The Crystal Ball 2007 Week 4

Overreaction. That is the word of the week. And it reared its ugly head with a vengeance.

There was much pontificating that the Giants, Eagles and several other winless teams saved their season by posting their first win last week. No, for most it was merely just postponing the inevitable. Those teams still have same problems that caused them to drop to 0-2 after two weeks; they just managed to overcome them this week.

Coupled with that were the cries for quarterbacks heads on a platter. Now, the good people of Chicago have reason to scream, since Rex Grossman has been, well, far from stellar. But screaming for Matt Leinart and Alex Smith to take a seat? Let’s hold up on the judgments for a moment. Leinart played poorly, but remember he is only in his second season. And if I recall, there was ample reason to start him ahead of Kurt Warner last year. As for Smith, well, the poor kid has yet to find consistency through his coaching, as he is already on his third offensive coordinator in three seasons. Peyton Manning has had one, his entire career. Think there might be something to working in the same system? Before we show Smith the bench, let’s also remember his team is 2-1, and their one loss came against one of the toughest defenses in the league.

On top of that, there is talk, after only three games, that the Patriots will go 16-0. I’m sorry, but they have only played one talented opponent thus far, and it’s questionable whether or not that opponent is even good. And if I checked their schedule correctly, they do have a few tough games coming up this season. Plus, you cannot discount a random team playing over their heads or injuries striking the Pats. So, let’s hold off this talk until December, shall we?

So to all who stand on the ledge screaming, stop, step back, take a deep breath and realize it’s just one week and one game. Chill pills all around, please.


Recap

There were no overtime games last week. I feel lost in a barren land. No extra football.

Ok, I have not been high on Green Bay, since they seem to have no real running game. But I guess you do not need one if you have Bionic Favre. Seriously, he either has bionic implants, or has the fountain of youth tucked away down in Kiln.

Big props go out to the Bills for holding the greatest team of all time to only 3 points through most of the first half. Once Posluszny was hurt, though, their last shred of defense went with him.

So New England has scored 38 points in each of their first three games. Big whoop. If they’re so great, how come it’s only 38, especially considering the level of competition?

Did it take the embarrassment of the uniforms to wake the Eagles up? If so, slate those for the rest of the season.

Was it just me or did those atrocious things look like baby puke? Just me? Think NFL Shop will stock them? No? Let’s just move on.

So that was the McNabb everyone was crowing about. Yeah, he does look good. Perhaps it was the boos, or the flap about his comments on Inside the NFL, or thinking about Kevin Kolb taking his job. Whatever it was, McNabb played better mad. He is the secret TO; he needs the drama but doesn’t want anyone to know it.

Overheard in Lions headquarters on Monday: Wait, we need an offense AND a defense?

Nice Brett Favre impression from Kurt Warner.

The Texans put up a fight, even without Andre Johnson and losing Ahman Green. Could they be a real team?

Boy, Joseph Addai sure can get some air.

Hmmm, poor clock management, suspect play calling, listless performances, teammates fighting, and lifeless expressions. Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for your 2007 Art Shell Memorial Coaching Award winner, Mr. Norv Turner!

The Chargers have already equaled this season their total amount of losses from the 2006 regular season. Norv Turner is such an improvement over Marty Shottenheimer. How much do you want to bet Marty is experiencing a nice bit of schadenfreude?

I can almost guarantee it when he saw Tomlinson and Rivers arguing on the sidelines.

Lane Kiffin learns quickly. He garnered his first NFL victory, and disposed of the visiting Browns, in almost exactly the same fashion as Denver disposed of his Raiders the week before. A nice bit of serendipity for the young coach.

If you doubt the importance of special teams, please note this. Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Houston and the Jets all scored touchdowns on kickoff returns. Three of those four teams won the game. Coincidence, I think not.


Steelers 37 – 49ers 16

They looked fantastic. I know detractors will say they have yet to play anyone, but the 49ers are no slouch. And, they did exactly what a good team is supposed to do, beat teams of lesser talent or quality. Tomlin has created an effective and balanced attack for this team. I think it helps too that he has let LeBeau run rampant with the defense and allowed Arians freedom in his play calling. It shows, as they have outscored opponents 97-27 this season.

For his efforts, Tomlin has won the NFL coach of the week for the second time this season. Just thought I’d throw that out there for others to nibble on.

Fantastic job by Allen Rossum to kick start the game. Steeler fans had not seen a kickoff return touchdown in, oh, say five years.

Anyone see the non catch call on Vernon Davis in the third quarter? I think both teams got jobbed on that review.

Hines Ward got popped twice, hard. The second one I think knocked the smile off of his face. He has a sprained knee and leg bone bruise, and will not play this week. You know it must really be a bad injury if Hines doesn’t play.

Ok, I did not mind the crew in the booth, but I cannot stand Tony Siragusa. It’s bad enough to hear his oddly placed ramblings throughout the game, which provide zero knowledge insight or pleasure to the fan, but now to see him? They had a picture in picture during the game, with Goose written under him. The damn thing took up almost a quarter of the screen, showing the thrilling scene of Siragusa standing by a goal post watching the game and making asinine commentary. They left it up until a split second before the play, almost causing me to have an aneurysm. Why, why, why do the networks do this sort of crap? Here, I’ll clue you in now so we do not have to suffer this for the next 10 years. Siragusa will not, ever, be the next Art Donavon. You know, the funny, entertaining, gruff tell it like it is former defensive lineman with a wealth of stories. Will not happen, so let’s all just move on, please?

One credit to the announcing crew, they finally mentioned Jeff Reed’s picture from the Steelers 2007 media guide. I saw it during preseason, and almost did a spit take I laughed so hard. Kickers are a strange breed.

Willie Parker logged his third 100 yard game this season. He is so fast, especially when he turns the corner on an outside run. Fantasy owners rejoice as Parker leads the league in rushing with 368 yards.

My player of the game is Bryant McFadden. Sure, the interception return for a touchdown was nice. But for me he secured the honor by saving the ball from a touchback and pinning the 49ers deep on punt coverage. Great work.

Fun fact number 1: Big Ben is 11-1 against NFC teams for his career including playoffs.

Fun fact number 2: Since 1970, the winningest franchise in the NFL has been the Miami Dolphins. The second place team, and the one closing fast on that record, is the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are only nine games behind the Dolphins for the record. With the way the two teams are playing, that record could fall this season.

Fun fact number 3: Since 2000, the Steeler defense has allowed a total of 13 100 yard rushers.
Fun fact number 4: Jeff Reed leads the league in scoring with 37 points.

What I liked from Pittsburgh: Scoring from all three teams, offense, defense and special teams. Smothering defense and yet another big back stuffed for less than 100 yards. Players contributing in roles other than their usual ones, like Daniel Sepulveda on the hands team.

What I did not like from Pittsburgh: It’s getting harder to find stuff for this section. The slow start on the first drive of the game was bad, by both the offense and defense. Roethlisberger fumbling the ball away; I could stand to see less of that. The cheapo touchdown they allowed the 49ers in the fourth quarter. Although I really cannot complain about that, since it was only their 2 touchdown allowed in 32 opponent possessions this season.

Giants 24 – Redskins 17

Funny note I wrote during the first half: “Love Redskin Defense – Fast, tough and excellent corner coverage.”

Shame that defense did not come out for the second half.

What the deuce happened? The Redskin offense, which looked so good in the first half, suddenly could not make a first down. The offense almost seemed to be clamoring to get off the field, like it was cursed. No one could catch a pass, and the running game dried up faster than water in the desert. And after the Giants took the lead and things became desperate, they did a one step forward two steps back drive to end the game. I thought I was watching the Keystone Kops the last few minutes of the game.

On first down in the red zone, they get a holding penalty. They dig out of that hole to make it 4th and 3, and then get slapped with a false start, on the CENTER. How the hell does the center false start? They manage to convert, continue the drive and get to the Giants 3. Then on first down, they almost fumble the ball away. After a dropped pass and a sweep left to the one yard line, they face their final play of the game. Fourth and goal from the one, they run the exact same play they did on third down, in a hurry up offense even though there were 40 seconds on the clock and they had time to huddle and plan. The end result was a three yard loss to end the game. I will not pile on about their poor clock management, nor about their suspect play calling, lack of mental discipline or even their atrociously run hurry up offense. But I will pile on about the elephant in the room. If it is 4th down and you need one yard to get a touchdown, why is Clinton Portis on the bench? He is your feature back and your star. What possible explanation, other than injury, can you have to keep him sidelined when you need him the most? That last drive looked so bad with so many questionable decisions; I kept scanning the Redskins sideline thinking Art Shell had somehow replaced Joe Gibbs.

The Redskins were not all bad, though. Their throwback uniforms were quite nice, much better than the Eagles. Their defense did play well in the first half. And Portis had a great block in the first quarter to spring Campbell for 10 yards. Plus, Jason Campbell did look excellent in the first half. Now, if they can just figure out a way to get first downs in the third and fourth quarters, they’ll be ok.

And despite their second half performance, I still think the Giants could use a few more sets of reliable hands in their receiving corps. And I don’t care what anyone says, Plaxico Burress is not a top flight receiver. He’s too lackadaisical and hates contact.

Also one note for Eli, sometimes it is better to just take the sack.


Cowboys 34 – Bears 10

What a rough day for the Bears. The boos began mid second quarter, when there was still plenty of game left. You’d think the game was in Philly by their reaction.

The story of the night was Rex Grossman. The constant speculation of which Rex would show up, how he would perform, can he be the quarterback in Chicago. And Rex did nothing to help his cause. In the first quarter, he had tons of time and still managed to throw an interception. In the fourth quarter in desperation mode, he threw a horrible lollipop into triple coverage. He looked awful and confused. I think he has now officially supplanted Eli Manning for having the most overwhelmed and lost facial expressions in the NFL.

