The Crystal Ball Week 13

Well, it is official, this season is over. There is nothing left but to play out the string. After being completely dominated by Baltimore in every facet of the game, there is nothing good left to say. They played like crap, looked like a team lost, and were overpowered, outmatched and out coached. It is sad when the season comes to an end. I know there are still five games left, and I will be attending one of them, but for the big prize, it is over. Barring some sort of miracle and divine intervention, this one is in the books as a huge disappointment. You try to convince yourself that things could fall into place; a string of victories coupled with some strategic losses could put them right into it. But you know that will not happen. It is a hard truth to accept, but it is there. This season is over. It is a sad moment when you realize the football world will continue rolling on, even though your team is out of contention and you will be left out of the party. This must be how both Cardinals fans feel each year.

Cowher has obviously given up on this team, and long before this week. He shows absolutely zero life on the sidelines and has absolutely no fire for anything, even if it is when his team is getting obviously jobbed. His team is on track for their worst season under his leadership, and potentially the worst season of a Super Bowl winner, and he just looks like he could give a damn. He stands there on the sidelines, and as the ship is sinking, just looks out onto the field and shakes his head, like he cannot believe what he is seeing. Hey Bill, you created this mess. He keeps insisting that the problems with the defense are caused by the corners getting burned and Ike Taylor in particular. So what does he do? He benches Taylor, and then we watch Townsend and McFadden get smoked the whole game. Yeah, Cowher, so tell us how Taylor caused those, and every other defensive breakdown? I do not know what Taylor did to get into Cowher’s dog house, but I wish Bill would pull his stubborn head out of his ass and realize that the problems this team has do not start, nor end, with your perceived problems with Ike Taylor’s play.

I have maintained all year that one of the biggest problems this year has been Cowher. He has been a distraction since training camp with his contract situation, moving his family and basically making his future in Pittsburgh look uncertain, and then refusing to acknowledge it or straighten it out amongst any of the players. He keeps blaming certain players for overall failures by the team. He then keeps switching players looking for a quick fix that will not come. He says he cannot figure out why one of the biggest weaknesses, special teams, is such an Achilles heel, but the team lost their best returner in the off season, and then cut one of the best players on special teams before the season even began. You think these two stupid moves could have reduced the effectiveness of the special teams units? He keeps rushing Roethlisberger back from injury too soon, each time increasing his likelihood of continued injuries and a shortened career, and then will not admit that he came back too soon and Charlie Batch could have more than adequately held down the fort. Plus, it is obvious that Willie Parker works best with another back to spell him from time to time, it worked great with Bettis last year. And yet, with two capable big backs on the roster, working them in tandem is rarely, if ever, done. The team picked up Davenport off of waivers to accentuate the running game, yet if he plays at all, he is relegated to kick and punt returns. And if you told me Duce Staley was living in a commune in northern California, I would not be surprised, because he is NEVER played, and rarely even in uniform. What is the story there? Why did we pursue this talented big back and then after an injury two years ago, basically put him on the shelf to rot? This underutilizing of personnel is hurting the team overall. Perhaps, Bill, you should start looking at the top for the issues with this team and correct from there down. I do not want to knock Cowher too viciously, and become one of those what have you done for me lately type fans. However, it is obvious that his mind is elsewhere this season. Perhaps on hoping for that big Holmgren-type contract, or perhaps just in his new corner of the world in North Carolina. If it is the former, remember what team you work for and go from there. If it is the latter, and you are dreaming of Carolina, then you should have retired with the Bus.

For all that Cowher may be contributing, or not contributing, to this season; he is not the one playing the games. The players themselves are the ones that hold the overall responsibility for winning and losing, and they have plenty of issues going around. They cannot hold onto the ball, they cannot stop other teams on third down, they do nothing in the red zone, they cannot hold the pocket together with any consistency, they cannot keep their heads about them on the field and continue to amass personal fouls and other stupid penalties. Plus, they have an obvious lack of leadership, both in the locker room and on the field, where no one seems to be leading well, and if anyone is stepping up, no one else is following. And most disturbingly, they just seem too satiated from last year and do not care what happens this year. And after digging themselves an early hole in the wins and losses column, they did not play with any urgency. They played each game as they sunk lower into the hole as if it were no big deal, a mere bump on the road to yet another championship coronation. It bothers me so much that this team, the same team as last year who did everything the hard way and knows what it takes to truly climb the mountain, seem so unconcerned this year. It is just sad and, quite frankly, a disgrace. I know Bill Simmons of ESPN.com created the 5 year grace period, which basically states that the fans of any team must refrain from complaining about anything their team does for five years following a championship, but I’m sorry, this is too much idiocy to keep quiet about.

Ultimately, the Steelers have no luck, keep getting hurt, and when they do well they end up shooting themselves in the foot with a foolish penalty or a turnover and more and more look like they just do not care whatsoever. Simmons, to plug him again, said recently that Pittsburgh’s play this season after winning a championship last season is a disgrace. I immediately started to put up a defense, but I could not. It is a disgrace. There is no other way to put it. Yeah, they have had some bad luck, some inopportune injuries and as always, people play the champs much tougher than any other team, but those are nothing more than excuses.

And do not give me any of that play for pride crap. If they had any pride, they would have played with a sense of urgency and ferocity long ago. But they did not, because they have no motivation since winning it all, and look as though they expect everything good to come to them, and seem genuinely surprised when bad things happen and games keep getting lost. It is just stunning and shocking to think that in a span of a few short months, this team went from the toast of the NFL to a joke in the NFL, with only minor personnel changes. Ok, enough ranting on the team and this season in general. And just so you know, I am wearing my Steelers hat while I write this. I may be cheesed and disappointed, but I am still a fan.

So, a few notes about this debacle of a game. It drives me nuts when we lose, but to lose to the Ravens? After I reassembled my head after it exploded, I predictably flipped out. If I have to pick one team I hate losing to more than any other, it is all the ex-cons that call themselves the Ravens. It is bad enough to lose to them, but to be shut out by them? Even last year with Tommy Maddox at the helm they managed to score some points in the loss at Baltimore. Since I found my paper bag to breathe into, I can now actually get to those notes. First, the officials were one of the following: obvious homers, turning a blind eye on events or just terrible. The holding being committed by the Baltimore defense was atrocious. No wonder they are able to rack up such stellar numbers. It finally became so obvious that the officials had to call it. Plus, how many times was Roethlisberger hit WELL after he threw the ball? I counted three times in particular where he was drilled into the ground well after the pass, and not one single call was made. A travesty of officiating, and it goes against the rules the NFL has put into place to protect quarterbacks and destroys any consistency in enforcing them and the credibility of all officiating crews. Just a shameful display and I know that if Dan Rooney tries to complain again, like he did after the Atlanta game, then he will probably get smacked with another fine. Dan, I will start a collection if needed, but say something before someone tears Roethlisberger’s head off.

Second, the offensive line was just that, offensive. They should be ashamed of their performance on Sunday. Roethlisberger was sacked nine times. NINE TIMES! Not only am I amazed he kept playing; I was amazed he kept getting up. And three of the sacks, that I choose to remember, the defender came in and nailed Ben completely untouched. How do you miss a guy completely, and so often? They gave him zero protection; he was constantly being hurried and harassed if not being planted into the ground. There are a few older guys on the line, but they are not THAT old. They had better find out where they failed, because if they cannot give Ben more than one second in the pocket, there will not be another win this season.

Third, what happened to the Steeler intensity? They looked flat and uninspired from the first snap, the exact opposite of the Ravens who looked tough and hungry. I remember last year Pittsburgh would march into other people’s stadiums and play with that kind of intensity all through the playoffs. I guess they used it all up then, because they have none of it this year.

The only good things I can possibly take from last week are Cowher, in rightly calling it a pitiful performance, admitted that they were out coached and outplayed and took full responsibility for the loss. At least he recognizes that the buck stops at the top. The other good thing is that Roethlisberger did not have a single interception the entire game. Of course, when he wasn’t staring at the sky while lying on his back, he was running for his life and barely had enough time to throw the ball at all. Roethlisberger even said after the game, and I quote, "I can't get mad at the linemen, they did a good job." I am not sure where he got that assessment, but I give him credit for not throwing his teammates under the bus. Perhaps Peyton Manning should take a lesson, because if anyone had a right to go out to the press and say they had problems with protection, it was Ben on Sunday. I guess I will take any sort of silver lining I can find from this one.

Here is hoping that perhaps next week they can at least beat a crappy Tampa Bay team. I am beginning to have my doubts that they can even pull that off with the injury list so far this week. Polamalu is out at least two games with a strained MCL. And Hines will not play either, since he re-aggravated the knee injury he sustained against Cleveland and had arthroscopic surgery on it Monday.

It doesn’t matter anyway, since it is all working according to my plan. I did not want them to win the Super Bowl this year, I want them to go and win it next year, when it is held in Arizona. It will be easier for me to go then. So ultimately, I am pleased my plan is working. Of course, they don’t have to look so crappy doing it.

Ok, enough whining and complaining about the Steelers. While part of me is looking fondly toward next year, the other part of me is wrapped up in the excitement of the final stretch of the regular season. We now have a weekly Thursday night game courtesy of the NFL Network, bringing the total to three days a week we can watch NFL action. That is hard to beat. Division and wild card races are tightening up all over the map, and the action is only going to get better.

What a fantastic performance by Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans against the Giants. I had a feeling they were coming together, and thought they could do a number on the Giants. I was right. Young was sublime in the last stanza of the game, bringing his team back from a 21 point deficit to squeeze out an exciting last second win. Some people knocked Tennessee for taking Young, saying he could not transition well to the NFL with his style, and Matt Leinart would have been a better choice to work with Tennessee offensive coordinator Norm Chow. I hope those people are enjoying a large slice of humble pie this week, because Vince seems to be doing just fine.

All day football on Thursday was fantastic, it is a shame there could not have been better contests. Detroit sprung out to a quick 10 point lead and never scored again, letting the Dolphins run rampant over them. The exact same scenario happened to Tampa Bay when they collided with Dallas. And Denver now has a full blown quarterback controversy with Plummer putting up another crappy performance and being benched. I was not able to view the game, so I cannot comment on the quality of the broadcast, but Denver has dug themselves a bit of a hole with two losses to division rivals in a span of 5 days. Could the wheels be coming off the Bronco bandwagon? Shanahan is trying to avoid such and capture the same kind of magic that Parcells has in Dallas by benching the older veteran and bringing in the young gunslinger. We should see if this plan works this week as Jay Cutler takes the field as a starter for the first time.

Here is a thought after watching the Detroit/Miami game. Do you think that maybe, just maybe, Joey Harrington might actually be a good quarterback? And that maybe, just maybe, his success this year is due to the fact that he finally has a decent team around him and a decent coaching staff? And that maybe, just maybe, he played poorly in Detroit not because he was bad, but because the whole team, coaches and front office were atrocious and never gave him any real weapons, support or instruction? Yeah, I am thinking maybe, just maybe though. I am not convinced, but there is definitely more than a shadow of a doubt. By the way Joey, that was an excellent performance before a hostile crowd.

Michael Vick showed us all how he handles pressure by flipping the bird to some fans that were rightfully getting on his case. Such an immature move by the face of the organization is unacceptable. I can understand being frustrated with bad performances and losing, but Vick needs to be reminded of not only how to behave like a professional, but also that his poor performance is his own doing. He has stated before that he sees nothing wrong with his passing game, and does not feel the need to do anything to change it. Imagine if Peyton Manning, Donavan McNabb or Tom Brady suddenly took that stance, the world would come to a screeching halt. Vick wants to be considered a quarterback on par, or better, than those three, but what he fails to realize is all of them work hard at their craft, looking for ways to improve themselves and their game. Until he gets it that he needs to put in the work, he will never get better. Throwing for less than 100 yards a game will not help your team win. I know his athletic prowess is superb, but his work ethic has much to be desired. If you want to run around with the ball, switch to running back or receiver. If you want to be a quarterback, start working on improving your passing game. I know his style is not suited as a classic drop back passer, and that is fine. You do not have to be a drop back passer to be effective. I have said it before that he is overrated and a terrible quarterback. I am glad that others are finally starting to notice. And by that one little gesture, he has also showed us that he does not care about his fans or about his team. He is one of the highest paid athletes in the game today, and it is obvious to me he is paid not only for his on the field skills, but also for the box office draw he brings to the Falcons and as a face for the organization. By letting his frustrations get the better of him, he has made not only himself look bad, but also his teammates, coaches and the Falcons organization as a whole. I guess this selfish behavior and lack of character must be a family thing. Considering how the Falcon’s season is going into the tank and Vick is polarizing the fan base, Jim Mora has to be wondering about his employment after the season. Perhaps his father was right about Vick on that little radio program.

I would like to say there was an excellent game played in Foxboro, but what was the deal with all the turnovers? Da Bears and the Patriots combined for 9 total turnovers in the game. That is some genuinely sloppy play. Ironic, is it not, that they get rid of their sloppy field and then commence sloppy play. Ditka was not pleased.

And speaking of their field, the new field turf surface looked great. I am not sure of how it performed, since I did not play, or of how it will hold up, but for its debut, it looked fantastic. But the Patriot field leads me to a question. I wondered if they were going to keep all the field décor the same, so I looked closely. And there, recreated on the new surface at the 50 yard line, were those two weird metallic volcano looking things painted onto the field again. What are they? I originally thought perhaps they were markings of where to put some half time fire works thing, and that they would be gone. But they keep hanging around, and now they show up on the new surface. Are they for soccer? Are they a magic talisman that allows the Patriots to put anyone into a uniform and turn them into a pro bowl player? Are they a modern crop circle put there by the aliens that brought Tom Brady to this planet? What are they, will someone please explain to me, this is making my brain hurt.

Now, one other note on this game since it is pertinent toward the post season. I was watching part of it with my lady, and she mentioned that her boss, a Packers fan, does not think Grossman is a good quarterback. I of course made a flippant remark saying of course she does not think that, the Pack and Da Bears share the same division and she has been spoiled with years of Brett Favre. But it got me thinking, so I decided to watch Grossman very closely. You know what, she is dead on; he is not that good of a quarterback. He makes a lot of bad decisions, tries to force passes into heavy coverage and tends to over or under throw his intended targets. Plus, his interceptions are way up there. They should have won that game against New England, and he is one of the reasons they blew it. He needs to start playing much smarter football if Da Bears are to go far in the post season.

