold quite yet on Bradford developing into Kurt
Warner 2.0, Steven Jackson is on the decline and their best receiver Danny
Amendola suffered a dislocated elbow. Thus far, the Rams played the Giants,
Eagles, and the Ravens…this week they draw the surprisingly frisky Redskins,
(after their bye) the Packers, then Cowboys, and then Saints. It's completely
conceivable they will start 0-7. If they're going to get off the snide this
is the week to do it. Unfortunately, I've seen nothing to get excited
about. Skins harass Bradford all day and Hightower helps pull my fantasy
team to .500.

Eric's Prediction: WASH 20 - Rams 12

New York Jets @ Baltimore Ravens -4

As Flacco goes, so goes the Ravens. Ray Rice has a monster (by Jets
defensive standards) game putting the Jets dominance into question. The
Purple Patio at Mother's celebrates another big win on Sunday night, the
entire city calls in sick. Someone's got their foot in their mouth...Rex.

Eric's Prediction: BALT 31 - NYJ 14

Indianapolis Colts @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers -10 ½

Curtis isn't a great name for a QB, or even a football player for that
matter. They played their hearts out last week but Indy didn't lure Kerry
Collins out of retirement for no reason. The Bucs are for real and this week
they will prove it against an inferior opponent on Primetime television.

Eric's Selection: TAMPA 24 - Indy 12

Denver Broncos +13 @ Green Bay Packers

The Broncos are terrible but the Packers will lose interest at some point.
Green Bay let the Panthers hang around in the forth quarter last week,
I don't think they will put away the Broncos either. Take the points.

Eric's Prediction: GREEN BAY 24 - Denver 13

Miami Dolphins +7 @ San Diego Chargers

Phil Rivers hasn't looked like he belongs in the top tier of QBs thus far.
Chad Henne has shown me enough that he is a competitor and I like
him in this situation. San Diego always has bad September's, could this
make it a 2-2 start?

Eric's Prediction: CHARGERS 24 - Dolphins 23

New England Patriots -5 @ Oakland Raiders

Both recent victims of Bills comebacks. Brady's 4 picks were a fluke but
it's an intriguing matchup. The Raiders have speed and power that will give
the Patriots a fit but they won't be able to keep up. I think that's what
you have with this Pats team, "Screw it, we'll just out score you". They do
here as Brady will have yet another monster day, and Campbell will
play like he had his old Redskins jersey on.

Eric's Prediction: NE 38 - OAK 23

New York Giants -1 @ Arizona Cardinals

Who knows what to make of this Giants team? Larry Fitzgerald upgraded from
Derek Anderson to Kevin Kolb, but so far that's like upgrading from a Honda
to an Accura…yeah it's better but you really wanted a BMW. The Cardinals
have not impressed me yet this season, a win here would impress me. They'll
leep it close, but Manning will shut the door late in the 4th quarter.

Eric's Prediction: NYG 24 - ARI 20

Atlanta Falcons -5 ½ @ Seattle Seahawks

Atlanta let me down last week with a lack luster performance. Hopefully all
they need is a dose of Tavaris Jackson to get them back on their feet. Seahawks
won't win two in a row, Falcons won't lose two in a row, and Matt
Ryan will have
a "step-it-up" game.

Eric's Prediction: ATL 28 SEA 7

Carolina Panthers +7 @ Chicago Bears

It would kill the haters in the media that dismissed Cam Newton'
talent prior to
the NFL draft if he upsets the Bears on Soldier Field. I say this game has
great potential to be an upset victory. But, the lack of an
established running
game is going to hurt the Panthers in this game. Williams is struggling and
is likely frustrated, while Stewart is not struggling but is likely
frustrated that
he isn't getting more touches. Newton on the other hand, is playing great,
but the Bears secondary won't allow Steve Smith to have a big play, and
the Bears linebackers are too fast for Olsen and Shockey.

Eric's Prediction: BEARS 21 - Panthers 20

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Houston Texans -4

Can the Steelers score enough to keep pace? They put up a season best 24
against the hapless Seahawks, it'll take more than that this week.
Matt Schaub
will find success against the Steelers secondary as long as he gets
rid of the ball
quickly. Also worth noting, whether is Foster or Tate, the Texans
will likely struggle
to run the ball against the Steelers front 7, so look for Houston to
use the screen
game and some delay routes for the running backs to get the ball in
their hands
in open space.

Eric's Prediction: HOUSTON 31 - Pittsburgh 20

Minnesota Vikings -1 @ Kansas City Chiefs

I don't care about this game at all. Both teams will be worthless in
a few weeks.
I'd like to see the Vikings play Percy Harvin more often, and to
increase AP's workload
in the second half. As far as the Chiefs go, can Cassell get that
feel back from last
season where she was killing it with you and Bowe.

Eric's Prediction: MINN 24 - KC 14

Tennessee Titans (Pick) @ Cleveland Browns

How many fantasy season is Chris Johnson ruining? It continues this
week, BUT the
Titans get it done on the road.

Eric's Prediction: TENN 17 - CLE 12

San Francisco 49er's +9 @ Philadelphia Eagles

Already too much Kafka. The question is now whether Michael Vick can make
it through an entire game let alone a full season.The 49ers stayed in
Ohio all week so
this won't be like playing a 10am games for the West Coast squad.

Eric's Prediction: PHI 27 - San Francisco 20

New Orleans Saints +7 ½ @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Drew Brees will out perform Blaine Gabbert who is making his second
official NFL start.
I like Gabbert, he could be a good player down the road.

Eric's Prediction: NO 38 JAC 14

Weeks 3 Power Rankings

2011-09-29T01:15:00.001-04:00

Top 10 Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers 3-0
2. New England Patriots 2-1
3. Baltimore Ravens 2-1
4. New Orleans Saints 2-1
5. Philadelphia Eagles 1-2
6. New York Jets 2-1
7. San Diego Chargers 2-1
8. Pittsburgh Steelers 2-1
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-1
10. Detroit Lions 3-0
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The Rise and Fall during an NFL Season

2011-09-29T01:14:00.001-04:00

Here are two teams that I see with potential to rise or fall in the NFL by week 10:

Rise:

Cleveland Browns - This really all depends on the play of Colt McCoy. Hillis was out last week, should be healthy this Sunday, but the Browns still got the job done. Hardesty ran hard, and McCoy showed up for a final 4th quarter drive. McCoy relies too much on his running backs and tight ends as his safety receivers. If he develops the confidence to pass the ball down field WITH success, I truly believe the Browns have a very good chance to make a playoff run. Yes, I truly mean this.

Let's look at their schedule in the upcoming weeks:
Home vs Tennessee (without Britt)
Bye week (Hillis gets healthy)
@Oakland (after Oakland plays @Hou), home vs Seattle, @ San Francisco, @ Houston (this is a loss), home vs St. Louis, and home vs Jacksonville in Week 11.
Looking at those games, 6 wins puts them at 8-2, 5 wins which is highly likely, would give them a 7-3 record entering week 12.
They play Week 16 @ Baltimore (who could have the division locked up by then and may rest players), and week 17 they are home vs Pittsburgh and we all know how McCoy performed against the Steelers last year.

I am not saying the Browns are going to win 10 games and be a wild card team in the AFC. But take a look at their schedule and tell me the potential is not there...

Fall:

Buffalo Bills- I am stoked for Ryan Fitzpatrick. What a great story, and he deserves to get paid, so man up Buffalo. The fact of the matter is that Buffalo is playing at an exceptional level and their defense is forcing turnovers which kept them in (and won them the game) the game vs New England. But, yes there is always a but, the Bills have a brutal schedule. And I think it begins THIS week against the Bengals.

This has trap game written all over it. Vegas opened the line at Buffalo -3.5?? After beating New England and starting the season 3-0, the Bengals are getting 3.5?? This screams Bengals OUTRIGHT to me!

The Bills schedule:
@Cincinnati, vs Philly, @NYG, bye, vs Washington (in Toronto), vs Jets, @ Dallas, @Miami, @Jets, vs Tennessee, @ SD, vs Miami, vs Denver, @ New England.
Wow.
Philly, Jets x2, Dallas, Chargers, Patriots. I see 5 of 6 losses here. Two games against Miami, I don't see a sweep there. And then playing the Giants, Redskins, and Titans should be at best 2 wins.

I see, AT BEST, 9-7 for the Bills. That won't get them into the playoffs. I hope I am wrong for all of you Bills fans, but this schedule is brutal. Fitzy will be on his back a lot against those pass rushes.
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Danny's Week 3 NFL Picks

2011-09-25T11:33:00.001-04:00

New England -7.5 @ Buffalo - Believe the hype with the Bills. They have a potent offense and a revived defense from last season. 58 degrees and no precipitation in Buffalo today, leaves me with no reason to believe this won't be a 10 point or more win by the Patriots.

Danny's Pick: Patriots 34 - Bills 24

San Francisco @ Cincinnati -3 - Alex Smith had a concussion from last weeks game against Dallas. The 49ers choked last week and missed an opportunity to start 2-0 this year. Another opportunity will be missed this week as the home team will showcase their new quarterback and wide receiver tandem of Daulton to Green. Bengals are young and exciting to watch.

Danny's Pick: Bengals 20 - 49ers 13

Houston Texans @ New Orleans Saints - 4 - Arian Foster is out for Houston. This means Ben Tate will carry the load for the Texans. Drew Brees is a beast at home. That is the difference maker today. Expect I high score today as the Saints are a better team at home and the Texans are explosive on any field.

Danny's Pick: Saints 38 - Texans 31

New York Giants @ Philadelphia -9
Michael Vick will play today. The Eagles are the better team, the Giants are mauled by injuries in their secondary. I smell a big win in Philly. Lookout for an Asante pick-6 too.

Danny's Pick: Eagles 34 - Giants 17

Miami +2 @ Cleveland
Peyton Hillis has strep throat, but may play. Colt McCoy only passes to Moore and Watson. Miami, under Sparano, has always performed well on the road. Take the upset here.

Danny's Pick: Miami 20 - Cleveland 16

Denver @ Tennessee -7
I think the Titans pick up where they left off last week upsetting Baltimore at home. The Titans are too physical for the soft- Broncos. Hasselbeck could light up this Broncos secondary.

Danny's Pick: Titans 27 - Broncos 16

Detroit -3 @ Minnesota

Historically what does the Vikings defense do well and not so well? They stop the run, but struggle against the pass. Advantage Detroit.

Danny's Pick: Detroit 31 - Minnesota 20

Jacksonville @ Carolina -3.5

Public is betting on Carolina for a big home win. I like it as well, but as always, be careful betting on a rookie quarterback. Then again, Newton is playing like a star. Gabbert struggles mightily today.

Danny's Pick: Carolina 24 - Jacksonville 10

Kansas City +14.5 @ San Diego
The Chiefs offense will wake up today, it has too! However, Phil Rivers is a stud and he won't lose back to back games. Thomas Jones will make noise today, but it will be another 2-td day for Vinny Jackson.

Danny's Pick: San Diego 31 - Kansas City 20

New York Jets -3.5 @ Oakland
The Jets stop the run. The Jets stop the pass. Oakland relies on their ground game to open up the pass attack. I see Oakland struggling. This game SCREAMS Oakland upset, but the Jets defense is too good.

Danny's Pick: Jets 24 - Raiders 16

Baltimore -5 @ St. Louis
Rams will be 0-3 after today. Ravens will roll just like the Steelers did on Seattle last week. Bet the Ravens whatever they cost you last week!

Danny's Pick: Ravens 30 - Rams 16

Atlanta +1.5 @ Tampa Bay
Josh Freeman is a stud in the 4th quarter and that scares me in this game. This will be a close game all the way through, last team with the ball wins by 3. I say its Atlanta.

Danny's Pick: Atlanta 27 - Tampa Bay 24

LOCK of the week
Arizona -3.5 @ Seattle

Kevin Kolb will lay it on the Seahawks today. Classic display of a team with fire power and a team without it. Only way Seattle makes this a game is if it rains hard.

Danny's Pick: Arizona 24 - Seattle 13

Green Bay -3.5 @ Chicago
Jay Cutler will be on his back a lot today and that bode well for the Bears. I think Rodgers will pick apart this secondary and open up Starks and Grant's opportunities to run the ball effectively.

Danny's Pick: Green Bay 27 - Chicago 20

Pittsburgh -10.5 @ Indianapolis
Steelers defense should eat up Kerry Collins. Mendenhall should have 100+ on the ground, and expect Big Ben to move the ball with ease. Indy just isn't the team were used to seeing anymore.

Danny's Pick: Pittsburgh 24 - Indianapolis 7

Washington +(?) @ Dallas
No line yet as Tony Romo hasn't been ruled in or out. But the Redskins are the better team right now. Miles Austin is out, Dez Bryant will play banged up, and Felix Jones only performs in the first half. Redskins are not explosive so this will be close all the way through. I like Hightower and Helu to have success on the ground and eat up the clock.

Danny's Pick: Redskins 20 - Cowboys 17
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Eric's Week 3 Picks continued

2011-09-24T16:03:00.000-04:00

New York Giants +9 @ Philadelphia Eagles

Besieged by injuries and an eroded talent base, the Giants will stagger into the Linc as 9 point dogs.

Vick's playing, but as we've seen, the affects of concussions can linger and manifest themselves with increasing frequency…kind of like herpes.

For Michael Vick, it's all about suppression.

The Giants still have a formidable front that can get after Vick.

The Falcons were losing when Vick went out, but the Eagles did not do a great job of protecting him to that point.

I like the Giants chances of putting the pressure on Vick.

However, the Eagles have a lot more than just Vick.

McCoy has yet to get the credit for emerging as a top 5 back in the league.

On the other side of the ball, Hakeem Nicks will play but that's about it.

The Giants allowed Steve Smith to go and subsequently lost Hixon and Manningham to injuries.

I think Eli Manning would like to have Smith back at this point.

I think the Eagles win regardless of whose at QB, but without a fully healthy Vick, 9 seems like too many points.

Eric's Prediction: PHI 24 - NYG 17

New York Jets -3 ½ @ Oakland Raiders

Which Mark Sanchez shows up?

Can you feel safe with any Raiders lead?

I can't get behind the Raiders in this game given the Jets ability to limit the run.

Eric's Prediction: NYJ 21 - OAK 13

LOCKED UP

Atlanta Falcons -1 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

My esteemed colleague feels Julio Jones is the best offensive rookie in the league.

I'm going to get behind him and say this is the week he has a break out-ish game.

Atlanta wins a gritty game largely due to the rookie Jones.

The Bucs pulled one out last week but they still struggled to stop the run and were playing a completely washed up McNabb.

Turner is no Adrian Peterson, but he packs enough punch to keep Tampa off balance.

Matt Ryan's ability to accurately deliver the ball along with the talent at receiver dwarfs anything they saw last week.

I'm going with my gut here and just saying Atlanta's the better team, just the way it is.

Eric's Prediction: ATL 20 - TB 16
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Eric's Week 3 NFL Selections

2011-09-24T01:31:00.001-04:00

San Francisco 49ers +3 @ Cincy Bengals

It's a fun matchup between bad teams. Bengals owner, Paul Brown, has
to realize he can't run a professional football team. His team is
notorious for run-ins with the law, difficult personalities, and under
achieving players. Along with Jerry Jones and Al Davis, Brown serves
as owner/Gm. Of those 3, Brown is a distant third. Given the recent
successes of those teams, that says a lot. However, Brown did grab a
couple some nice draft picks in Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. San Fran,
on the other hand, is still finding their way but have a few key
pieces in place. Neither team excites me

Eric's Prediction: SF 24 Cincy 23

New England Patriots – 7 ½ @ Buffalo Bills

The Bills are getting a lot of attention for starting out 2-0. Their
two wins were against KC (which might be the worst team in the league)
and the Raiders. The Raiders choked the game away but moved the ball
effectively. Buffalo has a few emerging players in Stevie Johnson,
David Nelson, and Fred Jackson. Throw in CJ Spiller and the play of QB
Ryan Fitzpatrick and you've got a nice scoring threat. Of course
they're playing the Pats. Brady is on pace to throw for 10,000 yards
and the defense does just enough. Everyone I know is taking the Bills
to cover and maybe I'm an idiot for refusing to recognize the
emergence of the Bills but I like New England to put Buffalo back in
its place. The Pats never take division games lightly and the Bills
haven't dealt with a team of this caliber yet.

Eric's Prediction: NE 35 Buf 21

Miami Dolphins @ Cleveland Browns -3

Looks like the Reggie Bush as a feature back may already be at an end.
Daniel Thomas did the heavy lifting last week and ran for over 100
yards in the performance. Bush is currently 3rd on the team in
rushing behind Thomas (who didn't have any yards in wk 1) and QB Chad
Henne. I can't get excited about this team. A better QB may do
wonder for them, unfortunately they're at leasta year away from that
possibility and by that time Coach Sprano will be out of a job. For
the Browns, McCoy has thrown for 3 TDs through two weeks all to tight
ends. McCoy needs to get his wide receivers involved. The cupboard
is pretty bare but fortunately, the tight ends and RB Peyton Hillis
give the team a nice short game, which is better than nothing I
suppose. I'll take the Browns to cover.

Eric's Prediction: Mia 10 Cle 23

Detroit Lions (-4) @ Minnesota Vikings

Well hey Detroit, you're so much better looking in person. The Lions
were a trendy pick but I doubt anyone saw this coming. Last week I
wrote I wasn't ready to jump on the Lions bandwagon (dumb) nor was I
ready to give up on the Chiefs (moronic). The Lions are rolling and
as long as Best and Stafford stay healthy you've got to ride them.

Eric;s Prediction: Det 28 Minn 20

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Carolina Panthers -4

Battle of two rookie QBs. Gabbert looked solid in replacement of
McCown last week, but compared to McCown a sofa cushion would have
been an upgrade. Mid way through last year, this Jags team looked in
line for a potential playoff spot and now they're a mess. If you only
listened to ESPN or sports radio and didn't watch the games, you would
think Cam Newton and the Panthers were 2-0. Yes, he's played well,
yes the games were close and yes they'll cover this week. However, I
still think we have a bomb of a game coming soon. Just seems like a
rookie with 1 year of college starting experience can't be this good.

Eric's Prediction: Carolina 20 - Jackonville 13

Kansas City Chiefs +15 @ San Diego Chargers

Wow. We're only at week 3 and KC has taken a full season's worth of
lumps. Todd Haley's Kansas City offense cannot put points on the
board. I think he needs to dress more professionally. He always
strikes me as a middle aged guy who refuses to grow up. Not that he
needs to rock a Reebok suit a la Mike Nolen, but get a haircut, sit up
straight and do what your sister says. 15 points is an awful lot.
For me it represents a real indictment of Matt Cassel. He still have
Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breston, should that be at least enough to keep
backup Tyler Palko at bay? San Diego Safety Eric Weddle is one of my
favorite defensive players in the league and surely feels excitement
for this match up. Chargers win but somehow give up a garbage time
score to lose the cover.

Eric's Prediction; SD 31 KC 17

LOCKED UP

Green Bay Packers (-4) @ Chicago Bears

Jay Culter is taking a beating and starting to gripe. Clay Matthews
is the last guy Cutler wants to see lined up across from him. I feel
Matthews and Company will torment Cutler to the point he has some sort
of phantom injury and leaves the games. To hold the rush at bay,
Chicago will employ screens to Matt Forte and quick slants to their
smallish and speedy receivers Johnny Knox and Devin Hester. Fine. It
may grab a few yards here and there but they will eventually need to
look downfield and with Cutler on the run and forcing throws, mistakes
will occur. We'll see a pick six before the day is through.

While I still have a great deal of respect for the Bears' defense,
Green Bay has an excellent passing game combined with the effective
(but frustrating from a fantasy standpoint) Starks-Grant running
tandem. Aaron Rodgers makes me angry, maybe it's because Erin Andrews
rumors, maybe its because I was once dumped by a girl from Wisconsin,
or maybe it's because I've spent my adult life cheering for Tony Romo,
Chad Hutchinson, and Quincy Carter- whatever it is, he's in that "too
good" category for me. Packers win convincingly and get the cover.