Andrea Kremer did not help perceptions of Rex by reporting his sideline habits, which include being away from the offense to collect his thoughts and review the previous drive. Yeah, that’s the kind of guy I want leading my team, the one who has habits of a disturbed loner. And by the way, did I really need to know this? Was there absolutely nothing better going on down there that Andrea could have reported on? What’s next, the water boy’s pregame setup? Perhaps we can learn about the groundskeepers Ipod play lists. Yikes.

Desperate for something, the Bears attempted a fake field goal in the second quarter. I can understand the need to try anything to jump start the offense, but this was poorly executed. The defense picked it up right away and almost killed Robbie Gould.

And the Bears problems continued as uber return specialist Devin Hester had three muffs and was stripped once. Has the shine rubbed off Hester’s star, or just too much work learning the offense?

By the fourth quarter, the crowd was loudly chanting for Brian Griese. Bears fans, I know Rex is awful, but is that really the solution? Remember, Griese was cut by THREE teams.

The Bears weren’t the only one with issues Sunday night, as the officiating was absolutely terrible. The officiating crew looked like obvious homers until the second half when they actually started calling penalties on the Bears. I started keeping track of them, until it made my head hurt and made Ed Hochuli mad. You never want to do that. Here is a nice sampling from the second quarter.

Called Cowboy TE Jason Witten for an illegal block in the back. Witten ran sideways into the side of the Bear defender, never touching his back.

Called Cowboy WR Terrell Owens for offensive pass interference. Call could have gone either way, and with the amount of contact between Owens and the DB, nothing should have been called.

Did not call Bears DB Charles Tillman for pass interference, even though it was painfully obvious.

Let the last two seconds of the half run out, without giving the ball back to the Cowboys.

Everyone has wondered who will compliment Owens in the receiving corps with Terry Glenn injured; well the answer is Sam Hurd. He laid a killer block on Adam Archuleta in the third quarter to spring Owens for additional yardage. Then Hurd followed that up the next play by burning Archuleta for a big catch. In Archuleta’s defense, he did break his wrist in the third quarter; perhaps that was affecting his concentration. I know it would affect mine.

I know it’s trite to say, especially since John said it about a million times, but Tony Romo does seem to be having fun. The only person I’ve seen smile more on a football field is Hines Ward.

And speaking of John and Romo, at one point he compared the Dallas quarterback to Brett Favre. Now, it is WAY early in Romo’s career to make that comparison, but I can see why he said it. But the more important issue is what would Brett say? Has he lost Madden’s love? Has the world gone mad?

Am I the only one, or did other people hear Al Michaels use the word goddamn in talking about Urlacher after he sacked Romo in the fourth quarter? I swear I heard it, but have yet to see it mentioned anywhere.

Why do John and Al always focus on offensive players, read quarterbacks running backs and receivers, when they pick players for the horse trailer? How about some love for the defense and offensive linemen? Romo did a great job, but he would not have done anything without the guys who keep the defense off his back or the guys who made that score stick. I’m just saying.


Titans 31 – Saints 14

I need to have this tattooed on my forehead so I do not forget. Vince Young wins football games, period. I know the team overall is not that good, but they are so much better because Young gives them a chance. Why do I keep ignoring this painfully obvious fact?

The Saints woes were compounded by losing Deuce McAllister for the season with a torn ACL, thrusting Reggie Bush into the starter role. This will not bode well, since it was painfully obvious that Bush does not like contact. I watched him duke and dodge and run out of bounds so many times to avoid the big hit, it made me want to run into him myself.

Marques Colston sure has some snazzy looking gloves. Where can I get a pair of those?

Titan fans almost had heart failure when they saw Kerry Collins taking the field at the end of the second quarter and Vince heading toward the locker room. There was speculation that Vince had injured his right wrist severely, but he merely was cramping up and needed fluids. Or so we were told.

Ok, before I go on, I must say I really like Ron Jaworski. Replacing Theismann with Jaws is like going from a Yugo to a Ferrari. But I noticed that even Ron can slip into those ridiculous stale statements that all broadcasters make. The Saints are driving at the end of the first half. They have looked terrible all night and need a score to stay in the game. Jaworski, who typically has extremely intelligent and knowledgeable commentary, states that this drive is critical for the Saints. Really Jaws, you think so? Come on Ron, you’re better than that.

By the end of the game, Sean Payton was pursing his lips so hard they completely disappeared.

Hey, ESPN, nice job with the complete lack of celebrity interview during the game. See, you CAN do a broadcast where the focus is on the game. Although they did not get off scot-free as we did have to endure a chat with Archie Manning. Seriously, is there no escape from the Manning family at this point? How soon until they control the world?

NFL, the alternative Universe

CameraGate, Beli-cheat, SpyGate, whatever you want to call it, I am now letting it go. There is nothing I can do to change it, nor is there any way to replay games that may have been influenced by Belichick’s actions. Heck, thanks to the thoroughness of the League, fans cannot even find out if there was cheating going on, since they destroyed all the evidence in less than two days after receiving the material from the Patriots. Fishy? You bet it is. However, I can still enjoy the smug satisfaction of questioning every victory by the Patriots over the last few years, including their Super Bowls, and bringing it up whenever I am face to face with a rather arrogant Boston fan, which is almost all of them. But other than that, nothing will really change. The NFL has seen to that with their quick sweeping under the rug of the scandal. Their particular assertion that there is nothing left to talk about without giving any real answers to the big questions, like did the Patriots cheat to get to or in the Super Bowl, makes myself and other wonder if perhaps there is something more to talk about.

But if the scandal does resemble Watergate, as more than a few commentators have compared it to and looks more likely with each passing week, then Gregg Easterbrook must be auditioning for the role of Bob Woodard. I encourage anyone with an interest in sports, cover ups, conspiracies or deception to read his article. It will definitely make you pause when watching games this weekend and wonder if perhaps the golden goose has been killed.

Of course, since they are cheaters, and more information could potentially come out, I reserve the right to resurrect this issue at any time. And considering how much I cannot stand the Pats, that’ll probably be as soon as next week.

In other crackdown news, the NFL has issued an edict stating that cheerleaders are no longer allowed to warm up near the opposing team sidelines, so as not to cause a distraction. And here I thought the league had more important matters to address. Glad they solved the Camera Gate issue, so important problems that could really impact the game like this could be addressed.

Fox Sports sure does love ex-Cowboys.

I have noticed a dangerous lack of Peyton Manning commercials of late. What is going on? Did Peyton not have enough time to shoot enough advertisements this year, due to his extended season and many appearances as a Super Bowl MVP? Is his price too high? Did Eli complain to Archie that Peyton was getting all the attention? Whatever the reason, it must be rectified before too many people start going into withdrawal.

Upon Further Review

After Denver and Oakland won games in consecutive weeks by a well placed timeout, people have been arguing that the rules need to be changed. I have read, and heard, more people pipe up about this than about how damaging Belichick’s cheating could be for the league. Honestly, with the amount of space wasted on this topic, you could fill an entire cable channel. I need to ask the question, why?

The crux of the issue is that many feel it is unfair and wrong for a coach to stand by the sideline judge, poised to call the timeout but waiting until the last possible second, almost assuring that the kicker will go through with the kick and potentially lose their edge or become thrown off by the killed play. It is said that the rule should change so the coach cannot call a time out with less than 10 seconds on the game clock or that the timeout must be signaled to the referee. But I do not see a problem with this at all.

Sure, it can kill you if you lose a game because your kicker shanks the second kick, but sometimes you benefit from it. Ask Oakland fans about that, since such timeout chicanery killed them in Week 2, but brought them the sweet taste of victory in Week 3.

Look, it may be a cheap way to win a game, but its still gamesmanship. Plus, it’s not like it is some secret only a few people know about. All the teams know this tactic, and at some point or another all have employed it. It’s not underhanded, dirty or some form of cheating. It’s just another way to win a game. And let’s not forget one important point. If the game comes down to the final seconds, and you lose on a field goal and complain because your kicker was iced, perhaps you should have played better for the other 59 plus minutes to avoid that situation.

Steelers Around the World

This week we head down under to fabulous Sydney Australia. Established in 1788, Sydney is home to 4.28 million Sydneysiders. Built around Port Jackson, Sydney is the financial and corporate center of Australia. The harbour city is also a popular tourist destination. Tourists come from all over the world to partake in Sydney’s beaches, parks, rivers and bays as well as their thriving arts and music scenes and cultural landmarks. Who could go to Australia without seeing the Sydney Opera House?

Sydney has a rich history in sports, with rugby and soccer being extremely popular amongst Aussies. In 2000, the city hosted the summer Olympics, building Telstra Stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies, the soccer final, track and field competitions and other events. It is here where we will play.

Telstra Stadium is a multi purpose stadium that can hold 83,500 screaming cheering sports fans when the field is in its rectangular form. In this remote land of beauty, the Steelers will take on the Miami Dolphins. Honestly, I have no particular reason, except I figure the Dolphins could use a change of scenery lately.

Idiot of the week

A favorite from last year has returned, with our award this week going to the immortal Joe Buck. During the Giants/Redskins game, Joe said Eli looked like Peyton during the game as he changed plays and protection at the line of scrimmage. He looked like Peyton so much I thought the Manning brothers had switched teams! By the way I was being sarcastic. There is no way you can confuse the two, even for an instant. Just because Eli has picked up Peyton’s habit of standing under center for 10 minutes pointing, waving and screaming it does not make him an elite quarterback like his brother. First, Peyton tends not to heave ho ducks into the secondary and hope for the best. Second, Peyton tends to complete passes with accurate throws to open receivers, as opposed to lucky shots into triple coverage. Third, Peyton can string together 4 good quarters, all in a row. Fourth, Peyton can step up and lead his team in moments of crisis and not look confused or constipated.