Great snow game in Seattle on Monday night, with Alexander showing everyone that his foot is fully healed and Hasselbeck made his first start since injury forced him from the lineup. Matt looked, well, like he had been off for four games in the first half, but he regained his rhythm and helped Seattle win the game behind 201 yards rushing by Alexander. But in watching the game, I have a big question, can Jerramy Stevens ever hold onto a ball thrown to him?

It was also nice to see Brett Favre in action on a Monday night. Favre said early in the season of how much talent is contained on the Packers this year. After watching them, he is right; there is a lot of talent. It is young, and experiencing a lot of growing pains, but it is there. The more they play, the better they will get indeed. In records notes, Favre is 10 touchdown passes away from breaking Dan Marino’s career record of 420. Good luck Brett, I am pulling for you to break it.

The Chargers got away with murder in their game with the Raiders. When Vincent Jackson, oblivious to his situation, did his little I’m better than you display with the ball, it should have been ruled what it was, taunting with a 15 yard penalty and Oakland would have had the ball. No, after way too much debate, the homer referees called it an illegal forward pass and let them keep the ball. If Jackson was not so me first in his thinking, he would have calmly stood up, and started walking toward the end zone, and then when he was past the few Raider defenders around him who were also oblivious to the situation, he could have tore off for the end zone and had a touchdown and really celebrated. But like too many athletes these days, he is too concerned with celebrating even the most mundane of plays, and it should have cost his team victory. He is damn lucky it did not. Like I said last week, the Chargers are jerks.

So Dallas finally wised up and cut an underproductive malcontent from their roster. The shock was that they did not cut two of them. Yes, the great Mike Vanderjagt is out of a job. After leaving the Colts in disgrace and managing to secure a job and a paycheck with Dallas, Vanderjagt took this new opportunity and flushed it away with poor performances. Parcells has finally had enough and dropped him like a bad habit. Vanderjagt was at one time the most accurate kicker in NFL history, and not long ago went the entire regular season without missing a single field goal attempt. Today, he is unemployed. I don’t think he has ever been the same since shanking that kick last year against Pittsburgh in the playoffs.

Just a note to Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, the rookie who unexplainably let Vince Young out of his grasp on 4th and 10, and then Young proceeded to scramble for a 19 yard gain to keep their drive alive and ultimately win the game. Play to the whistle young man. Do not let go of anyone with the ball until you hear that whistle loud and clear. That is the only way to play. But it does bring up a disturbing thought in how gun shy some defenders are when they get to the quarterback. Kiwanuka stated after the game that he was afraid if he sacked Young, he would be called for a roughing the passer penalty. Now, under most normal trains of thought, that is an absurd statement. But with how inconsistent the referees have been this year with calling penalties on players and quarterback contact, it is not that far fetched to believe. I see the Bengals one week get smacked with one for a legal sack, and then another week a team just barely touches the quarterback below the knees, another penalty. And then, I watch the Ravens treat Roethlisberger like a pin ball after the pass, nothing, and the Falcons nearly tear Ben into three pieces well after the pass, and again nothing. The more I think about it, I think Kiwanuka had a legitimate reason for that line of thinking, and it is unsettling. I am all for protecting the quarterback, and I know that each game presents a different set of circumstances, but these officiating crews need to get better and far more consistent on calling quarterback contact. Before more of these boneheaded plays occur or someone gets really hurt with no punishment on the inflicting team.

Speaking of the Giants, is anyone else wondering if the team is wishing they had just kept Rivers instead of trading him to the Chargers? Or is anyone else wondering if Tiki is retiring not because he wants a life outside of football, but because he is tired of playing with, and for, a bunch of idiots?

And speaking of idiots, this week Troy Aikman is an idiot. Third quarter the Patriots had a pass interference call on them. Now, the Pat defender had the inside angle on the ball, and was making at least a superficial attempt at the ball, but at the same time he had his right arm wrapped around the receiver’s left arm. So, naturally, the zebras throw the flag. Makes sense to me. But Aikman calls it a bad call, there was not enough contact and that they should not have called interference. Are you blind, dumb or both Troy? If the defender has his arms wrapped around the receiver’s and impedes him from catching the ball, the referees will call that every time and it is an excellent call. Of course, previously identified idiot Joe Buck chimes in and agrees with Aikman. Normally, I like Aikman. I find him intelligent, informative and a good broadcaster with a great knowledge of the game. But how can you miss that obvious call?

Now, let us move on to this week’s slate of football fun. Somehow, I screwed up in putting in my picks with one of my polls, and picked Cleveland instead of Cincinnati. Unfortunately, it was in my money poll. So, that was far from good for my hopes of climbing up the ranks. It was the first mistake I have made all season when inputting my picks. It was bound to happen, and I am not entirely surprised it happened on the short Thanksgiving week. Actually, I am rather surprised it took this long in the season for me to make such a screw up. The thing that hurts the most is that it is such a colossal screw up. It was not in a game like Chicago/New England that could go either way; it was a game where one team was clearly heads and tails above the other. But, I rushed to get them all in, and look what happened. Predictably, I was one of only two idiots that picked Cleveland in the entire poll. Of course, I was also one of two idiots to pick Pittsburgh as well, so what does that tell you. The only thing I could hope for to save the poll was a Cleveland miracle. I called upon the magic of Drew Carey and Bernie Kosar to save me from my own stupidity. But, well, you know how it turned out. Since other than a moment of stupidity I did pick Cincinnati, I will take their win with the hard lesson learned to double check both polls before submitting.

But that was not the only disappointment with the games. Washington screwed me, Buffalo screwed me and Denver screwed me. Washington did it by showing some life, Buffalo by a last second kick, and Denver by not putting away a key division rival. Some days, its best to just close your eyes and think of a sunny day by a stream, since that is the only way to get through it.

But despite these setbacks, I was not bad overall.

Last Week: 11-5
Season to Date: 101-75

Pretty good, and still managed to make it into double digits. Plus, I cracked 100 wins for the season, and it did not take until the end of the season to accomplish it. But there is always room for improvement, and even if Pittsburgh’s season is over, I am still fighting.

This week we have another good Thursday night match up, and a slate of games to knock your socks off. Or at least to keep you mildly interested on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Thursday

Baltimore at Cincinnati

Here we have a rematch of AFC North opponents, with the Bengals still seething over a 26-20 defeat at Baltimore a few scant weeks ago. Since then, the Bengals have been playing some excellent offensive football. There defense, specifically their run defense, has been suspect at best. If they are able to give Carson Palmer enough time, they can shred Baltimore’s defense apart. Yes, Baltimore looked like an unstoppable juggernaut in dismantling the Steeler offense last week, but remember, live by the blitz, die by the blitz. If they try a similar defensive scheme against the Bengals, Palmer will exploit the open areas of the field left vacant by blitzing corners and safeties. I think the Bengals get revenge for their loss, and keep Baltimore from clinching the division on their home field.

Cincinnati over Baltimore


Sunday

Arizona at St. Louis

St. Louis squeezed out another victory and halted their five game skid last week, while Arizona lost yet again, this time falling to the Vikings. Arizona had an electrifying 99 yard touchdown run on the opening kickoff, and still managed to lose the game. So after traveling to Minnesota, do you really think they will do much better with another week of travel? Neither do I.

St. Louis over Arizona


Atlanta at Washington

Good gravy how should I know? Who knows which team will show up? Will the Redskin team that beat the Panthers show up, or the one that got shelled by Philly show up? Will the Atlanta team that hung 41 points on Pittsburgh show up, or the one that lost to the Browns? Neither team looks very good, but I think there is a little too much discontent around the dirty birds right now, and feel much better about the Skins.

Washington over Atlanta


Detroit at New England

This game is only interesting for New England fans. After getting pasted at home on Thanksgiving by Miami, Detroit will get pasted by New England on the road. They may put up more of a game this week, but only because they had a few extra days off. Other than that, I have a lot of trouble seeing them losing to the Pats. Stupid Brady.

New England over Detroit


Indianapolis at Tennessee

Here is an intriguing match up. When these two teams met earlier this season in Indianapolis, the Titans came close to pulling the upset with a 14-13 defeat. At the time, Tennessee was struggling and Vince Young was still getting the hang of the NFL. He has it now, with a nice comeback victory under his belt to boot. The Colts will have their hands full in a hostile environment against a surging Titans team. I think Peyton will find a way to get it done. If he does not, then we will have a good idea exactly how flawed the Colts are and how far they may make it in the playoffs.

Indianapolis over Tennessee


Kansas City at Cleveland

With a fantastic win over Denver, Kansas City put them right in the hunt for a wild card berth, and gave themselves a better standing in the AFC West. The Browns, well, they got shellacked by Cincinnati, and I have a feeling they may have the same broken spirit as Pittsburgh probably does. I doubt they will get shut out again at home, but I know Larry Johnson will run all over them.

Kansas City over Cleveland


Minnesota at Chicago

Da Bears lost a close one to New England, and made plenty of mental errors. Grossman made a bunch himself, but the coaches also made some bad calls. The Bears will rebound, though. I doubt they will let that game affect them for more than one week. The Vikings won over Arizona, but they had trouble putting away the Cardinals, letting them come back over the course of the second half to the point where they almost threatened to take the lead. If you cannot keep down a lesser opponent, how do you hope to knock down a greater one?

Chicago over Minnesota


N.Y. Jets at Green Bay

Green Bay gave away a win in Seattle, letting a Seahawks team they had on the ropes off the hook by turning the ball over in the second half and letting the Hawks back in the game. There may be a lot of talent on this Green Bay team, but their lack of experience is hurting them. The Jets keep rolling on, dropping the lowly Texans last week. Now, they have to travel with their rookie coach to Lambeau Field to take on the Packers. Does home field mean anything anymore in Green Bay? I think it might, in this case. The Jets have not always taken care of lesser opponents on the road, and if the Pack can minimize turnovers, they can take this one.

Green Bay over N.Y. Jets


San Diego at Buffalo

Philip Rivers finally had a ho hum day, and they squeaked one out against the Raiders last week. Buffalo played a tough one against Jacksonville, and managed to pull out a great win at the end of the game. So, who do you go with, the hot team, or the home team playing tough on 7 cylinders? As much as I hate to admit it, because I railed against it for so long, but San Diego is a good team, and I think they can win this road game. Now that I finally admitted it, they will crap the bed. Jerks.

San Diego over Buffalo


San Francisco at New Orleans

San Francisco is a feisty team. They play hard, and they are in most games they play. They kept it close against the Rams and had a good chance at winning, and they knocked off the NFC Champs just two weeks ago. However, they are playing the high flying Saints this week, who have the biggest, baddest passing game in the league. The 49ers are improving, but not as fast as the Saints, and they will have trouble keeping it close in the Superdome.

New Orleans over San Francisco


Houston at Oakland

This has to win the award for the worst game of the season. Seriously, who will be watching this piece of crap? Well, according to the TV distribution map, large portions of California and Texas, most of Arizona and parts of Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. Those poor, poor people, I hope at least some of them have DirecTV. I shudder at the thought if this game was my only choice. Anyway, I really cannot figure out who to pick, it is a cow pie toss, I suppose. But since I have a Texans t-shirt, and every team that I have paraphernalia for has been sucking hind tit this year, I will do the unthinkable. I will do something that I have never done yet this season. I am breaking the record at 12 weeks.

Oakland over Houston


Jacksonville at Miami

Jacksonville has been an enigma this season, winning some really tough contests, but then losing to teams they should annihilate. They are hard to peg, and after losing last week on the road in Buffalo, I am beginning to wonder about their post season chances. Miami, on the other hand, is streaking, and everything is clicking just right. Plus, they have had a few extra days off to scout the Jags and put together a game plan. I am going home team here.

Miami over Jacksonville


Dallas at N.Y. Giants

After watching any of the Tennessee game last weekend, who would you pick? I have not seen a collapse like that since the 1992 Bills/Oilers playoff game. Tom Coughlin needs to take some lessons from the Bill Cowher School of coaching (Funny, after ranting on him earlier, that I would make this suggestion). Specifically, when you are up by 10 points or more in the 4th quarter, run the ball, run the ball, run the ball. And then, run the ball some more. Can you, with any sort of a straight face, trust the Giants right now in any stadium? I would not trust their chances against Ohio State right now. Tony Romo rolls on.

Dallas over N.Y. Giants


Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh

Why stop now? Actually, this week the Steelers may have somewhat of a chance. That is of course dependent on two things. One, that former hometown boy Bruce Gradkowski does not get a wild hair up his can and decide to light up Pittsburgh’s depleted secondary for about 350 yards. And two that the Steelers can keep themselves from falling into shock after getting destroyed last weekend and remember they have to play this week. I think they take out their frustrations on Tampa Bay.

Pittsburgh over Tampa Bay


Seattle at Denver

Sunday Night Football gets back to an intriguing match up this week with the Hawks flying into Denver to take on the Broncos. The Seahawks looked rough in the first half last week, with Hasselbeck showing a lot of rust. But, after getting some action at game speed under his belt, he pulled it together in the second half. Alexander showed exactly why he was the MVP last year with a stellar night, racking up 201 yards of rushing. The Broncos, on the other hand, have benched the ineffective Plummer and went with stud rookie Jay Cutler. Will the rookie be able to deliver in prime time and help save Denver’s season? No, the experienced quarterback familiar with the big lights prevails here.

