The Mondays: It's Playoff Time

Happy New Years Eve

It is time to see who is playing on Wild Card weekend

Saturday:

#6 Washington Redskins at #3 Seattle Seahawks-- 4:30 PM ET on NBC- Just seeing the Redskins in the playoffs is huge considering all that they have been through this season. It will be hard for them going on the road to play a tough Seahawks team.

#5 Jacksonville Jaguars at #4 Pittsburgh Steelers-- 8 PM ET on NBC- The Jags have already beaten the Steelers at Heinz Field this year. Can they do it again?

Sunday:

#5 New York Giants at #4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers-- 1 PM ET on Fox- This game could go the Giants way, it all depends on which Eli Manning we see.

#6 Tennessee Titans at #3 San Diego Chargers-- 4:30 PM ET on CBS- A lot depends on the status of Vince Young. Obviously we will know soon enough, but for now I'm picking the Chargers.

Ehh, that's all folks

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Friday Briefs: Week 17 Has Finally Arrived

Well it is finally here, the final week of the 2007 NFL regular season. There have been some happy moments and some sad ones. Tomorrow night though, the biggest moment of the regular season will occur when the New England Patriots take the field in the Meadowlands as they take on the New York Giants.

The Patriots will try to do what no other team in the NFL has done before, go 16-0 in the regular season. Ironically enough, the Pats opened the regular season AT the Meadowlands when they played the New York Jets. Week after week, teams would line up against Pats trying to knock them off the mountain. Each time, the Pats came out on top.

Tomorrow night, another chapter will be completed in the 2007 NFL season.

Next week will start the playoffs. I plan on doing a full recap of my picks over the regular season and I will be making playoff picks. Now, I will make my picks for week 17:

New England Patriots over New York Giants- I want to see what this team can do in the playoffs.

Cleveland Browns over San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts over Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins over Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos over Minnesota Vikings

Kansas City Chiefs over New York Jets

Have a happy New Year guys

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Friday Briefs: Making the Picks

I know you are probably wondering why I haven't been posting on the site as of lately. Well, I'm at home, where the dial up grows and my impatience wears on me. That being said, I will be heading down to Chicago on Sunday and will not be around to make my usual 'Mondays' post. You won't be seeing me do a recap for week 16. Don't worry, I have plenty of stuff planned for when I get back (or so I think).

Time for some picks.

• Carolina Panthers over Dallas Cowboys
  
• Jacksonville Jaguars over Oakland Raiders
  
• Green Bay Packers over Chicago Bears (Sorry guys)
  
• Seattle Seahawks over Baltimore Ravens
  
• Buffalo Bills over New York Giants

In case I don't see you. Have a happy holidays.

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A Conversation with Washington Post Blogger Jason LaCanfora

This is the first of what I hope to be many more interviews with bloggers and beat writers at many newspapers. Jason LaCanfora has been in the journalism business for more than 10 years. He' graduated Magna Cum Laude at Syracuse University. He would start out at the Syracuse Post-Standard in 1995. Then, LaCanfora would be a back-up beat writer for the Baltimore Orioles for the Baltimore Sun. From 1997-1999, LaCanfora would work for the Detroit Free Press as the Red Wings beat writer, covering their back-to-back Stanley Cup Victories and the 1998 Nagano Olympics. You can now find Jason working at the Washington Post, where he now writes for the Redskins Insider. He has references that can get him hired anywhere and he was kind enough for an interview with ONR.

You're blogging for the Washington Post, what's that like?

It's a lot of fun, but also probably a little unusual in that I can't really go off and as the beat writer for the team as well there is definitely a line there that I cannot cross, whereas the guys at Profootballtalk.com or something can kinda go off. Also, the fact I am covering the team on a highly competitive beat also limits the time I have to purely blog, riff, and all that good stuff.

What do you think of the bloggers at the Washington Post, I've heard some good things, but what do you think?

I think when it comes to internet coverage in general we were way ahead of the curve and remain at the vanguard of the movement. We have a lot of people on staff both writers and editors who get and understand new media

What does the future hold for bloggers in your opinion?

That's kinda vague. I think in general it is imperative that newspapers adapt and embrace the intimacy and fluidity of covering news on-line, and become as interactive with readers as possible in any forums that make sense (blogs, web chats, keggers in the beat guys basement).

You did an excellent job covering the Sean Taylor homicide. What was your initial reaction when you walked into the office that Monday morning and found out that Taylor was shot?

Thanks. Actually, though, my office is in Redskins Park (I go to the Post office once a month to turn in expensive and let my daughter run around and become equal parts scared and intoxicated by the moving stuffed moose we have on the wall seriously). I was actually on my drive to Ashburn when I got a call from someone on the team telling me they heard Sean was shot in Miami, and the next 12 days are a blur. But my initial reaction was truly, Holy (bleep), I hope its not too serious.

What did you think of how some folks in the media reacted to Taylor's death?

I think that with the need/pressure/demand nowadays to provide real time news/analysis, there are going to be problems, especially in delicate and unchartered territory such as this. I can understand why some people leapt to the conclusions that they did, but likewise I am eternally grateful that I did not and I followed my instincts and tried to be as sensitive to the situation as possible.

What have your thoughts and feelings been on the 2007 Redskins season? Do they have any hopes of making the playoffs?

I think it's not very realistic to expect them to finish 4-0 (Interview done last week) and get it. They have only one decent winning streak to speak of since Gibbs returned 5-0 or we don't go in 2005 and given the state of this team I don't see that happened again.

Is Joe Gibbs done after this season?

I don't think so. Barring a change in his health or a setback in his grandson's recovery from cancer, I think he will be back.

What have you thought about the dominance of the Cowboys this season?

I think you have to respect any team that can start the season 12-1 (yes, even in the NFC circa 2007). They have the second best offense in the NFL, a defense that?s good enough to be dangerous and with the ability to rush the passer. The secondary is still a mess sometimes but they have a bunch of guys who have been straight-up playmakers this season (Romo, TO, Barber, Witten, Ware) and have found a way to win. Clearly the best team in the NFC this season, but that?s not to say they can?t easily slip up in the playoffs.

The Mondays: You've Been Pre-Accepted For a New Credit Card

Happy Monday to all you wild and crazy football hooligans out there in happy land. It's now only a week until Christmas and all the shopping stores are wild and out of control (until I show up). Week 15 certainly had some crazy moments, I can definitely guarantee that.

• Cleveland Browns defeat Buffalo Bills, 8-0- What a crazy weather game. There was snow as far as I could see. At 9-5, the Browns are a serious threat to make the playoffs. The Browns go to Cincinnati next week and have a home finale against the San Francisco 49ers. They're in the sixth spot in the Wild Card, but the Browns do have a chance to overthrow the Steelers and win the Division crown.
  
  
• Jacksonville Jaguars defeat Pittsburgh Steelers, 29-22- The Jags have it together. They have a reliable quarterback in David Garrard, an excellent running back combination and a great defense. Jack Del Rio has this team working on all cylinders. The Jags have the fifth seed wrapped up.
  
  As for the Steelers, things don't look good. They lost at home to a warm weather team. The Steelers couldn't stop Fred Taylor yesterday. The Steelers hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Browns, however one loss could spoil hopes of a division crown.
  
  
• ROMO ALERT: Dallas Cowboys lose to Philadelphia Eagles, 10-6- Jim Johnson is a freakin genius. His defense figured out a way to shut down Tony Romo and the rest of the Cowboys offense. Plus, did anybody NOT notice Jessica Simpson at Cowboys Stadium yesterday, it seemed like they showed her every time in between plays. If you didn't see her, get your eyes checked. If the Cowboys win out against the Carolina Panthers and the Washington Redskins, they'll have homefield advantage.
  
  
• Miami Dolphins pick up first win of the season- First of all, I knew the Dolphins wouldn't go 0-16. I said they would go 2-14 and now they are half way there to making my prediction accurate. Now they have a chance to not get easily embarrassed against the New England Patriots next week. You might call me stupid, but I'm not counting out the Pats losing this Sunday. We'll see.
  
  
• SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Washington Redskins defeat New York Giants, 22-10- This is a huge win for the Redskins because they are still alive in the NFC Wild Card hunt. At 7-7, wins over the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys would be huge for this team. As for the Giants, what the hell!?!?! The Giants have all the sudden fallen off the wagon taking them into the playoffs. Losing Jeremy Shockey doesn't help. The Bills and the Pats are their final two games. Just one win and they are in.
  

Week 16 will surely be a blast.

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Making the NFL Picks Early

I'm making my picks early since I'm headed home soon for break.

• Denver Broncos over Houston Texans
  
• Kansas City Chiefs over Tennessee Titans
  
• Cleveland Browns over Buffalo Bills
  
• Dallas Cowboys over Philadelphia Eagles
  
• New Orleans Saints over Arizona Cardinals

I'll try to update when I can. I'll talk to ya soon.

Nos

The Mondays: This Is How We Do It

Happy Monday to everybody in the world of.....Mondays. It's time for me to do what I do best, and that is make a fool out of myself. After all, nobody does it better than the master of disaster himself.