But for fun let’s see how the two compared on Sunday.

Eli – 21 of 36 for 232 yards, 1 touchdown and two interceptions.
Peyton – 20 of 29 for 273 yards, 1 touchdown and zero interceptions.

Its like they’re twins!

This alone may have garnered Joe the award, but he just could not stop himself. He also kept saying that a first down would depend on the spot of the ball. Really Joe? Wow, I would have never guessed that. I thought a first down was granted arbitrarily, depending upon the mood of the refs and which coach had given them the nicer gift basket before the game. Of course it depends on the spot of the ball you nimrod. Can we get a moratorium on games called by Buck, please?

Taking The Week Off

Week 4 begins the bye weeks. This only means one thing, less football games each week. Nothing but a sheer travesty.

Tennessee – Feeling pretty good at being 2-1, the Titans will spend their week fretting over Vince Young’s wrist and looking for a way to get Peyton Manning traded to the Bills.

New Orleans – If they have any hope, they’ll spend the week finding a way to improve or disguise their horrible secondary, fix a ridiculously broken offensive line, and for Pete’s sake, someone teach them how to tackle properly. They looked like jelly fish flailing in the surf against the Titans.

Washington – The Redskins will be bored and ready to play by Monday, since their defense started the bye week two quarters early.

Jacksonville – The Jags will spend the week walking around Jacksonville reminding the city they have an NFL team.


On Tap This Week

For sheer entertainment, make sure to watch the CBS pregame show this week. Dan Marino will be talking the entire time through gritted teeth now that Favre only needs one touchdown pass to claim the record outright. Marino in his rage might grab Mark Clayton and head back to Miami to reclaim the record from Favre, especially if Boomer Esiason needles him too much. Actually, that’s not a bad idea; the Dolphins could use the help and ticket sales.

As for the poll, check it out.

Last week 10-6
Season to date 30-18

I did not win the week, but I did well and kept myself in a good position for later in the season. Consistency is the key, folks. Write that down, there may be a test later.


Baltimore (2-1) at Cleveland (1-2)

Yes, I know. I had trouble taking the Ravens on the road against an AFC North opponent already this season. I think this time they’ll be better prepared.

Ravens over Browns


Chicago (1-2) at Detroit (2-1)

What happens when Detroit’s new offense goes against the Bears defense? Wait; remember this defense will be ticked off since Roy Williams called them out this week. What is with people running their mouths? Dumb move no matter how you look at it. Bears fans finally will get their wish to see Griese in action. Their offense will probably get a spark, but how long will it last? Remember, Griese is merely a band-aid, and a poor one at that.

Bears over Lions


Houston (2-1) at Atlanta (0-3)

Sorry, I can’t go against Matt Schaub when he has a chance to remind Falcon fans, and more importantly Arthur Blank, what they could be watching as opposed to the Joey Harrington debacle.

Texans over Falcons


Oakland (1-2) at Miami (0-3)

Last week, I cheered when the Raider blocked the Browns field goal attempt. I have showered all week and I still feel so very dirty. Joey Porter, so unfamiliar with losing, has guaranteed a Dolphin win. Yeah, that’s going out on a limb, assuring a win against the Raiders. Still, I wouldn’t go against an angry Joey, I’ve seen the effects. But if new starter Daunte Culpepper pulls out a win, I may have to rethink this year’s Raiders.

Dolphins over Raiders


New York Jets (1-2) at Buffalo (0-3)

How can you not feel for the Bills? They lost Losman for two weeks with a knee injury and Paul Posluszny for the season with a broken forearm. What more can happen to this team?

Jets over Bills


St. Louis (0-3) at Dallas (3-0)

Stephen Jackson will be out 1-2 weeks with a groin injury. Now the Rams are reeling with no offensive line and no running game and an extremely suspect defense. Top this off with Isaac Bruce guaranteeing a win, a lot of that going around this week, against one of the hottest teams in football? Smells like a disaster in the making

Cowboys over Rams


Green Bay (3-0) at Minnesota (1-2)

I’m sorry, I know Minnesota is at home and the prohibitive favorite, but I’m going with the hot hand and the more experienced quarterback.

Packers over Vikings


Pittsburgh (3-0) at Arizona (1-2)

Brett Keisel said. "I think it's going to be our biggest test of the year."

He could be right, especially against their old coaches and a few former teammates motivated to knock off an elite team and establish themselves. Cardinal center Chukky Okobi feels it was ridiculous the team cut him, and that he should be starting for the Steelers over Sean Mahan. Hey, Chukky, I got news for you. If you were the better player, you would be. As it stands, you cannot even secure the starting position on your new team, and the center there is banged up. But I digress.

So the Cardinals, and their coaches, have plenty of motivation to beat a team they are intimately familiar with. But Pittsburgh has motivation too. Over the last 53 games, they have allowed only one 100 yard rusher. That rusher was Edgerrin James.

Steelers over Cardinals


Tampa Bay (2-1) at Carolina (2-1)

Jake Delhomme has an elbow injury suffered last week that makes him doubtful to play. I know Carolina is at home, and their defense is a might better than what Tampa has faced thus far. But can you trust David Carr? There’s only one way to find out.

Panthers over Buccaneers


Seattle (2-1) at San Francisco (2-1)

I like what I’ve seen from San Francisco thus far. Except for one problem, they have trouble scoring points. Seattle has a bit better offense. Still a tough call.

Seahawks over 49ers


Kansas City (1-2) at San Diego (1-2)

Tomlinson is averaging 2.3 yards a carry. That is karmic payback for calling himself LT. But something tells me the Bolts will get real healthy in a hurry this week.

Chargers over Chiefs


Denver (2-1) at Indianapolis (3-0)

Denver wins two games with last second field goals, and then gets pummeled at home. Indy has owned them in recent years in the RCA Dome. I don’t feel good for the Broncos this week.

Colts over Broncos


Philadelphia (1-2) at New York Giants (1-2)

Yeah, I’m not getting suckered again by two good quarters by Eli and company. I made that mistake last year. Both of these teams have a multitude of problems, but the Eagles seem to be slightly more resilient.

Eagles over Giants

Monday

New England (3-0) at Cincinnati (1-2)

Rudi Johnson is out for the game, leaving the Bungles with no running game and no defense to face New England. I wonder, if the Browns can hang 51 points on the Bungles, how many can Tom Brady and company put up? Since there is very little interesting about this game, I have an idea I want to put forth.

Sunday Night Football has the horse trailer, where they predictably pick some offensive star and call them the MVP of the game. They take a nice pre-prepared picture and slap it on the side of this trailer, and then make sure to interview them about their performance in the game. I think Monday night should have something like this too, but a vehicle befitting ESPN and most of their analysts. The most appropriate one I can think of would be a hot dog cart. Who’s with me on this one?

Patriots over Bengals

The Crystal Ball 2007 Week 3

You know that one week during the season where everything seems to go haywire at once, and a multitude of unexplainable things happen? It happens every year. Typically it occurs somewhere around the mid point of the season, say week 8 or 9. Not this year. This year, it happened in week 2. Let’s take a look at a few of the oddest and most astounding happenings in this week’s recap.

Recap

The Texans, Lions and Redskins, 49ers are 2-0.

Two more games this week were decided in the overtime period. At this rate, every game in the last week of the season will go into overtime.

The Denver/Oakland clash was suspended for 10 minutes due to lightning.

Browns win shootout. In recent history when did you ever think you’d hear that sentence? 51-45???? Did I not say the Bungles had no defense? Tell me how they can win a division when their defense gives up a touchdown to Braylon Edwards who slid 5 yards on his back into the end zone, which by the way was pretty cool to watch. I feel justified in my assessment of the Bungles this season.

85 decided to celebrate one touchdown by jumping into the Dog Pound. That takes some balls. Those Cleveland fans really must hate Johnson to waste an $8 cup of beer throwing it on Chad. The whole thing made me laugh.

TO, not to be outdone, decided to celebrate a touchdown mimicking CameraGate. Now, Owens drives me up the wall since I find him a terrible teammate. But that was funny.

In a related note, the Patriots, the previous role model franchise, are still being besmirched by haters everywhere for being cheaters.

Sebastian Janikowski did an awesome job hitting the top of the left upright. The skill and precision of such a kick is amazing. The problem is it’s supposed to go through the uprights. I guess icing the kicker does work.

Lions quarterback John Kitna completed a pass to himself for a nine yard gain.

Kitna also suffered concussion in the second quarter. By the fourth quarter, it had magically disappeared. Kitna is a very religious man, and attributed the remarkable event to God. I’m sorry, but something tells me God has more important things to worry about than whether the Lions win a game. Somehow I cannot imagine God sitting in heaven saying, “Dang, I had the Lions in a three team teaser, I need Kitna back out there!” But His presence would go a long way toward explaining the Lions 2-0 record thus far. So what’s your impression; is Kitna tough or stupid? I’m leaning toward the latter.

LaDainian Tomlinson was once again a non-factor for the Chargers, being stonewalled by the New England defense in a rout. Also a non factor was the well paid Larry Johnson. Through the first two weeks of the season, the two uber backs had a combined 166 yards rushing on 61 attempts. But unheralded Chris Brown has been tearing it up for the Titans, rushing for 209 yards on 31 attempts during the same period. Oh, the trials and tribulations of being a fantasy owner.

Buffalo wide receiver Lee Evans was called for a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for, “getting in the official’s face.” Is that the technical term?

Just as a side note for defensive coordinators, a prevent defense prevents nothing.

