Danny's Conference Championship Selections

Green Bay Packers (-3.5) @ Chicago Bears

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

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

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

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

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

GREEN BAY PACKERS 24 - Chicago Bears 17


New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5)

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

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

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

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

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

PITTSBURGH STEELERS 23 - New York Jets 13

Eric's Divisional Round Locks

Green Bay Packers (+3) @ Atlanta Falcons

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

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

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

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

PICK: PACKERS +3

Seattle Seahawks (+10) @ Chicago Bears

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

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

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

PICK: SEATTLE +10

New York Jets (+9) @ New England Patriots

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

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

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

PICK: JETS +9

Baltimore Ravens (+3) @ Pittsburgh Steelers

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

Keys for the Steelers:

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

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

Keys For the Ravens:

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

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

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

PICK: RAVENS +3 in an outright win

Danny's Week 17 Selections

WEEK 17 PICKS:

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

Eric's Locks of Week 17

St Louis (-3) @ Seattle

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

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

PICK: St. Louis Rams -3

Danny's Week 16 NFL Selections

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Danny's Week 14 Selections

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

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

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

New York Giants (-3) @ Minnesota Vikings - PICK: Giants 24 - Vikings 16

Green Bay Packers (-7) @ Detroit Lions - PICK: PACKERS 31 - Lions 20

Atlanta Falcons (-8) @ Carolina Panthers - PICK: FALCONS 24 - Panthers 10

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Washington Redskins (+3) - PICK: REDSKINS 24 - Buccaneers 20

St. Louis Rams @ New Orleans Saints (-9) - PICK: SAINTS 31 - Rams 17

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers (-5) - PICK: 49ers 24 - Seahawks 16

New England Patriots (-3) @ Chicago Bears - PICK: PATRIOTS 14 - Bears 7

Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets (-6) - PICK: JETS 20 - Dolphins 10

Denver Broncos (-4.5) @ Arizona Cardinals - PICK: BRONCOS 34 - Cardinals 17

Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers (-9) - PICK: CHARGERS 31 - Chiefs 17

Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) @ Dallas Cowboys - PICK: EAGLES 34 - Cowboys 27

Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans (+3) - PICK: TEXANS 31 - Ravens 30

Eric's Locks of Week 14

New England Patriots (-3) @ Chicago Bears

Does Tom Brady have hair plugs? My girlfriend says he does and the Sports Guy mention something to that effect? I am certainly not a patriots fan but in a time when America is constantly questioned, doesn’t he seem like the appropriate ambassador? He’s not effeminate like Euro soccer guys and always gives an air of I don’t care to the media. I’ve seen him play and hair plugs aside, its beautiful thing. Jay Cutler dates Laguna Beach has-beens, Brady dates (marries) girls who are too good for Victoria’s Secret. Three points? Nope- give em seven and I still take the Pats. New England wins big in a route.

PICK: NEW ENGLAND -3

Kansas City @ San Diego (-9)

Phillip Rivers is an easy player to hate. On the field, he often comes across as an arrogant jerk to the casual Charger’s observer. However, what Rivers has accomplished thus far is nothing short of great. General Manager AJ Smith, made a big miscalculation. The Chargers cast aside LaDanian (French for the The Danian) Tomlinson and drafted running back Ryan Matthews in the first round. As it turns out, Tomlinson isn’t dead and Ryan Matthews isn’t good. To be fair, Matthews has struggled with injuries and Tomlinson appeared washed up last year. To make matters worse, two of the team’s best players left tackle Marcus McNeil and receiver Vincent Jackson were both embroiled in public contract disputes. McNeil resigned to a long term deal with the Chargers and Jackson returned to obtain a vested year in order to gain unrestricted status after the season. Further exacerbating the team’s personnel troubles, top receivers Malcolm Floyd, Legadu Nanee and All Pro Antonio Gates have become fixtures on the team’s injury report. Despite all of this, Rivers continues to put up Pro Bowl numbers. You may loathe Philip Rivers on a personal level, but he’s a baller on par with any of the top QB’s in the league.

