2010 Week 12: What I Learned

• 8-8 record.  So much for the Thanksgiving home field theory.
• Poor Alphonso Smith.  The Detroit DB got absolutely tortured by the Patriots on Turkey Day, getting spun around and discarded on several plays, including a Deion Branch TD run-after-catch that gave simultaneous orgasms to his fantasy owners.  I was interested in what Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were trying to accomplish in the 4th quarter already up 38-24 and going for the final TD.  BenJarvis Green-Ellis eventually ran it in, but the two plays prior, Brady attempted to sneak it in unsuccessfully.  Hope it was worth almost getting the franchise QB killed trying to get him a meaningless rushing TD.
• The Saints ran out to a hot start on the Cowboys, but lost their 17-point lead thanks to 3 mistakes: a pick that bounced right off the receiver's hands, a wide open drop by Reggie Bush, and a Bush fumble on a punt return.  Fortunately for New Orleans, Dallas WR Roy Williams had the biggest gaffe of all, getting stripped racing toward the end zone up 27-23.  The Saints took that possession and scored the game-winning TD.  Unfortunately for Jason and me, the spread wasn't 3 but rather 3 and a hook.
• Strange game to end Thanksgiving--Carson Palmer made his patented drive-killing interceptions early in the game, yet Cincinnati fought back to take a halftime lead against the Jets.  They may have pulled off the upset if they could stop Brad Smith, who scored TDs on a reverse and a kickoff return in the 3rd quarter.  But after last year's Week 17 and subsequent playoff game, it's time to admit that the Jets certainly have the Bengals' number.
• OK, if any other interim coaches get a crack this season, I guess I have to pick that team no matter how shitty the team had played up to that point.  Congrats to Leslie Frazier, the newest Vikings skipper, on his win over the awful Redskins.  Here's hoping he's not psycho like his Bears teammate Mike Singletary.
• I felt really bad for Steve Johnson, the Bills WR who dropped the game-winning TD in OT against the Steelers, until I heard about his postgame tweet asking God how He could forsake him after all his previous faith.  God may have privately IM'd Johnson to remind him that, hey dipshit, I don't care about a fucking football game, you dropped the ball because you're not very good.  Guess we'll never know.  The story in this game was, Steelers dominate early, Bills fight back, Steelers ultimately win.  Pretty much the way everyone felt this one would go, with the exception of that clear Buffalo TD to win the damn game that was flat-out dropped.
• Amazing that Jake Delhomme didn't throw several bad balls for pick-6s to let Carolina come all the way back and win.  But he threw one, which was enough for Jason and me to get the backdoor cover.  Nice.  Yes, Delhomme got picked off; in other news, the sun came up.
• In a conspiracy theorist's dream, Andre Johnson will not be suspended for using Tennessee DB Cortland Finnegan's head as a punching bag Sunday, coinciding with Johnson, maybe the best WR in the business, playing in prime time this coming Thursday against Michael "Top Dog" Vick.  Seriously, can you see any scenario in which a black man rips a player's helmet off and just whales away on his dome and doesn't get suspended by El Capitan Roger Goddell immediately?  The only other tidbit to take away from this game: Never trust a black man named Cortland.
• That had to be the worst Giants run defense all year by a mile.  207 yards rushing as a team!  The Jacksonville Jaguars were running left, right, up the middle, any way you name it, they were running it.  How the hell do you lose rushing for over 200 yards?  Your horrible pass defense bails out your opponent.  Eli Manning hit TE Kevin Boss on a 3rd-down play, and Boss shook some weak tackling attempts to step into the end zone for the game winner.  Remember this game if the Giants make the playoffs.  A good rushing team could have a field day against New York's quick but light front 4.
• In what may be the Game of the Year, the Packers almost marched down to the Georgia Dome and put a rare home loss on Matt Ryan and the Falcons.  But two things were spotlighted that put an end to Green Bay's hopes for a win:  their glaring lack of a running attack, which would have helped balance their offense and given them a chance to keep up with Atlanta (that potent Packer aerial attack should never be held to 3 1st-half points), and the moxie of Ryan, who made bold throws into tight spots all day, including on the final drive to give the Falcons the game-winning FG.  You couldn't help but be a fan of Atlanta and Ryan after watching how they operate down in their home stadium.  They may not be impossible to beat in the Dome, but they will be a hell of a problem for a playoff opponent.
• If Kansas City makes the playoffs, will they be able to keep up the run-pass balance that has given them success this year?  A combo of Jamaal Charles running anywhere he pleases with a suddenly explosive Cassel-to-Bowe connection could be a nightmare.
• The Miami-Oakland tilt can be summed up this way:  Chad Henne hit his receivers on their routes all day, Bruce Gradkowski didn't.  This QB carousel in Oakland has to be maddening to all involved.  Jason Campbell will never be a consistent QB, I think we can all admit that.  But if every QB got pulled every time he had an off outing, no one would stay on the field.  I'm convinced Tom Cable would have found reason to sit Dan Marino if he were coaching in Miami in the '80s.
• Oh, now Baltimore wants to choke offensively and not get enough points to cover a somewhat large spread.  Now, when I pick them and Jason took the opposition.  Fuck you, Baltimore.  Fuck you.
• Man, I'd love to blame that dogshit turf at Soldier Field for slowing down Vick and the Eagles, but the fucking Bears seemed to be flying on that crap all day.  The offense was once again cohesive and opportunistic, burning whoever played RCB in place of Asante Samuel.  And this Chicago D is scary.  They refused to fly to Vick at all costs, instead surrounding him and making him throw into tight spots with varying degrees of success.  Sure, they hit Vick and sacked him when they could get there, but they didn't sell out and try to collapse his pocket using 3 or 4 blitzers.  They know that's asking for him to hit one of his fleet WRs with a quick slant or take off and run for days.  But I can't shake the thought that the Bears aren't for real and that their schedule will be their downfall.  For now, tip your cap to them--on Sunday, they were definitely better.
• Denver gave up a Thanksgiving cornucopia of blown coverages and soft defense to Sam Bradford and the Rams, and the result was 308 yards and 3 TDs for Bradford.  The Broncos came in to that game giving up 8.1 yards per pass attempt, which was 3rd most in the league.  It will probably go up.  Say goodnight to Josh McDaniels and the Broncos, who may not win again this year.
• This wasn't how I thought San Diego would knock out Indianapolis, using defense and running to stifle the Colts.  Four picks of Peyton Manning?  Did he and Jay Cutler switch bodies before Sunday's action?  As Manning's biggest fan, I have to say that he doesn't look right, but I really don't know what to attribute that to.  Yeah, he's missing weapons like Dallas Clark and Austin Collie, but he routinely has to adjust to new players in his lineup.  He's just plain bad lately.  Speaking of losing players, how many receivers has Philip Rivers had this year?  He finally gets Vincent Jackson back, and he immediately has a seat with a calf injury.  Rivers is lucky that the Chargers didn't have to rely on his arm in this one, because it seemed that he had trouble finding healthy pass catchers.  We'll see how that affects the Bolts in the next few games.
• My fiancee had to point me to Derek Anderson's postgame meltdown after he gagged it up for the Cardinals last night against Coach Psycho.  Derek put on quite the show during the game too, flinging the ball all around the greater Phoenix area, hitting everything but his intended receivers.  What I want to know is this:  As light as Arizona's D was hitting San Francisco, getting gashed for 261 yards on the ground, how did they manage to hit Frank Gore hard enough to break his hip?  When the fuck did that happen?  And what was the overnight rating for this eyesore of a game?  Will it be half of this Thursday night's Houston-Philly matchup now that Andre Johnson has gotten the hall pass from the principal?

Week 12 Records--Dre 8-8, .500; Jay 9-7, .563
YTD Records--Dre & Jay 92-82-2, .529

Week 12 ATS Recap: The Return of Robocop

A coworker of mine was reminiscing about the worst thing he ever saw in Pro Wrestling. It involved Robocop saving Sting from a "steel" cage during a pay per view card. I try to avoid wrestling as much as I can, but much like Al Pacino in "Godfather III," every time I think I'm away from wrestling, it pulls me back in. It doesn't help that many of my closest friends over my lifetime are big wrestling fans. So when I asked Dre about the "Return of Robocop," which of course he has on tape (?!?!?!), he pointed out that an entire PPV was framed around the appearance of Robocop, who spent all of roughly three minutes on screen. So, in other words, all our week 12 NFL games only had three less minutes of Robocop than an entire Robocop-themed wrestling card.

Thanksgiving Games

• Patriots 45, Lions 24 - Both winners - Much like our favorite Robocop baddie, Clarence Boddicker, the Lions kicked ass early but succumed to the Patriots late. Maybe they realized they were doomed to be forever known as the dad from "That 70s Show." This post now has more to do with "Robocop" than the freaking "Return of Robocop!" Robocop was based in Detroit, by the way. How fitting!

• Saints 30, Cowboys 27 - Both losers - Live by the hook, die by the hook. The Saints spent most of the game rolling the overmatched Cowboys. That is until the Pokes revealed their secret weapon: No it's not Robocop, it was Reggie Freaking Bush. Bush decided to show off all six weeks of rust from an injury in about a minute span of the game that resulted in two fumbles and allowed the Cowboys back into the game.

• Brad Smith 26, Bengals 10 - Both losers - After getting screwed by a hook, the Bengals decided to lay an egg and allow Brad Smith to explode on two long scoring plays. At least the Thanksgiving dinner was good.
  

Sunday and Monday Games

• Vikings 17, Redskins 13 - Jason winner, Dre loser - Looks like Jason Garrett Syndrome is contagious!


