NFL

We are finally at the last week of the NFL Season. On Monday, there will be no more Lions and Rams losing, and the debates will start up over who will win which games in the first round of the playoffs. But that is Monday, and each team will get to say that they got to play in December so lets finish the season strong. Home teams in CAPS.

Colts (-2.5) over BILLS
The Colts will likely be resting most of their starters, but no matter how bad of players you have, it’s still really hard to lose to the Bills.

Jaguars (+1.5) over BROWNS
Okay, so the Browns may have won three straight games, Jerome Harrison is running like a young Jamal Lewis, and Eric Mangini is fighting to save his job, but what does that really mean if you beat a reeling Steelers team, the Chiefs, and Raiders? Not much. Add on to that the fact that the Jags need to win to make the playoffs and potentially not move to LA (against Mo-Jo Drew’s hopes), I’ll take the Jags here. You know that Vegas is giving you points against the Browns, right?

Bears (-3.5) over LIONS
Did the linesmakers not watch the Bears show up the Vikings last Monday night? Do they not know that Lovie Smith needs a win here to save his job? Do they know that Jay Cutler needs to finish the year strong to appease the ferocious Bears fans? With those motivations, I’ll take the Bears over the Lions.

49ers (-7.5) over RAMS
In big games, teams need to come up clutch. This is the most important game of the year for the Rams…lose and they clinch the right to draft Ndamukong Suh. Win and the Lions will likely draft the behemoth Defensive Tackle. I think the Rams will come through in this clutch situation.

Steelers (-2.5) over DOLPHINS
Both teams need to win to get in to the playoffs. Both teams are in an off year. But one team is the defending champs. I’ll take them and Big Ben, who is becoming as clutch as any quarterback in the NFL.

VIKINGS (-8.5) over Giants
If there is one thing a playoff-bound team cannot do, it is go into the playoffs on a prolonged cold streak. The Vikings have lost 3 of the last 4 and have a Head Coach who has lost his power to hit quarterback. Not the recipe for success. How do they fix it? Win big at home to keep alive a chance to get a first-round bye. The Vikings need this game big time, and the Giants are in no position to stop them.

Falcons (-2.5) over BUCCANEERS
The Falcons have the biggest game of the week for any team who doesn’t have a chance to go to the playoffs. They are currently 8-7 and have never had back-to-back winning seasons in their 43 years of existence. With a chance to break that terrible streak, there is no way I see them letting this chance slip away, especially against the Bucs.

PANTHERS (-2.5) over Saints
The Saints are going to rest Drew Brees, Darren Sharper, and Pierre Thomas, so it’s pretty obvious that they are not going all in to finish the year. The Panthers are yet another team with a disappointing year hoping to save face and save their head coach’s job. I’ll take the Panthers at home.

Patriots (+7.5) over TEXANS
How often this decade, or rather last decade, do you have the chance to pick the Patriots and get more then a touchdown, too? Not too often, and I’m going to jump at that opportunity no matter how short (or long) Brady, Moss, and Welker stay in.

Eagles (+2.5) over COWBOYS

CARDINALS (-3.5) over Packers
The entire nation seems to be sweeped up in the Packers’ great record, but I still think they are a fraud. They feast off bad teams and can’t beat the good ones. The Cardinals are a fairly good team, and a great team at home.

CHARGERS (-4.5) over Redskins
The Chargers are far and away better then the Redskins, but they have nothing to play for. But in the end they are playing the ‘Skins, so this shouldn’t be to hard of a game to win. This is the Lock of the Week.

SEAHAWKS (+4.5) over Titans
Last week, the Seahawks were demolished by the Packers last week, and couldn’t do anything to prove they could put up a fight. I started off wanting to pick them since I was getting that many points, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Seattle is really just a bad, bad team. The Titans are just okay, and we all know that okay trumps bad.

Ravens (-10.5) over RAIDERS
The Raiders have been a fantastic giant killer this year, but that has been because teams just don’t take them seriously. The Ravens won’t be taking any team lightly when they can clinch a Wild Card spot with a win. Joe Flacco needs to prove he won’t fall back into (or stay in) his Sophomore Slump, and the defense need to prove they still have their same speed and power.

Chiefs (+12.5) over BRONCOS
The Broncos have been one of the Top-5 strangest teams of the year. They started off the year 6-0 and everyone doubted them. Then people joined their bandwagon and they lost four straight. Then they won two. Now, they’ve lost three. What does this mean? This means that Josh McDaniels need to prove he knows what he’s doing by benching Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler with everything on the line and win the game, which they will, just by less then two touchdowns.