• Green Bay Packers defeat Oakland Raiders, Clinch NFC North- Good for the Pack Attack. This is a big moment for this young team to make the playoffs. If you ask me, I think Brett Favre has one more playoff run in him before he hangs up the cleats on his illustrious career. This is the best way for Favre to call it a career.
  
• ROMO ALERT: Dallas Cowboys clinch NFC East, beat Detroit Lions in final seconds- Is there anything that the Cowboys can't do? More importantly, what happened to Jon Kitna's guarantee of 10 wins? The best the Lions can do now is finish the season 9-7. They're not out yet, but another loss might be the weld in the pick up truck.
  
• New York Giants defeat Philadelphia Eagles, 16-13- A big win for the Giants, they are now one step closer to solidifying their spot in the NFC playoffs.
  
• San Diego Chargers defeat Tennessee Titans, 23-170 The Titans are all the sudden one game out of last place. The Titans couldn't beat a junior high football team at this point.
  
• Buffalo Bills defeat Miami Dolphins, 38-17- This is a big victory for the Bills because they are still in the hunt for the Wild Card. Coe College star Fred Jackson ran for 115 yards for 15 carries and one touchdown. Coe is in Cedar Rapids and is in the same conference as my school. Usually I'd say Coe sucks, but hey it's the Iowa Conference.
  
• Cleveland Browns defeat New York Jets, 24-18- GAME OF THE WEEK NEXT WEEK: Browns vs. Bills. Winner takes high road to the sixth seed.
  
• SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: The Indianapolis Colts defeat Baltimore Ravens, 44-20- Yeah, that was a boring game. We did catch a glimpse of rookie quarterback Troy Smith and he ran for a touchdown on his first drive. I hope he starts next week.

SEE YA

Nos

NFL Picks Galore

• Buffalo Bills over Miami Dolphins
  
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Houston Texans
  
• Denver Broncos over Kansas City Chiefs
  
• Dallas Cowboys over Detroit Lions
  
• Pittsburgh Steelers over New England Patriots

See ya Monday

Nos

Washington Redskins Win An Emotional One Over Bears--Yet I Couldn't See It

The Washington Redskins defeated my beloved Chicago Bears by a score of 24-16. This is without a doubt an emotional win for the Redskins. Just days earlier was the emotional funeral of safety Sean Taylor. Nothing could be bigger for the Redskins than for them to go out there and win.

This was also a big win for the Redskins because it keeps them alive in the NFC Wild Card hunt. Every win is vital during the final month of the season.

The Bears

As for the Bears, if they weren't out of the hunt now, they might as well be now. I'm sure some of Bears fans have given up now at this point. To be honest, I gave up after the Sunday night debacle against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Bears are just flat out awful. Anybody who says that Grossman was the problem is wrong (that includes me). The offensive line is just offensive. Granted the defense has injury issues, but it shouldn't matter. They're not as good of a team as they were last year.

Didn't Watch The Game

Yes, I didn't watch the game. I live at college and we have cable. Therefore, no NFL Network for the dude from Oh No Romo!

This is a complete crock of crap! I can't watch my team suck it up on cable television, that's ridicoulous.

What's worse, my family has Direct TV and can watch the NFL Network, meanwhile I can't. Sure I could go to a bar, but it's crappy outside from the snow, I'm not going out, not before finals, that's for sure.

I could bitch and complain, but nothing will happen. I could start a petition, but it won't work. There's just some things where money wins.

The Mondays: What is up with that?

Happy Monday everybody. It's time for another edition of The Mondays, the most superfuntastic edition in the world.

Another crazy Sunday has come and left us. I will now do what I do best. What do I do best?

• Buffalo Bills defeat Washington Redskins, 17-16- It was an emotional Sunday for the Redskins because it was their first game without Safety Sean Taylor, who died last week. To honor the fallen player, the Redskins lined up in a 10-man formation during the first defensive drive. It was an emotional moment for the Redskins, each week will only get tougher.
  
  Special Note: We will keep the memorial picture of Sean Taylor up on the Oh No Romo blog for the rest of the regular season. We will do so out of respect towards Taylor's family.
  
• Seattle Seahawks defeat Philadelphia Eagles, 28-24- The Seahawks look to be back on track and will most likely win the NFC West.
  
• Minnesota Vikings destroy Detroit Lions, 42-10- This wasn't even close, the Lions looked awful. One thing is for sure, the Vikings are a new threat in the NFC Wild Card hunt.
  
• New York Jets defeat Miami Dolphins, 40-13- The Dolphins are now 0-12, waters that are very rarily charted. The last team to lose their first 12 games was the 2001 Detroit Lions. They would finish the season 2-14.
  
  Only the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only team to go winless in NFL History. That team would go 0-14. No team has ever gone 0-16.
  
  The final four games for the Dolphins work out like this: on the road against the Bills, at home against the Baltimore Ravens, on the road against the New England Patriots and at home against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Dolphins do have a chance to win all or some of these games. Prediction: The Dolphins will go 2-14.

Ehh, that's all folks

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Sunday Picks

• St. Louis Rams over Atlanta Falcons
  
• Cleveland Browns over Arizona Cardinals
  
• Washington Redskins over Buffalo Bills
  
• New York Giants over Chicago Bears
  
• UPSET: Jacksonville Jaguars over Indianapolis Colts

See ya Monday

Nos

Late Edition of Friday Briefs: College Football Picks

It's Friday night, I'll keep it short and sweet.

• ACC Title Game: Virginia Tech over Boston College
  
• SEC Title Game: Tennessee over LSU
  
• USC over UCLA
  
• Big 12 Title Game: Missouri over Oklahoma
  
• West Virginia over Pittsburgh

That's all folks

Nos

Thursday Night Game: Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers

Happy Thursday to everybody. Tonight is the big game between the Green Bay Packers and the Namesakes Dallas Cowboys. Let's do THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN!!!

• Romo vs. Favre- It's the man who was Tony Romo before Tony Romo.
  


• Ryan Grant vs. Julius and Marion- Two is better than one.
  


• Terrell Owens vs. Packers Receiving Corp- Push.
  


• Dallas D vs. Packer D- The Packers line and linebackers, push on the secondaries.
  


• Wade Phillips vs. Mike McCarthy- Mikey Mikey.
  


• Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders vs. Cheeseheads- I've met some cheeseheads, they were nice. It's the Cheerleaders by far.
  
• WINNER: Green Bay Packers

Sean Taylor Video Tribute

Here are some videos to honor Washington Redskins Safety Sean Taylor, who passed away tragically yesterday at the age of 24.

This is a death that hits hard for me, being that he is only 4 years older than myself. You really have to enjoy life everyday. My thoughts and prayers continue to go to his family during these hard times. Now for some videos. (Major Props to Esellout for the videos)

RIP Sean Taylor

By now you've probably heard about the death of Sean Taylor. He died early this morning at the age of 24. Taylor was shot on Sunday night in his home in Miami after a robbery attempt. There were signs last night that things would be okay, but the tragic news came down this morning stating otherwise.

This is a devastating story. I'm not the biggest Washington Redskins fan in the world, but Taylor was a hell of a safety. He will be sorely missed not only by Redskins fans, but by the rest of the NFL.

If you want to send your best wishes, please send all of your cards to this address:

Sean Taylor c/o Washington Redskins

21300 Redskin Park Drive

Ashburn, VA 20147

Check out the Redskins forum for more...

Also, Washington Post has been updating the Sean Taylor story since it first broke. Jason La Canfora has done an excellent job with the coverage.

Also here is a video tribute to Taylor

Sean Taylor in serious danger

By now I'm sure you've heard about the home shooting of Sean Taylor, I will give you a quick update as to how things are going.

According to the Washington Post blog, Taylor's currently in intensive care and his "clinging to his life."

He is currently recovering in a hospital in Florida. Neither his girlfriend nor his child was injured in the robbery.

This is no doubt a terrible situation. It's hard to put into words how bad this is, not just for the Washington Redskins, but for the NFL.

Taylor is without a doubt one of the best safeties in the game. I wish him a full and speedy recovery. I will be keeping him in my thoughts and prayers.

Here's some Sean Taylor highlights.

The Mondays: Back from a couple of days off

Greetings to all who come in here and read my wonderful crap everyday. I am back from my Thanksgiving break. I enjoyed my time off and I hope everyone else did as well. Time for the recap:

• Chicago Bears defeat Denver Broncos in OT, 37-34- Let me start out by saying this, I don't know what to believe anymore. Beardo led two late drives downfield to give the Bears the victory in overtime. I don't know what to think anymore.
  
  I do know this, all those promos that tell all NFL fans to "Send their favorite player to Hawaii" have convinced me to vote Grossman in to the Pro Bowl. Before you go and accuse me of taking crack, hear me out.
  
  My plan is to vote Grossman to the Pro Bowl. Once he gets in, he will be lost in Hawaii and I will never see him in a Bears uniform again. It's an evil plan, but I am an evil man.
  
• New England Patriots defeat Philadelphia Eagles, 31-28 - Thank you for playing the game otherwise known as "YOU......CAN'T.........WIN!!!!!" You don't get a prize, but thank you for playing. Message from FBI Director: Winners don't use drugs!
  
