The Crystal Ball 2007 Week 2

One half of all teams have yet to win a game. What does this mean? Has the quality of play gone down? Is the competition too stiff? Has parity gone mad?

Welcome to week two of the NFL season. You know that feeling after Thanksgiving dinner, when you are satiated after indulging in your favorites. That satisfaction you feel after finally getting some turkey and cranberry after dreaming about it for weeks. Yeah, that’s how we all feel right now. Finally, we got to sink our teeth into some real football action. Although oddly enough, I’m starting to feel hungry again, interesting.

Now, week one winners, don’t get too excited; its one game, who knows if you’re opponent was really that bad or if you are that good.

And losers don’t get too down. Your opponent may just be wicked good or you had a fluke game. Unless you are the Browns, you are that bad. Sorry, but I’m sure you already realized that.

Keeping in mind it’s only the beginning of the season, it’s still delicious to start off with a win. Nothing satisfies quite like it. Mind you, I am not getting too excited, since Pittsburgh started off last season with a win too, and look where that got us. But I will take a moment to at least savor this victory.

It’s still early, and many things need to shake out, but we did learn a few things, namely never pick Oakland! We also learned that week one was defined by three things; last second field goals, injuries and fumbling.


Recap

Denver, Washington and Green Bay all pulled out last second/overtime victories with the swing of a leg. Jacksonville and Oakland both lost because of their kicking game, either by poor performance or injury. Yes, special teams are important, in case you forgot.

In its return this season, the suited coach is 1-1 in week one action. Oh, please tell me the magic is not wearing off! This season will be a test, since Jack Del Rio and Mike Nolan will both be suited for all of their respective teams’ home games. I’m still waiting to see Brad Childress gussied up, though.

It is going to be a long season in Kansas City. Johnson’s line against the Texans; 10 carries, 43 yards, 0 touchdowns. If that is the best performance they can muster against the Texans, I fear when they play an elite team.

Falcon fans, apparently you are being punished also this season. I’m sorry. That is the problem with situations like this; the innocent always seem to suffer.

It does not matter if he has 10 scrubs around him Vince Young is a winner, plain and simple. He just knows how to lead and get the best out of his teammates. Amazing.

I am still not sold on the greatness of the Patriots, especially if they cheat and more on this later. But I must give them the benefit of the doubt every week even though it will pain me greatly.

Tell me exactly how, with uber offensive mind Norv Turner and some of the most potent offensive weapons in football, San Diego managed only 14 points, with the first coming at the very end of the third quarter? I know the Bear defense is stout, but something does not sit right. I have a feeling we will see yet another lost season in San Diego.

The Eagles special teams looked more like plucked chickens.

Colts 41 – Saints 10

What can you say about the total demolition of the NFC’s best team? That game was nothing more than a clinic. How to run a pro offense, with your professor Peyton Manning. And he covered the entire semester in one lesson.

One surprise was the stoutness of the Indianapolis defense. Much had been made about the key departures in the off season, including CB Jason David who went to the Saints. Apparently, it meant nothing since the Colts D completely shut down the Saints offense, and Manning, Harrison and Wayne took David to school, early and often.

But one important part of the game missed is the stamina of Manning. Even after strafing the Saints and punishing their defense, he was still able afterward in his interview with Andrea Kremer to plug NBC and their Sunday night telecast as well as little brother Eli’s Giants. Amazing, the man is a machine.

Pittsburgh 31 – Cleveland 7

Congratulations to Mr. Mike Tomlin who has done something neither of his previous two predecessors was able to do, win their first game against the Browns. After watching this game, I must say I am more excited than ever for the Tomlin era.

The Browns are off to their usual stellar start. What an awful performance. My biggest question came during their first possession. Exactly how do you manage 4 penalties on one play? I think this was the point of the game where I relaxed and checked this off as a win.

Despite their awful play, at least there was some fire from the Browns. Some of the defensive players got chippy often, including laying a few hits on Roethlisberger that should have been called as roughing the passer. At least not everyone on the team is resigned to losing. Kellen Winslow definitely showed emotion out there, but I doubt that is because he has fire. The announcers stated more than once that Winslow is an emotional guy. Usually when I hear that, I sift it through the ol’ cliché translator and what comes out is emotional guy = asshole. Yep, sounds about right.