BENGALS (+9.5) over Jets
If the Jets win, they’re in the playoffs. The ironic part is that they will likely be playing the Bengals in Cincinnati, again. The Jets are a far easier team to beat then the Steelers and even the Dolphins and Texans, so why not lose this game and beat them when all your stars are trying their hardest and you have more tape? The only reason I’m going with the Bengals is because Chad Ochocinco said that he will not be shut down Darrelle Revis, who has shut down star wideouts Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, Terrell Owens, Reggie Wayne, Roddy White, Steve Smith, and Marques Colston, just to name seven.

Season: 122-104

Last Week: 11-5

Lock of the Week: 8-7

The Season is winding down, and the Wild Card slots are slowly but surely being decided. Powerhouses like the Giants and Steelers are on the outside of the playoffs looking in while the Ravens, Broncos, Cowboys, and Packers are playing the best they can to hold on to their playoff spot. Home teams in CAPS.

Chargers (+2.5) over TITANS

Philip Rivers is 17-0 career in December. I wonder who I'm picking to win?

Whoever made up this line is crazy. Aside from the Colts, the Bolts are the hottest team in the NFL and many have argued that they could beat Indy. The Titans are a team who capitalized on poor teams underestimating Vince Young and Chris Johnson. Give me the team with the taller receivers, better leader, and more ferocious defense. This is the Lock of the Week.

FALCONS (-8.5) over Bills
With Matt Ryan and possibly Michael Turner back, the Bills will stand no chance in the ATL. With Briam Brohm at the helm, who was recently cut by Green Bay, you can’t expect much out of former play-makers Lee Evans and Terrell Owens.

BENGALS (-13.5) over Chiefs
The Chiefs proved again last week how bad of a team they are when they lost to the lowly Browns and gave up 286 rushing yards to little known running back Jerome Harrison and two long return touchdowns to Joshua Cribbs. The Bengals, although they didn’t win, put up a great fight in San Diego after mourning the loss of fallen teammate Chris Henry. Gimme the boys with the stripes.

BROWNS (-3.5) over Raiders
Like I just said, the Browns actually showed up to play, perhaps to show off for new president Mike Holmgren. The Raiders showed us that they are the best of the fail-tastic NFL teams. They can beat the good teams (Denver, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh), but not the bad ones (Redskins, Chiefs, and now the Browns.)

Seahawks (+13.5) over PACKERS
Sure, the Packers are in line to make the playoffs, but that doesn’t make this team good, at all. They own a 9-5 record that includes wins over only the Bears, Rams, Lions, Browns, Cowboys, Niners, and the Bears and Lions again. Not so good now, eh? The Seahawks are too proud of a team to lose by two touchdowns.

Ravens (+2.5) over STEELERS
A 3-4 Defense needs two key components to succeed: A good pass rush and strong safety. Without Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith, the Steelers don’t have that, and their defense has become incredibly porous. The Ravens have a great run game centered around Ray Rice who will slice through the aging Steelers’ D.

Texans (+3.5) over DOLPHINS
The Dolphins are a nice sleeper pick, but the Texans have the most up-side along, yes higher then the Steelers, with their high flying offense, not that potential Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Cushing hasn’t been great. As long as they keep feeding the ball to freakishly athletic Andre Johnson, they will be fine.

PATRIOTS (-7.5) over Jaguars
The Pats are the least talented on defense then they’ve had over the past decade with no more Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Roosevelt Colvin, Richard Seymour, or Rodney Harrison. The veteran free agents they’ve brought in, such as Adalius Thomas,  Derrick Burgess, and Shawn Springs, haven’t been so goo either. That being said, the are far more talented on offense, whether or not Randy Moss is giving it his all. I’ll take New England here big.

SAINTS (-14.5) over Buccaneers
Just like the ’07 Pats, the Saints started out the year winning big and slowly but surely, the margin of victory dropped and dropped. The Patriots never got to play the Bucs at the the end of the season, though, so I’ll take  an exception to the rule here.

PANTHERS (+6.5) over Giants
The Giants are an over-hyped okay team. The Panthers are an under-hyped not-so-good team. The Panthers are playing to save their coach’s job, to their fans’ dismay. The Giants are playing to salvage any shot at making the playoffs. Sounds to me like a dogfight. One that won’t be decided by more then a field goal.

CARDINALS (-13.5) over Rams
As if it wasn’t bad enough already for the Rams, but a case of Swine Flu, or rather H1N1 virus has hit their team. Steven Jackson may miss the game. The Cardinals will have to try hard not to win by more then two touchdowns.

49ERS (-11.5) over Lions
I think that the Lions are trying to prove to the world that they are not that much better then last year. Two wins, maybe, but they are still dysfunctional with or without Matt Millen.

Broncos (+7.5) over EAGLES
I am probably one of the few people who still believes in the Broncos, and they really need a win here. There are six teams one game in the standings behind them, so a road win over a quality team would be huge. I expect this to be another dog fight and like the Giants/Panthers game, but with much larger implications, the game to stay very close.