  Seriously though, will the Patriots lose? Here is a look at their remaining schedule:
  
  Baltimore Ravens- They will be spotted 15 points, 20 if Kyle Boller starts.
  
  Pittsburgh Steelers- They have some hope. Only some though.
  
  New York Jets- No loss is worse than one to a division foe. If the Mangini's come to play, there is some hope. But Big Bad Bill is looking for some revenge for the SpyGate controversy.
  
  Miami Dolphins- There is a ton of pressure on this team to win a game. There will be even more pressure on them to beat the Patriots and keep them from going undefeated.
  
  New York Giants- There's somewhat of a chance, but nobody will know since half of the country can't get the NFL Network.
  
• Oakland Raiders defeat Kansas City Chiefs, 20-17- Major props to Chiefs rookie Kolby Smith, he had 150 yards rushing against the Raiders. The Chiefs certainly won't have to worry about the running back position now.
  
• Cleveland Browns defeat Houston Texans, 27-17- Why aren't people talking about Derek Anderson? He already has 22 touchdown passes this season, fourth best in the NFL. Plus wide receiver Braylon Edwards has 11 touchdown receptions this season, tied for third best in the NFL.
  
  We need to give this team some more love. They have a favorable schedule and have an opportunity to make the playoffs.

That's all the time I have.

SEE YA

Nos

A Friend Needs Help This Thanksgiving

From my friend at Baseball Etcetera:

Notice

Yesterday we were served with an eviction notice with 48 hours to pay or move out of our apartment. Just in case we can't come up with the money I wanted to let the readers know what happened if there are no more posts forthcoming from Baseball Etcetera.

If we cannot come up with the money by tomorrow we may be forced to move out with only the barest necessities. If there are no more posts I want to thank everyone for reading Baseball Etcetera which started in May of 2004.

May God bless each reader if we are unable to write again. There is still a slim chance of not being evicted but as of today the future looks very bleak.

Thank you for understanding,

Andrew

This is a terrible situation. Andrew is a terrific writer and a terrific American. Here's some of his bio.

Served in Hawaii and Vietnam with the 25th Administration Company of the 25th Infantry Division from June 1963 till May 1966 as a postal clerk. Retired newspaper production worker having worked 36 years for Alexandria, Louisiana Town Talk.

Have been fortunate enough to see Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Ted Williams in baseball games in Kansas City back in the 60's.Also have seen Elvis Presley, Beach Boys,Righteous Brothers, Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn,Merle Haggard, Buck Owens,Johnny Cash and seen Julie Newmar, Stefanie Powers and Sue Thompson in person.

Enjoy southern gospel music especially the Dove Brothers Quartet. Like listening to old time radio shows from the 30's, 40's and 50's and like easy listening music by Diana Krall and Frank Sinatra. Emails can be sent to Niteowl049@msn.com.

The man proudly served his country and that is a very honorable thing for him to do. Now he needs your help. Spread the word if you can. Or check out the originator of this article over at Armchair GM. (Thanks TB)

Please do what you can.

Time to Make the Picks. I Made the Picks

I made my college football picks earlier tonight and now I will finish off the rest of the picks with some from the NFL. I'm headed home tomorrow and won't be back until Sunday. This will be my final posting before I head out for the weekend. So enjoy it while you can, because I won't be back until you come down with The Mondays.

THANKSGIVING PICKS (I have to do these separate):

• Green Bay Packers over Detroit Lions
  
• Dallas Cowboys over New York Jets
  
• Indianapolis Colts over Atlanta Falcons

Okay, time for the rest of the weekend:

• Buffalo Bills over Jacksonville Jaguars
  
• St. Louis Rams over Seattle Seahawks- Three whole in a row
  
• Denver Broncos over Chicago Bears
  
• Oakland Raiders over Kansas City Chiefs
  
• Baltimore Ravens over San Diego Chargers

Happy Turkey Day to everybody

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College Football Picks

I'll keep this short and sweet. It's Thanksgiving Day tomorrow and I am headed home this weekend. Therefore, I need to make my picks tonight.

• LSU over Arkansas
  
• West Virginia over Connecticut
  
• BYU over Utah
  
• Double Upsetter Numero Uno: UCLA over Oregon
  
• Dos: Virginia over Virginia Tech (Also Boise State over Hawai'i

Hump Day: Priest Holmes Retires

Happy Wednesday to everybody. I am making a couple of quick posts today to take care of the rest of the week.





Anywho, the big story of the day had to be the retirement announcement of Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes.





Holmes has been feeling numbness all week because of an injury suffered in Sundays loss against the Indianapolis Colts.





It was cool to see him try to make the comeback, but he's doing the right thing by retiring. His health and well-being is much more important than football at this point in his life. He was a terrific running back and I'll miss seeing him play.

In closing, here's a video tribute. Special thanks to Chavo

The Mondays: Down with the Sickness

Happy Monday to you all. I shall now do the weekly report.

• ROMO ALERT: Dallas Cowboys defeat Washington Redskins, 28-23- Stats: 22 of 32, 293 yards and four touchdowns.
  


• Sunday Night Recap: New England Patriots destroy Buffalo Bills, 56-10- Lost in this blowout was the video speech of Bills tight end Kevin Everett. It was an emotional moment for the Bills, but it wasn't enough to stop the new "Evil Empire."
  


• Brown-tastic: Cleveland Browns defeat Baltimore Ravens in OT, 33-30- This is the best story in the NFL. I hope the Browns can clinch a wild card spot.
  


• Two in a row: St. Louis Rams defeat San Francisco 49ers, 13-9- The Rams are on fire now. Imagine if they beat the Seahawks last week, how crazy would that be?

NFL Picks

I'll keep them short and sweet.

St. Louis over San Francisco

Pittsburgh over New York Jets

Green Bay over Carolina

Cleveland over Baltimore

New Orleans over Houston

College Football Picks

• LSU over Mississipi
  
• Clemson over Boston College
  
• Georgia over Kentucky
  
• Kansas over Iowa State- Could be a close one.
  
• Michigan over Ohio State- Winner gets a free trip to Pasadena

Note: No college football updates will be taking place today. Might have one tonight.

A Big Ten Titlefight For All

When High Noon hits Ann Arbor on Saturday, both the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes will be competing for the prize that is the Big Ten Title and the right to play in the Rose Bowl, come New Years Day.

When it comes to battles in the Big Ten, there is none greater. Last season around this time, both the Wolverines and the Buckeyes were undefeated and battling for the right to play in the National Championship game in Arizona. It was a hard fought battle the entire day, but in the end the Buckeyes were hailed as the victors.

The Buckeyes defeated the Wolverines in a 42-39 shootout. The game put the Buckeyes in the National Title game against Florida. The Wolverines would be in the Rose Bowl against USC. Both teams would lose their respective games.

This season, both teams are coming into this game with a loss. The Buckeyes come into this game with a 10-1 (6-1 conference) record. The biggest wins for the Buckeyes came against Purdue, Penn State and Wisconsin. Last week, the then top-ranked Buckeyes hope for an undefeated season ended when Illinois pulled off the upsetter in Columbus.

Michigan's road to this Big Ten title game was a bit rougher.

Michigan would lose to Appalachian State to open up the regular season. This was not suppose to happen to a team like the Wolverines. A top ten team losing to a Division I-AA school, that never happens and it probably won't happen again for a long time.

The Wolverines would then lose to the Oregon Ducks, the very next week. The Wolverines found themselves in an unfamiliar position, 0-2. They would manage to reel off eight straight wins before losing to Wisconsin 37-21. Now at 8-3 (6-1), the Wolverines have the opportunity to clinch the Big Ten title at home.

On Saturday, both teams will battle it out for 60 long, hard-grueling minutes. In the end, one of these two teams will be smelling roses.

Bills and Patriots Preview

The Buffalo Bills have a chance to play spoiler and end the New England Patriots season this Sunday night.

The Patriots (9-0) and the Bills (5-4) are first and second in the AFC East. The two previously battled in week three, when the Patriots blew out the Bills, 38-7. In that game, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes, including two to wide receiver Randy Moss.

It was the Bills third straight loss and they started the season 0-3. The last time the Bills started the regular season 0-3, it was in 2004. The Bills would pick it up and finish the regular season 9-7, just missing out on the playoffs.

Since the loss to the Patriots, the Bills have won five of six. They’re only loss was to the Dallas Cowboys, 25-24, on Monday night in week five.

No Lynch?

Bills rookie running back Marshawn Lynch is not expected to play on Sunday night after spraining his ankle in the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins.

Lynch did not practice on Wednesday.

The rookie from California has had an excellent season so far, running for 751 yards and six touchdowns.

How much will the Patriots win by?

In eight of their first nine games this season, the Patriots have put up at least 30 points per game. In week nine against the Colts, the Patriots put up their lowest scoring effort of the season, only 24 points in the victory.

The Patriots were down by 10 going into the fourth quarter and they scored two touchdowns to
get them past the Colts.

The Patriots are the top scoring offense in the NFL, with 355 points. The other 31 teams don’t even come within 100 points of the Patriots.

