Week 16 Picks NFL

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

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

Danny :  Dallas -7

Eric : Tampa Bay +7

Week 14 Picks - Danny

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(#) 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

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

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

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