The Crystal Ball 2007 Week 10

With immense apologies to Ernest Thayer.

The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Indy 11 that day:
The score stood twenty four to twenty, with but three minutes to play.
And when the kickoff return resulted little, and an incompletion resulted the same,
a sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Manning could get time for which deep to go
We'd put up even money, now, with Manning on the throw.

But Vrabel stared down Manning, as did also Junior Seau,
And the former was a tiger and the latter was a lulu;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy began to sow,
For there seemed but little chance of Manning's getting to the throw.

But then Manning hit Wayne for 24, to the wonderment of all,
And Addai, the much rejoiced, grabbed hold to forward drive the ball;
When the dust had lifted, and the fans saw the result of the play,
There were the Colts at midfield only 51 yards away.

Then from 57,000 throats and more there rose a lusty shout;
It rumbled through Monument Circle, it rattled in Conseco Fieldhouse;
It knocked upon Chase Tower and recoiled upon the Dome,
For Manning, mighty Manning, was advancing to the throw.

There was ease in Manning's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was purpose in Manning's bearing and determination on Manning's face.
And when the cheers began to rain, he motioned the crowd to slow,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Manning on the throw.

Millions of eyes were on him as he wetted his hands to prevent slip;
Millions of tongues applauded when he dug in his shoes for grip.
Then while the writhing defense planned to drive him into the turf on his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Manning's eye, the play rolling out over Manning's lip.

And now the leather-covered spheroid came hurtling up from center,
And Manning grabbed it purposefully as the play he began to enter.
Close by the sturdy quarterback the defense recklessly sped-
"Gotta make a play," said Manning as the shifting defenders he read.

From the stands, all decked in blue, there came a muffled gasp,
Holding their breath waiting for results as though they breathed their last.
Nary a sound emerged from a soul awaiting in the stand;
And riveted they stood awaiting the play as Manning raised his hand.

With a flash of blue quick across Manning's vision shone;
Fletcher streaking to the left with an opening to be gone;
The spheroid flew as it did when last he won the crown;
But the ball fell short and incomplete, and the ref said, "Third down."

An exhaling of disappointment emerged after the failed task
But on third down Manning had done much in the past.
They saw his face grow stern and saw his playbook mind strain,
And they knew that Manning would let that ball fly again.

From the shotgun Manning took the ball ready to hit the groove;
But the pocket collapsed around him making it hard to move.
Then Green wrapped up Manning and suddenly the ball came loose,
And when Colvin found it in his hands tight around the Colt necks went the noose.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing with happy children in tow;
But there is no joy in Indy - mighty Manning did not get off the throw.


Recap

If the Redskins want to be taken seriously as an NFC contender, then they need handle bad teams with ease. Going to overtime against the Jets won’t cut it

Especially on a day Clinton Portis has 196 yards of rushing. Good gravy.

85 was injured during the Bengals/Bills tilt. Immobilized and taken to local Buffalo hospital in a frightening scene reminiscent of Kevin Everett. Results found he sustained no damage to his neck and was able to fly home with the team. No damage to his mouth was reported, but his ego will be out two to three weeks.

Marshawn Lynch had a career day going 29 for 153 yards and 1 rushing and 1 throwing touchdown. I told you this kid is good.

He could not top Adrian Peterson who had a record setting day. Do the Vikings even need a passing game? Peterson set the single game rushing record going 30 for 296 yards and 3 touchdowns. Honestly, who saw that coming?

To further drive their season into the toilet, the Chargers DT Luis Castillo tore a tendon in his ankle and will be out at least six weeks. I’m surprised it was not worse, after he ran into that truck that said Peterson on the front.

Just because it needs to be said, Norv Turner sucks.

So the Chargers still prefer Rivers over Brees, Manning AND Roethlisberger? You wanna rethink that at any point AJ Smith?

Antonio Cromartie, the only bright spot for the Chargers, had longest play in NFL history with a 109 yard failed field goal return for a touchdown. Very impressive, but it only means the mighty Charger offense could muster a mere 10 points.