The Bills aren’t even within 200; they’ve scored a total of 143 points this season.

There’s no telling what Sunday night will bring for both teams. Either way, one team’s winning streak will be snapped come the next day.

Tuesdays with Romo: Rams beat the Saints

The St. Louis Rams picked up their first win of the 2007 season on Sunday, after defeating the New Orleans Saints, 37-29.

The 37 points against the Saints was the Rams highest scoring game this season. Quarterback Marc Bulger completed 27 of 33 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Steven Jackson got back on track as he carried the ball 22 times for 76 yards and one rushing touchdown. Jackson also threw a two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Randy McMichael.

Receivers picking up game

Wide receiver Torry Holt had a season high 124 yards receiving and eight receptions against the Saints on Sunday. He wasn’t the only receiver to step it up.

Isaac Bruce caught four passes for 162 yards and also had a touchdown reception. It was Bruce’s first touchdown this season. In his previous two seasons, Bruce has caught a combined six touchdown passes.

Wide receiver Drew Bennett also caught a touchdown pass on Sunday, his second of the season.

Trouble with the O-Line continues

One issue that continues to bother the Rams is the trouble in the offensive line. Bulger was sacked four times on Sunday. This season, Bulger has been sacked 22 times this season, fourth most in the NFC.

The running game hasn’t been a lot better. Consider this, last season the Rams averaged 4.4 yards per carry, 10th best in the NFL. This season, the Rams are averaging 3.5 yards per carry, sixth worst in the NFL.

Run defense shuts down Bush

Despite giving up two rushing touchdowns, the Rams held the Saints to a total of 43 net yards on the ground.

In the process, the Rams were able to contain Reggie Bush to a combined 47 total yards, including 17 yards rushing. In the two games prior to Sunday, Bush had more than 100 yards of total offense.

The Mondays: Doing what I do best...What do I do best?

Happy Monday to everybody in the world of frilly things and weird stuff. We need to do a recap of an entire Sunday worth of football action. Can we do that? Pretty please!?!?!

• Rams pick up first win of the season, shock the Saints- I really wanted to pick the Rams to win this weekend and I didn't. Now, I look like a moron (I already did). Heck, Steven Jackson had a touchdown pass in the game. Congratulations to the Rams for their first win.
  
• Cowboys sweep the season series with Giants, win 31-20- ROMO ALERT: 20 for 28, 247 yards, four touchdowns.
  
• Bills keep the Dolphins winless- Take THAT Miami!!!!
  
• Bears win with Grossman, headline writer wants to cry- Rex Grossman came in and threw a touchdown pass. Now I've lost all hope for the season
  
• Steelers beat the Browns- Check this run out.
  
• SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Chargers hold off charging Colts- You can check out this return as well.

Well my time is up.

SEE YA

Nos

Rams face tough challenge in Saints

The St. Louis Rams face a tough team following their bye week as they head down to the ‘Big Easy’ to take on the New Orleans Saints.

After starting the regular season 0-4, the Saints have reeled off four straight wins and are tied for second in the NFC South.

Offense Tale of the Tape

The Saints offense will be a tough task for the Rams. During their four game winning streak, the Saints have scored at least 20 points. Last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Saints put up 41 points.

The Rams offense continues to be dismal. They are the worst scoring offense in the NFL, with only 12 points per game. Even more stunning is the fact that the Rams have scored a total of 99 points on the season. The Rams are the only team in the NFL not to have scored at least 100 points, this season.

The rushing game for the Rams has been terrible. They have the fourth worst rushing yards per game in the NFL. Only the Kansas City Chiefs, the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears
are worse in that category.

Defense Tale of the Tape

Both defenses are similar; neither team is even close to being terrific. The Saints give up 23 points per game, while the Rams give up 27 points per game.

The Rams have given up a total of 219 points this season, worst in the NFC. The Saints have given up 186 points this season, tied for second worst in the NFC.

The Saints run defense will definitely be a challenge for running back Steven Jackson. The Saints are giving up 97 yards per game, 10th best in the NFL.

In the Saints four straight victories, the defense has given up a total of 173 yards on the ground. In eight games this season, only one running back has ran for more than 100 yards on the Saints run defense. Joseph Addai of the Indianapolis Colts gets the credit.

Little out for defense

The Rams put Leonard Little on the injured reserve this week after it was announced that he would get surgery to repair a torn ligament in his toe.

Rookie Dustin Fry is expected to replace Little in the line up.

Friday Briefs: A two for one special; Available this Tuesday

Today is one of those rare two for one specials. I will be picking some college football games and some NFL games. I'll start with the college picks.

I had my first 4-1 week in a long time over the weekend. This makes me happy. I could dance. My goal this week is to go 5-0.

• Georgia over Auburn- The team that scores the most points, wins the game.
  
• Missouri over Texas A&M- The Tigers want to make the Big 12 North a crapshoot.
  
• Michigan over Wisconsin- I honestly could see this game going either way, but Big Blue needs this one.
  
• California over USC- Yeah, that's a crazy pick.
  
• Boston College over Maryland- This better work out.

Time for the NFL picks.

I WENT 5-0 LAST WEEK, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!! Sorry, I got a little excited there, I don't ordinarily go 5-0. This is truly a terrific treasure for me and gives me confidence and hope for the rest of the season.

• Green Bay Packers over Minnesota Vikings- A 3-5 team that runs the football or a 7-1 team that struggles to run the football, which do I choose? Does that 7-1 team have Brett Favre? It does, just checking.


• Detroit Lions over Arizona Cardinals- BAKA SURVIVOR!!!!
  
• Oakland Raiders over Chicago Bears- I need a reason to believe the Bears can win.
  
• New Orleans Saints over St. Louis Rams- The Rams risk going 0-9.
  
• New York Giants over Dallas Cowboys- I shouldn't go against my namesake, but I do think the Giants have a legitimate shot at home and the potential is there for some sweet revenge.

Ehhh, that's all folks

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Ask Mr. Romo

That's right people, you now have the opportunity to ask the great ONR anything you want. Whether it's sports, sports, more sports, love(don't ask me that) or other random stuff, I'll answer it (poorly) for you. Post all of your questions here; the first edition comes out next week.

Please Post Question in Comment Section

Tuesdays with Romo: Bills Prepare For Showdown With Dolphins

The Buffalo Bills find themselves in a spot where they haven’t been in quite sometime, second place in the AFC East. Granted now, they’ve had that spot for over a month now, but it seems like now the Bills have hit their stride.

The Bills will take their three game winning streak to Miami on Sunday to take on the 0-8 Dolphins. This game could be a challenging one for the Bills.

The Dolphins are in dire need for a first win and as each week passes, the Dolphins can only be more motivated to pick up that first win and not be the first team in NFL history to go 16-0 and 0-16 in the regular season.

Offense Head-to-Head

When it comes to the offense, neither team has scored a lot of points this season. The Bills average just 16 points per game, sixth worst in the NFL and worst in the AFC East. As for the Dolphins, they average about 21 points per game, second place in the AFC East.

The Bills have the worst total offense in the AFC, averaging only 275 yard per game. The Dolphins average 305 yards per game.

If there’s one edge the Bills hold over the Dolphins, it’s in time of possession. The Bills are ninth in the AFC in time of possession, while the Dolphins are the third worst with a time of possession of 28:45.

Defense Head to Head

The Bills hold the edge over the Dolphins in terms of defense. The Bills only are giving up 20 points per game, seventh best in the AFC. The Dolphins give up 31 points per game, tied for worst in the AFC.

The Bills also have more turnovers than the Dolphins. The Bills have 12 interceptions this season, tied for second in the AFC. The Dolphins have only four interceptions, worst in the AFC.

Losman or Edwards?

Questions are being raised as to who would start at quarterback for the Bills on Sunday. Those questions were raised after JP Losman played a great game on Sunday, completing 24 passes for 295 yards and one touchdown.

Edwards was on the bench due to an injury he suffered against the New York Jets, two weeks ago.

The OTHER Rookie Running Back

With all the Rookie of the Year talk about Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch has stepped up significantly for the Bills.

The first round pick from California is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards with 690 and second in rushing attempts with 177. Lynch has also carried the ball the most times without fumbling this season.

On Sunday, Lynch ran for a career high of 153 yards on 29 carries for one touchdown. Lynch has carried the ball at least 20 times in six of eight games this season.

During the Bills three-game winning streak, Lynch has carried the ball 77 times for 317 yards and two touchdowns.

The Mondays: WHAT DID I SAY?!?!?!?

Happy Monday to everybody. Another week of NFL action has come and left us behind. Now, we will do what we usually do and that's.....you know.......recap.....

Here we go:

• ROMO ALERT: Dallas Cowboys defeat Philadelphia Eagles, 38-17- Romo had a terrific game, completing 20 of 25 passes for three touchdowns and one interception.
  
• Green Bay Packers defeat Kansas City Chiefs, 33-22- The Packers look like the real deal at this point. They'll face a real tough test in the Cowboys, very soon.
  
• New England Patriots defeated Indianapolis Colts, 24-20- I TOLD YOU THEY'D WIN....NOW WE'RE ALL DOOMED!!!!
  