I love seeing Kansas City relevant again. Growing up, I was married to the NFC. Those games mattered and AFC games didn’t. There was a period when the NFC dominated. Beginning with ’84 49ers and ending with the ’96 Packers, the NFC won every single Super Bowl. The AFC was like a mistress for me- just a little fun on the side. The Steve DeBerg-Marty Schottenheimer days are long gone but it appears Todd Haley and his big name staff has a little something going. Matt Cassel’s play has flown slightly under the radar. He’s developed a nice rapport with Dwayne Bowe and the combination of Thomas Jones and Jamal Charles gives them enough to grind out games.

San Diego needs a win here to keep pace with KC. I think they win easy with the recent news of Matt Cassel being ruled OUT due to his Wednesday appendectomy. Brodie Croyle will get the start for the Chiefs, Jamaal Charles will be running hard after being awarded a nice new contract this week, but the fact of the matter is the Chargers rarely lose in November and December. They took a nasty loss last week at home against Oakland, no chance they lose two in a row in San Diego in December.

PICK: CHARGERS -9

Danny's Week 12 Selections

Record: (98-63 SU / 82-75-1 ATS)

Minnesota Vikings (-1) @ Washington Redskins - Pick: Vikings 24 - 17

Pittsburgh Steelers (-7) @ Buffalo Bills - Pick: Steelers 27 - 10

Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans (-6.5) - Pick: Texans 31 - 17

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Giants (-7) - Pick: Giants 24 - 16

Carolina Panthers @ Cleveland Browns (-10) - Pick: Browns 27 - 9

Green Bay Packers (+2) @ Atlanta Falcons - Pick: Packers 31 - 28

Miami Dolphins (+2.5) @ Oakland Raiders - Pick: Dolphins 17 - 13

Kansas City Chiefs (-2) @ Seattle Seahawks - Pick: Chiefs 30 - 20

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Baltimore Ravens (-7.5) - Pick: Ravens 27 - 10

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) @ Chicago Bears - Pick: Eagles 24 - 13

St. Louis Rams @ Denver Broncos (-3.5) - Pick: Broncos 24 - 20

San Diego Chargers (+3) @ Indianapolis Colts - Pick: Chargers 27 - 24

San Francisco 49ers (-1) @ Arizona Cardinals - Pick: 49ers 20 - 17

Danny's Week 10 Selections

Cincinnati Bengals @ Indianapolis Colts (-7) - Colts 31 - Bengals 20

Houston Texans (+1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars - Texans 28 - Jaguars 17

Tennessee Titans (-1) @ Miami Dolphins - Titans 24 - Dolphins 20

Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears (+1.5) - Bears 20 - Vikings 17

Detroit Lions (+3) @ Buffalo Bills - Lions 35 - Bills 30

New York Jets (+3) @ Cleveland Browns - Jets 20 - Browns 6

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7) - Buccaneers 24 - Panthers 10

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos (+1) - Broncos 20 - Chiefs 16

St. Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49ers (-6) - 49ers 17 - Rams 3

Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals (-3) - Cardinals 27 - Seahawks 20

Dallas Cowboys (+14) @ New York Giants - Giants 34 - Cowboys 24

New England Patriots (+4.5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers - Steelers 24 - Patriots 20

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) @ Washington Redskins - Eagles 27 - Redskins 17

Eric's Lock of the Week

Eric's Record (11-4-2 ATS)

The Monday Night Special:

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins (+3)

The Redskins took Michael Vick out of the game early in game 1. Vick returns to avenge the loss, and he will do just that. The Redskins have overachieved this year with new management as well as a new quarterback. However, part of that new management team (Mike Shanahan) undermined the quarterback last week and had the audacity to claim McNabb’s benching resulted from poor conditioning. Perhaps Shanahan wanted to give McNabb something to think about other than his pending Eagles rematch. He surely doesn’t think Rex Grossman gives them a better chance to win, I mean, he has seen Grossman play, hasn’t he? The Redskins have found a place for Albert Haynesworth in their modified 3-4 scheme making it difficult for teams up the middle. DeAngelo Hall came into the league overrated, was exposed in Oakland and summarily released, and now finds himself once again considered among the upper tier of cornerbacks in the league. Washington plays enough defense to win games (2 home losses this season both by 3 points), but I don’t think they can account for Vick’s mobility. In round 1, they did so by breaking a few of his ribs, but that’s unlikely to occur again. The Eagles have too many weapons, Maclin, Jackson, McCoy and Celek are as good as they get at the skill positions. And Vick's relationship with DeSean Jackson is phenomenal as he is 21-31 for 400+yards and 3 TD's. Throw in a freakish athlete like Vick at quarterback and you’ve got enough to go all the way. I’ve been waiting for Vick to revert back into his Atlanta form, making poor choices, looking to run too early but that simply hasn’t happened. In game 1, the Eagles turned into a different team when Kolb came in. It threw the pace and timing of the offense off and they never rebounded. Despite the poor showing, they still had a chance to win it at the game’s close. McNabb loses round 2 and the Eagles cover.