Lions DT Shaun Rogers had a 66 yard touchdown run. Ok, a touchdown rumble would be more accurate. It’s still nice to see the big guys get a little limelight.

Just because it needs to be noted, the entire AFC West lost last weekend.

Leon Washington is trying to out Devin Hester Devin Hester. He recorded his 3rd kick return for a touchdown this season.

Drew Brees had 445 yards passing on Sunday. Now that is the Saints offense everyone has been waiting for since week 1.

Is it just me, or is Mike Holmgren just an unpleasant man? Swearing, cursing and acting like a petulant child whenever his team makes a mistake seems to be the norm for this man. Everyone keeps asking what is wrong with the Seahawks, but they miss the obvious answer. Would you want to play for a coach who behaves like a baby without his bottle? Neither would I.

Me thinks some tough times are ahead for the Eagles. They just looked completely outclassed against the Cowboys.

Congratulations to Brett Favre for being the third quarterback to defeat 31 different teams.

And congratulations to The Packers, who keep finding ways to win no matter what. Charles Woodson stepped up with a great interception return to seal the game. Is something magical happening in Green Bay? I think so!

Larry Johnson sprained his foot, later reported as a broken foot, and could be out for an extended period of time and quite possibly the season. So much for that resurgence from the Chiefs I kept hearing about. I am not surprised by this at all. I said previously, and now it is coming true. Running backs that have seasons in which they have significant carries, over 400, never do well the following season.

I know on paper picking the Packers last week looked dumb. They had a short week, were on the road for the 2nd week in a row against a KC team coming off of a bye and well rested in a place the Pack had not won. But that’s why on paper match ups never mean squat.

I loved the 4th and 1 call to go for it and not settle for a field goal by Cleveland against the Hawks. That is what wins games, putting the onus on the team to take victory. And it is also why the Browns are 5-3 and on a 3 game winning streak.

It might be just me, but I though the Seahawks at Browns was more exciting than Super Bowl XLI ½.

A classy move by Wade Phillips, he sent in Brad Johnson when the game was well in hand. Now that is sportsmanship by example. Thank you Wade for showing the rest of the league how it’s done.


Patriots 24 – Colts 20

No, I did not get satisfaction. The most disappointing aspect was not the loss itself. The most disappointing thing was the Colts went toe to toe with the Pats and controlled most of the game only to lose at the end by committing stupid mistakes and allowing the Pats to capitalize on them.

One thing no one can deny, Joseph Addai is the key to the Colt offense. He gets the tough yards, has soft hands and never stops. The swing pass he caught for a touchdown was unbelievable. The moves he made downfield to open up the Colt lead were fantastic.

#12 for the Patriots now has a new name. I dub the Tom Baby. During the third quarter the Patriots were facing a 3rd and long. Baby went back to pass and had his efforts deflected, forcing the Patriots into 4th down. Baby immediately threw a massive hissy fit, and should have been called for an unsportsmanlike penalty. That sure is not the proper behavior of a Stetson man!

Did anyone else notice the huge penalty disparity between the teams? Seems like when the Pats struggle they do not play well with others. Of course, do not bring that up to a Patriots fan, they will just whine that the calls were going against their team. Amazing, they win a tough game and STILL whine. What a bunch of unpleasant people.

What killed the Colts the most were the late game mistakes. Their backup left tackle had trouble keeping pressure off Manning, causing errant throws, interceptions and the key fumble that killed their last chance drive. Dropped passes were also one of the worst problems the Colts had all day. Reggie Wayne, how can you drop that pass?

The Colts needed to play flawless to win, and unfortunately that did not happen.

One thing everyone should take away from the game is that the Patriots are not invincible. They can be beaten. They were forced into mistakes and turnovers. There defense can be run on, ask Addai. Remember, if it bleeds, we can kill it. Someone just needs to step it up or we’ll never hear the end of the undefeated talk.

Question for Jim Nantz, who calls Indianapolis Naptown? I’ve never heard that before.

