Monday, December 28, 2009

The Mondays: Finally, no more 16-0 talk!

I'll be honest, I was kind of happy to see the Colts lose on Sunday. It had to happen at some point. You can't really be perfect in this day and age. Let's face it, who really wants to be perfect?

I think the idea of perfection is overrated. I say that because in life, as much as we try to strive for it, we can never obtain perfection. The game of football shouldn't be about finishing the season undefeated (unless you live in the freaky world of FBS football).

In the NFL, it should be about winning the Super Bowl. Every team has that goal of hoisting the Lombardi trophy at the end of the season. It shouldn't matter if you finish the season with the best record in the NFL or if you squeaked into the sixth and final wild card spot because every team has the same shot.

The Steelers won the Super Bowl as a wild card team in '05, so did the Giants in '07. They were both far from perfect teams, but they still won the Super Bowl.

The best teams don't win the Super Bowl sometimes. That's how life works. How a team performs in the postseason is what counts. The Cardinals weren't the best team in the NFC last season, but they made it all the way to the Super Bowl. All 12 teams that make the playoffs this season have the same equal opportunity.

Unfortunately, there can never be another undefeated team like the '72 Miami Dolphins. The '72 team was light years ahead of everyone. They had the best offense and defense at the time.

Everything clicked for Miami because the league was different back then. Think about it, there was no salary cap and a lot of the innovations you see today weren't around in '72.

I look forward to the playoffs. It should be a fun and exciting time. However, if an undefeated team should ever come along, the only thing I take solace in is the fact that the '72 Dolphins won't be holding any champagne parties.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Friday Briefs: Seasons Greetings

I went 3-2 this week. I'm 55-23 for the season. Maybe my gift can be another 5-0 week.

CHRISTMAS PICK: San Diego over Tennessee
Cincy over KC
New England over Jacksonville
New Orleans over Tampa
UPSET PICK: Baltimore over Pittsburgh

Have a Happy Holidays and a great weekend!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Hump Day: Loser Rankings for December 23

1. St. Louis Rams- They need a quarterback...Then again, they need a lot of things.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- They own the tiebreaker advantage over Detroit because they've scored only 214 points for the season.

3. Detroit Lions- They did hold their own against Arizona. They have at least one more win in them.

4. Kansas City Chiefs- They did lose to the Browns.

5. Washington Redskins- When you do something stupid like the fake field goal you tried to pull off on Monday Night Football, you end up on this list. Plus, it helps that Cleveland has won two straight games.

Monday, December 21, 2009

The Mondays: The Cardinal Conundrum


When the Arizona Cardinals won against Minnesota earlier this month, they looked to be on the right track and good to go for the playoffs. They came off a tough last second loss to the Titans, and the win against a the Vikings helped the Cardinals prove their worth in the NFC.

They had a few key wins earlier in the season, including a win in the Meadowlands against the Giants and a 20-plus point win in Chicago. At 8-4, the Cards looked ready to claim their second straight division title in the NFC West.

By no means was the San Francisco game a clinching game, but a win against the 49ers would have put to rest any hopes of somebody taking the West from the defending NFC champions. That said, they still needed to win, last Monday night. And things were looking well for the Cardinals going into that Monday night game against the 49ers.

Seven turnovers later, the Cardinals left San Francisco with an ugly loss. Kurt Warner threw two picks in the loss and the Cards fumbled seven times (five counted as turnovers). It really was a frustrating game for the Cardinals.

On Sunday, the Cardinals just squeaked out a win against the Detroit Lions, who have been a popular team on our Loser Rankings as of late.

The Cards jumped out to a 17-0 lead at halftime. However, the Lions put on the board 17 points of their own in the third quarter, including a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown by Louis Delmas.

Detroit never took the lead, but did tie the game, 24-24, with less than four minutes left. It was a Warner touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin with 1:54 left, that put the Lions away for good. With the 161 yard rushing day by the Lions (126 via Maurice Morris), it marked the second straight week that the Cardinals gave up more than 150 yards rushing on defense.

Now let's make this point that yes, the Cardinals did clinch the NFC West after the 49ers lost to the Eagles on Sunday.

The Cardinals should be happy to be back in the playoffs. But that's not why I'm writing the column.

It was one year ago today that the Cardinals lost their snowy affair to the New England Patriots, 47-7. I didn't really have much to say about that day, but it was definitely a tough one for the Cardinals to take. They lost two of their final three games and found themselves in the wild card game against Atlanta.

Sure enough, those Cards did run the table and made it all the way to the Super Bowl. It was definitely one of the best playoff runs for a team in NFL History (Note: I'm not saying it's the best run, just one of the best).

By no means am I calling the Cardinals a bad team. They've played well this season, better than last season. You can credit the defense for that. Going into Sunday, the Cardinals were the sixth best defense in the NFC. Last season though, the Cards were the third worst in the NFC, behind an 0-16 Lions and the Rams.

With the Saints and Vikings all stumbling this weekend, and Philly winning big over San Francisco, it's safe to say the Cardinals are still in decent shape. They will most likely be playing on wild card weekend though. But this is a team that has the potential to get hot at the right time. The only question I have is, will they or won't they?

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Friday, December 18, 2009

Friday Briefs: Week 15 picks

So my all-upset picks didn't go as well as I hoped. I went 2-2 for the picks. I'm 52-21 for the regular season.

KC over Cleveland
Baltimore over Chicago (This pains me to type)
Tennessee over Miami
San Diego over Cincy
UPSET PICK: Buffalo over New England

See you guys on Monday

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Hump Day Loser Rankings: Hey we're freezing here

1. Detroit Lions- When you lose by more than 40 points, you tend to find yourself get to the top of the list a lot faster than usual. The Lions leapfrogged everyone.

2. St. Louis Rams- The Rams got rid of Richie Incognito after his two personal foul calls in Sunday's loss to the Titans. The bad news is that the Rams need to sell 8,000 tickets or they face a tv blackout. Such a shame too, because they're wearing their throwback unis.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- The Bucs seem to be defying the logic I've set for them. I am a bit embarrassed, but hey I know when I'm wrong.

4. Kansas City Chiefs- Ordinarily they would be at the No. 5 spot, but Cleveland won against Pittsburgh.

5. Cleveland Browns- See No. 4.

See you Friday.

Monday, December 14, 2009

The Mondays: We still can confirm that it is December

San Diego Chargers 20 - Dallas Cowboys 17- ROMO ALERT: It's still December. But let's at least acknowledge that the Cowboys do have a tough schedule for their final three games (which included the Chargers on Sunday).

They get the undefeated Saints next, who are still fighting for that homefield advantage, Washington, who always gives them a rough time and they get Philly, who will no doubt be gunning for the NFC East. The Cowboys could win one of those two, but a lot of people aren't putting it past them to keep the losing streak going. We'll see what happens on Saturday night.

New England Patriots 20 - Carolina Panthers 10- It seems all the talk is about Randy Moss. Is he done in New England? Some Panther players think Moss"shut it down". It's possible, but with the year the Patriots have had, this could just be one of those years where nothing goes right. It's been a frustrating year for the Patriots.

A lot of people are speculating that the Pats are peaking. I don't know for sure. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Pats go out next week and put up 50 against Buffalo. Then again, they could lose by 3 late, as well.

Miami Dolphins 14 - Jacksonville Jaguars 10- With the win on Sunday in Jacksonville, Miami needs to parlay this into three more wins and hope Jacksonville and Baltimore falter to get the sixth spot in the AFC Wild Card. They have Tennessee, Houston and Pittsburgh. A lot hinges on what Baltimore does though. Jacksonville still holds the sixth spot, but they have Indy, New England and Cleveland. I wouldn't be surprised if Jacksonville lost all three games.

Baltimore Ravens 48 - Detroit Lions 3- The Ravens need to win out, but they have a decent shot to get that sixth spot. The Ravens get Chicago (great another loss for my guys), Pittsburgh and Oakland (spoiler alert).

Sunday Night Recap: Philadelphia Eagles 46 - New York Giants 38- The Eagles lead in the East. Meanwhile, the Giants are in danger of falling out of the playoff race for good this season. Philly gets San Francisco, Denver and Dallas.

Two out of three (one of them being a Dallas win) should give the Eagles the NFC East. The Giants need to beat Washington (road), Carolina, and Minnesota (2nd seed). They could potentially win out, but Dallas is the wild card (no pun intended) for the rest of the season.

MONDAY NIGHT PICK: Arizona over San Francisco

Friday, December 11, 2009

Friday Briefs: Your Week 14 Picks

I went 4-1 last week, completely missing on the Tampa upset. I am now 50-19 for the season. I'll make only four picks this week and they will all be upsets.

Tampa Bay over New York (Jets)- It's Tampa at home and Kellen Clemons starts for the Jets.

Cincinnati over Minnesota- The Bengals will be fighting for the second seed up until the end of the season. The loss to the Cardinals could mean the Vikings are hitting the wall.