Seattle over Denver


Monday

Carolina at Philadelphia

So I was watching the Seattle/Green Bay tilt in the raging blizzard, and as usual, the geniuses at ESPN decide to trot out yet another celebrity during the second quarter. Now, I have mentioned this more than once that this little practice drives me insane, especially since it is nothing more than an in game plug for Disney shows, since just about everyone that has come on has been from an ABC program. This week, however, I kind of enjoyed it. They brought in Jimmy Kimmel, whom I find very funny, and he did not disappoint, being quite hilarious and actually adding something to the broadcast. Plus, and this is the most important part, Kimmel is a big football fan. So, when they were getting ready to run a play, he would shut up, and even say oops, I do not mean to interrupt and wait until the conclusion of the play to talk again. Fantastic, if only all guests in the booth would understand such a basic concept. He even said at one point that he hates when celebrities do the in game interview. I actually had hope that I would enjoy the whole game. But then, in the third quarter they trotted in Steve Young, who proceeded to babble on about nothing interesting, talking right over the plays and the game action, oblivious to what was going on. Sigh. Maybe one day ESPN will get it right. As for this week, Carolina stunned me last week losing to a crappy Washington squad. Philadelphia, predictably, got thrashed by the Colts. So, who to go with this week? Without McNabb, I do not have any confidence in the Eagles right now, I hate to say. I love the Birds, but without their leader, they are not the same team.

Carolina over Philadelphia

Thanksgiving Wish

I was thinking of Thanksgiving and all the good things it holds for many of us. Friends, family, food, football, naps, leftovers, a day off and parades are just some of the things we look forward to on this day. It also marks the spearhead to the winter holiday season, and is immediately followed by the biggest shopping day of the year. This year, it would seem that many stores are now opening at 5am, which seems obscene to me. But the ridiculousness of consumerism is for another day. Today is about Thanksgiving and what it should mean to all of us.

The tradition of Thanksgiving dates back to the Pilgrims, who came to this country several hundred years ago looking for religious freedom. The Pilgrims had a feast after their first year in 1621 to give thanks to God for their bountiful harvest. This celebration of a harvest is not an American only concept, as it is celebrated in different forms and at different times in both Canada and the UK. Thanksgiving as we know it took many years to evolve. After the country was founded, Thanksgiving was declared by the sitting president, and it was erratic at best. Thanksgiving was not celebrated yearly until 1863, when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that the last Thursday in November would be a National Thanksgiving Day. It has been celebrated annually since. But there were still some hurdles for the holiday to overcome. Franklin Roosevelt attempted in 1939 to make Thanksgiving the third Thursday of the month, in order to give retailers more sales time for Christmas and attempt to help jump start the country out of the Great Depression. It did not last, but the attempted change did help settle in law when Thanksgiving would be celebrated. Another familiar tradition, the annual pardoning of a turkey, is believed to have started in 1947 with Harry Truman. Although there are some that say it began with Lincoln pardoning his son’s turkey. Thanksgiving Day football began with a game hosted by the Detroit Lions in 1934. The Lions have hosted a game each year since then to this day. There is much more to learn, and interesting factoids, about Thanksgiving, and if you are interested, check out this great article on Wikipedia.

But what got me thinking about this day is the original meaning of Thanksgiving, giving thanks. Now, most of us have nothing to do with farming or bringing in a harvest. I would venture so far as to say many have never even been to a farm or seen a harvest. We reap the benefits of farming every day with the food we eat, clothes we wear, coffee we drink and houses we live in. But as for being something more than an end consumer, well, the concept is foreign to many. But does that mean we have nothing for to give thanks? Should we ignore a key part of this day merely because we are now a technological society as opposed to an agricultural one? I do not think so. I think we should use this opportunity, amidst the turkey, sports, parades and naps, to take a moment and reflect upon our lives. We should take a few moments this day and look at our lives and see all that we have, personally, for to be thankful. In a dangerous world where many things seem to be hopeless and the news a never ending parade of sadness and fear, we tend to forget the good things that have happened to us.

I have more than a few things to be thankful for this year. And if you will allow me a moment of indulgence, I would like to share them with you, and give thanks for each one.

I am thankful for….

….good friends to spend this day with. I am lucky to have friends who get together for an orphans Thanksgiving. Most of us are away from family on this day, and we look to each other as family to fill this gap. Not everyone can make it each year, and the cast is always rotating, but there always seems to be a few that we can share this day with, and for that I am thankful.

….long time friends that I still know and are close with. As we go through life, new people enter it all the time and old people tend to leave it. Be it because of changes in us, or them, time or distance, we tend to lose friends along the way, left only in our memories. I am thankful that I have some really dear friends in my life that I have known for a long time. That after much time, distance, moving, changes in our lives, our careers, our tastes, likes and dislikes we have managed to stay friends and keep close is not only a wonder, but much to be thankful for. I am very thankful that I have kept, and continue to keep, these beautiful souls in my life.

….new friends that I have come to know and care about. As new people come into your life, most make some sort of an impact on us. Some stand out, and show you that they are people you want to know and have in your life. I am thankful for all the friends I have made over the past few years that have become a part of my life.

…. my family. I do not get to spend as much time with them as I should, or as I would like, but the time I do get with them is precious, and I cherish each moment. I am thankful that I have such loving parents that helped me become the man I am today and a wondrous brother who never ceases to amaze and entertain me.

….the people that protect and defend me, those I love, and everyone else in this country. Thank you for all that you do. It does not go unnoticed.

…. my job and my boss. I have had this job for almost two years, and the adventure has yet to abate. I have managed to do and see things I never thought possible since I began to work for this company, and I have even surprised myself. And my boss is a great guy, who pushes me to be better, and has shown himself to be generous in spirit and other ways. Thanks to him, I have seen and done things I never would have imagined. I am thankful for both.

…..Pittsburgh winning the Super Bowl. I know this seems rather odd, and superficial, but I must say that watching my favorite team win it all has given me something to smile about all year long. I have spoken before regarding my relationship with my father, and how football has provided a bond between us. I was merely a child the last time Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl, so I had yet to develop this common interest with my father at that age. But this time, we had that bond, and that made the victory all the more special. It was something we could both celebrate and share. And if for no other reason than that, then I am more than thankful for their victory.

….the most wonderful girlfriend any man could ask for. I am beyond lucky to be dating a beautiful, intelligent, sexy, caring and sweet woman, who is far kinder, nicer, and loves me more than I could ever deserve. Her sweetness, kindness and love that she gives not only to me, but to those around her and the animals she works with everyday is seemingly limitless and boundless, and I am lucky and thankful to be a recipient of even the tiniest portion, even though I greedily take as much as possible. Lucky for me, she is always there with more. She is understanding, caring, patient, loving and most important; she loves me for exactly who I am, warts and all. I am thankful to have her in and as part of my life.

These are things that are very meaningful to me, and I feel strongly about giving thanks for having them all in my life. No amount of money, material goods or societal trappings could give me the joy and love that each of the above brings me. I would urge everyone out there to make your own list, and think of the things in your life that bring you true joy and happiness not only today, but each day. Remind yourself each day of these things, especially as you go through your day to day lives. We can get so wrapped up in the minutiae of everyday life, we tend to forget what is really important to us. Keep these things close, so you do not lose sight of what is truly important in your own lives.

I know some of us out there probably do not think they have that much for to be thankful. And I know there are those out there who have lost more than they have gained this year, and can right now only look upon these times of joy with tears and sadness. But remember, if the joy was not there originally, the sadness would not be there now. You have people in your life that you can lean on through the tough times, and that is something for which you can give thanks. If you know someone who is having a hard time this year, or less fortunate than you, reach out to them, give them a shoulder to cry on, a leg to stand on, a friend to talk to and to spend time with. Giving comes after thanks, and both should always go hand in hand. Remember, if you have a few good friends and family, you have more than most. If you can find a way to come together for this day and spend time with each other, you have all you really need this day. Best wishes this Thanksgiving Day to one and all.

The Crystal Ball Week 12

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! Yes, we have an extremely short week this week due to the impending grub fest of a holiday. So one and all please gather with friends and family this week and give some thanks. I figured this week I would give a few thanks for some things I like in the NFL.

I will give some thanks for the first two game winning streak of the season for the Steelers. Excellent comeback win, although if you ask me it should have never been that close. I mean, for Pete’s sake, we are talking about the Browns here! Was this game a microcosm for the season? A horrendous first half followed thrilling second half where they pull out the win at the last second. Considering we are two games into the second half and 2-0, I sure hope it is a microcosm for the season. They are still 4 games behind Baltimore, but they are looking a bit better with this miniature winning streak. I am absolutely thrilled about that. They did have great second half composure, despite three freaky interceptions in the first half. Tell me how many times that has happened in a game, where three times receivers tip the ball right to defenders. Weird. Now, that first one Ben totally honked and threw it way too high, but still. And even better, the defense only gave up 6 points. It did not help that special teams and offense gave up 14, but for once luckily it did not hurt. Slowly but surely they are climbing back. That flicker of hope just got that much brighter.

The 72 Dolphins will give some thanks and tip a glass of champagne to the Cowboys for doing their part in helping make sure they remain the only undefeated team in NFL history for one more year. The Cowboys played tough in Texas Stadium and defeated the Indianapolis Colts, ending their potential bid at the elusive undefeated season. I think the Colts are disappointed, but I do not think this will mar their season. You listen to them, their goal is never to go undefeated; it is to get some championship hardware. Keep your eyes on the prize boys, and trust me the prize is not an annual champagne toast.

Also, I will give some thanks to NBC, for finally righting their Thursday night lineup. Granted, this is not football related per se, but I think the mojo they created from their fantastic Sunday Night game has spread to other areas of the network. Thursday night used to be the anchor of their week, and if you look back through the years, the comedies and dramas that have spent time on this spot of their schedule looks like a TV hall of fame. But it had fallen into disrepair over the last few seasons and was looking to be in danger of extinction. Now, they have a killer lineup again, starting at 8 with My Name Is Earl, The Office, Scrubs and 30 Rock in one night, followed by the venerable ER to cap the evening. I cannot remember the last time I liked and wanted to watch every show on one network in the same evening. Fantastic fun ahead. Looks like I may need to watch TV regularly two days a week now.

And speaking of NBC, I am thankful for the flex schedule. So far it has been excellent. Now, I know next week will end up not being as good, but who could predict what happened to McNabb. If the Eagles show their heart, it can still be a good game, and continue making this the game to watch each week.

I am thankful for the NFL for finally finding a way to allow coaches who want to wear suits during the game to dress in this distinctive way. This is a fantastic move. Nothing conveys authority and control like the suited coach. They look confident, in charge, and ready to lead. It obviously helps, look at San Francisco; they are now 5-5 and a game out of the division lead. Who would have thought that at the beginning of the season? They might even go on a run now. And Jacksonville is now 6-4 and has a good edge on the ever tightening AFC wild card race. Both teams with suited coaches won this weekend, making the suit revival a strong 2-0 thus far. Plus, it looks cool for the football field, and as I said last week, really spurs images from the past. Landry, Lombardi, Stram and many others always wore a suit on the sidelines, giving no doubt as to who was in charge of their respective ships. I have said it before, adding that kind of history and imagery to your team can only help.

I am thankful that in one game, we can have two future hall of fame quarterbacks playing that are both ruggedly handsome and the NFL world would not turn without either of them. Why did it take so long for Favre and Brady to share the same field! Ok, I am being a little sarcastic here.

I am thankful that you are still reading despite this cheesy premise for a football column.

I also am thankful for DirecTV. Thanks to them, I can see Pittsburgh play every week. I was able to see every snap of every game last year on their run to the Super Bowl, and every snap thus far this year on their run to the toilet bowl. Plus, I can watch any other game that strikes my fancy, and it is wonderful.

I am thankful for the feel good stories of unheralded players making it big. Tony Romo, Frank Gore and Marques Colston are all unheralded players that are making their impact on the NFL, in very big ways. Every year you always hear about big name college players coming into the NFL and how they will change the face of the game, or lead their team to victory or some other ridiculous prediction for them. Or you hear ad nausea about some overpaid, over hyped petulant star that spends more time running their mouth than making something happen on the field. It is refreshing, and inspiring, to see these fellows come up and take over, showing the world that talent does not have to come from a football factory school.

Now, a few things I am not thankful for, since there is always a dark side to the light.

I am not thankful for Microsoft word spell check. Also not exactly football related, but I do use it to write. The spell check and grammar check have let me down. I went to look at last week’s column, just for review, and found at least two errors. This is after a thorough scrubbing by the supposed “tools” on this product. Hey, how about helping a guy out? I found other errors too, but those were just my own bad grammar, bad spelling and unclear writing. The only thing that will fix that is to write more often. And yes, I am working on it, thank you for reminding me yet again.

I am not thankful that coaches can only wear the suit twice a season. What kind of silly rule is that? Yes, I know you want the coaches to model the latest NFL apparel available for sale at their team’s website and NFLshop.com, but come on. Suited coaches last weekend were 2-0, they looked professional, their teams performed well, ok that is questionable for some of the Jags receivers, and they even kept Jack Del Rio relatively calm on the sidelines. Jack usually is jumping around and bouncing up and down the sidelines, but this week, he was calm, cool and collected. Compared to Coughlin on the other sideline, Jack looked far more in charge of his team than Tom did. Come on NFL, let them wear it all season if they so choose.

I am not thankful for another appearance by OJ. I feel pretty confident in saying the following: OJ, we know you did it, we know you got away with it. No innocent person, or one in their right mind, would ever write a book about how they would hypothetically murder their ex wife and the mother of their children. Now do us all a favor and take a long walk off of a short pier, or at least go back to the rock you climbed out from under. It is hard to believe this man was once a star in the NFL and a beloved public figure.

I am not thankful for the unprofessional behavior of some of the players in the NFL. The Haynesworth situation in Tennessee was really bad. And I have noticed in many games a lot of really dirty, and blatant, acts on the field. Cleveland defensive end Simon Fraser repeatedly pounding Ben Roethlisberger into the ground on an interception return, obviously trying to injure the QB, was particularly cringe worthy. But I saw another one this weekend that made me shout at the television. I was watching the Sunday night game between San Diego and Denver, and Charger defensive end Igor Olshansky punched Bronco center Tom Nalen right in the back of the head. What are you thinking? Your team is trying to hold on for a victory, and you pull a bone head move like that. You almost cost your team the game, get thrown out, will definitely get a fine and possibly brought on the ire of your teammates, who wonder if they can trust you to keep your head about yourself in a tighter situation. Plus, and more importantly, what kind of professional can you call yourself when you react to something happening to you like a petulant child? And to top it off, you could get suspended by the league, thus hurting your team that much more since you are still missing 3 defensive starters, with one not due back for two weeks and one out for the season.