Jets (+5.5) over COLTS
Jim Caldwell hasn’t been clear about how long he is going to play his starters, but it is pretty clear that going 16-0 doesn’t mean much to his team. Assuming Peyton won’t play the whole game, Rex Ryan will blitz the living daylight out of the Colts to get any shot he can on Peyton.

Cowboys (-6.5) over REDSKINS
The Cowboys can still win the division, and the Redskins can still rid themselves of Jim Zorn, so I’ll take the Cowboys here.

Vikings (-7.5) over BEARS
Even after a prime time collapse and an angry conversation between Head Coach and Quarterback, the Vikings are still clearly better then the Bears by more then a touch down. Expect Adrian Peterson to rush for over 100 yards, for only the fourth time this year.

Season: 111-99

Last Week: 7-9

Lock of the Week: 7-7

As the season raps up, there is an ongoing debate in the football community of whether or not the Saints and Colts should go for it all. Michael Irvin said he would trade his three Super Bowl rings and his Hall-of-fame bust for an undefeated season, while former ’72 Dolphins say they should rest. What do you think? Anyways, here are my Week 15 picks. Home teams in CAPS.

Colts (-6.5) over JAGUARS
The Jags are always great against bad teams, and the Colts certainly don’t count as one of those. The Colts will find a way to pull this one out, no matter how long Peyton Manning plays.

SAINTS (-7.5) over Cowboys
Just so you know, this is December, therefore the Cowboys will be playing poorly. New Orleans will be fired up, especially their defense, and they will win big.

Patriots (-7.5) over BILLS
The Buffalo winds are always strong, but they won’t be strong enough to stop a fired up Randy Moss. This will be a good wake-up call for the Pats’ defense, and I don’t mean a hard test, I mean to cushion their stats.

Cardinals (-10.5) over LIONS
The Cards just lost a big game Monday Night, and they’ll want to wrap up the division quickly before the Niners close out the year with the Rams and Lions. With Culpepper in,  this game should be a cinch for Warner and Gang.

Dolphins (+3.5) over TITANS
Chris Johnson is in the debate for MVP this year, but I don’t get it? CJ has everything a great player needs, and he can do anything accept for win games. His team is 6-7.

It's like this, just for hours and hours and hours on end

CHIEFS (-2.5) over Browns
The Browns have been in talks with Mike Holmgren about running the Browns. What is so wrong with Mike’s life that he has stooped this low? Does his wife really nag that much? This game is so bad, I’m going to make a list of things I’d rather do then watch this game:
1. Take a three hour AP Calculus exam
2. Get beat up by Elin Nordegren
3. Have to listen to Joe Buck and Tim McCarver for 24 straight hours
This game is that bad.

Texans (-9.5) over RAMS
I’m gonna be honest here, Keith Noll isn’t very inspiring. His scouting report around the league is ‘He is the backup to Kyle Boller. That should be enough to tell you how this game will end.

Falcons (+6.5) over JETS
I still believe in these Falcons after they put a great fight up against the Saints. I still don’t believe in the pass dropping, smack talking J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets! Kellen Clemens? He makes Chris Redman look good.

EAGLES (-7.5) over 49ers
The third best team in the NFC has yet to be decided between the disappearing and reappearing Cardinals and the winner of the not-so-tough NFC East. But the Niners are on a short week and the Eagles are on top of their game.

RAVENS (-10.5) over Bears
These aren’t your daddy’s Ravens, these guys can score. They also can’t defend. But they can defend Jay Cutler and Matt Forte.

Bengals (+6.5) over CHARGERS
Philip Rivers is 16-0 in his career in December, but this is a bigger game for the Bengals. Not just so that they can get more deserved respect, but because the loss of fallen teammate Chris Henry. The last time the Bengals had a loss this big, Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer lost his wife and the team responded with a big win over Baltimore. Big game step up by the Bengals.

BRONCOS (-13.5) over Raiders
You know your team is bad when your group of quarterbacks are JaMarcus Russell, Bruce Gradkowski, Charlie Frye, and J.P. Losman. The Broncos will get their playoff bye a few weeks early.

STEELERS (-.5) over Packers
The Packers have lost too much on defense to stop the Steelers who are in dire need of wins. Aaron Rodgers will be tought a lesson here as Big Ben and James Harrison defend Heinz Field.

SEAHAWKS (-7.5) over Buccaneers
Anyone who has to watch this game obviously has nothing going on in their life or like torture. Justin Forsett, Samie Stroughter, and Stylez G. White aren’t the most inspiring players. At least we get to see Josh Freeman show off his Jay Cutler-esque arm. That is in strength and pick-ability.