The Browns looked as though they need some serious fundamental work. Not only did they screw up often with stupid penalties, they also screwed up when it could benefit them. Pittsburgh fumbled the ball at one point, and there were no less than 4 Browns players right there. The ball bounced around, in and out of a few hands until it rolled out of bounds. Pittsburgh retained possession and continued the assault. Here, I’ll help since I felt so bad beating up on such a lowly team. Browns players, you are supposed to fall on a loose ball, its good for your team if you do.

I also felt bad for Charlie Frye specifically. It was obvious before the game that he was merely the sacrificial lamb being led to slaughter. Once the game started, he found that out too as he spent more time staring into the Cleveland sky than he did looking downfield. He actually had fewer completions than he did times sacked. That is horrible offensive line work, and horrible effort from his receivers to get open. Of course, all of this blame fell on Frye, and the situation deteriorated rapidly.

The quarterback situation actually got so bad Crennel yanked Frye and threw in backup Derek Anderson. I began to wonder if Romeo thought that maybe this was a preseason game and planned on playing all his quarterbacks. He never put Quinn in, but I’m still not sure he knew the game counted.

In the fourth quarter, they showed a shot of Quinn with his helmet on top of his head as if he were preparing to enter the game. The look on his faced showed a man resigned to his fate, that being the fate of a man about to be led to the gallows. He had a reprieve from that fate last week, but will it last? Obviously, big changes are afoot in Cleveland; it is only a matter of time before Quinn is thrown into the fray.

Now Crennel is unsure of whether to start Quinn this week, debating what may happen. With bad fundamentals, poor play, an offensive line operating more like a sieve, stupid mistakes and a gigantic quarterback controversy hanging over his head, Crennel looks to be on the march toward the unemployment line. 10 bucks says the Browns are warming up their speed dial for January, and the number they have programmed in is Bill Cowher’s cell phone. Heck, they might start calling sooner, since Crennel is starting to get that same stunned non emotional look Art Shell had last year.

What I liked from Pittsburgh: Other than almost everything, specifically the excellent defensive pressure that caused 6 sacks, the offensive bursts that led to sustained scoring drives or quick strike points and the steady pressure from the running game.

What I did not like from Pittsburgh: Not much, but there were a few things, mainly the terrible third down conversion rate which could hurt them against better teams and the lack of sure hands, as they had way too many dropped passes. That will hurt them in the future if not rectified soon. Plus, after watching the experiment, I think they will need to play a fullback in the future. Parker seems to get off to a better start with someone plowing the lane.

Dallas 45 - Giants 35

So, as I am preparing for the opening of the game, I start to cringe knowing soon I will be subjected to that horrible Pink song. But much to my surprise, no Pink appeared. Oh, I still had to hear that horrible song incorporating that night’s combatants and cities, but this time it was being sung by Faith Hill. The Lady K said it was much better, since at least Ms. Hill is attractive. Very true. She is attractive, and not in the It’s 2am I’m drunk and this is my best option sort of way that Pink is.

And speaking of Sunday Night Football changes, why has no one mentioned the return of the horse trailer? This is a significant return, and it has had as much explanation as Bobby Ewing returning from the dead. Hmmm, maybe that means last season never happened. If that is the case, I’ll take it since that means we are still defending champions. Excellent. Well John, looks like we’ve come a long way from the top of 30 Rock.

One other note, how quickly is Football Night in America turning into the retired running back show? I swear, if I see Marshall Faulk show up, that’s the final straw.

The Giants had a hell of a time holding onto the football. Is this a sign of things to come?

Cowboys DB Ken Hamlin has balls. He slapped Brandon Jacobs upside the head right in front of Ed Hochuli. He’s lucky Ed didn’t unleash his pythons right then and there and perform a little frontier justice. Don’t mess with Ed.

Could Eli be getting it? He looked great until the injury, and even afterwards. When his team got behind, he never panicked and kept trying to rally them, and avoided many costly mistakes. I am not putting anything in stone quite yet, as he fooled me once last season. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. But, I am willing to look at him a little closer this season.