Buffalo over Kansas City- Would you believe the Bills have scored three more points this season than the Chiefs?

San Diego Chargers over Dallas Cowboys- It is December, ya know!

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Hump Day: A Snowy Loser Rankings

1. Cleveland Browns- The Browns have the longest losing streak in the NFL. Who knows, maybe they can knock off the struggling Steelers.

2. St. Louis Rams- They did stick with the Bears, which is kinda sad.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- They didn't really do too well against Carolina. Maybe Jake Delhomme should have played.

4. Detroit Lions- They have one more win in them, I think. I wouldn't be surprised if they beat the Bears.

5. Kansas City Chiefs- Would you believe that they have more wins on the road than at home?

See you Friday!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Tuesdays with Romo: Just Grudenized

Last night's game was awful. No recap for today. I'll see you guys on Wednesday. Don't be surprised if I'm buried in snow (not really, but you get the point).

Monday, December 7, 2009

The Mondays: I'm Free Falling (Not really)

Oakland Raiders 27 - Pittsburgh Steelers 24...

Miami Dolphins 22 - New England Patriots 21...

So two of the three gatekeepers in the AFC are on a combined six game losing streak (Steelers-4, Patriots-2). The Patriots have one win on the road (should be technically a neutral site since the game was in London). The Patriots need to win on the road.

The Steelers couldn't beat Bruce Gradkowski. They haven't won since the Monday night game in Denver. Things just look awful for Pittsburgh. The Steelers need to win on Thursday night against Cleveland. No if' and's or but's.

New York Giants 31 - Dallas Cowboys 24- ROMO ALERT: It's December! The namesake threw the ball 55 times on Sunday. He completed 41 passes for 391 yards and three touchdowns. So this loss falls on the Cowboys. Could this be the start of something bad for the Boys.

New Orleans Saints 33 - Washington Redskins 30- The Saints just don't like the idea of losing. They're an unstoppable force. I still think they have a stumble at some point.

Philadelphia Eagles 34 - Atlanta Falcons 7- The Falcons are in desperation mode at this point. They need to win out to even consider a wild card spot.

Seattle Seahawks 20 - San Francisco 17- Alex Smith has a great game. But the Seahawks are tied for second in the West with the win Sunday. The Niners are now three games back of the Cardinals in the NFC West.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Arizona Cardinals 30 - Minnesota Vikings 17- The Cards need two wins to clinch the NFC West. They get San Francisco, Detroit and St. Louis in the next three games. I think they can do it. They can clinch back-to-back division titles for the first time...ever!

MONDAY NIGHT PREDICTION: Green Bay over Baltimore

Friday, December 4, 2009

Friday Briefs: Your Snowy Picks


Had the first legit snowfall of the season on Thursday. It's a bit later than usual, but hey no complaints here. Last week, we went 6-2 (Thanksgiving picks included). I'm now 46-18 for the season. Here's the picks:

Philly over Atlanta
Denver over KC
Jacksonville over Houston
UPSET PICK: Miami over New England
UPSET PICK #2: Tampa over Carolina

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Hump Day: Some early December Loser Rankings


1. Cleveland Browns- They just keep falling apart. They're the lowest scoring team out of all the 1-10 teams. But the worst news for the Browns has to be the loss of Shaun Rogers for the season. He was probably their only star. Things just look awful for Cleveland. I am still interested in the Browns GM position (hint drop).

2. St. Louis Rams- The Rams actually had a decent shot against the Seahawks, but it didn't work out. The good news for them is that they get a freefalling Chicago Bears team.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- I hate putting this team at #3 because they've been playing great football as of late. Josh Freeman is probably blooming flower for the Bucs. He has 793 yards passing, along with seven TD passes in five games this season. I hope he can keep this up, because Tampa needs something to look forward to.

4. Detroit Lions- Just wasn't meant to be their season. It happens you know!

5. Oakland Raiders- They're the lowest scoring team in the NFL. How can the Raiders not be on this list?

See you guys on Friday!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Tuesdays with Romo: Saints dominate the Patriots

It's true. The Saints didn't beat the Patriots, but they annihilated them. Drew Brees had a marquee game that pretty much propelled him into the MVP discussions. Brees only had five incompletions the entire game.

He had a perfect QB rating, 371 yards passing and five touchdowns. By the way, those five TD passes were to five different receivers.

The Saints are good, but I don't think they can make it to 16-0. They have to stumble at some point. We'll see what happens though.

Monday, November 30, 2009

The Mondays: So about Tennessee...

Tennessee Titans 20 - Arizona Cardinals 17- The Titans are no doubt hotter than Hansel right now. I think Mugatu would agree with that. Vince Young has turned this 0-6 cellar team into something amazing. I said the Titans were the best 0-3 team at one point. Of course, I also lost my faith in the Titans. They get Indy on the road next week. If the Titans can beat Indy, they'll be 6-6. Their toughest opponent is San Diego in their final four games. If the Titans can go 3-1, to go along with the Indy win, they have a very good shot at gaining a wild card spot. Considering how the Titans started, it would be one of the greatest comebacks of all time.

Indianapolis Colts 35 - Houston Texans 27- Peyton Manning showed why he's one of the best. He really pulled the Colts out of their first half lag and took them to a win in Houston. The Texans. Manning didn't play too great in the first half, but hey they pulled it together and that's what counts.

Atlanta Falcons 20 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17- No Matt Ryan and Michael Turner for the Falcons. Chris Redman helped get the Falcons to victory on Sunday. So...yay Chris Redman!

New York Jets 17 - Carolina Panthers 6- A 12.7 QB rating for Jake Delhomme? I think time's running out for Delhomme in Carolina.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Baltimore Ravens 20 - Pittsburgh Steelers 17- The Ravens won it in OT. They needed the win and got it. The Steelers might be having some issues though. We have to wait and see though.

MONDAY NIGHT PREDICTION: New England over New Orleans

See you Tuesday!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving and Weekly Picks

I won't be doing too much blogging due to the Thanksgiving week. I will have a post up for Monday. Here's my Thanksgiving picks though:

Green Bay over Detroit
Dallas over Oakland
New York over Denver


Now my regular picks. Last week, I went 4-1. I'm now 40-16 for the season.

Atlanta over Tampa Bay
Cincy over Cleveland
Philly over Washington
San Francisco over Jacksonville
UPSET PICK: Houston over Indy

Have a great Thanksgiving, guys!

Monday, November 23, 2009

The Mondays: San Diego proves they're a good team

San Diego Chargers 32 - Denver Broncos 3- The Chargers are indeed one of the hottest teams in the AFC. They wanted to make a statement and they did it. The Chargers are hot, the Broncos are not. All of the sudden after their 6-0 start, the Broncos have lost four straight. Denver gets the Giants for Thanksgiving. If the Broncos lose in the Meadowlands on Thursday night, then don't expect them to win the West.

Detroit Lions 38 - Cleveland Browns 37- These are two teams that actually put up points. Matthew Stafford and Brady Quinn had big games today. Stafford threw for 422 yards and five touchdowns, including the game winner as time expired.

Dallas Cowboys 7 - Washington Redskins 6- The Cowboys didn't look very good on Sunday. Then again, who really did look good out of the East on Sunday?

Oakland Raiders 20 - Cincinnati Bengals 17- The Bengals had to stumble at some point. They're good, but not that good.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Philly defeats Chicago- I cursed when the game ended and I'll probably curse for the rest of the week. I don't even want to put in the score, that's how unhappy I am. I just can't bring myself to talk about this game.

MONDAY NIGHT PREDICTION: Houston over Tennessee. (NOTE: I will not be tweeting this game, so you'll have to make your own Gruden jokes.)

Enjoy your Monday! I can only hope I'll enjoy mine.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Friday Briefs: Your Picks


I went 3-2 once again, last week. I'm now 36-15 for the season. Here we go on picks:

Green Bay over San Francisco
New York (Giants) over Atlanta
Jacksonville over Buffalo
UPSET PICK 1: San Diego over Denver
UPSET PICK 2: Cleveland over Detroit

Have a safe weekend everybody!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Hump Day: A Fresh Batch of Loser Rankings


1. Cleveland Browns- This might be the only team in the league that hasn't shown any signs of improvement over the course of the season. There is some good news (and there isn't any car insurance involved). The Browns get to face our #2 team on this list on Sunday.

2. Detroit Lions- Matthew Stafford hasn't had a lot of luck this season. In seven games this season, he's completed six touchdown passes and thrown 12 interceptions. But then again, it's the Lions and there isn't a lot of talent on the team outside of Calvin Johnson. The good news for the Lions is that they get to face the Browns this week.

3. Oakland Raiders- They did lose to the Chiefs this week. Could the JaMarcus Russell era be over in Oakland? With two touchdown passes and nine interceptions, it looks like Bruce Gradkowski could get his shot at the starting job. But then again, it's the Raiders. Either way, we'll find out later this afternoon.