• Steelers 19, Bills 16 (OT) - Both winners - Steve Johnson must have thought the deep ball from Ryan Fitzpatrick that would have won the game was laced with toxic waste or something. Oh shit, that happened in "Robocop" too, minus the football.


• Browns 24, Panthers 23 - Both winners - Jake Delhomme threw a pick-6 to let Carolina back in the game. In other news: water is wet, the sky is blue, and a former drill sargeant makes a terrible therapist. Jake Delhomme = Jackwagon.


• Texans 20, Titans 0 - Both winners - A guy I worked with asked for a lock of the week for a friendly wager. I produced the Houston Texans.


• Giants 24, Jaguars 20 - Both winners - Yes, the Giants won, but they continue to play poorly at home.


• Falcons 20, Packers 17 - Dre winner, Jason loser - Hard to say I'm a loser on this one, since my Falcons improved to 9-2 and have an inside track on home field before them. The Packers showed a lot of heart, but the thing they lack Atlanta has in spades: balance. After watching the Dirty Birds win late and win often, was there any doubt Matt Ryan would get them the 20 yards they needed for a winning FG? I keep saying it, nobody in the NFC wants the road to the Super Bowl to run through Atlanta.


• Chefs 42, Seahawks 24 - Dre winner, Jason loser - Matt Cassel found Dwayne Bowe three times for touchdowns, and the Chiefs are trying to hang on to their division lead. It might not be enough to hold off the Chargers, but at least the Chiefs aren't going out like dogs. Yet.


• Dolphins 33, Raiders 17 - Both losers - What a difference an NFL quarterback makes. Apparently, 75% of Chad Henne is way more than 100% of Tyler Thigpen. It also hopes that Tom Cable's quarterback carousel imploded this week. My guess is we'll be seeing Jason Campbell again soon.


• Ravens 17, Buccaneers 10 - Jason winner, Dre loser - Live by the hook, die by the hook. Thank you, Josh Freeman! Garbage time FTW!


• Bears 31, Eagles 26 - Both losers - Are the Bears lucky? Sure. Let any team rack up some lucky wins and their confidence grows. That didn't look like the same Bears team that started the season, and these words hurt to say: the Bears have made the most of their luck and look like a pretty decent team. Wow, that hurt. A first round playoff exit still seems likely, however. I'm not crowning their asses yet.


• Rams 36, Broncos 33 - Both losers - The Rams were 0-4 on the road going into one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. Of course they won. That, folks, is NFL Action 2010. Catch the Parity!


• Chargers 36, Colts 14 - Both winners - As long as they playoffs aren't involved, the Bolts seem to own the Colts. Hey. that rhymed! Philip Rivers could have taken the day off, as Peyton Manning decided to gift wrap 14 points to the Chargers with a pair of pick-6's. Maybe Peyton is the Jackwagon this week? Nah, it's still Jake Delhomme.


• 49ers 27, Cardinals 6 - Jason winner, Dre loser - Was that Brian Westbrook I was watching? THE Brian Westbrook? I thought he was out of the league, or dead, or something. His career was left for dead after injuries and money ended his Philadelphia career, but just like our favorite cyborg crime fighter, Westbrook came back from the dead to punish creeps and save his teams playoff chances. That's right, Brian Westbrook wins the "Return of Robocop" award for the week.

It's about time Robocop made an appearance in a post about Robocop! Can't you just see Brian Westbrook saying "Drop it creep!"

Week 12: It's all square with 5 weeks of regular season action to go!

Jason 9-7

Dre 8-8

2010 Week #12

Here are the rest of Week 12's games.

Fav

Spread

Dog

Dre

Jay

Min (3-7)	1	WASH (5-5)			Wash	Min
Pit (7-3)	6	BUF (2-8)			Buf	Buf
CLE (3-7)	9½	Car (1-9)			Car	Car
HOU (4-6)	6	Tenn (5-5)			Hou	Hou
NYG (6-4)	7	Jack (6-4)			Jack	Jack
ATL (8-2)	1	GB (7-3)			Atl	GB
KC (6-4)	1	SEA (5-5)			KC	Sea
OAK(5-5)	1½	Mia (5-5)			Oak	Oak
BAL (7-3)	7½	TB (7-3)			Bal	TB
Phi (7-3)	3	CHI (7-3)			Phi	Phi
DEN (3-7)	3½	StL (4-6)			Den	Den
	Sun. Nite
IND (6-4)	2½	SD (5-5)			SD	SD
	Mon. Nite
SF (3-7)	1	ARIZ (3-7)			Ariz	SF

Some of our thoughts and observations included:

• Pissed off over our 3-0 SU Turkey Day record but 1-2 ATS, I ventured out on a new strategy this week.  I somehow convinced myself that the home team must be awesome on the Sunday after Thanksgiving because who plays well traveling away from the family right after Turkey Day?  And last year's numbers bear that theory out.  Home teams on the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving last year were a staggering 11-2 SU and 7-6 ATS.  Cool beans, I thought, I'll make all of my close picks home team picks.  However, to do that, I'd have to ignore the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving from two years ago.  Those home team numbers?  3-10 SU, 4-9 ATS.  WTF.  Oh well, maybe this week I'll just use less numbers and stats period and go with what feels right.
• Of course, to start, here's a game where my pick has already been made for me thanks to the Brett Favre Rule.  I was hoping new Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier would have ended the Favre Era himself as his first act, but he can't because he's an interim coach, and he has to get as many wins as possible to audition for a full-time gig next year.  So he's forced to go with the Little Wrangler because as useless as he is, he's still more apt to win the game than Tarvaris Jackson.  Anyway, Jason cites the Jason Garrett Effect and thus will take the Vikings to bounce up and get a victory.  I think I'd take Washington even if I wasn't bound by the Favre Rule because the Vikings have been horrible, and that's not Brad Childress's fault.
• We'll take Buffalo to cover at home against Pittsburgh because we can't help it.  We just love those cuddly little scrappy Bills.
• We'll take Carolina to cover on the road against Cleveland because Cleveland is starting the Human Interception Machine Jake Delhomme at QB again.
• We'll take Houston to squoosh Tennessee because Tennessee is starting something named Rusty Smith at QB.
• We'll go with Jacksonville as another road pick ATS over the New York Giants.  It just feels like an Eli Manning Screw-Up Game.  It's a secondary that he should destroy, but he's missing his two best receivers, Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks.  Also, the Giants aren't sure what they want to do with their backfield.  Ahmad Bradshaw, clearly their most talented RB, will not start because he's been fumbling a lot.  But is Brandon Jacobs, who might outweigh Yokozuna at this point, the answer?  Manning and coach Tom Coughlin are both high-strung guys, and things have to be perfect for them to function.  Things aren't perfect.  Therefore, I will take the Jags straight up in a major upset.
• In a terrific matchup, Green Bay goes down to Atlanta, where the Falcons can't seem to lose.  I'll pick Matty Ice and the Dirty Birds just because they're at home.  Jason will step out on a limb and back the Pack.
• I admit it, I can't figure out the fucking Kansas City Chiefs.  I'll pick them at Seattle because I just think they're the better team, but I am still forecasting a Chief collapse at the end of the year.  Jason will go with Seattle, and I can't blame him because Seattle is the epitome of home field advantage, which is influencing so many of my picks this week.  But every time I go against KC, they screw me.
• More Chad Henne or more Bruce Almighty?  We'll pick Bruce Gradkowski and the Raiders over Henne and the Dolphins in the battle of crappy QBs.
• It was tough to give up 7½ points to an up-and-coming Tampa Bay squad, but I'll back Baltimore because, well, they're at home.  And they looked awesome in the 4th quarter against Carolina.  Jason will go with the Buccaneers because he can't resist taking 8 points and picking his guy Josh Freeman.
• I don't feel very confident in taking the Eagles over the Bears at Soldier Field, but Jason says to write that shit down.  He's got Jay Cutler for one of his patented 5 INT games.  There's a lot going against Philly for this pick--on the road, in frigid conditions, Michael Vick playing against the Cover-2 defense, which he traditionally struggles against, and the best Philly ballhawk who would go a long way towards picking off Cutler 5 times, CB Asante Samuel, is out.  Yet I'll still join Jason and take Philadelphia simply because I am of the firm belief that the Chicago Bears are successful due to their schedule and not because they're a cohesive unit.  I'm on record right now--the Bears aren't winning more than 2 games the rest of the season, and they won't make the playoffs.
• It was tough picking against Sam Bradford and the Rams too, because Denver is such a dog team, and their coach can't stay out of trouble (Josh McDaniels has another Spygate situation because one of his guys taped a SF practice before their game in London).  But we will give 3 and a hook and take the Broncos because, well, they're at home.  And St. Louis absolutely blows on the road.
• We can both see the Chargers continuing their hot streak and going into Indianapolis and taking out the Colts.  Vincent Jackson returns at WR for the Chargers, as if Philip Rivers needs more weapons, and Indy seems to have problems against San Diego in the regular season.  If the Bolts come to Indy in the playoffs, I'd take the Colts and give 10.
• And in the worst Monday night game EVAH, Jason will take Coach Psycho and the Niners because Arizona's really bad, and I'll take the Cardinals because, you guessed it, they're at home.

2010 Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving!  Here are our Turkey Day picks to start Week 12.  Sorry to disappoint, but they're going to look very similar.