PICK: EAGLES -3

Thursday Night Football - NFL Week 10

Thursday Night Football opens up this week in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons taking on the Baltimore Ravens. This is a great matchup of two of the young-superstar quarterbacks that came out of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Baltimore Ravens @ Atlanta Falcons (PICK) - Matt Ryan is 17-1 in 18 career starts in the Georgia Dome. That is an absolutely outstanding statistic to point out for tonight's game. The Falcons clearly "get-up" more for home games and the record shows. It is a short week for both teams, I give the advantage to the Ravens here as the veteran team can handle the short week much better than I would expect the Falcons to. However, this is a game the Falcons have to treat as the regular season Super Bowl. A win over a top 3 team in the NFL would solidify the fact that the Falcons are a legit contender this season. Matty Ice and Roddy White will show up big tonight and the Falcons get it done at home in a high scoring affair.

PICK: ATLANTA 27 - BALTIMORE 24

Eric's Locks of Week 9

Record: 10-4-1

Tampa Bay (+8.5) @ Atlanta

The NFC is wide open and Atlanta looks like they have as good a chance as anyone to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. They’ve got a steady QB, a top flight running back, an aging but still effective tight end and a very good receiving corps. Defensively, they have some questions, especially in the secondary. They’ve well enough to pull out wins and with the exception of the Eagles game, have looked like the better team. For some reason though, I’m simply not sold. I can’t trust Matty Ice to deliver a game winning drive under pressure and Michael Turner has had some durability issues. Sure, Atlanta will go to the playoffs and may win a game but no way they reach the Super Bowl.

Tampa Bay, on the other hand, looks bad on paper. Statistically, they rank in the middle for every major category except for opponents rushing yards, which they come in at 30^th. Again, on paper, this would appear to play right into the hands of Atlanta. Josh Freeman looks confident and better than most thought at his early point in his career. Mike Williams provides him with a reliable target and Lagarrette (French for “The Garrette") Blount just had a breakout game last week against Arizona. Defensively, this team loaded up with young talent. They’re more than a year away from becoming serious contenders for the division crown but they’ve got a friskiness to them I like.

Atlanta will win this one. They’re the better team, I just don’t think they’re more than 8 points better. Mike Williams and Lagarrette Blount both have solid games and keep the Bucs in this one. I like Tampa Bay to cover but the Falcons to win.

PICK: TAMPA BAY +8.5

Kansas City (+3) @ Oakland

Odds makers must have put a lot of stock into these past two weeks by Oakland. Oakland has looked like a premier team. Darren McFadden, Jason Campbell, and Darrius Heyward-Bey played to their first round draft pick pedigree resulting in some of the best offensive output in franchise history. However, let’s add a little perspective. Yes, the Raiders got very very hot but they also played against two teams that were reeling. The Broncos have looked absolutely terrible over the past few weeks and Seattle overachieves at home and bombs on the road. Oakland may be playing its best football in a decade but that doesn’t say a whole lot.

Kansas City has benefited from an easy schedule. You could argue they’ve lost to the only quality teams they’ve played (Indy and Houston). However, the Chiefs play steady and make the most of what they have. Kansas City runs the ball well, makes just enough throws and plays solid defense. I like Chiefs’ Defensive Coordinator, Romeo Crennel, against Jason Campbell. No way Heyward-Bey has a repeat performance. Raider's corner Nnamdi Asomugha is listed as Questionable and may not play. Without him, the Raiders will lose the flexibility he brings. The Chiefs are 3 point dogs but I see them winning outright and cooling the Raiders off.