4. St. Louis Rams- I hate putting this team at #4, especially after how well they played against the New Orleans Saints. Unfortunately, they're the lowest scoring team in the NFC. That said, the Rams are still playing some great football. They get Arizona at home this Sunday.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- This is another team playing great football right now. They won against the Packers and almost beat the Dolphins. Josh Freeman has thrown for four touchdown passes and 401 yards in two starts this season.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Tuesdays with Romo: And now for something completely different

No recap of the Monday night game because it just wasn't worth it. So, enjoy this.

Monday, November 16, 2009

The Mondays: Game of the Year?


SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Indianapolis Colts 35 – New England Patriots 34-
This has to be one of the best games of the year, by far. The Patriots had a 17-point lead going into the fourth quarter. However, the Colts started to whittle away at the lead. Manning’s two fourth quarter touchdowns kept the Colts from putting a one in the loss column. Was it a mistake for the Patriots to go for it on fourth-and-two? Probably, but that’s how it works sometimes. You don’t get a favorable call and you have no challenges to your discretion. That’s life!

Cincinnati Bengals 18 – Pittsburgh Steelers 12- I’m really eating my words over the Bengals success this season. They have done far better than my original expectation. They’ve swept the Ravens and now the Steelers. How long will it be until we start calling these guys contenders for the Super Bowl?

Jacksonville Jaguars 24 – New York Jets 22- The Jags are gaining steam. They’ve gone 5-2 in their last seven games. By the way, their two straight wins have come by a combined five points. At 5-4, The Jags could make a run at the playoffs. However, they have Houston, Indianapolis, Miami and New England (they could be fighting for a first round bye). They even have to face Cleveland in their final regular season game in January. It could be a cold, snowy affair.

New Orleans Saints28 – St. Louis Rams 23- The Rams gave the Saints quite a scare on Sunday. Drew Brees had a “meh” kind of game. Marc Bulger actually had more yards and a better QB rating. The Saints appear to have peaked. This week, they get a Tampa Bay team that could be thinking of playing the spoiler role.

Kansas City Chiefs 16 – Oakland Raiders 10- In the “There Are No Winners, Only Losers” Bowl, the Chiefs decided to win this game. Jamaal Charles ran for 103 yards and one touchdown (which came on a fourth down) in the Chiefs first game without Larry Johnson on the sideline. Darrius Heyward-Bey missed the memo on being the hero of this game, as he bobbled the ball into the air and into the waiting arms of Chiefs safety Mike Brown

Green Bay Packers 17 – Dallas Cowboys 7- ROMO ALERT: The namesake passed for 1 touchdown, but was sacked five times in the loss. This game was…well it wasn’t much of a game. It was 3-0 for the first three quarters. All the excitement came in the fourth quarter, but the excitement was in favor of the Packers. Good news for fantasy owners, Roy Williams had a 100-yard receiving day.

MONDAY NIGHT PREDICTION: Baltimore over Cleveland by a lot.

See you guys on Tuesday.

(Photo Credit: Associated Press)

Friday, November 13, 2009

Friday Briefs: Your Week 10 Picks


Sadly, I went 3-2 last week. But hey, anybody has to go down a little bit after a 5-0 week. So now I'm 33-13 for the year. So here's the picks:

Tennessee over Buffalo
New York (Jets) over Jacksonville
Pittsburgh over Cincinnati
Arizona over Seattle
UPSET PICK: Kansas City over Oakland

See you guys on Monday.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Hump Day: A New Loser's Rankings



1. Detroit Lions-
The Lions are freefalling and it's a bit amusing to watch. Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press thinks it is possible for the Lions to win three straight. Maybe they can!

2. Kansas City Chiefs- They got rid of Larry Johnson on Monday. This process of rebuilding will be taking a while. Matt Cassel played a lot better after the bye week, passing for 262 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Jacksonville. Things could be looking up, but who knows.

3. Cleveland Browns- The Browns had a bye week. If they were smart, they'd be taking on some high school teams to prepare for their next game.

4. St. Louis Rams- Okay, so they got a bye week as well, but they did win their last game. Maybe they can take the rest of the season off.

5. Washington Redskins- To be fair, the Bucs did win their first game and it wasn't against the Lions. It was against the PACKERS!!! PARTY!!!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Tuesdays with Romo: The air is very thin

Pittsburgh Steelers 28 - Denver Broncos 10- This was a statement game for the Steelers. They're on the road against a pretty tough opponent in a place where it's hard to breathe, plus the Steelers are injury plagued. They struck hard though.

Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes in the win. Big credit though to Tyrone Carter for returning a 48-yard interception for a touchdown. Carter gets the Oh No Romo Player of the Game. For his efforts, he gets a free pair of argyle socks.

The Steelers are playing well, winning four straight. They get another shot at Cincy on Sunday. It's at home and they have a good shot. A win over the Bengals puts the Steelers back in the drivers seat in the AFC North. We'll see what happens.

As for the Broncos, well now they only have a one game lead over the Chargers. A win on Sunday will keep them ahead of San Diego, at least until the two encounter each other the week after.

See you guys on Wednesday.

Monday, November 9, 2009

The Mondays: Score one for the Creamsicles


Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38 - Green Bay Packers 28- So is it time to start panicking in Green Bay? If so, then PANIC!!! I don't care personally. It's nice to see the Bucs join the winners club of the 2009 NFL season. For their efforts they will receive a free pair of socks. I gotta ask though, was anybody else happy to see them bring back the creamsicle uniforms, even if it was only for one game?

Indianapolis Colts 20 - Houston Texans 17- The Colts survived a big scare today. How many more of these scares can they survive?

Atlanta Falcons 31 - Washington Redskins 17- The video is all I have to talk about this game.

Seattle Seahawks 32 - Detroit Lions 20- The Seahawks are certainly headed for a mediocre season. The Lions continue their losing ways though.

San Diego Chargers 21 - New York Giants 20- The Giants are free falling at a pace that nobody expected. I'm very surprised.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Dallas Cowboys 20 - Philadelphia Eagles 17- ROMO ALERT: The namesake passed for 307 yards and one touchdown. Could this Cowboy team be for real? We'll see after Thanksgiving for sure.

MONDAY NIGHT PICK: Pittsburgh over Denver

See you guys on Tuesday

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]

Friday, November 6, 2009

Friday Briefs: Week 9 Picks


Great news everybody, I went 5-0 last week. So now I'm 30-11 for the season. I've won over 70 percent of my games. It's a great feeling to know that I'm doing this well. I hope to maintain this position for the second half of the season. Here we go:

Seattle over Detroit
Indy over Houston
Jacksonville over KC
San Francisco over Tennessee
UPSET PICK: Carolina over New Orleans

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Hump Day: Your Loser Rankings for First Week of November

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- They're the only NFL team without a win this season. They get Green Bay this week. Josh Freeman makes his first NFL start this Sunday. Maybe he can get Tampa their first win too.

2. Cleveland Browns- They got rid of GM George Kokinis. That said, I announced on Twitter that I was interested in the GM position. I still am Mr. Lerner. I have qualifications...Okay maybe not, but still, I can't do any worse than before.

3. St. Louis Rams- I knew they would win at some point. Every team has to win. The Lions did it earlier this year and now the Rams are in the win column.

4. Detroit Lions- The Lions find themselves back on the list. The honeymoon is over. You guys are 1-6.

5. Kansas City Chiefs- The Chiefs won a spot over the Titans this week because the Titans won over Jacksonville.

The season standings are put off until the end of the season, when we declare our winner...I mean loser.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Tuesdays with Romo: Saints are 7-0

New Orleans Saints 35 - Atlanta Falcons 27- This was an interesting game for most of the night. The Saints looked like they were in control when they led at halftime 28-14.

The Falcons scored in the third quarter when Matt Ryan connected with Roddy White on a 68-yard touchdown pass. Jason Elam kicked a field goal in the fourth to get the Falcons within four points of the Saints. Elam missed two field goal kicks prior.

A New Orleans fumble gave the Falcons the ball in Saints territory. However, Ryan was picked off in the end zone. Pierre Thomas cushioned the Saints lead with a one-yard run for a touchdown.

The Falcons nailed a field goal late and recovered the onside kick. However, Ryan was picked off by Darren Sharper with eight seconds left in the game.

Drew Brees completed 25-of-33 for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Brees has now crossed the 2,000 yard plateau for the season. Ryan completed 19-of-41 for 289 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Michael Turner rushed for 151 yards and one touchdown in the Falcons loss.

The Saints could easily go 10-0 at this rate. They get Carolina this week, St. Louis and Tampa after that. Right now, the Saints just look great.

As for the Falcons, they're 4-3. They get Washington at home this week. If something were to happen and the Falcons lost, there would be a lot of issues. We'll see what happens though. That's why they play the games.