The Falcons were busy this week, signing Byron Leftwich and Morton Anderson. Leftwich will obviously be the starting quarterback soon, as Joey Harrington has been, shall we say, less than impressive. Anderson was signed as per the collective bargaining agreement which states he must be on an NFL roster at least once a season since he was on a roster during the inception of the league.

Frank Gore put on an inspiring performance this week. He mom passed away and he went out and played tough in a win for the 49ers. Hang in there Frank.

Kevin Everett will soon leave Buffalo to go to Houston to begin rehabilitation. Doctors now say that Everett could be walking again in a matter of weeks. Just such an amazing turnaround from when his accident first happened, and the initial prognosis of the then paralyzed Everett was that he would never walk again. A gigantic job well done goes out to all the doctors who did such an incredible job and to Everett himself as well displaying his personal strength and willpower. I know he still has a long road ahead, but is nice to see he will be walking that road.


Steelers 26 – Bills 3

That is just the home debut I like to see from my team. You know things are going well when you see Charlie Batch in with four minutes left in the game. When the fourth quarter comes and its Charlie Batch time, the game is in hand.

The throwback uniforms to celebrate the 75th anniversary team were on display. The jerseys were pretty snazzy, but I’m not so sure about the helmets. Kind of made the team look like giant egg yokes on burnt toast.

This win was historic as it was the 500th win in Steelers history. Their overall record is 500-474-20, and they are the first team in the AFC to reach the 500th win mark. Congratulations to the team and the Rooney’s for such a fantastic track record.

Also with the win, the Steelers took control of the AFC North. Now, there are still 14 games to go, but it’s nice to jump in the pole position early. Just as long as they stay there.

The Bills did play tough, especially given the circumstances, but it they were outgunned from the start. One thing I did like from them, Marshawn Lynch. That kid is a tough, strong runner. He’s fast, elusive and great between the tackles. With some experience behind him, he could be great.

What I liked from Pittsburgh: The defense was fast, tough and opportunistic yet again. Receivers were much better at holding onto the ball, especially Nate Washington who had a fantastic catch. The offense and Roethlisberger did a fantastic job spreading the ball around, with Big Ben completing passes to nine different receivers. Plus their third down conversion rate went up dramatically as they regularly converted to keep drives alive.

What I did not like from Pittsburgh: Only one thing, they need to close out drives better. The game was a blowout, and the scoreboard should have reflected as much. But too many times early on they settled for field goals. While this worked out well, if they let a better team hang around like that it will come back to burn them.


Patriots 38 – Chargers 14

The Pats sure can strike fast on offense. They are just scary potent, and it pains me to admit that but its true. The scariest part of their offense, though, is easily Wes Welker. He is ridiculously good. He did such an effective shake and bake on a Charger defensive back during the game, I think the DB is still wandering around Gillette Stadium looking for Welker. Most impressive.

The only way John Madden’s man love for Tom Brady could have been any more evident was if he went down to the field and started making out with Tom. Geez John, we know he’s good we don’t need to hear it every other second. Dial it down a bit. If you don’t, I’m telling Brett.

I think it should be mandated that Ed Hochuli wear a muscle shirt for every game. Who’s with me on this one?

I have a quick question after watching another stellar Phillip Rivers performance. Tell me again the best quarterback from the 2004 draft? Was it Rivers or Manning? Perhaps it is J.P. Losman? Matt Schaub is making a case for himself in Texas, could it be him? Hmmm, no I think it’s the guy taken 11th overall, you know, the one with a Super Bowl ring.

Brady, in his post game interview, stated that the team has shifted into us against the world mode. Teams will look for motivation everywhere, and with everyone labeling them cheaters and hating them more than ever, they now have an inexhaustible supply of motivation. How long before we start hearing things from them like, no one thought we could do it. Hey Pats, everyone thinks you can do it, that’s why you were dubbed preseason Super Bowl favorites. Everyone thinks it even more now that we know you cheat.


Redskins 20 – Eagles 12

Boy was this was just painful to watch. Eagle fans tended to agree, as the boos began raining on the Birds in the second quarter. It took less than two quarters for the home crowd to turn on the team. I think that’s a new record in Philly.

McNabb looks horrible. I don’t know what McNabb people were seeing in the off season that made them proclaim he’s back, but it wasn’t the one under center on Monday night. Perhaps the Eagles video department slipped them tapes of McNabb from 2004.

Their defense looked decent, but they end up staying on the field far too long. The offense cannot sustain a drive to save their lives.

ESPN obviously feels the guest celebrity in the booth is a good thing, and revived it again this season. At least they had someone interesting, trotting out Charles Barkley. Now, I love Chuckie, I find him entertaining, engaging and funny. And Barkley did not disappoint. His best moment came when Mike Tirico stated that the Eagles should have won the previous week against Green Bay. This is an absurd statement, since every team has at least one game a season they should have won and did not. Pittsburgh should have won in Oakland last year, but they didn’t. What you should do means absolutely nothing compared with what you actually do. Barkley jumped right on this, and Tirico attempted to clarify by stating if they had not had a few special team flubs, the Eagles would have won. Barkley retorted that if he did not eat so much, he would not be so fat. Luckily I was not drinking anything at that moment. Easily, this was the best part of the game. This is not saying much considering how low the Eagles placed the bar.

Coaching notes for Andy Reid:

If you are down 11 points with a little over six minutes left in the fourth quarter and the ball is on the opponent’s 4 yard line and you need two yards for a first down, you need to go for it. Kicking a field goal on fourth down does nothing, as proven by the result of the game. You get that touchdown, or first down, then getting the second score becomes much easier. If you do not, you keep your opponent pinned deep and turn up the defensive heat.

Also, if your running back is finding holes in the defense, and your quarterback is having trouble hitting the broadside of a barn with each throw, perhaps maybe you should run more than pass.


NFL, the alternative Universe

The CameraGate story got crazier, and mercifully died down a bit this week. It started Sunday night with Goodell doing a media blitz and laying the hammer down on Sunday Night football. He said he sent the message to all teams this sort of behavior was unacceptable, and demanded all videotapes, notes and any other corresponding information from the Patriots regarding other teams. He also stated he did not buy Belichick’s assertion that he misinterpreted the rule and would be handing out larger sanctions and penalties if any other form of cheating was found and that any team caught up to nefarious activity would suffer the consequences.

This was followed by unfounded allegations that the Patriots illegally recorded opposing offensive audibles by miking defensive players and recording those on the sideline using wireless transmissions. This is beyond unbelievable. What is this, the cold war? I am actually glad to hear this was unfounded. What’s next though, does Brady’s shoe turn into a phone? Does a mini helicopter jet out from the top of Moss’s head? Is Tedy Bruschi secretly bionic?

Team owner Robert Kraft got into the mix as well during a Sunday Night football halftime interview, conveniently absolving himself of the situation.

"Before last Sunday's game, I had no knowledge of this practice. I must tell you, it was really disappointing, especially after such a great game.”

"What made it particularly disheartening, in our group of companies we hold people to very high standards, and this isn't what we're about. I've discussed that with coach Belichick."

Should I say it now? Ok. I call bullshit. Can Kraft honestly sit there with a straight face and say he had absolutely no idea what someone so vital to his team and organization was doing? I believe Kraft even less than I believed Arthur Blank and his protestations of ignorance regarding Michael Vick. Do these men who are worth millions upon millions of dollars and who have worked their entire lives to build financial empires by crossing every t and dotting every I really expect us to believe that they do not know what is going on with the most important people in their employ? They must really think we are brain dead sheep. They might not be wrong, though, as many are buying their lines.

Tom Brady decided to chime in and defend his coach and team. Big surprise there, since Tom’s legacy is now questioned by some thanks to Belichick. Since their in the same boat, Tom had best back Bill. Tom stated that he found it hard to believe people in and out of the league he respects were making jokes at the Patriot’s expense. He went on to say he’s now lost a lot of respect for these people. Hey Tom, think maybe they’re making those jokes because now they have no respect for you or your team?

To add to the weirdness, I read an article in Sports Illustrated by Peter King this week that states Mangini broke the coaches’ code by ratting out his former boss. The article likened what Mangini did to a mobster who squeals to the Feds about the family. What? Coaches have a code that states they cover for each other when they cheat? What kind of twisted logic is this? Look, I understand it is an exclusive fraternity, and that you should never go against those who helped you rise through the ranks. But there should be a difference between disrespecting a mentor or stealing his free agents and condoning activity that gives a team an unfair competitive edge by keeping silent. It all seems a bit ridiculous if you ask me. I thought the point was to compete against one another and may the best coach win. Oops, sorry, my naiveté is showing. The best quote of the article came from Rex Ryan, the defensive coordinator for the Ravens and son of legendary coach Buddy Ryan. Here’s what Ryan said.

“I’m not sure sports are supposed to be about who can cheat the best. I should be worrying about how to beat a team, not spending hours figuring out how to disguise what I’m doing. I hope this gets us back to football the way it should be.”

Hear hear, Mr. Ryan.

Belichick himself has basically refused to go into any detail regarding the situation, and has yet to answer a question in an interview about it. He seems satisfied that his short statement regarding the scandal will satisfy a sports news world always starving for the next big story. Funny, you would think someone as smart as Bill would realize how far off that assessment really is. But with the way sports stories break, it probably will go away if he just ignores it long enough. As we all have the attention span of a gnat that just might work. But I doubt it will disappear as quickly as Bill would like. With the magnitude of the scandal, the fact that one of the marquee teams of the league is involved and the one looked upon as the model franchise of the NFL, I do not know how it will go away quickly. If they make the playoffs, which considering their performance so far this season looks likely barring injury, it will follow them through the entire season. Long after the decisions are laid down. And well past the season too, especially come draft time when they’re pick or picks are taken away. Once again, how can you expect athletes to be honest and forthcoming when those tabbed to lead them cannot do the same? Goodell knows things like this do not just go away, and hit it head on. Belichick would be wise to take the same advice instead of just saying, I’m focusing on the game this week, next question.