I am not thankful for the Chargers new quarterback. Phillip Rivers acts like such a twit with his yelling and screaming nonsense. It is not angry or malicious, just exuberance in trying to keep his team pumped. Now normally, I would love that kind of enthusiasm, but from him, somehow it just seems so forced and fake. It feels like the nerdy guy that tries to pal around with the jocks, but without going through the punishing practices or training they do, but still wanting to be part of their clique so he makes up for it with enthusiasm. Of course, this is just my impression, and I may be way off on it, but hey, it is how it comes across to me. Plus, and this needs to be said, it would be easy for anyone to be a good QB with all the weapons around him. People have been busting Ben Roethlisberger since he took over the starting job in Pittsburgh by saying it is not that he is that good, but that he has benefited from coming into a great situation. And they have gone on to say that if it were another quarterback in Ben’s situation, they would have thrived as well while Ben would have stumbled if he had been in a different situation, a team with less talent, less weapons or poor coaches and staff. Well, the situation with personnel and playmakers is similar between the Chargers and Steelers and in some cases the Chargers better than Pittsburgh, but no one says these things about Rivers. They say, oh, he is so great, and GM A.J. Smith made the right move by initially acquiring and now deciding to go with Rivers over Brees. No, it is never that Rivers is lucky, or in a great situation, it is because he is the best quarterback to come along since Tom Brady. Hey, until he does something of consequence, I will call him lucky. It is easy to be a great passer when your running game can bail you out of bad games. It is even easier when you have 4-5 uber talented receivers/tight ends/running backs on your roster that can catch almost any pass thrown in their general direction. How easy is it when the pressure is truly on? Yes, he has done very well thus far, but he has yet to be truly tested.

And on that note, I am not thankful for the Chargers as a team or an organization. I find them riddled with high talent, low quality of character personnel, and I want nothing more than to see them fall flat on their faces in the playoffs yet again. They had one quality of character guy, and they unceremoniously ran him out of town, which is another reason I do not like them. Luckily for him and New Orleans, he leads the Saints offense now. All of the players on the team drive me to distraction, from Olshansky, Tomlinson calling himself LT without any punishment or payback from the football gods or anyone else, even though that is Lawrence Taylor’s nickname, Shawne Merriman, his massive ego, his steroid use and denials of said use, which have been commented on here previously to Rivers and his grating presence. I have had an official assful of San Diego. This team used to be one I liked, but in the last few years they have quickly degraded to one in which I cannot stand anyone, from the coach on down. I wish them nothing but bad luck from here on out. Luckily, Shottenheimer is their coach, so I feel confident they will screw things up in the playoffs.

I am not thankful for Donovan McNabb having another season ending injury. He was doing very well this season, regaining the form that took the Eagles to 4 straight NFC championship games and 1 Super Bowl berth. But then, right when you least expect it, he blows out an ACL and is done. I know he has a long road to recovery ahead for him, and here is hoping he traverses it successfully.

Ok, so last week I did not get exactly what I wanted. I was hoping for a double digit win week, and that just did not happen.

Last Week: 9-7
Season to Date: 90-70

Not too bad, but not good either. At least it was not a losing record. Well, this week, not only do I have Sunday and Monday for games, but Thursday as well. Yes, it is time for the tasty traditional Thanksgiving Day football games. This year we have three, count 'em three, games on tap. The third is the first ever game broadcast on the NFL Network. I watched their coverage of NFL Europe games in the spring, and here is hoping they did some work to improve their broadcasts since then. I do not want to deride them, since it is hard to get things up and running perfectly from the start, but of all the things they could upgrade, I hope they focused on their color commentators. Well, its Thanksgiving, why look upon these things badly? I am just thankful for three games on turkey day, or in honor of new hall of famer John Madden, turducken day.

Thanksgiving Games

Miami at Detroit

I think we are seeing the late season push by the Dolphins. Miami needs to watch out, though. They are in danger of becoming relevant in the race for the AFC East crown. With New England at 7-3 and the Jets not far behind, Miami could theoretically sneak up on both of them, if they are not careful. If they get too close, I bet they will start choking again. Detroit, wow, how bad are they? You cannot even beat the Cardinals, now that is embarrassing. I cannot in good conscious take them to win. Even though the Lions on Thanksgiving Day is an American staple.

Miami over Detroit


Tampa Bay at Dallas

How about those Cowboys! An excellent win over the Colts at home, Romo led the Boys on several scoring drives while behind and put Dallas in position to win. I was impressed by them, and Romo in particular. I only have two questions at this point. One, will he come back down to earth, and two, why did they not start him sooner? Tampa Bay, well, it has been a long season, and is only getting longer.

Dallas over Tampa Bay


Denver at Kansas City

The NFL Network’s first game is a doozy, and a lot tougher to pick than any of the other games on turkey day. Currently in this rivalry, the home team has prevailed in last 8 meetings, with the Broncos beating KC earlier this season in Denver 9-6. What is obvious is that Jake Plummer needs to step up his play, and in a huge way, for the Broncos to even repeat how far they went last year, let alone go further. The mental errors he made at the end of the San Diego game were unacceptable, and took away the slim chance they had at tying up the game. It did not help him that his vaunted defense got torched last week, either. But I think they had a bad game, and can reassert themselves rather quickly. It would help, though, if they can get the KC offense off the field and limit third down conversions, something they had trouble doing against the Chargers. Kansas City is glad to have Trent Green back under center, and is hoping that after a week in action, he can start regaining form. Although, I do not feel too good about their chances this week after they had to work hard to pull one out at home against Oakland, especially since they are playing on a short week. Also, the Chiefs record versus the AFC this season is a depressing 1-4, with that one win coming last week against Oakland. I guess it is time to close my eyes, cross my fingers, throw the dart and see where it lands.

Denver over Kansas City


The Rest of the Best

Arizona at Minnesota

Wow, Arizona has won two games this season. Is everyone glad they made them their sleeper pick this year? I think it is a rite of fall when everyone tabs the Cardinals as the sleeper, and then a rite of winter that they fail to live up to those ridiculous predictions. There may very well come a day when the Cardinals are good, maybe even consistently good. It did, to some degree, happen for the Bengals. So I suppose there is hope. Minnesota, however, is reeling big time. After such a strong start, they have pretty much fallen apart. I did not expect much from them this year, so they have finally settled down to my expectations. But I would like to see Brad Childress succeed there, if for no other reason than he looks like a high school science teacher. I think the Cardinals will provide a nice salve for them.

Minnesota over Arizona


Carolina at Washington

Washington is, well, a mess. I hate to say it, because I am a Gibbs fan, but this team is sinking fast. Perhaps just throwing around money is not the way to win, Dan. I bet Randle El is wishing for the umpteenth time he had not chased the dollar right about now. Carolina is getting back to their winning ways. Although, what was with Steve Smith blowing chunks on the sideline last week. He must have been tattooed pretty hard for him to lose his lunch. I bet he’s fine by this weekend.

Carolina over Washington


Cincinnati at Cleveland

Now here is one I have no idea what to do with. I have seen how tough Cleveland can play, and how opportunistic their defense really can be. They did tire at the end of the game and gave up a lot of plays, but they smack you in the mouth. Cincinnati has been putting up some big numbers and shredded the Saints last week through the air. I gotta go with Cincinnati. That way if they lose, I will be happy with the loss since, of course, it will help Pittsburgh.

Cincinnati over Cleveland


Houston at N.Y. Jets

Houston cannot do anything right. They had that game against the Bills last week, they had it. And they let J.P. Losman score a last second touchdown on them. They should be embarrassed. You are not on your way to respectability if you give away games at home like that. The Jets, however, are on their way. Yes, they lost to Da Bears, but they played them tough, and held them to 10 points. Pennington needs to play better to give them a chance to win, especially if their defense is going to keep them in the game.

N.Y. Jets over Houston


Jacksonville at Buffalo

Buffalo performed nicely last week, calmly marching down the field to grab the winning touchdown as time was expiring in Houston. Excellent play by the offense on that drive and good calls by the coaches made it possible. Now, if you follow a logical path, since Buffalo beat Houston, and Houston beat Jacksonville twice, then Buffalo should annihilate the Jags. But somehow, I just do not see that happening. Even with the game being played in Buffalo, I still do not see it happening. Of course, now that I said that out loud, the crappy version of the Jaguars will show up and the final will be like 42-7 Bills. Stupid football.

Jacksonville over Buffalo


New Orleans at Atlanta

Here is a tough one, and a potentially good match up. The Falcons are reeling, and their season is starting to slip away. Plus, they have some controversy surrounding the team after Jim Mora Sr. said on a radio show that Vick is a coach killer. That cannot make life easy for his son in the locker room. The Saints defense seems also to be finally coming down to earth, and that does not bode well for them or for a late season push to win the division. What also does not bode well for a playoff push is that they have lost three of their last four games. They need to win to keep pace with Carolina, who now leads the NFC South. I see this being a tight one, and probably high scoring as well.

New Orleans over Atlanta


Pittsburgh at Baltimore

Pittsburgh is on their first winning streak of the season and now have to go to Baltimore for a must win division game. If they pull this one out, then they make the race for the AFC North that much tighter. If not, well, their season is shot and Baltimore can pretty much walk away with the title and a playoff spot. Just call me Don Quixote.

Pittsburgh over Baltimore


San Francisco at St. Louis

I am not sure what to make of this game. St. Louis has lost 5 in a row, and San Francisco is feeling their oats after beating Seattle and bringing themselves within a game of the division lead. Yes, they beat the Seahawks without Hasselbeck, but they did it on the ground, amassing 262 yards of rushing. The Rams started off strong, but have stumbled since, and had atrocious pass protection last week in Carolina allowing Bulger to get sacked seven times. San Francisco has a terrible record away from home, and I see that playing a part in this game. And something tells me the Rams will throw everything out there to avoid letting the 49ers pull away from them in the division.

St. Louis over San Francisco


Oakland at San Diego

Since Oakland can barely find the field, and since San Diego has been punishing just about everyone with their high scoring offense as of late, this one is pretty much a no brainer. Yes, strange things happen on any given Sunday, but really, like anyone but the diehards of Raider Nation question what the outcome will be. So, in lieu of any real information on this lopsided stinker, how about a joke.

Two men walk into a bar, the third one ducked.

San Diego over Oakland


Chicago at New England

Now here we go with a good game. Da Bears continue their East Coast swing with a visit to Foxboro, after another thrilling win in the Meadowlands. Seriously, who made up the schedules and thought Chicago on the road three straight weeks in November on the East Coast was a good idea? Sometimes I wonder about the NFL. Da Bears are stepping up when it’s needed most, and their defense is getting more stifling. New England had a good win last week, flexing their muscle against a lesser Green Bay team. However, their home record is atrocious and this week they will be breaking in a new field. I do not like their chances, and I do like Da Bears.

Chicago over New England


N.Y. Giants at Tennessee

The Giants are reeling right now, trying to hold on while their numerous injured starters get healthy. The loss of these players was evident on Monday night, when they had no effective pass rush and could not get Jacksonville’s offense off the field. They should consider themselves lucky that the score was only 26-10, since it could have been much worse. Tennessee had a great game against Philadelphia, and was well on their way to winning before McNabb went out of the game. That is heartening to them, and I think they will give the Giants a tough game. New York needs keeps pace with Dallas in the NFC East. But I do not see them playing with enough drive right now, especially with all of the injuries they are trying to overcome. Plus, it does not help that Manning seems to be reverting to rookie year form. Of course, burning Pacman Jones a few times for touchdowns could give him some confidence. But I just do not trust the Giants enough to take them on the road.

Tennessee over N.Y. Giants


Philadelphia at Indianapolis

When NBC tabbed this game for their flex schedule, it looked like a tasty match up. The potentially undefeated Colts versus the resurgent and high flying Eagles. Now, the Colts have their first loss of the season courtesy of Dallas, and the Eagles are grounded thanks to McNabb suffering a season ending ACL tear in his right knee. I am sure Michaels and Madden will make something of this, but they will be the only ones. Who knows, perhaps Jeff Garcia will help make a game of it for the Birds and try to salvage the season. Or perhaps the highlight will be when Madden rolls out the turducken.

Indianapolis over Philadelphia


Green Bay at Seattle

I knew that Brett would play this week, I just knew it. Even before I found out what was wrong, I said they probably just kept him out to give Rodgers some playing time. Once information was released out of Green Bay I was proven right. Brett could have gone back into the game, but they kept him out since it was not a close one. It is a shame, however, that Rodgers broke his foot. That will hurt the team, and I bet they pick up someone soon off of waivers to give them another option at QB. I know last week I wanted to pick Green Bay really bad over New England, and wow, was I glad I resisted that temptation. Seattle, however, I cannot explain. No, Hasselbeck did not play, but Wallace had been doing fairly well in relief, so I cannot figure out how he, and the team, managed to fall so flat against the 49ers. Perhaps they will get their mojo back this week in the comforts of Qwest Field. They need to, since San Francisco is nipping at their heels in the division.

Seattle over Green Bay

The Crystal Ball Week 11

I feel very strange this week. I am not sure what is going on with me. I feel as though a wave of euphoria has encompassed me. I feel as light as a feather and as strong as an ox. I feel like I could take on the world, and have time and energy remaining for dinner and dancing with my lady afterwards. There must be a reason for it. Oh, yes, I do know what it is; Pittsburgh has finally won another game! Yes, they finally won their third game of the season. Not only did they win, but they beat a quality opponent and they won in shoot out fashion to boot. I am so glad to see them not only win a game, but one that was more than a run and stuff. It makes me feel good to see them win one through the air as well as the ground. They finally played like the Super Bowl champions they are, and it was stellar. It was not all peaches and cream from start to finish, but they stood up and played tough and showed everyone that while they may be down, they are still tough, still the champs and still a force to be reckoned with, and that is more than enough for me.