Monday, November 2, 2009

The Mondays: Another week has passed

Baltimore Ravens 30 - Denver Broncos 7- So now the Broncos aren't undefeated anymore. They lost on Sunday and that's that. Neither side had a great day on offense. Both teams didn't hit the 300 total yards plateau. This was an important win for the Ravens. They're now 5-3 and heading to Cincy on Sunday, looking for revenge.

Chicago Bears 30 - Cleveland Browns 7- The Bears needed to end their two-game skid and they did so against Cleveland. Word out of Cleveland is that Jamal Lewis might retire after the season. This comes according to the Cleveland Plains Dealer. As for head coach Eric Mangini, it sounds like his job is safe for the rest of the season.

St. Louis Rams 17 - Detroit Lions 10- Yours truly knew the Rams needed to win at some point. Sure enough, they did pick up that win. Steven Jackson is the only bright spot for this team this season. Jackson was third in the NFL in rushing yards. Fun Fact: Jackson picked up his first rushing touchdown of the season on Sunday.

Minnesota Vikings 38 - Green Bay Packers 26- I can't remember seeing the Packers have this much of an issue against the Vikings. It's not like them to lose this badly to the Vikings. (Stopped caring about Favre, suggest you do the same)

Tennessee Titans 30 - Jacksonville Jaguars 13- Chris Johnson put up big yards in the Titans first win of the season. The second-year star churned out 228 yards and two touchdowns.

Miami Dolphins 30 - New York Jets 25- So is there panic in the streets of New York yet? Or are New Yorkers still distracted with the Yankees?

Philadelphia Eagles 40 - New York Giants 17- LALALALALALALA YANKEES!!! That
s what I'd say if I was a New Yorker

San Diego Chargers 24 - Oakland Raiders 16- The Chargers get the Giants, Eagles and Broncos in their next three games. If they can take two out of three, with the second one being Denver, then the Chargers will be okay in the wild card hunt. Interesting issue with Raiders head coach Tom Cable.

MONDAY NIGHT PREDICTION: Atlanta over New Orleans

See you guys on Tuesday.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Friday Briefs: Week 8 Picks

I went 4-1 last week, narrowly missing out on the Miami upset. My current record is 25-11 for the year. In my Yahoo picks, I'm 69-34 (irrelevant but hey it's my blog.) Maybe this week I go 5-0.

Houston over Buffalo
Indianapolis over San Francisco
Dallas over Seattle
Chicago over Cleveland
UPSET PICK: St. Louis over Detroit (The Rams have to win at some point)

Have a great Halloween Weekend! If you go out, drive safely. I'll see you on Monday

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Hump Day: Week 7 Loser Rankings


1. St. Louis Rams- So I have no idea when the Rams will win a game again. Maybe they can win against Detroit this week.

2. Tennessee Titans- Well the Titans didn't lose this week...but they didn't win either.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- They couldn't strike it big in England. The good news for Tampa is that they won't be playing this weekend. This gives Tampa time to get Josh Freeman ready to start against Green Bay.

4. Cleveland Browns- Things are just flat out awful in Cleveland. Can things get any worse?

5. Washington Redskins- The picture says it all. Monday's game was just ugly. The turnovers were uglier. Let's face it, there is no alibi for this team.

See you guys on Friday.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Tuesdays with Romo: Meh

Philadelphia Eagles 27 - Washington Redskins 17- This game was just not that good. It was a bit exciting in the first half, but even that didn't last long. Both teams didn't play great. Last night was one of those games that couldn't end fast enough. I felt myself losing my mind in the second half. Jason Campbell passed for 246 yards in the loss.

There's not much that can really be said about the game. I think everyone has just checked out mentally in regards to this game. Even the ESPN guys are tired. See you guys on Wednesday.

Monday, October 26, 2009

The Mondays: I like leading with Favre losing


Pittsburgh Steelers 27 - Minnesota Vikings 17- This was probably the only good day for me. The Steelers defense came through big with two turnover touchdowns. Keyaron Fox scored the touchdown to put the Vikings away for good. Like I said, only happy part of day for yours truly.

Cincinnati Bengals 45 - Chicago Bears 10- This was such a painful day for me. Cedric Benson got his revenge. So now the Bears are at 3-3. The Bengals are 5-2. Such a crazy world. That said, I think it's time to get rid of Ron Turner.

Indianapolis Colts 42 - St. Louis Rams 6- The Colts are undefeated, the Rams haven't won a game.

New England Patriots 35 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7- Really New England? Only 35 points? I was expecting 60 out of you guys.

New Orleans Saints 46 - Miami Dolphins 34- My pick went right for the first three quarters. Sure enough, everything would fall apart. A 22-point fourth quarter got New Orleans to 6-0. The Saints proved that they can be a true contender in the NFC.

Dallas Cowboys 37 - Atlanta Falcons 21- ROMO ALERT: The namesake completed 21-of-29 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Arizona Cardinals 24 - New York Giants 17- Cheer up Giants fans, at least the Yankees are in the World Series.

MONDAY NIGHT PREDICTION: Philly over Washington D.C.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Friday Briefs: All about the picks

Last week, I went 3-2, nailing one of my upsets. I'm now 21-10 for the season. Here's some more picks.

Pittsburgh over Minnesota
San Diego over Kansas City
Houston over San Francisco
New England over Tampa
UPSET PICK: Miami over New Orleans


See you guys on Monday.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Hump Day: October 21 Loser Rankings

1. St. Louis Rams- I pick you guys for an upsetter and you win! Got it! So now the Rams have lost 16 straight. Could it get any worse?

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- They'll be putting in Josh Freeman at some point. Maybe this week?

3. Tennessee Titans- So the Titans could easily be #1 on this list if only because of the 59-0 loss to the Patriots.

4. Cleveland Browns- What can we say about the Browns that hasn't already been said?

5. Washington Redskins- When you lose to an "0-for" team, you end up on the list. When you lose to Kansas City, they get off the list for a week and you get on the list for the week. It's science people!

Still working on getting a proper points system set up. I'll put it this way though, the Rams are running away with the lead. They should be ready by week 8.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tuesdays with Romo: Floating doesn't get Chargers the win

Denver Broncos 34 - San Diego Chargers 23- This game was close until the end. The questionable Stokely touchdown catch in the fourth quarter did prove to be the difference.

Big props to Denver's Eddie Royal though! He returned a punt and kick return for a touchdown, last night. Darren Sproles for the Chargers returned a punt return for a touchdown. The two punt returns and one kick return was a first for the NFL.

Philip Rivers had 270 float yards with a float touchdown pass in the game.

So now the Broncos are 6-0. I totally biffed on this prediction. I had the Broncos going 4-12, just like Rick Reilly. I was once again wrong.

As for the Chargers, it's not too late to discount them. They've definitely shown that they're more of a second half team. We still have a long season ahead.

See you guys on Wednesday.

Monday, October 19, 2009

The Mondays: 59 points? Impressive!


New England Patriots 59 - Tennessee Titans 0- 59 points in an NFL game is tough to score. It's especially tougher when there's snow falling in October. Somehow, the Patriots like to score when the snow falls. Tom Brady threw six touchdown passes and they took him out of the game early. The Patriots had 32 first downs, as opposed to nine for the Titans. So when does Vince Young get his shot?

New Orleans Saints 48 - New York Giants 27- This was a statement game for the Saints. They needed to win on Sunday to prove that they're for real in the NFC. As the season progresses, that win could make the difference for home field in the NFC. We'll have to wait and see though.

Kansas City Chiefs 14 - Washington Redskins 6- So the Jim Zorn train is about ready to leave the station in Washington. It's no longer if, but when. Zorn can no longer call plays on offense now, according to Pro Football Talk.

Carolina Panthers 28 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21- The Panthers get Buffalo at home next. They could be 3-3 going to Arizona.

Oakland Raiders 14 - Philadelphia Eagles 9- Huh? Sorry, I was reading about the Phillies beating the Dodgers in game 3.

Buffalo Bills 16 - New York Jets 13- The Jets have lost three straight games. Is it time to start freaking out? Personally, I think it's funny.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Atlanta Falcons 21 - Chicago Bears 14- I admit, I cursed loudly on the fourth down play at the end of the game. For some backwards reason, the Falcons like beating the Bears. How about playing one in Soldier Field, eh Matty Ice? At 4-1, the Falcons are starting to prove that they are the real deal. It was a good win for them. Their next two games are road games against Dallas and New Orleans though. If they win against both teams, then they're a legit contender in the NFC.

MONDAY NIGHT PREDICTION: Denver over San Diego

See you guys on Tuesday.

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Friday, October 16, 2009

Friday Briefs: How about some picks

So last week was a so-so week in terms of picks. I almost nailed three upset picks. Last week, I went 4-2. For the season, I'm now 18-8. This week, we'll stick with five picks.