If Brandon Jacobs is down for a significant amount of time, the Giants will be in trouble. While Eli looks much better to start the season, if defenses key on him, especially with his injured shoulder, that will turn the Giant offense one dimensional. Derrick Ward looks decent, but will his oft injured body be able to carry the load enough to help the Giants until Jacobs returns.

You think Romo is sick of hearing about, and seeing, his botched hold in last year’s playoff game against the Seahawks? I know I am. I watched during pregame and the game NBC replay that clip wondering about the effect it had on Romo at least 9,870 times. Hey everyone, it’s obvious he moved on, can we?

TO is the worst teammate. I know; no big surprise. I watched a play in the first half where he had an opportunity to lay a great downfield block on a defender to help a teammate with the ball, and ran right past the guy. No surprise, said defender was part of the tackle. If he is not the center of attention, or the play, he has no concern and does not care. That kind of play will come back to haunt Dallas. Surprisingly, no one said anything about it, even though it was as plain as day. Later on, in the second half when he became a larger part of the game plan, he did manage to lay a block for Romo when he was scrambling, and Madden fell all over himself fawning over TO and his great block. Hey, John, it would be great if he did it every time, not when he felt like it.

Cincinnati 27 – Ravens 20.

Honestly, I was highly unimpressed with either team. The Bungles had trouble with a tough defense all day, unless they were on a short field. The Ravens acted as though the ball would bite them, and turned it over early and often. Both teams looked nowhere near being the juggernauts predicted in preseason.

McNair is definitely past his prime. The rebirth of the Boller era is imminent unless the Ravens are serious about signing Byron Leftwich, which might not be a bad idea at this point.

If I were a Raven’s defensive player, I would have marched into that locker room after the game, found the first offensive player I could, preferably McNair, and punched him right in the mouth. The defense did everything possible to win game, including a thrilling punt return for a touchdown by Ed Reed, and the offense did everything they could to give it away. At times it seemed like they tried to lose the game as they turned the ball over six times. Ray Lewis was fuming after the game at the offense, and rightly so. When you throw everything onto the field, including your injured body, and watch the rest of your team fumble it away, it makes you mad.

What is worse is that Cincy is a mess as well and the Ravens could have beaten them. The new starters on the offensive line are not quite cohesive yet, and penetration to disrupt the Bungle offense and hurry Palmer can be done, as the Ravens defense showed. Palmer is not a scrambler and if you get to him, you can stunt their offense quickly. If not for the Ravens offense turning the ball over at an alarming rate, the defensive penetration would have turned the outcome of the game to Baltimore’s favor. Damn near did even with their offense playing crappy.

Raven’s players dropped like flies throughout the game. At one point, there were at least 8 starters who had injury issues. Not the way you would want your season to start.

Now for the biggest question of the game. At the very end of the game, the Ravens had a chance to score a touchdown to tie the game. They had 8 possessions, thanks to penalties, in which to do it. Yet they failed to score. Why did they put the ball, and the game, in Boller’s hands? They have shown already that they do not believe in Boller, his leadership or his skills, so why place such an important game on his shoulders? Why not give it to uber free agent Willis McGahee? He was ticking off runs in the second half against a sagging and tired Bungle defense. This is the time when you need a back that can control the game, on short yardage with everything on the line. Like I said above, if I were a Raven defensive player….

San Francisco 20 – Arizona 17

Ken Whisenhunt’s debut was spoiled by a last minute 49er touchdown drive that sealed the game. Don’t feel bad Ken, only one rookie head coach won his first game this weekend. Wanna guess who?

The Niners wore throwback jerseys from the 80’s to honor the late Bill Walsh. They looked good too and brought back some nice memories of Montana and those dominant 49er teams. But if they really want to honor Walsh, they would go back to that jersey permanently instead of the crappy one they wear now.

I was not entirely impressed by either team in this game either, but a few things stood out.

The Niners are playing tougher and even with a broken hand Frank Gore is a force. They could challenge Seattle in the weak NFC west.