Eric's Prediction: GB 28 Chi 10

Power Rankings entering Week 3

2011-09-24T00:18:00.001-04:00

(#) is last weeks ranking

1. New England Patriots (2) 2-0
2.Green Bay Packers (1) 2-0
3. New York Jets (8) 2-0
4.Philadelphia Eagles (6) 1-1
5.Pittsburgh Steelers (7) 1-1
6. Baltimore Ravens (3) 1-1
7. Houston Texans (8) 2-0
8. San Diego Chargers (5) 1-1
9. New Orleans Saints (11) 1-1
10.Detroit Lions (12) 2-0
11.Atlanta Falcons (10) 1-1
12.Washington Redskins (13) 2-0
13.Chicago Bears (5) 1-1
14.Buffalo Bills (15) 2-0
15.Dallas Cowboys (14) 1-1
16.Tampa Bay Buccanneers (16) 1-1
17.Oakland Raiders (20) 1-1
18.Tennessee Titans (23) 1-1
19.Cleveland Browns (26) 1-1
20.Cincinnati Bengals (27) 1-1
21.Arizona Cardinals (17) 1-1
22.New York Giants (18) 1-1
23.Denver Broncos (28) 1-1
24.San Francisco 49ers (19) 1-1
25.Carolina Panthers (31) 0-2
26.Miami Dolphins (21) 0-2
27.Minnesota Vikings (24) 0-2
28.Jacksonville Jagars (22) 1-1
29.St. Louis Rams (29) 0-2
30.Kansas City Chiefs (25) 0-2
31.Indanapolis Colts (30) 0-2
32.Seattle Seahawks (32) 0-2

Week 2 Rant continued

2011-09-21T12:41:00.001-04:00

The Buffalo Bills and the Oakland Raiders put on some performance for the fans at the game. Over 70 points, and an almost shocking hail mary finish. Such an impressive game from both quarterbacks. Campbell was outstanding, and in combination with McFadden and Bush he really showed that the Raiders are legit this season. But, he was one-upped. Enter Ryan Fitzpatrick. What a stud from Harvard. 5 drives in the second half and he went 5 for 5 with 5 touchdowns. You have to love this guy. His passing is tremendous and he actually opens up the running game for Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller. I was very impressed with Fitzpatrick yesterday. He led his team all the way back from a 21-3 deficit at halftime. This was the game that Buffalo would have lost last year and it goes to show they are much improved. I am really looking forward to the Bills vs Patriots this week.

A quick look at the Eagles/Falcons game; the Eagles are the better team. Due to their fire power on offense, the Eagles are going to win high scoring games. The wide nine splits on the defensive line favor Babin and Cole on the ends, but what it doesn't favor is the undersized line backers the Eagles have. The wide nine gaps allow the potential for running backs to gain big chunks of yards, and as we all know, the gaps have been spreading like peanut butter for the likes of Steven Jackson and Michael Turner. That being said, I was impressed with the Eagles defense for the first three quarters, but the 4th quarter was all Matt Ryan. He picked apart the Eagles safety tandem of Coleman and Page, and basically layed the blue print of how to beat the Eagles defense. Their corners shutdown White, Jones, and Douglas, but it was 36-year old Tony Gonzalez that won the game for Atlanta. Ryan stayed with him early and often and Gonzo had a huge game. The Eagles allowed 5 touchdowns in 5 redzone drives, that will not make you a dream team. It will make you the team that quarterbacks dream to play against. Falcons are soft, Eagles are by far the better team, but Vicks injury/concussion ended up being the difference and the Eagles take the L. Who will be behind center sunday in Philly? Vick? Kafka (who played great by the way)? Or Vince Young? My guess is Vick will be cleared, but I think the Eagles win regardless of who is calling the plays. Giants will struggle against the Eagles defense.

The Steelers played the Seahawks Sunday in what probably the biggest play in the sportsbooks in Vegas. Steelers won easy, Big Ben took some shots but he is okay. Pittsburgh showed up for this game, unlike last week against Baltimore. Seattle should tank the season to get Andrew Luck, actually, just play it out because they still probably won't win more than 3 games.

The Giants and the Rams both looked bad. The Giants players are dropping as if Mark Wahlberg is starring in The Shooter 2. Newest departure is Mr. Hixon with a torn ACL. How many injured players done for the season are on these two teams? Needless to say, I thought Manning looked horrible. His body language is pathetic and he misses too many easy big plays. On the flip side, Bradford looks great. Now get him some freaking play makers!

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Week 2 Rant

2011-09-19T12:56:00.001-04:00

What a Sunday in the NFL. A shootout in Buffalo, a stunner in Tennessee, a "game" and not a blow out in Carolina, a hell of a comeback in Minnesota, a courageous effort in San Francisco, and just an entertaining game in Atlanta. They play to win the game, and boy did some teams show up on Sunday.

Let's get down to the business:

Anyone have the number for Brett Farve's pacemaker, wupps, I mean beeper? Indy is calling for you old dog. The Colts just are not a decent team without their leader Peyton Manning. A better performance this week in their home opener, but the Colts couldn't stop the Hillis-train from Cleveland.

After the Buccanneers scored the game winning touchdown with 30seconds remaining in the 4th quarter against Minnesota, I sat and "Pondered" just what the Vikings should do. Eh hem, maybe Donovan will randomly show up on the injury report this week. He is an average quarterback. I was once a supporter for him in Philly, but he can't close out games. Look at Freeman on Tampa, that was his 8th 4th quarter comeback! Are you kidding me Donovan? Apparently Josh ate his chunky soup before the game. McNabb is an average quarterback, on an average football team, that will struggle to win games because (outside of AP) they have no heart and that was evident yesterday. The Bucs showed the heart and passion that the Vikings don't have. How awesome was it to watch their sideline go nuts after the onside kick recovery! I would go to war with Raheem Morris after seeing him fired up for his guys. The Bucs are no joke and I think the NFC-South is wide open.

Speaking of the NFC South, the Saints had a nice performance from their defense and they got the job done in a must-win home opener. The Saints sacked Cutler 6 times, and Cutler was HOT all game. How can he play well with all of the pressure. I was very disappointed in the Bears and the effort they put out. I thought, with the recent unfortunate news regarding Brian Urlachers mother, that the Bears just would have come out with more fire. But they got away from their game plan of running the ball and opening up the play book with play action passes (ie: Brees to Henderson). The Bears are still a force in the NFC but they have to commit to the ground game in order to keep Cutler upright and poised to make big plays with his big arm.

Cam Newton, wow. What a start to his rookie season. Newton looks like he is going to live up to his own hype and bring new life to the Panthers organization. He is going to make mistakes and throw interceptions. He is going to miss reads, hold on to the ball too long, and he will botch a handoff or two. But, what he clearly WILL do is lead this team with his confidence and poise. Its insane to me how confident he appears to be in the pocket and behind center. And the happiest person on the planet for Cam Newton is veteran WR Steve Smith. Smith is off to a pro-bowl start and is loving the attention he is getting from Newton. On the flip side of the game against the Packers, they got the win so they are happy about that. But I think that locker room clearly knows they let their guard down. A win is a win in the NFL. Go back to Green Bay, watch the film, correct the mistake and then prepare for a huge rivalry game against the Bears in Chicago next week.

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Danny's Week 2 Picks

2011-09-18T11:06:00.002-04:00

Record (7-8-1 ats)

Chicago +7 @ New Orleans -

The Saints can't lose this game. After a great offensive performance,
it is now the defense's turn to step up and make some plays. On the
other side, the Bears are playing for Brian Urlacher and his late
mother. Urlacher will have extra fight in him today and I expect the
Bears to put up a great effort all 60 minutes.

Danny's Prediction: New Orleans 27 - Chicago 24

Kansas City @ Detroit -9 -

The Lions have a legit defensive line, and Suh and his crew will cause
big problems for Jamaal Charles to be able to run between the tackles.
With major struggles at home last week, can we expect the Chiefs to
play better on the road at 1pm? I expect Matthew Stafford to perform
at a high level, and for Calvin Johnson to have a big game. Chiefs
are in trouble folks.

Danny's Prediction: Detroit 34 - Kansas City 17

Jacksonville @ New York Jets -9

The Jets are at home for the second straight week. They go against an
offense led by Josh McCown(who?), and will have to stop the ground
attack of Maurice Jones-Drew. Honestly, if (and I believe they will)
the Jets can shut down the ground game early they will force the Jags
to have to pass the ball and from there on out it will be over early.
I don't see this game lasting long for Jacksonville. The Jets need to
play a good clean game. Blow out today in the Meadowlands.

Danny's Prediction: Jets 27 - Jaguars 6

Oakland @ Buffalo -4

Oakland travels to Buffalo to play a 1pm game, this will feel like a
10am game for Oakland and that never works out well. Campbell will
struggle, McFadden and Bush will have decent gains, but ultimately the
Bills fire power on offense will be displayed early and often. Take
the home team.

Danny's Prediction: Buffalo 27 - Oakland 16

Arizona @ Washington -4

Kevin Kolb comes back to the east coast to play the Redskins. Kolb
and the Cardinals offense played decent against Carolina, but they
face a much more polished Redskins defense. The Skins are known, just
like the Bears, to keep their safety's deep in the secondary to limit
the big plays. This will hurt Kolb and Fitzgerald. Offensively, the
Skins aren't fun to watch. They will run 20+ with Hightower which
will open up the play action pass for Grossman. Consistent play from
Grossman will give Washington a 2-0 start to the season.

Danny's Prediction: Washington 24 - Arizona 17

Baltimore -6.5 @ Tennessee

Tennessee looked bad last week against the Jaguars. Chris Johnson
couldn't get anything going, and it took Hasselbeck over two quarters
to finally get his offense moving through the air. Now enter the
Ravens defense that literally demolished the Steelers. Do I even need
to talk about their offense?

Danny's Prediction: Baltimore 30 - Tennessee 10

Seattle @ Pittsburgh -14.5

If the Steelers don't blow out the Seahawks and play a perfect
defensive game, I cannot imagine the post game speech coming from head
coach Mike Tomlin. After being embarrassed against the Ravens, I
expect the Steelers to absolutely dominate this game. Tarvaris
Jackson is in for a tough day.

Danny's Prediction: Pittsburgh 31 - Seattle 9

Green Bay -10.5 @ Carolina

Cam Newton had some debut last week against Arizona. What a
performance from him. He opened the eyes to many that doubted him.
Unfortunately his home debut will not go as well. The Packers defense
is ferocious and they will smell the fresh meat today. Aaron Rodgers
is too good to have a setback game. Packers big today.

Danny's Prediction: Green Bay 35 - Carolina 10

Tampa Bay @ Minnesota -3

The Vikings will stop the Bucs ground game forcing Freeman to have to
throw the ball 40+ times. This strategy does not favor the Tampa.
Expect something big from Adrian Peterson today, and Donovan McNabb
will step up from last week and have a better game (more than 39 yards
for sure). Take the home team today.

Danny's Prediction: Minnesota 24 - Tampa 20

Cleveland -2 @ Indianapolis

The Colts are without Peyton Manning and I believe Kerry Collins is
going to need more time to develop and learn this offense before they
can become a solid unit and win a game or two. I like Colt McCoy to
bounce back from last weekend and get the W today. Running Peyton
Hillis against a beat up Colts defense will allow McCoy to mix in a
few play action passes and I don't think the Colts have an answer for
it.

Danny's Prediction: Cleveland 24 - Indianapolis 13

Dallas -3 @ San Francisco

Tony Romo played well last week against the Jets but he made a
horrible read to end the game and basically threw the ball to Revis.
Romo will rebound this week and use Witten, Austin, and Bryant to beat
up on the 49ers. The 49ers have their work cutout for them with Ware
and Ratliff coming off the line. Where the 49ers could have success
is against the Cowboys battered secondary, but I don't like the ball
in Smith's hands. Gore is the way the 49ers will win games this year,
and I don't think he has success today. Take the Cowboys in a
must-win type of game for Tony Romo.

Danny's Prediction: Dallas 23 - San Francisco 16

Houston -3 @ Miami

Everyone seems to favor Miami in this matchup, but I see it
differently. Chad Henne really played well last week, and he should
have some good numbers again today as both teams will be in shootout
mode. The Dolphins will struggle all season running the ball because
Reggie Bush is not a between-the-tackles running back. For the
Texans, now you get tested. The Colts stunk last week, Miami is a
different challenge. Schaub can pass against anyone, but can Foster
and/or Tate have success running the ball on the Dolphins solid run
defense. I say yes, and that is he difference maker. Henne will make
a big mistake late and the Texans hold on for a big road victory.

Danny's Prediction: Houston 30 - Miami 24

San Diego +7 @ New England

Tom Brady is a beast, and I believe he is the best quarterback to play
the game. Another Superbowl ring will solidify that. Phillip Rivers
ain't so bad either ladies and gentlemen. The Chargers are a good
team, and they will put up a great performance in Foxboro. This is
the type of game I love to watch. Two great quarterbacks going head
to head. Brady following the 517 yard historic performance, and
Rivers following a very sub par debut, this could be a great game. I
think the Patriots get a three point win, but you know there is going
to be late game heroics from both quarterbacks.

Danny's Prediction: New England 38 - San Diego 35

Cincinnati @ Denver -3.5

Denver played will little heart and emotion last week against the
Raiders. Kyle Orton will redeem himself, Willis McGahee will have a
very productive game, and the Bengals will struggle in a very tough
place to play. Take the Broncos to get their first win of the season.

Danny's Prediction: Denver 20 - Cincinnati 10

Philadelphia -3 @ Atlanta

I cannot wait for this game. Vick coming back to Atlanta. This is
where it all began. Now he is wearing a different jersey, one that I
think he has more respect and appreciation for. And in step Matt
Ryan, the new face of the Falcons organization. Ryan is 18-3 in his
career at the Georgia Dome and he will be put to the test against the
Eagles. For the Falcons to win this game they have to run the ball
very effectively. Michael Turner and Jason Snelling should both have
big time opportunities to have success against the Eagles wide-front
splits and light-weight line-backing corps. However, if the Eagles
can stop the ground game of Atlanta, this game will then heavily
favors Philadelphia. The Eagles secondary wasn't tested last week,
now I know the Falcons have a ton of weapons on offense, but the
Eagles have 3 top 10 corner backs and arguably one of the best
nickel/dime corners in Joselio Hanson. The Eagles will utilize Vick
in many different ways, but being on turf will only make this Eagles
offense faster. Between Vick, McCoy, DeSean, and a somewhat healthy
Jeremy Maclin, the Eagles have the fastest players on this field when
they are on offense. The slash-style offense will be tough to defend
for an Atlanta secondary that got picked apart by Jay Cutler last
week. This game favors Philly in all aspects, but if Atlanta runs the
ball well and keeps the Eagles defense on the field for a majority of
the game then the tide will shift towards Atlanta.

Danny's Prediction: Philadelphia 31 - Atlanta 27

St. Louis @ New York Giants -7

The Rams don't have Steven Jackson, Amendola, and their secondary is
busted open like Rocky Balboa's faces in his first fight against
Apollo Creed in Rocky I. The Rams will struggle in this atmosphere,
and Eli Manning will get his offense back on track. Bradshaw and
Jacobs will have big games for the Giants in what looks like it could
be a double digit blowout.

Danny's Prediction: New York Giants 30 - St. Louis 16

WEEK 2 NFL PICKS

2011-09-17T14:24:00.001-04:00

Philadelphia Eagles -3 @ Atlanta Falcons

Last week the Bears trampled the Falcons while the Eagles ran over the
Rams. Philadelphia looked like a team still finding its way.
Admittedly, the offense looked more in sync than the defense and that
makes perfect sense to me. Offensively, the Eagles retooled their
line but remained largely intact in the skill positions. The line
will struggle all year, its just not that talented of a bunch. Of
course, the Eagles balance that out somewhat by having Vick run around
when things break down. The defense features a slew of new comers in
key positions. The Rams broke off some very impressive runs and
Bradford found open receivers without a great deal of difficulty.
Unfortunately for him, his receivers have hands made of stone. The
Falcons have a great deal more fire power and unless the Eagles begin
to gel, we could be in for a shootout. The Bears embarrassed Atlanta
last week. Matt Forte is a versatile back who can beat you receiving
the ball out of the backfield as easily as he can running it. Sound
like anyone on the Eagles roster?

Obviously we'll be treated to a montage of Vick's great runs ending
with shots of him on the courthouse steps and in prison garb. Save
it. It's not like Atlanta is known for its rabid fan base. Unless a
vindictive stadium employees plays that Sarah McLachlan song from the
animal cruelty commercials during warmups, I think the return of Mike
Vick to Atlanta is a non-factor. The Falcons can't keep pace and drop
to an almost-behind-the-eightball 0-2.

Eric's Prediction: Philly 31 - Atl 27

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3 @ Minnesota Vikings

Everyone in the NFC south lost last weekend. Of those clubs Atlanta
and Tampa Bay looked the worst. The Bucs still have a very young team
lending credibility to the theory that the lack of an off season would
affect them more. LaGarrett Blount was terrible last week. Was he a
one hit (pun intended) wonder? The Bucs should bounce back after last
week's wake up call. Another NFC loss may not hurt much in the
division race but thinking long term towards a wild card race, this
game may have big implications. The Vikings aren't a playoff team.
Adrian Peterson took advantage of Johnson's contract to leverage his
own mega deal. Time to not get hurt in what will soon become a lost
season. There's a number of great players on the Vikings, they're
just lacking in so many other areas. Is there another team with as
many superstars and nobodies? As the Pats have shown, fill a team
with a lot of good guys and one or two stars and you're set. The Bucs
win and get this thing back on track

Eric's Prediction: Tampa Bay 30 - Minnesota 14

Chicago Bears +7 @ New Orleans Saints

The Bears were impressive last week in thumping the Falcons. Cutler's
lives up to his potential every September, take advantage of it before
his inevitable late season swoon. Saints won't start 0-2, but the
Bears won't go down without a fight.

Eric's Prediction: NO 27 - Chi 21

Kansas City +8.5 @ Detroit Lions

It's been a long time since we've seen the Lions on the favorite side
of a line like this. Are the Chiefs really this bad? Probably not,
but I like Calvin Johnson's chances against an Eric Berry-less Kansas
City secondary. Still, it's too many points for me at this juncture.
I need a few more dominant games from Detroit and one more hapless one
from KC before I buy into their 2011 destinies. I'd stay away but
with a gun to my head (and we're talking a .44 magnum).

Eric's Prediction: Detroit 24 - KC 17

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Jets

- Can the Jets muster enough offense to win big? Jacksonville's
primary weapon is MJD and the Jets have a stout run defense. Take the
Jets to cover unless you're staunchly in the pro-Luke McCown camp.
Eric's Predictions: Jets 31 - Jags 9

Oakland Raiders @ Buffalo Bills -3.5

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Stevie Johnson versus Darren McFadden and whoever
else is still on the Raiders. Not exactly Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed
and Jim Kelly vs. Bo Jackson, Marcus Allen and Howie Long. My how the
mighty have fallen. Fitzpatrick stays hot for Buffalo.

Eric's Predictions: Bills 17 - Oak 7

Arizona Cardinals @ Washington Redskins -4

Tim Hightower runs roughshod over his former team, and for at least
one more week people stop referring the Washington's QB as Gross
Rexman.

Eric's Prediction: Skins 21 - Ari 10

Baltimore Ravens -6.5 @ Tennessee Titans

Ravens win big, we have a Jake Locker sighting, and the Titans claim
they were drunk when they signed Chris Johnson's contract.

Eric's Prediction: Baltimore 27 - Tenn -3

Seattle Seahawks @ Pittsburgh Steelers -14.5

That's a mighty big line for a team that didn't score 15 in the
opening game. Seattle loses but gets a late field goal to cover.

Eric's Prediction: Pitt 24 - Seattle 10

Green Bay Packers -10.5 @ Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton comes back to earth, Aaron Rodgers doesn't. Packers win in
a blowout and cover.

Eric's Prediction: Packers 42 - Car 17

Cleveland Browns @ Indianapolis Colts +2

If the Colts don't win this one, it could be an epic season. The
team has more grit than that, Colts win and cover.

Eric's Prediction: Ind 17 - Cle 12

Dallas Cowboys -3 @ San Francisco 49ers

Terrance Newman is still hurt, Orlando Scandrick is out with an ankle
sprain, and Mike Jenkins has leprosy, which means Alan Ball is back in
the starting lineup. Alex Smith must have done something right in a
previous life. Dallas gives up more than it should but win and cover.
How sad it is those 25 have no idea how important games between these
two teams once were.

Eric's Prediction: Dal 31 SF 24

Houston Texans +3 @ Miami Dolphins

The Texans are heating up and have a chance to prove once again how
right they were to select Mario Williams over Reggie Bush. The Texans
get the cover and roll over Miami. Tony Sparano and Chad Henne ought
to dust off those resumes.

Eric's Prediction: Hou 17 - Miami 10

San Diego Chargers +7 @ New England Patriots

New England will find more resistance in San Diego than they did in
Miami. Chargers cover, NE wins.

Eric's Prediction: NE 34 - SD 31

Cincinnati Bengals +3.5 @ Denver Broncos

A game only a mother could love. The nations is on the edge of their
seats, can Andy Dalton play or will it be Bruce Gradkowski? Will John
Fox succumb to the Bronco faithful and bench Kyle Orton in favor of
Tebow? Will Vonn Miller become the first rookie threaten retirement
for a trade after week 2? Honestly, how can anyone say the Broncos
are 5.5 points better than the Bengals? Take Cincy to cover.