Fav

Spread

Dog

Dre

Jay

	Thanksgiving
NE (8-2)	6½	DET (2-8)			NE	NE
NO (7-3)	3½	DAL (3-7)			NO	NO
	Thanksgiving Nite
NYJ (8-2)	9	Cin (2-8)			Cin	Cin

• We like the Patriots for slightly different reasons.  I think they are going to use the same balanced run/pass attack that enabled them to hold on and beat the Colts this past Sunday.  And there won't be a late comeback because the Lions don't have Peyton Manning.  Jason thinks the Pats will use a deep aerial attack and throw Detroit to death.
• We like the Saints because they're playing great, and they're going to pose a significant upgrade in difficulty for Dallas over the Lions.  We can see a back-and-forth affair and a lot of points scored, but we believe that New Orleans will be on top by a TD or more when the smoke clears .
• And we like the Bengals to cover because they've proven that they can't play a complete game, but they're good for a half or so of competitive football, and that should be enough to stay within 9 of the Jets.  Carson Palmer and Terrell Owens like to hook up for a couple of big plays each game whether they're getting beat by the Steelers or the Dolphins or the Bills, and that overrated Jets secondary will be happy to accommodate them.

2010 Week 11: What I Learned

• The most important lesson of the week:  When Jason gets sick of being under .500 for the season, he really does something about it.
• Fans are able to rate games and players in a given game at NFL.com, and the game rating is on a 1 to 100 scale, 1 being forgettable and 100 being memorable.  That Bears-Dolphins crib smothering was a 39.  That's failing on any test I've ever taken.  "Fail" would also describe Jake Long's blocking attempts on Julius Peppers, the Dolphins' game plan (they ran the ball 7 times for 12 whole yards, not counting QB scrambles), and the Bears the rest of the way thanks to a killer schedule.
• What must be Carson Palmer's mental state right now?  He gets his Bengals out to a huge lead in the 1st half, then the bad interceptions and overthrows come back, and he can't score a single point in the 2nd half as he watches the Buffalo Bills make like Zenyatta and come flying past everybody from behind.  Cincinnati more than maybe any other team in the league just cannot get out of its own way.  When you can't put away the Bills, how much farther is it to rock bottom?
• Hold on, don't get too giddy about the resurgent Dallas Cowboys.  They're still not whole yet.  They were playing a tight game back and forth with the awful Detroit Lions when a lucky special teams play (Bryan McCann grabbing a batted punt and running 97 yards for a TD) and a turnover by the Lions on a fumble sparked the Boys.  The pass rush took over from there.  Dallas gets a real team in New Orleans on Thanksgiving.  Let's see how they handle that assignment.
• I have no observations on Ariz-KC or Cle-Jack.  A bad team beat a worse team.
• I also don't have anything to add to the Oak-Pit game except to laugh at the score and wonder how anyone mistook the Raiders for a legit team.
• I also don't want to think about what happened in the Car-Bal game except to note one thing.  A successful deep ball should not be allowed by the Ravens to a QB who was a housewife a week ago if Baltimore is really a top contender themselves.  Yet there was Brian St. Pierre nailing David Gettis for an 88-yard TD in the 4th quarter to get the Panthers within a score.  Unacceptable.  Yes, the Ravens took two straight turnovers to the house to seal the deal later in the period, but it should have never had to get to that.
• Never a dull moment when the New York Jets play, huh?  I'd like to point out on the good side that I can hardly believe my eyes when I watch some of the throws Mark Sanchez makes compared to what he was doing last year.  Do you remember 5 INTs against Buffalo?  That Dirty Sanchez seems to be a thing of the past.  He made some really good pro throws this Sunday.  Granted, it was against Houston, but he looks like he knows what he's doing.  Now to point out on the bad side:  Um, I thought the Jets defense was going to be as good as it gets this year and that Revis Island in particular was going to be impenetrable.  Don't look now, but that was the Jets D giving up all manner of yards and points in the 2nd half, allowing the Texans to grab a late lead and forcing Sanchez and the offense to come to the rescue.  Can they win in the playoffs with that formula?  I'm betting no.
• Goodnight, Mssr. Chilly, and turn out the lights on the Metrodome, since the Vikings will now be a real contender to jump to Los Angeles soon.  Of course Jason got this right too.  Vikings go down like cheerleaders at a frat party, and Chilly is shown the door.  Lots of yapping on various talk shows about what should now happen to the Little Wrangler.  Bench?  Cut?  Play out the string?  I say let him play until someone sits on his head and breaks him open on the field like eggs.  What difference does it make?  You don't have to get a look at backup QB Tarvaris Jackson to know that he absolutely sucks.
• I'll take full credit for this one--Redskins go against a more dysfunctional QB-coach combo than theirs, and find a way to win.  What I find interesting is the contrast between Coach Fisher's comments ("Vince is no longer the starter") in the Titans post-game presser and the owner Bud Adams sounding like he has zero plans to let go of VY anytime soon.  Jerry Jones just got a hard-on at the thought of Fisher leaving Tennessee in a him-or-me huff.
• What do the Falcons do against a team they should handle if they're really legit?  Double them up, that's what.  Impressive.  Keep an eye on the Dirty Birds.
• I'm inclined to think, on the other hand, that Tampa Bay's impressive road shutout over Coach Psycho was a mirage, and here's why:  TB came into that game with 8 team sacks the whole season, and they racked up 6 against the 49ers and their previously unflappable QB Troy Smith.  Did the Bucs front 4 force Smith into a terrible game, or was it the Niners and a bad and banged-up O-line?  Let me see Stylez G. White and the rest of the Tampa defensive linemen make some more plays, and then I might start to believe.
• OK, I guess Matt Hasselbeck doesn't make that big of a difference after all.  Watch out for the World champs.
• ...and Tom Brady's STILL YELLING.  He took the most screamy, intense knees you've ever seen to run out the clock and beat the Colts.  This dude's seriously got his panties in a bunch about something.  He's throwing the hell out of the ball while doing all that yelling, and it should have been enough, combined with a staunch New England running attack, to put down Indianapolis and cover 4 points easily.  Of course, I picked against Peyton Manning, so he had to lead a comeback to cover the number and almost win the game.  Any windy conditions Sunday night on the East Coast were worsened by everyone in New England exhaling when Manning floated a bad pass and got picked off inside the NE 10-yard line with 31 seconds to go.  What a finish.
• Plenty of mistakes plagued both the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, and I didn't like what I saw from either team.  Philly settled for way too many FGs after hitting big plays for large chunks of yards.  You gotta put the fucking ball in the end zone when you're hitting 20 and 30-yard pass plays in rapid succession.  There was the Jason Avant wide-open TD drop and Asante Samuel coughing up an INT and giving the ball right back to New York, and the fumbles by Michael Vick, who was carrying the rock way too loose.  He seemed genuinely surprised that a defender was trying to tackle him in his own backfield and take his football away.  And the Giants, of course, had major fuck-ups that cost them the game.  Ahmad Bradshaw couldn't hold on to the ball.  The Giant D put the whole organization in the box on a late 4th down, and the bobbled pitch back to RB LeSean McCoy resulted in a 50-yard TD.  And words can't describe how dumb Eli Manning had to be to dive face first and fumble the ball after a successful scramble.  If he slides feet first, the ball is dead and the fumble doesn't count.  Too many bonehead plays for me to like either squad to go all the way.  Oh, and Eli's favorite target, Hakeem Nicks, is out for the next 3 weeks.  Oh shit.
• How do you know it's the San Diego Chargers' night?  When even the special teams makes plays!  They faked a punt in the 1st quarter, and the punter threw a 29-yard completion.  Yes, even the punter racks up big pass plays for the Bolts.  And San Diego gets its best receiver, Vincent Jackson, back next week.  That would be the cue for the rest of the AFC West to say:  Oh shit.

Week 11 Records--Dre 9-7, .563; Jay 13-3, .813 (!!)
YTD Records--Dre 84-74-2, .532; Jay 83-75-2, .525

Week 11 ATS Recap: Valhalla

In Scandinavian mythology, Valhalla is a place where the honored who died in combat are sent to be with the gods. We saw a metaphor for that play out on the fields of Minneapolis this last Sunday. Brett Favre: legend, savior, sexter, gunslinger, diva....welcome to Valhalla.

Valhalla is also as close as you can get in a pagan religion to a symbol of heaven. A euphoric, heavenly feeling descended upon yours truly this week, in a "I shoulda gone to Vegas" 13-3 week against the spread. I, too, should take my place in IMLD Valhalla, because the only thing that happens after a week like this is disaster.