Not to play sour grapes, but I wonder how much of a difference it would have made if Tony Ugoh and Marvin Harrison had been healthy and playing? There is a good possibility we could find out in January.

I will give the Patriots this much. They kept pushing and waiting for the Colts to make a mistake. And when Indy did, they jumped right on top of it. They did not relent even down 10 points well into the fourth quarter. Also they did not try a last minute scoring drive after taking the ball away from Manning, choosing merely to sit on the ball and run out the clock. Maybe Belichick read the piece on sportsmanship last week. I wonder. (Hey, it could happen!)


Steelers 38 – Ravens 7

What delicious payback for two humiliating losses last season.

If they play like that every time they wear them, I might start to get on board with those throwback uniforms.

I figured it would be a messy, sloppy game due to the pouring rain in Pittsburgh. I was only half right. Only one team looked messy and sloppy.

The game was a fitting tribute to all of the old Steelers that were in attendance, and honored at half time for the 75th anniversary celebration that occurred over the weekend. The all time Steeler team, those still with us, were in attendance to watch their former team completely decimate the Ravens. Nothing could be finer.

I knew we were in for a great match when who do I see on the field? You know it, Ed Hochuli! I still maintain Ed should be required to wear sleeveless shirts only so we all get a free ticket to the gun show.

So with the old Steelers on hand, and Ed Hochuli pumped up, I was ready for a display of the classic Pittsburgh toughness. Then during pregame they showed a segment on Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes getting manicures and pedicures. And during player warm ups, they keyed in on Troy Polamalu and revealed he enjoys growing flowers and playing piano. Yeah, that really helps put out the perception of the Steelers being a tough, hard nosed, blue collar smack you in the mouth team.

Or perhaps they are just renaissance men. Yeah, I like that better.

No matter, they still went out and punched Baltimore right in the teeth.

Roethlisberger had 5, count em 5, touchdown passes in the first half. He had a total of 13 completions (on 16 attempts) all game. And five of them went for touchdowns. That performance tied a franchise record and MNF record for touchdowns in a game.

Ben also broke his season high touchdown passes record. Previously it was 18. Now it is at 20. And counting. Tee hee.

The delicate flower had a hip injury in the third quarter. But he was only out for three plays and came back in for one series before the Steelers were officially on Charlie Batch time. There was no need for him to come back into the game other than to allow Steeler fans to breathe a sigh of relief that Ben was fine. After the game Ben himself said it was just a bruise and that he was sure he’d be alright. Still, he should not have been out there in the first place that late into the contest. Let’s not play by Patriot rules here, boys.

Santonio Holmes and Nate Washington each had 2 touchdown receptions. The other went to, of course, Heath Miller. I think Ben is required by contract to throw at least one touchdown to a tight end each game. Hines Ward had none, but he had more than a few big receptions and was nothing but smiles all evening.

Hines had his fun in other ways, as he nailed Ed Reed and caused him to leave the game. So much for the all NFL safety.

Pittsburgh is now 12-0 at home on Monday night football since 1992. It should be noted.

Ravens defense, a quick note of help. You cannot, under any circumstances, arm tackle Roethlisberger. He will shake out of it, he will then escape the pocket, and he will then make you pay. How many times did he do that Monday night? At least twice that directly resulted in touchdowns by my count.

James Harrison had a huge game on Monday night. 9 tackles, 1 assist 3 1/2 sacks, forced two fumbles and had an interception. He made everyone, including Tony Kornheiser, ask Joey who?

Just to point out the defensive dominance, Steve McNair’s 13 for 22 for 63 yard performance was the worst quarterback performance in NFL history for any quarterback with 13 or more completions. And the Raven offense had a total of 5 first downs for the entire game.