Eric's Prediction: Den 17 - Cin 14

Monday Night Football

St. Louis Rams @ New York Giants -6

The Giants are uber thin in the secondary, but St. Louis doesn't have
a lot of threats especially with Ammendola sidelined. The Giants
bounce back from a tough loss with the win.

Eric's Prediction: NYG 21 - STL 7

Fantasy Update

2011-09-16T00:15:00.000-04:00

Some information regarding potential start/sit guys this weekend:

Steve Smith WR (CAR) - I would sit Smith, I just don't see the Panthers doing much of anything against the Packers defense. Could be a big blowout.

Kevin Kolb QB (ARI) - It is a fact, teams that travel from the west to the east and play at 1pm don't play well period. I'd really consider another option as the Skins defense is solid to begin with.

Cedric Benson RB (CIN) - The Colts have big issues stopping the run and both Ernie Sims and Gary Brackett are not playing this week. Whether its Dalton or Gradkowski, Benson will get his 25 attempts and should break one long for you. Start him as a viable #2/#3.

Braylon Edwards WR (SF) - The 49ers are at home against the Cowboys. The Cowboys secondary is extremely thin. This is a reach play for you, but if you have a few tough matchups, Edwards could be that high risk / high reward guy this weekend.

Cadillac Williams RB (STL) - If you are in a PPR Williams is a great option for the Monday night game against the Giants. He will likely get 20 rushes and probably 5-6 dump offs from Bradford. If he gets you a TD that's a potential 16-18pt game. Start him.

Chad Ochocinco WR (NE) - Take the shot on Chad this weekend. I have a feeling Tommy Boy is going to look his way a few extra times just to clear up this media issue surrounding the Patriots right now.

Maurice Jones-Drew RB (JAX) - Unless you are in a PPR I would highly suggest sitting MJD this week against the Jets. McCown will need extra help with all the extra blitzers, this just doesn't add up well for MJD or the Jags in general.

Ryan Fitzpatrick QB (BUF) - Oakland,a team from the west coast, is coming to play a 1pm game in Buffalo. Buffalo will get off to a 2-0 start and believe it when I say Fitzy goes off, AGAIN. Start this man.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Fantasy Update

2011-09-15T05:57:00.001-04:00

Urlacher - hard to tell if he will come back and play Sunday. If he does not expect the -7 New Orleans line to move to -8/-9 very quickly

Stafford - he cramped up towards the end of the game against Tampa last week. Start him this week against the Chiefs secondary (without S Eric Berry) that got torched at home vs Buffalo

Kolb - Can Kolb change the losing trend of west coast teams coming east and playing 1pm games? I'll take the Skins

Tavaris Jackson - will get eaten alive this weekend against a pissed off Steelers defense.

Cam Newton - faces the defending Superbowl champs in his home debut. Sit him down no matter how deep your league is.

Donovan McNabb - Stafford had 2 TD and 275yards at the half last week against Tampa. I think McNabb should eclipse 40 yards this week for sure.

Peyton Hillis - the Colts got smoked on the ground last week and both Gary Brackett and Ernie Sims are out this week. What a horrible start to the season for HC Jim Caldwell. Hillis should blow up this weekend.

Dallas Cowboys - down to their practice squad DBacks, the Cowboys head out west to face an energized bunch in San Francisco. Romo looks to help himself out with a nice road win on the west coast.

Arian Foster - Looks like he is back this week. Kubiak said if he starts he won't be limited, he'll be normal workload.

Philip Rivers - A subpar day last weekend against Minnesota (2 Int), look for a big game out of Rivers against the Patriots secondary that allowed Henne to go over 400 yards. Should be a shootout sunday again.

Andy Dalton - if he can't go it'll be Gradkowski, all signs point to Andy being ready sunday. Denver could be without 7 starters on both sides of the ball. Orton remains the starter behind center for Denver.

Michael Vick - heads back to Atlanta where it all started for him. Matty Ice is nearly undefeated at home, but with Vick in town the Falcons are home underdogs!!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Power Rankings Week 1

2011-09-14T13:34:00.001-04:00

1. Green Bay Packers (1-0)
2. New England Patriots (1-0)
3. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
4. San Diego Chargers (1-0)
5. Chicago Bears (1-0)
6. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)
8. New York Jets (1-0)
9. Houston Texans (1-0)
10. Atlanta Falcons (1-0)
11. New Orleans Saints (0-1)
12. Detroit Lions (1-0)
13. Washington Redskins (1-0)
14. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
15. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)
17. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
18. New York Giants (0-1)
19. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
20. Oakland Raiders (1-0)
21. Miami Dolphins (0-1)
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)
23. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
24. Minnesota Vikings (0-1)
25. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
26. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
27. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)
28. Denver Broncos (0-1)
29. St. Louis Rams (0-1)
30. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
31. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
32. Seattle Seahawks (0-1)
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Eric's week 1 Rant

2011-09-13T03:14:00.003-04:00

I really mean it when I say don’t know if I can watch Dallas games anymore. If you’re bad, just be bad, don’t toy with my emotions. I go from giddy to psychotic in a flash of a Romo scramble. I may drive to Dallas and take out Alan Ball, put his career out of its misery. Let us say I was illiterate, I wouldn’t continue to try out new positions at the library. He isn’t good at football. Perhaps we should get him on that show Intervention. After practice, he walks into the locker room and his family, friends and football professionals (real ones not guys like Jerry Jones) surround and confront him.

Ball’s Mother: “Alan, we love you, and that’s why we’re here…”
Ball:” I don’t…underst-“
Ball’s Mother: “These are people that care about you, not enablers like your so called friend Jerry”
John Madden: “You know you have a problem, you have to accept that you are not a professional football player.”
Ball: “I can stop anytime I want to!!”
Darren Woodson: “Alan, you can’t stop anyone, let alone yourself”
Ball: (Sobbing) “I’m so sorry….I’m so sorry”

What we learned…

Same crap different bag in Dallas. Romo imploded in the 4th quarter turning the ball over twice, the first mere feet from the goal line and the second during a late game charge to pick up a field goal. The secondary is (still) awful. Jenkins and Newman are made of glass, Scandrick is out for at least a month and Alan Ball is still Alan Ball and can’t cover whether he’s at safety or corner back. And Jerry Jones’ ineptitude as a GM continues. Nick Folk, who Jones cut instead of placing on IR, banged a 50 yard FG to win the game while Dallas is carrying two kickers, one that we know sucks and a rookie who may or may not suck. I’m sick of this team already, I don’t need this kind of stress in my life.

The Rams need someone who can catch a football. Poor Sam Bradford, who may have a lingering hand injury, doesn’t have a reliable go to receiver in the bunch. I would get T.O. on the horn, he’s nuts and not the force he once was, but this group looks terrible.

Maybe the Eagles should have signed more free agents. The defense struggled and the offensive line appeared questionable. Vick will wear down taking that many hits each week. Perhaps the team just needs more game time to gel, but after week 1 Super Bowl favorites, they are not.

The Texans will not lose a game in the AFC South. Without the best running back from a year ago, the Texans didn’t miss a beat. Ben Tate did a stellar job filling in for the injured Arian Foster and the Texans rolled over a reeling Colts team. Losing WR Kevin Walter to a busted shoulder was the low light of the game for Houston but they have to love their prospects for the franchise’s first playoff run.

We overlooked the Bears. The Bears, not the Packers, won the NFC North last season. The defense still has some pop left in it and the Bears have some truly dynamic playmakers in Matt Forte and Devin Hester on offense. Are they better than the Packers? Probably not, but the North, not the South, may end up being the most compelling division in the NFC this season.

Cam Freaking Newton. Cam Newton’s sure to have his bad days, but he lit up the stat sheet in a loss for the Panthers. He’s a big fast guy who looks to have his head on straight and a suddenly rejuvenated Steve Smith to showcase Newton’s big arm. Admittedly, it’s very early to make this sort of declaration, but we’ve seen a number of rookie QB’s defy conventional logic and have immediate success in the NFL (Bradford, Flacco, Ryan, Roethlisberger etc). We might just have to throw Newton on that list.

David Garrard was a little over paid. The Jags replaced Garrard and his 9 million dollar contract with Luke McCown with no noticeable drop off. Garrard will get a shot somewhere, at least as a backup, but Jacksonville doesn’t appear to have any regrets on the move.

The Ravens are going to be very good. Will Ed Reed and the aging defense hold up throughout the entire season? Who knows, but they don’t need to be lights out every week anymore. The offense has great balance. Boldin and Flacco have great chemistry and Ray Rice looks like the best back in the league after week 1. The best start one could ask for, a complete beat down of your biggest rival including a screw you moment going for the 2 point conversion with the game (likely) in hand.

We learned the Colts aren’t a very talented team. Similar to how Manning described his second neck surgery, I believe the 2011 Colts will be “uneventful.” The Steelers managed a 3-1 record last year with Roethlisberger suspended due to the core of talent. I don’t think we should expect a similar result from this year’s Colts. The question to ask, is it worth putting Manning at risk by playing him at all this year? Should they just throw in the towel, hand the ball to Kerry and Curtis and take your lumps, get a high draft pick? The Colts should just act like a car full of underage drinkers who just struck a pedestrian- keep driving and make a pact to never discuss it. 2011 never happened, we refuse to talk about it, we don’t know what you’re talking about, Kerry Collins retired before the season, it never happened.

NFL Week 1 Selections

2011-09-10T12:37:00.001-04:00

Week 1 Selections in the NFL
Lines from Bodog.com

Pittsburgh +1 @ Baltimore - What a storied rivalry here. Flacco has
always struggled against Pittsburgh, especially when Roethlisberger is
starting. I think those struggles continue. The Ravens defense is
phenomenal in the front seven, but the corners are young and lack the
veteran experience to shutdown an elite quarterback. Ben
Roethlisberger should have a big day against the Ravens, but still
expect this game to be relatively close because the Ravens offense is
no joke as well. I think the departures of Mason, McGahee, and Heap
will be felt in this game. Do not be worried Ravens fans, both of
these teams will be in the playoffs, but Steelers get the best of you
in this game. Take the Steelers over the Ravens.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 24 - Baltimore 17

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start: Ben Roethlisberger QB, Ray Rice RB, Hines Ward WR

Detroit @ Tampa Bay -1 - Everyone and their mother is jumping on the
Lions bandwagon. Don't get me wrong, this is an improved team with a
potent offense and a tough as nails defensive line. However, Stafford
is injury prone and the secondary for Lions defense is nothing to brag
about. I again will promote the Lions as a great ATS team, but they
will come up short a lot in the W column in the standings. This
Detroit team is one more good draft class away from being a legit
contender in arguably the best division in football this season. All
this being said, I will take Josh Freeman and the home team to win by
a field goal.

Prediction: Tampa Bay 27 - Detroit 24

Fantasy Start/Sit - Sit Legarette Blunt RB, Start Matthew Stafford
QB, Josh Freeman QB

Atlanta -3 @ Chicago - What a game for the first week in the NFL. NFC
Champion runner up Chicago Bears play host to Matty Ice and the
Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are absolutely loaded on offense. They
are the younger brother to the Green Bay Packers. They have
receivers, a stud tight end, two running backs, and a stud
quarterback. This offense is elite. Now the Bears on the other hand
are shaky. The offensive line is an issue, but I am a firm supporter
of Jay Cutler and I think he has the ability to get it done. But he
doesn't have the pieces to help him. Williams, Knox, Hester, and
Bennett? Come on. Forte will do work this season, but with a bad
offensive line I think some teams will run blitz the Bears much more
than they will anticipate. I think the Falcons will do that this
week, and I think Matty Ryan will have a very nice outing to start the
season. Take the Falcons on the road.

Prediction: Atlanta 30 - Chicago 20

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Matt Ryan QB, Sit Jay Cutler QB, Start Tony
Gonzalez TE

Buffalo +5.5 @ Kansas City - Tough game for the Bills to start the
season. I like Buffalo this week, but Kansas City has to win this
game. Kansas City will not win 9 games this season, they will be 8-8
at best, but to prove they were not a fluke last season they have to
win this game at home in front of their raucous crowd. Buffalo will
be very competitive this season. Shawne Merriman seems like the
switch will be on this season, and who isn't excited for that. Ryan
Fitzpatrick gets his opportunity to be the opening starter for the
Bills this season and I think he will make the most of it.
Fitzpatrick and Stevie Johnson developed a great relationship last
season and that will continue this season. On the Chiefs side of the
ball, will Matt Cassell be healthy enough to play well in this game?
Will his ribs hold up? If I am the Coach of the Chiefs the first 10
plays of the game should include the following: 5 runs to Charles, 2
screens to Charles, and 3 pass attempts to Bowe down the field. Those
are the play makers for Kansas City and they are the ones that should
be involved right off the bat. Kansas City, in week 1, is already in
must-win mode. They get it done.

Prediction: Kansas City 34 - Buffalo 30

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Ryan Fitzpatrick QB, Start David Nelson WR,
Steve Breaston WR, Sit CJ Spiller RB

Indianapolis @ Houston -9 - Peyton Manning is not playing. Kerry
Collins has never won against a Wade Phillips defense. Matt Schaub
will light up the Colts secondary. Derrick Ward and Ben Tate will
control the ground game and I don't think the Colts stand a chance in
this game. I would have taken the Texans even with Manning in the
game.

Prediction: Houston 27 - Indianapolis 10

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Derrick Ward RB (if Foster is ruled out),
Start Ben Tate (if Foster is out and you are in a PPR), Start Jacoby
Jones WR, Start Pierre Garcon, Sit Reggie Wayne, Sit Joseph Addai, Sit
Austin Collie

Philadelphia -4.5 @ St. Louis - For whatever reason there is national
hype about this game and about people thinking the Eagles are going to
struggle against the Rams. I firmly disagree. I think this is a
mismatch. The Rams defense is nothing special. The defensive line is
not as good as people say, the Laurinaitis line backing core is legit,
but the secondary is fair at best. Good luck stopping Vick and his
offensive weapons. McCoy will have a big game thanks in large part to
a screen or two, and I expect DeSean Jackson to blow up and have a big
game and then ask for his $$$. Take the Eagles here by at least a
touchdown.

Prediction: Philadelphia 30 - St. Louis 17

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start the entire Eagles offense, Start Steven
Jackson, Sit Sam Bradford

Cincinnati @ Cleveland -7 - This game has no significant value in my
mind. The Bengals will go through growing pains with Andy Daulton
behind center, but they do have an efficient ground game with Cedric
Benson in his contract year. I like the Browns, I think they will be
competitive all season and I think we will see nice growth from Colt
McCoy this season. That being said, this is a boring win for the
Browns.

Prediction: Cleveland 20 - Cincinnati 10

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Peyton Hillis, Start Cedric Benson

Tennessee +1 @ Jacksonville - This is my lock of the weekend, and I
cannot believe it is between these two teams. What does Jacksonville
have on their minds? Their field general, David Garrard cut one week
before the season! McCown won't get it done. Chris Johnson, Kenny
Britt, and Hassellbeck are enough for the Titans.

Prediction: Tennessee 20 - Jacksonville 13

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Maurice Jones-Drew RB, Start Chris Johnson
RB, Start Kenny Britt WR, Sit Marcedes Lewis TE

New York Giants @ Washington +3 - Take Washington to win this game at
home. Landry is out for the Skins, but I like this team at home. A
very underrated defense, and finally the distractions are gone. Rex
is nothing special at quarterback, but Hightower will run hard and
Santana Moss had a very impressive preseason. Take the Skins getting
points at home.

Prediction: Washington 20 - New York 17

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Tim Hightower RB, Start Santana Moss WR, Sit
Chris Cooley TE, Start Ahmad Bradshaw RB, Sit Eli Manning QB

Carolina @ Arizona -7 - Two quarterbacks making their first regular
season starts for their respective teams. Cam Newton makes his rookie
debut for Carolina and he will show flashes of good and bad. Kevin
Kolb makes his first start for Arizona and expect big plays out of him
to get the crowd going crazy in the University of Phoenix Stadium. I
like the Cardinals to win by a touchdown or more here.

Prediction: Arizona 24 - Carolina 13

Fantasy Start/Sit - Sit Steve Smith WR, Start DeAngelo Williams RB,
Start Kevin Kolb

Seattle @ San Francisco -5.5 - Nothing to report here. Pete Carroll
vs Jim Harbaugh. Seattle will struggle to pass so they will look to
run early and often. San Francisco will look to throw early to
incorporate the play action pass for Alex Smith. I am glad this game
won't be on any of my local channels.

Prediction: San Francisco 16 - Seattle 10

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Vernon Davis TE, Start Marshawn Lynch, Sit
Mike Williams WR, Sit Sidney Rice WR (injury), Start Frank Gore RB

Minnesota @ San Diego -9 - Let it begin for the Chargers. I believe
that San Diego is poised to make a run at the Superbowl this season
and the matchup against the Vikings will be an opening test. If the
Chargers can limit big plays from Peterson I don't think the Vikings
stand a chance. Phillip Rivers is to efficient behind center, and the
1-2 punch of Matthews and Tolbert will open up some play action passes
for Vincent Jackson down the field.

Prediction: San Diego 30 - Minnesota 17

Fantasy Start/Sit - Sit Donovan McNabb

Dallas +5.5 @ New York Jets - Mark Sanchez will be blitzed early and
often, so it will be imperative for the Jets to run quick hitches and
slants so Sanchez has time to get the ball out. Jay Ratliff just
signed a 5year/$40 million contract so expect some extra pep in his
step in this game. I think DeMarcus Ware could be the x-factor for
the Cowboys defense, if he plays well I think the Cowboys upset the
Jets. The big story in this game will be the feud of brotherly love;
Rex vs Rob Ryan. I think Rob will be over prepared for this game and
it will pay off. Take the Cowboys to get the biggest upset of week 1.

Prediction: Dallas 21 - New York 20

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Shonn Greene RB, Start Felix Jones RB,
Start Tony Romo QB, Start Santonio Holmes

New England -7 @ Miami - This line is low? Should be at least 9
right? Tom Brady will throw all over the Dolphins secondary, while
Chad Henne will have to be perfect to upset Bill Belichick's team in
week 1. The Patriots are the most prepared team in all of the NFL and
that will shine through. I need a week to evaluate the Dolphins
before I can legitimately consider picking them to win more than 5
games this season.

Prediction: New England 28 - Miami 14

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Chad Ochocinco WR, Start Aaron Hernandez TE,
Sit Chad Henne QB, Sit Davone Bess WR,

Oakland @ Denver -3 - I actually think this is going to be an
exciting game to finish off week 1 in the NFL. These two teams will
put up some serious points in this game and expect both offenses to
fly high. Kyle Orton will go over 300 yard passing, and the Raiders
will go over 150 yards on the ground. This should be a close game all
the way through and I expect a 3-4 point win by Denver.

Prediction: Denver 34 - Oakland 30

Fantasy Start/Sit - Start Kyle Orton QB, Start Jason Campbell QB,
Start Michael Bush, Start Willis McGahee, Sit Both Defenses

Danny's Playoff Predictions

2011-09-10T10:24:00.001-04:00

AFC Seeding

1. Steelers 13-3
2. Patriots 12-4
3.Chargers 11-5
4. Texans 11-5
5. Ravens 11-5
6. Jets 10-6

NFC Seeding

1. Packers 13-3
2. Eagles 12-4
3. Falcons 11-5
4. 49ers 9-7
5. Saints 11-5
6. Cowboys 10-6

Wild Card Round:

Chargers over Jets
Ravens over Texans

Falcons over Cowboys
Saints over 49ers

Divisional Round

Steelers over Ravens
Chargers over Patriots

Eagles over Falcons
Packers over Saints

Conference Championship

Chargers over Steelers
Packers overs Eagles

Superbowl

Chargers over Packers

Eric's Post Season Predictions

2011-09-09T21:32:00.000-04:00

Eric's Picks for the Playoff's

AFC Seeding

1. Ravens 13-3

2. Chargers 12-4

3. Patriots 12-4

4 Texans 10-6

5. Jets 10-6

6. Steelers 10-6

NFC Seeding

1. Eagles. 12-4

2. Packers. 11-5

3. Falcons. 11-5

4. Seahawks 8-8

5. Saints. 10-6

6. Cowboys. 10-6

Wild Card Round:

AFC

Patriots over Steelers
Jets over Texans

NFC

Falcons over Cowboys
Saints over Seahawks

Divisional Round:

AFC

Ravens over Jets
Patriots over Chargers

NFC

Eagles over Saints
Falcons over Packers

Conference Championship Round:

AFC
Ravens over Chargers

NFC

Eagles over Falcons

SUPERBOWL:

Ravens over Eagles

Eagles are the SuperBowl Champions!!
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NFL Week 1 Thursday Night Football

2011-09-08T21:12:00.001-04:00

New Orleans +5 @ Green Bay Packers

These offenses are too stellar to not have a close game. I love the Packers in this game. Super Bowl champs playing at home in the first game of the season. What a great matchup of quarterbacks here with Brees and Rodgers, two of the NFL's best.