• Bears 16, Dolphins 0 (Thursday Nights) - Both winners - We got the weekend started (NFL network tagline) with a pretty easy one here. The theme of the week was unprepared, sacrificial lamb quarterbacks. Up first: Tyler Thigpen. Tyler had about as much chance as Bobby Thigpen or Yancey Thigpen out there at QB. Those are all the Thigpens I know in sports. The talk after a single prime time game, as it was with Atlanta the week before, centered around the legitimacy of the Bears as contenders. I'm not sold, but with a matchup coming up against the Eagles, the Bears will have a chance to show their mettle.
• Bills 49, Bengals 31 - Both winners - This pick looked dreadful early on, as Cincy ran out to a 28-7 lead. Not knowing what to do with a lead, the Bungles coughed it up Houston Playoff Style to of course, the Buffalo Bills. Was that Frank Reich back there leading the furious comeback? This one didn't end up being close, as the Bills put the lead foot on the accelerator and never took it off.
• Cowboys 35, Lions 19 - Both winners - I'm still on my Jason Garrett worked hard to get Wade Phillips fired mantra.
• Chiefs 31, Cardinals 13 - Jason winner, Dre loser - We had a bet on this pick, Shaq/Kobe style. This one's for you Dre! There's a special message at the end of this posting for Dre, who plays the part of Kobe.
• Jets 30, Texans 27 - Both losers - Ah, Houston. If you're going to grind out a gutty win on the road, you have to finish it. The Texans once again suffered a bitter road defeat, and I'll be damned but the same guy who played volleyball with Mike Thomas gave up the game winner to Santonio Holmes. Where's Gus Johnson when we need him? Jaguars 24, Browns 20 - Jason winner, Dre loser - The difference in this one came on the ground. Maurice Jones-Drew is pretty much keeping the Jags in postseason discussions all by himself. This team doesn't pass the eye test, though, the AFC may prove just a little too tough for Jacksonville. Credit too the Browns, Dre's favorite new QB (Colt McCoy) looked pretty good for yet another week.
• Steelers 35, Raiders 3 - Both winners - If the rest of the Raiders had shown as much fight as Richard Seymour, this might have been a game. Sure, what Seymour did was cheap, but really...who doesn't want to punch Bathroom Ben in the face?
• Ravens 37, Panthers 13 - Jason winner, Dre loser - This game was pretty close until very late. Dre thought the Ravens offense couldn't cover the spread on its own, and he was right. Fortunately for me, the Ravens defense did. Brian St. Pierre is indeed French for "it's not enough."
• Packers 31, Vikings 3 - Both winners - Looks like Dre might not have to put up with the Brett Favre Rule for too much longer. In other news: Have a coach you want canned? Bring in the Green Bay Packers. They'll make your team look so awful you'll have no choice but to fire the coach. Upcoming bookings: San Francisco, NY Giants, and the Chicago Bears.
• Redskins 19, Titans 16 - Both winners - In the wake of another Vince Young injury, some guy named Rusty Smith is starting at QB for the Titans this upcoming week. I've never heard of the guy, and I'd heard of Tony freakin Pike, so that can't be good for poor Rusty. Rusty lived up to his name in the waning moments of the game, and the Redskins capitalized again. The Skins might not be a good team, but the can smell the blood when it's in the water. I thus dub them the Washington Sharks.
• Falcons 34, Rams 17 - Both winners - This one went down pretty much how I expected it to. The Rams showed a lot of fight early on their home turf, but the Falcon offense that just seems to look better every week ground them down and wore out the Ram defense. Solid road win for the 8-2 Falcons who get a big test this week hosting the Packers. If a team can exploit the Falcons, it's through the air, and all the Packers can do is throw. Fortunately, Mike Smiths job is safe, or is it? (dunnn dunnnn DUNNNNNNN)
• Bucs 21, Niners 0 - Both winners - Pretty much what we expected here, too. We got fancy, picking the Niners to win but not cover 3½. Fortunately, the Niners getting their doors blown off by the Team Formerly Known as the Best in the NFC counts as win.
• Saints 34, Seahawks 19 - Jason winner, Dre loser - Dre believes in Matt Hasselbeck. That's good enough for me.
• Patriots 31, Colts 28 - Both losers - Peyton Manning channeled his inner Brett Favre, throwing a pick in field goal range when a field goal could have sent the game to overtime. Dre nailed this one, even though we lost the pick with the points, the Pats exposed the Colts defense all game on the ground with a nice balance. That won't work every week for the Pats since they don't get to play Indy every week, though. New England is the AFCs answer to the Packers. Wouldn't a rematch of Super Bowl XXXI be a ton of fun to watch?
• Eagles 27, Giants 17 - Jason winner, Dre loser - Say what you want about Mike Vick: he wins games. Plain and simple. No highlight package plays this week, just the threat of a healthy Vick on the field is enough to open things up for the offense and keep the defense on it's heels. The Former Best Team in the NFC succumbed to the Chic Pick Best Team in the NFC, and now the Giants look to be reeling. The NFC East isn't an automatic for two playoff berths this year, and the Eagles look like the team ready to grab the division crown.
• Chargers 35, Broncos 14 - Dre winner, Jason loser - The Chargers are the anti-Giants. While the Giants progressively get worse as the season goes on, the Chargers just get stronger and stronger. They now look like the best team in the AFC West, especially after the showing the first place Raiders put up. You can almost pencil the Chargers in for a playoff berth now, and a comfy first round exit.

Week 11:

Dre 9-7 (normally very impressive - just kidding, any week over .500 is a victory)

Jason 13-3 (words can't describe - 4-12 week upcoming)

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2010 Week #11

Here's the rest of a full slate for Week 11.

Fav

Spread

Dog

Dre

Jay

CIN (2-7)	5	Buf (1-8)			Buf	Buf
DAL (2-7)	6½	Det (2-7)			Dal	Dal
KC (5-4)	9	Ariz (3-6)			Ariz	KC
NYJ (7-2)	6½	Hou (4-5)			NY	NY
JACK(5-4)	1½	Cle (3-6)			Cle	Jack
PIT (6-3)	9	Oak (5-4)			Pit	Pit
Bal (6-3)	11	CAR (1-8)			Car	Bal
GB (6-3)	3	MIN (3-6)			GB	GB
TENN(5-4)	7	Wash (4-5)			Wash	Wash
Atl (7-2)	3	STL (4-5)			Atl	Atl
SF (3-6)	3½	TB (6-3)			TB	TB
NO (6-3)	11½	Sea (5-4)			Sea	NO
NE (7-2)	4	Ind (6-3)			NE	NE
	Sun. Nite
PHI (6-3)	3	NYG (6-3)			NY	Phi
	Mon. Nite
SD (4-5)	9½	Den (3-6)			SD	Den

Some of our thoughts and observations included:

• We both find it nearly impossible to side with Carson Palmer and the Bungles the way they're playing only the final quarter of games.  Jason will go with the (s)crappy Bills to cover, and I'll take Buffalo FTW.
• All hail the Cowboys again!  I bet if they beat Detroit the way we think they will this week, some talking head somewhere will start spouting off about a possible playoff push if Dallas wins out and the rest of the NFC goes into the tank.  It's the knee-jerk nature of people.  One great game against the Giants, and all this praise is getting heaped upon Jason Garrett like he's the greatest coach evah.  Jason still thinks Garrett's shitty play-calling the first 8 weeks was a conspiracy to get Wade Phillips fired.  But we'll take the Cowboys to cover in this battle of the Thanksgiving teams because the Lions are that bad.
• Jason describes the battle of Cardinals vs. Chiefs as "Titanic vs. Titanic," in other words, two teams that have both hit icebergs and are sinking fast.  He thinks Arizona is so bad that Kansas City can recover from the Drubbing in Denver and get back on track.  I will hold true to my word that if the Chefs didn't show me something last week, I would lose faith.  I don't know if I'm going against KC the rest of the season, but I'll take Arizona to win in a big upset.
• Same goes for Houston.  I said if they couldn't get it done in Jacksonville, I would lose faith in them too, and with that, we will back the Jets against the sorry-ass Texans and give a TD.  Mark Sanchez can have a big day against the Houston secondary, they're so God-awful.
• Speaking of the Texans-Jaguars and that crazy finish, the funniest announcers to me are the home guys when the home team pulls off a miracle win, because you never know what comes out of their mouths in such an exciting situation.  I was disappointed hearing the Jacksonville broadcast of that Hail Mary TD because the announcers were so stunned that they had nothing for the occasion.  Eventually the play-by-play guy stammered out a "Hail Mary!" but the "How did that happen?" being repeated by both guys didn't exactly live up to the moment.  Because of that, I have to go against the Jags this week...no, I'm actually taking the Browns because they compete to the end of games, unlike Houston.
• We both think hell's coming to breakfast for the Oakland Raiders.  Hopefully they enjoyed that bye week, because they're faced with coming to the East Coast to play an early game against a damn good defense that just got embarrassed by Tom Bieber last week.  Good luck.
• Jason believes that Brian St. Pierre is French for "It's not enough."  As in, Baltimore giving 11 points against this week's Carolina QB victim BSP and the pathetic Panthers is not enough points.  As in, the Ravens should win by 65.  I have no real defense for taking those points, except it's an awful lot of points as a home dog, and I don't love Baltimore's offense to score more than 11 points.  And now, I have to root for St. Pierre to get knocked out so Carolina can go to Tony Pike at QB.  I have to root for this Pike guy to come in because Jason knew that he went to the U. of Cincinnati upon me just saying his name, meaning he must be a hyooge fan.  Maybe his biggest fan.  Maybe Jason is going to rescue Pike from a car crash and tie him to a bed and break his ankles to keep him from escaping.
• I'm sad that I didn't nail the Brad Childress Gets Shitcanned Office Pool last week.  Jason thinks this is the week.  We'll take the Pack as a road favorite over the Little Wrangler and watch for the smoke signals over Minneapolis indicating the papal overthrowing.
• And here's a great example of how today's NFL works.  Bad teams aren't necessarily bad, they're sometimes embarrassed into being better.  The Washington Redskins couldn't have looked worse than they looked Monday night against the Eagles.  Jason said they looked like the Washington Generals.  You could hear the Sweet Georgia Brown music playing in the background as Michael Vick wound up and effortlessly heaved long bomb after long bomb into the air.  I think at one point he threw a bucket of confetti onto DeAngelo Hall's head while DeSean Jackson sprinted past him.  So it's a slam dunk to go against the Skins in their next game on the road at Tennessee, right?  Jason will pick Washington and take the points because the Skins offense wasn't completely out to lunch and maybe Donovan McNabb can keep them close against the Titans.  I will pick Washington to win the game because Vince Young looked so unprepared against Miami that I don't think he and Randy Moss could have gotten on the same page in just the last week, and they need something out of the passing game in order to stop defenses from focusing on shutting down RB Chris Johnson.  The point is, don't be shocked if the Redskins have a very solid showing against Tennessee.  In today's NFL, nothing should be shocking.
• We both will take Atlanta to go down to St. Louis and win the type of game they have to win if they want to be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender this year.  The Falcons got to hear critics suck their cocks for ten days straight after beating Baltimore a couple of Thursday nights ago.  Now's their chance to justify the sucking.
• This never works, but we're doing it again--we like a favorite to win straight up, but we will pick the dog to cover the points.  Tampa Bay is getting 3 and a hook at Coach Psycho, and we are scared to death of that hook.  We can see a close win by Troy Smith and Co. but not a blowout over the "best team in the NFC."
• It's very tempting to take New Orleans to cover 11½ coming off a bye and winning their last two games.  Jason likes the Saints, but I'll take the Seattle Seahawks to cover.  The Hawks are a totally different team with Matt Hasselbeck under center, and I think he can keep it close.
• Jason thinks he figured out what Tom Brady was yelling last week on the sideline in the Patriots game vs. Pittsburgh.  Brady was acting out scenes from Pulp Fiction, channeling his inner Jules Winnfield.  "What you say about my hair?  Do I look like a bitch?  DO I LOOK LIKE A BITCH?!?  Say 'what' one more motherfuckin' time, I dare ya, I double dog dare ya!  Then why y'all trying to fuck me like a bitch?  ENGLISH MOTHERFUCKER, DO YOU SPEAK IT?!?!"  Brady frightened both of us into picking him and his Pats over Peyton Manning and the Colts, lest he and John Travolta turn me and Jason into Swiss cheese.  Oh, and I'll add that I also believe the Pats will run the ball effectively and control the clock, which is about the only way to beat the Colts.
• There has been only one week this season when Jason and I disagreed on both Sunday and Monday night's games.  It was Week 8, and I got fucked twice.  Can this week be my revenge?  We start on Sunday night with the Philadelphia Eagles coming off the greatest game of their lives and playing host to the New York Giants.  Jason says as long as Michael Vick is healthy and they're playing like this, how can you pick against him?  I'll tell you how--it's a combo for me of the Eagles can't possibly play another game that flawlessly, and the Giants will be amped up coming off their embarrassment at the hands of the Cowboys.  Eli Manning and the G-Men have made careers of bouncing back from bad games to win on the road, where they're more comfortable away from the ire and criticism of the New York fanbase and media.  This feels like a classic road thievery game.
• Monday night, it's the San Diego Chargers coming off their bye to host the Denver Broncos, who have to be feeling good after they shellacked the Chiefs.  Jason says that it's been too long since a Chargers special teams meltdown occurred, and that it's overdue.  He'll take Denver to stay close and cover the points.  I say that San Diego's annual push for the playoffs start here with the continued lights-out play of QB Philip Rivers against a pretty bad Broncos defense.  Feels like a 37-24 type of beatdown for the home team.