They still have a ways to go, but so far Whisenhunt and Grimm have done wonders in reworking the offensive line and getting the defense to play tough and opportunistic. They may actually have a running game this season. It is still early to tell, and they definitely need some new personnel in key positions, but at the very least, they have done the amazing job of reworking the culture of the Cardinals thus far.

NFL, the alternative Universe

The only team in the NFC North without a win is the Bears.

The only team in the AFC East with a win is the Patriots.

Pacman Jones is the new tag team champion in TNA wrestling. Yes, that is much more prestigious than an NFL championship.

With Josh Scobee on the mend, the Jaguars may turn to deposed kicker Mike Vanderjagt to shore up their kicking game. Things must be desperate if you look to Vanderjagt for salvation.

To assure he will never start again for the Browns, Cleveland traded Charlie Frye to the Seahawks for a sixth round pick on Tuesday. I know he played horribly, but banishment horrible? At least Frye will get to spend the season with a winning team, a good quarterback coach and a good quarterback to learn from. Here is a question; it was known that Charlie grew up a Browns fan, and that it was a dream come true for him to play in Cleveland. Think he will still be a fan now that they discarded him so casually after giving him almost zero chance to succeed?

Why did it take until the beginning of the Sunday Night game for me to see my first appearance of “This is our country”? There is something quite wrong with that, if you ask me. Come on, get with it networks, we need constant reminding of not only how great the Silverado is, but also that this is OUR country!

Chad Pennington hurt his right ankle, and the Jet crowd cheered when he limped off the field and even harder when Kellen Clemmons entered the game. Of course, everyone had an opinion and almost lost their minds regarding the behavior of the fans. Chris Berman said the fans were better than that. Keith Olbermann named them the worst persons in the NFL, his new segment on Football Night In America. Honestly, this is New York fans we’re talking about. Were either of you really surprised by their reactions? Were any of the million other people piling on this week really surprised? Of course they cheered, they’re jerks. The only worse fans than the obnoxious, egomaniacal sociopaths that haunt New York stadiums are the whining, complaining, sore winner blowhards in the Boston area. Geez guys, get a grip. It’s not like it’s the first time we’ve seen this behavior from New York fans. They are who you thought they were!

Upon Further Review

Week one was definitely the week of the injury bug. It seemed someone big went down in almost every game, and in some games the bug struck multiple times. One begins to wonder if the players are being properly conditioned or if the speed and ferocity of the game has finally become too much for the organic bodies that play it. We all know that football is a violent game. Sometimes it is easy to forget exactly how violent until you see the role call of players sitting on the benches afterwards. You never want to see anyone get hurt, especially permanently. But this week we had more than a few people walking away severely banged up, and unfortunately one who did not.

Bills TE Kevin Everett – A devastating injury that causes your breath to catch in your throat and brings everything to a stand still. Watching the replays of the injury and aftermath in Buffalo brought back haunting memories of Dennis Byrd and Mike Utley. You see hits like that, which look rather innocuous, and wonder how something seemingly so innocent can reek such devastation, especially when each week we see far more violent collisions. The beginning of the week was draped in sadness and dismay for all football fans and especially for the players and fans of the Bills. Doctors were calling the cervical spine injury Everett suffered catastrophic and that his chances for a full recovery were poor. Everett spent the first part of the week under sedation, being purposely put into a sleep state to allow rest and healing. When partially awakened on Wednesday, he did have voluntary movement of his arms and legs, prompting doctors to say such signs point to a better prognosis. By the end of the week Everett was moving not only limbs but also his fingers. It now seems well within the realm of possibility that Everett could walk again and live a normal life. Doctors have cautioned that Everett still does not have full motor control and has a long road of recovery and rehabilitation ahead of him, but his chances are much better now than before. The possiblity of Everett having a full recoverly looks positive and better news could not be heard. It is sad to see a young man hurt in such a way, and my hopes and prayers go out to him and his family. I hope one day he walks back into Ralph Wilson Stadium to thunderous applause to show everyone there he is going to be ok. That would be the best sports story of 2007.