PICK: KANSAS CITY +3

Danny's Week 8 Selections

Denver +1.5 @ San Francisco *(game played in London) - DENVER 27 - 49ers 20

Jacksonville @ Dallas -6.5 - DALLAS 31 - Jacksonville 20

Washington @ Detroit -3 - DETROIT 34 - Washington 24

Carolina +3 @ St. Louis - CAROLINA 20 - St. Louis 17

Miami @ Cincinnati -1 - CINCINNATI 24 - Miami 16

Buffalo +7.5 @ Kansas City - KANSAS CITY 30 - Buffalo 27

Tennessee @ San Diego -3.5 - SAN DIEGO 27 - Tennessee 20

Tampa Bay @ Arizona -3 - ARIZONA 20 - Tampa 9

Seattle @ Oakland -3 - OAKLAND 24 - Seattle 10

Minnesota @ New England (off) - NEW ENGLAND 31 - Minnesota 24

Pittsburgh (pick) @ New Orleans - PITTSBURGH 26 - New Orleans 20

Houston +5.5 @ Indianapolis - Houston 27 - Indianapolis 24

MONDAY NIGHT LOCK

New York Giants take on the Dallas Cowboys tonight in Dallas, Texas.

Both teams have efficient offenses and Dallas is in must win mode. The explosiveness coming from both teams, combined with week secondaries will lead to a high scoring affair tonight.

Take the OVER 45 tonight and cash in with SUNDAY PICKS

Danny's Week 7 Selections

Pittsburgh -3 @ Miami - Steelers 26 - Dolphins 20

Cincinnati +3.5 @ Atlanta - Bengals 20 - Falcons 17

Jacksonville @ Kansas City -9 - Chiefs 27 - Jaguars 7

Philadelphia +3 @ Tennessee - Eagles 24 - Titans 20

Washington @ Chicago -3 - Bears 27 - Redskins 17

Cleveland @ New Orleans -14 - Saints 31 - Browns 13

Buffalo +14 @ Baltimore - Ravens 27 - Bills 17

San Francisco -3 @ Carolina - 49ers 24 - Panthers 20

St. Louis @ Tampa Bay -3 - Buccaneers 27 - Rams 16

Arizona @ Seattle -6.5 - Seahawks 30 - Cardinals 17

New England @ San Diego -3 - Chargers 31 - Patriots 24

Oakland @ Denver -8 - Broncos 24 - Raiders 12

Minnesota +3 @ Green Bay - Vikings 24 - Packers 23

New York Giants @ Dallas -3.5 - Cowboys 34 - Giants 27

Eric's Week 7 LOCKS

ERIC'S RECORD - 7-3-1 ATS

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Kansas City Chiefs (-9)

Todd Bouman is the expected starter for this game. Bouman, 38 years young, last played in 2005 for the Saints where he amassed 7 picks and just 2 touchdowns. Not that David Garrard strikes fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators, but he's markedly better than Bouman. Romeo Crennel's defense will load the line to limit Jones-Drew and force Bouman to beat them. The Chiefs have the number 1 rushing offense entering this week and face a Jags D that ranks 20th against the run. I don't think they will ask Matt Cassel to do anything but hand the ball off and play it safe in the passing game. Rookie tight end Tony Moeaki continues to develop as a player in this league. The combination of Moeaki and Dwayne Bowe give the passing game just enough to be effective. Look for a big day out of Jammal Charles and a solid win for the Chiefs.

PICK: KANSAS CITY -9


New England (+3) @ San Diego Chargers

San Diego lost a lot last week. The Chargers lost Malcolm Floyd, Antonio Gates and Legedu Naanee to injury. Floyd will not play and the other 2 are game time decisions. Patrick Crayton filled in nicely last week. Crayton was the Cowboys' most consistent receiver over the past 3 years and despite being a bit older is a great route runner and a consummate professional. He will not provide Phillip Rivers with the deep threat he normally has, but he'll give him an option in the mid range passing game. Chargers' running back Ryan Matthews did not become the work horse head coach Norv Turner claimed he'd be prior to the season. Mike Tolbert has been just as effective and a much better red zone option. Matthews continues to struggle with a high ankle sprain and despite Rivers putting up good numbers, this offense will not have a good day.

The Patriots, on the other hand, enter the game with a rejuvenated Deion Branch headlining a no name receiving crew that appears to be hitting its stride. The Chargers have the number 1 defense against the pass, but Brady looks like he's in mid season form. The Patriots beat a very good Baltimore team and I think they keep rolling. The Chargers are (-3) underdogs and if they were at full strength, I'd take them in a moment. However, injuries will put more pressure on Rivers as well as the running game, and as a Ryan Matthews fantasy owner, I know the rushing attack isn't very good.