I give the edge to the Packers, besides the fact they are the reigning champs, because of their defense. Clay Matthews will be a big factor all year for the Packers and he will make a big impact tonight. By no means do I think this is a low-scoring game, but I just like the Packers to win it.

Take a close look at how the Saints use Ingram, Thomas, and Sprolles tonight as they are key pieces to the season for the Saints.

Packers win a close one at home and get the NFL season off to a great start.

Green Bay 31 - New Orleans 27
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NFL Preseason Awards

2011-09-08T15:47:00.000-04:00

Here are Danny's Preseason Picks for all of the Regular Season Award Winners

Rookie of the Year: Mark Ingram RB New Orleans Saints

Coordinator of the Year: Wade Phillips DC Houston Texans

Offensive Player of the Year: Matt Schaub QB Houston Texans

Defensive Player of the Year: DeMarcus Ware DE Dallas Cowboys

Head Coach of the Year: Gary Kubiak HC Houston Texans

Comeback Player of the Year: Ryan Grant RB Green Bay Packers

Most Valuable Player of the Year: Philip Rivers QB San Diego Chargers
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Peyton's Streak is Over

2011-09-07T17:11:00.001-04:00

And it ends at 208. Peyton Manning will not be behind center this sunday in Houston, instead veteran Kerry Collins will take over for the Colts. This news is music to the ears of Texans fans as Houston will be a heavy favorite (-8.5) to win this game.

Manning's streak of 208 was very impressive, 89 away from Farve's 297, but to stay healthy for that many consecutive games is a testament to Manning and the hard work he puts in to take care of his body. Ironically, now the longest active streak for consecutive starts in the NFL is Eli Manning with 103.

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Top 15 Tight Ends Ranks

2011-09-07T13:00:00.000-04:00

Top 15 Tight Ends for Fantasy Football:

1. Jermichael Finley - Green Bay
2. Antonio Gates - San Diego
3. Jason Witten - Dallas
4. Vernon Davis - San Francisco
5. Dallas Clark - Indianapolis
6. Kellen Winslow - Tampa Bay
7. Jimmy Graham - New Orleans
8. Aaron Hernandez - New England
9. Owen Daniels - Houston
10. Greg Olsen - Carolina
11. Brandon Pettigrew - Detroit
12. Tony Gonzalez - Atlanta
13. Jared Cook - Tennessee
14. Todd Heap - Arizona
15. Marcedes Lewis - Jacksonville

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Top 20 WR Ranks

2011-09-07T12:55:00.001-04:00

Top 20 Wide Receivers for Fantasy Football:

1. Andre Johnson - Houston
2. Larry Fitzgerald - Arizona
3. Roddy White - Atlanta
4. Calvin Johnson - Detroit
5. Vincent Jackson - San Diego
6. Miles Austin - Dallas
7. Hakeem Nicks - New York Giants
8. Mike Wallace - Pittsburgh
9. Reggie Wayne - Indianapolis
10. Brandon Marshall - Miami
11. DeSean Jackson - Philadelphia
12. Dwayne Bowe - Kansas City
13. Mike Williams - Tampa Bay
14. Greg Jennings - Green Bay
15. Brandon Lloyd - Denver
16. Dez Bryant - Dallas
17. Stevie Johnson - Buffalo
18. Wes Welker - New England
19. Anquan Boldin - Baltimore
20. Santana Moss - Washington
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Preseason Running Back Ranks

2011-09-07T12:49:00.001-04:00

Top 25 Running Backs for Fantasy Football:

1. Adrian Peterson
2. Arian Foster
3. Ray Rice
4. Chris Johnson
5. Jamaal Charles
6. Rashard Mendenhall
7. Darren McFadden
8. LeSean McCoy
9. Michael Turner
10. Darren McFadden
11. Frank Gore
12. Peyton Hillis
13. Steven Jackson
14. Felix Jones
15. Matt Forte
16. LeGarrette Blount
17. Shonn Greene
18. DeAngelo Williams
19. Ahmad Bradshaw
20. Tim Hightower
21. Mark Ingram
22. Jahvid Best
23. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
24. Mike Tolbert
25. Fred Jackson
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Preseason QB Ranks

2011-09-07T12:41:00.001-04:00

Top 20 QB in Fantasy Football this season:

1. Philip Rivers - San Diego
2. Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay
3. Drew Brees - New Orleans
4. Michael Vick - Philadelphia
5. Tom Brady - New England
6. Matt Schaub - Houston
7. Matt Ryan - Atlanta
8. Tony Romo - Dallas
9. Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh
10. Matthew Stafford - Detroit
11. Peyton Manning - Indianapolis
12. Eli Manning - New York Giants
13. Joe Flacco - Baltimore
14. Sam Bradford - St. Louis
15. Kevin Kolb - Arizona
16. Jay Cutler - Chicago
17. Josh Freeman - Tampa Bay
18. Donovan McNabb - Minnesota
19. Kyle Orton - Denver
20. Ryan Fitzpatrick - Buffalo

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Coaching Spotlight

2011-09-05T23:15:00.001-04:00

Rob Ryan
Defensive Coordinator - Dallas Cowboys

Rob Ryan brings an element of toughness and bravado the Cowboys have lacked since the Jimmy Johnson days. Sure, Bill Parcells was a tough SOB but he kept everyone in check and lead with a derisive touch. Rob Ryan brings the cockiness (bordering on conceit) that Jimmy once brought. The fact the Jason Garrett is secure enough to bring in such a big personality speaks volumes of both men. It's the perfect good-cop bad-cop theme. The aggression and confidence Dallas' defense once had is back. The offense never really floundered, even with Kitna at QB, but the defense was a cat-abortion last year. I think Ryan jumps ship for a head coaching job after a year or two, but in the mean time, hopefully (for Dallas fans) some of his signature brashness and toughness gets embedded on this Dallas defense. If Dallas has a shot at a playoff run, it's the defense that will get them there.

Player Spotlight

2011-09-05T23:09:00.003-04:00

Tim Hightower
Running Back - Washington Redskins

Tim Hightower appears poised to make a huge impact for the Redskins. Mike Shanahan built a reputation for plugging in random running backs and having success in Denver. Shanahan went to ridiculous lengths to prove this ability bringing in Larry
Johnson and Willie Parker to compete with Clinton Portis to create washed-up dream team. However, Ryan Torain came on to help salvage the Skins' running attack. Torain's injuries allowed Hightower to snatch the starting role and he's certainly made the most of the opportunity this preseason. Fumbles plagued Hightower in Arizona, but it appears he put cast those issues aside.

Some running backs take a few years to hit their stride (e.g. Michael Turner, Arian Foster,); Hightower came out o I-AA Richmond and made a few waves ripping off touchdowns in Arizona but never evolved into their feature back. A number of backs have languished in the Arizona offense. A washed up Emmitt Smith struggled, Thomas Jones moved on to develop into a one of the best backs in the league, and Beanie Wells continues to under perform. Hightower comes to a Redskins team in the second year of a new scheme (a scheme that's produced rushing stats out of lesser
talent), an improved offensive line, and he's running crazy in the preseason. I know, it's the preseason, but the Skins schedule is
promising. The Eagles lack the linebacking corps, the Giants are a mess
with injuries, and who knows if the Cowboys will get their defensive
groove back. Couple that with games against the NFC West and
Hightower's penchant of scoring TD's, and you've got the makings of a
1,300+/12TD+ type of breakout season.

NFC West Preview

2011-08-29T00:28:00.000-04:00

Arizona Cardinals

Last Season:5-11

The Cardinals got their off season acquisition in Kevin Kolb. Larry
Fitzgerald finally becomes a true deep threat as he has a quarterback
that won't be afraid to take shots down the field. Kolb also has
threats in newly acquired Todd Heap, new draftee Ryan Williams RB from
V-Tech, and the combination of Andre Roberts and Early Doucet split
out wide.

Ranked 29th overall in defense, the Cardinals have to get better this
season. Losing Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the Eagles, the
addition of CB Patrick Patterson should be a nice fit. That being
said, pressure on the quarterback and better play from the safeties is
pivotal to the Cardinals success.

With games at Washington, Seattle, home versus Pittsburgh and then
straight to Baltimore the Cardinals have a tough schedule to deal
with. Additionally, Kolb has to go back to Philly to play Vick and
the Birds, and also play the Cowboys towards the end of the season.
Tough hand to deal with.

Sleeper: Andre Roberts WR

Prediction: 7-9

ST. LOUIS RAMS

Last Season: 7-9

It is always worth mentioning when quarterbacks have to learn new
offenses, and Sam Bradford in his second year has to do that. Josh
McDaniels takes over as the new OC for the Rams and his goal is to be
more aggressive and more pass oriented. I think this will be a great
fit for Bradford and the Rams. Mike Sims-Walker was a great sign for
St. Louis, and the pass oriented offense will lighten the load for
Steven Jackson. Don't expect Amendola to get 85 receptions this year,
but i still see him playing a key role as a possession receiver for
Bradford.

Defensively, Chris Long is not overrated and his value will be largely
on display this season. James Laurinaitis is an absolute beast for
the Rams line backing core and he will be surely counted on to have a
big season. The Rams know they have the pieces on the offensive end
of the ball, so they drafted DE Robert Quinn out of UNC in the first
round of this year's draft. I love the pick. Quinn will fit in great
with this young defense, and he will be hungry for sacks.

The Rams schedule is tough; games on the road against the Giants,
Packers, Cowboys, Browns, and Steelers as far as out of the division
goes. This will be a tough season, but I think the Rams have the
right pieces to remain competitive.

Sleeper: Danario Alexander WR

Prediction: 8-8

San Francisco 49ers

Last Season: 6-10

Jim Harbaugh is in as head coach and he immediately let the public
know the Alex Smith will be his guy at quarterback. I highly dispute
this decision, but I am certainly not qualified to be a NFL head
coach. That being said, Smith better show up for Harbaugh as 8 or 9
wins could easily make the playoffs in the NFC West.

Frank Gore will be a beast coming out of the backfield as long as he
and the 49ers get on the same page and get this contract in tact. I
think it will get done. Adding Braylon Edwards will be a nice fit to
go hand in hand with Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. I just don't
trust Smith to get it done and be CONSIST for 16 games in this league.

Defensively the 49ers took Aldon Smith, OLB from Missouri, with their
first pick and he will be a nice player to go along side with a very
strong line backing group in San Francisco. However, when you go 1-7
on the road clearly the defense needs to step it up. With road games
against Philly, Detroit, Washington, and Baltimore the 49ers will have
to unify early in the season.

Sleeper: Josh Morgan

Prediction: 6-10

Seattle Seahawks

Last Season: 7-9

Pete Carroll got it done in Seattle last season and he won a playoff
game against the Saints. What a crazy season.

With Matt Hassellbeck gone, I am very nervous for the Seahawks and who
the quarterback is. As of now it looks like Tarvaris Jackson, but
consistency will be an issue there and we may see Whitehurst earlier
than we all think.

Marshawn Lynch had a heck of a touchdown run in that playoff victory
over New Orleans, but with a weak passing attack this season, I can
see defenses stack the box on Seattle. So, can newly acquired Sidney
Rice live up to his huge contract and put up quality numbers while
remaining healthy? Its going to be tough for the Seahawks, but Rice
will get plenty of targets to have a big season.

Defensively Earl Thomas will be crucial to the Seahawks success. The
kid is a beast and I think he will have another stellar season. But
games on the road against Dallas, Pittsburgh, Giants, and the Bears I
do think the Seahawks are in for a tough fight. I don't like Seattle
this season.

Sleeper: Ben Obomanu WR

Prediction: 5-11

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NFC South Preview

2011-08-20T09:14:00.001-04:00

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Last Season: 10-6

I wrote prior to last year they did all the right things, putting the right young guys in positions to succeed and their success seemed to instill astonishment They did a lot of promising things last season. The problem for the Bucs stems from the fact they play in the same division as the Saints (i.e. Sean Peyton/Drew Brees) and the surging Falcons. I don't know if Raheem Morris and company have what it takes to make a dent in the super competitive NFC South.

The new ESPN QB rating scale was advertised to be a simpler and easily understood version of the old QB ratings. Its just as esoteric but puts things on a 100 point scale. To me this is just like the metric system- yeah our version is more complex and probably not as good- but it's ours damnit.
Anyway- Josh Freeman ranks among the second tier in the new rating scale, just below the Tom Brady's and Peyton Manning's, but above Romo, Cutler, and many other pro bowlish quarterbacks. If we believe in this new scale, then Freeman is a betting man's friend. However, he doesn't pass my eyeball test and I'm not sold on it yet. Maybe it's the Jheri Curl, but I need to see more John Elway-like plays before I put my dollars on him.

Prediction: setback year 8-8.

Fantasy Sleeper: LaGarret (French for "The Garrett") Blount

Carolina Panthers

Last Season: 2-14

I'm sitting on a rooftop deck in Hatteras North Carolina. The weather is perfect and the cool breeze is pacifying my negative sentiment towards all things Carolina. With that said, the 2010 Panthers were among the worst teams I've ever seen. Jimmy Clausen put Steve Smith on suicide watch and John Fox was a dead man walking. The best part of the season: the excitement of uber-bust or burst candidate Cam Newton. (Thanks to the new salary scale, Newton may become the first player in history to make less as a pro than he did as a collegiate athlete). Newton's potential gives cause for hope- hope that the future is bright and hope that Steve Smith doesn't pull a Private Pyle.

Ron Rivera, the architect of the dominate Bears' and underrated Chargers defenses, finally gets his shot at a head coaching gig. He brings certain toughness to the squad and along with Newton, a promise of good things ahead. Poor Jimmy Clausen will watch as his career degrades from franchise savior to career backup with every Cam Newton snap. Newton strikes me as a rich man's Vince Young. Just as big, faster, and less insane. If DeAngelo Williams and Stewart round back into form, this could be a very interesting offense. The addition of Legedu Naanee gives some much-needed depth at the receiver position. Middle Linebacker, Jon Beason, is as solid as Sears but doesn't have a lot of help on the defensive side of the ball.
Rivera's got his work cut out for him, but I like the team's prospects in the long run.

Prediction: 4-12

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Legedu Naanee

New Orleans Saints

Last Season: 11-5

As defending Super Bowl Champions, anything less than a championship is a disappointment. Losing in the playoffs to a 7-9 Seattle team was devastating. The Gregg Williams defense that came together so well in their championship run disappeared as Marshawn Lynch ran roughshod on his way to a game clinching touchdown.

The Saints made some nice moves in the off season, including the replacement of Reggie Bush with Darren Sproles and drafting Mark Ingram. Sproles is a cheaper option and an established play maker, and Mark Ingram has largely flew under the radar for a former Heisman Trophy winner.

If the defense holds up, they'll be in the thick of it come the playoffs. A healthy Shaun Rogers in the middle of the defensive line could be a huge help.

Prediction: 10-6

Fantasy Sleeper: Darren Sproles

Atlanta Falcons

Last Season: 13-3

2010 was another step in the right direction for the Falcons. Unfortunately, the Bucs and Saints have managed to keep stride. Matt Ryan emerged as a top flight quarterback able to win games on his own. The Falcons brought Alabama WR Julio Jones into the fold. Matty Ice now has another big time target. The re-signing of Jason Snelling was a great move. Michael Turner is fantastic, but running backs with a lot of mileage make me nervous and Snelling did a solid job filling in for Turner last season.

Atlanta went 13-3 last year and they're bringing back many of the pieces essential to that strong season.
If they can figure the passing defense out (22nd in the league last year) they'll be in the thick of things.

Prediction: 12-4

Fantasy Sleeper: Jason Snelling

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2011-08-18T23:54:00.002-04:00

Kansas City

Last Season: 10-6

The Todd Haley regime took a step in the right direction last season. Jamaal Charles ran for just under 1500 yards, Bowe caught over a 1,000, and Matt Cassel earned a trip to the pro bowl. However, the Chiefs struggled in the division going just 2-4 against AFC west opponents. In order to take the next step, Kansas City will need to figure out a way to win in the division.

The Chiefs used their first round draft pick on WR Jon Baldwin and signed Arizona WR Steve Breston. The surprise in training camp thus far is that neither is currently listed as the started opposite Dwayne Bowe. Somebody named Jerheme Urban is slated as the number 2 receiver thus far. The plan is likely to bring Breston on as a slot receiver and Baldwin as the two. TE Tony Moeaki is Cassel’s safety valve and will continue to be the second leading receiver. Jammal Charles is poised for a dominate fantasy year butwill it translate? He should rceive more carries as Thomas Jones’ role continues to diminish. Kansas City shouldn’t be taken lightly but the Chargers are still the class of the division and I feel they return to the top of the AFC West. The Cheifs will find themselves in a difficult wild card race.

Prediction: 9-7

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Steve Breston

San Diego Chargers

Last Season: 9-7

The AFC West was the Chargers to lose in 2010, and they did just that. Norv Turner’s team has been famous for is early malaise and ability to pick things up before letting you down in the playoffs. Last year,the malaise never really ended. Holdouts and injuries never let the team get off the ground.

Enter 2011, a healthy Ryan Matthews and frisky defenseshould put the Chargers back on top of the division. I loved the resigning of Safety Eric Weddle and acquisition of Bob Sanders. If Sanders stayshealthy, they’ve got one of the best combos in the league. Expect a nice regular season before a playoff swoon.

Prediction 13-3.

Fantasy Sleeper: RB Mike Tolbert

Denver Broncos

Last Season: 4-12

Former head coach Josh McDaniels took a wild gamble when hemoved up in the draft to take Tim Tebow. It’s the kind of gamble that, fair or unfair, needs to pay dividends immediately or its your ass. Well, McDaniels is gone and it appears Tebow will start the year on the bench.

Tebow looks good to me. He will never put up great stats, but he’s a leader and strong as hell. The Broncos aren’t going anywhere and Kyle Orton is a nice asset to trade off. Just a few weeks ago, we all thought Orton was taking his talents to South Beach. New HC John Fox feels Orton’s the better option to win at QB. However, you’re not winning much Orton and you should see if Tebow’sworth the time and effort to develop. Orton to Brandon Lloyd 30 times a game and Moreno disappointing at tailback-no desire to watch this team.

Prediction: 6-10

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Eddie Royal

Oakland Raiders

Tom Cable returned the Radiers to respectability from the ashes of the JaMarcus Russell debacle. For his efforts, he was shown the door. Tom Cable and TE Zach Miller now reside in Seattle. Jason Campbell continues his unprecedented run at learning a new offensive scheme almost every year and Al Davis defies death once again.

I can’t see much coming from this Raiders squad. They have a few pieces but their best players on both sides of the ball are gone and many of the positive changes seem to have eroded. While the AFC West is weak overall, the Radiers will do little to take advantage of it.

Prediction: 4-12

Fantasy Sleeper: RB Michael Bush

AFC North Preview

2011-08-16T14:56:00.001-04:00

BALTIMORE RAVENS:

Last Season: 12-4

Can Joe Flacco and Ray Lewis lead the Ravens to a Super Bowl this season? With the departures of Willis McGahee, Todd Heap, and Derrick Mason the Ravens offense will need a big pick-me-up from new acquisitions Ricky Williams and Lee Evans. Evans, I thought, was a huge pickup for Flacco as he is a big time deep threat as evidence from his time spent in Buffalo. Williams is a quality #2 back, and with Ray Rice getting 20+ touches a game, Williams won't be called on to do a hole lot. Torrey Smith, WR from Univ. of Maryland, was the Ravens big offensive draft pick and he will have big expectations right off the bat.

Defensively the Ravens are always stout against the run. With Haloti Ngata as the franchised DT, Ray Lewis as superman in the middle, and Mr. Ed Reed coming up for support, the Ravens will be great once again versus the run. However, last season the Ravens were shaky against the pass, ranking 21st in the NFL. Trying to tighten things up, they selected Colorado's Jimmy Smith in the first round to bolster their secondary. While Smith had off the field issues coming into the league, this could be a great fit for him given the leadership in the Ravens defensive huddle.

Overall this team is a playoff team for certain. With road games against Seattle and San Diego, the Ravens do not have that tough of a schedule. But I think losing Heap and McGahee will cost them a game.

Fantasy Sleeper: Ed Dickson TE

Prediction: 11-5

PITTSBURGH STEELERS:

Last season: 12-4

The Steelers come into this season as Super Bowl runner ups. The mentality is no different this season: Super Bowl or bust.

#1 against the run last season, this defense is flat out stacked. Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel on the ends (and new 1st round pick Cameron Heyward DE), Ike Taylor and Polamalu in the secondary, and then a monstrous line backing group of Farrior, Timmons, Harrison among others. How do you not like this team to go far into January?

Offensively, Big Ben just wins. The addition of Jericho Cotchery will be a nice fit, a healthy Hines Ward can always help, Mike "Usain Bolt" Wallace running 9's, and Mendenhall carrying the load for this rough and tough offense. A nice battle between Emmanuel Sanders and Arnaz Battle for #4 receiver will be nice to watch come week 3 in the preseason. The Steelers are stacked and if they stay healthy they will play a few extra games in January.