Now, I have a few unseemly things about the game. First, the roughing the passer call in the second quarter was complete bull. I know it is illegal, and it was interpreted correctly, but come on. And the non call on the obvious pass interference on the Saints against Heath Miller in the third quarter was another blown call. He had his hands on Heath and when he tripped, he pulled Heath down. With all the favoritism on receivers nowadays, how can you not call that one? The Saints in the fourth quarter commit a false start and Pittsburgh is called for defensive offside. And that one was pretty blatant. Once again, I will say it; the NFL needs full time referees. Plus, Jeff Reed missed a field goal. Jeff, you always get the job done, what was that?

Now for some positives about it, other than the fact that for once my boys came through and I can finally wear my hat without getting a ton of static. Fast Willie Parker had a great performance, racking up 213 yards rushing, including two eye popping runs. Ben threw for three touchdowns and zero, count em, zero interceptions. The defense, despite going through secondary players like toilet paper, held on, especially when it counted most, forced turnovers and even sacked Brees, who had only been sacked 8 times thus far this season before this game. It must feel good for the defense to get turnovers instead of having to react to them, as per usual.

However, there were more injuries this week, which have been killing us, this time with Townsend and, more frightening, Polamalu, going down. I hope they are good for next week, because we need to keep the good things happening. I do not think I can bear another stretch of three losses. Polamalu has been practicing this week, but has yet to be medically cleared. It is a bit concerning, since he does have a history of concussions, mainly back when he played at USC. Since he arrived in the NFL, he has been good at avoiding such injuries until now. Hopefully this is not the start of a trend.

I know this is only one win, and as I acknowledged last week the season is probably in the crapper anyway, but it does feel really good to win again. And you never know. Of the remaining 7 games, 5 are division games, including two against division leader Baltimore. I know at this point, they need help other than to just win out, but hey, there is always hope. There are many different parts to being successful including going on a well timed run, having some luck, good preparation and peaking at just the right time, much like they did last year. As I said last week, the hope is pretty faint, but it just got a slight bit brighter this week. Maybe by week 16 it will be a raging inferno.

Joe Buck is an idiot. Buck actually said during the Saints/Steelers broadcast that New Orleans and their team this year has been somewhat overlooked. Is he nuts? Now, I know I immerse myself into the season, so it may seem to me that nothing is overlooked or under reported. But even I know that one of the biggest, if not biggest, stories this year has been the Saints. Their great off season acquisitions and draft, their explosive start, their powerful return to New Orleans and the Superdome, the city and state stepping up to insure they remain in Louisiana, their owner finally stating publicly that the Saints will stay in New Orleans and every other little thing about the team. I know almost as much about the Saints as I do about Pittsburgh! How in the hell could they possibly be an overlooked team? Buck more often than not blurts out a few asinine comments during a broadcast, but that is one of the dumber ones I have heard recently. I really cannot believe this twit is Fox’s number one broadcaster and that they completely revamped their pregame show around him.

Ok, time to take a breath. Much happened this week, so let’s take a look at a few of the high and low lights. Check out these bits of news lately out of the NFL. Some are great, some are sad, and some are just weird. Draw your own conclusions to what they mean.

- The defending champs are a sub .500 team.
- Atlanta cannot score more than 13 points on lowly Cleveland.
- New England loses to a division rival and drops two games in a row for the first time since 2002.
- Jacksonville drops two games this season to the Texans (although, that is not that weird, since lifetime versus the Texans, the Jaguars suck, hard. Wish I had known that one before I picked. Shame on me for poor research.)
- Denver barely squeaks past Oakland for the second time this season.
- Vinnie Testaverde makes yet another comeback, this time with the Patriots. Good for you Vinnie. I still remember Penn State beating Vinnie and his Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl many moons ago for the national championship. But Vinnie persevered and has had an NFL career like no other. Good to see him back, even if it’s only as a number 3 backup.
- Da Bears have yet another 100 + yard return for a touchdown for the second year in a row.
- Thanks to some crafty Reebok licensing, the well dressed coach will return to the sidelines this week, harkening images of Lombardi, Landry and Stram.
- Matt Millen and Denny Green are still employed.

What a barn burner in Cincinnati. I knew as soon as it was exploding that it would land on NFL Replay this week. I watched part of the game before I had to run a few quick errands, and listened to the rest on the radio. What a fantastic game, unless you like defense, because there was little defense to be had. Back and forth these competitors went, and both showing their mettle until the very end. Cincinnati still, in the waning moments, almost came through big until Chris Henry choked on that last potential touchdown pass. Even if you did not care about either team, it was still a great game to watch. I was almost regretful to turn it off in order to watch Pittsburgh, and even then I waited so long, I almost missed the Saints/Steelers kickoff. Absolutely riveting, and that is one of the reasons why this sport is so very popular, quality match ups that provide great drama.

Stupid Brady, I give him a complement, even after his crappy game against Indianapolis, and then he goes and does his best Aaron Brooks impression against the Jets, closing up the race for the division in the AFC East and looking rather mortal. Is it perhaps that he is not a god among men, or is it perhaps, finally, too many personnel changes are catching up with the team? I bet he really, really misses Deion Branch right now. Of course, it all means nothing and what do I really know? I will look at them this week, on their first two game skid in years, and figure them for another crappy performance. And knowing them they will go out and blow the doors off of Green Bay. Stupid Patriots.

Da Bears loss to Miami may just have been that cosmic fluke. Nice job in Giants Stadium this week by Da Bears. My apologies go out to Da Bears and Ditka for ever doubting them.

Remember last season when Miami started to come together under Saban and rolled off 6 straight wins to finish the season? Everyone was touting how they were back, and with some of their off season acquisitions, they led everyone to believe, based partially upon that performance, that they were a front runner for the Super Bowl. And then, with their current aging personnel and what was revealed to be horrible off season decisions on quarterbacks, they crapped the bed to start this season. Well, now we are near the end of the season again, and Miami is playing well. Are they priming themselves for another late season tear, so everyone thinks Saban has righted the ship and they will be right in the thick of things next year? Is this the only way Saban can successfully coach, when there is absolutely zero pressure left for even a smidgen of hope of post season glory? If he wins more, and they finish at or above 500 for the season, but safely out of any post season discussion the entire time, then I will know my answer.

Randy Moss is an idiot. He says he is not playing well because he is unhappy. Boo hoo. He admits that he plays poorly because he does not like being on a losing team and not being the focus of said team, and because of that, he feels there is no reason why he should put out the effort. BECAUSE YOU ARE AN OVERLY PAID PROFESSIONAL, YOU DOLT. Did no one teach you how to be a grown up? You are unhappy you are on a crappy team? That’s just too damn bad. SI.com had a list of people in the NFL that needed to go, and listed Moss as one of them, stating that he would never help the Raiders reach the post season. Post season? I will go so far as to say he will never help them reach .500. You want to know something Randy? You did this to yourself. You had everything you could ever want in Minnesota, but you dogged it there and played basically when the muse struck you right, admitting that you took plays off when you did not feel like putting forth the effort or when you felt that you were being underutilized. To the other 10 guys out on the field, that is something they do not want to hear. Why should they bust their ass when you cannot be bothered to? So you force a trade and get out of Minnesota, and go to the worst franchise in the league, which only seems to be getting worse and worse, and then you find out how unhappy you can be. You used to be one of the big name stars in the league, but your hubris and ego has landed you, literally, in the black hole. And now you are merely an afterthought and have lost any relevancy you once had in the league. And with your admission that you are not a professional and nothing more than a highly paid child prone to hissy fits, who will want you now? Who would possibly take the chance of having your laziness, attitude, poor work ethic and lack of professionalism infect their team? Only the most desperate and irrelevant and those teams suck. Welcome to the world of your own creation Randy, I hope it is all you dreamed of and more.

Ok, so once again the mid season report is, well, missing in action. Hey, it takes some time to come up with something that good! Ok, that is bull as well. It does take time, which I usually do not have a surplus of, plus this week there were so many other fascinating things that went on in the NFL, that I did not have time to devote to it. However, I still really like the idea, so I have decided to save it for the week between the championship games and the Super Bowl. That would be a good week for it, since there will only be three games to talk about then and how much can you really speak about with only four teams in action, and two remaining for the ultimate prize? Don’t answer that, it might give you a headache. For those of you who are impatient, like me, and cannot wait that long to find out the topic, I will happily reveal it. I will do my version of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and look back at the season, and what I said about it, and evaluate my performance. We are all so quick to evaluate those on the field; I think we should be big enough to turn those powerful observations on ourselves. Plus, it will give me a chance to review how I did, and you a chance to laugh at how stupid some of the things that came out of my head really were. See, we all win. Plus, it will save me from writing two articles in a row about the Super Bowl, which really can only be covered in so many ways. So, if you have stuck around this long, heck, why not go the distance? Self effacing humor is straight ahead down the road, and good times will result.

Two other notes to those who love football, its history and some of the great stories of past players, coaches and those who have helped bring and make this the great game we know and love today. First, the NFL is starting to broadcast their much touted new show America’s Game this week. The show is a 40 part series designed to try to do the impossible, answer the question of who is the greatest Super Bowl team of all time. Now, this is a question that will always be debated, no matter who they ultimately choose, because it is hard to compare teams from one era to another. Can you really compare Lombardi’s Packers who lived and died on the power sweep to the Vermeil’s greatest show on turf Rams? No way, two completely different teams, but a great argument nonetheless. What makes this more interesting is each show is an hour long documentary on the winner, with interviews and stories from former players, coaches and executives as they tell the stories of how their team went to the top. This looks to be a great series, and it will be interesting to see who they select as the top team. I feel good because I have 5 chances in 40, and I like those odds. Of course, so does Dallas and San Francisco. Hmmm, that is sub optimal. Nonetheless, it should be great viewing no matter who your favorite team happens to be. For more information, check out this fantastic website they created to support the program. I know I will be tuning in for sure. Might be hard to catch all 40, though, I might have to order the DVDs.

And second, well wishes go out to Bill Walsh, former coach and architect of the 49er’s dynasty of the 80s who is currently battling leukemia. Walsh has apparently responded well to the first round of chemotherapy and will soon begin a second round. We hope the Genius responds well to the treatment and is back to full health soon.

So, this week I could have went 1-15 and been happy because Pittsburgh was that one win. But I did a bit better than that.

Last Week: 9-7
Season to Date: 81-63

Not too shabby, and I even managed to take a few spots on the overall lead. I find it hard to find something to be unhappy about with those results. Although there are a few teams out there that keep burning me, and its driving me nuts and I have no idea what to do with them this week, although I will give it a shot. I would like to collect a few double digit win weeks, since they help my overall standings. Let’s try this week.


Atlanta at Baltimore

Yikes. Atlanta is suddenly letting their season slide away. They were running up a storm, Vick started making passes by running the option and they were looking rather dominant. Now, they slowed their running, are back to trying to turn Vick into a pocket passer, and they can barely score 13 points against Cleveland. Oh, sure, they can light Pittsburgh up for 41, but Cleveland? No way, they are way too tough. And Baltimore, yet again, finds a way to win. I am still not convinced they are good, but merely lucky. I mean come on, if they were really that good, they would not have had that much trouble with an also ran like the Titans. Although they may have a bit of trouble this week, since Ray Lewis is out after having a pocket of blood drained from his back. What a frightening thought. I cannot stand Lewis, but even I hope he recovers and that it is not a sign of a more serious problem. Since Lewis’s impact on the field, in my opinion, is far less than most believe, the defense will probably be just fine. I am going with Baltimore, that way if they win, I win, and if Atlanta pulls one off, well, then I feel really good about taking the loss.

Baltimore over Atlanta


Buffalo at Houston

Do I really have to say something about this game? I do? Oh, man. Ok, fine. It will be played in Reliant Stadium in Houston, which hosted Super Bowl 38. Houston is also the home of the NASA Space program, where mission control is located. Ummm, I think that is the most interesting thing you can say about this game. Oh, it will be slightly more fun than watching paint dry. Ok, in all seriousness, you got me. Both have won only three games thus far, and two of Houston’s wins have been against Jacksonville. However, they have been on the road for the past three straight games, so that might have contributed to the losses. Buffalo has at least won against three different opponents, and played it really tough against Indianapolis, but they also lost on the road to Detroit. I got nothing, so I am going home team.

Houston over Buffalo


Chicago at N.Y. Jets

This is the second week on the road for Chicago and the second week in a row in this stadium too. How did that work out? I hope they got a discount extended stay rate on their hotel accommodations. Both teams won last week, with Chicago winning big over the Giants and the Jets pulling one out in Foxboro. The Jets are playing tough, and Mangini is showing he knows how to get the most out of that roster far better than Herm Edwards did. It seems odd that Herm was more than happy to leave that sinking ship, and then Mangini strolls in, plugs a bunch of leaks and starts steering it in the right direction all while keeping expectations low and packing on the pounds like he is trying to audition as a stunt double for Kevin James. But this week, while I know the home team should be the favorite, but I gotta go Bears. Now, you watch, this week Da Bears will do what I figured they would do last week and drop one they should not while Mangini gets another stellar performance out of Pennington and company. Or perhaps Ditka just wants me to think that. He’s so sly. And yes, before anyone says it, I know Lovie Smith is really the coach. It’s just more fun to say Ditka than Smith, although Lovie is pretty fun to say too.

Chicago over N.Y. Jets


Cincinnati at New Orleans

This should be an interesting game. We have two teams coming off really tough losses last week in explosive games that were scoring fests, with both games going down to the very end. Each team made a few critical errors that ended up costing them a win. And no, I did not mean not playing defense. The question is who will rebound? New Orleans seems the more logical choice. While their defense put up its worst effort of the season last week, their offense kept them in the game and almost pulled their bacon out of the fire. Cincinnati’s offense did the same thing, but their defense is in worse shape by the looks of things. Also, Cincy lost a starter on their offensive line this week, and the spot will be going to a gentleman who will be making his first NFL start. That does not bode well for either the Bungle running game or for their pass protection, and if the Saints have any stones, they will try to exploit it as early and as often as possible. I see the Superdome edge playing a role here as well.

New Orleans over Cincinnati


Minnesota at Miami

Well, the Vikings cannot score a point to save their lives. They had a mediocre team at home last week, and could not get anything going. Now, Miami is a sub mediocre team, but they are playing at home, and as I said above, seem to be getting hot again. Plus, the curse of those crappy new uniforms is coming back to haunt the Vikings. I hate to say this, mainly because they stink, but I have to go with the Dolphins. At least they have been winning lately. One other question, though, about this game. Will Daunte even be on the Miami sidelines for the game? So much for the ballyhooed showdown against his former team.