Belichick may get his wish though, as the league concluded its investigation of the Patriots material and determined there was no further evidence of cheating and there would not be any further sanctions placed on the team. That is good news for the Patriots, and hopefully they play fair from now on. Hopefully other teams follow suit, as it is suspected the Patriots are not the only team to engage in this sort of chicanery. I still think Goodell should have banned Belichick from wearing that stupid hoodie.

Ok, moving on…

Tired of punks like Vick and Pacman getting all the press, OJ took matters into his own hands and was arrested in Las Vegas for stealing his own memorabilia, which he contends was really his. When asked why he just didn’t call the cops, he stated that since his previous troubles, cops have not really helped him. Big surprise there, since he threw the LAPD under the bus to save his own hide from jail. Now some are wondering if OJ was set up to take a fall for armed robbery. Wait, I thought Johnnie Cochran passed away, who is creating this buzz?

Tank Johnson signed a two year deal with the Cowboys to shore up their defensive front. The problem is, he is on an eight game suspension and cannot play until November 11th.


Upon Further Review

Gregg Easterbrook in his weekly column on ESPN.com wrote that the cheating scandal is far more serious than anyone seems to realize. He states that the NFL could potentially blow its position as the number one sport in America, and things like this are driving it toward the precipice of a fall. Check out his article for a more in depth look at his stance, as well as the rest of his excellent column.

Easterbrook does raise an excellent question, is the NFL in trouble? Considering how powerful and profitable the league is, it is hard pressed to imagine them falling from grace. I mean, last year the NFL brought in $3.75 billion in television revenue alone. That is almost an unfathomable number. How could they possibly fail? As we all know, nothing lasts forever and football’s position as top dog sport could go away. It happened to baseball, and is that not America’s pastime? Keeping this in mind, let’s take a look at a few issues the league has faced recently recently.

The Patriots cheating scandal - Cheating would be bad enough, but to have such a situation involve one of the marquee teams of the league and the one looked upon as the model franchise makes this far worse. If people think the outcome of the game is not genuine, they tend to turn away. Ask Major League Baseball about this.

Criminal Behavior – Michael Vick, Tank Johnson, Pacman Jones and the Bungles have all kept the new commissioner busy over the last year. Each one adding their own stain to the league and turning fans off from the game and the egomaniacal players who participate. Sure, most players are great guys, but it only takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch.

The concussion issue – The NFL purports to be working to correct this problem, especially since they have received a lot of bad press about it and the damage repeated concussions have done to former players. Yet they still have not mandated anti-concussion helmets for all teams, and then we see Kitna going back into the game after a concussion. Now, it was his decision, but were not the new policies put in place this season regarding concussions created to take such a decision out of the hands of players for their own good? Just two weeks into the season and this new policy is already failing.

Disability for retired players – A growing problem without a doubt, and one that has now grown so big that a Senate committee called in Goodell and representatives for former players this week to have a little chat about it. You know things are not going well when Congress decides they need to butt in. Not only is this a problem with how they treat those on whom the league was built, but it is also a public relations nightmare. Fans tend to become turned off by organizations they perceive as using and mistreating employees. Former players and coaches are now coming forward more and more speaking on behalf of those who need help. One of the most outspoken has been Mike Ditka, who was also at the committee hearing. Ditka stated the problem is not about money, since everyone knows there is money available; it’s about getting it into the hands of those who need it the most.

"The system is broken," said Ditka. "Don't make proud men beg. Don't make them jump through hoops."

Agreed. The committee made no actions, other than the threat of intervention if the NFL does not find a solution and soon.

Now taken individually, each of these things would not be that daunting. Time and effort could be put into each of these issues to resolve them quickly and correctly. Education and prevention measures could be put into place to make sure some incidents do not happen again, or happen at a much less frequent rate. The issue is these have all come to a head or to the surface in the last 12 months one on top of the other. People love the sport, but the nonsense surrounding it is starting to dominate the headlines from Monday to Saturday and take away from the games on Sunday. Eventually, people will tire of such distractions, and will turn away from the game itself. Roger Goodell seems to understand this better than most, and has been quick, decisive and diligent in working to keep these issues from causing a fall from happening. I think these, and other potential unknown obstacles could cause the NFL to stumble, as Easterbrook points out. However I tend to have a more optimistic, or perhaps naïve, view of things and I feel with people like Goodell in charge who know a downward slide is only a few bad press clippings and moments of inaction away, I doubt it will happen soon.


Steelers Around the World

This week, the Steeler world tour moves to beautiful Berlin, Germany. This capital city of Germany is home to 3.4 million people and is the second largest city in the European Union. Known for world renowned universities, sports, orchestras, museums and much more, Berlin is a destination full of culture, landscape, architecture and history.

Some sites of note to see are the Brandenburg Gate, The Reichstag, the seat of German Parliament, the few remaining remnants of the Berlin Wall and Schloss Charlottenburg the largest surviving historical palace in Berlin.

Berlin has over 150 museums and 50 theaters within the city which show every kind of art and performing arts one could imagine. From paintings of ancient masters and fare of a more modern flair to opera, ballet and the orchestra, one can find something to whet their artistic appetite in Berlin.

Berlin has a diverse history and a long love of sports. The city famously hosted the 1936 Olympics, and was the host of the FIFA World Cup Final in 1974 and 2006. Berlin is home to professional teams in soccer, basketball, hockey, volleyball and handball.

The game would take place at the Olympiastadion, or Olympic Stadium. Originally build in 1934 to replace the first Olympiastadion. This structure has survived World War II to host many a sporting events through the years. In 2000, a renovation began to bring the historic stadium into the 21st century. The newly renovated stadium reopened in 2004 with the latest in sound and illumination technology and the ability to seat 76,000 pumped up fans.

For this game, the Steelers would face the Green Bay Packers. Wisconsin history is full of German heritage and the Packers would be a treat for Berliners. Plus, traveling Packer fans would enjoy the German breweries, probably as much as traveling Steeler fans.

Idiot of the week

Although they are idiots every week if you ask me, this week they get a special nod. This week’s award goes out to Patriot fans. They just do not get how bad a cheating scandal is, and how much damage it could possibly do not just to the Patriots and their legacy, but also to the NFL. All they do is complain that everyone is picking on their team just because they win. Yeah, that’s why. Hey, don’t you guys have to get over to Fenway and complain about the Red Sox collapsing? How far back are the Yankees now, only 2 1//2 games is it?

On Tap This Week

Boy, were perceptions blown up last week. Now who do you pick in some of these games? Is Tampa really that good? How about Houston? Are the Saints really that bad? Is Arizona turning a corner? Does Detroit have what it takes to really compete for once? You got me. I had a hard enough time last week when the picks looked painfully obvious. Speaking of which….

Last week 11-5
Season to date 20-12

I went down to the wire in my poll, but lost because the stupid Eagles failed to score a touchdown at the end of the game. Oh well, it’s about consistency every week.

The only thing I’m sure about is that half the teams below will lose this weekend. After that, you got me.

Sunday

Miami (0-2) at New York Jets (0-2)

Well, someone has to win. Since the Jets can actually produce some semblance of offense, I’ll take them.

Jets over Dolphins

Arizona (1-1) at Baltimore (1-1)

The Kyle Boller era is reborn! Rejoice one and all. Well, at least those with allegiances to Pittsburgh. It’s like someone said Christmas was coming early this year. Arizona showed some mettle winning against Seattle, but if it weren’t for a timely mistake by Seattle, this would not seem so difficult. And Baltimore has bested a Ken Whisenhunt coached offense before.

Ravens over Cardinals

San Diego (1-1) at Green Bay (2-0)

Favre is now the winningest quarterback in league history. His next target in the record books is Dan Marino’s 420 career touchdowns. I like Green Bay, but they have played two crappy teams and I still do not know how good they are or how good their running game can be. At least San Diego’s loss came against an elite team. Tough choice, as the Chargers have much more established talent. If they hadn’t been so lackluster the first few weeks, this would not be so difficult. This has the feel of either a monumental win for Green Bay or a reestablishment of power for San Diego.

Chargers over Packers

Buffalo (0-2) at New England (2-0)

Now I really feel bad for Buffalo.

Patriots over Bills

Indianapolis (2-0) at Houston (2-0)

A much bigger game than anyone anticipated. As many sports talking heads have been crowing, Houston was the last team to beat the Colts, defeating them 27-24 last December. What no one fails to also mention is that it was a late December game when the Colts were shifting into playoff mode and were on Jim Sorgi time. This is a different game, but also a much different Texans team. I like their chances against Peyton, especially with their much improved defensive front. But without Andre Johnson, Schaub has no one reliable for the quick strike.

Colts over Texans

St. Louis (0-2) at Tampa Bay (1-1)

If St. Louis makes that field goal last week, does this become a tough decision? Since they got housed by a team in week one with a passing game, what does that mean for this week, since Jeff Garcia is starting to find his rhythm? Eh, does it really matter?

Buccaneers over Rams

San Francisco (2-0) at Pittsburgh (2-0)

I’ll be happy to see the regular home black jerseys in effect. It’s about time someone on the team wear them this season. Kind of stupid when it’s just me.

Steelers over 49ers

Minnesota (1-1) at Kansas City (0-2)

You got me. Kansas City looks awful, but Minnesota has not been overwhelming either, and may be without Tarvaris Jackson. But they still have Adrian Peterson.