Cincinnati over Houston
Pittsburgh over Cleveland
Carolina over Tampa Bay
UPSET 1: St. Louis over Jacksonville
UPSET 2: Kansas City over Washington

That's right, I'm predicting a big weekend for the Missouri teams. Hopefully they won't let me down. See you guys on Monday.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Hump Day: The Loser Rankings- October 14


Here we are at another week.

1. St. Louis Rams- Well they're still quite bad. Who knows what will be of this Limbaugh talk?

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- So how did Josh Johnson work out last Sunday?

3. Tennessee Titans- I had faith in this team when they started 0-3. That faith is pretty much gone. Two questions remain: how worse can this season get for the Titans? And how long before Kerry Collins is out as starting quarterback?

4. Kansas City Chiefs- If it wasn't for Miles Austin and his 250 yard receiving day, the Chiefs would have a win already.

5. Buffalo Bills- When you lose 6-3 to the Browns you belong on the list for the week.

No UFL blog is planned (to my knowledge). See you guys on Friday.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Tuesdays with Romo: Wildcat=Success?

Yes, I made a crude looking design to describe the Dolphins offense for this season.

Miami Dolphins 31 - New York Jets 27- It was a wildcat kind of night for the Dolphins. The game winning touchdown by Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown was in fact via the wildcat.

It was a great game for Chad Henne, as he completed 20-of-26 for 241 yards and two touchdowns.

Brown and Ricky Williams did a great job running the football on Monday night.

On the other side, it was a so-so game for Mark Sanchez. However, we saw Braylon Edwards make a fairly good debut for the Jets. He did catch a touchdown pass and almost got a second one, but after a challenge by Miami, the officials ruled him down at the 1-yard line.

This division just got a bit more interesting after Monday night. The Jets and Patriots aren't running away with the division and Miami took a huge step Monday night to send the message to the AFC East that they aren't going away too soon.

Week 5 in Photos

All photos are courtesy of Reuters.







Monday, October 12, 2009

The Mondays: The Browns and Panthers finally win a game

Cleveland Browns 6 - Buffalo Bills 3- Who would have thought that Billy Cundiff and Rian Lindell would have been the leading scorers today...Then again, who would have thought that Derek Anderson could have a 2-for-17 passing day? Sadly the truth is, there are no winners.

Carolina Panthers 20 - Washington Redskins 17- The Redskins might be the biggest headscratcher in the NFL. They lost to the Lions and now the Panthers. This post from DC Sports Bog should say it all about Jim Zorn and how he's viewed in the media right now.

Cincinnati Bengals 17 - Baltimore Ravens 14- So the Bengals are in first place in the AFC North. I said they'd go 5-11. They're now 4-1 and they get Houston at home this upcoming week. Guess who's eating his words...? In case you didn't figure out, yeah I mean me. The Bengals have played terrific football this season. There's no reason why the Bengals can't make a statement and get to the playoffs.

Seattle Seahawks 41 - Jacksonville Jaguars 0- Great day for Matt Hasselbeck as he threw four touchdown passes.

Dallas Cowboys 26 - Kansas City (Dallas Texans) Chiefs 20- ROMO ALERT: Our namesake threw for 351 yards and two touchdowns. Oh and 250 of those yards belong to Miles Austin. He scored two touchdowns, including the game winner in overtime.

Denver Broncos 20 - New England Patriots 17- Looks like Josh McDaniels isn't getting a Christmas card from Bill Belichick anytime soon. More importantly, the Broncos, led by Kyle Orton, are 5-0. Not since the '98 season have the Broncos started 5-0.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Indianapolis Colts 31 - Tennessee Titans 9- So, umm, the Titans don't look very good. They're 0-5 and face New England this week. Oh and you don't want to face Bill Belichick after a loss. The Titans could go 0-6 heading into the bye week. The odds just aren't good in Tennessee.

MONDAY NIGHT PREDICTION: Miami over New York Jets

Enjoy your Monday!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Friday Briefs: Week 5 NFL Picks


So here we are at the fifth week in the NFL. I had a good week, last week. I went 4-1, just barely missing out on the upset pick. For the season, I am now 14-6 for the season.

Philly over Tampa
Minnesota over St. Louis
San Francisco over Atlanta
Cleveland over Buffalo (Technically an upset pick, but both teams stink this year. Does it really matter?)
UPSET PICK 1: Kansas City over Dallas
UPSET PICK 2: Denver over New England

See you guys on Monday.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

My UFL Review


Well, I'd say I've seen enough of the first United Football League game. If you've seen my Twitter posts, that sums up a lot of what I have to say, but not all of it. (Please note: I missed The Office and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia to watch this game.)

I would like nothing more than to see another professional football league succeed in this country. Unfortunately, the UFL doesn't look like it will be that league.

It's not because of the flashy design of the uniforms, which are terrible. It was such a pain how California and Las Vegas had similar jersey designs. It's not because refs are dressed like they work at a fast food restaurant. It's not even because it's a four team league. Well okay, a lot of it is because of those three reasons.

The UFL won't work out because it's not bringing anything new to the table. If you're going to compete with the NFL, you need to bring something that people haven't seen before. That's how it works in life. You can't just blow everybody away with a carbon copy of the NFL. You might get some of the people, but you won't get all of them. It's not a sustainable model.

The AFL was able to compete with the NFL in the 1960s because of the passing game. Sid Gillman and Joe Namath made the passing game sexy and that helped the AFL. The AFL had swagger. They had some goofy uniforms, but still brought something to the table.

The USFL had stars like Jim Kelly, Reggie White and Herschel Walker. They also played in the spring. That helped them out a lot. ESPN also got the USFL. Sure they folded, but they gave the NFL a run for it's money.

Hell, even the XFL went bold with their initiatives. People might not have liked the league, but at least they tried. The three things people will remember about the XFL are "He Hate Me," Tommy Maddox and the Opening Scramble.

It's interesting seeing the access on the field and at halftime, but it's not enough. If you're going to show us a locker room at halftime, you have to show more. The move seemed staged. The players all sat at their lockers like a high school team, while an assistant coach talked about the plans for the second half. It was a close game at halftime. Where's the emotion? Why no yelling from Denny Green?

If you want to light a fire, provide a spark. Do something bold! Don't be afraid to take risks and seek out innovative steps to improve the game of football.

If this is what we should expect from the UFL, I'll be surprised to see the league go for a second season. The league is just not that good and it's a shame. We'll see how the rest of the season goes, but I don't like the way it looks. The NFL has no reason to sweat over the UFL.

Live Tweeting the first UFL Game...

Follow me here. I have a live tweet of the first UFL game. I am risking missing the Office and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia over this...So you better tune in!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Hump Day: The Loser Rankings- October 7, 2009


So here we are at another week of the Loser's Rankings. And good news for Lions fans, they're not on the list. Can't say the same about the teams on this list now.

1. St. Louis Rams- You know you got it bad when Rush Limbaugh wants to buy your team.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- The Bucs did release Mike Nugent on Tuesday...Maybe things will look up for them?

3. Cleveland Browns- They could easily be #1, but there's still a long season ahead. It could be much longer for Braylon Edwards though.

4. Tennessee Titans- They lost three close games. However, the Titans lost by 20 points to Jacksonville. I think you can understand why they're on this list now...right?

5. Kansas City Chiefs- Probably should be at #4 or higher, but they're not.

We'll have a full points update by week 6.

See you guys on Friday.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Tuesdays with Romo: NO MORE FAVRE!

Minnesota Vikings 30 - Green Bay Packers 23- So Favre threw three touchdown passes. The Vikings won again and apparently all of Minnesota is happy...blah blah blah! Aaron Rodgers did almost throw for 400 yards on Monday Night. BUT DID ANYBODY CARE TO HEAR ABOUT THAT!? ESPN didn't care too much. They do love Favre after all!

See you guys on Wednesday.

Monday, October 5, 2009

The Mondays: My Birthday Post

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Okay, now that I got that out of the way. Here's what happened on Sunday:

Chicago Bears 48 - Detroit Lions 24- What better birthday gift could there be than a Bears victory? (For me at least)

Denver Broncos 17 - Dallas Cowboys 10- ROMO ALERT: Our namesake got sacked five times in yesterday's game. It's surprising to see the Broncos at 4-0 on the season. Can they finish the job though?

Cincinnati Bengals 23 - Cleveland Browns 20- This game was seconds away from being a tie.

Jacksonville Jaguars 37 - Tennessee Titans 17- Panic in the streets for Nashville? Not since 1983 have the Titans/Oilers started a season 0-4. And that was when they had Earl Campbell (granted near the end of his career). The Oilers that season went 2-14. I think the Titans will win more than two games, but 5-11 is starting to sound like a real possibility.

Miami Dolphins 38 - Buffalo Bills 10- I think I should have put the Bills in the Aztec Tomb...Chad Henne had an uneventful game. Instead, the props go to Ronnie Brown, who ran for two touchdowns.