• Minnesota Vikings defeat San Diego Chargers, 35-17- Adrian Peterson=Superfunk
  
• Cleveland Browns comeback, beat Seattle Seahawks, 33-30- Wow, this may be the surprise of the year that everybody was waiting for.
  
• Monday Night Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers over Baltimore Ravens

SEE YA

Nos

College Football Update: Forget it, He's on a Roll

It's that time of the night, most of the games are over (except on the west coast). Shall we do a recap for the rest of the day? (Yes)

Fair enough:

• Kansas kicks the crap out of Nebraska, 79-36- .....Tom Osbourne on line 1.....
  
• Navy beats Notre Dame, 46-44 in triple overtime- Notre Dame wasn't ready to give up their winning streak over Navy. They needed another three periods of play to enjoy those final moments of the streak.
  
• LSU beats Alabama, 41-34- Take THAT Nick Saban!
  
• Missouri continues to make the state of Colorado cry, wins 55-10- Missouri and Kansas to settle who plays in the Big 12 title game, three weeks from now.
  
• Michigan comes back, beats Michigan State 28-24- Hey that's almost like the movie 300!
  
• Oregon defeats Arizona State, 35-23- Look at them Ducks go.
  
• Florida State upsets Boston College, 17-7- Ahhh crap!

That's all for tonight. Take care.

Nos

College Football Update: I Know What You Are, But What Am I?

Happy Saturday to everybody. It's time for me to do a college football update. It is about time that I did that because it has been a couple of weeks since my last full one.

• Virginia upsets Wake Forest, 17-16- Behold, a new twist in the ACC.
  
• Iowa hurts my feelings, beats Northwestern 28-17- Damn Hawkeyes.
  
• Indiana defeats Ball State, 38-20- Congratulations to the Hoosiers for officially becoming Bowl elgible.
  
• Ohio State defeats Wisconsin- Go Bucks Goo, GO Bucks Gooo, hey Columbus what do you say, the Buckeyes are gonna win today! (Note: I did that for all Buckeye fans. That is from the Go Cubs Go song)
  
• NC State defeats Miami, 19-16 in OT- I didn't really see it.
  
• Clemson destroys Duke, 47-10- *Laughs*

That's about it for now, I will be back later with some more updates, so keep it tuned here.

SEE YA

Nos

College Football Picks

Yes, I know it is late, but it is Friday night and it's quiet. I have nothing to do and no parties to go to (like I go to parties anyway). The only thing I can really do is just write. Therefore, writing is what I shall do. Okay I am wrong. I am just picking games because I haven't done that this week.

• Ohio State over Wisconsin- It will be a close one and we will see if the Buckeyes can hold on to their #1 ranking.
  
• Kansas over Nebraska- Does anybody else want to see if Mangino is a Weeble-Wobble?
  
• Oregon over Arizona State- Seriously though, it would be fun.
  
• LSU over Alabama- People all over the world are doing the latest dance craze....It's called, The Dorsey!
  
• Boston College over Florida State- Ehhh, I got nothing.

Thank you, here's AC/DC on your Friday night.

Nos

Friday Briefs: Some Football Picks

Happy Friday to everybody. TGIF man. I need to make some football picks. I haven't been too hot. I have cooled down quite considerably. I should make better picks OR keep making stupid ones.

• Green Bay Packers over Kansas City Chiefs- This one is a tough one to pick. I can honestly see it going either way.
  
• Buffalo Bills over Cincinnati Bengals- LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT!!!!
  
• Cleveland Browns over Seattle Seahawks- Cleveland wants to rock and they will against the Seahawks on Sunday.
  
• New England Patriots over Indianapolis Colts- PATS GOING 8-0....RUN AWAY BILL & TOM ARE GOING TO DESTROY THE WORLD!!!!!
  
• Washington Redskins over New York Jets- Kellen Clemens, Roger Clemens, does it really make a difference?

SEE YA

Nos

The Best Team You'll Never See in the BCS Title Game

This team is one of the best teams not only in their conference, but they are also the no.-1 ranked team in the country.

However, you won’t see them play in New Orleans in the BCS title game. In fact, you won’t even see them play in a BCS Bowl game or even a bowl game at all. That’s because they play in Division I-AA, or the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The team is none other than the University of Northern Iowa Panthers (UNI).

The Panthers are the top ranked team in the AGS FCS rankings and second ranked in the FCS Coaches Poll, behind North Dakota State. UNI is 8-0 and are coming off of a 14-13 comeback victory against 22nd ranked Youngstown State.

The Panthers were down 13-0 going into the fourth quarter; when wide receiver Johnny Gray scored on a 29 yard pass from redshirt senior quarterback Eric Sanders, with 11:58 left in the game. Gray would score again on a 19-yard run to put the Panthers ahead for good.

The game was played at the UNI-Dome, a 16,000 seat dome that is not only a huge staple of the campus, but of the town of Cedar Falls. It certainly isn't the Big House, but they always fill the seats week in and week out. Let’s not forget about the Astroturf that covers the field, a true dying breed in college football.

The school itself is one of the best in the Midwest, according to US News and World Report, ranked second in public comprehensive universities. The enrollment is just over 10,000.

The school is in Cedar Falls, a town of 36,000 people. According to the US Census taken in the year 2000, the median age is 26. Cedar Falls is like any ordinary town, it has a mall, a movie theatre, a bowling alley, even a bike trail.

As for Sanders, he’s a highly touted quarterback who knows how to win, ever since his days at Oelwein High School, a school that barely has 500 students enrolled. The town itself, Oelwein, is a town of 6,000 people, a true small town where everybody knows each other.

Sanders led Oelwein to the state playoffs during his junior and senior season. However, Oelwein fell short midway through the playoffs. He then went to UNI, where he spent his freshmen year as a red-shirt.

In 2005, Sanders led UNI to the Division I-AA Championship game against Appalachian State. (Sound familiar?)

The Panthers had to go through Eastern Washington, a no.-1 ranked New Hampshire team and Texas State to reach that point. They would lose the title to Appalachian State.

Sanders was named the Gateway Football Freshmen of the Year in 2004 and was named a Second Team All-American by CollegeSportsReport.com in 2005.

It’s been two years since that magical season and the Panthers are looking to win it all this year. This weekend, they’ll play Missouri State and will try to clinch the Gateway Conference, earning the Panthers an automatic bid in the playoffs.

Even if the Panthers make the playoffs and make it to the National Title game, they’ll still be somewhat overshadowed in Iowa by both the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones. It’s a Cy-Hawk state, not a lot of room for the Panthers.

There won’t be any controversy; you won’t hear Tony Kornheiser or Michael Wilbon argue about it on PTI. There won’t be wall-to-wall coverage of this team on any of the games on Fox. More importantly, this will be a game that won’t be played in January.

The Panthers don’t need to worry about their ranking in the AP Poll, nor do they need to worry about their strength of schedule. They won’t lose sleep over not blowing out their competitors. All the Panthers need to do is win.

Thursdays: One Word For Each Team (NFC Edition)

I took care of the AFC yesterday, now I need to profile the NFC. This one should be very interesting. For those who don't know the rules, I'll explain. I will describe the 16 teams in the NFC, using only one word. (WARNING: SOME OF THESE WORDS ARE MADE UP, TRY TO GUESS WHICH ONES)

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys--Superfunk

New York Giants--Elisha

Washington Redskins--PAIN!!!! (and lots of it)

Philadelphia Eagles--BOOOOO!!!!!!

NFC North

Green Bay Packers--Favre-tastic

Detroit Lions--Okay (I guess)

Chicago Bears--GGGROOOOSSSSSSSSMANNNN!!!!! (Kinda like Mahoney)

Minnesota Vikings--Peterson (Sgt. of Chicago Police)

NFC South

Carolina Panthers--VINNY!!!!!!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers--Chucky

New Orleans Saints--Improving (For a second straight year)

Atlanta Falcons--Brohm (NO RYAN)


NFC West

Seattle Seahawks--Damn

Arizona Cardinals--Damn (again)


San Francisco 49ers--Dayymnn


St. Louis Rams--Super-Damn

SEE YA

Nos

College picks later



Nos

Hump Day: One Word For Each Team (AFC Edition)

Happy Halloween to all. Since we've past the eight week mark of the 2007 NFL Season, using my infinite wisdom, I have decided to do the one-word game. I will describe each of the 32 NFL teams, using only one word. Is it challenging? Yes, it is. We shall start with the AFC. (WARNING: SOME OF THESE WORDS ACTUALLY MADE UP)

AFC East

New England Patriots--Hellbent

Buffalo Bills--Canada

New York Jets--Chad-Awful (Haha got ya there)

Miami Dolphins--Sucks

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers--Tomlin-riffic

Cleveland Browns--Poop-tastic (Get it!!!!!)