Looking at the schedule, the Steelers travel to Indy, Houston, Kansas City, and two games against Baltimore make for a tough year. But with a stout defense, expect big things.

Fantasy Sleeper: Jericho Cotchery WR

Prediction: 12-4

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Last season: 5-11

Where were the Browns during this free agent explosion in August? They lost Shaun Rodgers to New Orleans, Massaquoi is hurt, and Cribbs won't get many opportunities to return kicks. So again, where were the Browns during this free agent free fall?

Had the Browns made some moves I would have liked them a bit more, but without a true #1 receiver, the Browns are going to struggle. Don't get me wrong, Peyton Hillis is a beast, but he didn't score a TD in the last 5 games last season! He was worn down. Ben Watson will likely lead the team in receptions again, but who will step up for McCoy? Cribbs? Robiskie? Greg Little out of UNC? Time will tell.

Defensively the Browns are good and with Hayden and Brown on the corners they do have the option to stack the box to stop the run and allow the defense to play man coverage. Phil Taylor, the Browns 1st round draft pick, will get time at DE as he should be a beast with a high motor. But with games at Indy, Oakland, San Francisco, and Houston the Browns will have a tough time doing better than last year.

Fantasy Sleeper: Brandon Jackson (injury pick for Hillis)

Prediction: 5-11

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Last Season: 4-12

Mike Brown won't allow Carson Palmer to be traded, so Palmer is retired (for this season it seams) unless he decides to honor his contract. What a bonehead mistake by Brown. Why would you want to start a rookie quarterback in the AFC North, when you could potentially trade Palmer and get some players in exchange and then sign a veteran QB (McNabb, Hasselbeck, Vince Young etc). Nope, let's start Andy Daulton and hope it all works out. Oh, and by the way, your top two receivers aren't there anymore.

Not only does this spell bad for Daulton, but now the "Playing for my next contract" Cedric Benson will be facing 8 and 9 in the box. This is going to be a tough year in Cincy. Games at Denver and Seattle, and then home versus Indy, I do not see this team winning many games.

Fantasy Sleeper: AJ Green WR

Prediction: 2-14
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AFC EAST PREVIEW

2011-08-13T15:10:00.003-04:00

BUFFALO BILLS

Last season the Bills finished the year 4-12. With Head Coach Chan Gailey having zero time with his players in the off season, I do not expect the Bills to make much progress this season. Ryan Fitzpatrick will be behind center, and to his credit the guy is a fierce competitor. However, with the departure of Lee Evans, Fitzpatrick has #1 and #2 targets with Stevie Johnson and Roscoe Parrish. Johnson came alive last year and could be a valuable pickup in fantasy leagues this year, but how much can you depend on the Bills to produce. With CJ Spiller missing valuable time in OTA's, he will likely split carries with Fred Jackson. Jackson has better hands than spiller, but Spiller is absolutely dynamic in open space. The Bills drafted DT Marcell Dareus #3 overall, and really hope that he can bolster their D-line to help stop the run game. With Terrence McGee and Drayton Florence on the corners, it would be huge for the Bills if Leodis McKelvin can step up in the nickel role and give them a much needed bump on coverage on 3rd downs.

4-12 last season, with some competitive games, and their defense could (fingers crossed) be better this season if Merriman and Nick Barnett have Pro Bowl caliber years, I consider the Bills to be similar to the Lions of last season. They will lose a few games by double digits, but for the most part they will be in all of their games for the first 52 minutes, but how do they close them out will be the questions.

Fantasy Sleeper: Buster Davis WR

Prediction 3-13

MIAMI DOLPHINS

Last season: 7-9

With Tony Sparano still holding down the fort, and Chad Henne (feelings hurt and all) behind center, the Dolphins are hoping for a big season in Miami. The departures of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown led to the arrival of Reggie Bush from the New Orleans Saints. Bush will get a bulk of carries, so it will be interesting to see how he holds up throughout the year, while Daniel Thomas (rookie from KSU) will likely get some carries as well. Chad Henne must have a good season. It seemed like the Dolphins would take a run at McNabb or Orton, but they stayed quiet and only brought in Matt Moore. So Henne is the guy Dolphin fans, the guy that has thrown more INTs than TD in both of his seasons as starting QB. Brandon Marshall, a man of two minds, could go for 100+ receptions this season as the Dolphins are going to have to throw a lot more now that their two ball carriers are gone. Marshall is a star in this league, but he also will get some help from up-and-comer Davone Bess and Brian Hartline.

Looking at the defense in Miami, they were good last year which is why their record is a little misleading. 7th against the run and 8th against the pass, the Dolphins defense was stout. Forcing turnovers will be critical this season and you can bet that Vontae Davis and Chris Clemons have a small wager on INTs for this season. I would like to see something out of Jared Odrick, 2nd year DE out of Penn State, as he has a tremendous upside as a pass rusher and run stopper.

Fantasy Sleeper: Daniel Thomas - how long will Bush be healthy...

Prediction: 6-10

NEW YORK JETS

Last Season: 11-5

Two straight years with Mark Sanchez behind center and two straight years of falling one game short of the Super Bowl. While I am not a big fan of Sanchez, that is a crazy-good start to a career. But could this be the year that Rex and the Sanchize get it done? Keeping Santonio Holmes was huge for the Jets as he and Sanchez has great chemistry. Losing Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith will be interesting to see how the offense adapts, but the late addition of Derrick Mason was a nice move by the Jets front office.

Defensively we all know the Jets are terriffic Revis island and Cromartie are two dominant corners, but look for Brodney Pool (FS) to step up and have a better season this year. Looking at the Jets schedule, it gets hard right away with a tough three week road trip against Oakland, Baltimore, and New England beginning week 3. The Jets cannot have any let down games this season as the AFC is too competitive to make the playoffs without 10 or 11 wins. Sanchez will be the leader once again, but can the Jets man-up for all the talking that their coach does. Could be a fun ride in New York this year.

Fantasy Sleeper: Joe McKnight

Prediction: 12-4

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Last Year: 14-2

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are a dynamic duo having one more games in the past 10 years than any other quarterback/coach tandem. (Manning/Dungy and McNabb/Reid right behind them) The Patriots offense will always be good with Brady behind center. It got some upgrades with Ochocinco and draft pick Shane Vereen. So expect the Pats to put up points and Brady to have another MVP-caliber season.

The main focus for New England is their defense. Horrible against the pass (30th), they spent the off-season trying to upgrade their d-line to get more pressure on the quarterback. Albert Haynesworth, yeah, he can help a little bit. With Haynesworth's presence on the line, he will attract double teams, Tight Ends staying in to help protection, and it will open up outside blitzes from corners, safeties, and the line backers. Great move by the Patriots with Haynesworth, especially if he plays anything close to a few years ago with the Titans.

With out of division games against the Steelers and Eagles on the road, and a home contest against Peyton Manning, I think the Patriots will have a few tough games, but for the most part be double digit wins.

Fantasy Sleeper: Aaron Hernandez TE

PREDICTION: 13-3

NFC EAST PREVIEW

2011-08-12T22:52:00.005-04:00

Dallas Cowboys

The storyline heading into last season focused on if Dallas could be the first team to host a Super Bowl. We all know how that turned out. Aside from Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware (and perhaps the flashes shown by Dez Bryant), the entire team appeared to regress. The o-line got old, the secondary self-destructed, and Marion Barber died. New coach Jason Garrett did keep things competitive over the last half of the season, which says a lot about the man. The squad could have easily mailed it in.

Garrett brings a steady hand to a team that needs it. The Princeton educated coach played under Jimmy Johnson. Johnson’s style of discipline and independence (from Jerry) brought the team its last tastes of glory. To bring the charisma of Johnson into the fold, Dallas signed Rob Ryan to coach the defense. The defense, which ranked among the franchises worst ever last season, sorely needed a shot of bravado. Dallas also took a very conservative approach to free agency; cutting under-performers such as Marion Barber’s corpse, Roy Williams, and Marc Columbo, and re-signing the likes of Doug Free, Kyle Kosier and Marcus Spears. The offense will perform well with Felix Jones, DeMarco Murray & Co. handling the run attack and as long as Romo stays upright, Austin and Bryant should both have nice seasons. If Marty Bennett can finally emerge as a legitimate threat to compliment all-pro Jason Witten, the passing game will be among the league’s best. Defensively…who knows…The secondary is counting on Terrance Newman to stay healthy, Mike Jenkins to bounce back and Alan Ball to stay away. I could see another 6-10 year just as easily as a 11-5 year. I say 9-7 and they miss the playoffs, but stay competitive in every game.

PREDICTION: 9-7

Fantasy Sleeper: RB DeMarco Murray

Washington Redskins

Mike Shanahan’s first season in Washington went about as well as every other Dan Synder hire. I suppose the biggest lesson learned from the 2010 season for the Redskins was “If a division rival (who you play twice a year) wants to trade you their starting quarterback, you might want to decline.” The off field dramas, from the McNabb out of shape issue to the adventures of Albert Haynesworth, proved more interesting than anything happening during the games.

The Redskins have put together a solid secondary. They bulked up their defensive unit signing Safety AJ Otogwae and CB Josh Wilson to an already formidable secondary group, stole up-and-comer DE Stephen Bowen from Dallas and used their first two draft picks on OLB Ryan Kerrigan and DL Jarvis Jenkins. I love what their doing on defense but is it enough to compensate for their issues on offense? To improve the locker room, the Skins dealt 100 million dollar man and alleged sex offender Albert Haynesworth and cut the slumping Clinton Portis. Washington brought in RB Tim Hightower as Portis’ replacement. Hightower started well in Arizona then trailed off. I seriously doubt he will make waves in the NFC East. Santana Moss remains the most potent weapon on the offensive side of the ball and Fred Davis appears poised to have a breakout season (especially in the likely event Cooley goes down). However, who will get the ball to them? John Beck, who looked great in the game he won in Miami (the only game he won in Miami) and Rex Grossman are the top QB’s for this team. In a quarterback driven league, the Redskins do not appear to have a starting caliber quarterback on the roster. Expect good things on defense and hideous things on offense.

PREDICTION: 5-11

Fantasy Sleeper: TE Fred Davis

New York Giants:

The team appeared poised to make a run at a championship coming into last season. However, in true Tom Coughlin form, wild swings between good football and bad football led this team home come playoff time. Consistently inconsistent play occurred at all levels of the team and it does not appear the Giants did a lot to address their issues in the off-season and lost a couple of keys to their past success.

The departure of TE Kevin Boss likely hurts the worst. Boss proved a reliable and consistent target for Eli Manning. I was shocked to see the Raiders steal him away so easily. There’s still a good deal of talent around Manning. Hakeem Nicks is a fantastic receiver and the Ahmad Bradshaw/Brandon Jacobs combo give the Giants a fighting chance in any game. Defensively, the Umenyiora saga drags on and the team lost its number one draft pick to injury indefinitely (Prince Amukamara). I see the team struggling throughout the year with the pendulum swinging towards bad football more often than it does towards good football. Ultimately, Tom Coughlin loses his job at year’s end and the team enters a rebuilding process on the defensive side of the ball.

Prediction: 8-8

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Mario Manningham

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles entered 2010 with dreams of the Kevin Kolb era. Those quickly faded into oblivion and the Michael Vick redemption tour took center stage. The Eagles with McCoy, Jackson, and Vick appeared unstoppable at times last season. Vick played like some 13 year old Madden junkie was controlling him. Defensively, they played an inconsistent brand of football. Rookie Safety Nate Allen flashed potential and Asante Samuel pieced together another pro bowl year, but overall they lacked an identity. This lack of identity paired with the wear-down of Vick ultimately led to their demise.

Everyone knows the Eagles won the off-season. On paper, they appear the number one contender to unseat the current NFL champion Packers. The Eagles ended free agency loaded with names: Cullen Jenkins, Nnamdi Asomugha, Ronnie Brown, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Jason Babin, Vince Young, Steve Smith and the list goes on. Rarely does this methodology work out. However, Andy Reid runs a tight ship and the Eagles count themselves among the best run organizations in the NFL. Michael Vick’s health will determine the fate of the Eagles. If he can stay healthy, and I mean at full strength not dinged up all year, the sky is the limit. Vince Young is a nice insurance policy and could whether the storm but he’s simply not prepared to take the team for a deep playoff run. With a healthy Michael Vick, the Eagles are clearly the class of the division and perhaps the conference.

Prediction: 12-4

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Jason Avant

2011-08-12T07:24:00.001-04:00

It was only Pre-Season Football last night, but it felt great seeing those guys in pads in primetime television
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

NFC NORTH PREVIEW

2011-08-11T09:44:00.007-04:00

Chicago Bears

For all the hype of a Mike Martz-Jay Culter offense, little came of it. The Bears ranked 28th last season in passing. Not exactly a rebirth of the greatest show on turf. Then again, the team did finish 11-5, so something went right. Chicago’s season ended on a sour note after Jay Cutler left a playoff game in the hands of Todd Collins and Caleb Hanie. Cutler received a barrage of criticism for his lack of toughness. When you play for a team that boasts the likes of Mike Ditka, Richard Dent and Mike Singletary you had better be an amputee candidate before you leave a playoff game.

The Bears were so taken with the 2010 Dallas Cowboys, they decided to shop former Cowboys like they were at some sort of JoS A Banks sale. Chicago signed Roy Williams to be their number one wide receiver. An interesting proposition, considering Johnny Knox (last year’s number 1) caught 51 balls for over 900 yards last year and Roy Williams hasn’t matched that for some time. The Bears also brought over WR Sam Hurd and the artist formerly known as Marion Barber. Kidding aside, Barber and Williams give them red zone threats and actually compliment existing pieces. Williams is a big tall receiver and a nice target for Cutler near the goal line. Barber’s best years were as a backup, and in Chicago he returns to that role. If he can rekindle some of that ferocity, he should serve as a nice change to the smaller faster Matt Forte. Throw in first rounder OT Gabe Carimi and the Bears have done a few things to improve their offense. Defensively, the Bears still have Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher. Although weathered, I see no reason to doubt this group. The key to this year is Cutler and Martz; can they make it work in a competitive division? Is Cutler the reincarnation of Jeff George or is he something more than a big arm?

Prediction: 10-6

Fantasy Sleeper: Marion Barber

Minnesota Vikings

In hindsight, the Brett Favre interception that ended the Viking’s 2009 season was a prelude of things to come. The Vikings started 2010 with the Favre saga. Prominent Viking players flew to Mississippi and pleaded with Favre to secure his return. Then we found out Favre had a penchant forlechery. Next we found out that he was completely washed up. Panic ensued. The Vikings acquired Randy Moss only to realize he too was washed up. In the end, creepy Brad Childress lost his job, Brett’s streak ended, and somebody named Joe Webb was under center.

The top storyline leading into 2011: Can Donavon McNabb redeem himself and bring the team back to contender status? Doubtful. McNabb’s leash will certainly be longer than the one he wore in Washington. Minnesota wants rookie QB Christian Ponder to develop along the sidelines and unless the team tanks, he will remain there. The Vikings lost Sidney Rice to free agency and did not replace him with a viable deep threat option. If McNabb stumbles, defenses will focus on locking down Adrian Peterson and essentially stifle offensive production. The team’s offensive fate hinges on McNabb and that’s a dicey proposition especially since the team cut future Lipitor Spokesman OT Bryant McKinnie. Defense is Coach Leslie Frazier’s specialty and he’ll have his workcut out for him. The loss of Ray Edwards, who served as a nice compliment to Jarred Allen further complicates his work. I think its going to be a long season in Minnesota , one where the lack of a stadium and rumors of a Los Angeles move dominate storylines.

Prediction: 5-11

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Michael Jenkins

Green Bay

The Packers took it all last year. They didn’t always look the part but they peaked at the perfect time. Aaron Rodgers is a statistics machine. As long as the team provided him with a modicum of protection, he delivered. Rodgers did this despite the fact opposing teams keyed on him and ignored the Green Bay running attack after Ryan Grant’s injury. Pair that with all-pro Clay Matthews and dominate force BJ Raji and you find yourself holding theLombardi.

Green Bay enters 2011 with a target on their backs. The team has questions along the offensive line and Charles Woodson is a little long in the tooth. They’re playing what should be the most competitive division in the NFC, and both the Lions and Bears made improvements. That said, the Packers have stars in the right places, a top notch QB, great receivers, a fantastic pass rushing duo and great veteran leaders. They’ll make another run at theNFC Championship.

Prediction: 11-5

Fantasy Sleeper: WR James Jones

Detroit Lions

The Lions finished 6-10 last season and struggled to keep key players healthy. The team has come a long way from the Matt Millen days. Calvin Johnson is a force of nature on the offensive side of the ball as is Suh on the defensive side. However, Javid Best and Matthew Stafford couldn’t stay healthy and the team continued to struggle.

The health of Matthew Stafford and Javid Best will continue to be a point of concern for the Lions in 2011. Shaun Hill is a quality backup but he’s not going to get you many wins in this division. The team added depth on both sides of the ball by drafting DT Nick Fairley and WR Titus Young. There’s a lot for Lions fan’s to get excited about but should do so with trepidation. Stafford has given no indication from previous years he can stay on the field. Also, Detroit lacks a quality secondary. The team’s pass rush may inspire fear, but the secondary will not. I think they’re headed in the right direction, but 2011 isn’t going to become a breakout year for the long tortured franchise.

Prediction: 7-9

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Titus Young

SUPER BOWL PICKS

2011-02-06T16:28:00.002-05:00

DANNY:

PITTSBURGH @ GREEN BAY (-3)

What wins championships in football? Defense, a leader behind center, GREAT coaching, experience, and heart.

Compare the two teams:

Both have solid defenses.

Both have their leader behind center.

The Steelers have Tomlin who has proved to be a great coach, however, Mike McCarthy is not considered a "great" coach throughout the NFL. Do not get me wrong with that statement. McCarthy is a very good coach, a super bowl win today would make him a great coach, but he is a very good coach that prepares very well for games.

Both teams have heart, but I lean towards Pittsburgh here as the have the older, more experienced veterans on the defensive side of the ball and, oh yeah, that one guy split out to Big Ben's right (Hines Ward).

This should be a great game. Vegas has the wrong team favored in my opinion, but needless to say even if Pitt was giving the points I would still have no hesitation taking them.

MY PRESEASON SUPERBOWL MATCHUP was GREEN BAY vs PITTSBURGH! I have had this right since day 1, and since day 1 I have had the Steelers winning the big game. And it will not change today. Timmons or Woodley will come up with a sack fumble that changes the momentum of this game dramatically, and the Steelers win a classic grind out football game. Big Ben plays well, Timmons is my MVP pick, and Big Ben gets another ring.

PICK:

PITTSBURGH STEELERS 20 - GREEN BAY PACKERS 16

STEELERS & Under

SUPER BOWL PICKS

2011-02-06T16:25:00.003-05:00

ERIC:

PITTSBURGH @ GREEN BAY (-3)

The Packers, the Steelers and the Cowboys are all what we call “public” teams. They have large fan bases throughout the country and the uninformed gambler will place bets on these teams without objectively considering them. This popularity along with ESPN’s penchant for creating inane stories to debate spurred a discussion over who is really America’s Team. It’s a title NFL Films assigned to the Dallas Cowboys many years ago and has spurred resentment ever since. ESPN.com as well as a few shows had this debate, and of course most argued the Steelers or the Packers were in fact America’s Team. Right. You know why you don’t hear Dallas fans defending this title? Because they don’t have to- they’re America’s Team, don’t forget it.

Aaron Rodgers is a bona-fide star. He’s the second best scramblers next to Vick and he’s arguably the best (at least the hottest) passer in the league. Of course, Rodgers has a tremendously talented group of receivers around him. The Packers are a running game away from having an absolutely dominant offense. These receivers against the Steelers’ secondary is the key match up to watch. Pittsburgh allowed Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes to break lose a couple of time. If it weren’t for some dicey play calling and the feast or famine style of Mark Sanchez, they could easily have lost the AFC title game. I think this game rests on the Steelers ability to get enough of a pass rush on Rodgers to relive the pressure form this secondary. The Packers will not be able to run on Pittsburgh. The tandem of Starks and Jackson doesn’t exactly strike fear in the hearts of Steeler nation. Rodgers poses the biggest rushing threat to the Steelers. However, Packers coach Mike McCarthy seems stubbornly committed to running the ball. In the past, he has claimed that a team must run the ball 30 times to win a game. I think the early 20’s would be a more realistic approach in this game. The lack of a running game will be mitigated with quick slant passes. Again, this puts the pressure on the Steelers’ secondary, who must make tackles or else risk putting the speedy Packers’ receivers in the open field.