New Orleans 24 - New York Jets 10- Are the Saints for real? At 4-0 it sounds like a real possibility. Anytime defense can score for you, it's always a good sign that you're a legit team on both sides of the ball. As for the Jets, well...you knew they had to lose at some point.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Pittsburgh Steelers 38 - San Diego Chargers 28- So the Steelers led 28-7 at the end of the third quarter. They should have this in the bag, right? Well, they didn't. A Jacob Hester returned a fumble for a touchdown, then Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes to get the Chargers within seven points of the Steelers. Jeff Reed came through when needed though and put the Steelers ahead by 10 late.

Are the Steelers in trouble? They did get the win. They get Detroit next week. We'll see what happens. As for San Diego, they got close, but not close enough. Still, can we expect the Broncos to really hold on to that lead in the AFC West? The Chargers have a bye this week, but they get their first crack at Denver the week after.

MONDAY NIGHT PREDICTION: Honestly, I'm hoping for a 0-0 tie, but I know that will never happen. So, Packers 24- Vikings 23.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Friday Briefs: Week 3 Picks

Last week, I went 3-2 (a few seconds away from nailing the upset pick too). I'm now 10-5 on the year.

Cincy over Cleveland
San Francisco over St. Louis
Houston over Oakland
New Orleans over New York Jets
UPSET PICK: Baltimore over New England

See you guys on Monday.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Hump Day: The Loser Rankings- The Aztec Tomb Edition


So here we are with another day for the Losers. However, this week, we're doing something different. We're going to take a look at all the teams that are currently 0-3. Is there hope still or should these teams just jump in the Aztec Tomb. Who's first!?

Miami Dolphins- So the Dolphins have no Chad Pennington for the season and their new starting quarterback is Chad Henne. But wait, the Dolphins traded for Tyler Thigpen on Tuesday.

The Dolphins are in the middle of the pack when it comes to offense and defense ranks. They have back-to-back home games. If the Dolphins split those games, they'll be 1-4 going into the bye week. The remaining non-division schedule includes Pittsburgh and New Orleans. However, the Dolphins also have games against other 0-3 teams like the Bucs, Titans and Panthers.

Verdict: I don't see the Dolphins making the playoffs, but they will win six games. So no tomb for the Dolphins.

Cleveland Browns- Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn? The problem for this team goes much deeper than the quarterback controversy. They're at the bottom of the NFL in offense and 30th defense. Things have gone from bad to worse. The Mangini Magic is not working. They have Cincy this week. The Browns have Green Bay, Chicago and San Diego still on the schedule.

Verdict: Get in the tomb! The Browns will go 2-14.

St. Louis Rams- The Rams are averaging 8 points per game. Steve Spagnulo probably should have held out for a better job. But it is what it is. They get San Francisco and Minnesota next. They have Indy, Chicago and New Orleans still left in their non-division schedule.

Verdict: Rams will go 1-15. I think it's safe for them to get in the tomb.

Tennessee Titans- All three of the Titans losses were by a combined 13 points. They've kept it close, but not close enough. Good news though Titans fans, they face Jacksonville on Sunday. New England and San Diego are on the schedule, as well as the Rams and the Dolphins.

Verdict: This might be the best 0-3 team out of the entire group. They won't win 13 games, but they still have a shot at .500. They do have the ability to go 9-7.

Kansas City Chiefs- They lost to the Raiders, which was their only winnable game. They also lost to Baltimore and Philadelphia (granted it was against Kevin Kolb). They have the Giants and the Cowboys for their next two games. The division isn't very strong (do you really think the Broncos are good enough to win the division?).

Verdict: Todd Haley will be lucky to win seven games for the Chiefs. I see them going 6-10, but no Aztec Box.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Josh Johnson starts on Sunday for the Bucs. There isn't a lot of bright spots for this team. They have Washington and Philly next. They still have the Jets and Patriots.

Verdict: 4-12, go ahead and get in the Aztec Tomb.

Carolina Panthers: Where do I begin? I have no idea what to think about this team. They should be good, but they're not...It's a bye for the Panthers this week (and it comes at a great time). They have Miami, Buffalo, Minnesota and both New York teams. It just doesn't look that good.

Verdict: 5-11, 6-10 sounds possible. I don't see it being any worse than 3-13 though.

I'll have a Loser Ranking next week for sure though.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Tuesdays with Romo: Dallas wins a snoozer

Wow, this was really my first legitimate opportunity to sit down and watch some football and go figure, it's a snoozer.

Dallas Cowboys 21 - Carolina Panthers 7- There's not much to say. It was a BORING game. It was a game that saw the Cowboys run the football for more than 200 yards.

ROMO ALERT: The namesake threw for 255 yards passing, but no touchdowns. If there's a bright side, Romo didn't throw any interceptions.

The Cowboys are now 2-1. The Panthers are now in something deeper than trouble.

Monday, September 28, 2009

The Mondays: THE LIONS FINALLY WON A GAME!

Happy Monday everybody! Here's a look at the games...

Detroit Lions 19 - Washington Redskins 14- So ends the Lions 19 straight losses. Is it really an upset if there were people picking the Lions to win? Is Jim Zorn on his way out of D.C.? What about Jason Campbell? Let's not ask questions about Washington. Instead, Detroit should take this chance to rejoice, enjoy the victory. After all, you already have one more win than last year. So here's to you Detroit; you may not make the playoffs or finish the season at .500, but you've already got a win under your belt.

New York Jets 24 - Tennessee Titans 17- THE JETS ARE 3-0...OMG!!! *Sarcasm* Which is the bigger surprise though, that the Jets are 3-0 or that the Titans are 0-3?

New Orleans Saints 27 - Buffalo Bills 7- How's Drew Brees suppose to break the pasing record if he only throws for 172 yards? I for one am indifferent!

Chicago Bears 25 - Seattle Seahawks 19- So the Bears are now 2-1, instead of 0-3. I am most certainly relieved. Jay Cutler came through when we needed him to late in the game. He's turning into a wise investment.

Cincinnati Bengals 23 - Pittsburgh Steelers 20- All of the sudden, at 2-1, this Bengals team is pretty damn good. If you take away the Brandon Stokely touchdown catch in week 1, the Bengals are easily 3-0 right now. And they were in the Loser Rankings a couple of weeks ago. They have Cleveland next. The Bengals could easily be 3-1 going to Baltimore.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Indianapolis Colts 31 - Arizona Cardinals 10- Peyton Manning had a four touchdown, 379 passing yards day...Oh and the Colts had the ball longer than 15 minutes.

MONDAY NIGHT PICK: Dallas over Carolina

See you guys on Tuesday!

Friday, September 25, 2009

Friday Briefs: Week 3 Picks

So I went 3-2 last week, nailing the upset pick. I'm now 7-3 on the year. Here's five more picks.

New York Giants over Tampa Bay
New Orleans over Buffalo
Houston over Jacksonville
Philly over KC
UPSET PICK: San Francisco over Minnesota

See you guys on Monday!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Loser Rankings: Week 2

1. St. Louis Rams- They lost 9-7 to a Washington. They've also been outscored 37-7 in two games. Things don't look very good.

2. Detroit Lions- 19 straight! My offer still stands Lions. If you win one game, you're off the list for sure by the next week.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars- Is the end drawing near for head coach Jack Del Rio? It's a road game this week, but maybe Jacksonville fans would prefer that the game was blacked out.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Central Florida is in for a long, long year.

5. Cleveland Browns- They did lose to the Broncos, ya know!

So many teams could be in the top five. Next week, we bring out the Aztec Tomb, for those teams that will start the season 0-3.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Tuesdays with Romo: Dolphins win time of possession, but lose game

Indianapolis Colts 27 - Miami Dolphins 23- So the Dolphins had the ball for 45 minutes on Monday night. That's three total quarters for those of you that are not good with mathematics.

Such a long time to have the ball if you ask me. But shouldn't the Dolphins have won the game by like 50? The Colts official time of possession was 14:53. That's seven seconds away from having a full quarter of possession.

The defense should have folded up like a chair from fatigue. The Colts defense somehow managed to survive though.

The game was pretty much back and forth all night. Peyton Manning threw the go-ahead touchdown to rookie Pierre Garcon (The Escargot), a total of 48-yards.

So now the Colts are 2-0 and the Dolphins are 0-2. Manning and the Colts take the road show to Arizona on Sunday night for a showdown with the Cardinals and their own Antique Roadshow, Kurt Warner.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins will travel to San Diego to face the Chargers. If the Dolphins lose in San Diego, they're 0-3. If the "fluke" word isn't coming up now, it will be following the Chargers game on Sunday.

Monday, September 21, 2009

The Mondays: Somebody is 0-2 and it's not the Bears!