Jets QB Chad Pennington – injured right ankle – managed to play entire game, but status unknown. Clemmons preparing in case the call is made. Day to day.

Giants QB Eli Manning – injured right shoulder – Initial reports was a partial separation, but the Giants and Manning are downplaying that. He may play on Sunday, but it remains to be seen the actual damage and the extent as to how it will effect his game. Status is listed as day to day.

Giants DE Osi Umenyiora – injured knee – out.

Giants RB Brandon Jacobs - sprained MCL – out 2-3 weeks.

Cowboys NT Jason Ferguson – elbow injury – out for season

Texans S Jason Simmons – torn patellar tendon – out for season.

Bengals K Shayne Graham – hip flexor – day to day

Jaguars K Josh Scobee – injured quad muscle – out 6-8 weeks.

Ravens QB Steve McNair – groin injury – day to day

Ravens LB Ray Lewis – injured right triceps – day to day

Ravens LT Jonathon Ogden – injured left toe – day to day

Ravens KR B.J. Sams – injured knee – out

Bears DB Mike Brown – injured left knee – out for season

Bears DT Dusty Dvoracek – injured left knee – out for season

Buccaneers RB Cadillac Williams – Ribs – day to day

Buccaneers QB Jeff Garcia – Concussion – day to day

Redskins RT Jon Jansen – broken ankle – out for season

Rams LT Orlando Pace – torn labrum – out for season

Cardinals C Al Johnson – injured knee – out.

This is a far from complete list, just some of the bigger names and most notable of injuries. The Bills lost two players for the season from their already depleted secondary, and will be trying to patchwork something together just to survive. The Cowboys will suffer missing Ferguson, and what will the Ravens do if Ogden stays out and no one can keep defenses off the already injured McNair?


Steelers Around the World

This week’s edition of Steelers Around The World will take us to the Emerald Isle and the great city of Dublin Ireland. Named in a 2003 BBC survey as the best capital city in Europe, Dublin is a thriving city with an expansive arts and cultural base. Dublin has been the birthplace and home of some of the world’s most prominent literary figures, including William Butler Yeats, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift and Bram Stroker. Dublin also can boast being the focal point for much of the Irish artistic scene as well as being one of the most youthful cities in all of Europe. Fifty percent of all people in this vibrant city are under the age of 25. Dublin is also the educational center of the country and the main hub of the country’s road network. Dublin has also grown dramatically over the past 15 years, showing a gigantic rise in economic growth and moving living standards upward dramatically. Dublin also boasts the fourth highest wages for a world city.

Yes, these are wonderful things about a beautiful city, but this is sports, no? Yes it is, and Dublin has a thriving sports scene. Dubliners flock to see their favorite sports, Gaelic football, soccer, rugby and hurling. Most teams in Ireland headquarter in Dublin itself. And Gaelic football and hurling are played at Croke Park.

Croke Park would be the site of our NFL match up, and what a site it is. At a capacity of 82,500, it is the 6th largest stadium in all of Europe. Including Gaelic football and hurling during the summer months, Croke Park has also been host to events of International rules football as well as numerous concerts, including native sons U2. This venue would be the perfect site to bring NFL action to this land of enchantment.

But who will we play? What team would fit well with the Steelers here? There really is only one team, the Minnesota Vikings, as Dublin was founded as a Viking settlement in the 9th century.


Idiot of the week

The idiot this week is as blatant and obvious as to why they are the idiots. This week’s dishonor goes to both Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots for CameraGate.

The Patriots were busted by the Jets and the NFL for illegally filming the Jets defensive signals, an action that is against the rules according to the NFL bylaws. This is bad enough by itself as an isolated incident. But as it turns out, this is not the Patriots first time violating this rule. Stories have been coming out of the woodwork all week from other teams and coaches that have experienced this rather unseemly side of the Patriots. Other head coaches have said they made complaints or caught the Patriots filming them during games. Most of the teams that have said something or made previous complaints are teams the Patriots should have beaten handily. The Patriots are a better team than the Jets, why would they need to cheat?