Thu. Nite Bears @ Dolphins

Ah, I can see the production value dropping now in tonight's telecast as NFL Network defaults to footage of the '85 Bears losing to Miami on Monday night to give them their only loss of the season.  Now the modern day Bears bring their talents to South Beach looking for REVENGE!!  Never mind that the '85 Bears don't have shit to do with this team.  Anyway, it's another 1-point spread favoring the home team, but in addition to considering that one team is at home while the other travels on a short week, there's a major injury to factor in:  Stud Miami tackle Jake Long will try to play through a torn labrum in his shoulder and will have to wear a cumbersome shoulder strap if he does go.  He's charged with blocking stud Chicago pass rusher Julius Peppers.  Someone reserve a room at the ER for Tyler Thigpen.

My Pick:  Chicago 20-17

2010 Week 10: What I Learned

• Now that every team has played half a season, it's time to really pay attention to which teams are starting to play their best and which are melting away like butter.  Several teams this week proved that you can play well early and make noise, but that doesn't mean you're a good team.  And a few teams showed that when you put it all together, it can be a beautiful thing.
• Atlanta and Baltimore slugged it out for four quarters last Thursday, and the ugly play can be excused because of the short turnaround.  The big thing that I took from this game is that a national audience got to see Falcons WR Roddy White show his stuff.  It was a star-making turn for Rowdy Roddy, as he played through a knee injury to catch 12 balls for 138 yards and 2 scores.  The game-winning score was caught by White after he pushed off a DB.  So I win a pick thanks to blind refereeing.  The thing about refereeing is, it'll bite me many times down the road.  It gets everyone eventually.
• Big game for Freddie Jackson, as the former 80s R&B crooner ran for 133 yards and a score and also caught a TD pass to lead Buffalo to their 1st win.  Jackson continued his amazing career turnaround, going from hitmaking singer to...oh wait, wrong Fred Jackson.
• Is winning road games in OT a skill?  Cause if it is, the Jets have perfected it, becoming the 1st team in league history to win road OT games in consecutive weeks.  I don't know what the hell to make of the Browns, who keep competing every week despite having clearly the lesser amount of talent every week.  It's up to each person who watches the Jets what to make of them, and I really don't believe in them despite their 7-2 record.  I see a team with a QB in Mark Sanchez who doesn't display the most poised, steady presence out there.  I see a running game that will go as far as its geriatric star LaDainian Tomlinson will take them, because Shonn Greene doesn't appear to be ready for prime time.  And I see an overrated pass defense that has been getting thrown on all year and gave up the game-tying TD pass.  And their kicker apparently blows, too.
• I hereby nominate the Carolina Panthers as our second Fed Ex Mail-It-In team of the season.  I'm stunned that they put up 16 points.
• Carson Palmer struck again, throwing horribly inaccurate passes all over Lucas Oil Stadium and putting the Cincinnati Bengals in an early hole against the Indianapolis Colts.  The only reason the Colts didn't cover is because of another late Bengals rally, but it was the rallying QB that put them in the hole to begin with.
• How did Miami win by double digits in a game where they had to use three different QBs thanks to injury?  The same drowsy offense that got Chad Henne benched kept the Dolphins afloat until Henne went down and allowed new starter Tyler Thigpen to throw some really good balls and lead a TD drive in the 4th quarter.  Oh, and they were playing the Tennessee Titans, who had to remove their starting QB due to injury and give the rock to God, I mean Vince Young.  VY showed his preparation level by going 9-18-92 yards with a TD, and INT, and a fumble.  So Miami should thank their lucky stars that they were going against an immature, unprepared, banged up Young in the 2nd half.  You can't take credit for much of anything when your team loses two QBs to season-ending injuries and you still win.  That's just plain dumb luck.
• The Bears looked as cohesive offensively as they've looked in any game this year, and that's trouble for the NFC North.  It helps when the Vikings for some reason gleefully punt and kick off to Devin Hester, still one of the most dangerous return men ever.  He didn't break into the end zone (he did catch a TD pass) but he kept putting Chicago in great field position.  The other big assist goes to the Chicago Park District, which owns Soldier Field.  They refuse to put in FieldTurf or something better than the dog shit people have been sliding on for years now.  Two of Brett Favre's INTs were nothing other than intended receivers slipping and falling flat on their asses as the ball whizzed past where they were standing and into the hands of Bears defenders.  Can't lead a coach-saving rally when your pass catchers are sliding everywhere on the field.  FIRE CHILLY!!
•  That was a stunning display of the worst secondaries maybe in the history of football between the Texans and the Jaguars.  656 passing yards between the two teams.  Receivers routinely were catching balls with no one within 10 yards of them.  One member of the Houston secondary made the one last boo-boo that cost them the game.  Jacksonville QB David Garrard heaved up a Hail Mary from 50 yards away with no time left, and every non-Jags fan was channeling their inner Tom Jackson and saying out loud "Knock it down!"  So what does Houston DB Glover Quin do when the ball is sailing right to him in the end zone?  Three guesses:  1, knock it down, 2, catch the damn thing which is coming right at him, or 3, knock it sideways instead of down, giving anyone a chance to catch it and defeating the entire fucking purpose of trying to knock it down.  If you guessed 3, come claim your prize.  Mike Thomas caught the batted ball for an early Christmas gift and a game-winning TD that he'll be able to tell his grandkids about...except by then, it will have been a grueling catch wrestled away from 6 defenders in a driving snowstorm.  Oh, what did I learn?  Neither of these shitty defenses will allow either team to do anything, even if they make the playoffs.
• Not much to say about the KC-Denver destruction.  One team showed that they should still be considered dangerous, the other showed that we can forget them now.
• The Rams have no one to blame but themselves for losing to the 49ers.  They held a lead in the 4th quarter but allowed a drive by the new Messiah, QB Troy Smith, including converting a 4th and 18, to give SF the lead.  Then SF gave up a drive to let the Rams tie the game and send it to OT.  San Fan pulled it out in extra time.  I don't think this was about Troy Smith leading the game-saving drive, I think it's yet another example of why St. Louis isn't ready yet.  They have no idea how to put teams away on the road.  There is no excuse for a defensive line that talented giving Smith the amount of time he had to throw the go-ahead TD to Michael Crabtree.  Smith could have left to polish his Heisman Trophy before throwing the ball.
• How good must Matt Hasselbeck be?  He misses last week's game and his Seattle Seahawks get pounded in the moon by the Giants.  He comes back and they rip the Cardinals in Arizona.  I realize there's a huge class difference between opponents, but it's still a night-and-day performance by Seattle.
• And speaking of the Giants, I was once again taught that Eli Manning is still a fragile little boy who tends to quit when things don't go his way early in games.  The Dallas Cowboys came out with a little fire early and got an early lead, but the way the Giants responded, you'd think they were out of it.  Bad throws by Eli, including a pick-6 in the end zone, and bad D by the G-men, including one sequence that was so awful that coordinator Perry Fewell and the coach Tom Coughlin were jawing at each other on the sideline.  But even with all that, a horrible holding penalty may have decided the game.  In the 4th quarter down 33-20, Eli threw a TD pass to Hakeem Nicks that got taken away by a holding call that occurred after the ball had been released, and on the next damn play, he fumbled the snap and turned the ball over.  The Giants took all game to get their shit together and make a charge, and the zebras robbed them.  Next time, don't wait so long.
• Nothing but respect to New England for paddling the Steelers from the opening whistle.  We know the Steelers are good, although Jason has played the "overrated" card, so I'm not worried about this beating.  What I want to know is exactly why Tom Brady felt the need to shout the whole game like a homeless person, spitting and ranting at his teammates in an apparent show of fire and passion.  Seriously, what the fuck was that?  Was it steam still built up from the whipping that Cleveland gave the Pats last week?  Was it a show for the national television cameras?  Was it trash talking for Pittsburgh?  Was it overcompensation for losing his manhood getting domesticated by Gisele and keeping a bad lesbian haircut at her urging?  "I shall yell all game and act like a real man because no one can stop me so long as I'm here in my element!  Please no one mention that eventually I have to go back home!  Just let me yell for these three blessed hours!"
• And nothing but awe for Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, the rest of the Eagles offense that violated the Redskins from the first play.  That pass from Vick to Jackson had to go 65 yards in the air.  They're the hottest team in the league right now, though we'll see if they will still be allowed to go deep at will by opposing defenses as the season wears on.  As for Washington, it's perfect that Donovan McNabb signed a contract extension right before the game because it showed where his mind and the organization's focus was.  They deserve each other.