Miami over Minnesota


New England at Green Bay

Ok, so this is an interesting one to call. Green Bay seems to be having a respectable, if mediocre, season thus far. They currently sit at 4-5, but they really have not beaten anyone of consequence except for Minnesota last week, and whether or not Minnesota is a team of consequence is questionable at best. New England, however, is suffering their first two game losing streak since 2002, and look to have lost that swagger they were developing. Plus, Belichick was clearly out coached in the Indianapolis game. Whether that is a sign of things to come or just a clever ruse, I do not know. But, is it possible they could lose three games in a row? Are all the personnel loses now coming back to haunt them? Can the Old Brett Favre hope to beat the New Joe Montana? Both QBs, and a bunch of other players on both sides of the ball, are a bit banged up. Brett, however, has to contend with a rookie at right tackle, which is very tough. I just do not know about this one. I am really trying to talk myself into the Pack, and they do have a chance since they have been playing somewhat well as of late and are at home in Lambeau. On top of that, Brady, because of his lack of receivers and big playmakers, keeps pressing and trying too hard, much like Favre has over the past few years. And with the way they have been playing, it is painfully obvious that they need a dedicated, and talented, offensive coordinator. If they keep up their penny pinching ways, they may end up wasting some of Brady’s prime years. But, it is the Patriots, and I think the world would stop turning if they actually lost three straight games. I am going with New England, for the same reasons I went with Baltimore. At least I get something out of it no matter who wins.

New England over Green Bay


Oakland at Kansas City

Trent Green, who nearly had his head removed in the first game of the season, is now fully recovered from his severe concussion and will make the start this week versus Oakland. Perfect game to come back to, since Oakland is not that scary, unless you are a team that got shell shocked the week before or a team that cannot hold onto the ball. This will help him get his legs under him in game time action and allow the offense to get acclimated with him again. Good job by Damon Huard to hold the fort and keep the Chiefs in contention during Green’s absence. Good luck Trent. Oh, the game. Hmmm, let’s see, go with the home team whose QB is coming off a 10 week layoff due to injury, or the road team that can barely win a game. It seems like a pretty simple call, especially since even good teams have trouble winning in Arrowhead.

Kansas City over Oakland


Pittsburgh at Cleveland

So, a Cleveland receiver has started some smack talk this week, saying how they were going to chase Pittsburgh’s tail and get back at Pittsburgh for embarrassing the Browns last year at home 41-0 on Christmas Eve. Ok, I can believe that. Cleveland, despite their record, is a tougher team this year with more weapons than last year. Plus, they have pride to play for, and knocking off the champs is always a nice feather in one’s cap. The problem, as I see it, is they are still the Browns, and they are playing the Steelers. So, yeah, looks to me like this one is pretty clear cut. Like it was ever anything but clear cut. Plus, it would seem that my quixotic quest paid off last week, so I best stick with what works.

Pittsburgh over Cleveland


St. Louis at Carolina

St. Louis suffered its second last moment loss to the Seahawks in the last four games last week. And of those four games, they won a total of zero. Now, they have to travel to Carolina, where they meet up with the tough Carolina defense and an offense that struggled through the first three quarters of last week’s game to suddenly turn it on at the end. I know the Rams have a tougher defense than last year, but they still have not been able to beat anyone of consequence, other than Denver in the first week of the season and I think that was more of a fluke for both teams than anything. Yeah, I am not feeling very confident about that Rams bandwagon.

Carolina over St. Louis


Tennessee at Philadelphia

Tennessee almost pulled off the upset last week and vanquished the mighty Ravens. I would have happily taken that loss, but they had their last second field goal blocked. Now, they have to travel to Philadelphia, who found their mojo during their week off and pasted division rival Washington last week. Mind you, Vince Young is far more mobile than Mark Brunell, so he could give the Philly defense some fits. But I doubt enough that they should blow this game. Philly will use this as a nice tune up for next week’s big showdown versus Indianapolis. They should win this handily, as long as they do not get distracted by looking ahead on the schedule.

Philadelphia over Tennessee


Washington at Tampa Bay

So Gibbs has finally acquiesced and will be starting the much heralded Jason Campbell over Brunell this week. I think we can officially say now that the Redskins season is over. If they are taking the time to look at the youngster behind the controls, then they are expecting to go nowhere this season. This is one of those tough games to call, because normally, I would just say, oh, the Bucs are at home, and the Skins are in the toilet so it’s a pretty easy call. But sometimes teams get a jump with new blood in the lineup, so this could be a trap. It worked briefly for Tampa Bay with their rookie QB, why cannot it work with Washington and Campbell? It could happen. Although, without Portis for the rest of the season, it is highly doubtful. However, last year, Washington beat Tampa at home on their field in the playoffs. Wait, these two teams were in the playoffs last year? Amazing what you do not notice when you are busy watching a historic Super Bowl run. Anyway, in a season lost, I am sure the Bucs would like some revenge and to earn, at least for one game, a modicum of respect.

Tampa Bay over Washington


Detroit at Arizona

Are you serious? These two? I really have to pick one to win? Oh come on! Fine. Ok, let’s see here. Arizona sucks, and bad. I said earlier that I doubt they would win another game this season. Detroit sucks almost as bad and has barely won two games this season. We have three wins between the participants in this game. Woo hoo. In recent years, about the only team that Detroit could beat is Arizona. And honestly, after their collapse against Da Bears, I cannot, in good conscience, pick the Cardinals. They are even more of a mess right now than the Lions, and that is saying something. At least the Lions beat one team with a winning record this season.

Detroit over Arizona


Seattle at San Francisco

This game could mark the possible return of Hasselbeck and Alexander to the Seahawks lineup. Although at this is what the Seahawks are hoping for, either or both may be a game time decision as of right now. It is a good return game for both, since the Hawks have owned the 49ers as of late, winning the last six games they have played against them. However, the Santa Clara 49ers, sorry I could not resist, are looking for their first three game winning streak since the 2002 season. This would be a better game for Hasselbeck and Alexander to return if it was in the confines of Qwest field, but I guess you cannot have everything. The 49ers have history on their side, with coach Mike Nolan sporting the suit this week on the sidelines, bringing back the well dressed coach in charge look. While that does bode well for the 49ers, I think the Seahawks will take care of business.

Seattle over San Francisco


Indianapolis at Dallas

Ok, now we have two potential games of the week, this being Potential game of the week one. Indy, still undefeated, traveling to Big D to take on the Cowboys, who have been performing better with new QB Tony Romo. This is Indy’s third NFC East opponent so far this year, with the last being Philly next week. Will Dallas end their run? Doubtful. They have not beaten anyone of consequence and Indianapolis, while not blowing people away; have always managed to get the job done. I am sure at some point they will stumble, but I do not see it this week in Dallas.

Indianapolis over Dallas


San Diego at Denver

Here is potential game of the week number two, and this one is a doozy. They moved this one to Sunday night with the new flex scheduling, and for good reason. Both teams are tied atop the AFC West, and the winner of this game will give themselves a huge advantage toward claiming the division. Denver has history on its side, winning 10 of the last 11 games against the Chargers at Invesco Field, with the Chargers having an all time record in Denver of 11-34-1. But, these are not your average Chargers, they are the Super Chargers. They blew up Cincinnati last week, crunching them with 42 second half points in a thrilling 49-41 victory. However, the Denver defense is more than a hair better than the Bengals D, and they might play a role in making this one a bit closer. Their defense will need to, since their offense seems to have trouble making things happen, only posting up 17 points on lowly Oakland. But were they doing just enough to win, keeping their cards close to their vest in anticipation of this week’s game? The Chargers, on defense, are hurting, with their linebacking corps decimated from injury and suspensions. That could play a big role in Denver’s passing and rushing attacks. This will be a good one, with Denver putting a stop to all this Charger nonsense.

Denver over San Diego


N.Y. Giants at Jacksonville

Hmmm, interesting a match up on Monday Night that is at least somewhat intriguing, although compared to the Sunday night game, it pales in comparison. Tom Coughlin returns to Jacksonville, where he was the first coach in team history, in hopes of beating his old charge. The Giants let me down big time last week, but that may have been in part to the ridiculous number of injuries they have, and very key ones to boot. Jacksonville has one as well, with Leftwich looking at having season ending surgery on his ankle. But Garrard is at least a capable backup. I really don’t know, Jacksonville is a tough team, but then again they lost twice to Houston. Go figure. The Giants are as well, but they have lost a primary target in Toomer, and their defense is reeling. Either way, the game will be overshadowed by the annoyance of the announcers, the ridiculous guests during the second and now third quarters, and the sub par production values. Monday night letdown indeed.

Jacksonville over N.Y. Giants

The Crystal Ball Week 10

Hello sports fans. Welcome to the big mid-season report as promised last week. Ok, I will be honest, I have nothing. I have a great idea for a mid season report, but a few things came up. First, traveling left me with very little time to do much of the research I wanted to do. Now, normally this would not be that big of a deal, but after getting back and going through the process of sliding back into normal life and work, I had less time this week than usual. Not that I regret it at all, I had a wonderful time visiting my family, whom I do not get to see nearly often enough. However, it did impact the amount of time I had to write. Now, if I did not have to go to a job and could just write all day, well, this thing would be super long this week. Second, I did not watch all that much football last week. Yes, I know, a travesty, but those things happen on vacation. I did watch Pittsburgh and Denver, ugh, and Indianapolis and New England, eh, and did catch up on the action of the day, but nothing like my normal fest of football. I imagine that is probably a good thing in the long run, anyway. So, with little time and little observation, yeah, this week, I have very little. But, I do have a few things, so let’s run with what we have. If the NFL Network would just pay me, that would solve a lot of problems. I may do the mid-season report/fest/crapola next week, since it is still a fun idea, so I shant reveal it today. I would hate to ruin the surprise. Plus, we stand out here by doing a mid-season column well after mid-point of the season. Yeah, that’s how we roll.

So, in going through my usual litany of football related reading each week, I found this interesting observation by one of the columnists I enjoy frequently.

“Of Steelers fans voting in a recent Web poll voted to bench Big Ben. This after he battled back from eight hours of facial surgery, a near-death experience, an appendectomy and a second brain scramble following a sack by three Falcons, just to try to take the field and make something happen for a team still hungover from the Super Bowl. Man, this is the kind of unconditional love and support from YOUR OWN FANS that makes it all worthwhile, right Ben?”

This quote was from a recent David Fleming article. Yes, David, that is the kind of support Ben will get from his own fans. See, Ben’s fans knew one thing, he was not ready. That second brain scramble set him back again, and he should have sat for a week or two until he was fully recovered. I know he was medically cleared, but watch any QB after a concussion and they are not the same for a few weeks. Plus, now that he has had two major concussions in a 4 month span, he is at a high risk for repeated concussions, possible brain damage and early retirement. Just ask Steve Young and Troy Aikman about that. So, you tell me Mr. Fleming who is a true fan of Big Ben? Is it the nitwits who would like to send him out there right away and risk his health, season and career, or the those would rather have him sit out an extra game or two now and keep watching him lead the Black and Gold in the future rather than retire two or three years early because of too many concussions. Seems obvious who his true fans really are in that scenario, now doesn’t it?

Now this week despite two interceptions, the third was just a desperation heave hoe, Ben had a pretty good outing and showed, at least to me, that the concussion from the Falcons game is probably behind him. He looks like he will be a big time passer. However, the same thing that has been plaguing the team all season struck again. Turnovers. No one can hold onto the ball, and no one can recover a loose one. Sigh. Of course, in a classic overcorrection, Cowher has announced that there will need to be changes made and some starters will sit. Ike Taylor seems to be the first to lose his job, at least temporarily. That makes absolutely zero sense. Yeah, he got lit up last week by Javon Walker, but that is not why they lost the game. They lost the game because they turned the ball over SIX TIMES! Hello, hello, is anyone listening? They are losing because they keep giving the opposition the ball. Hey, Bill, not to tell you how to do your job or anything, but instead of worrying about one bad performance in one game by one guy, how about maybe working with the special teams and the offense and getting them to learn to hold onto the football. I think, maybe, that might be a better solution to what ails team. But, like I said, I don’t want to step on any toes or anything, just spitballing some ideas here. What a nimrod.

Well, you know, this season seems to be toast. And while they still may have a stellar second half, it looks doubtful they will make the playoffs. But you know what; I will still hold out hope. You never know they could reel off 12 straight and take the title again. Hey, before last season, they said there was no way you could win 4 straight playoff games on the road to capture the title, and look what happened. So, there is still hope, albeit a very faint hope. Regardless, until February 4th, 2007, they are still the world champions, and they will be treated as such, and anyone who feels differently can go suck eggs. Go Steelers!

Now, for my most favorite of teams, New England! Oh, by the way I was being sarcastic. Their fans had an interesting weekend watching them lose at home to Indianapolis, tee hee, and watching former Pat Adam Vinatieri kick against them for the first time. This game seemed somewhat stupid to me, in the fact that New England has one of the best running attack tandems in the league with Dillon and Maroney, and they were going up against the Colts who have one of the worst run defenses of all time. Yet, New England kept passing early and often, and did not pound the ball right down the Colts throat. Was this Belichick hiding how he will really play the Colts in the playoffs, or just not being the genius many assume he is and having a piss poor game plan going in against the Colts? I do not know, but even I was thinking, why are you not running the ball? Morons.

In his debut in Foxboro with the Colts, Vinatieri was booed by Pats fans. Yes, he does not play for you now, and yes, he signed with one of the biggest thorns in your side. But have you such short memories? The man won you three Super Bowls, two on the last play of the game. He left because your cheapskate management did not want to pay him his worth and wanted to dump him for a younger model. He left not because he wanted to, he left because he wanted market value for his services and to be appreciated for his contribution and not looked upon as an aging cog. I bet at least once come January Peyton Manning will show Vinatieri how much he appreciates a clutch player with ice water in his veins. I have said it before, and will say it again, getting rid of Vinatieri will come back to haunt the Patriots at the worst time. Watch, it will happen. This behavior just goes to show you what kind of spoiled jerks Pats fans typically are. Hey, football season is past the halfway point, aren’t you guys behind on whining about the Red Sox?