Baltimore Ravens--Poop

Cincinnati Bengals--Stinko

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts--Fruition (A friend helped me on that one)

Tennessee Titans--YoungWhiteChow

Jacksonville Jaguars--Okay

Houston Texans--Schaubadocious

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs--GASP

San Diego Chargers--LTPRSMCCNT (Initials)

Denver Broncos--Ooooohhhh

Oakland Raiders--ARGH (Says Al Davis)

How Wrong Am I? (NFC Edition)

NFC East (Predictions)

Philadelphia Eagles 12-4
New York Giants 9-7
Washington Redskins 8-8
Dallas Cowboys 7-9

NFC East (Through Week Eight)

Dallas Cowboys 6-1
New York Giants 6-2
Washington Redskins 4-3
Philadelphia Eagles 3-4

Thoughts: It's a little out of order right now, but if the Eagles can win nine straight, I think I'll be okay. The Giants are doing great, but they can they hold on? Romo's boys are doing freakin awesome, but we need to wait and see how they do in the second half. This division looks really good right now and I think we are due for exciting times.

NFC North (Predictions)

Chicago Bears 11-5
Green Bay Packers 9-7
Minnesota Vikings 7-9
Detroit Lions 5-11

NFC North (Through Week Eight)

Green Bay Packers 6-1
Detroit Lions 5-2
Chicago Bears 3-5
Minnesota Vikings 2-5

Thoughts: The Packers are playing great so far this season. If the running game can improve, I think the Pack win the division. The Lions really made a statement against the Bears on Sunday. They Lions could win 10 games this season. As for the Vikings, ADRIAN PETERSON!!! Enough said.

NFC South (Predictions)

New Orleans Saints 13-3
Carolina Panthers 8-8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-9
Atlanta Falcons 4-12

NFC South (Through Week Eight)

Carolina Panthers 4-3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-4
New Orleans Saints 3-4
Atlanta Falcons 1-6

Thoughts: This is a crapshoot between the three top teams. The Falcons are done, obviously.

NFC West (Predictions)

San Francisco 49ers 10-6
St. Louis Rams 10-6
Seattle Seahawks 9-7
Arizona Cardinals 6-10

NFC West (Through Week Eight)

Seattle Seahawks 4-3
Arizona Cardinals 3-4
San Francisco 49ers 2-5
St. Louis Rams 0-8

Thoughts: What can I say? Seriously, what? This division confuses me. I am so wrong about this division. I don't know what it looks like to you guys, but I don't think anybody wants to win the NFC West.

Tuesdays with Romo: How Wrong Am I? (AFC Edition)

We have finally reached the halfway point in the 2007 NFL season. We've reached the point of the show where we see how wrong I was on my season predictions. So enjoy a little Bon Jovi as I enlighten you folks as to how wrong I have been this season.

AFC East (Predictions)

New England Patriots 12-4

New York Jets 10-6

Buffalo Bills 8-8

Miami 7-9

AFC East (After Eight Weeks of Action)

New England Patriots 8-0

Buffalo Bills 3-4

New York Jets 1-7

Miami Dolphins 0-8

Thoughts: I am right about two things, the Patriots being in first and the Dolphins being in last place. Unless the Patriots go 4-4, the Dolphins win seven of their next eight and the Bills win five of nine, I'll just be flat out wrong. There is already no hope for the Jets, they've lost seven games already.

AFC North (Predictions)

Baltimore Ravens 13-3

Pittsburgh Steelers 9-7

Cincinnati Bengals 9-7

Cleveland Browns 5-11

AFC North (After Eight Weeks of Action)

Pittsburgh Steelers 5-2

Cleveland Browns 4-3

Baltimore Ravens 4-3

Cincinnati Bengals 2-5

Thoughts: Once again, I am wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong, boy do I need a hug. I knew the Steelers would be ok, but I never expected things to go the way they would.

AFC South (Predictions)

Indianapolis Colts 13-3

Jacksonville Jaguars 10-6

Tennessee Titans 9-7

Houston Texans 4-12

AFC South (After Eight Weeks of Action)

Indianapolis Colts 7-0

Tennessee Titans 5-2

Jacksonville Jaguars 5-2

Houston Texans 3-5

Thoughts: It's still early, but it looks like this division gives me the best hope. The wins and losses could fall into place.

AFC West (Predictions)


Denver Broncos 11-5

Kansas City Chiefs 9-7

San Diego Chargers 8-8

Oakland Raiders 6-10

AFC West (After Eight Weeks of Action)

Kansas City Chiefs 4-3

San Diego Chargers 4-3

Denver Broncos 3-3

Oakland Raiders 2-5

Thoughts: On a category of 1-10 in being wrong, this division is at a 8.5

Stay tuned, I have the NFC coming up soon.

Nos

P.S. Happy 100th Posting to Me

The Mondays: Do Not Try This At Home

Happy Monday everybody. I am back after a few days away from my computer. I got some much needed rest and am ready to go for this week. Let's recap some of the games from Week eight, shall we?

• New York Giants defeat Miami Dolphins, 13-10- It just goes to show that the Dolphins suck in Europe, also. But hey, there are five other continents they could win on.
  
• Indianapolis Colts defeat Carolina Panthers, 31-7- Who saw that coming? To be honest, I didn't.
  
• Cleveland Browns keep St. Louis Rams from winning, win game 27-20- Note: I will be doing a recap on all of my picks so far this season. It is all apart of the Midseason Recap.
  
• Detroit Lions laugh at Chicago Bears, win 16-7- I don't even know what to say about the Bears. I am at a loss for words. I could use a good cry right about now.
  
• Buffalo Bills defeat New York Jets, 13-3- It's like one of those hurricanes that hits a fireworks factory, nothing but explosions for the Jets.
  
• New England Patriots destroy hopes and dreams of all fans of the Washington Redskins, win 52-7- This score reminds me of one of the many games of Madden 06 I played over the weekend.
  
• NO SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
  
• Monday Night Pick: Denver Broncos over Green Bay Packers

See ya

Nos

Friday Briefs: Picks and More

Happy Friday to you all. Keep in mind, I wrote this on a Thursday afternoon because I am going home for Fall Break. I won't be back on Sunday, therefore no College Football Updates are planned.

Last Sunday, I went 2-3 *keeps head down* and now I am 20-14 this season. I could use a little luck on my picks. What am I picking for this week?

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Jacksonville Jaguars- I picked the Jags before I picked against them. With David Garrard out, I think the Bucs have a better shot.
  


• New York Giants over Miami Dolphins- I feel bad for the city of London, they get to deal with Tony Siragusa.
  


• Pittsburgh Steelers over Cincinnati Bengals- Cheer up Cincy fans, at least Chris Henry can practice.
  


• Chicago Bears over Detroit Lions- The Lions D are about to get Griese'D (Made that up)
  


• A DOUBLE UPSET SPECIAL: Washington Redskins over New England Patriots AND Carolina Panthers over Indianapolis Colts- This may just be my stupidest picks yet.

Rams get Jackson Back For Sunday

As the St. Louis Rams prepare to take on the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, their star running back Steven Jackson is expected to play.

The news could not come at a better time for the Rams as they have started the regular season 0-7 for the first time in team history.

Jackson has been dealing with a groin injury for over a month and has missed the last four games. On the season, Jackson has rushed only 69 times for 233 yards and zero touchdowns.

An Offensive Offense

If the Rams are to win this Sunday against the Browns, they need to start scoring again. The Rams have the worst offense in the, scoring 11 points per game.

It’s a great opportunity for the Rams because the Browns have the third worse scoring defense in the NFL, giving up 30 points per game. The Browns run defense is just as bad. They’ve given up 150 yards per game; the only team’s that are worse are the Miami Dolphins and the Denver Broncos. The Browns have also given up 450 yards per game, worst in the NFL.

If the Rams are to win pick up their first win of the season, this week is the week.

A High Scoring Affair?

Although the Browns have a terrible defense, their offense is fourth in the NFL in scoring, with 28 points per game. They are also seventh in total yards per game and eighth in passing yards per game. The Rams defense will have to step it up. The Rams have given up more than 27 points per game this season, among the worst in the NFL.

Claude Terrell Released

The Rams released guard Claude Terrell from the team on Tuesday after he was arrested earlier in the day for assaulting his wife at a Hampton Inn in the town of Webster, Texas.

Terrell was already in trouble after arguing with Rams head coach Scott Linehan last week, causing Linehan to lecture the rest of his players, last Thursday.

Terrell was a fourth round pick for the Rams in 2005. No word yet on any suspension for Terrell.

A Blackout in St. Louis?

The Rams face a possible local blackout on Sunday due to a shortage of tickets sold. There are still 2,900 tickets available for the game on Sunday. According to NFL rules, the Rams need to sell all tickets 72 hours before kickoff, or noon on Thursday. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Thursdays: Gotta Make the Picks

Happy Thursday to all. Once again, another week, another 2-3. This has not been my best month. I need to get my act together and figure out what I can do to improve my picks OR I can make more dumbass picks.

• Arizona State over California- I'm apologizing ahead of time to my Math Professor, who went to Cal.
  
• Oregon over USC- Sorry Gridiron Goddess.
  
• Texas A&M over Kansas- The Jayhawks will stumble eventually.
  
• Michigan over Minnesota- I needed to make at least one Big Ten pick.
  