Conversely, I feel the Steelers can and will run the ball. I love what Rashard Mendenhall has done with the ball in his hands. Over the past few games, Mendenhall emerged as the workhorse back Pittsburg thought they were getting in the ’08 draft. He didn’t have a lot of yards against the stingy Baltimore D, but he did rack up two touchdowns. Against the Jets, Mendenhall went off for just under 150 yards and a score. He stands as the key for the Steelers.

Last week, Roethlisberger got it done in the 4^th. However, he didn’t have a pass longer than 25 yards. Mendenhall kept the offense moving and alleviated the need for Big Ben to find guys like Mike Wallace for large gains. Mendenhall could keep Rodgers off the field and allow the Steelers to control the clock.

However, I do not feel comfortable entrusting my money to mostly underachieving running back. I love Rodgers, Jennings, Driver et al. They’re going to bring home the trophy named for a man who built their franchise and get the cover in the process.

PICK: GREEN BAY 37 - Pittsburgh 24

TAKE GB & OVER

NFL POST SEASON AWARDS

2011-02-03T23:29:00.003-05:00

MVP

Danny & ERIC Select:

Tom Brady QB New England Patriots:

Yes, the Patriots disappointed in the playoffs but this was never supposed to be their year and if it were for a stellar year from Brady, no one would have given them the hype. A 111.00 rating 3,900 yards, 36 TD’s, and just 4 INTs without a real #1 receiver, a couple of rookie tight ends and a committee of no name running backs. He fell flat in the playoffs but played a terrific regular season.

Runners Up
Michael Vick: His performances this season were absolutely incredible. His comeback against the New York Giants may go down as one of the best comebacks in NFL history. Vick had a terrific season.

Offensive MVP

ERIC Selects:

Jamaal Charles RB Kansas City Chiefs

Charles finished 149 yards behind league leader Arian Foster in rushing yards and two-hundredths of a yard behind all-time leader Jim Brown in yards per carry. Jamaal Charles’ stats could have taken a big hit after the Chiefs acquired Thomas Jones yet he went on to amass close to 1500 yards on just 230 carries.

DANNY Selects:

Arian Foster RB Houston Texans

Foster led the league in touchdowns (16), 3rd in rushing attempts, 1st in total rushing yards (1,616), and was the only running back to average over 100 rushing yards per game. With a defense the Texans are a complete team. Foster proved his worth this season and elevated himself into top running back status.

Runners Up

Phillip Rivers: At one point appeared he would threaten Marino’s all time passing yards record. Finished with a bad record and great stats.
Michael Vick: He didn't play a full season, if he did this award is his.

Defensive MVP

ERIC Selects:

Clay Matthews LB Green Bay Packers

Matthews emerged as a superstar in 2010. The Packers’ defense was largely responsible for their 2009 playoff exit against the Cardinals. Matthews played a large part in transforming the defense into a group the Pack could hang its hat on. Matthews played his way into league wide stardom accruing 13.5 sacks and forcing opposing teams to account for him with 2 or more men at all times.

DANNY Selects:

Troy Polamalu S Pittsburgh Steelers

Polamalu is the leader of arguably the best defense in the NFL. 7 interceptions this year in 15 regular season games, one returned to the house, and 11 pass deflections. This guy is the epitome of the word "ballhawk". His defense only allowed over 22 points 1 time this season (loss at New England 26-39). Troy plays at a level that no one else in the NFL can get too. Don't get me wrong Ed Reed can do great things in the secondary, but Troy covers everything from a defensive aspect. Troy plays centerfield just as good as Reed, Troy causes turnovers (sack fumble vs Baltimore ring a bell), and Troy is around the ball on every rushing attempt. The guy is a beast, a leader, and my DEF MVP.

Runners Up
Julius Peppers: Turned back into the pro bowlers he once was and helped the Bear’s defense reinvent itself.

Ed Reed: The man missed a chunk of the year and still led the league in picks. Remove him from Baltimore’s secondary and they’re an average team.

Flub of the Year:

DANNY & ERIC:

The McNabb trade (from a Redskins perspective). New coach Mike Shanahan let Jason Campbell walk and elected not to bring in a young QB in of trading away a much needed draft pick for McNabb. McNabb struggled and Shanahan threw him to the wolves claiming he wasn’t in good enough shape for a two minute drill then benched him for good in favor of the immortal Rex Grossman.

Runner Up

Minnesota Vikings - Don't even try to blame this on Farve. Brett played well enough in the early going to keep the Vikings competitive. I place the blame on the offensive game plans for the first half of the year. Adrian Peterson only averaging 18+ rushing attempts per game?? Then you trade for Randy Moss and you blow that opportunity. This was a complete mess, and now they are without a quarterback for next season.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

DANNY & ERIC:

Sam Bradford QB St. Louis

Bradford took a terrible team and transformed them into a borderline playoff squad. Bradford gave the Rams a great deal to look forward to and years of, at the very least, respectability. His ability to come back from being down and developing 4th quarter drives/big plays shows how strong Bradford is mentally.

Runner Up

Dez Bryant: Bryant started slow but took off amassing 6 receiving scores and 2 return touchdowns before succumbing to a season-ending ankle injury against Indy.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

DANNY & ERIC:

Ndamukong Suh DT Detroit Lions

You cannot disagree here. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle was a stud all 16 games. But as you may know, Suh plays for Detroit so many of us missed out on a chance to see a lot of him. He was every bit the player the Lions hoped for headed into last year’s draft. Along with Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford and most importantly, the departure of Matt Millen, the Lions have a great base upon which to build.

Runner Up

Devin McCourty CB New England Patriots - 7 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and solidifying one side of the Patriots secondary McCourty was an absolute stud.

Coach of the Year:

ERIC Selects:

Mike McCarthy Green Bay

The Packers looked dead early in the year and McCarthy rallied the troops to make a Super Bowl run. If they win the SB, McCarthy etches his name alongside Holmgren and Lombardy.

DANNY Selects:

Bill Belichick Head Coach New England Patriots

The Patriots dominated the NFL during the regular season once they got rid of one of the best wide receivers of all time. Remember everyone has been saying Moss made Welker look better than he really is, well, Moss left and Welker still performed just as well. Belichick got his defense to overachieve all season. He got the most out of this team, I think this was one of his best regular season coaching jobs of his career.

Runner Up:

Pete Carroll: He took a dreadful Seattle team to the playoffs and then knocked off the defending champs- that deserves something.

Player with the most to prove:

DANNY & ERIC Select:

Carson Palmer QB Cincinnati Bengals

Palmer hasn’t played up to his reputation in a couple of years. Last season he blamed injury, this year he put up decent numbers that amounted to just a couple of wins. He might get dealt in the offseason, he might not, but either way he needs to bounce back or he could become the next Duante Culpeper just looking for a sucker to give him a few bucks.

Runners Up

Tony Romo: Romo’s been through two coaches and has all sorts of high priced talent. Is he Roger Staubach or Danny White? Its beginning too look like the latter.

Jay Cutler: A late addition. After his casual demeanor on the bench in the playoff loss in Chicago, Cutler needs to bounce back in a big way and win back the Bears’ faithful.

Danny's Conference Championship Selections

2011-01-22T12:08:00.002-05:00

Green Bay Packers (-3.5) @ Chicago Bears

The Bears have not received respect all season. The Packers had to fight their way into the playoffs. Dealing with adversity is not a challenge for either of these NFC-North foes. These two teams don't like each other, they are physical, and they both play different styles on both sides of the ball.

Offense: Advantage goes to Green Bay. Led by Aaron Rodgers, who is coming off one of the most impressive playoff performances of all time last week vs Atlanta, the Green Bay offense can put up points in a hurry. But, to the dismay of Philadelphia Eagles fans, the Packers have found a talented running back on the roster; James Starks. Starks' ability to have some success against the Bears defensive front will be huge for the passing attack. The Packers will force the issue with the run in order to keep the Bears defense honest, but if Starks is able to have success and pick up chunks of yardage the Packers will be in a good situation.
For the Bears, Jay Cutler played very well against the Seahawks last week. A few questionable throws (but they did not hurt him), but Matt Forte will be the key for the Bears. Forcing the issue with Forte will open up the passing game for Chicago, but it will also protect the Bears "sub-par" offensive line. It will be very interesting what type of third down's both teams will face, but the advantage clearly goes to the Packers on offense.

Defense: This is a tough call for me as the Bears were able to limit Rodgers to only 10 points during week 17, but I have to go Green Bay here. The Packers go into Philly and shutdown Vick, then they go into Atlanta and have a more impressive performance against Matt Ryan who was 20-2 in his career when playing at home. Clay Matthews and BJ Raji have been excellent on the d-line, but Charles Woodson has played a pivotal role for the Packers defense. For the Bears, holding Rodgers to 10 points in week 17 was a brilliant performance, and last week they shutdown the Seahawks for 45 minutes. The key for the Bears will be their pass rush. Can they get pressure on Rodgers without bringing an extra guy on the rush. Playing a Tampa-2 defense requires the defensive line to get to the quarterback without bringing an extra rusher. Look for Julius Peppers to rise to the occasion and make his presence felt early. Urlacher and Briggs will be ferocious on the second level, but can this Bears defense play all 60 minutes of shutdown football, create turnovers, and dominate the battle in the trenches. I say no, and edge goes to Green Bay.

Special Teams: HUGE ADVANTAGE to the Bears. Devin Hester, I repeat, Devin Hester should not get a chance for a return. By doing that, the Packers will be punting the ball out of bounds and that is always a difficult thing to do successfully. The opportunity for the Bears to have great field position is largely due to the fact the Packers won't allow Hester to get his hands on a return.

Prediction: The Packers have the edge here. Hotter defense and a red hot quarterback. It is so hard to win on the road in the playoffs, but the way Rodgers is playing it won't matter. Close game throughout, Packers by a touchdown late.

GREEN BAY PACKERS 24 - Chicago Bears 17

New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5)

I love this matchup for the Steelers. The Jets are coming off their Super Bowl. They put everything they had in that game against the Patriots. I truly believe they will come out flat against the Steelers and Sanchez will struggle with all of the pressure.

The quarterback mathcup here is a clear advantage for the Steelers. 9-2 is Big Ben's career playoff record, but Sanchez has gotten his team to the AFC Championship two years in a row winning 4 road games in the process. Very impressive, but Big Ben is so dangerous here.

The defensive matchup that I am looking forward to seeing the the Jets pass rush against the Steelers offensive line. The Jets have to get to Big Ben. And the Steelers offensive line has not played well all season. It will be very interesting to see how often the Jets bring an extra rusher, and how the Steelers are able to handle it. If the Jets have success blitzing early, they will bring the pain all game long. That would be a big issue for the Steelers as they do not want to be in a situation where they need to keep Heath Miller in for extra protection. Mwelde Moore is a good pash rush running back, but keeping Miller in for protection would hurt the Steelers game plan.

Special teams is always big in playoff games. Brad Smith will be back for the Jets and he is explosive returning kicks. The cold weather and some wind will force the kickers and punters to adjust a little bit, but expect both teams to be very caution kicking long field goals. Both coaches trust their defenses so don't be surprised if these two teams are punting from the 30-35 yard line trying to pin the opposing teams deep in their own field.

Prediction: I really like the home team in this matchup. I love Big Ben in these situation's, I love Polamalu to have a big game defensively against a young quarterback. I see the Steelers up 7-10 and the Jets driving late, but its a Polamalu big play then ends the drive and the Steelers are on their way to Dallas.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS 23 - New York Jets 13

Eric's AFC/NFC Championship Picks

2011-01-22T11:56:00.003-05:00

Green Bay Packers (-3.5) @ Chicago Bears

Since the demise of the Patriots, the public appears to have jumped on the Packers bandwagon. If the Packers do in fact go on to win the Super Bowl, we will remember the 2010 playoffs as the year Aaron Rodgers established himself as one finest quarterbacks in the game alongside Manning, Brees, an Brady. If the Pack does in fact win, Rodgers will also have as many Super Bowls as Brett Farve. Perhaps no one benefited more than Aaron Rodgers from Brett Farve’s choice to come back to the Vikings for one more year (except for maybe Joe Webb). Farve twice beat Rodgers convincingly last season and took his team to the conference championship. Had Farve ridden off in to the sunset, Rodgers would never had the chance to beat him and perhaps his lecherous behavior would have gone relatively unnoticed (or he could have simply bought them off). Regardless, Packers GM Ted Thompson made a ballsy but terrific move going with Rodgers and dealing Farve to the Jets.

In a similar vein, the Bears knew they couldn’t win the big one without a QB. Even if you have one of the all time great defenses and spectacular special teams, championships require at least a competent quarterback (Trent Dilfer was better than people like to give him credit for). The Bears brass rolled the dice and brought in the enormously talented Jay Cutler. Cutler’s potential is unlimited. I love watching the guy throw ropes all over the place. However, he’s a narcissistic semi-jerk who dates reality TV stars. The gamble paid off. The Broncos have the #2 overall pick in the draft and the Bears grabbed the #2 seed in the playoffs. I do not feel Cutler is as responsible for his team’s success as Aaron Rodgers is for the Pack. However, as Jay goes, so go the Bears. He could single-handedly lose the game for them by forcing throws, holding the ball too long, or giving the Pack turnovers. Conversely, he can make throws no one else can. He makes the Bears’ mediocre (and that’s a generous adjective) receiving corps appear adequate. Cutler has Rodgers in the raw talent department but I would take Rodgers any day of the week.

Both of these teams have defenses. I’m well aware of this fact despite what the above paragraphs lead you to believe. We all know the Bears’ D. They established their brand in the Super Bowl run a few years back. Julius Peppers was the perfect addition. Peppers infused youth, speed, and power into the aging Chicago defense. Perhaps most important, Peppers must be accounted for. He consistently draws the attention of the offense in the form of double teams. He takes the burden off guys like Urlacher who need the relief. Green Bay’s offensive line and their running attack are the only thing I foresee stalling a Super Bowl run. I do not feel the Packers will find much of anything on the ground. Aaron Rodgers leads them in rushing yards and makes at least two big first down runs in the game. Unfortunately for the Bears, Rodgers will also lead them in passing yards. Danieal Manning will play a prominent role in this one for the Packers. Can you see him containing James Jones or Donald Driver? Me neither.

This Mike Martz offense isn’t exactly a clone of the ’99 Rams. They rank 28^th in the league in passing and 22^nd in rushing. Cutler has the ability to have a huge game, but I just can’t see him getting over on this Dom Capers’ defense. Clay Matthews emerged into a premier pass rusher this season. He will give Cutler a fit and force him into at least 1 interception perhaps more.

I would like to see the Bears win, I really would. 2 weeks of Cutler and Rex Ryan mouthing off-maybe Mark Sanchez could start dating LC- but I just don’t see it. The Packers are peaking at the perfect time.

Lock it up, PACKERS -3.5

New York Jets (+3.5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers

This Jets team reminds me somewhat of the ’85 Bears in terms of brashness. That Bears team had a right to be. They were perhaps the best defensive unit ever and had the NFL’s number 2 all time rusher. That was supposed to be the Jets this season- stellar defense, great rushing attack, pretty boy QB that manages the game well *and* a couple of receivers to stretch the field). They have accomplished all of those things in a way, but not in an overly convincing fashion. Last week, I don’t know if I was more impressed with the Jets or more disappointed in the Patriots. I wrote that the Jets primary advantage was their speed and talent at receiver. That proved to be true, but I was shocked at how the Jet’s D handled the Patriots. The Pats appeared poorly prepared for the game and I cannot recall seeing Brady more rattled in a big game.

Just when I think you can stick a fork in Tomlinson, he proves me wrong. I can’t see him playing a big factor on the ground in this one. This kind of game is Shonne Green’s turf. Green runs low with power. That’s what it will take to move the chains against the Steelers. Even still, I do not foresee more than 60 yards for Green. The Jets ability to pull off the upset will lie with their receiving corps. Braylon Edwards flashed some of his potential in that big TD catch and run last week and Santonio Holmes, as Steelers fans know, has an ability to make insane catches in big moments. If Joe Namath were under center (or even Ken O’Brien) I’d like the Jets’ chances for an upset a whole lot more. Sanchez has certainly had his moments, but I don’t know if I can trust him with my money.

Roethlisberger will not go down as easily as Brady. Big Ben not have the ability to read defenses like Brady but he’s a more imposing figure in the pocket. He has a great knack for extending plays, which places a more stress upon the Jets’ secondary. Darrelle Revis will have his hands full with Mike Wallace. Wallace is an underrated emerging star and I think Pittsburgh will find creative ways to get him away from Revis. Rashard Mendenhall is much better than the Green-Ellis/Woodhead combo of the Patriots. He’s a big physical runner and a much more difficult match up for the Jets. One big plus for the Jets, the Steelers offensive line has been decimated by injury. If the Jets get rolling with the pass rush, I feel the secondary will shut down the Steelers passing game.

I like the Jets, but can you trust Sanchez? Can you bet against Big Ben? I’d love to see Flozell Adams get a ring but also love the idea of a Jets-Bears Super Bowl. This is a Pittsburgh team that held the Ravens to under 150 yards of offense last week. However, the Ravens lacked any real speed on the outside allowing the Steelers to focus on shutting down Ray Rice. The Jets have the talent to prevent a clamp down. It’s a tough call, but my gut says the Jets cover and may just eek out a win.

AFC PICK: JETS +3.5

2011-01-19T12:21:00.001-05:00

Information to be posted tonight regarding the NFC and AFC championship games on Sunday.

Terrific matchups taking place, should be some good football

Danny's Divisional Selections

2011-01-15T13:04:00.004-05:00

Green Bay Packers +3 @ Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan is 20-2 when playing at home in Atlanta. How do you pick against that? I see a few reasons why I believe the Packers can win this game on the road.

1. Aaron Rodgers has played exceptional all season, winning big games and coming up with big plays. Winning in Philly last week against a terrific young Eagles teams was very impressive. Rodgers is efficient, accurate, and head smart. He can control a game and remain poised in all situations. All of his players trust and believe in him, and that is pivotal to any teams success.

2. Mike McCarthy and Dom Capers have come up with terrific game plans all season. Capers has transformed this Green Bay defense and has successfully turned them into a 3-4 D. Utilizing Clay Matthews on every down is crucial to this defense. Woodson coming off the corner on a 3rd down blitz or a run blitz has caused serious issues for opposing teams. And lets take our hats off to BJ Raji on the d-line. The kid has performed.

Fact of the matter is this: If the Falcons run the ball successfully they win the game. Turnovers are crucial for both teams, but the ground game is huge for Atlanta. Green Bay can win being 1-dimensional, Atlanta cannot.

Packers shut down the run of the Falcons and win this game in Atlanta.

PICK: GREEN BAY 27 - Atlanta 23

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers -3

The yellow towels will be going crazy in Steel City. And the players will battle all 60 minutes.

What a great game this will be as two of the best teams in the NFL will battle to reach the AFC-Championship game next weekend.

Advantage goes to the home team. Big Ben is 6-0 since 2007 (reg season and playoffs) against the Ravens. He just flat out plays good football in BIG GAMES.

The defenses will shut the offenses down, which team can make a big play in the fourth quarter to set up a winning drive. I like Big Ben in this situation as the Steelers come from behind in the fourth quarter to win.

PICK: Steelers 20 - Ravens 16

Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears -10

The Cinderella Story for Pete Carroll is over. The Seahawks will not have enough to beat the Chicago Bears on Soldier Field.

Clear edge goes to the rested defensive line of the Chicago Bears. The reason the Seahawks won last week was due to the fact that New Orleans did not put any pressure on Hasselbeck. With Peppers forcing him out of the pocket all game, the Bears sending Briggs on blitz's and Tillman creating havoc in the secondary, this is a no-brainer.

Cutler will have a solid performance and will manage the game very well. Forte having success on the ground, setting up play-action passes will play dividends come the third and fourth quarter for the Bears to put this game away.

I don't see the Seahawks keeping up in this game. Bears win.

PICK: CHICAGO 24 - Seattle 9

New York Jets @ New England Patriots -9

All the talk from Rex Ryan better payoff for him and the Jets because they will be in for a tough game against the Patriots.
New England will be ready to play as this was like a bye week for them. This is exactly the type of matchup I love Tom Brady to have success in. The Jets are talking trash on him all week, meanwhile, the Jets barely escape out of Indianapolis last week.

Talk is cheap from the Jets this week, I don't even like them keeping it close. If the Patriots are able to slow the Jets run game, which I expect them to do, the Jets will be forced to put the game on the shoulders of Mark Sanchez. Now would you rather have Sanchez or Brady? Exactly.

If the Jets had a top 15 quarterback behind center, I would have my money on them to win the Super Bowl. They have a great defense and a great running game, but the lack of talent and experience at quarterback will significantly hurt the Jets once again and this year they will fall one game short of where they were last year.

PICK: Patriots 34 - Jets 17

Eric's Divisional Round Locks

2011-01-15T12:51:00.003-05:00

Green Bay Packers (+3) @ Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan’s record at home is nothing short of stellar. An impressive regular season winning percentage means little in the playoffs.