Chicago Bears 17 - Pittsburgh Steelers 14- A Robbie Gould field goal kept the Bears from going 0-2. Am I happy? You bet I am! Oh and no interceptions for Jay Cutler.

Houston Texans 34 - Tennessee Titans 31- It was a four touchdown day for Texans quarterback Matt Schaub. This is not a good start for the Titans. They get the Jets in the Meadowlands this weekend. Could the Titans go 0-3? Who knows!

New York Jets 16 - New England Patriots 9- MARK SANCHEZ IS 2-0! The Jets fans rejoice! Oh and Tom Brady has lost his first regular season game since Dec. 14, 2006. Quite a long time for sure...

Minnesota Vikings 27 - Detroit Lions 13- So it's 19 straight losses now for the Lions. The magic number is 26.

New Orleans Saints 44 - Philadelphia Eagles 22- Three touchdown passes for Drew Brees. That's nine touchdown passes in two games.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: New York Giants 33 - Dallas Cowboys 31- Awful day for the namesake. Romo threw three picks. Eli Manning played terrific. He threw for 330 yards and two touchdowns.

Monday Night Pick: Indy over Miami.

See you guys Tuesday.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Friday Briefs: Week 2 of NFL Picks

Last, week was a great week for yours truly. I went 4-1, missing out on the upset pick by a lot. Here are my picks for week 2.

Tennessee over Houston
Green Bay over Cincinnati
Buffalo over Tampa Bay
Atlanta over Carolina
UPSET PICK: Jets over Patriots

Enjoy the weekend!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The Loser Rankings: Electic Boogaloo Edition

So it's a new season, and we take a look at the worst teams after week 1. Don't read too much into the first couple of weeks of the Rankings. Please keep that in mind.


1. St. Louis Rams- They went 2-14 last season and they got shut out in an ugly game against division foe Seattle Seahawks. Things aren't looking good for the Rams this season.

2. Detroit Lions- The Lions have lost 18 straight games, dating back to the 2007 season. It makes sense that they'd be on this list.

3. Buffalo Bills- It was an ugly preseason for the Bills. And while they were leading on Monday night against the Patriots, they couldn't close the game out. This will not be a pretty season.

4. Cincinnati Bengals- I'll let this play say my thoughts about the Bengals at four.

5. Cleveland Browns- They hung in there with the Vikings for a half. Then Adrian Peterson ran them over.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Tuesdays with Romo: Football won't be the same without Patrick Swayze...I think

New England Patriots 25 - Buffalo Bills 24- Two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter for the Patriots made the difference. Tom Brady didn't get hurt, so all is happy in the state of Massachusetts.

San Diego Chargers 24 - Oakland Raiders 20- This game felt like an eternity. It was hard to get excited. Thank goodness it is all over.

That is the week 1 though.

See ya Wednesday!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Injuries: Urlacher reportedly done for the year

Sad day for Bears fans as linebacker Brian Urlacher is reportedly out for the season. Urlacher dislocated his wrist last night in the Bears loss against the Packers.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Urlacher said in a text message that he was done for the season. He did reportedly have surgery this morning. There is some speculation in the Tribune post that there might have been more damage than initially realized.

The linebacking corp will have to step it up in the absence of Urlacher. Hunter Hillenmeyer is number two on the depth chart at middle linebacker. Hillenmeyer had two tackles in the game last night.

We'll see what happens next. Maybe they'll go for Derrick Brooks...

The Mondays: I LOVE the NFL!

It's great to have the Mondays back. I missed football!

New York Jets 24 - Houston Texans 7- It was an excellent rookie debut for Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. He completed 18-of-31 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown. Thomas Jones had a good day as well, rushing for 100 yards. On the other side, it was a bad day for Texans running back Steve Slaton. He rushed for only 17 yards on nine carries.

New Orleans Saints 45 - Detroit Lions 27- The losing streak for the Lions continues. Matthew Stafford didn't have the kind of day that Mark Sanchez had. Stafford threw three interceptions against the Saints. Meanwhile, Drew Brees threw six touchdown passes. It was a good day for him.

Baltimore Ravens 38 - Kansas City Chiefs 24- Joe Flacco had a good game on Sunday. He passed for 307 yards on Sunday and three touchdowns. For KC, Brodie Croyle had a good game. He kept the Chiefs in it. This game was a lot closer than the score showed. It will be interesting to see Matt Cassel get in the line up for the Chiefs. As for the Ravens, they played great. If Flacco's performance on Sunday is any indication of his career, he should do a fine job this season.

San Francisco 49ers 20 - Arizona Cardinals 16- Only the 49ers could win a game with Frank Gore rushing the football 22 times for 30 yards. And only the Cardinals could lose even if Kurt Warner had a great passing day.

Dallas Cowboys 34 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21- ROMO ALERT: Our namesake passed for 353 yards and three touchdown passes. As for the Bucs, it's great to see Cadillac Williams playing again. We hope he stays healthy and has a terrific season.

SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Green Bay 21 - Chicago Bears 15- So Aaron Rodgers...He's clutch. Yes, even I (a Bears fan) was impressed. Jay Cutler didn't have the best game, but it's the beginning the season. The Packers always give the Bears a rough time, and vice versa. It's a rivalry, plain and simple.

Monday Night Picks: New England over Buffalo and San Diego over Oakland.


Enjoy your Monday!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Friday Briefs: Week 1 Picks

It's a new season. It was an okay season last year, but this time we need to step it up. Here goes nothing...

New Orleans over Detroit
Baltimore over Kansas City
Philadelphia over Carolina
Seattle over St. Louis
UPSET PICK: Tampa Bay over Dallas

See you guys on Monday!

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos

We wrap up the 2009 edition of the NFL Preview Show Extravaganza with a two teams in one post. We'll keep it short and simple for both teams.

Kansas City Chiefs

Most Offensive Player: Larry Johnson
Most Defensive Player: Tamba Hali
Best New Guy: Tyson Jackson
Coolest Names (Top 3): Hali, Andy Studebaker, Randy Niswanger
Most Likely to Succeed: Larry Johnson
In 2009, the Chiefs will go: 5-11

Denver Broncos

Most Offensive Player: Eddie Royal
Most Defensive Player: Elvis Dumervil
Best New Guy: Knowshon Moreno
Coolest Names (Top 3): Dumervil (1st, 2nd and 3rd)
Most Likely to Succeed: Dumervil
In 2009, the Broncos will go: 4-12


That's it for the previews. I am stoked for this season. We'll have a look at all the games of week 1 on Monday.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: San Diego Chargers

Most Offensive Player: Philip Rivers
Most Defensive Player: Antonio Cromartie
Best New Guy: Probably Larry English
Coolest Twitter Page: Antonio Cromartie
Team Song: Break it Up by Rocket From The Crypt
Coolest Names (Top 3): Brandon Manumaleuna (gets first, second and third)
Most Likely to Succeed: Philip Rivers
In 2009, the Chargers will finish the season: 12-4

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Oakland Raiders

Most Offensive Player (Offense MVP): Darren McFadden
Most Defensive Player (Defense MVP): Nnamdi Asomugha
Best New Guy: Darrius-Heyward Bey
Coolest Twitter Page: McFadden
How long does Cable last in Oakland: Depends on if anything arises from his fisticuffs incident
Coolest Names (Top 3): Asomugha, Samson Satele, Chaz Schilens
Most Likely to Succeed: The other team
In 2009, the Raiders will go: 4-12

Next up, the Chiefs.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: New York Jets


Most Offensive Player: Not Brett Favre
Most Defensive Player: Bart Scott
Best New Guy: Mark Sanchez
Coolest Twitter Page: Kerry Rhodes (Even though you could make a case for a few others)
Team Song: New York New York, it's a helluva town
Coolest Names (Top 3): Chansi Stuckey, Jerricho Cotchery, Damien Woody
Most Likely to Succeed: The Patriots (Ohh Snap!)
In 2009, the Jets will go: 5-11

We wrap up the previews with the AFC West.

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Buffalo Bills

Most Offensive Player: Fred Jackson (biased towards Iowa Conference. gotta love it!)
Most Defensive Player: Kawika Mitchell
Best New Guy: Eric Wood?
Coolest Twitter Page: Terrell Owens
Jauron gets fired in week: He won't get fired during the season
Team Song: N/A
Coolest Names (Top 3): Kawika Mitchell, Langston Walker, Donte Whitner
Most Likely to Succeed: Umm, really?
In 2009, the Bills will go: 6-10

Monday, September 7, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Miami Dolphins

Most Offensive Player: Ronnie Brown
Most Defensive Player: Jason Taylor
Best New Guy: Vontae Davis (A bit of Illini bias)
Coolest Twitter Page: Sean Smith
Team Song: Anything by Gloria Estefan or Marc Anthony
Coolest Names (Top 3): Gibril Wilson, Akin Ayodele, Rodrique Wright (Yeremiah Bell gets honorable mention)
Most Likely to Succeed: Ronnie Brown
In 2009, the Dolphins will go: 8-8

Next up, the Bills!