In my opinion, this tarnishes everything they have accomplished this decade. Yes, tarnishes it all. The wins, the domination, the Super Bowl victories, all of it now has a big question mark surrounding it. Were they really that good, or were they helped by knowing what the other team was about throw at them? Apologists and Patriot fans have already started making excuses, saying that even with the signs and learning what the other team will do before they do it, it cannot change the fact that the players still have to make things happen. True, the players are the ones that make it happen on the field. But it is easier to make things happen when you know what the defense will use to stop you. You think Tom Brady and his reputation and statistics have not benefited from knowing what was coming? Think he was not able to adjust easier knowing what the defense was about to throw at him? Who is going to wonder about previous Patriot victories? Who will not look over past games and see how much better their offense played in the second half versus the first half and wonder if it is because they have illegally procured inside information?

Some excuses I’ve heard from the apologists to help justify it is that all teams cheat in some way, and they reference some famous examples from the past. First, no every team does not necessarily cheat, and I loved Mike Holmgren's stance on this argument. Holmgren said that no every team does not do this and he does not want himself or his team lumped in with those that do. Hear hear Mike. Now as for the examples from the past that have been brought up I heard mentioned Lawrence Taylor sending hookers up to the rooms of opposing running backs before the game, or the Broncos and their overly creative salary cap in the late 90s and even Jim Haslett’s assertion that the Steelers of the 70’s used steroids. Ok, first no one said LT’s rather creative gamesmanship was illegal, and most importantly it never happened on the field of play. The Broncos were punished for their creative accounting, and it never happened on the field. Sure, that was wrong, and I can see the argument as how it could give them a competitive advantage, but they paid the price. Show me something Denver has won since. And as for the 70’s Steelers, other than Haslett’s flimsy assertions and a few players that have said they dabbled, no one has been shown to have regularly used; no one has showed me a smoking gun. But I’m not stupid, and unfortunately there were probably a few on the team that did, mostly the lesser players that needed something to keep up with the dominating hall of famers that littered those rosters. And while I will never justify using performance enhancers, they were not illegal at that time. And during that time period EVERY team of that era had at least a few players on their roster roiding. Ever watch North Dallas Forty? Think that was all fiction?

This differs because it was illegal; everyone knows it was illegal as it was written in black and white as something not to do. Teams were told specifically do not do this. The Patriots themselves were told, repeatedly, not to do this. What bothers me the most about it is the sliminess of the situation and the dishonesty of how they built their reputation. Now, let’s not kid ourselves, every team does whatever it can to find an edge, and sometimes that includes bending rules they may find too restricting. The history of the game is rife with stories of players and coaches bending whatever rule helped them the most, much as the previous examples prove. But this is different. The Patriots and their fans have been crowing for years now about their invincibility, about how smart their organization is and how much more intelligent their coach is and how he can outthink outsmart and outwit any Patriot opponent or coach. And with their track record, it was hard to argue against. But now we see that this reputation was built on nothing but a stack of lies and deception tucked inside videocassette cases. They are not smarter, better or craftier than anyone else, except when it comes to cheating. I question them now. Last season I wrote a long piece about the team, and grudgingly admitted to how well they are run and how well they do things. Now, I want to take it all back. I question how good the organization is since it turns out they are now just a bunch of cheaters trying to blatantly get away with deceiving other teams.

What also bothers me is the audacity of the cheating. They have done this before, and been warned, but never stopped. They continued to do videotape other teams blatantly in some cases. The NFL specifically warned them about illegal videotaping opposing coaches and signals a year ago, yet like a child who purposely pushes the limits of his parents, they continued to do it. And then they had the nerve to use this method against a team led by a coach who used to work for them, and knew their illegal habits. A coach who could easily expose them as soon as he saw that camera pop up on the Patriot sideline.

Plus you see their audacity in how they act toward other teams. Last year the Dolphins completely shut down Brady and company, and after the game Brady angrily complained that the Dolphins stole his offensive signals. Really? I did not believe that load of nonsense then. I thought it was merely a temper tantrum thrown by a gigantic baby mad because someone else bested him. Now I think that he was upset because they were never able to steal the Dolphins defensive signals.