Vikings (-7.5) over PANTHERS
The Panthers are missing both of their starting offensive tackles, so judging by the Vikings’ pass rush, I’m going to have to take the Vikes here. Brett Favre could even turn in a Delhomme-esque game, and the Vikings would run right over the Panthers.

Giants (-3.5) over REDSKINS
This line is a joke. The Giants need a win and the Redskins are the Redskins. Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley are out for the year, and starting in place for them are Quinton Ganther, Rock Cartwright, and Fred Davis. I’ll take the Giants, as they are…the Lock of the Week.

Season: 104-90

Last Week: 9-7

Lock of the Week: 6-7

The Mercury Morris Watch is on, as there are two undefeated teams left with four games to go. Will the Saints and/or the Colts pull it off, or will there be a collapse this week at the hands of the Broncos or Falcons? Well see on Sunday. As for my picks this year, last week killed me and my Locks of the Week haven’t been so solid either. As the Cubs fans say, wait ’til next year. Home teams in CAPS.

Steelers (-9.5) over BROWNS
Sure, the Steelers have not been playing too well lately, but that doesn’t make them this close to the Browns. Polamalu is out for the Steelers, but Brady Quinn is in for the Browns. It’s that simple.

FALCONS (+9.5) over Saints (with Turner or Ryan healthy)
The Falcons may be out of the playoffs for the most part, but this is their season. Can they stop the undefeated Saints, or at least, keep it in single digits? The Saints just came off a near loss, if not for a missed 23 yard field goal by the now cut Shaun Suisham. I can’t give a team with Matt Ryan and Michael Turner this many points and still expect to win. My one stipulation for this pick is that if Ryan and Turner are both out, I’m going with the Saints.

Packers (-3.5) over BEARS
I absolutely hate the Packers as a team this year, especially with Aaron Kampman and Al Harris out for the year, but I have to pick them if I only have to give just over a field goal. The Bears are horrid, even at home. Without Brian Urlacher, the Bear’s defense won’t be able to stop Aaron Rodgers and his long release time.

If New Englanders see this in February, expect the suicide rate to skyrocket

Broncos (+7.5) over COLTS
On a side note, if the Colts win the Super Bowl this year, it will officially be the worst year in Boston sports history, ever. The biggest three rivals in the three biggest Bostonian sports (Lakers, Yankees, and Colts) will have won a championship. So, after coming off five straight tough games, the Colts may be relieved to see a falling Broncos on their schedule. Most people would call this a trap game.

CHIEFS (-.5) over Bills
The Who Cares game of the week. Only difference between them is one team has a semi-competent quarterback (the Chiefs) while one has a QB from Harvard (Bills). Case closed.

Jets (-3.5) over BUCCANEERS
Rex Ryan brought in Yankees skipper Joe Girardi to teach Mark Sanchez how to slide last week. When Sanchez arrived to a sliding situation last week against the Bills, he dove and tore a ligament in his knee. That makes two below-average coaches in the greater New York area. I hate picking Kellen Clemens to win a game, but after Josh Freeman’s performance last week, I have to pick him to win here. To be clear, I would rather have Freeman than Sanchez, but the Jets are far more talented than the Bucs.

Dolphins (+2.5) over JAGUARS
The Dolphins are a hard team to figure out. They’ve beat the Pats but lost to the Bills. They have the Wildcat, but no Ronnie Brown. The Jaguars, on the other hand have been consistently mediocre. Home Field Advantage shouldn’t play a major role in the game, as 15,000 fans usually don’t. I think the Dolphins can contain Maurice Jones-Drew for the most part, and keep rolling on.

RAVENS (-13.5) over Lions
Historically, the Ravens have been an up-and-down team. Over the last 5 years, they have finished the season with 11, 5, 13, 6, and 9 wins. That would mean that this would be a down year. I loved them at the start of the year, and they continued the trend. I certainly love them against the Lions, though.

TEXANS (-6.5) over Seahawks
If the Texans want to make the playoffs or get above .500 for the first time in franchise history, they’re going to have to beat teams like the Seahawks. They need this, and they will get it.

Bengals (+6.5) over VIKINGS
This is just the game that the Bengals show up to win, on the road when everyone doubts them. Brett Favre will be hitting his annual winter wall as he stops the touchdown throwing and starts up the interceptions. If you’re going to give me nearly a TD, I’ll take it.

Panthers (+13.5) over PATRIOTS
Oh, Geez. I can’t pick against the Patriots normally and especially after a loss, let along two, but this is way too many points to give up. The Dolphins just broke the Pats streak of wins after a loss that lasted since 2002. Matt Moore is giving the Panthers somewhat of a spark on offense, so I’ll take the Cats with the nearly two touchdown.