Now, there are a few other quick observations I have made, and I thought I would share them before we get to this week’s slate of fun.

1) Pittsburgh is a bad team. The players are good, and true they are not getting the lucky breaks that help a team from time to time, but they play badly and stupidly, and that is enough to make them bad. Plus, after losing to Oakland, there is really no way to sugar coat it. They will not win the division, they most likely will not go to the playoffs and they probably will not have a winning record considering their current win/loss pace. They may have a chance at respectability if they could learn to hold onto a football instead of acting as though it is covered in ants. But since as of right now they have 1 more turnover than they had in all of last season, I doubt that will happen.

2) Baltimore is a good team. Ok, not good like Indianapolis or New England, but good enough that they will probably win the division and possibly go deep into the playoffs with how they are built. Plus, after beating New Orleans in the Big Easy and following that up with a nail biter against the Bengals, it is hard to say they are a fluke. Although, if I have to see Ray Lewis try to steal the spotlight from his teammates just one more time, I will need to be sedated. What’s worse is this week he is on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Excuse me, now I must go tear my eyes out.


3) Peyton Manning may be learning how to win the big game. Peyton has always been a great regular season quarterback, and a fantasy football wet dream, but he cannot seem to translate that talent and offense into championship hardware. There is a lot of talk that he is becoming a clutch QB, and who knows, maybe he will learn how to make that work in the post season. Having a clutch post season player on his team like Adam Vinatieri may just give the team the right mojo and mind set. For me, however, he has to prove it first. But without a decent running game, or a defense capable of stopping the run (currently giving up 5.2 yards per running play), it will not happen come January. I thought Dungy was hired to improve the defense.

4) The officiating in the NFL is horrible this year – so many non calls for obvious infractions, so many ticky tack calls over plays where it really is hard to see just exactly where there is an infraction. Here are two of the more recent poor calls that directly affected the outcome of a game. Jets at Cleveland, the non-touchdown catch by the Jets at the end. It was painfully obvious that he would have landed in bounds. He obviously was pushed out to prevent the score. However, according to the referee’s interpretation, no catch. The incomplete pass on Pittsburgh in the Oakland game. Wilson had the ball, and replays show that he had hands under the ball and it never touched the ground, but it was ruled incomplete nonetheless. Look back over this season and you can see botched call after botched call. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry. Perhaps it is time for them to SERIOUSLY consider full time referees. I know this is said each year, and each year the same reasons that it is not viable are trotted out like show ponies, but perhaps the NFL needs to look past the cost and more on the impact it is having on their product. Sure it would be costly, but the league makes billions of dollars, they could probably swing it. And yes, the referees would have little to do during the week, but you could have them rotate around to team practices, have their own training sessions, confer with colleagues. The more thought you put into it, the more you could easily see how quickly their time would fill up working to become the best units in all of professional sports. This is something the NFL should seriously consider before it gets to the point where no team feels like they will have a legitimate chance on a close play and start paying officials just in case.


5) Atlanta players may currently be the dirtiest players in the league. All teams will try to get away with something or hurt the other team, but these guys are not even subtle about it. Watch them for one game, just one, and see what I mean. Ask Chad Johnson about getting popped out of nowhere, he’ll vouch for what I am saying. Even though it screwed me last week, I was happy to see them lose to lowly Detroit. Bunch of jerks.

6) I like Chad Johnson. There, I said it. Yes, he plays for a division rival, and yes, whenever they play Pittsburgh, he is ALL about the smack talk. But you know what? He’s funny, he plays the game for fun, he enjoys tweaking people in a playful way and you get that in how he performs. Plus, all the stuff he does never distracts from his job nor does it ever put the team in an unnecessary spotlight. And he is always about playing as hard and as well as he can and never does he put his own self promotion above the best interests of the team. He is a fun guy who plays with a lot of heart and is a pretty damn good teammate. T.O. should take notes on how to be a star receiver from 85.

7) Tom Brady is the most clutch QB in the NFL today. Yes, it pains me to say it because the guy drives me up the wall in a big giant way. And I think the Montana comparisons may be a bit premature, even if accurate in the long run. The fact is the man has won 3 Super Bowls, and that is not an easy task. It is difficult just getting to three, let alone winning them. Now, having said that, it sure was nice to see him get picked off 4 times last week. Tee hee. You think that the Pats would have been smarter and just pounded the ball against the Colts weak run defense, but no, they played it pretty dumb. Morons.

8) Leave Tiki Barber alone. The man wants to walk away from the game while he can still walk. He has many other interests and career options, and getting his body pounded by 300 pound defensive lineman is no longer one of them. I think it takes a big man to walk away from something while he is still at or near the top of it. Jim Brown is a great example of this. Many wondered, and some still do, how and why he could walk away from it all. He could because he wanted to define his life, not let football define it for him. And Brown has defined his life in exemplary ways. Tiki wishes to do the same. Sure, it would be nice to see him keep running, but I do not blame him. Last year, I saw a piece on Jerome Bettis that showed how hard it was for him sometimes after game day to just get out of bed and walk down the stairs. The man is 34 years old, and he was walking like a 74 year old man. It is a rough game that can damage you permanently. Look in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated and read the article by Rick Reilly. It is not a very long piece, but in it his descriptions of past stars of the gridiron and their current physical conditions is chilling in how they have basically sacrificed their life after football for glory on the field. It is touching, sad and scary, and if Tiki wants to walk away while he can still walk, then I say more power to him.


Ok, so this week, well, let’s just say I did not win the weekly poll.

Last Week: 6-8
Season to Date: 72-56

Surprisingly, I am rather calm about my performance. Perhaps it is due to the fact I was enjoying a bunch of home cooking and was in food sedation for a week. Who knows, but hey, there is always this week, where we finally return to a full slate of games now that the bye weeks are over. And speaking of such, let’s dive in, shall we?

Buffalo at Indianapolis

Umm, hmmm, what a way to start out the games, I wonder who will win? Yes, I know, both teams had wins last week and are feeling good and I know that on any given Sunday any team can beat another team. We have seen plenty of that this season. But something just tells me the Colts are not going to lose at home to the Bills. Call it intuition, ESP or indigestion, but yeah, that’s not happening.

Indianapolis over Buffalo


Houston at Jacksonville

Ok, I know this one is tricky, since Houston pasted Jacksonville last time they met in Reliant field. I am still trying to figure out how that happened. But, I am willing to go out on a limb here and say that was a fluke, and Jacksonville will prevail this time. Of course, that is if their burgeoning QB controversy does not get the better of them.

Jacksonville over Houston


N.Y. Jets at New England

Apprentice versus the Master as Mangini returns to New England to face the vaunted Belichick. Yeah, does not really ring that big since they have already met this season and New England won, but, it is still fun to say. Now, the Jets are playing well over their heads this season, and could squeeze out a pretty good year for a rebuilding team, but there is one thing you cannot forget. New England has not lost consecutive games in over 5 years. I do not see them breaking that streak this week.

New England over N.Y. Jets


Denver at Oakland

Mike Shanahan continues his 2006 Stick It To Al Davis tour with a stop in Oakland this week. Now, we did cover this when these two teams met previously this season, but for a refresher to any late comers, Shanahan loves sticking it to Davis and the Raiders. Since they canned him many moons ago, he has made it his mission to stomp on them anytime his team plays the Raiders. And now that he has found some offensive spark, oh, it will not be as close as the previous game. Plus, Oakland wasted their magical season with two weeks in the spotlight, and its time for them to go away now.

Denver over Oakland


Cleveland at Atlanta

I cannot think of anything particularly interesting to say on this game, other than I would like the Falcons, for as dirty as they are, to win just so I know Pittsburgh will not solely occupy the last spot in the division. Other than that, I see the dirty birds rebounding from losing in Detroit last week, a loss which still makes no sense to me at all.

Atlanta over Cleveland


Washington at Philadelphia

Ok, I cannot figure out the Redskins. They make no sense. They pretty much are in the tank for this season, and then they hang on and win one against Dallas last week, although they did have a bit of help. And Philly starts the season with a bang, and just as quickly begin throwing games away like they were flyers on a windshield. There seems to be no rhyme or reason, but since an Eagles fan I know had a pretty fantastic day last week and is enjoying a lovely honeymoon with his new bride in Hawaii this week, I’m going with the Birds to make his day.

Philadelphia over Washington


Baltimore at Tennessee

Steve McNair, former face of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans returns home leading his new team who currently stand at the top spot in his new division with a 6-2 record, ready to show the Titans faithful what some of them are surely missing as Vince Young goes through his growing pains, and sticking Bud Adams with another loss in a crappy season. Yes, I do believe McNair will be the triumphant hero returning home. Or he will finally get his serious injury of the season and force Kyle Boller to carry the load for the Ravens. I figured McNair would get his team crippling injury long before now, so it is kind of deflating for me and my hopes of Pittsburgh claiming the division that he has not. Perhaps he has finally found a way to stay healthy. Must be all those delicious Maryland crab cakes, of which I had some last week. Talk about yum, those crab cakes are a treat for the taste buds that I wish I could indulge in more often. Ok, before this turns into Paula Dean, let’s move on.

Baltimore over Tennessee


Dallas at Arizona

Seriously, does anyone think the Cardinals have a chance? I doubt even their faithful feel like they have a shot at winning any more game this season, let alone this one. Plus, I bet the Cowboys were put through their paces after blowing one they should have had last week against the Redskins. You have to wonder how far the team is from open revolt against Owens. The man led directly to the loss last week. The 15 yard penalty was bad, but it can be overcome. However, for a man who is constantly screaming for the ball and to make him the number one playmaker on the team to then drop a touchdown pass that would have put Dallas ahead, you have to wonder how many other players on that squad have finally had enough. I bet it’s more than we think. And Parcells may finally be done. Dumb move going for the two point conversion early in the game. Yes, I know the Redskins won by three, but if Dallas would have had that 1 point lead late in the game, they would not have needed to march for the quick field goal; they could have just sat on the ball. Maybe this really is Parcells’ last season, or at perhaps it just should be.

Dallas over Arizona


San Francisco at Detroit

Federal law requires a warning of the potential hazard of inhalation of noxious fumes and graphic images of ineptitude while watching this game. Man what a stinker. At least Millen will be able to keep snowing the Ford family into not firing him by showing them a win this week. And what is with the 49ers moving to Santa Clara? They tried to fleece the city into a new stadium, and the city went, yeah, we saw how badly you’ve screwed up our team, shove off. Good for them. At least the 49ers management is not complete idiots and will still affiliate themselves with San Francisco. The whole thing is pretty idiotic if you ask me.

Detroit over San Francisco


Green Bay at Minnesota

This one is pretty easy to call, since the Vikings, despite ruining years of mojo by going and changing their great uniforms to those awful looking things they trot out each week, have been playing pretty good football under Brad Childress. I want to say Green Bay, but I think right now Minnesota is better. And if I lose this one, well, I will be happy to take the loss.

Minnesota over Green Bay


New Orleans at Pittsburgh

By now, you know who I am going to pick. I know who I am going to pick. And considering how Pittsburgh has been playing, we both know who will likely win this game. Not that I believe that, because I don’t, but part of me knows. However, just call me Don Quixote, because eventually they will pull their heads out of their asses.

Pittsburgh over New Orleans


St. Louis at Seattle

Ok, this is a tough call. Seattle won their previous match up in St. Louis, coming back at the end to steal the game away on a wicked good field goal. So, that should give them an edge, especially since they did it without Shawn Alexander. This time, while they get the nice confines of Qwest field, they have to win without the services of both Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck. That is one tall order. And they can be beat at home, a fact that has been established this season. This is a toss up, and I know whomever I pick will be the wrong pick, but I am going with the home team.

Seattle over St. Louis


San Diego at Cincinnati

The Super Chargers roll into the Queen City to take on 85! Are you as excited as I am? No? Oh, right, I do not care. Well, I do a little bit. If Cincy loses, it helps Pittsburgh out, and if they win, well, it’s a nice stick it to the Bolts. Not that I have anything particular against the Chargers, just that I hate losing, I hate being at the game when Pittsburgh loses, and I would like to see the Chargers and their fans eat some crow because that was one long walk back to the car after the Steelers/Chargers game. A really long walk. Now, I am still not convinced San Diego is all that and a bag of Funyuns, because look at their record and you can see they really have not beaten anybody of consequence minus a few teams. Despite that, I think San Diego has more firepower and consistency at the moment and Shottenheimer is one of the greatest regular season coaches ever! Just try not to look at his post season record, not so good.

San Diego over Cincinnati


Kansas City at Miami

So the Dolphins pulled off the win against Da Bears. Good for them, I hope they enjoy it, because I doubt the winning will last. Kansas City, on the other hand, has been quietly putting together a pretty good season with a patchwork offensive line and a career backup quarterback. They are 5-3 in a very competitive division, and the road ahead looks good. Unfortunately, there is a QB controversy brewing as Trent Green gets closer to being ready to play again. What to do, give the offense back to your starter, or stay with the hot hand. This always is a tough question and no matter what you do, it can produce mixed results. Staying with the hot hand worked well for the Pats in 2001, could it work for the Chiefs this year? Stay tuned, I bet this gets more interesting, especially if the Chiefs keep winning.

Kansas City over Miami


Chicago at N.Y. Giants

DA Bears lost a game. Ditka is inconsolable. Sadness has descended over a certain city. And guess what, I bet it stays there this week. Yes, Da Bears, one of my fun teams for the season, I think is about to go on a two game losing streak. Most everyone, including me, thought the Bears almost loss to the Cardinals was a fluke. Sure, teams have bad games from time to time, and sometimes they get lucky to escape those with a win. However now, after seeing that they made many of the same mistakes last week as they did in the Arizona game, I have to wonder if they are signs of a larger issue. I think Da Bears are still a good team, but if you make the same mistakes over and over again against another good team, you will pay. (Reference Steelers, Pittsburgh, 2006 for example) The Giants are a good team and beginning to find an identity in their dysfunction, and have something to play for with Tiki’s impending retirement. If Da Bears pull out this one, then we can look to the Miami game as some weird cosmic history. (For those who may not know, in 1986 when Da Bears won the Super Bowl, their only loss the entire season was to the Miami Dolphins.) If they lose, well, then we might have to start thinking that Da Bears may have peaked a bit early. On another note, this is the first game of the NFL’s new flex scheduling system, designed to put better games into prime time. Not too bad of a match up to start things off. Here is hoping it works.