Week 10 Records--Dre & Jay 8-6, .571
YTD Records--Dre 75-67-2, .528; Jay 70-72-2, .493

Sunday ATS Recap: The White Mouse Will Not Explode

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Some of the picks, and teams performances, this week reminded me of this classic Tom & Jerry cartoon. For background, Tom & Jerry is the greatest cartoon of all time. OK, now that that is out of the way, let's break it down.

We already have our Fed-Ex Mail-it-in Team of 2010, but I now add a new tier of teams, the "White Mouse" teams. In the cartoon, Tom is deathly afriad of the white mouse, because it is basically a bomb waiting to explode upon any hard contact. Tom spends the whole episode trying to prevent harm to the mouse, while at the same time Jerry is pretending to be the white mouse. Then comes on the radio announcer, telling us "The White Mouse will not explode." Tom then kicks the mouse with much glee, and we are treated to a painfully long string of cartoon explosions that look to have turned the city into Hiroshima. The broken radio announces once again "We repeat, the white mouse will not explode." Tom, broken and burned, emerges from the rubble to announce "DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT!" The mouse has to explode for the lesson to be learned.

We've been watching these "White Mouse" teams unravel slowly over the season. This week, they blew up. There's three. Can you name them ahead of time?

• Falcons 26, Ravens 21 (Thursday Night) - Dre winner, Jason loser - This might be the best prime time game I've ever seen the Dirty Birds play. As a long time Falcon fan, I'm used to wasted efforts and lost opportunities any time the prime time spotlight shone on my team. Matt Ryan played a virtually flawless game, all the more impressive considering he had to overcome his receivers coming down with a bad case of the Dropsies in the 4th quarter. Roddy White atoned for a critical drop by pushing his defender over and walking into the end zone with the game winning score. Props to Atlanta to establishing themselves as serious NFC title contenders. Teams will not want to see the Falcons end up with home field in the playoffs, that's for certain.
• Bills 14, Lions 12 - Dre winner, Jason loser - Nice one point cover Dre. Other than that, I got nothin.
• Jets 26, Browns 20 - Both winners - Nice tacking Cleveland. You saved us from a push!
• Buccaneers 31, Panthers 16 - Both winners - I finally have a read on this Tampa team. They're good enough to beat bad teams, and just not quite good enough to beat the upper echelon teams. In the NFC, however, that should be enough for 9 or 10 wins and a playoff berth. The Bucs schedule gets increasingly difficult the next several weeks, so their pretender/contender status will become apparent. To this point, Josh Freeman looks like the real deal and just keeps making me feel smarter every week.
• Colts 23, Bengals 17 - Both losers - The Bengals play one quarter of football every week, that being the 4th quarter. This week, it was enough to squeak in under the spread. Other than that, the Bengals were shit.
• Dolphins 29, Titans 17 - Both losers - The Zombie Quarterback Apocalypse is upon us! By the end of this game, Miami had lost it's top two QBs to injury, most likely for the season, and Vince Young once again couldn't make it through a whole game. Those of you who wanted to see Tyler Thigpen and Kerry Collins duke it out, this one was for you. In other news, Randy Moss is tired. Whether it's his body or his act is yet to be determined.
• Bears 27, Vikings 13 - Both winners - Ah, the Vikings, "White Mouse" Team No. 1 of the week. After looking dead most of the season, the Vikes gutted out a furious comeback last week against Arizona. Just when things looked well, and they could finally kick that white mouse, things went BOOM. The Vikings, Brad Childress, and Brett Favre are done. Will the Vikings come back and make the playoffs: "Don't you believe it!"
• Jaguars 31, Texans 24 -Jason winner, Dre loser - The Texans are the epitome of a "White Mouse" team. Every year it's the same garbage: the Texans are the AFC sleeper team that will make the playoffs. They even lived up to the billing for a short time, upsetting the Colts and looking like this might....just.....be.....the......year. But Jacksonville, and a fluke hail mary sent the Texans into "White Mouse" territory.
• Broncos 49, Chiefs 29 - Jason winner, Dre loser - Can a 5-3 team qualify as a "White Mouse?" You bet, when it's the nuclear meltdown that the Kansas City Chiefs have become. Since hanging tough with the Colts (and losing), the Chiefs have lost two divisional matchups, vaulting the Raiders into first place (holding back the puke). Maybe I'm being premature with this, but the white mouse just exploded for the Chiefs.
• 49ers 23, Rams 20 (OT) - Dre winner, Jason loser - Yes, I lost the pick, but I have something to say about Troy Smith. Remember back in the day, when quarterbacks were drafted and left to sit and hold clipboards and learn the nuances of their position, so that when the time came to play, they were ready and not deers in the headlights? There's something to be said about that, let us enter into evidence the play of Troy Smith.
• Seahawks 36, Cardinals 18 - Both losers - Dammit Seattle, you're fucking up my dreams of getting the 7-9 Niners into the playoffs.
• Cowboys 33, Giants 20 - Jason winner, Dre loser - The Cowboys "White Mouse" moment came a few weeks ago against Jacksonville. The Packer loss was just the watershed moment that showed us all that Wade Phillips had to go. But what Cowboys team was that against the Giants? Was that the same 1-7 team we'd come to deride and laugh at? Here's my conspiracy theory: maybe it wasn't the players undermining Wade Phillips, maybe it was Jason Garrett (cue dramatic music and lightning flashes)?
• Patriots 39, Steelers 26 - Both winners - I did expand upon my "why not" response as to why the Patriots would win: I think the Steelers are overrated. Without even pretending to try to run the ball, Tom Brady picked the Steelers apart all night long, finding Rob Gronkowski three times for scores. Gronkowski was one of my fantasy sleepers coming into the season, so I drafted him with a VERY late pick in my fantasy draft. Am I a genius? Ummmm no, I cut him several weeks back. D'oh!

2010 Week #10

Here are the Sunday picks for Week 10.

Fav

Spread

Dog

Dre

Jay

BUF (0-8)	1	Det (2-6)			Buf	Det
NYJ (6-2)	3	CLE (3-5)			NY	NY
TB (5-3)	7	Car (1-7)			TB	TB
IND (5-3)	7	Cin (2-6)			Ind	Ind
MIA (4-4)	1	Tenn (5-3)			Tenn	Tenn
Min (3-5)	1	CHI (5-3)			Chi	Chi
JACK(4-4)	1	Hou (4-4)			Hou	Jack
KC (5-3)	1	DEN (2-6)			KC	Den
SF (2-6)	5½	StL (4-4)			StL	SF
ARIZ (3-5)	3	Sea (4-4)			Ariz	Ariz
NYG (6-2)	13½	Dal (1-7)			NY	Dal
	Sun. Nite
PIT (6-2)	5	NE (6-2)			NE	NE
	Mon. Nite
Phi (5-3)	3	WASH (4-4)			Phi	Phi

Some of our picks and observations included:

• Jason and I both had trepidation about picking this week's games because there didn't seem to be clear-cut picks for many of the games.  That was even before we saw the point spreads.  I can't remember that many one-point spreads in a single week.  Six games!  The NFL parity blob is as big as ever.
• It shouldn't be this difficult for the Buffalo Bills then to get a win this season considering how many other average to below-average teams reside in the NFL.  The Detroit Lions are in that group, and they just lost their starting QB Matthew Stafford.  Gimme the Bills back on American soil to get that 1st victory.  Jason will stick with his call last week of a 4th straight 3-point Bills loss.
• Ryan vs. Ryan took a very humorous turn when Jets coach Rex Ryan dressed in costume mocking his brother, Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.  How great is that to be able to take shots at the other team's coaches?  Rex must be greatly confident in his team's preparation.  We'll go with the Jets to foil any other trick plays or gadgets Coach Mangenius and the Browns may try to cook up.
• Jason will go with his guy Josh Freeman and the Buccaneers over Carolina.  I'm taking Tampa because I'm picking against Panthers QB Jimmy Clausen until he shows me a reason not to.
• And you kinda have to pick against Cincy until they show a pulse too, I'd think.  I know that they almost came roaring back to knock off Pittsburgh on Monday night, but they played like total dogshit for three quarters before that.  Peyton Manning and the Colts should be up 5 TDs by the 4th quarter if the Bengals play like that again.
• A vote for Kerry Collins to Randy Moss today happens to be a vote against Chad Pennington to anybody on the Dolphins.  Either way, Miami hasn't won a home game yet this year, and they won't start winning against a Titans squad that's 3-1 on the road this season.
• Can you hear that?  Thundering through the halls and aisles of Soldier Field?  It's getting louder...louder...yes, I can make it out now...FIRE CHILLY!!  CLAP CLAP CLAPCLAPCLAP FIRE CHILLY!! CLAP CLAP CLAPCLAPCLAP...We both will take Chicago to beat a Minnesota team that's winless on the road this year, and I'll make a not-so-bold prediction that Vikings coach Brad Childress takes the Walk of Shame and gets shitcanned right after the game.
• I'll give the Texans one more chance to get their asses in gear, and I'll pick them to beat the Jaguars in Florida today.  Jason makes a great point that Jacksonville can put up big numbers today going against the last-ranked pass defense in football, and that's why he's got the Jags.  But I say that Houston should still win a shootout because Jacksonville has a secondary almost as bad as Houston, and the Texans have way more powerful aerial options than the Jags.
• I'm also giving Kansas City one last chance to hold their heads up high and show that they deserve to contend for a playoff spot.  It's two teams definitely sliding backwards when the Chefs visit Denver, but Jason thinks the Chiefs are sliding faster.  I'm going with KC because they should be able to command time of possession running the ball down the Broncos' throats.  Denver is giving up 4.6 yards per carry, and that's with potential Pro Bowl LB D.J. Williams, who will not start today because he picked up a DUI a few days ago.
• I hate Sam Bradford.  Don't know if we've established that.  Therefore, I will jinx him and his playoff aspirations by taking him to go into Candlestick and beat Coach Psycho.  Jason has a conspiracy angle that he pulls out when he wants utter chaos to ensue.  Sometimes he picks game results that would boost the playoff chances of a team that he wants to see make the playoffs just because they don't belong anywhere near the playoffs and he would get a tickle out of it.  Jason briefly cited some BS about Troy Smith giving the 49ers a spark at QB as his reason why he's picking San Francisco, but I don't think he believes that.  He's actually taking SF because a win would bring the Niners up to 3-6 and the Rams down to 4-5, and depending on what happened in the other NFC West showdown, SF could end the day only a game out of first place.  I'm not sure why Jason hates the viewing public so much that he wants to inflict on them a San Fran playoff home game on Wild Card weekend, but this is his desire, and he may pick them the rest of the way in order to make that twisted dream come true.
• And holding up that dream is his pick of Arizona over Seattle, because that would put both of those teams also at 4-5.  Their running games are both crap so I'm picking the Cards because they should do better in the air than Seattle, giving them the edge.
• Jason wants to see Jason Garrett's balls.  Wait, what?  Jay expressed interest in seeing what new Cowboys coach Jason Garrett would do in his first game against the New York Giants.  Specifically, he wants to see if Garrett shows his grapefruits and pulls guys who aren't giving effort, such as the defensive back spotlighted on all the recap shows last week who completely refused to try to tackle a Packer as he carried the ball into the end zone.  Jason will take Dallas to cover because he thinks Garrett will spark a better effort.  I don't think so.  You don't get off my Fed Ex Mail-It-In list until you show in a game that you deserve to be removed.
• Jason showed some balls in picking New England straight up to win at Pittsburgh tonight.  I like the Patriots to cover the 5 points, but not to win.  But when I asked Jason why he thinks NE will win the game, he just said "Because."  That should scare all of Steeler Nation, because nothing is more indicative of goofy shit happening than Jason predicting it to happen and having no explanation why.
• And in Capt. Shanahan's return to football since the Rex Grossman Affair, we like the Eagles to soar on Monday night in DC.  Philly's the better team, they're playing great right now, they're looking to avenge losing to Washington in Week 4, and they don't have a total anus as head coach.

Thu. Nite Ravens @ Falcons

The spread is basically a pick-em, Atlanta -1, and it was a toss-up for me to pick a team.  I'll wuss out and go with the home team.  Baltimore has been run on more this year than they usually are, and I can't get the memory of that bowling ball Peyton Hillis rolling downhill on them in Week 3.  Michael Turner is a similar runner except with much more burst, and on the short week with the Ravens traveling, give me the Dirty Birds to grind out a win.

My Pick:  Atlanta 23-20

Thursday Night Football: Nevermore

I was prepared to pick the Falcons, automatic at home, this week against a continually improving Baltimore team. Something kept nagging at me, however, and now I'm taking the slight dog Ravens to win a tough one on the road in a short week moneygrab TV matchup.

The Falcons have won three very lucky contests thus far this season, and while that may work against foes in the inferior NFC, I suspect it will not work against Baltimore. Should Atlanta win, they will establish themselves as a top-tier NFC contender alongside the Giants.

Across the field, the Ravens offense is looking more balanced, and more dangerous, every week. Ray Rice is a man at the RB spot and Joe Flacco, when he chooses not to checkdown, has been effective. Teams are so worried about their QBs being "game managers" that the play calling looks to be more about not losing the game than going out and trying to win it. If Atlanta has a weakness, it's their young secondary, and I think the Ravens will come out and expolit this.