Vikings over Chiefs

Detroit (2-0) at Philadelphia (0-2)

McNabb is currently a shell of himself, the team was despondent and silent by halftime last week and no receiver on the team looks even remotely effective. Now LT Smith is out, Lito Sheppard is doubtful and Brian Dawkins and Brian Westbrook are both banged up for this week. That gives me warm and fuzzies. The over/under on boos from Eagles fans is five minutes into the game. I’ll take the under.

Lions over Eagles

Cleveland (1-1) at Oakland (0-2)

Ok, so Cleveland was impressive last week. But what happens when they go up against a team that fields a defense again? And remember, they gave up 45 points. I know I said never last week, and already hate myself for this, but…

Raiders over Browns

Jacksonville (1-1) at Denver (2-0)

Ok, Jacksonville loses in week one at home to the Titans, and then ekes out a victory in week two against the lowly Falcons. Not exactly setting the world on fire are they. Denver has had to rely on the magic of Jason Elam two weeks in a row, also not exactly world beaters. At least Denver is finding a way to win, as messy as it is.

Broncos over Jaguars

Cincinnati (1-1) at Seattle (1-1)

I’m sorry, but when you get strafed for 5 touchdowns through the air from Derek Anderson and pounded for 216 rushing yards from a cast aside Jamal Lewis, I cannot trust you on the road in arguably the loudest stadium in the league. Even factoring in the difference in quality between the NFC and AFC I still cannot do it.

Seahawks over Bengals

New York Giants (0-2) at Washington (2-0)

I think the Giants will wait until after their London trip to can Coughlin.

Redskins over Giants

Carolina (1-1) at Atlanta (0-2)

So Steve Smith scores three touchdowns and they still get schooled by the Texans. Everyone knows Steve plays out of his mind when he’s mad and wants to prove a point. How mad you think he’ll be this week? On the plus side for Falcon fans, it should be only about two weeks before Leftwich is the starter.

Panthers over Falcons

Dallas (2-0) at Chicago (1-1)

Here is where we really find out how strong the Cowboys are. Since I know Rex is still starting, unfortunately, for the Bears, it will all depend on which Rex shows up. I’m afraid it might be the one who had trouble with the Chiefs.

Cowboys over Bears

Monday

Tennessee (1-1) at New Orleans (0-2)

So, was last year all about emotion for the Saints, or were they just able to better disguise their horrible secondary. I do not know when I can feel comfortable picking them again with everybody and their dogs banging away at their defense. I especially do not feel good about them this week, when they play Vince Young who took his Titans to the wire against the Colts. Of course, the Saints are playing their first game at home with their backs against the wall and desperate.

Saints over Titans

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

The Crystal Ball 2007 Week 1

Its’ here, it’s finally here! The off season dragged on like December for a child waiting for Christmas. Sure the promise of Santa was waiting at the end of the month, but the days lumbered on as though the 25th would never arrive. But we are finally here. The season starts tonight! Oh, how excited I am, as I am sure you are as well. It is so nice to have familiar sights and sounds back, like John Madden slipping into some incoherent rambling during a broadcast, new Peyton Manning commercials and new Monday Night Football hosts. I feel like I am at the bottom of the stairs, still in my PJs, with freshly fallen snow blanketing the world outside as I stare at a brightly lit tree twinkling in the morning light. Beneath it are gifts of every shape and size, wrapped in paper that comes in a multitude of colors and patterns. No one knows what they contain, but I need not ponder any longer. I can finally unwrap them and revel in what they bequeath to me the fan. Sure, there will probably be socks or a horrible sweater in a few, but surely one must contain a zeppelin or a can of Simonize, or perhaps the greatest gift of all, a Red Rider 200 shot range model air rifle, oops, I mean an NFL championship victory for my team. Sorry, I got carried away for a moment.

In any event, it’s here finally, the season kickoff. And our season is kicking off as well. As teased last week, we have a bunch of new features, a new streamlined format and more fun to make this a better experience for you, the football consumer. So sit back, relax and enjoy as we delve into another season of NFL mania.

Recap

Well, unfortunately there is nothing to recap. Sure, we could go over the most meaningless slate of preseason games played this year, but who wants that? It’s like being offered a slice of baloney when you know there is steak waiting for you. Nope, no thank you. I’ll wait for the steak. Let’s just move on.

NFL, the alternative Universe

Patriots safety Rodney Harrison suspended for 4 games for using HGH. Ok Pats fans, will this be your excuse if you don’t make the Super Bowl? How much whining will we hear out of Boston over this? Surprising we did not hear more about this, probably because no one dares sully the name of the Patriots! Must be a mistake, since a team led by the Mr. Wonderful Tom Brady certainly would never cheat! Now, instead of just being jerks, they are cheating jerks.

Jags get rid of Leftwich. Seriously, what is wrong with some teams? If they did not feel Leftwich was going to be their guy, why did they wait until a week before the season to decide this? Now, they are going with David Garrard, and if you think he is the answer to their QB questions, I have some lunar real estate that can only increase in value to sell you. This is how the Jags are creating an excuse for their fans when they have a sub par season.

Leftwich looking at finding a job, with rumors of him signing on with Baltimore.

Cowboys quarterback coach Wade Wilson was suspended for using performance enhancers. Wilson contends they are to improve his quality of life as he struggles with diabetes. I have no trouble with that. I he needs a little help coping with a tough disease, so be it. But why suspend him? Will they really give him an edge in instructing Tony Romo? Crimoney. I know the NFL wants to keep all illicit drugs and usage away from the game, but this might be going a touch too far.

Hmmm, guess I was right about Strahan after all since he reported after camp but before the season begins. Seems he just wanted to either, A) avoid training camp or B) make it all about him or C) try to extract more money but failed. I’m going with D) all of the above.

Speaking of the Giants, together with the Jets they unveiled the plans for their new stadium this week, an uber football mecca to be built in New Jersey. Huh, I thought they were both New York teams. I know Giants stadium is in the Meadowlands, but you would think perhaps they could find some way to build in the Empire state. No matter, the stadium looks fantastic. But will it be as nice as the Colts new home, scheduled to open next year, or even the Cowboys new digs, Jerry Jones’ one billion dollar baby? You know, I love football, but it seems beyond crazy to spend one billion dollars on a football stadium. There must be something better that can be done with that money, like say feed a continent.

Former Steeler coach Bill Cowher apparently feels the cream of the AFC North is the Bengals and Ravens. Cowher said on NFL Network about Baltimore and Cincinnati that, “Those two teams, I think they’re still the top two.” But followed that by saying about his former charges, “And still I think Pittsburgh, they’ve got a chance with their schedule to get off to a good start, they’ve got a chance to be a team to be contended with.” I guess we need not worry about Cowher being biased in his new broadcasting gig.


Upon Further Review

Looking at the quarterback situation in Jacksonville really chafes me. Now, I can understand when two people who work together do not get along, a change needs to take place. This seems to be the case with Byron Leftwich and Jack Del Rio. Ok, that is completely understandable. What bugs me about it is the fact that this could have been avoided without sacrificing the future of the Jaguars, this season, and the loyalty of the fans. According to many reports, this animosity between Leftwich and Del Rio has gone on for months and perhaps longer. The team has been soured on Leftwich for some time, and quite unhappy with his training, discipline and outlook toward competing. Ok, fine. Then why did you let the problem drag out until a week before the season? If Leftwich was such an issue, then plan ahead. I mean, it’s not like this is the first time they’ve met Leftwich. By now they should know a little bit about him as a player and a person. The Jaguars were one of many teams that had a chance at Brady Quinn in the draft and passed over him. If they really thought Leftwich would end up being a liability, they should have drafted Quinn and put him on the shelf, much like Cincinnati did with Carson Palmer. Let Quinn learn for a year and then give him the job. They could have played with Garrard for that year, and fans could have been excited knowing they had a strong quarterback that would be their future in the wings. Right now, Jaguar fans are sitting around wondering who is running the asylum. Plus, it seems as though the team is planting the seeds for excuses for a lousy season. If the Jaguars go 6-10, they can just blame it on the mess at quarterback, and how that is Leftwich’s fault. No, no it is not. It is Del Rio’s fault for poor planning and shortsightedness. Fans will forgive a crappy season if they think the team is moving in the right direction and the promise for a better tomorrow is there. Bungle fans did when they saw John Kitna as their starter and Palmer sitting on the bench. Jaguar fans, do not take this slap in your face sitting down. Demand a better team and accountability from your coach. For the sake of the fans, I hope Garrard does do well. No one likes to see fans screwed by their team. Ask Raider fans about that one.

And on another note about this, let’s just take the Jaguars at face value regarding their assessment of Leftwich and assume that perhaps he does not take training or discipline seriously enough. He still is a decent quarterback with experience, and perhaps he just needs a change of scenery. Many careers have been revived with a new team and new coaches. Patriot fans and coaches are banking on this regarding Randy Moss. With his talent and experience, Leftwich could be an excellent addition for any team with a shaky quarterback situation. Keeping this in mind, why did the Chiefs not jump on Leftwich like a starving man on a sandwich? The combination of Huard/Croyle will not get the KC into the Super Bowl, heck they could not get them into the Super Bust! They need a more reliable answer at the position, and Leftwich could have provided that. No, they picked up a no name gentleman off the waiver wire, thus killing any potential excitement for the season for Chiefs fans. Yet another organization that seems to have zero common sense in their operations department.

The Steeler bandwagon is suffering from severe axle hop thanks to all the people rapidly jumping off their band wagon. Almost every prediction I have seen says they are an 8-8 team and destined for third in the division. There have been a few at 9-7, but not many and absolutely no one says they will win the division. I wish someone could explain how they will finish behind Cincinnati, since the Bungles did absolutely nothing to upgrade an atrocious defense in the off season. Yet, many think the Bungles will do quite well, with more than a few predicting at least a wild card, and a few going so far as to say they will win the division. The Ravens lose a key defensive player, and Ray “Me First” Lewis is yet another year older and even slower to rush and pile on a tackle and take credit from someone else. As is Steve “I missed my season ending injury last year” McNair.