Aaron Rodgers thrived in his first few playoff appearances. Last year Rodger’s defense failed him against Arizona. I felt this season, his running game would subvert a Packers playoff run. James Starks likely ran his way into a contract next season regardless of the outcome in Atlanta. If this guy is for real, the Packers are my favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. However, it's likely Starks caught lightening in a bottle. Starks ran his way onto the scouting report Sunday and the Falcons will not be caught off guard.

Against the Packers last week, the Eagles only gave McCoy 16 carries. The Falcons will have a much stronger commitment to the run game. Michael Turner may not set the world on fire, but he’ll keep Green Bay honest, but keeping them honest will not be enough. They’ll need an effective running game to help put points on the board.

Atlanta has been the most consistent team in the NFC. However, the Packers are peaking at the right time. Pack wins by at least a field goal.

PICK: PACKERS +3

Seattle Seahawks (+10) @ Chicago Bears

Matt Hasselbeck once took the Seahawks all the way to a Super Bowl. In the years since, he’s worn down with age and injury. He found a little of his former self last weekend. If he stays upright, gets protection, and gets a little support from Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks might just get to .500 on the year.

Unfortunately, it's not likely Matt survives the day. Peppers had a renaissance in Chicago this season and the Pro Bowler will face a rookie left tackle. Hasselbeck will not play the entire game. Either due to injury or due to ineffective play, we will have a Charlie Whitehurst sighting. Whitehurst can’t be leaned upon for big wins. He’s a career backup Seattle hopes will suddenly morph into Hasselbeck’s successor.

I don’t trust Jay Cutler at all. His arm is electric but he’s stubborn and has developed very little as a player (mentally) over his tenure in the NFL. However, I love Forte against the Seahawks and feel the Bears ground game runs all over Seattle. The Bears win and move on but Cutler’s erratic play keeps the Bears from running away with it and Seattle gets a back door cover with Chuck Whitehurst at the helm.

PICK: SEATTLE +10

New York Jets (+9) @ New England Patriots

The Jets took a beating the last time they went into Foxboro and the Patriots look like the class of the league. Revis can’t focus on just one receiver. If he takes Wes Welker or Deion Branch out of the game, it means little to the Patriots. Their emergence as an unstoppable offense hinges on their ability to go anywhere with the ball. Unlike the Eagles, who have some of the best athletes in the NFL who can engulf a defense with their speed, the Patriots have adequate athletes who play smarter than you do. They have no weak spots on offense. For the first time since Corey Dillon’s first season with the team, the Patriots have a ground game. The combination of Green-Ellis and Woodhead combined for almost 1600 rushing yards this season. Antonio Cromartie ran his mouth all week about hating Tom Brady. Cromartie may find himself feeling something worse than hate after Sunday because he’s likely to be on the wrong end of many of Tom Brady passes. Can the Jets’ pass rush get to Brady and throw him off his game? Doubtful. The Jets need to blitz to generate an effective pass rush, which means letting Brady’s receivers work in man coverage. The rookie tight end tandem of Gronkowski and Hernandez are poised for a big day against the Jet’s safeties and their nickel corner.

The Pats have invested heavily through the draft in their secondary. While they have shown promise, New England finished 30^th in the NFL against the pass. If Sanchez can find a rhythm the Jets’ receivers could overwhelm the young New England secondary. However, Sanchez is far from a reliable quarterback at this point in his career. I also feel confident the Patriots will find a way to keep him guessing. Sanchez threw 3 picks in the Monday night debacle the last time these two teams met. In games where the temperature was 40 degrees or below at kickoff, Sanchez has thrown 5 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Maybe the AFC East isn’t the best place for a guy who loves playing in warm weather. With all that said, I like Holmes in this game. I don’t think the Pats can find a way to bottle him up for four quarters. No way the Jets win, the question is “Can they cover?”

I say yes. The Jets have too much confidence and speed to get run over again. They lose the game but find a way to cover.

PICK: JETS +9

Baltimore Ravens (+3) @ Pittsburgh Steelers

I have trouble coming up with anything original to say for this game. Two tough teams, good running games, great defenses, big quarterbacks, a few criminals and a million football clichés. Instead rambling on lets try something different:

Keys for the Steelers:

Mike Wallace. Hines Ward is the name but Wallace is actually the best receiver on this team. He’s scary fast and runs great routes. Ward is little more than a possession receiver and great blocker. Wallace should put the fear of God in the Ravens secondary.

Contain Ray Rice. The Ravens have 3 very good possession receivers but lack any real speed. If the Ravens struggle to get Rice going the offense will move at a snail’s pace. Flacco went into KC and won a big playoff game but can he do it in Pittsburg?

Keys For the Ravens:

Ed Reed. The Ravens secondary is not good. However, with Ed Reed is a ball-hawk that keeps teams from abusing them deep. He’ll often find a way to make at least one game changing play. If he loses focus due to the fateful loss of his brother, the Ravens will surely suffer.

Joe Flacco. I’ve written several times this year about Flacco. Say what you will about Ray Lewis and Haloti Ngata but as Joe Flacco goes so goes the Ravens. He threw for two TD’s and over 250 yards against KC last week. However, he was also sacked 4 times. Can Flacco endure and throw accurately in the face of the Steeler’s pressure? All the kids at Ropewalk sure hope so.

Lock of the Week: Against all of my intuition, I am taking Joe Flacco to pull off an improbable upset win in Pittsburgh. Anquan Boldin earns some of that fat contract and Ray Rice breaks a few big ones. Joe gets hit all day but avoids the big mistakes and finds those big possession receivers moving not a snails pace but a turtles. Slow and steady wins this race.

PICK: RAVENS +3 in an outright win

2011-01-09T16:24:00.001-05:00

Packers @ Eagles (-2.5)

This isn't just a game for Vick, this is for all the marbles. Must win for Vick and the Birds. And they barely get it.

Eagles 27-23

2011-01-09T11:44:00.001-05:00

Ravens -3 @ Chiefs

The Ravens ground game will be the difference. Flacco will need to make only a few plave to win this one.

PICK: Ravens 27 - Chiefs 17

Danny's Wild Card Saturday Selection

2011-01-08T10:44:00.003-05:00

New Orleans Sains -11 @ Seattle Seahawks

Sean Payton will use his experience from last season and fully dismantle the youth and inexperience of the Seahawks. The Seahawks won't be able to get to Brees for sacks as Brees will use the 3-step drop quick passing game and pick apart Seattle's secondary. Even without Thomas and Ivory, I fully expect Jones and Bush to get 20-25 touches out of the backfield and put this game away. Takeaways will be key in this game, I give the edge to the Saints.

PICK - NEW ORLEANS 27 - Seattle 10

New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts -3

I love this matchup. This is a great chance for Peyton Manning to show the country that he is better than "the just: the best regular season quarterback in history." His time is now. He has plenty enough weapons with Tamme, Garcon, Wayne, White, and his two backs. His defense stepped up huge last week and shutdown Chris Johnson, and if they can limit big plays from the Jets backfield and force Sanchez to make throws they will be victorious. Sanchez still has issues with his shoulder injury, and I fully anticipate it affecting his accuracy. The Jets have a very tough matchup against the Colts in this game. It will be close, last team with the ball wins.

PICK: INDIANAPOLIS 24 - New York 20

Eric's Locks of Wild-Card Saturday

2011-01-08T10:43:00.003-05:00

New Orleans Saints (-11) @ Seattle Seahawks

Pierre Thomas isn’t that good, Chris Ivory is worse and they’re both on IR for the Saints. Reggie Bush and Julius Jones will attempt to hold down the running game for the Saints. Jones is a smoker (or at least he was as a rookie with Dallas), sure so was the Golden Boy Paul Horning, but that was a different day. Fortunately, the Saints are playing the Seahawks. Most NFL fans are aghast (rightfully so) that Seattle is 7-9 and hosting the defending champs. The Saints are going to win. They’re better in all facets of the game. Hasselbeck’s been a liability for two years but he’s a much safer option than Chuck Whitehurst. Chuck will play in this game, and it won’t be pretty. Seattle makes the thing interesting for the first 2 quarters with good defense and a time eating offense (but gets little more than a field goal or 2). The Saints will win. The running back issue makes this and interesting play. Seattle’s defense looked great shutting down the Rams and most are discounting the fact the NFC West was terrible. I refuse to take an underdog unless I think there’s at least a 10% chance they’ll win outright. Sean Peyton comes out in the second half and gets frisky. This thing ends in a blow out and the Saints win in a route and cover.

PICK- SAINTS -11

New York Jets (+3) @ Indianapolis Colts

ESPN’s Bill Simmons used a bad Colts team and good Pats team as an opportunity to proclaim Brady’s greatness with a level of passive aggressiveness the likes of which sports writers have never seen. I love Simmons, but he constantly references the Pats receiving corps like their autistic. Look Simmons, you have 2 great prospects at tight end, Deion Branch floundered in Seattle (see every other Seahawks receiver since a young Joey Galloway), and “the little white guy that could” Wes Welker. Manning makes decent receivers great and practice team guys pro bowlers. When he had a solid route runner (Harrison) he set records and when he had undersized white guys (Collie) he put up 4,000 yard seasons. They’re both great and both transcendent. It’s just the passive aggressive crap that drives me up the wall. Manning will play well. He’s got home field, the dome, the turf, and the reputation. However, there’s little else you can count on with the Colts. The Jets, on the other hand, have a handful of sure things -not to play great, but to play well. Essentially, playing the Colts to cover in the game is an affirmation of Manning’s greatness and playing the Jets is an assertion of the preseason hype. I don’t buy into the Jets but I also feel there’s a much better than 10% chance the Jets win this thing and Manning has a mini-meltdown. Take the Jets to cover and likely pull the upset. Any Given Sunday, it’s a game of inches but for Rex Ryan, its feet that are all around him. Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week.

PICK- JETS +3

Danny's Week 17 Selections

2011-01-02T12:31:00.004-05:00

WEEK 17 PICKS:

Kansas City Chiefs -5
Miami Dolphins +5.5
Indianapolis Colts -9
Houston Texans -5
Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5
Baltimore Ravens -9.5
Detroit Lions -3.5
New York Giants -4.5
Chicago Bears +10.5
Philadelphia Eagles +1
New York Jets PK
Carolina Panthers +14.5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +7
San Francisco 49ers -6
San Diego Chargers -3.5
St. Louis Rams -3

Eric's Locks of Week 17

2011-01-02T12:05:00.002-05:00

St Louis (-3) @ Seattle

I hate watching the Seahawks. The fact that they’re even in contention for a playoff bid annoys me to know end. Matt Hasselbeck had his moment in the sun, but those days are done. Charlie Whitehurst will likely be under center tomorrow taking calls from Pete Caroll. Doesn’t exactly sound like playoff football. The Rams, on the other hand , have a budding star in Sam Bradford, an all pro running back with Steven Jackson and a nice defensive fire thanks to Steve Spagnulo. I’m betting on the Rams not because I think they’ll win as much as I need them to win. The thought of watching the Seahawks taking a 46-3 drubbing in the first round is depressing. The Rams represent everything fun about being an NFL fan. Your team hits rock-bottom, makes a coaching move, releases a few past-their-prime vets, drafts well, gets a watered down schedule and gets a few wins. The Rams did it the old fashioned way and there’s a lot to be said for that.

Beyond the conceptual stuff, the Rams are simply better. They took a beating early in the year from the Lions, but aside from that loss, they’ve been a competitive group. The team ranks in the middle of the league in most statistical categories but this is the NFC West. Winning the west is a lot like being the hottest waitress at Denny’s, it doesn’t take much. Danny Amendola is a poor man’s Wes Welker, but between he and Brandon Gibson, Bradford has two quick agile options. Steven Jackson has put together a 1200 yard season despite a variety of nagging injuries. They’re not going to set the world on fire but they’re a better bunch than Seatlle. I see coach Spags putting the pressure on Charlie Whitehurst forcing him to throw at least 2 picks. Seattle loses big and keeps the NFL from having to defend a system that allows a losing team to host a playoff game.

PICK: St. Louis Rams -3

Danny's Week 16 NFL Selections

2010-12-25T23:25:00.001-05:00

Detroit Lions (+3) @ Miami Dolphins - PICK: LIONS 24 - 23

Washington Redskins (+6.5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars - PICK: JAGUARS 20 - 17

San Francisco 49ers (+3) @ St. Louis Rams - PICK: 49ERS 24 - 20

New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills (+7.5) - PICK: PATRIOTS 31 - 24

New York Jets @ Chicago Bears (-2.5) - PICK: BEARS 20 - 16

Baltimore Ravens (-3) @ Cleveland Browns - PICK: RAVENS 24 - 20

Seattle Seahawks (+6.5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers - PICK: BUCCANEERS 27 - 24

Tennessee Titans @ Kansas City Chiefs (-4.5) - PICK: CHIEFS 28 - 20

Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) @ Oakland Raiders - PICK: Colts 30 - 24

Houston Texans (-3) @ Denver Broncos - PICK: Texans 30 - Broncos 20

New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers (-3) - PICK: PACKERS 31 - 24

San Diego Chargers (-8) @ Cincinnati Bengals - PICK: CHARGERS 34 - 23

Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles (-14) - PICK: EAGLES 27 - 10

New Orleans Saints (+2.5) @ Atlanta Falcons - PICK: SAINTS 27 - 24

Eric's Locks of Week 16

2010-12-25T23:22:00.002-05:00

Baltimore Ravens (-4) @ Cleveland Browns

The Ravens have established themselves among the 2^nd tier elite in the NFL this season. Last week’s win over New Orleans ranks as one of their most impressive to date. New Orleans sports an offense keenly designed to exploit Baltimore’s weak secondary. In their first meeting of the year, Joe Flacco lit up the Browns for 3 TDs and over 250 yards. Ray Rice broke out last week have the type of game we thought we’d see week in and week out. The Ravens could make a statement by running roughshod over the Browns tomorrow. Anquan Boldin has a great game and Baltimore’s offense puts up a lot of points. Defensively, the Ravens must focus on stopping Peyton Hillis. Hillis puts up most of his numbers early in games. He slows down a great deal by the 4^th quarter. The Browns will likely have to rely at least in part on a solid throwing day from Colt McCoy to keep pace with Baltimore. McCoy became a nice surprise for the Browns organization this year and an even better one for the Browns fans. The Jake Delhomme era was brief and uneventful. A huge day from Josh Cribbs in the return game is the only way I see the Ravens not covering this one. The Ravens roll and get the cover.

PICK: RAVENS -4

Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) @ Oakland Raiders

The Colts control their own destiny and I doubt that facts been lost on Manning. Anytime the playoffs are on the line, I’m betting on Manning. He’s one of the most consistent regular season players ever. The Raiders, on the other hand, have been somewhat schizophrenic this season. I am leery to trust Jason Campbell and company just yet. Manning should have Joe Addai back giving the team at least a semblance of a ground attack, taking some pressure off Manning by giving the play action pass back.

McFadden puts up a couple of touchdowns but the Raiders struggle to find production through the passing game. The colts win, not in a route, but by more than enough to get the cover.

PICK: COLTS -2.5

2010-12-25T14:49:00.001-05:00

Christmas Day NFL Football

Dallas @ Arizona

Cowboys are rolling since the Wade Phillips departure. Things won't change this week.

Pick: Dallas 30 - Zona 16

2010-12-23T17:08:00.001-05:00

Thursday Night Football:

Pittsburgh -14.5 @ home against the lowly Panthers. J Stew won't get anything done on the ground. Steelers bounce back.

Pitt 26 - 6

Danny's Week 15 Selections - NFL

2010-12-18T12:14:00.002-05:00

Kansas City Chiefs (off) @ St. Louis Rams - PICK: Chiefs 24 - Rams 17

Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans (-1) - PICK: Titans 27 - Texans 23

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts (-5) - PICK: Colts 27 - Jaguars 17

Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers (-3) - PICK: Panthers 31 - Cardinals 23

Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals (-1) - PICK: Bengals 20 - Browns 13

Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins (-5) - PICK: Dolphins 27 - Bills 17

Philadelphia Eagles (+3) @ New York Giants - PICK: Eagles 24 - Giants 23

Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys (-7) - PICK: Cowboys 31 - Redskins 13

Detroit Lions (+5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers - PICK: Buccaneers 20 - Lions 17

New Orleans Saints (+1) @ Baltimore Ravens - PICK: Saints 31 - Ravens 27

Atlanta Falcons @ Seattle Seahawks (+7) - PICK: Seattle 24 - Atlanta 20

New York Jets (+6) @ Pittsburgh Steelers - PICK: Steelers 20 - Jets 17

Denver Broncos (+7) @ Oakland Raiders - PICK: Broncos 27 - Raiders 24

Green Bay Packers @ New England Patriots (0ff) - PICK: Patriots 27 - Packers 10

Chicago Bears (off) @ Minnesota Vikings - PICK: Bears 13 - Vikings 3

Eric's Locks of Week 15 NFL

2010-12-18T12:10:00.002-05:00

Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys (-7)

Shanahan really has a way with his players. No doubt free agents will come a runnin’ to Washington after witnessing Shanahan’s professional and courteous touch. Haynesworth probably deserved some of the treatment, but McNabb surely does not. McNabb struggled this season but the Redskins gave him a long term deal. However, the Skins added a caveat allowing them an out after this season if they should decide to part ways with McNabb. The benching announced today makes that look like a psychological ploy to get McNabb comfortable and see what happens. Shanahan dropped McNabb to third on the depth chart behind Rex Grossman and John Beck. That’s an attack on McNabb, he’s still got a couple of decent years left in him and could provide a franchise some stability while developing a future starter. After all, he isn’t Derek Anderson. McNabb once faced Jake Delhomme in a NFC championship game- that seems like a life time ago. The Redskins are throwing in the towel and unless they can get Ryan Torain rolling they’re getting their doors blown off.

I attended the Dallas game last Sunday night and I’ve got to say, the crowd was very lively for a seemingly meaningless game. The fans appreciate how the team has played since Jason Garrett took over. Despite injuries and an atrocious record, the team continues to work hard. DeSean Jackson is the fastest human being I’ve ever seen in person, but fortunately for Dallas, the Skins do not have anyone that can match his speed. Jason Garrett hasn’t locked up the head coaching position yet and Jon Kitna knows this might be his last year in the sun. Many of the other players are playing for their roster spots next year as it appears the Cowboys will have a high draft pick and almost every position is a need.

Dallas get a big win (big for them- it’s all they have left) in a route.

PICK: DALLAS -7

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts (-5)

It would seem Vegas has little faith in the Jaguars. The Jags have played very well as of late and Jones-Drew has been unstoppable. Manning played well last week but I can’t shake the image of him throwing pick after pick in the 2 weeks prior. The team is still missing a number of key players and they can’t seem to stop the run against anyone they play. The Jags can’t stop the pass and the Colts have the number one passing team in the league. That’s partially due to their having the worst running game in the league. They rank 29^th against the run and face a Jags team with the second best rushing attack in the NFL.

Look for Jacksonville to play keep away from Manning and limit his chances to score. The Colts will do their best to get after Gerard and force him into a few poor choices. The Colts will do just enough to pull this one out but the Jags cover and the AFC South picture gets muddier.

PICK: JACKSONVILLE +5

Thursday Night Football - Week 15

2010-12-16T19:01:00.004-05:00

San Francisco 49ers @ San Diego Chargers (-10)

Chargers are in must win mode, and rarely do they lose in December. Phillip Rivers is money in the bank and the fact that Frank Gore isn't even in the picture tonight is a huge disadvantage for the 49ers offense. Alex Smith will be back to his old form. Don't be surprised by another shutout by the Chargers defense.

PICK: SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 27 - San Francisco 49ers 3

Danny's Week 14 Selections

2010-12-12T11:22:00.002-05:00

Oakland Raiders (+4) @ Jacksonville Jaguars - PICK: JAGUARS 24 - Raiders 21

Cincinnati Bengals (+9) @ Pittsburgh Steelers - PICK: STEELERS 20 - Bengals 17

Cleveland Browns (PK) @ Buffalo Bills - PICK: BROWNS 27 - Bills 13

New York Giants (-3) @ Minnesota Vikings - PICK: Giants 24 - Vikings 16

Green Bay Packers (-7) @ Detroit Lions - PICK: PACKERS 31 - Lions 20

Atlanta Falcons (-8) @ Carolina Panthers - PICK: FALCONS 24 - Panthers 10

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Washington Redskins (+3) - PICK: REDSKINS 24 - Buccaneers 20

St. Louis Rams @ New Orleans Saints (-9) - PICK: SAINTS 31 - Rams 17

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers (-5) - PICK: 49ers 24 - Seahawks 16

New England Patriots (-3) @ Chicago Bears - PICK: PATRIOTS 14 - Bears 7

Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets (-6) - PICK: JETS 20 - Dolphins 10

Denver Broncos (-4.5) @ Arizona Cardinals - PICK: BRONCOS 34 - Cardinals 17

Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers (-9) - PICK: CHARGERS 31 - Chiefs 17

Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) @ Dallas Cowboys - PICK: EAGLES 34 - Cowboys 27

Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans (+3) - PICK: TEXANS 31 - Ravens 30

Eric's Locks of Week 14

2010-12-12T00:43:00.002-05:00

New England Patriots (-3) @ Chicago Bears

Does Tom Brady have hair plugs? My girlfriend says he does and the Sports Guy mention something to that effect? I am certainly not a patriots fan but in a time when America is constantly questioned, doesn’t he seem like the appropriate ambassador? He’s not effeminate like Euro soccer guys and always gives an air of I don’t care to the media. I’ve seen him play and hair plugs aside, its beautiful thing. Jay Cutler dates Laguna Beach has-beens, Brady dates (marries) girls who are too good for Victoria’s Secret. Three points? Nope- give em seven and I still take the Pats. New England wins big in a route.