After the game big baby Ray Lewis, still sweating from the game because obviously as an adult he is still incapable of taking a proper shower, was spouting about how home teams were supposed to win their games (referring to losses away at Cincinnati, Cleveland and now Pittsburgh) and saying lets play in Baltimore and see how it goes. He continued his pouting spouting saying how they should make other teams beat the Ravens instead of giving them the game. He said that once you give any team that many opportunities they will beat you. He went on to say how Willie Parker and Najeh Davenport did nothing on the ground and how the Steelers scored a paltry 3 points in the second half. Basically he was saying that Pittsburgh did not so much beat Baltimore as they gave the game away.

Uh huh.

Ray, let me point out a few painfully obvious facts that you seem to be missing here. One, you did not give us the game. I watched the entire contest from start to finish and I never saw any of your offensive teammates, and they were offensive, just hand the defense the ball. If I remember correctly, we TOOK the ball away from you. Specifically, we took the ball away from you 10 times.

And allow me to help you understand how your job works. When the opposing team has the ball, no matter where on the field it happens to be, then the onus is on YOU to stop the opposition. In case you missed it, since you are usually looking in the mirror, you never stopped Pittsburgh ONCE in the first half. As a matter of fact, if you go back and look at the one touchdown again, Nate Washington was WIDE OPEN. Now, is that the fault of the offense, or perhaps your wonderful defense?

Two, you did make us beat you. Even with fantastic field position, we still had to go through your “tenacious” defense. Obviously, it didn’t matter much where we were since we shredded you better than Kellogg’s shreds wheat.

Three, I will give you the fact that Willie and Najeh did nothing. But how do you explain Roethlisberger’s 209 yards and 5 touchdowns? By all appearances, your defense only did half your job during the game. Here, I’ll give you some advice. You need to stop the opponent’s running game AND passing game. There, that might help you next week against Kenny Watson and the Bengals.

Four, and finally, you’re right. After the half the mighty Raven defense tightened right up and held Pittsburgh to only 3 points. Two problems with this, though. This great defensive effort was after you already gave up 35 POINTS. And the other issue? Did you notice the play calling in the second half? Oh yeah, mostly run plays called to RUN OUT THE CLOCK. Hey, Ray, if you want us to be pricks and run up the score like the Patriots, well, no problem. We’ll see you December 30th and then next time we will not let off the gas and we’ll see what happens.

What I Liked From Pittsburgh - Absolutely everything.

What I Did Not Like From Pittsburgh – Big Ben scaring the tar out of me with the hip injury. Like I need to go through the next three weeks with Ben on the bench. And leaving the starters in too long; they should have all been having tea by the mid third quarter. That’s it, I loved everything else.


NFL, the alternative Universe

Roger Goodell met with Pacman Jones with Jones hoping to get back into the league this season. Goodell though said no go on lifting suspension early. NFL’s loss is TnA wrestling’s gain.

Speaking of troublemakers, Bengals WR Chris Henry, fresh off of an 8 game suspension and ready to play, was involved in an incident at a parking garage, where he reportedly berated a parking attendant, refused to pay and actually used the line, “Do you know who I am?” Police were called but no charges filed. Is this the stupidest man on the planet or what? Chris, you just got off suspension, now is when you try to keep your nose clean!

SI.com ranked all NFL stadiums for Fan Value Experience and revealed their rankings this week. Check out who came in second.

This is how bad things have deteriorated down in Miami. The Dolphins have resorted to paying celebrities to come to their games and generate buzz. I wish this were a joke. Well, it is, just a sad one.


Upon Further Review

In case anyone has missed it, Pittsburgh actually has a quarterback to stand alongside the Blond Bomber.

If you did, I am not surprised. This season the talk has revolved around both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, and considering their performances thus far rightfully so. But it should be noted there’s another pretty good quarterback in the NFL and his name is Roethlisberger.

So far this season Big Ben has a career high 20 touchdown passes. He is on track to shatter the Steeler record of 28.

Those 20 touchdowns place Roethlisberger second in the NFL, behind only Tom Brady.

Big Ben’s passer rating of 111.9 is second best in NFL, behind only Brady. (Is it just me or is Brady having a big year? Think someone would have mentioned that by now.)