Rams (+12.5) over TITANS
Who ever made the Titans good? They were dreadful for the first six games, then Vince Young decided to play, which wasn’t too hard against pretty bad teams. Now they’ve been exposed by the Colts. I am NOT giving them 12. points here…. this is the Lock of the Week.

Redskins (-2.5) over RAIDERS
Neither team is even decent, although both showed up last week. The ‘Skins were in it the entire game against the undefeated Saints and the Raiders came up with yet another win over a much better team. I still think the Redskins have more talent, especially in the defense, so I’ll take them.

Chargers (+3.5) over COWBOYS
The Cowboys are getting way too much love here, especially in December. Every NFL fan, especially Cowboys fans, knows that Dallas does NOT play well in December. San Diego fans know that the Chargers are fantastic in December. They also have way more talent. This is a really easy game to pick.

Eagles (+.5) over GIANTS
The winner of this game will likely win the NFC East, so this is a very, very important game. The Giants are hurting on defense, and the Eagles are on the top of their game. I’ll take the Iggles with the useless half point.

CARDINALS (-3.5) over 49ers
Like the Packers game, I don’t like the team I’m picking, but I dislike the team they’re playing even more. I like the Niners a bit more than the Bears, but a field goal in near to nothing to give up.

Season: 95-83

Last Week: 5-11

Lock of the Week: 6-6

We are winding down in the  season and fantasy football playoffs are just around the corner. It’s put up or shut up time, and I know a few teams who need to do the former. Home teams in CAPS

Jets (-3.5) over BILLS
Neither team nor their quarterback is great, but two things separate the Jets from the Bills. The Bills have the 19th ranked run defense while the Jets have the second best. Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene have been great this year, and Leon Washington was until he was placed on the injured reserve. The Jets also put a whole lot more pressure on the opposing offense than the lackluster Bills’ D. The usual home field advantage for the Bills won’t be there since they will be in Toronto, which doesn’t deserve to host an NFL game.

Eagles (-4.5) over FALCONS
Michael Vick comes back to the city that drafted him number one overall eight years ago. But without Matt Ryan in this game, it won’t be too close. Asante Samuel will be able to shut down Roddy White and the blitzing schemes of the Eagles will be able to shut down the not fully healthy Michael Turner. This is the Lock of the Week.

BEARS (-8.5) over Rams
In a recent SportsNation poll on ESPN.com, there was a question asked that was what has been the biggest problem for the Bears: Their quarterback, runningback, O-Line, Defense, or Coaching. Everywhere except Illinois, it was the QB, but they picked offensive line. They know. Jay Cutler is good, but he just doesn’t have a great supporting cast, especially with Matt Forte not showing up this year and depending on rookie Johnny Knox and return man Devin Hester as your go-to receivers. Beating up on the Rams defense should be no problem.

BENGALS (-13.5) over Lions
The Bengals are great and the Lions aren’t there isn’t much more to this.

Colts (-6.5) over TITANS
Amazingly enough, after losing their first six games, Chris Johnson and Vince Young have turned around the season for Tennessee’s season. They think that they can win ten straight and make the playoffs. Peyton Manning doesn’t think so, and he’ll have something to say about it.

Broncos (-6.5) over CHIEFS
Yet again, the Broncos are getting no respect. But this time, they aren’t getting any respect against the Chiefs. I can understand no one believing in them when they play the Pats, Ravens, and Steelers, but this is the Chiefs! Jamaal Charles and Chris Chambers shouldn’t scare these guys! I’ll take the Broncos big here.

Saints (-8.5) over REDSKINS
The Saints are on a roll after destroying the Patriots, and the Redskins are down to their third runningback and just placed Chris Cooley on the IR. Not the formula for success, if you ask me. If New Orleans can beat the Patriots by two touchdowns, why couldn’t they beat the ‘Skins by 9?

PANTHERS (-6.5) over Buccaneers
Each game the Panthers lose, they are one step closer to Bill Cowher. But after a certain point, if you can’t beat the Bucs, why would Cowher want to coach there? The Panthers need to win this to prove they are relevant, even though they will surely miss the playoffs. Matt Moore gets his first start, and if he wins, he could be the starter for the rest of the year.

Texans (+.5) over JAGUARS
I know the Texans just blew a chance to wreck the Colts’ perfect season, but that doesn’t put them below the Jags. Even without Owen Daniels, the Texans’ pass attack is too prolific to be stopped by the lowly Jacksonville defense, especially if All-Pro Rashean Mathis is out.

Dennis Dixon could start in Buffalo, Oakland, Cleveland, Carolina, St. Louis, & Tampa Bay

STEELERS (-11.5) over Raiders
Back in 2007, Dennis Dixon was a front runner to win the Heisman until he hurt his knee and was out for the year. He then fell to the fifth round of the 2008 draft, when the Steelers snatched him up with the 156th pick. Dixon has speed, size, athleticism, accuracy, and a decent arm. The only thing wrong with him was that he had to heal from his knee injury. Even with only one pro start under his belt, Dixon is way better than Bruce Gradkowski, JaMarcus Russel, Charlie Frye, or whoever is starting in Oakland.