PICK: NEW ENGLAND -3

Kansas City @ San Diego (-9)

Phillip Rivers is an easy player to hate. On the field, he often comes across as an arrogant jerk to the casual Charger’s observer. However, what Rivers has accomplished thus far is nothing short of great. General Manager AJ Smith, made a big miscalculation. The Chargers cast aside LaDanian (French for the The Danian) Tomlinson and drafted running back Ryan Matthews in the first round. As it turns out, Tomlinson isn’t dead and Ryan Matthews isn’t good. To be fair, Matthews has struggled with injuries and Tomlinson appeared washed up last year. To make matters worse, two of the team’s best players left tackle Marcus McNeil and receiver Vincent Jackson were both embroiled in public contract disputes. McNeil resigned to a long term deal with the Chargers and Jackson returned to obtain a vested year in order to gain unrestricted status after the season. Further exacerbating the team’s personnel troubles, top receivers Malcolm Floyd, Legadu Nanee and All Pro Antonio Gates have become fixtures on the team’s injury report. Despite all of this, Rivers continues to put up Pro Bowl numbers. You may loathe Philip Rivers on a personal level, but he’s a baller on par with any of the top QB’s in the league.

I love seeing Kansas City relevant again. Growing up, I was married to the NFC. Those games mattered and AFC games didn’t. There was a period when the NFC dominated. Beginning with ’84 49ers and ending with the ’96 Packers, the NFC won every single Super Bowl. The AFC was like a mistress for me- just a little fun on the side. The Steve DeBerg-Marty Schottenheimer days are long gone but it appears Todd Haley and his big name staff has a little something going. Matt Cassel’s play has flown slightly under the radar. He’s developed a nice rapport with Dwayne Bowe and the combination of Thomas Jones and Jamal Charles gives them enough to grind out games.

San Diego needs a win here to keep pace with KC. I think they win easy with the recent news of Matt Cassel being ruled OUT due to his Wednesday appendectomy. Brodie Croyle will get the start for the Chiefs, Jamaal Charles will be running hard after being awarded a nice new contract this week, but the fact of the matter is the Chargers rarely lose in November and December. They took a nasty loss last week at home against Oakland, no chance they lose two in a row in San Diego in December.

PICK: CHARGERS -9

Thursday Night Football - Week 14

2010-12-08T23:25:00.002-05:00

Danny's Selection

Indianapolis Colts (-3.5) @ Tennessee Titans

Peyton will not lose his third straight game, but the Titans offensive struggles will continue and they will be down too much too earlier to make a comeback. Peyton will get some help from his ground game, but once again it will be his arm that carries the Colts past the Titans.

PICK: COLTS 27 - Titans 17

Power Rankings

2010-12-08T22:54:00.004-05:00

Entering Week 14 in the NFL - Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Atlanta Falcons
4. Baltimore Ravens
5. Philadelphia Eagles
6. New Orleans Saints
7. New York Jets
8. New York Giants
9. Chicago Bears
10. Kansas City Chiefs
11. Green Bay Packers
12. Jacksonville Jaguars
13. Indianapolis Colts
14. San Diego Chargers
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. St. Louis Rams
17. Minnesota Vikings
18. Cleveland Browns
19. Miami Dolphins
20. Seattle Seahawks
21. Houston Texans
22. Tennessee Titans
23. Dallas Cowboys
24. Oakland Raiders
25. Washington Redskins
26. San Francisco 49ers
27. Denver Broncos
28. Buffalo Bills
29. Detroit Lions
30. Cincinnati Bengals
31. Arizona Cardinals
32. Carolina Panthers

Danny's Week 13 Selections

2010-12-04T19:14:00.003-05:00

Buffalo Bills @ Minnesota Vikings (-6) - PICK: VIKINGS 27 - Bills 17

Cleveland Browns (+5) @ Miami Dolphins - PICK: DOLPHINS 24 - Browns 20

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans (-3) - PICK: TITANS 30 - Jaguars 24

Denver Broncos (+9) @ Kansas City Chiefs - PICK: CHIEFS 34 - Broncos 27

Washington Redskins @ New York Giants (-7) - PICK: GIANTS 24 - Redskins 13

Chicago Bears (-6) @ Detroit Lions - PICK: CHICAGO 30 - Lions 17

San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers (-10) - PICK: PACKERS 27 - 49ers 16

New Orleans Saints @ Cincinnati Bengals (+7) - PICK: SAINTS 17 - Bengals 16

Oakland Raiders @ San Diego Chargers (-13) - PICK: CHARGERS 38 - Raiders 14

Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) - PICK: FALCONS 24 - Buccaneers 23

Dallas Cowboys @ Indianapolis Colts (6) - PICK: COLTS 30 - Cowboys 20

Carolina Panthers @ Seattle Seahawks (5) - PICK: SEAHAWKS 24 - Panthers 16

St. Louis Rams @ Arizona Cardinals (+3.5) - PICK: ARIZONA 27 - Rams 20

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens (-3) - PICK: RAVENS 23 - Steelers 20

New York Jets (+4) @ New England Patriots - PICK: PATRIOTS 24 - Jets 21

Eric's Locks of Week 13

2010-12-04T18:41:00.001-05:00

Buffalo Bills (+5.5) @ Minnesota Vikings

Favre and new coach Leslie Frazier take on the perpetually exciting Bills. In case you haven’t noticed, the Bills have played in some of the most enjoyable games this year. Of course, they rarely end up on top in those games but they’re entertaining nonetheless. Steve Johnson and Lee Evans have given the Bills some pop in the passing game. As long as God doesn’t decide to continue his vendetta against Johnson, he and Harvard’s own Ryan Fitzpatrick will have a nice day against the porous Viking secondary. Brett Favre did enough to not lose last week against the Redskins. Toby Gerhart did his Mike Alstott impression last week trucking into the end zone carrying 2 ‘Skins with him last week. Gerhart’s a nice change of pace back but if Adrian Peterson (game time decision) doesn’t play, the Vikings likely lose the game. Either way the Bills cover and we may have Tavaris Jackson sighting by the end of the day.

PICK: BUFFALO +5.5

Washington @ New York Giants (-7)

Two schizophrenic teams that are wildly inconsistent from week to week. The Giants did everything they could to lose to Jacksonville last week and the Redskins reaffirmed that Brad Childress was the problem in Minnesota. Who knows who the Redskins will have in the backfield, word on the street is that they picked up a day laborer from Home Depot to take handoffs. New York is in the middle of a struggle to remain atop the NFC East. This is a pivotal game for the Giants, dropping one here would put them in a difficult position behind the streaking Eagles. Manning steps up the challenge and does just enough to get the win, but the Skins cover in a tight one.

PICK: WASHINGTON +7

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens (-3)

Big Ben’s foot seems to be the biggest headline heading into this game. The Bills had Pittsburgh on the ropes last Sunday and if it were for God’s interference, Steve Johnson wins the game for the Bills. The Ravens, however, look as solid as ever. They remain my Super Bowl favorite and take a strangle hold on the NFC North. Look for Ray Rice to catch a few balls for big yardage and a score out of the backfield. He’ll only get 50-60 rushing yards but he’ll have a great overall game. Mike Wallace comes up big but Mendenhall struggles and the Ravens get the win and the cover.

PICK: BALTIMORE -3

Week 13 - Danny's Thursday Night Selection

2010-12-02T19:59:00.004-05:00

Houston Texans (+8) @ Philadelphia Eagles - I think it is easy to see that the Eagles are the clear cut better team here, but the Texans are coming off a very nice shutout win against the quarterback-less Tennessee Titans. The Eagles are playing their 4th game in 18 days and they are without Asante Samuel again this week. Last week against the Bears, Samuel was missed dearly as Jay Cutler threw four touchdowns in a 31-26 Bears win. Due to Samuel's absence and the Eagles plays so many games in so few days, I like the Texans to keep it close in this matchup on Broad & Pattison. Michael Vick will have a strong game to put himself in serious MVP talks, and the Eagles will get the home victory tonight.

PICK: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 35 - Houston Texans 28

Good, Bad, Ugly

2010-12-01T23:39:00.003-05:00

Week 12

The Good

Chicago Bears - With a big game win against a big time NFC opponent, the Bears defense showed up to slow down Michael Vick and the explosive Eagles offense. Also worth noting was a 4 TD performance by Jay Cutler and the tremendous running game of Matt Forte. The Bears didn't have many believers going into the Eagles game, but its easy to say they have a few after the big win.

The Bad

Oakland Raiders - After all of the pre-season talks about the Raiders potential for this season it all seems to be going down hill. The inconsistencies of this offense have been well documented, but the lack of fight that this team showed throughout the week 12 matchup vs Miami just illustrated the decline of the Raiders this season. They are all but done, and now have to face the red-hot Chargers.

The Ugly

Cincinnati Bengals - Carson Palmer has had an awful season, the Bengals only have 2 wins, and they got beat up against the "human" Jets. Let's see how the Bengals rally the troops this week against the Saints in Cincy. A loss would lead me to believe that Marvin Lewis is definitely out after this season.

Power Rankings

2010-12-01T22:59:00.002-05:00

Power Rankings entering Week 13 in the NFL

1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Atlanta Falcons
6. Green Bay Packers
7. New York Giants
8. Chicago Bears
9. San Diego Chargers
10. Philadelphia Eagles
11. New Orleans Saints
12. Kansas City Chiefs
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Indianapolis Colts
15. Jacksonville Jaguars
16. St. Louis Rams
17. Miami Dolphins
18. Houston Texans
19. Minnesota Vikings
20. Washington Redskins
21. Dallas Cowboys
22. Tennessee Titans
23. Cleveland Browns
24. Seattle Seahawks
25. San Francisco
26. Buffalo Bills
27. Oakland Raiders
28. Denver Broncos
29. Cincinnati Bengals
30. Detroit Lions
31. Arizona Cardinals
32. Carolina Panthers

Eric's Sunday Lock of the Week

2010-11-28T11:06:00.001-05:00

Minnesota (-2.5) @ Washington

The Vikings’ disappointing season led to the firing of Brad Childress. I think the team won in spite of Childress last season. Favre breathed life into the team and publicly battled with his coach over play calling. Injuries and Favre’s decline exposed Childress. He never connected with his players but winning covers those flaws up and keeps people happy. When the team began to lose, players grumbled, and Childress lost their confidence. They signed a wide range of receivers in an attempt to replace Sidney Rice’s production. The Randy Moss trade stunk of desperation and his subsequent release was simply embarrassing. Similar to the Cowboys, Minnesota fired the coach and brought up their top coordinator. Interim Head Coach Leslie Frazier will find employment elsewhere the Vikings elect not to retain his services. I think we see a reinvigorated Vikings team committed to running the ball and playing good defense.

The Redskins have fooled me several times this season. After an embarrassing loss to the Eagles, they bounced back with a solid win against the Titans. Of course, Rusty Smith was under center for the Titans. Washington released the corpse of Joey Galloway this week. Shanahan’s affinity for veteran players led to the signing and releasing of Willie Parker, Larry Johnson, and Joey Galloway this year. How could everyone else in the world know these guys were washed up other than the Redskins brass? The Redskins continue their roller-coaster season with another low. The Vikings get the win by keeping the ball in Adrian Peterson’s hands and harassing McNabb.

PICK: Vikings -2.5

Danny's Week 12 Selections

2010-11-27T13:07:00.002-05:00

Record: (98-63 SU / 82-75-1 ATS)

Minnesota Vikings (-1) @ Washington Redskins - Pick: Vikings 24 - 17

Pittsburgh Steelers (-7) @ Buffalo Bills - Pick: Steelers 27 - 10

Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans (-6.5) - Pick: Texans 31 - 17

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Giants (-7) - Pick: Giants 24 - 16

Carolina Panthers @ Cleveland Browns (-10) - Pick: Browns 27 - 9

Green Bay Packers (+2) @ Atlanta Falcons - Pick: Packers 31 - 28

Miami Dolphins (+2.5) @ Oakland Raiders - Pick: Dolphins 17 - 13

Kansas City Chiefs (-2) @ Seattle Seahawks - Pick: Chiefs 30 - 20

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Baltimore Ravens (-7.5) - Pick: Ravens 27 - 10

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) @ Chicago Bears - Pick: Eagles 24 - 13

St. Louis Rams @ Denver Broncos (-3.5) - Pick: Broncos 24 - 20

San Diego Chargers (+3) @ Indianapolis Colts - Pick: Chargers 27 - 24

San Francisco 49ers (-1) @ Arizona Cardinals - Pick: 49ers 20 - 17

Eric's Locks of Week 12

2010-11-25T12:14:00.002-05:00

Eric's Locks of Thanksgiving Day NFL Games

Record: 12-6-2

PICK: SAINTS -4 vs Dallas, Brees and Company will put to rest this "Dallas comeback".

PICK: PATRIOTS -7.5 vs Detroit, Brady will come off the short week and exploit the Lions defense that typically plays well at home.

PICK: JETS -9 vs Cincinnati, Palmer will throw INT after INT if he targets TO, Revis shuts down Bengals and probably gets a TD of his own.

Danny's Thanksgiving Day Selections

2010-11-25T11:03:00.003-05:00

New England Patriots @ Detroit Lions (+7.5) - The Lions play considerably better at home, this is their Super Bowl game, and this is nationally televised so you know they will play their hearts out in the effort to show the nation that the Lions are a team on the rise and has some potential in upcoming seasons. That being said, they are playing Brady and Belichick so you know its a tough game, but this has back door cover written all over it. Lions cover on a late big play to Megatron.

PICK: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 27 - DETROIT LIONS 21

New Orleans Saints (-4) @ Dallas Cowboys - What happens today if the Cowboys get behind by two scores? We'll find out today. I think the return of Reggie Bush will spark new life in the Saints huddle, a Saints huddle that has been rollin' as of late. Drew Brees has answered the questions about his inconsistent start with very strong play in his last three starts. Kitna and the Cowboys have played well in their last two games, both under interim Head Coach Jason Garrett, but the road hits an obstacle this week at home. The Boys beat the Giants due in large part to two turnovers in the first 5 minutes, then they go and beat the Lions last week (the Lions haven't won a road game during Obama's presidency). Cowboys get a tough test against the Saints this week and they do not pass it.

PICK: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 34 - DALLAS COWBOYS 24

Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets (-9) - The Bengals come into New Jersey as a 9-point road dog against the Jets and its a short week after Sunday's brutal loss to the Bills. Jets have played close game after close game, donning them the nickname "Cardiac Jets". Today will be different. Bengals have serious locker room issues and once the Jets put up quick scores the Bengals will throw in the towel. I can seriously see either TO or Ochocinco get benched today due to sideline behavior, and I also anticipate seeing Jesse Palmer getting a few snaps today. Jets win a blowout.

PICK: NEW YORK JETS 30 - CINCINNATI BENGALS 13

Power Rankings

2010-11-25T10:44:00.003-05:00

Power Rankings following Week 11 in the NFL

1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. Atlanta Falcons
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Indianapolis Colts
10. New York Giants
11. Kansas City Chiefs
12. San Diego Chargers
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Chicago Bears
15. Jacksonville Jaguars
16. Oakland Raiders
17. Miami Dolphins
18. Tennessee Titans
19. Washington Redskins
20. St. Louis Rams
21. Houston Texans
22. Minnesota Vikings
23. Denver Broncos
24. Cleveland Browns
25. Seattle Seahawks
26. San Francisco 49ers
27. Buffalo Bills
28. Dallas Cowboys
29. Detroit Lions
30. Cincinnati Bengals
31. Arizona Cardinals
32. Carolina Panthers

Week 11 Good, Bad, Ugly

2010-11-24T00:18:00.001-05:00

Good:

Raheem Morris. The Bucs had a tremendous draft but I thought they were a few years off from the type of season they’ve put together. Raheem Morris appeared overwhelmed at times last season and perhaps he was. However, he learned form last year and has his team hitting on all cylinders thus far. Quarterback John Freeman looks like the real deal, Mike Williams was a draft day steal and rookie free agent Legarrette Blount went from angry-punching-maniac to starting NFL running back. Blount’s play allows Cadillac Williams to stay fresh and contribute. The Bucs pitched an impressive shutout on the road in San Fran and put the Saints and Falcons on notice that the NFC South is a 3 horse race. Somewhere an effeminate orange pirate is smiling.

Bad:

The Houston Texans Secondary. In consecutive weeks the Texans secondary cost the team wins and likely the playoffs in the process. The Jaguars defeated the Texans on a fluky Hail Mary followed by Sanchez throwing consecutive passes down the field resulting in the win. Perhaps the entire defense should take the blame but the secondary must make a stop with the game on the line. Kubiak may not suffer the same early demise as Wade Phillips and Brad Childress, but he’s destined for the unemployment line.

Ugly:

Brett Favre. Brett could have ridden off into the sunset after overachieving last season but he got greedy and decided to tempt fate. It looks like Brett settled himself back into what a 40 something year old quarterback should. He leads the league in turnovers and perhaps the most ominous sign of all, has the Minnesota faithful calling for Tavaris Jackson. That’s right- T-Jack- that’s how bad things have gotten. The may take the crown of “most disappointing” from Dallas before this season is all over with.

Eric's Locks of Week 11

2010-11-19T13:42:00.001-05:00

Lions (-7) @ Cowboys

The Cowboys played outstanding last week. Dez Bryant has emerged into an absolute beast. This bodes well for Miles Austin, who will reap the benefits of defenses gradually shifting coverage over top of Dez. The Lions secondary cannot keep pace with the Cowboys but I have serious doubts over Dallas’ ability to keep Suh and Vanden Bosch at bay. Jon Kitna made a few plays with his feet last week, but the Giants looked lost on defense all day. Kitna’s tough as they come, but he may revert back into captain check down if Suh has his way with the interior linemen. Don’t forget, this is the same line that nearly got Romo killed and these aren’t the Lions of old. The record may not show it, but they have a lot of fight in them. Dallas will struggle to get anything deep going so look for Jason Garrett to bring out the bubble screens that he loves so dearly. They’ve rarely worked this season and I have no reason to believe they will this week.

The departure of Wade Phillips marked a departure of man-coverage-blitz approach. The Cowboys played more zone coverage last week and stayed away from blitzing every down. Keith Brooking didn’t break down and the secondary made some huge plays. The secondary did not have the personnel to play man coverage- as evidenced by every game up until the Phillips firing. The Cowboys have no answer for Calvin Johnson, but who does? As long as Ware puts enough pressure on Lions QB Shaun Hill, who likes to dink and dunk anyway, Johnson will be limited to an over the middle threat. The Cowboys win this one but it isn’t pretty and the Lions cover.

PICK: LIONS +7

Redskins (-7) @ Titans

The Redskins overachieved early in the season but take a step back and look at this team. They have no receiving threats. Santana Moss isn’t the Santana Moss of old. He would do well as the second or even third/slot option but he’s simply not a number 1 anymore. Joey Galloway was born in 1971 (not a joke). Anthony Anderson was a nice surprise but he’s got a ways to go. They produced a fairly good running game considering the injuries incurred but that had to be expected when you go into a season with ~~veteran~~ washed up backs. The line, although improved, remains suspect. McNabb plays well considering the dearth of weapons. However, he’s on the backside of his career and can’t carry a team any longer. Did you know the Redskins have the oldest average roster in the NFL? Not exactly what you want to see in a rebuilding team.

Tennessee plays good defense, runs the ball well, and seems to find a few deep passes every now and again. They struggled mightily against the Chargers, a pass happy offense with a quietly effective defense. The Redskins rank 25^th in the NFL against the run and 31^st against the pass. Chris Johnson will have one of those 2009 like performances and Randy Moss gets his first touchdown in a Titans uniform. The Titans win and cover. My only fear in this pick is a garbage time TD by the Skins, but I feel the Titans take a lead, eat up the clock and win by at least 10.

PICK: TITANS -7