People create such uproar about athletes and their behavior of cheating, flaunting authority and their station in society and general mayhem, but can you blame them? How can you expect athletes to live up to the standards society imposes upon them and live the part of role models when those charged with leading them and shaping them into men are nothing but double dealing cheaters and liars? Can we really expect these men to live up to those ideals when their coaches and organizations do not and show them that the best way to get ahead is to cheat, lie, steal and do anything to get ahead, and justify it as ok as long as you do not get caught?

Belichick predictably apologized for the incident, and said the videotaping was due to his “interpretation of the rules.” Are you kidding? We are going to get into linguistic legerdemain on this? Seriously? You cheated, you know you did since you directly spoke with the commissioner and apologized for videotaping almost instantly. And now you are going to try to weasel your way out of it with a flimsy excuse regarding rule interpretation? Funny how no other team seemed to interpret the rule any differently than how it was written on the page. No, no weaseling. A simple contrite statement will not make everything better. The commissioner laid down his punishment, which proved to be stiff. Belichick was fined $500,000, the Patriots were fined $250,000 and will lose a 2nd and 3rd round draft pick if do not make playoffs or one 1st round pick if do. I like the punishment, but Goodell should have gone a bit further. Like lose all three draft picks no matter whether they get into the playoffs or not. Like suspending Belichick as he would suspend a player that does something to bring harm to the NFL and its reputation. And most importantly, Goodell should also have banned that stupid hoodie Belichick wears at every game and forced him to wear a suit. At least he can look respectable even if he does not act respectable.

Remember when I said karma would get them? Get them back for how they have treated Troy Brown and Adam Vinatieri? Here is the start. It starts by revealing how they have built themselves up, created the false image of winners and geniuses and tearing that down. It starts by tarnishing the reputation of the team, the organization and Belichick and his legacy specifically. It starts by tearing off the label of genius coach and replacing it with conniving cheater. It starts by tearing off the label of a winning organization and replacing it with losers who can only win on a tilted playing field. And it will continue as they have scorn from other fans heaped upon them. As if people did not have enough reason to hate the Patriots before, now they can hate them with the solid reason that they are cheaters. Karma has started exacting her payment. And it is good.

Slate of games and picks

Home teams won 10 of 16 contests last week, with two teams losing by 3 points or less. Home field does seem to make a difference in the first week. Of course, it did nothing for me, since I had a rough start.

Last week 9-7
Season to date 9-7

Damn Patriots, I even knew better. We’ll just call that pick the triumph of hope over experience. No matter, we have a fresh batch of games this week. Let’s see what the stars tell us.

This week gives us a slate of games that look just too easy to pick. Someone will be upset come Monday morning. Honestly, with so many games this week looking obvious, it frightens me and makes me rethink picks left and right. What follows is what I'm picking today. That could change by Sunday morning, we'll see.

Houston (1-0) at Carolina (1-0)

Carolina unleashed a potent defense again against the Rams. Who would have thought? Not me. Won’t be fooled again that’s for sure. Carolina has beaten the Texans in 6 of their last 9 meetings. I say they extend that to 7 of 10. Especially since David Carr would love to do whatever it takes to beat Houston.

Carolina over Texans

Buffalo (0-1) at Pittsburgh (1-0)

I feel bad for the Bills. They will be trying hard to get back to normal, but their minds, no matter how hard they try, will at some point come back to Kevin Everett. I take no pleasure in defeating an opponent so emotionally devastated. Plus, it does not help that their defensive secondary has been ravaged by injuries. Hold your heads high Bills.

Steelers over Bills

Indianapolis (1-0) at Tennessee (1-0)

They split the season series last year, and the Titans played the Colts tough in both meetings. But with their resurgent defense, the Colts will show Vince Young he needs more than just himself. There could be an upset with this game, but I’m banking on Peyton.

Colts over Titans

Green Bay (1-0) at New York Giants (0-1)

This could be the toughest game to pick all week. Green Bay showed off their defense and resiliency, but the Giants showed off a new Eli. If he does not play, this becomes easier, but that is still up in the air. I’ll go with who is on a winning streak.