Yet both of these teams seem to be everyone’s darling while Pittsburgh, still with essentially the same team that won the Super Bowl less than two years ago, can do no better than 8-8 to most people. And mind you, last year’s losing was caused by a banged up quarterback and a coach who did not care about the team, more about seeing if he can get paid. Yep, paid, that unfortunately is what it was all about. Cowher wanted Mike Holmgren money, and when he did not get it, his care went out the window and so did the team. So of course now he is going to say the best team in the division is not Pittsburgh, it does well for him and his wallet if they fail. See, Cowher wants to show the Rooney’s that they made a huge error in letting him walk. So if the Steelers falter this season, they look stupid for not throwing obscene money at him, Cowher looks great for predicting the outcome of the division and even more attractive to franchises looking for a new coach. If other teams out there see the Steelers fall then they think, wow, Cowher really was the key to their success, we need him on our sidelines. If they see Pittsburgh win, however, Cowher does not look like the uber coach he wants crappy teams with bad coaches to believe, and his potential market value drops. Nice to see that even with your boyhood team it’s still all about the money. But I am getting off track.

So, everyone thinks the Steelers will be nothing more than mediocre. Ok, fine, then why is everyone also predicting big things? Willie Parker is a fantasy darling now, with everyone saying pick him up in your draft. There have been numerous reports about Roethlisberger and his improvement and dedication during the off season. And to top that off, I have read no less than 1478 times how Santonio Holmes is going to have a breakout year. Wow, makes you feel good about your chances, does it not? But, wait, if all those things do come to pass, how would it be possible for this team to finish only 8-8, especially since their defense is as stout as ever? Oh, that’s right, it could never happen. So why would these predictions so contradict each other, sometimes from the same people in the same breath? I have narrowed it down to two things, either hating or laziness. I doubt its hate, since no one has room for hate, just no room to love anyone but Brady and company. It is laziness, plain and simple. Look at the other predictions, they are just as bad. No one does research or takes into account changes in personnel, staff, coaches or team psychology. They just look at additions and subtractions, and swap a game or two between the win or loss column. That’s all. That is not predicting, its just laziness and shows how pointless these exercises are. This is why every year we see a team that “shocks” everyone by being so good and one that “stuns” everyone by being so bad. Last year no one could believe how good the Saints were, but you could see it coming with the way they built themselves and how their psychology changed. Perhaps not to the degree they did it, but certainly a lot better than most of the 4-12 predictions people were putting out. Well, here is hoping that this season’s “shocker” is a team that also wears black and gold. It will be fun to watch all the experts backpedal all season, wondering where this dominant team came from. Then I can sit back, smirk and say that they have always been there, all of you have just been too lazy and too enamored with the Patriots to notice.


Steelers Around the World

As the NFL works to expand the appeal of football internationally, one of the key components to their plan is to schedule more games overseas. We have seen a game in Mexico City, and this year we will see one played in London. I for one am a big proponent of this idea, as I would love to see a game overseas featuring the Steelers. So for fun, every week we will take a look at a new city across the globe where I would love to watch the Steelers play and the best choice for an opponent there.

This week we head to merry old England and feature swinging London. While we will see a game there this year, I say we give our English brethren yet another game. London has so much to offer as a host city, starting with the game locale Wembley Stadium. This famed stadium has been host to some of the most famous musical and sporting events in the world including the Olympics, the World Cup and Live Aid. Built in 1922 and designed to accommodate 120,000 fans, the stadium has held many memorable events in its storied history, with people regularly clamoring for tickets just to witness events on its hallowed field. The stadium and its long history is equivalent to combining Lambeau Field, Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. The world over knows about Wembley. It recently went through some upgrades and now is even better than ever, as we will see on display later this season.

Why London and Wembley? Obviously the history is appealing. Wembley Stadium would be enough of a draw. But outside of that is London itself. Filled with historical buildings and sights, a fabulous culture and fantastic people, London would provide an excellent destination to see a football game. The fans there are passionate, and I imagine would help teach us about soccer as we teach them about what we call football. So grab a basket of fish and chips and settle down for a rousing NFL tilt! Plus, who would not want to get their picture taken with Big Ben in front of Big Ben?

The opponent? Why the New England Patriots of course. What better way to thank our biggest world ally than defeating a team called the Patriots right in their own backyard?

Super Bust watch

The Super Bust, the biggest game of the season. Nope, you are not reading this wrong. For those new readers out there, the Super Bust is a concept created here last season to help fill the non football void created during the week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. This game would pit the two preseason Super Bowl favorites that did not make the big game against each other the weekend before the NFL Championship. Brilliant in its simplicity, the Super Bust allows fans to have one more weekend of football, and show everyone that picking Super Bowl teams before the season begins is merely an exercise in futility. The Super Bust would have a permanent home in Las Vegas, allowing many fans who cannot afford a nice vacation for the Super Bowl a chance to get out and shake off the winter doldrums somewhere warm and fun. The list of benefits is never ending. Here is a short list of all the things the Super Bust could provide.

- A chance for two fan bases to see their team in action one more time before next season
- An added opportunity for one team to end their season with a win.
- Some extra earnings for players
- A chance for each organization to strengthen their team monetarily and physically with added income as well as additional draft choices
- An opportunity to show how futile picking Super Bowl winners before the season really is
- An extra football game when we really need one
- A weekend of football and fun in Las Vegas
- A perfect excuse to go to Las Vegas (like you need one anyway)
- An excuse to have another big game party, this one where the game really does not matter
- A chance to use the game as a warm up to your real party the next week for the Super Bowl. Try out those far out recipes you think may not work on the real game day. Almost like a Party Pre Season.
- Staving off football withdraw for another two weeks
- Another game for the NFL Network to air, giving more practice to both their broadcast crews and technical crews as well as increasing demand for the network itself
- Something for the sports media to talk about during the dead time when all other Super Bowl stories and angles have been beaten to death
- food and service industries seeing a bigger bump in production and sales, thus adding more stimulus to the economy
- Businesses around the world that have a stake in football seeing an increased profit, adding even more stimulus to the economy
- The advertising industry having another forum to debut killer commercials, almost like an exhibition commercial season
- Better play from the preseason favorites during the regular season, since none of them would want to play in the Super Bust

Now, I have yet to see commissioner Goodell move on this idea, and normally that would tweak me big time. But as his hands have been full with many other issues this off season, so it is completely understandable as to why this game has not yet become official. In the meantime, we will name our starters for the game and the alternates, and hope Goodell keeps an eye on them as well.

This season it was way too easy, everyone seems to think they know who will be in and win the big game.

NFC Representative: The New Orleans Saints

The Saints had a monster year last year with a revamped offense and a new coach. They looked fantastic all year, revitalized hope in the Gulf Coast region and were easily the best feel good story of the year. This season, their offense looks even stronger and they are working hard to build upon their new culture of winning.

Why they will make the Super Bust: The Saints have a much harder schedule this season, they have lost a few veteran leaders on offense and defense, their defense does not seem to be overly improved and while last year was fantastic, they played with a ton of emotion. That cannot last forever. The Saints will have a good season, but not Super Bowl good.
Alternate: The Philadelphia Eagles


AFC Representative: The New England Patriots
The Patriots went all the way to the buzzer in the AFC championship game on luck, talent and a patchwork receiving corps. The culture of winning and team first is as strong as ever in Foxboro, and with a key defensive addition and a new receiving corps, they look to be unstoppable on paper.

Why they will make the Super Bust: The Patriots have too much buzz and everyone talking about how their additions will make the difference. But Tom Brady still managed to throw for over 3500 yards with a bunch of who dats and nobodies, so I doubt a few name receivers will make that big of a difference, especially when one is a time bomb and broken down. All the new faces also will provide an issue of chemistry and team cohesiveness at least at the beginning of the season, and without Seymour and Harrison for the first quarter of the season, their defense will initially struggle when they need it most.
Alternate: The San Diego Chargers

There you have it, the combatants for the Super Bust. We will check in with them from time to time, to follow their progress on making it to the big game before that super thingy.

Idiot of the week

This week’s Idiot is Rich Eisen of the NFL Network. On the Monday broadcast of NFL Total Access, the show opened with the story that Charlie Frye will be the first week starter in Cleveland. But Rich could not get why Browns would only name a starter week to week as opposed to naming one permanently. Terrell Davis and Marshall Faulk both had excellent observations and explanations for coach Crennel’s move, but Rich seemed stuck on this point. Rich, this one is easy. Crennel knows his best quarterback is Brady Quinn. He also knows that A) Quinn is not ready and B) he is not about to sacrifice his future franchise starter to the Pittsburgh defense on opening day. That is just foolish. But he also wants Browns fans to have some hope that they will soon see the future of the franchise under center. So he sends out Frye, his sacrificial lamb, and keeps the competition open so fans know that while Quinn is sitting momentarily, his time will come and it could be soon. Come on Rich, you are smarter than that, I know it. Bad way to start the season Rich.

This week’s Games

Once again, I will spend the season attempting to conjure the winners of each match up as I go head to head in competition with others attempting to do the same in a little friendly competition. Please use these expertly researched picks at your own risk. Just to clarify, we do not work with point spreads or final scores or the over under or any other betting form, this is merely straight up picks, who will win and who will lose. With that being said, let us reset the tally counter for the new season.