Ben’s passer rating of 117.6 on third downs is second in the NFL and his 10.23 average of yards per attempt on third down is best in the NFL.

His career record as a starter is 35-13 in the regular season. 5-1 in the post season.

He has the most wins ever by a rookie at 13 and the best winning streak in the regular season to start a career at 15.

He is the youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl.

So for everyone who said Ben is just a game manager, you might want to rethink that stance. He’s good, he can lead, and he’s not even in his prime yet. I just thought it should be mentioned.


Steelers Around the World

We jump back on the plane this week and head to Athens Greece. The capital, and largest city, of Greece is one of the oldest cities in the world. The recorded history of this bustling metropolis dates back over 3000 years. A rising business center in the European Union, Athens is home to 3.8 million people.

Athens is long on history, being the birthplace of Socrates, Pericles, Sophocles and many other philosophers, artists and politicians. Athens is often referred to as the cradle of western civilization, and a walk through the streets of this city will reflect that statement.

Ancient monuments and artworks dot the landscape of Athens and bring a treat of architecture and history to visitors. One can find a large amount of monuments to the Roman and Byzantine empires and even a few of the Ottoman Empire throughout the cityscape. Architectural styles that can be found throughout the city range from Greco-Roman to Neo-Classical to modern. Athens can also boast being one of the main world centers for archeological research. And no trip to this ancient yet modern city would be complete without visiting the Parthenon.

One need not wonder at all about the sporting history or passion in Athens. Often overlooked are the many smaller sports that residents enjoy, including windsurfing, surfing, basketball and beach volleyball. These take a back seat to soccer, which holds sway over the city. Athens is home to several soccer clubs, and has hosted the UEFA Champions League final twice. But they all play second chair to the Olympics.

Athens was the host of the first modern Olympics in 1896. This event brought upon the revival of the Olympics that soon cascaded through the 20th century. In 2004, the city was once again host for the games, bringing the Olympics full circle from its modern inception to the 21st century.

In this land, the game will take place in Athens Olympic Stadium. This 72,000 capacity stadium is a regular host for soccer matches and was the centerpiece for the 2004 Olympic ceremonies and events. The Steelers will face off against the Tennessee Titans. After all, the Titans would not be fazed too much by Athens, as Nashville is home to its own full size replica of the Parthenon.


On the Cart

Injury carts are never a great thing to see. They always mark that a player’s day, perhaps season, and in a few cases career, is over when they make their appearance on the field. It is never a happy occasion when they roll out. But why do they have to be so plain and boring? Could they not inspire at least a modicum of team spirit when they do their job?

Bullpen carts of the past created a bit of team spirit, although during a much happier, or at least less frightening, occasion. So why cannot injury carts attempt to do the same? Fans could see players spirited away for medical attention on carts that show their players are safely ensconced in the team’s care, and make them feel slightly better about the situation.

The marketing potential for this idea is also wide open. Unless the NFL has a deal with John Deere, which is possible, then they could jazz these vehicles up, add some color and promote the heck out of them. No need to have the green monsters they currently run, have something that shows off the team and their mascots and brand them NFL style. Plus, toys could be made of them and sold through the many avenues the NFL has available. Kids could be zooming their team oriented carts around as they watch the game with their old man.

Mind you I am not trying to be ghoulish, just add a bit of color and spirit into one of the last untapped frontiers of NFL marketing. So for fun, let’s take a look at what a few teams could do with their carts.

Patriots – Pretty easy here, actually. Build around their vehicle to make it look like a horse with a cart. What is patriotic about that you may ask? Why have Paul Revere “drive” the cart, of course.

Buccaneers/Raiders – This one is too easy. Pirate ships, of course, would come to the rescue. This would especially go well for Tampa Bay, as they already have a gigantic pirate ship in the stadium.

Vikings – Continuing with the nautical theme, an imposing Viking ship would cut through the rough seas to spirit away injured Vikings.

Bengals/Jaguars/Panthers/Lions – Big cats come from the sidelines to save the day.