PICK: NEW ENGLAND +3

Danny's Week 6 Selections

Seattle @ Chicago (-6.5) - Bears 28 - Seattle 13

San Diego (-8) @ St. Louis - Chargers 34 - Rams 20

Kansas City @ Houston (-5) - Texans 27 - Chiefs 17

Baltimore @ New England (-3) - Patriots 27 - Ravens 24

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay (+5) - Saints 20 - Buccaneers 17

Atlanta @ Philadelphia (-3) - Eagles 24 - Falcons 20

Detroit (+10) @ New York Giants - Giants 27 - Lions 23

Miami (+3.5) @ Green Bay - Dolphins 27 - 20

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh (-14) - Steelers 31 - Browns 6

New York Jets (-3.5) @ Denver - Jets 24 - Broncos 17

Oakland (+7) @ San Francisco - 49ers 17 - Raiders 16

Dallas @ Minnesota (-1.5) - Vikings 24 - Cowboys 20

Indianapolis @ Washington (+3.5) - Colts 27 - Redskins 26

Tennessee (-3) @ Jacksonville - Titans 28 - Jaguars 17

Eric's Locks of Week 6

Baltimore Ravens (+3) @ New England Patriots

The Patriots surprised many football fans when they traded Randy Moss. We all know Moss had reverted into his natural state of being a pain in the ass but his absence leaves the Pats without a deep threat to take pressure from their possession receivers. Special teams ace Ben Tate must have truly impressed Belichick enough to provide the confidence to let Moss go. The Pats look like they are planning for bigger things in the years to come. They have acquired 7 picks in the first 4 rounds (actually 8 but they traded a 4^th rounder for the corpse of Deon Branch). Deep down, Belichick knows 2010 will not be a championship season for New England and letting Moss go was an admission of that. The Patriots cannot run the ball. Period. Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris will not strike fear into the hearts of any defensive unit, let alone the vaunted Baltimore Raven front seven. The Patriots will attempt to spread the Ravens out and throw against their secondary all day. This Ravens unit is too good to have a great deal of success being one-dimensional.

Belichick will have some trick up his hoodie for Flacco. Joe Flacco looked great the past two weeks, including a very impressive drive to defeat the Steelers. However, Flacco still makes mistakes and I think he’ll make a couple in this game. However, I think the combination of Ray Rice and Anquan Boldin will overwhelm the Pats’ D. The Ravens pull out another impressive victory on the road.

PICK: RAVENS +3

New Orleans Saints (-4.5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

New Orleans inexplicably lost to the Cardinals last weekend. The Super Bowl hangover is in full swing and the Saints may lose the division to the Falcons. The loss of running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush means the loss of their rushing attack. Thomas may come back this week but his status is far from certain. Bush did not put up great stats but he added a dimension opposing defenses had to plan and account for. The Bucs have been a little frisky this year, Josh Johnson has put together a few surprising victories without a viable running game. Did you know Cadillac Williams was still alive? The Bus have a solid young foundation but their not on the same level as the Saints. I think the Saints bounce back and win this one by at least a touchdown. Johnson has a lot of promise, but I’ll take Brees and his corps of receivers to put up a nice score down in Tampa.

PICK: SAINTS -4.5

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - Week 5

Good:

The Detroit Lions. Sure they played the Rams, but the Lions put on a show. The Lions have hung tough against each opponent thus far and should have beaten the Bears in week 1. The Lions poured on 44 points in the win. Back-up QB Shaun Hill threw for 3 TD’s and no interceptions and did a nice job of spreading the wealth. Detroit also scored on a kick return and interception return. The Lions may only be 1-4, but no one in the NFL should take them lightly.

Bad:

The Dallas Cowboys. Once again, the Cowboys outplayed their opponents but could not get out of their own way. Over 130 yards in penalties and 3 turnovers offset Romo’s 400 passing yards and 3 TD, Austin’s 166 receiving yards and Jones’ 100 rushing yards. The Cowboys’ failed to address their aging offensive line, Free Safety, and coaching issues in the off-season and the chickens have come home to roost. The Cowboys have had their biggest successes when Jerry Jones takes a back seat to real football minds, until he earnestly realizes this, the team will wallow in mediocrity. Home Super Bowl? Don’t kid yourself. Let’s focus on being .500 for the time being.