Patriots (-6.5) over DOLPHINS
The Pats lost four losses this year have come to teams with a combined record of 34-10. The Dolphins just lost to the 4-7 Bills by 17. The Patriots aren’t getting near the respect they deserve here. This will be a blowout.

Chargers (-12.5) over BROWNS
Every year, the Chargers start slow, then pick up the pace and finish the year strong. This would be the end of the year, and Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates look great. Maybe not so much for LT, but he will in Cleveland.

49ers (+.5) over SEAHAWKS
The Niners are a deep sleeper for the final Wild Card spot this season, and the Seahawks aren’t. If Frank Gore is on his A Game, San Fran is hard to beat. Alex Smith looks a bit like the player the 49ers drafted number one, and they are on the way up.

Cowboys (-1.5) over GIANTS
In case anyone has been under a rock since November 27th, 2008, Plaxico Burress is in jail with a bullet in his leg and his former team is no longer any good. Their losses this year have come by an average score of over two touchdowns. Even though the Cowboys are historically bad during December, that will start after they run over the ‘Boys.

Vikings (-3.5) over CARDINALS
The Cardinals are getting better, but the Vikings, at least to me, are the best team in the NFC. They have the MVP-to-be in Brett Favre who has 24 TDs and 3 Ints, Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, Visanthe Shiancoe, Jared Allen, The Williams Wall, Antoine Winfield, and Chad Greenway. With Kurt Warner not 100%, gimme the Vikes.

Ravens (+3.5) over PACKERS
Just because the Ravens haven’t looked dominating as of late doesn’t mean they’re worse than the Packers. They need this game to make the playoffs, so I won’t put my money on the team across the line from Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.

Season: 90-72

Last Week: 9-7

Lock of the Week: 5-6

This is Thanksgiving week and there are several things we should be thankful for as NFL fans: we no longer have to see JaMarcus Russell starting, soon we will be hearing from Mercury Morris about how no team will ever be as good as the ’72 Dolphins, and we are not Browns fans. Home teams in CAPS.

Get ready Lions fans

PACKERS (-10.5) over Lions
It’s a shame that we have to watch the Lions on Thanksgiving, but we shouldn’t take away the only thing that is decent to their fans. This could have been a decent game if Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson weren’t hurt. This will be another bag-over-the-head game for Lions fans.

Raiders (+13.5) over COWBOYS
The Cowboys are favored by nearly as many points as they have scored over the past two years combined. Doesn’t make much sense. The Raiders have an improving defense starting with Nnamdi Asomugha, Richard Seymour, and Tommy Kelly. They also have a solid running trio of Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas, and Michael Bush. I don’t like them enough to win, but enough to keep it within two TDs.

BRONCOS (+6.5) over Giants
Both teams are in must win mode around this time. The Broncos have lost four straight after a 6-0 start and the Giants have lost four of five after starting 5-0. But, there is no way that I can give nearly a touch down to the Giants when the Broncos are feeling underappreciated at home.

Buccaneers (-11.5) over FALCONS
At first you’ll probably want to go with the Falcons at home, but that is a ton of points to give. Michael Turner is still out and Matt Ryan is in the midst of a sophomore slump. Rookie Josh Freeman is hitting his stride and the Bucs are slowly getting better. I’ll take the point here.

Dolphins (-3.5) over BILLS
The Dolphins don’t seem to be affected by the loss of Ronnie Brown and are still running strong. One question I have is why aren’t they putting their faith in second rounder Pat White to run the Wild Cat. But all questions aside, they are definitely more than 3.5 points better than the worthless Bills. This is the Lock of the Week.

BENGALS (-13.5) over Browns
Last week was a trap game for the Bengals. After beating the Ravens and Steelers, Cincy had to go across country to face a team they didn’t respect, and they lost. The Browns are no match to the Bengals, who want to prove to the world that beating the Ravens and Steelers was no easy task and they are for real.

Seahawks (-2.5) over RAMS
Marc Bulger and Julius Jones are out for this game, but Bulger is more important to his team’s success. Justin Forsett has filled in well, if not better then Jones while Kyle Boller is not a good replacement for Bulger, not that Bulger is good though. Steven Jackson, and I’ll say it again, has the only half way decent scoring potential. I think the ‘Hawks have nothing to sweat here.

Panthers (+3.5) over JETS
This will feature a matchup of the two most inconsistent quarterbacks in the league: Jake Delhomme and Mark Sanchez. Sanchez is on the way down with six picks in two games while Delhomme has only thrown one pick in the last four. The Jets are bad, okay. So is the Sanchize. What has he actually done? Two good games versus Miami and Houston? C’mon Son!