Packers over Giants

New Orleans (0-1) at Tampa Bay (0-1)

Easy pick. Sure they both lost, but at least the Saints showed some fight. Tampa is once again struggling with quarterback issues and now a running back issue. Long season ahead me thinks.

Saints over Buccaneers

Atlanta (0-1) at Jacksonville (0-1)

Who to choose between two underwhelming teams? Jax got stiffed at home by Tennessee, while Atlanta was punished my Minnesota. I’m not even sure who the better quarterback is between the two. So who to choose? Well, there is only one factor I can think of that could decide this. Yes, I must go with the suit.

Jaguars over Falcons

San Francisco (1-0) at St. Louis (0-1)

Ok, San Francisco won, but had to fight to the very end against a Cardinal team with a questionable defense. St. Louis was blown away at home, but at least by a good team. Tough one, but perhaps home field may have something for the Rams after all. It definitely will if Stephen Jackson holds onto the ball. But then again, Orlando Pace is gone and so is their backside protection on Bulger. This could be a mistake, but I'm going out on a limb.

49ers over Rams

Cincinnati (1-0) at Cleveland (0-1)

In a classic desperation move, Cleveland was mulling over whether to throw Brady Quinn out there or not. Many potential careers have been hurt by a player starting too soon. With no protection, Quinn could be running for his life early and often. Of course, considering their other options at QB, I suppose the Browns really have little choice, especially after chucking Frye out the window. At least for Brady’s sake, they went with Anderson. Not that it will help. I wonder if they'll trade Anderson when he fails.

Bengals over Browns

Seattle (1-0) at Arizona (0-1)

Whisenhunt had his team fighting hard last week, but they still lost. Seattle took a lot of time getting started. But Alexander looks much better and that will do them wonders. This could be tough too, as many are picking Seattle to win. I smell potential upset. Perhaps that is just some garbage.

Seahawks over Cardinals

Minnesota (1-0) at Detroit (1-0)

The most skeptical fans this week are easily Detroit fans. Even they are sitting back and saying, yeah, we won but it was against Oakland. Since Matt Millen is still in charge, I do not blame them. Why get your hopes up only to have them dashed repeatedly. However, if they win a few more, maybe the motor city rumbles again….

Lions over Vikings

Dallas (1-0) at Miami (0-1)

The Dallas defense is suddenly looking rather mortal with Jason Ferguson out. Thank goodness they do not play a potent offense this week.

Cowboys over Dolphins

New York Jets (0-1) at Baltimore (0-1)

It could be the backup quarterback bowl as things stand now. If the seasons continue to progress the way it is, Baltimore will be back to a team that requires their defense to win games for them. I think they can do it this week especially with a first time starter in Clemmons trying to defeat them.

Ravens over Jets

Oakland (0-1) at Denver (1-0)

Apparently Denver practices the quick kicking team drill that won them the game against Buffalo. According to a few players, they even practiced it on the Thursday before the game. I bet none of them actually thought they would have to use it.

This week, I highly doubt they will need it. Shanahan loves beating up on Oakland; it is his personal joy to bring further embarrassment to Al Davis. And while McCown looked decent in the loss to Detroit, the Bronco defense is a slight better than the Lions. Plus their defense looked awful, far worse than it should have. And most importantly, after stinking it up I refuse to pick Oakland again! I don’t care if they are playing Florida International University, NEVER! Well, we’ll revisit that stance next week.

Broncos over Raiders

Kansas City (0-1) at Chicago (0-1)

This could get ugly.

Bears over Chiefs

San Diego (1-0) at New England (1-0)

San Diego should be ashamed of how road teams take over their stadium. Seriously. Once again I watched a Chargers game and heard cheers and chants for the road team. Embarrassing. This week, they will see what it is like to be in a stadium all rooting for the home team. It won’t be fun. The only doubt is will the Patriots be able to perform without cheating?

Patriots over Chargers


Monday

Washington (1-0) at Philadelphia (0-1)

McNabb looked far from impressive last week. Then again, so did the Redskins who needed overtime to defeat the Dolphins. I would call this far from a marquee match up. Regardless, Philly starts working toward a division crown.

Eagles over Redskins