Last week 0-0
Season to date 0-0

So fresh and pristine, I love it. Now, let’s see if we can soil it. As always, away teams are listed first and a new twist, season records! Yes, I know that means zip this week, but it will mean something by, say, week seven.

This week may be the hardest of the entire season, as you really do not know what teams have up their sleeve. No one has shown a tendency or pattern, and you have no idea what new talent will break through. With that in mind, the pattern this week will be to go with the home teams. Home teams typically get a bump from their jazzed up fans. But enough already with the explanations and nonsense, we’ve waited long enough. On to the games!

Thursday

New Orleans (0-0) vs. Indianapolis (0-0)

The Saints look strong again. I believe they will show everyone last year was not a fluke. Their offense could even be more devastating than last year. But who really thinks they are beating Peyton Manning in his stadium, in front of his fans, on national television with the entire football world watching on the night he is crowned a DEFENDING Super Bowl champion? Not me.

Colts over Saints


Sunday

Kansas City (0-0) vs. Houston (0-0)

The Matt Schaub era officially begins in Houston and all 14 Texan fans are beside themselves with joy. Whether it is more successful than the David Carr era has yet to be determined, but it will get off to at least an equally successful start. Carr won his first game, and Schaub will too. Just so I have it on record that I said it before they collapse, the Chiefs will have a lousy season. A patchwork offensive line that will give no quarterback time or pave any path for Larry Johnson, Johnson who will show effects early from sitting out of camp and later in the season because he ran so much last year, a thin receiving corps and unremarkable defense will all combine to form a bouillabaisse of bad football. I predicted last season they would stink with their offensive line starting to retire. They only partially stunk. This year, another of their stalwart offensive line stars hung up his cleats, and the team is far worse off without him. It will show mightily.

Texans over Chiefs

Miami (0-0) vs. Washington (0-0)

Cam Cameron started off his tenure in Miami with bad decisions, namely not drafting Brady Quinn and then trading for 37 year old Trent Green as his quarterback. Now Cameron, and unfortunately Dolphin fans as well, must live with these decisions. How long before Green gets injured and the Cleo Lemon era begins again? Washington is hoping for more development out of Jason Campbell. And while the Miami defense looks tough, I think Campbell can handle an aging Jason Taylor and Joey Porter with a bad wheel.

Redskins over Miami

Denver (0-0) vs. Buffalo (0-0)

Everyone seems to be excited about Denver, but I have trouble seeing it. A new running back albeit one who has loads of experience and a desire to burn the Bills, questions all through the defensive line and a second year quarterback who has the talent, but has yet to show the grasp of the position in a real game do not seem so show a strong start for me. Mind you, I think it will come together, but such things take time. Buffalo on the other hand also has a new running back, however one with no experience, but does have a quarterback who seems to be getting it, an excellent deep threat receiver and new middle linebacker who will soon be the toast of the NFL. Their biggest problem is the rest of the defense which has been decimated by free agency departures and injury. So who to go for, as each team seems to have just enough flaws to make one wonder. Wait what’s this; Denver has lost its last three road openers. Ok, that makes it easier. Home team wins again.

Bills over Broncos

Carolina (0-0) vs. St. Louis (0-0)

I cannot tell which direction these teams are heading. It seems down, but they show flashes of brilliance from time to time enough to make you wonder. St. Louis has a much better running back in Stephen Jackson, so take that for what it’s worth.

Rams over Panthers

Pittsburgh (0-0) vs. Cleveland (0-0)

As always, I am slightly biased for one of these teams. Take a guess who? But putting that bias aside, this is still a pretty easy pick. And with the proximity of the two cities, it may look more like a home game for Pittsburgh anyway.

Steelers over Browns

Atlanta (0-0) vs. Minnesota (0-0)

How many dog fighting taunts will the Falcons hear on the road this season? Far too many to count I imagine. Shame too, since they are not the ones who deserve it. They should be happy they do not play in Philadelphia this season. I like Minnesota’s tough defense and ball control offense. Atlanta, well, we have no idea what they have in store just yet. They could be the outcast kid who nobody likes and use that as inspiration for a monster season, or just fall apart. Tough call, but for week one, I side with the home team yet again.

Vikings over Falcons

Tennessee (0-0) vs. Jacksonville (0-0)

Vince Young electrified fans everywhere with his derring do upon taking the starter’s job last season. Unfortunately, supporting cast has not really improved all that much this year, and now teams know what to expect from him. The Jaguars have created a mess at quarterback, and it will bite them hard at some point. Still, they can pull off a win at home if their defense is still strong.

Jaguars over Titans

New England (0-0) vs. New York Jets (0-0)

Ok, just so I follow, the Patriots are the darling of the NFL because they signed a few players in free agency? And now, they will begin their march toward their inevitable championship? Just trying to put the facts together, that’s all. Oh wait; here are a few things that might cause them to stumble. No Rodney Harrison or Richard Seymour for the first four weeks, they have Asante Samuel but he has not played since mini camp and is out of shape, Randy Moss has a bad hamstring so who knows what to expect there, and they cut Reche Caldwell last year’s leading receiver and created a perfect bad karma move. Add to this that Caldwell has been looking to get a job with the Jets, and it all adds up to a potential upset. Sounds like too much drama, and we never even touched on the team chemistry issues and Brady’s new baby mucking up his head. One last thing, do not underestimate the bad blood between the teams and how much Mangini would love to win just to stick it to Belichick. Me, I’m taking the Jets with new running back stud Thomas Jones.

Jets over Patriots

Philadelphia (0-0) vs. Green Bay (0-0)

I like Green Bay’s defense. They look tough and stingy. Of course, that could just be the fumes from the preseason still lingering. The real problem is they have no running threat. How many games can the defense keep them in if the other team consistently keys on Favre? Not enough. If someone from their buffet of backs steps up, I’ll re-evaluate, until then, I find them shaky against a good team.

The Eagles are a good team and with McNabb back and looking sharp, they look ready to reclaim the division and conference. That should be the difference here.

Eagles over Packers

Detroit (0-0) vs. Oakland (0-0)

Woof. Its pretty much all I can say. I have heard and read just a smidgen too much about the Detroit offense and how will it explode. Uh huh, really, exactly how? Sure they drafted Calvin Johnson, who could be a game breaker, but what else did they do? They still have Kitna at quarterback, Kevin Jones is still banged up and they are turning to Tatum Bell at running back and their offensive line is still offensive. Plus, their defense still stinks. I think the word everyone is looking for is implode, much like what most Lion fans wish Matt Millen’s head would do.

On the other side, we have the Raiders. Yikes. These guys are so bad JaMarcus Russell wants nothing to do with them. What does that tell you? They do, however, have a good defense, believe it or not. And Lane Kiffin has been smart by installing a run oriented ball control offense. If Daunte Culpepper can show his knee is healthy, they might have a chance to win a few games. But I guess that would require him to beat out starter Josh McCown. Who knows, this game is just crappy enough to annoy me and send me toward the wrong pick. Wow, I wonder what kind of omen this is for the season me picking the Raiders.

Raiders over Lions

Chicago (0-0) vs. San Diego (0-0)

Now here we have a good match up, one that could have been the Super Bowl last year if not for some atrocious coaching. The Bears still are running with Grossman, for good or bad. Who knows which, but if he does not hold onto the ball better, the Bear faithful will go bananas. For the moment his job is safe, I mean what Bears fan really feels strongly about Brian Griese?

As for the Chargers, well, I am not convinced Norv Turner is the answer. Sure, he is an unbelievable offensive coordinator, but head coach? Ask Skins fans their thoughts on his team leadership. A.J. Smith may have won his battle with Shottenheimer, but he may lose the war by hamstringing an uber talented team and failing to deliver a championship. Plus, 10 bucks says Tomlinson has nowhere close the season he did last year. But today, sing it with me. San-Di-e-go, Super Char-gers!

Chargers over Bears

Tampa Bay (0-0) vs. Seattle (0-0)

Seattle’s slow fade continues. If you don’t believe me, what how much closer this division race is come December. Tampa Bay, there is nothing slow about that fade. Amazing is it not how one coach can almost completely destroy a Super Bowl team. Forget this one, without Alstott on offense to save the bacon; the Buccaneers will sink off the Puget Sound.

Seahawks over Buccaneers

New York Giants (0-0) vs. Dallas (0-0)

Please, this one is easy as cake. With all the infighting, sniping and basic me-first attitude that has become the Giants, they have no chance. They are working on self destructing before the season even starts. Although I’ll give a few points to Eli for smacking back at Tiki, but only a few since he should have done it sooner. As for Dallas, I am not jumping on the Wade Phillips love train just yet, but he will make the defense tougher. The bigger question is Tony Romo. Is he the real deal or a flash in the pan? Will the playoff meltdown affect him, or make him stronger? I do not think he will answer them definitively on Sunday night, but he’ll give us a peek at the answer key.

Cowboys over Giants

Monday

Baltimore (0-0) vs. Cincinnati (0-0)

The first of two games for a Monday night extravaganza, and the only one people will watch. Chad Johnson has promised something special for his first touchdown of the season, and I for one cannot wait to see it. However, I may have to, since they open against the Ravens. With Adalius Thomas gone, the Ravens may suffer on defense, but they still have Ed Reed and that is saying something. While the Raven offense has never impressed me, it impresses me more than the Bungle defense.

Ravens over Bengals

Arizona (0-0) vs. San Francisco (0-0)

Who, exactly, will watch this game other than me? Who is clamoring for the Cardinals and 49ers in prime time? You got me. The Arizona offense looks fantastic, but they still have a questionable line. Their defense is terrible, as usual. The 49ers have been slowly building a solid team, and are better all around than their Monday night combatant. Ken Whisenhunt will find out how far he really has to go to turn this team around.

49ers over Cardinals