EAGLES (-9.5) over Redskins
Redskin fans can’t go through much more pain then they did last week, shutting out their arch-rivals until the last three minutes when Tony Romo leads a go ahead drive. Add on losing Ladell Betts for the year, and DC was probably pretty cranky on Monday. So with Clinton Portis still out, the ‘Skins will be handing the rock off to Rock Cartwright. Sounds like a boxer, doesn’t it?

Colts (-3.5) over TEXANS
How can the undefeated Colts be only favored over the Texans by 3+? Houston has been so inconsistent this season, when you think they are for real, the flop, and when you think they are awful, they show up. Missing Owen Daniels hurts, but facing Peyton Manning hurts even more.

CHARGERS (-13.5) over Chiefs
Who woulda guessed that the Chiefs would beat the Steelers last week? Not me. But that sure doesn’t make them contenders.

49ERS (-3.5) over Jaguars
This really isn’t an appealing game at all, but someone has to watch it, and I feel sorry for them. But hey, who isn’t excited for Mike Sims-Walker vs. Michael Crabtree? Any takers? No?

Cardinals (+.5) over TITANS
People everywhere are claiming that they never lost faith in Vince Young, and I won’t say that. I do like what he has done, but does this make him a franchise cornerstone? Isn’t Chris Johnson just opening the field for him, finally? Does a game average of 192 ypg really appeal to you when he played against Jacksonville, Houston, Buffalo, and San Fran? I’ll take the Cards here who have been great this year on the road.

VIKINGS (-10.5) over Bears
The Bears are in a bad spot with Jay Cutler and Matt Forte not looking like the Jay Cutler and Matt Forte of last year and no first- or second-round draft picks. Brett Favre is a shoe-in for MVP now with a 17 TDs to only 2 interceptions. He has made Sidney Rice into a Pro Bowler and teams can’t drop back to stop him because they have All Day Adrian Peterson.

RAVENS (-2.5) over Steelers
I hate to pick against the Steelers, especially when I can take points with them, but they are a totally different team with Polamalu out. 3-4 teams need a great safety like Ed Reed, Bob Sanders, Rodney Harrison, or Troy Polamalu to succeed, and Tyrone Carter is not the answer. Neither team has been impressive at all this year, but I’ll take the Ravans at home.

Patriots (+3.5) over SAINTS
The Game of the Week is on Monday Night, as it should be. Two high powered teams with not so good of defenses in the Super Dome. When it comes to big games, I’ll take the Hoodie, despite the Indy game, over Sean Payton. I’ll take Brady over Brees. I’ll take Moss and Welker over Colston and Devery Henderson. And I’ll take the points over giving the points. You get the picture.

Season: 81-65

Last Week: 9-7

Lock of the Week: 5-5

The second week of Thursday night games are here and teams we thought were good (Broncos and Ravens) are turning sour while teams we thought were awful (Panthers and Titans) may not be that bad. On to Week 11. Home teams in CAPS.

PANTHERS (-3.5) over Dolphins
The NFL Network has a commercial for this game: The Wildcat comes to Carolina (shows Ronnie Brown handing the ball off to Ricky Williams)…here kitty, kitty. Well the problem is that Brown will miss the game with an injured ankle. So will we see just the Pistol with Pat White, or Williams in the Wildcat? Also, the Panthers could and should be 7-2 with victories over New Orleans, Buffalo, and Dallas. Look back at those games.

LIONS (-3.5) over Browns
The Lions have been favored to win twice this year, and they should be very proud of that. But they were playing the Rams and now the Browns, so that’s not really saying much.

49ers (+6.5) over PACKERS
Green Bay’s record since November 2, 2008 is 7-11. Who did they beat? Chicago twice, Detroit twice, St. Louis, Cleveland, and now Dallas. Not too impressive, now is it?

Steelers (-9.5) over CHIEFS
The Steelers lost Troy Polamalu for the second time this year (he is getting Larry Fitzgerald’s half of the Madden Curse, too) when he re-injured his knee. But the Chiefs will also be missing a key player: Dwayne Bowe. Bowe was suspended four games for using PEDs, so Kansas City will be depending on Chris Chambers, Bobby Engram, and Sean Ryan. I’ll give you the 9.5 points here.

Redskins (+11.5) over COWBOYS
Okay, so maybe Miles Austin isn’t that good after all. Since his Week 5 explosion for 250 yards, he has amassed 171, 61, 49, and now 20 yards receiving. Flash in the pan? Perhaps, perhaps not. The Redskins, unlike Austin, have showed up as of late. They beat Denver by ten without Clinton Portis. Portis’ replacement Ladell Betts has been great with at least 90 total yards and a touchdown in each of his past two games. Gimme the points.