• Georgia over Florida- Sorry Gator fans

SEE YA

Nos

Tuesdays with Romo: Can the Rams really go 0-16?

Can the Rams really go 0-16? It’s a thought-provoking question when you stop and think about it, but seriously, can they pull of the feat?

After a demoralizing loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, nothing is out of the realm of possibility.

Here’s something for you, the Rams are 0-7. Last season, they went 4-3 in their first seven games. The only other team in the NFL that is 0-7 is the Miami Dolphins. The last team to start the regular season 0-7 was the Cincinnati Bengals in 2002.

Both the 1989 Dallas Cowboys and the 1996 New York Jets started the regular season 0-8; they both finished the season, 1-15. Both teams tied for the worst record under the 16-game format was established almost 30 years ago.

What about the offense? Seven years ago, people were calling the Rams “The Greatest Show on Turf,” now they are the lowest scoring team in the NFL.

They average just 11 points a game, worst in the NFL. In their first seven games last season, the Rams averaged 23 points per game. The Rams offense has scored 79 points in seven games.

Last year, in their first seven games, the Rams scored 163 points. They would go on to score 367 points for the regular season.

The Rams average 274 yards a game on offense, third worst in the NFL, behind the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers.

What made the offense work last season was the rushing attack, led by Steven Jackson. He was in the top five in many of the rushing categories, including fifth in rushing yards with 1,805 and a tie for fourth in rushing touchdowns with 13.

Last season was without a doubt a career year for Jackson. This year, he has struggled quite significantly. It does not help that he has dealt with a groin injury. In three games this season, Jackson has rushed only 69 times for 233 yards and no touchdowns.

It’s hard to tell if the Rams will finish the season 0-16. They play the Cleveland Browns this week, a team that has had its highs and lows.

Week 11, the Rams will go on the road to face the 49ers. Their week two match up was the closest to victory that the Rams have gotten all season long. The 49ers offense is one of the worst in the NFL.

Week 13, the Rams play the Atlanta Falcons at home. It’s been a terrible year for the Falcons and the Rams best chance to win a game.

If the Rams got to a point where they would lose their first 15 games, they get to take on the Arizona Cardinals on the road during the final weekend of the season. The 1996 Jets picked up their only win of the season against the Cardinals.

Only time will tell if the 2007 St. Louis Rams will go 0-16 and with nine games left in the season, anything is possible.

The Mondays: The Griese, Everybody Does It

Happy Monday to all and to all a Happy Monday. I know what you're thinking, that sounds redundant. I'm here to tell you that you are correct. Now, let's recap.

• Chicago Bears defeat Philadelphia Eagles, 19-16- 97 yards, less than two minutes to go, Brian Griese led the Bears to victory.
  
• Tennessee Titans defeat Houston Texans, 38-36- Rod Bironas, eight field goals, NFL Record, wow, onion rings, ranch dressing, chicken wings, cows, moo!
  
• Buffalo Bills get revenge on Willis McGahee, win over Baltimore Ravens, 19-14- The Bills held on and won a game, gold star for the team.
  
• Washington Redskins stop Arizona Cardinals, 21-19- The Redskins are the best team in the NFC East.
  
• New York Giants defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 33-15- No, the Giants are the best in the NFC East.
  
• Dallas Cowboys defeat Minnesota Vikings, 24-14- Okay, the Cowboys are the best in the NFC East.
  
• ROMO ALERT : 31 for 39, one touchdown pass.

College Football Update: My only update for the day

Hey guys, I figured I would do a recap of the earlier games. I am headed down to Cedar Rapids tonight to cover a fight event and I am excited. It should be a fun time. I won't really be able to do a recap of the games that are taking place tonight. What happened today, while I was busy with homecoming festivities?

• Pittsburgh knocks off Cincinnati, 24-17- So much for me being a Cincy bandwagon jumper.
  
• Vanderbilt upsets South Carolina, 17-6- Somewhere right now, Skip Bayless is dancing and I find that disturbing.
  
• Alabama destroys Tennessee, 41-17- The SEC Upset Trifecta is now in play.
  
• Clemson shatters the dreams of all Central Michigan fans, wins 70-14- Don't need nothing, but a good time, how can I resist? Ain't looking for nothing, but a good time and it don't get better than this.
  
• North Dakota State hurts Minnesota fans, wins 24-17- Gophers: We're a real Big-Ten team. NDS: Not anymore.

Well that's my recap of the early games.

SEE YA

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Friday Briefs:

Happy Friday everybody. It's been a long week and I have a fight event to go and cover tomorrow night. I'm very excited about the event, even more excited than my homecoming. It's kind of sad when you think about it.

Once again, I went 3-2 last week. For the regular season, I am 18-11. Maybe, just maybe, I can go 5-0. Better yet, I'll be happy to get my 20th win of the season. Let's take a gander.

• New Orleans Saints over Atlanta Falcons- The Saints picked up their first victory of the season on Sunday night. Meanwhile at the Hall of Justice, Aqua Man (Byron Leftwich) gets the start over Joey Harrington.
  
• Oakland Raiders over Kansas City Chiefs- It's the Raiders, at home. I apologize to all the Chiefs fans.
  
• Baltimore Ravens over Buffalo Bills- Willis McGahee comes back to Buffalo. Don't forget to say hi to the great staff at the Applebees on Union Road.
  
• New York Jets over Cincinnati Bengals- Be hopeful Jets fans.
  
• St. Louis Rams over Seattle Seahawks- The Rams gotta win during some point in the season.

See ya

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Thursdays: Back from a day off

Yesterday, I decided to take a day off from blogging. Don't worry, it's not like I missed anything important. I went 2-3 last week. Not one of my better weeks if you ask me. I need to start winning again.

On with the picks nonetheless:

• Missouri over Texas Tech- This pick better pan out.
  
• Kentucky over Florida- This one better as well.
  
• Oregon over Washington- The Nike Foundation plays Ty Willingham's crew on the road. This pick scares me.
  
• Illinois over Michigan- Big Blue on the road against the team that lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes. It's about time they played on the road
  
• Auburn over LSU- These are called 'balls out' picks.

SEE YA

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Tuesdays with Romo: Considering a voluntary stay in a mental health institution

New York Giants defeat Atlanta Falcons, 31-10

This is without a doubt a story of two teams going in two different directions. The Giants have won four straight games after losing their first two. Eli Manning looked great. This may very well be the Giants team we have been waiting to see start playing. This team looks great. They are playing great football, even with all the questionmarks.

As for the Falcons, I don't know what to say. Words cannot describe my feelings toward the Falcons season. It seemed imminent that this team would have a bad year. This team is just not good at all. They're 1-5 and in last place in the NFC South. They can't score, they can't stop the run (but they're still better at it than the Bears), they can't protect their quarterback Joey Harrington, who has been sacked 17 times in six games this season. The most times Harrington has been sacked in one season, 36.

I'm not sure what to make of this team. I feel bad for the team and the city. I'm not going to call this a greek tragedy just yet, but I'm not too confident in seeing this team go up against the New Orleans Saints next week.

See ya

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The Monday's: Devin Hester is my hero

Week six has brought us more action than a Steven Seagal flick (HAYOOOO). What other cheesy jokes do I have in my thoughts?

Nevermind that, let's recap Sunday's action:

• Minnesota Vikings defeat Chicago Bears, 31-28- Wow, what a game this was. The run defense was bad for the Bears, but you gotta love the Devin Hester punt return. Better yet, enjoy these Adrian Peterson highlights.
  
• New England Patriots defeat Dallas Cowboys, 48-27- Tom Brady has another big day. The Patriots appear unstoppable.
  
• Carolina Panthers shatter the dreams of Arizona Cardinals, win 25-10- WAY TO GO VINNY!!! Say what you want about Vinny Testaverde, but this could be a good thing for the Panthers.
  
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat Tennessee Titans, 13-10- No Vince Young....It's the Tiki....I mean Madden Curse *Tiki sounds*. Oh well, let's show the highlights.
  
• Green Bay Packers defeat Washington Redskins, 17-14- Brett Favre broke the interception record, THIS WEEK, not last. I do apologize for the error.
  
• Sunday Night Football Recap: New Orleans Saints defeat Seattle Seahawks, 28-17- BOO-YAH! Congratulations on a win Saints. You now have more wins than the St. Louis Rams and the Miami Dolphins. For that, you too get a highlight.
  
• ROMO ALERT: Tony Romo threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to the Patriots.

That's all, See ya

Nos

College Football Update: The ALCS Is STILL On

I'll make this recap a rather quick one.

The ALCS is still on and in extra innings. I'll do a quick recap of tonights games.

• Louisville upsets Cincinnati, 28-24- Tough loss for the Bearcats. What is a Bearcat?
  
• Auburn defeats Arkansas, 9-7- Looks like a baseball score.
  
• Oregon State upsets California, 31-28- Dumbest ending in the history of college football (that's just my feeling). I would have thrown the ball away.
  
• Boston College beats Notre Dame- Enough said.
  
• Oklahoma beats Missouri, 41-31- I should start picking against Notre Dame again.
  