Ugly:

Jake Delhomme. Delhomme replaced the injured Seneca Wallace and reaffirmed his washed up status. Delhomme was 12 of 23 for 97 yards 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. One of those interceptions was taken back for a touchdown (good to see Jake hasn’t lost his touch). In a gesture of mercy towards the good fans of Cleveland, Delhomme re-injured his ankle. The Browns signed Delhomme as a place holder for the QB position until McCoy was ready to take the helm. Thus far, Jake’s 33 of 60 for 324 yards with 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions. In the last 2 years, Browns fans have seen Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace under center. Seneca has been the best of the group and he’s a career back up. Not exactly a tough act to follow for the rookie McCoy, he’s like the bizarre-o Steve Young.

Eric's Locks of Week 5

Kansas City Chiefs (-7.5) @ Indianapolis Colts

Did you know the Chiefs are the last undefeated team in the NFL? Unless you’ve sworn off ESPN, you have been made well aware of this fact. Odds makers set this line based on reputation over actual play in 2010. Indianapolis’ struggles against the run have been well-documented over the years. Once again, the Colts can’t seem to find an answer to establishing a respected run defense. The team hoped that Bob Sanders could make it through a season unscathed only to discover his body is made of papier-mâché. To make matters worse, the team placed Sanders’ replacement, Melvin Bullitt, on injured reserve after losing to the Jaguars in week 4. Last week the Colts’ porous defense surrendered 174 yards rushing and 31 points to the Jags. Manning put up great numbers (as usual) and the time of possession was almost equal but the Colts presented little resistance for an offense that consists of Maurice Jones-Drew and little else.

The Chiefs have surprised most football fans with their fast start. However, their wins have come against 3 teams that have a combined 3 wins between them. Matt Cassel’s numbers look rather pedestrian (4 TDs 3 INTS 494 YDS) and the Chiefs have allowed their opponents to out gain them by 300 yards in the air thus far. That doesn’t matter. This team will not win games throwing the ball. The Chiefs have 2 top tier running backs in Jammal Charles and Thomas Jones and a versatile special teamer/receiver in Dexter McCluster. Their offensive strength plays well to Indianapolis’ defensive weakness.

Romeo Crennel knows manning well from his days in New England. The Patriots were the hump Manning could not get over and Romeo Crennel played a large part in that. Crennel now holds the same position with Kansas City. Manning will get his, but Crennel should have enough up his sleeve to delay the Colts’ offensive onslaught. The Colts will win this game, but the Chiefs should keep things interesting for most of this game. I’ll take the Chiefs to cover (-7.5) and the Colts to win.

ERIC'S PICK: CHIEFS +7.5

New Orleans Saints (-7) @ Arizona Cardinals

The Saints have not looked like the defending Super Bowl Champs thus far in 2010. They have beaten San Fran, Carolina and Minnesota by a combined total of 10 points. The Saints rank 30^th in rushing, lost Reggie Bush to injury and have a hobbled Pierre Thomas. We just have not seen the same offensive fire for an entire game out of this team. Luckily, the Arizona Cardinals are on the menu.

The Cardinals benched perpetual disappointment, Derek Anderson, last week in favor of a rookie, Max Hall. I don’t think this was the situation Coach Ken Wisenhunt had in mind entering preseason with an open quarterback competition. The Cardinals have a few offensive pieces in Tim Hightower and Larry Fitzgerald. Hightower is a solid situational back and Fitzgerald needs a QB that can get him the ball so their talent goes mostly wasted on this squad. Former first round pick Beanie Wells only has 19 carries this season, but he is averaging a shade under 5 yards per carry. So there is a bright spot in the ground game.

The Cardinals are coming off of a 41-10 beat down at the hands of San Diego last week. I see another obliteration coming down the pike on Sunday. The Cardinals hit rock bottom and the Saints’ offense finds its mojo again. The Saints are due for a breakout performance and I don’t think a rookie QB on a struggling team will answer the challenge. The Saints cover (-7) and roll the Cards.

PICK: NEW ORLEANS -7