Ravens/Cardinals/Falcons/Eagles/Seahawks – Birds of a feather would pull players to safety in their caring talons.

Broncos/Colts – Medical attention and personnel will be reached by the strength of a strong steed.

Jets – Way too easy and way too fun. Plus the Jets could use something to get the fans excited.

Cowboys – A cattle hand will lead the procession to the locker room, with the player safely placed in a Conestoga wagon.

Dolphins – A speed boat theme would work here, flanked on all sides by a protective dolphin pod.

Chiefs/Redskins – This could be difficult, as the potential to be offensive is high. But I say the best way to go is reach out to our Native American brethren and get their input. Their creative minds would produce something authentic and respectful to all tribes.

Bills/Bears/Rams – Big animals that would keep the injured player safe and deter anyone from messing with them or their mission of mercy.

Browns – A good turd joke usually would fly here, but the Browns are playing really good right now, and since we play them this week I don’t want to cheese anyone off. Maybe a UPS truck would work. It would double the potential for marketing. What can Brown do for you?

Texans/Steelers/Chargers/Titans/Saints/Giants/49ers – These nicknames make it more difficult to come up with something really good. But sometimes the biggest challenges create the best results. Perhaps an ogre theme for the Giants? Who likes marketing for Shrek IV? A panning operation for the 49ers? A gigantic steel beam for Pittsburgh? Zeus with a lightning bolt for the Chargers? Who knows?

The possibilities are endless, and teams with a creative staff could field something that really reflects their team, city and fans. Come on NFL, loosen up a bit. Add some flavor to an unwanted part of the game.


Idiot of the week

This week the honor of idiot goes to legendary coach Don Shula. In case anyone was under a rock, here is what Shula had to say regarding the Patriots.

"The Spygate thing has diminished what they've accomplished. You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments. They've got it. Belichick was fined $500,000, the team was fined $250,000 and they lost a first-round draft choice. That tells you the seriousness or significance of what they found.

"I guess you got the same thing as putting an asterisk by Barry Bonds' home run record. I guess it will be noted that the Patriots were fined and a No.1 draft choice was taken away during that year of accomplishment. The sad thing is Tom Brady looks so good, it doesn't look like he needs any help."

Now, does Shula have a point or is he just squashing sour grapes? I tend to agree that it taints what they do, but to suggest an asterisk next to their season? It comes off more as a cranky old man worried his legacy is threatened than someone genuinely concerned about the history and integrity of the game.

But what really earns Shula this honor? No, not his cantankerous ramblings, but instead his idiocy of giving the Patriots bulletin board material. Shula, use your head. They’ve been running all season in us against the world mode! Eventually they had to lose that edge. Now? You’ve managed to stoke the fire once again. Idiot.

An honorable mention goes to Ray Lewis who felt the need to mouth off after getting his ass handed to him.


Taking The Week Off

New England – Basking in the glow of Stetson man Tom Brady, much like every week, and wondering how they managed to schedule 16 games against college teams.

New York Jets – Spending the week pretending to be the Giants and ignoring Mangini’s phone calls.

Tampa Bay – Gruden is going to spend his time checking out 57 running backs and keeping their numbers close by. That will be how many he needs to make it through December.

Houston – Trying to figure out what exactly Sage Rosenfels is on that has made him so electric. The scary part, it might be paprika.


On Tap This Week

I did not get the satisfaction I hoped for, but I did get the win. I got two other things as well. A devastating win on Monday night that catapulted Pittsburgh back into the discussion of top NFL teams and, to top it off, I won the week.

Last week 12-2
Season to date 85-45

The best part? I moved within 4 points of the overall leader. Consistency is the key. Let’s see if we can continue that run. How bout it?


Minnesota (3-5) at Green Bay (7-1)

Adrian Peterson, stud of the week. Now he faces a tough defense. I bet he gets some damage in. But it’s hard to call running plays when your team is down by 10 late in the game. The Packer express is rolling out again. All aboard!