N.Y. Giants over Chicago


Tampa Bay at Carolina

Potential one sided crapfest, since Tampa Bay has settled down into below mediocrity after the initial rush of a new QB. You know, with how crappy their broadcasts are, you would think maybe Monday Night could have attempted to garner better games. Nope, not going to have that, at least this year. With crappy games and a crappy broadcast with annoying hosts and the asinine celebrity interview all being displayed on cable, Monday Night Football is quickly fading into oblivion. NBC is right; Sunday night really is the new Monday night. Anyway, the Bucs are still tough, but the Panthers are tougher. Yeah, could be one of those shocker upset games, but I will still take the Cats at home.

Carolina over Tampa Bay

The Crystal Ball Week 9

Hello all and welcome to another week of football fun. Yes, we are up a bit early this week, and hey, that is the kind of time provided to one on vacation. It just throws your schedule right off. I plan to keep it short this week, no crazy long piece. I think I will save that for next week with some sort of mid season look at how things have progressed thus far this year in the NFL. I am really not sure what I will come up with in terms of a mid season report, but I have a few ideas. I guess we will all have to just wait and see what comes out when I sit down at the ol’ laptop. Technically, I should do that this week, but I think it will be best served after everyone has 8 games under their belt. Plus, spending time with the family is definitely taking up all my time, and I could not be more delighted about it. Despite Pittsburgh losing on Sunday, I had a blast watching the game with my Dad, spending time with my Mom and helping around the house, with the topper thus far being a great family dinner with my Mom, Dad and my little bro. It might have been one of the best family dinners we have had in many a year.

The NFL last weekend had a few great barn burners, with Atlanta outlasting Cincinnati and Indianapolis topping the Broncos. This weekend, there will be more than a few big tussles that will go down, and I for one am excited for all of them. One game in particular will be the one to watch, but more on those later.

So, I thought after last column that I was sick of losing. Now, well, I may be getting used to it. I am not sure. After the loss to Raiders, I have found a calm place inside myself regarding losing, a Zen outlook on the season. Yes, we stink. Yes, we keep playing games and making horrible mental errors. Yes, this season is probably in the tank. It is not official, but let’s be honest; the Steelers have to run the table just to match last year’s record at this point. But you know what? We still won the Super Bowl last year, and that is still pretty wonderful. And for the most part, the team is still good enough to do it again, but it seems as though it will not be this year. But as Cubs fans say every August, there is always next year.

However, Roethlisberger should not have played last week. It was pretty obvious that he was not ready to go. He looked like he did in his first week back from the appendectomy. He was slow to move, his decisions did not come quickly and he seemed fearful of taking a hit. I shudder to think what Denver will do to us this week. I will still watch. This is the time for true fans to come out. Yes, our team is doing very badly this year, but they are still our team. Stand up and cheer them, if for no other reason than as a thank you for the wonderful year they gave us last year, a decent showing this year, and a better one next year. Everyone gets up for the game against the Super Bowl champs more than other games, maybe next year when we are not the champs, as it looks now they will not be, it will be a little better. Plus, after the Patriots won their first Super Bowl, they did not make the playoffs the next year and then reeled off two more Super Bowl wins. I, myself, could live with that.

One bit of vindication I have seen lately is finally people are starting to notice the key problems that I have mentioned ad nausea here. Poor offensive line play, turnovers and finally, the biggest one, the Cowher situation. I read this morning in a local PA paper someone finally bring up the fact that Cowher’s status for next year and beyond as Pittsburgh’s head coach could be causing a distraction. Mark my words, it will not be one, it is one.

Unfortunately, now we are getting bit by the injury bug. Verron Haynes and Arnold Harrison have been lost for the season, and Jeff Hartings is out for an indeterminate amount of time. These are the residual damage from the loss to Oakland. Hopefully, everyone will now realize what is happening and put up a good showing against Denver. Win or lose, they are still the World Champions until someone is crowned champion. Of course, I did not think elimination would come upon us so soon. There are still nine games left; perhaps there is still time for a little magic. I know I for one will be watching to see what happens. I encourage all true fans to join me.

So there was one positive thing that did come out of the weekend. For the first week, I won the pick em pool that I participate in with some friends. Yes, that is right; finally I had a good enough week to pull off the victory. I actually gained a couple of spots on the overall leader as well. That is a very good salve for losing to a super crappy opponent. Plus, the win was extra sweet because going into the Monday Night game, I was in a five way tie with four other participants, and it came down to the total point tie breaker. All five of us had the following point totals, 32, 38, 42, 46 and 47. I had 38, and the final score was New England 31, Minnesota 7. Right on the money was my guess, and it catapulted me to victory. Of course, since New England scored their final points right at the end of the third quarter, I had to sit and sweat out the whole fourth quarter, and it was close. Minnesota managed to drive within the New England red zone in the last minute, and then mercifully threw an interception, that frighteningly was almost run back for a score. It was a tense few minutes, but luckily, everything worked out, and I can feel good about winning a week.

Last Week: 9-5
Season to Date: 66-48

Not a bad record either, but let us see if I can do two in a row, or at least get another win this season.

This week Arizona, Carolina, N.Y. Jets and Philadelphia have the bye. Arizona, well, its over, you have taken the mantle from Oakland as the worst team in the league, although I think Miami is fighting you for that. Carolina needs the week off to figure out how they collapsed so badly against the Cowboys. The Jets can use a rest for sure, since they lost a game against Cleveland they should have won. Hopefully they can use the week to recharge and come out again playing over their heads. And Philadelphia needs to step back and find out where everything is going wrong. They came out early in the season looking so strong and unbeatable, and then just began dropping games like coins into a fountain. The boo birds were in full force Sunday in Philly, and if the Eagles do not turn things around quickly, they will only get worse.

Atlanta at Detroit

Atlanta flexed their road muscle big time in Cincinnati, showing they can win on the road with Vick operating as a viable passing threat. I am not sure where this came from, perhaps Vick just needed to be reminded he was once a stellar college quarterback. Detroit had the week off to rest, but I doubt it will help.

Atlanta over Detroit


Cincinnati at Baltimore

A huge AFC North match up that will have ramifications on who wins the division this year. Baltimore is resurgent and showed some resiliency last week by coming out and pasting the Saints on the road. Cincinnati showed their woes of late by failing to close out a tough opponent at home. For me, the preferable option would be for the Bengals to pull off the victory at home, keeping both of them close to Pittsburgh, relatively, in the standings. However, the logical side says the Baltimore defense has a big day. I will go with Baltimore, that way if Cincy wins and I lose this pick, I can still feel good about it.

Baltimore over Cincinnati


Dallas at Washington

The Cowboys had a stirring comeback against a collapsing Panther team last week, with Tony Romo showing great poise and, something not seen in Big D for some time, mobility as he directed the second half comeback on the road. Stellar start for the new signal caller. One thing that stuck out to me was the incredible time of possession that Dallas maintained, wearing down the Carolina defense until they could walk through them like tissue paper. That kind of ball control game will take a team far, and Dallas looks poised to start the second half of the season on the right note. Washington, on the other hand, looks as though they keep sinking deeper and deeper into a void with no answers on how to get out. This huge NFC East match up, at least on paper, seems rather one sided. But, as they say, that is why they play the games. Regardless, I know who I am going with in this game.

Dallas over Washington


Green Bay at Buffalo

Are there signs of life in Green Bay? It sure seems that way. Perhaps Brett Favre was right when he said this was the most talented team he has played with in his career. Perhaps they just needed some experience and a bit of seasoning. Or maybe The Pack has just been playing some crappy teams and taking advantage of the situation. Either way, there is something to cheer about in Cheeseland. Considering how there is so little to cheer about in Upstate New York, I think the Pack will keep on rolling this week.

Green Bay over Buffalo


Houston at N.Y. Giants

The G-Men keep on rolling, this time right over Tiki’s brother. It definitely was not the most exciting game that happened all week, but a good win for the Giants. If you can win the games you are supposed to, and one or two you are not, then you are doing well. That is how the Giants are rolling this year, and I see it continuing in the Meadowlands this weekend as well. Houston, well, they still have a long way to go. Yes, they are on the right track, but it is hard to overcome a culture of losing. Just ask Marvin Lewis, he is still battling it in some ways.

N.Y Giants over Houston


Kansas City at St. Louis

A few weeks ago, this game would have looked like a rollover. This week, well, I am not so sure. Kansas City has been playing inspired ball. Sure, they faced Seattle without Hasselbeck and Alexander, but the Seahawks are still a tough team. Plus, they beat a fully loaded San Diego team, who last week beat, you guessed right, the Rams. So who do you pick? Well, until KC can prove to me they can put together an excellent performance away from Arrowhead, I am going with the home dome Rams on this one.

St. Louis over Kansas City


Miami at Chicago

Ok, so not every game can be a world beater. Considering what Da Bears did to the 49ers last week, I am expecting much of the same this week. Of course, during the 86 season, the only team to mar Chicago’s record that year was, the Dolphins. Could history repeat itself? Since that Dolphins team had Dan Marino in his prime, and this one has Joey Harrington in what I guess is his prime, I say no, not even close.

Chicago over Miami


New Orleans at Tampa Bay

Are the Saints returning to Earth? Is the dream over? Are the Ravens just that good? I am not sure about any of those questions. Although I do know this, even good teams have bad days. Perhaps that is what the Saints had. We will know more this Sunday. Tampa Bay has been playing better, but it has been with some luck, smoke, mirrors, rubber bands and paper clips. If the Saints are for real, then they will win. I believe they are the real deal.

New Orleans over Tampa Bay


Tennessee at Jacksonville

Tennessee is showing how good their future will be with Vince Young, but the team still seems to be in too much turmoil. Way too much for one coached by Jeff Fisher, in my opinion. They had a good win over Houston last week, but do they have enough to keep it going? The Jaguars are a mystery to me. How do you hold the defending champions to 0 points, then a few weeks later get pasted by the Texans on the road? Especially after outlasting the Redskins on the road? It makes no sense. This one is a bit of a toughie too, but the Jags are a good team, and while home field is not much of a jump for them as it is for other teams, I think it will make a difference.

Jacksonville over Tennessee


Minnesota at San Francisco

Let’s just say it; Brad Childress has done a great job thus far in Minnesota. He has managed to come in and right the ship, jettisoning people detrimental to the team, those that are scandal hounds and distractions and those who do not want to do the work needed to win. I know he is saddled for the time being with Brad Johnson, who is not bad just well past his prime. But if he could get a better quarterback and some improvements on defense this team will go far. Yes, they got pasted on MNF, but let us not overlook how far he has come with this team in a short amount of time. Even with Chicago running away with their division, I see this team making the playoffs. As for the 49ers, well, it is still a long road ahead. It will only get longer this week.

Minnesota over San Francisco


Cleveland at San Diego

Shawne Merriman has decided not to appeal his four game suspension, and just take it starting this week. He, and his lawyer, still maintain that the positive test result came from tainted supplements, but he does not want to be a distraction. I call BS on this. First, it is already a distraction, too late for that. Second, how would supplements that any cat can buy in any GNC be tainted with enough steroids to show up on a random drug test, let alone be tainted at all? And third, his decision to take the suspension sure comes at a convenient place in the Chargers schedule. Here are their next 4 games that he will miss, Cleveland, at Cincinnati, at Denver and Oakland. Two games against cupcakes, one against a tough division foe, and one on the road against a team they can beat. Gee, how convenient. Unfortunately, as much as they drive me nuts, I want them to win this week. Pittsburgh needs some separation from the bottom of the division. And, well, I am also pretty sure they can handle Cleveland.

San Diego over Cleveland


Denver at Pittsburgh

Speaking of Pittsburgh, do the Steelers even stand a chance against the Bronco defense this week? Of course they do. Remember what they did to them last year in the AFC championship game in Denver. Of course, the last time Denver played in Pittsburgh was the 1997 AFC championship game which the Broncos won 24-21. Of course, at that time they had a guy behind center named Elway, so things could be different this time around. Yeah, they could get creamed, especially since Denver will be jacked about losing to Indianapolis last week. But the Steelers are still tough, and there is still pride in that locker room. Personally, I had hoped that this might be the game of the week for the casual fan, but Pittsburgh has had a bit of trouble this year holding up their end of the bargain regarding big games. For me, though, it will be THE game of the week. But you know me; there really is no objective opinion when it comes to the Steel City.

Pittsburgh over Denver


Indianapolis at New England

Easily this will be the game of the week. This is the game to watch. If you are a casual fan, this will be the one to tune in for and soak in the football experience. Now, I hate saying things like that, because just about anything Boston or New England related drives me insane. But, the truth is we have a 7-0 Colts team fresh of a great victory in Denver traveling to Foxboro to face the 6-1 Patriots who, scarily, have found their rhythm and comfort zone yet again with a bunch of no names and has beens. This will be the collision of the day. Peyton finally found out that he can win in Foxboro, but the Pats always win there, and are not scared of Manning and Company in any way. On a short side note, how come it always seems that these games are played in New England? How come they never seem to be played in Indy? Think there might be something up about that? Yeah, I do too. Anyway, this one will be tight, but I think the Pats flex their muscle and knock off one of the last two unbeaten teams in a barn burner.

New England over Indianapolis


Oakland at Seattle

Do not let Oakland’s performance over the last two weeks fool you. First, they beat up on a still shell shocked Cardinal team that were still trying to figure out how they lost to the Bears. And last week, well, they merely capitalized on two dumb ass plays by the Steelers. There offense only managed 6 total points and 98 total yards. That is it. Their defense had more yards than that. The crowd at Qwest field will be at extra decibels to help make up for the absence of Hasselbeck and Alexander, and even without them, the Hawks will take care of business.

Seattle over Oakland