• Georgia holds off Vanderbilt, 20-17- TAKE THAT Skip Bayless

See ya

Nos

College Football Update: That SI Football Offer is Mighty Tempting

We are experiencing another super-duper fun day of the popular American sport, college football. Unfortunately, something is up with my cable and I cannot get ABC, so I am stuck watching the games on ESPN.

Before the night games get under way, let's recap some of the earlier action:

• Iowa upsets Illinois, 10-6- Ron Zook: And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids and your dumb Hawk. I'm glad I missed this game to go cover a soccer match (they won).
  
• Kentucky beats LSU, 43-37-NOOOOOOO!!!!!!! I went against Kentucky and it backfired. Why me?
  
• USC holds off Arizona, 20-13- The Men of Troy are back in business, or are they? This could be a false sense of security.
  
• South Carolina holds off late rally by North Carolina to win, 21-15- One yard shy folks, just one more yard and who knows.
  
• Oregon destroys Washington State, 53-7- Oooh that can't feel good.
  
• Cornell beats Colgate, 17-14- Score one for the non-toothpaste team.
  
• Texas blows away Iowa State, 56-3- Makes you want to hide in a corner and wait for the beatdown to end.
  
• Oklahoma State destroys Nebraska, 45-14- I wonder, will Mike Gundy will stick up for the Cornhuskers after their terrible performance?
  
• Ohio defeated Eastern Michigan, 48-42- Does anybody really care? I cared enough to post the score.
  
• Northwestern beats Minnesota in a double overtime shootout, 49-48- This is Northwestern football, CJ Bacher, 449 yards and four touchdowns. Great win today guys!

Friday Briefs: The Late Edition

Happy Friday everybody! It's cold and dreary here, just like my NFL picks have gone lately. Thankfully though I went 3-2, last week and 3-2 the week before. The season record currently stands at 16-9.

Let's get picking:

• Philadelphia Eagles over New York Jets- I can't think of any good reason right now, so I'll just show this.
  
• Cleveland Browns over Miami Dolphins- I'm not sold on Cleo Lemon.
  
• Washington Redskins over Green Bay Packers- This one might give me some scrutiny. For that I say, Plunger Nipples.
  
• New England Patriots over Dallas Cowboys- Sorry Namesake!
  
• Oakland Raiders over San Diego Chargers- I am STILL not sold on the Chargers. It's like the Kool-Aid Man against Mr. Peanut. I pick Mr. Peanut.

SEE YA

Nos

Thursday: I'm In A Slump

What is up with my picks, they are starting to go South, all of the sudden. The last two weeks, I have gone a combined 4-6.

It's time to start picking some winners. I'd be happy to go 3-2, this week. Here we go:

• Missouri over Oklahoma- They beat Nebraska last week. I can't believe I'm picking the Tigers to beat the Sooners. Everytime I pick against the Sooners, I always lose, this must be a sign that I don't see. However, you can't argue over 41 points a game.
  
• Auburn over Arkansas- TAKE THAT MCFADDEN!
  
• Boston College over Notre Dame- The one-game winning streak ends in South Bend.
  
• LSU over Kentucky- I think this one is a lot closer than the spread acknowledges.
  
• North Carolina over South Carolina- It's the battle of the Carolina's. The only time Butch Davis (UNC) took on Steve Spurrier (USC), Davis came out on top. That showdown happened at the Sugar Bowl, during the 2000 season. Davis was at Miami and Spurrier at Florida. It's the same coaches, just on two different teams.

See ya

Nos

Hump Day Headlines

And now for something completely different....From the same idiot who brought you The NFL Preview Show Extravaganza and the Loser Rankings, comes HUMP DAY HEADLINES.

Let's get cracking:

• Montana Understands How Brady Feels- Former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana admires New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Montana has acknowledged that Brady has a stronger arm and better physical tools. (Boston Herald)
  
• Eli and Mangini Team Up, Promoting Exercise for Youth- Because we all know how big of a health nut Eric Mangini is. (New York Times)
  
• The Ultimate Showdown Begins- Could we possibly be seeing a Super Bowl preview? Apparently, everybody is calling this game the "Duel in Dallas." (Dallas Morning News)
  
• David Haugh: LEAVE REX GROSSMAN ALONE- He's sitting on the bench, who would be that cruel enough to even mention his name? (Chicago Tribune)
  
• 49ers Defense Stays Strong with Singletary- Sure the San Francisco 49ers are struggling, but hey their defense is still going strong. (San Francisco Chronicle)
  
• Joe Buck Wants Own Late Night Talk Show- Dear God, what did we do to deserve this? (USA Today)
  

See ya

Nos

Tuesday's with Romo: Our Folk-Hero and A New Chapter in the Romo Legacy

Let me start this recap out by saying, Wow! This is a definite nomination for the Monday Night Game of the Year. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Buffalo Bills, 25-24.

Nick Folk won the game for the Cowboys on a 53-yard field goal. What made it amazing was the fact that he had to kick it twice (Dick Jauron called a timeout for the first attempt).

Yes, Tony Romo did throw five interceptions, but he still led his team back when they needed him. The Cowboys were down eight points, late in the game.

Patrick Crayton caught a 4-yard touchdown pass, with 20 seconds left. After recovering an onside kick. The Cowboys got close enough for Folk to be the hero (That's a very popular term right now).

This was a great game. The Bills did the best they could. They forced six turnovers, but no offensive touchdowns. Terrence McGee ran back a touchdown that went 103-yards. George Wilson and Chris Kelsay both returned an interception for a touchdown.

ROMO ALERT: 309 yards, five interceptions and two touchdown passes.

Monday Night Player of the Game: Nick Folk- This guy got the game winner. He kicked it and it went through the up-rights. Congratulations!

See ya

Nos

Photo Source: AP

The Monday's: INSERT TITLE HERE

Week five has mostly left us. With the exception of the Monday Night Football game, taking place later on tonight, it's safe to assume that the week is over.

Time for some thoughts on Week 5:

• Chicago Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers, 27-20- Wow, I'm a Bears fan and I never saw it coming. Brian Griese, who looks like Mr. Roper from 'Enter the Dragon', had two touchdown passes.
  
  The Bears needed this win and they certainly went into Lambeau Field and got the job done. Cornerback Charles Tillman forced two fumbles, which helped the Bears get back into the game.
  
  Also, Brett Favre tied (not passed like previously mentioned) George Blanda for most interceptions All-Time. A big congratulations to him.
  
• Washington Redskins blow out the Detroit Lions, 34-3- What a great game for Jason Campbell, 23 of 29, 248 yards and two touchdowns. Plus check out this video from yesterday's game.
  
  As for Detroit, their offense shut down faster than a power outage at a Dave Matthews Band concert. They had 11 first downs and 144 total net yards. Quarterback Jon Kitna threw two picks. Like I said on Friday, I'm still not sold on the Lions.
  
• Houston Texans defeat the Miami Dolphins on a last second field goal by Kris Brown, 22-19- Great game for Ronnie Brown, 114 yards on 23 carries and one touchdown.
  
  The Texans scored only one touchdown. Brown had five field goals and that includes the 57-yarder that he kicked with one second left.
  
  The bigger story is the fact that the Dolphins are 0-5 and their quarterback Trent Green got knocked out of the game. The good news is that he's ok.
  
• Pittsburgh Steelers shut out the Seattle Seahawks, 21-0- Great work for the Steelers, I did call this game.
  
• New York Giants defeated New York Jets, 35-24- Did the Giants win, or did the Jets lose?
  
• San Diego destroyed the Denver Broncos, 41-3- Ooooh, that looks like it hurt.


• Monday Night Football Pick: Dallas Cowboys over Buffalo Bills
  

See ya

Nos

College Football Update: The Badgers Got 'Juiced'

I'm not sure where we should start on this super exciting day of college football. It was another terrific day of football.

• Illinois knocks off Wisconsin, 31-26, Rashard Mendenhall=Total Awesomeness
  
• USC falls to Stanford, 24-23- Is it me, or did Jim Harbaugh plan for this game all season? This is no doubt about it, Stanford's biggest win of the year.
  
• Oklahoma defeats Texas, 28-21- Well I did cover the spread.
  
• Tennessee defeats Georgia, 35-14- I should really stop picking SEC games.
  
• LSU defeats Florida, 28-24- Well at least something went my way tonight.

See you guys Monday

Nos

Friday Briefs: I'm 20-Years-Old Today, Hoop Dee Damn Doo

Well it is Friday, one more day until the weekend. It is also my 20th birthday. Let's get this party started then with my NFL Picks, plus some random video.

• St. Louis Rams over Arizona Cardinals- All hail Gus Frerotte, the savior of the Rams. I'm still not sold on the Cardinals.
  
• Washington Redskins over Detroit Lions- If the Redskins want to prove that they are the real deal (Holyfield), they need to beat the Lions, who I am still not sold on.
  
• Pittsburgh Steelers over Seattle Seahawks- A Super Bowl XL rematch, that will see the Steelers coming out on top.
  
• Denver Broncos over San Diego Chargers- In honor of Travis Henry.
  
• New York Giants over New York Jets- I pick New York, hahaha.

Thank you, here's the Ramones

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