Packers over Vikings


Jacksonville (5-3) at Tennessee (6-2)

Vince Young needs to have one of those weeks where he breaks out and soon. With running back injuries, now would be a good time. Garrard may play, but will it be enough?

Titans over Jaguars


Denver (3-5) at Kansas City (4-4)

Jay Cutler and Travis Henry are hurt. The Bronco season gets even more dismal than before. They have bad luck, even when they are doing well, playing in Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs at least went toe to toe against the Packers for most of the game. More than can be said for the Broncos and the Lions tilt.

Chiefs over Broncos


Buffalo (4-4) at Miami (0-8)

Now the Dolphins are back to Cleo Lemon as starter. How bad must Beck be to be promoted and then demoted without even playing one down? Like it matters. Zach Thomas is out, thus making a terrible defense that much worse. Hot team again and Miami continues their march toward infamy.

Bills over Dolphins


St. Louis (0-8) at New Orleans (4-4)

Stephen Jackson is back, but for how long? I say 2 ½ quarters. Like it will matter, the Saints are running on overdrive again. Rams keep up in their race with the Dolphins.

Saints over Rams


Philadelphia (3-5) at Washington (5-3)

I’m not thrilled by what I’m seeing out of Washington. They have talent, but seem to be able to get anything started. They did come from behind to win last week, but it was against the Jets. I like even less from Philly, especially on the road. Maybe they should switch permanently to their throwbacks.

Redskins over Eagles


Atlanta (2-6) at Carolina (4-4)

Ummm. Who is playing quarterback in Carolina this week? I think Vinnie might be back again. I guess it does not matter that much. I know who’s playing for Atlanta.

Panthers over Falcons


Cleveland (5-3) at Pittsburgh (6-2)

For the third week in a row, the Steelers face an opponent with serious ramifications toward the AFC North championship on the line. This is NOT the team Pittsburgh faced in week 1. This team is confident, fearless with legitimate scoring threats at receiver and tight end, a threat at running back and a gamer at QB. They also have a tenacious defensive attack. For the first time in a long time, I can honestly say I am scared of the Browns. Of course, after what I saw on Monday night, as long as the delicate flower is ready to go, then we’re all good.

Steelers over Browns


Cincinnati (2-6) at Baltimore (4-4)

Woof. Who thought these two would be fighting it out for last place in the AFC? I think Ray Ray’s mouthing was just bitter trash talk, but he does have a point. The Bungles season long implosion continues.

Ravens over Bengals


Dallas (7-1) at New York Giants (6-2)

Ahhh, a good match up. The Giants are rested and ready. The Cowboys embarrassed the Eagles. So who to take? I’m going for the hot team, and it’s not the one that had trouble with the Dolphins on the Wembley Stadium pitch.

Cowboys over Giants


Detroit (6-2) at Arizona (3-5)

One armed Kurt, two armed Kurt, five armed Kurt; Whisenhunt has nothing that will stop the evil that is Mike Martz. If Kitna only knew that power lurks beneath that Super Cuts hairdo.

Lions over Cardinals


Chicago (3-5) at Oakland (2-6)

Seriously, why do I EVER pick the Raiders? Home, away, they suck everywhere! Yeah, the Bears are sucking this year too, but they’re better than Oakland, and at least had a week to accept the quarterback nightmare that is Grossman/Griese/Orton.

Bears over Raiders


Indianapolis (7-1) at San Diego (4-4)

Peyton is gonna be mad, and want to show EVERYONE he can play mistake free football. He will also want to remind everyone exactly who the Super Bowl MVP was. And I have trouble trusting a team who cannot stop a rookie running back who has no passing game to back him up.

Colts over Chargers


Monday

San Francisco (2-6) at Seattle (4-4)

Looks like the last few weeks of MNF having good match ups was merely and aberration. Ok, it was an aberration last week. Two sub par teams in a sub par division. Without a healthy Frank Gore and he is not, they have very little with which to fight.

Seahawks over 49ers