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: New England Patriots

Most Offensive Player (Offense MVP): Randy Moss
Most Defensive Player (Defense MVP): Jerod Mayo
Best New Guy: Patrick Chung
Coolest Twitter Page: Vince Wilfork
Team Song: Anything by Boston
Coolest Names (Top 3): Jerod Mayo, Pierre Woods, Nick Kaczur (Weak list for the most part)
Most Likely to Succeed: Randy Moss
In 2009, the Patriots will go: 13-3

Next up, the Dolphins.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Jacksonville Jaguars

This preview has been blacked out in your area...Sorry for the inconvenience...

Saturday, September 5, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Tennessee Titans

This post is dedicated to Steve McNair.

Most Offensive Player: Chris Johnson
Most Defensive Player: Keith Bullock
Best New Guy: Javon Ringer
Coolest Twitter Page: Chris Johnson
Team Song: Probably some kind of Country music
Coolest Names (Top 3): Bo Scaife, Troy Kropog, Rob Bironas
Collins or Young: Young with 10 games, Collins with 6.
Most Likely to Succeed: Chris Johnson
In 2009, the Titans will go: 9-7

Friday, September 4, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Indianapolis Colts

Most Offensive Player: Peyton Manning
Most Defensive Player: Dwight Freeney
Best New Guy: Donald Brown
Coolest Twitter Page: Raheem Brock
Team Song: Panama- Van Halen (NOTE: David Lee Roth is from Bloomington)
Coolest Names (Top 3): Pat McAfee, Jeff Saturday, Tony Ugoh
Most Likely to Succeed: Peyton Manning
In 2009, the Colts will go: 9-7

We'll cover the second half of the AFC South over the weekend.

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Houston Texans

As mentioned before, I plan on keeping the previews short, due to the season coming up very soon. So we'll do two previews today and two over the weekend to take care of the AFC South. First up, the Texans.

Most Offensive Player: Andre Johnson
Most Defensive Player: Mario Williams
Best New Guy: Brian Cushing
Coolest Twitter Page: Mario Williams
Team Song: Upgrade U- Beyonce
Coolest Names (Top 3): Jacques Reeves, Jacoby Jones, Matt Turk
Most Likely to Succeed: Andre Johnson
In 2009, the Texans will go: 10-6

Next up, the Colts.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Cincinnati Bengals

We wrap up the North with a look at the Bengals.


Most Offensive Player: Carson Palmer (If he's healthy)
Most Defensive Player: Jonathan Joseph (Maybe Keith Rivers...)
Best New Guy: Rey Maualuga
Coolest Twitter Page: Dhani Jones (Not even close)
Team Song: The Isley Brothers with It's Your Thing
Coolest Names (Top 3): Frostee Rucker (He always gets at the top), Tank Johnson, and Dhani Jones (No Chad EightFive!)
Most Likely to Succeed: Chad EightFive
In 2009, the Bengals will go: 5-11

Next up, the AFC South.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Cleveland Browns

We now look at the other two teams in the AFC North. They would be the ones that didn't make the playoffs. Today, we focus on the Browns.

Most Offensive Player: Brady Quinn
Most Defensive Player: Kamerion Wimbley
Best New Guy: Brian Robiskie
Coolest Twitter Page: Eric Wright (Even though Stallworth's is alright)
Team Song: That's Amore- Dean Martin (Couldn't think of much else for now)
Coolest Names (Top 3): Brodney Pool, Hank Poteat, Mike Furrey
Most Likely to Succeed: Jamal Lewis
In 2009, the Browns will go: 5-11

Next up, the Bengals

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: New Orleans Saints

Most Offensive Player: Drew Brees
Most Defensive Player: Darren Sharper
Best New Guy: Malcolm Jenkins
Coolest Twitter Page: Billy Miller
Team Song: Anything by Wynton Marsalis
Coolest Names (Top 3): Glenn Pakulak, Pierre Thomas, Pierson Prioleau
Most Likely to Succeed: Drew Brees (5,000 yards passing)
In 2009, the Saints will go: 9-7.

That does it for the NFC. We'll take care of the AFC North to wrap up the week.

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Most Offensive Player (Offense MVP): Derrick Ward
Most Defensive Player (Defense MVP): Barrett Ruud
Best New Guy: Kyle Moore (USC)
Top QB: Josh Freeman
Coolest Twitter Page: Julius Wilson
Team Song: Here We Go- N'Sync
Coolest Names (Top 3): Barrett Ruud wins first, second, and third
Most Likely to Succeed: Ruud
In 2009, the Bucs will go: 5-11

Next up, the Saints.

Monday, August 31, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Carolina Panthers

The overall preview's will be much shorter and I'll be focusing instead on the burnin' questions. There's only a couple of weeks left so I need to take care of the rest of the NFL before the season starts. Only a select few from here on in will get the full preview treatment.

For now, I'll focus on the burnin' questions:

Most Offensive Player: DeAngelo Williams
Most Defensive Player: Julius Peppers
Best New Guy: Corvey Irvin
Coolest Twitter Page: Jon Beason
Team Song: Carolina Blues by Blues Traveler
Coolest Names (Top 3): Captain Munnerlynn, Mackenzie Bernadeau, Dante Rosario
Most Likely to Succeed: Steve Smith
In 2009, the Panthers will go: 11-5

I'll be back on Tuesday with a doubleheader to wrap up the NFC South.

Friday, August 28, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Atlanta Falcons

It's hard to believe that the Falcons have gotten so far from where they were at the end of the 2007 season. The team had to go through the Michael Vick case, which can be tough on anybody. The Falcons also lost Bobby Petrino, when he bolted for Arkansas before the end of the season. It seemed like the team was in disarray going into the next season.

However, things got better for the Falcons. Led by rookie quarterback Matt Ryan and rookie head coach Mike Smith, the Falcons clinched a wild card spot in the playoffs. It was the Falcons first trip to the playoffs since the 2004 season.

Ryan passed for more than 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns, as he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Of course, give some credit to the success of Michael Turner. After playing under the shadow of LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego, Turner went out and had a breakout year in 2008. The Northern Illinois product rushed for almost 1,700 yards (1,699 to be exact) and ran the ball in to the endzone 17 times. If it wasn't for Turner, maybe the Falcons are 7-9 or even 6-10.

But don't give all of the credit to Turner. This team looks a lot better than ever before and are among the favorites in an always crazy-competitive NFC South (yes I made that word up off the top of my head).

With the addition of tight end Tony Gonzalez to the mix, Ryan has another weapon to throw to. It helps he has Roddy White back too. Could the man many call "Matty Ice" go out and have another terrific season? It is most certainly possible. I am eager to see what the Falcons do in 2009.

Most Offensive Player: Michael Turner
Most Defensive Player: Mike Peterson
Best New Guy: Peria Jerry
Coolest Twitter Page: Chandler Williams
Team Song: "Hard to Handle"- The Black Crowes
Coolest Names (Top 3): Ovie Mughelli, Brent Grimes, Kroy Biermann
Most Likely to Succeed: Michael Turner
In 2009, the Falcons will go: 11-5

We'll continue to profile the NFC South and should have it wrapped up by early next week.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers look to fully begin a new era under new head coach Mike Singletary. While he might be the right guy to motivate this team. However there's a few problems...

Let's consider the situation at quarterback, first. Who would you rather start, Shaun Hill or Alex Smith? I'm pretty sure the 49ers would have gone with Brett Favre at this point (even though that ship has already sailed.)

Smith has turned out to be a bust at the position, after being the top pick in 2005 (little regret over not picking Aaron Rodgers?).

Hill has just been named the starting quarterback for the Niners. Is it a great selection? Well, it's hard to say. Hill showed some promise in 2008, passing for more than 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how he does under center for a full season.

Every quarterback needs a good wide receiver to throw to, right? That problem should have been solved with Michael Crabtree, right? Well, it has not been solved. Crabtree is still in the midst of his holdout. And if things don't change, he won't be playing in the NFL at all this season and could re-enter the draft next season.

Nevermind Crabtree for the moment. And yes, it's not a smart move for him to holdout. The 49ers are without a potentially dominant receiver. I stress the word "potentially" of course. The 49ers do have a good running game and a solid defense. If no Crabtree, then who steps up to make catches for the 49ers this season?

Time for the burnin' questions:

Most Offensive Player (Offense MVP): Frank Gore
Most Defensive Player (Defense MVP): Patrick Willis
Best New Guy: Scott McKillop
Coolest Twitter Page: Takeo Spikes
Team Song: For Whom the Bell Tolls- Metallica
Coolest Names (Top 3): Moran Norris, Parys Haralson, Chilo Rachal
Most Likely to Succeed: Frank Gore
In 2009, the 49ers will go: 9-7

Next up is the NFC South.