I'm not one for picking scores, but here goes: Ravens 20, Falcons 13

2010 Week 9: What I Learned

• First, to clean up a mistake on my part, I accused Washington coach Mike Shanahan last week of having zero playoff wins since John Elway's retirement, and in fact, he has one.  Mea culpa.
• And now, for the big in-depth breakdown of the Lions-Jets affair:  The Lions choked like Gia Paloma.  Yes, kicker Jason Hanson got clipped and wasn't available to kick an extra point that stud DT Ndamukong Suh missed (really, that's your backup placekicker?), mathematically making OT not possible if the PAT is good.  Yes, QB Matthew Stafford got his shoulder popped out and Drew Stanton had to take over in the 4th quarter and overtime, leading Detroit to exactly zero points.  But the bottom line is, Detroit led by ten points in the 4th quarter and choked it away.  Suh and Stafford didn't lose that game.  The Lions' pass defense lost that game.  And it's a shame because Detroit played so hard for three and a half quarters.
• Great effort by Atlanta in the 1st half of the Bucs-Falcons tilt, great fight back by the Bucs in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.  It would have been easy for Tampa to throw in the towel after pinning the Falcons on the 1-yard line in the 2nd quarter and promptly giving up a 99-yard TD drive to put the Dirty Birds up 14-0.  But Josh Freeman and the Pirates showed resilience, which wasn't a surprise but was impressive in a hostile environment.  That long drive towards the goal line in the 4th quarter by Tampa came up short this time, but it's easy to imagine in the future a more experienced TB squad finishing off the big comeback.
• In a battle of two rough offenses, Miami proved to be made of sandpaper, and Baltimore prevailed in the end thanks to some late turnovers that were a staple of the Ravens' D years ago when they were in their prime.  Almost 100 of QB Joe Flacco's 266 yards for Baltimore were out of the flat to RB Ray Rice.  They're not contending for a title unless they get more vertical, and quickly.  Miami can't even do those passes correctly; Dan Le Batard on his Miami talk show calls what QB Chad Henne and the Dolphins offense does "Checkdown-a-palooza."
• That's some long list of things that went the Browns' way in beating the Patriots and giving coach Eric Mangini a Gatorade bath for a meaningless regular-season win over his former mentor Bill Belichick.  Pop-up kickoff that gets muffed by the Pats and recovered by Cleveland.  The old Statue of Liberty play for a Chansi Stuckey TD.  A big strip and fumble recovery in the red zone.  QB Colt McCoy running for his life and winding up in the end zone.  RB Peyton Hillis steamrolling New England to the tune of 184 yards.  Check, check, check, check, check.  Wanna bet on that ever happening again?
• I'm a little confused as to why Brett "Wangler" Favre leading a crazy comeback for Minnesota over Arizona should save coach Brad Childress's job.  If he sucks at coaching, fire him.  If he doesn't, keep him.  The popular opinion seems to be that Vikings owner Zygi Wilf wanted to can Childress after the Randy Moss debacle and may have been ready to do it directly after this game had the Vikings lost.  Well, they didn't lose only thanks to two facets of the game, and I don't know why that's enough to spare Childress's head.  First, the Minnesota pass rush finally showed up in the 4th quarter and OT, preventing the Cardinals from getting first downs and salting the contest away.  And second, what can be said about Favre and the throws he made?  The man just doesn't care about whether his receiver is covered or not, he just fires the ball to a spot and lets the results speak for themselves.  A career-high 446 yards is a big speech.
• Congrats to the Chicago Bears, who stopped a 2-game losing streak by scoring 3 points more than the Buffalo Bills, thereby covering the spread (yes, it's a push for me and Jason but technically they did cover) and sparing me from having to choose next week between honoring the Brett Favre Rule and picking the Bears over the Vikings or honoring the 2010 Bears Blow Rule and picking Minnesota.  The Bills actually looked like this year's Bears, sucking at running the ball and ultimately abandoning all efforts, and the end result was 51 passing attempts for QB Ryan Fitzpatrick in a losing effort.
• The Chargers did indeed try to lose against Houston despite putting up video game offensive numbers, as they have every week this year.  But they managed to pull it out, and they had some help from the rule book.  The Calvin Johnson Rule struck again as Texans RB Arian Foster caught a pass, brought the ball over the goal line for a TD, and put the ball on the ground as he was tackled.  The refs reviewed and ruled that Foster didn't hold the pigskin all the way through the "process," so no TD.  Honestly, change the fucking rule already.  But in reality, Houston still held a 9-point lead in the 3rd quarter, so they have no one to blame for the loss but themselves.  There's not much they could have done though against Philip Rivers and the San Diego attack.  Rivers could take a group of 10 overweight housewives out of a Curves gym and post a 280-yard passing day.
• Man, Carolina and Seattle suck.
• Didn't get why Peyton Manning was a 3-point "dog" against Michael Vick and the Eagles, but I'm glad they were.  Vick continued his good behavior by being nice to these dogs and not covering the spread.  Vick and DeSean Jackson wasted little time spitting at my theory that they needed to play their way back into game shape after missing time, hooking up for huge downfield plays.  They pretty much had their way with the Colts.  So why did the Eagles not cover?  A couple of reasons--Philly settling for FGs to end many of their impressive drives (4 FGs in the game to be exact), and Eagles DE Trent Cole swiping at Peyton Manning during an Indy drive with under 2 minutes left in the game and Indy down 9 and Cole accidentally tapping Manning's helmet, negating a Colts turnover and penalizing Cole for what amounted to a loving caress of Peyton's head.  Indy went on to get into the end zone on that drive to cut the lead to 2.  I'll take it!
• Another wild comeback occurred in a sloppy and fumbly (I just made up a new word) game between the Chiefs and Raiders.  This one came down to Oakland QB Jason Campbell doing what I said he would do and what he did all game, which is throw the ball erratically and sometimes at the other team.  With Kansas City leading by 3 late in the 4th quarter, Campbell, already with one INT and a bunch of near-picks, flung a ball up for this week's fantasy knee-jerk pickup Jacoby Ford, but Chiefs DB Brandon Flowers was waiting underneath the underthrown ball.  Ford made a superhuman play, jumping over the shoulder of Flowers and plucking the pass before the defender could seize it.  Oakland went on to get the game-tying FG, then Ford abused Flowers in OT, catching a long bomb from Campbell to set up the game-winning FG.  I don't feel any different about the Raiders after this game.  I still don't trust Campbell to string together consistent error-free games, and I don't trust Tom Cable to lead the Raiders to where they need to be.
• Dallas owner Jerry Jones was yapping after last week's annihilation at the hands of Jacksonville, and he had a slip of the tongue in calling the 1-6 Cowboys 1-7.  Guess he was looking into the future.  As for firing beleaguered coach Wade Phillips, I think that the only thing the general public should care about is whether new coach Jason Garrett can somehow shift the mindset of the team out of its current mail-it-in attitude and subsequently cover the big spreads that they will face the rest of the year.  After watching them not even try against Green Bay, I highly doubt it.
• Speaking of not trying, that's what the Cincinnati Bengals looked like on Monday night...until the Pittsburgh Steelers rubbed it in a little too much.  WR Antwaan Randle-El took a handoff and threw a long TD pass to Mike Wallace to start the 4th quarter, putting Pitt up 27-7 and switching off TVs across the nation.  Sometimes, that's what it takes to get a team playing like it should be playing.  The Bengals mounted a furious rally that fell short 5 yards away from a TD that would have given Cincy the lead very late.  I don't know if he'll keep playing like this with Cincy basically out of the playoff race, but much respect to Terrell Owens for his part in the comeback.  He finished with 10 catches for 141 yards and 2 TDs.  There's a lot of things that Terrell Owens is:  Self-centered...narcissistic...pain in the ass...diva...emotional little bitch.  Oh, one more thing:  Top 5 wide receiver in the history of football.

Week 9 Records--Dre 8-4-1, .667; Jay 7-5-1, .583
YTD Records--Dre 67-61-2, .523; Jay 62-66-2, .484

Week 9 ATS Recap: Jerry Jones As Nostradamus

Some fine (not really) officiating did me in this week in the head to head matchup, but more on that later. This was a fairly solid week of picks, probably our best combined effort since Week 1.

• Jets 23, Lions 20 (OT) - Both winners - Who'd have thought a missed PAT by Ndamukong Suh would have been so pivotal? A late Jets surge overcame a 10 point deficit in the last 3 minutes and sent the game to OT. After looking horrible at home the week before, the Jets managed to look horrible yet again, barely escaping from a Lions team that just hasn't learned how to finish games yet. Saving the Jets this week was the stink bomb New England put up.
• Falcons 27, Bucs 21 - Both winners - Falcons -9 seemed awfully large given the quality of play and confidence coming from the Bucs so far this season. Atlanta is starting to look automatic at home, and a Thursday night tilt against the Ravens at the Georgia Dome will showcase whether or not the Falcons are the goods in the NFC.
• Ravens 26, Dolphins 10 - Both losers - Speaking of the goods, that would be the Baltimore Ravens. With each passing week, Baltimore looks more and more confident on offense, which coupled with a stifling defense, could spell disaster for the rest of the league. After a couple weak efforts early in the season, my preseason Super Bowl pick has not disappointed. No, I'm not talking about the Dolphins.
• Browns 34, Patriots 14 - Both losers - If the Browns received ANY production out of their QB position in the first 5 weeks, this could be a team with playoff aspirations. A 3-5 record would be cause for optimism in the NFC (see: Vikings), but this is the AFC, where good teams make the playoffs. Cleveland dominated the Pats in every phase of the game, which this year usually means nothing, but dare I say it: on this day the better team won.
• Vikings 27, Cardinals 24 (OT) - Both winners - Look what a little "Brett Favre Magic" can do to erase some of the drama in Minnesota. Until the press conference that is. Chilly was a little er...chilly in his praise of the future hall of famer Favre. So the Vikings averted disaster for one more week to climb to 3-5. That looks great and all, but with two teams to climb over in their division, it looks like Minnesota is playing for a Wild Card berth. As for the Cardinals...who cares?
• Bears 22, Bills 19 - PUSH - Well, it looks like Dre can keep on picking the Bears. Question is: will he want to? More sadness for the Bills however, who lost their third consecutive three-point game. Something's gotta give this week: the Bills (o-4 at home) face the Lions (0-4 on the road). Prediction: Lions by 3.
• Chargers 29, Texans 23 - Both losers - The kings of the late season turnaround are back at it. So, too are the kings of the failure to live up to the preseason hype. Can you guess which team is which here? Hint: Chargers, then Texans.
• Saints 34, Panthers 3 - Dre winner, Jason loser - Looks like Dre DID pick the right time to jump off the Matt Moore bandwagon. He then drove it over me, with Drew Brees riding shotgun (Chris Henry wasn't riding in the back). This is the second impressive effort out of the Saints in a row. Could the NFC South produce three playoff teams? Food for thought.
• Giants 41, Seahawks 7 - Both winners - One little thing stopped me from picking Seattle this week. That would be Charlie Whitehurst. Charlie did manage a fine garbage time TD to a guy I never heard of though, so he had that going for him. So far the Giants look to be the only truly elite team in the NFC, with Atlanta and a deeply flawed Packer team looking to join that rank.
• Eagles 26, Colts 24 - Dre winner, Jason loser - I'd like to thank the horribly convoluted head shot rules the NFL is enforcing for sticking me with this loss. Two (count em: TWO) Colts touchdown drives were extended thanks to head-shot penalties that were marginal at best. The hit on Austin Collie was vicious yes, but the refs now are so spooked that I think they will throw a flag if the wind blows too hard. The winner though was the "blow to the head" call on 4th and 18 late in the game that extended a Colts TD drive to cover the three point margin. So this only blew a pick for me, but giving Peyton Manning undeserved chances to score will end up costing a team a win thanks to these new "rules" the NFL is trying to enforce. It will take a serious playoff screw job for anything to be done about it though, so I hope you're not a fan of the team that gets rear ended by these new guidelines.
• Raiders 23, Chiefs 20 - Jason winner, Dre loser - As is often the case, I watch one pick go south just as another comes home. The Raiders didn't let the fact that Tom Cable is their coach deter them, as Dre predicted, and Jacoby Ford put himself on the map in this one. Ford made highlight reel play after play, and the Raiders continued the Chiefs slow decline in the AFC race. Tom Cable also announced that Jason Campbell MIGHT be the starter this week. Um...maybe Dre is on to something here with Cable. Campbell has led this team to three straight impressive wins, and he "might" get the start? Ugh.
• Packers 45, Cowboys 7 - Both winners - All you need to know about this game was that, earlier in the week, Jerry Jones said his teams record was 1-7. They were 1-6 heading into the Sunday Night Massacre at Lambeau. The only thing more painful to watch than Wade Phillips constipated look is the pregame show featuring any segment with Dan Patrick, Tony Dungy, and Rodney Harrison. "Football Night in America" makes the Fox Sunday Pregame Show look inspired. Hell, even Faith Hill looks like she phoned in her lip sync of the SNF song. Maybe she's a Cowboys fan?
• Steelers 27, Bengals 21 - Both winners - Cincinnati really tried in this one, but even another monster game from TO couldn't pull this one out. The Steelers will get a lot of pub this week about their status as the best team in the AFC, but I think that will be more to do with the stinkers New England and the Jets put up.

Jason 7-6-1

Dre 8-5-1

Let the Thursday Night Ratings Grab Games begin!