Falcons (+6.5) over GIANTS
Since when have the Giants been good? They lost their past four games, so did they get better over the bye? No. But Atlanta, and especially Matt Ryan, have been exposed and star runningback Michael Turner is likely going to miss the game. Still, the Giants aren’t as a touchdown better than the talented Falcons. 

Saints (-11.5) over BUCCANEERS
The Bucs seem to be turning it around with Josh Freeman at the helm. He is poised, strong, and has a rocket arm. But you know the team is bad since they are depending on Kellen Winslow, Sammie Stroughter, and Antonio Bryant. Their defense is still awful, and there is no way they can stop the Saints’ offense, even if New Orleans hasn’t been able to cover their spreads recently. 

When MJD took a knee on the 1, it cost about 10,000 fantasy owners a win, but gave the Jaguars a win in real life. Also, how can you complain with 20 fantasy points?

JAGUARS (-8.5) over Bills
They Jags may be bad, but they are 5-4. The Bills are bad and 3-6. They just fired their head coach (Dick Jauron) and are switching back to Harvard  grad Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB. Maurice Jones-Drew will go off today, and likely won’t have to take a knee on the one yard line, like he did last week.

Colts (+.5) over RAVENS
After what each team did last week, how can the Ravens be favored, even by less than a point. The Colts beat New England, considered by many to win it all, and the Ravens couldn’t score against the atrocious Browns’ defense in the first half. I hate to say it, but the Ravens are overrated on defense, they are rapidly aging.

VIKINGS (-11.5) over Seahawks
I picked Seattle as a sleeper pick at the beginning of the year, and reasserted that last week, as I picked them to cover the spread in Arizona. They couldn’t even keep it within single digits. This team is bad. The Vikings are the opposite…very good. Brett Favre has shockingly only thrown three picks this year and Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, and Bernard Berrian have formed a very solid receiver trio. I’ll take the Vikes here, especially since Seattle won’t have Julius.

CARDINALS (-8.5) over Rams
The Cards finally showed up at home this season, and the Rams kinda put up a fight. Steven Jackson is an animal, but after him, you’re looking at Donnie Avery, Randy McMichael, and  Brandon Gibson. Not good. As for the Cardinals, Beanie Wells had his best game of the year with 127 total yards and two touchdowns. Look for a blowout of Texans-Raiders proportions.

Chargers (-2.5) over BRONCOS
The Broncos can’t seem to support their bandwagon with so many people on it. Since most of Sports Nation accepted Denver as a legit contender, they have lost three straight. Kyle Orton is the Kyle Orton we actually knew, and the same goes for their not so solid defense. Would I be surprised if they pulled out this huge division game at home? No, but I can’t go with them for now.

Bengals (-9.5) over RAIDERS
What does this team have to do for you to like them? They beat the Ravens and Steelers twice, Bears, Browns, and Packers. One of their two losses came on a freak touchdown to Brandon Stokley.  They are second in points allowed and ninth in yards allowed. They are legit, whether you believe it on not.

PATRIOTS (-10.5) over Jets
The Pats are angry from their Week 2 loss to the Jets and last week to the Colts. Unlike in Week 2, the Jets aren’t any good. Kris Jenkins is done for the year, Mark Sanchez is actually a rookie, and Braylon Edwards may be in a new uniform, but he’s still dropping passes. New England is 11-0 coming off a loss, so that’s not going to change this week.

Eagles (-3.5) over Bears
At this point in the season, this has to be a must win for both teams. They are both in the hunt for a Wild Card spot, and Philly could even challenge for a division crown. They both are depending on young skill position players, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin for the Eagles and Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Devin Hester, and  Johnny Knox for the Bears. But at the of the day, the Eagles need this one more since they are actually a good team. This is the Lock of the Week.

TEXANS (-4.5) over Titans
 Are the Titans all of a sudden great and we’re going to ignore their first six game? I think not. They are not in the same class as the high-powered Texans, even without Owen Daniels. Tennessee beat Jacksonville, San Fran, and Buffalo, not exactly world beaters. The Texans will take care of business at home.

Season: 72-58

Last Week: 9-6

Lock of the Week: 4-5

Around Week 10, we have found out if teams with good record just had a hot start or are for real. Two teams that would fit that bill are the Broncos and Bengals. Are they for real? Maybe, maybe not. The Bengals have swept their season series with Baltimore and will put themselves in position for a division title if they beat the Steelers. The Broncos, on the other hand, will make us wait until Week 11 when they play the Chargers. Remember, there is still space on the Bengal Bandwagon. Home teams in CAPS.

49ERS (-3.5) over Bears

In the first game of Thursday Night Football, two mediocre teams face off to see who can stay near .500 for the longest. The Bears are at 4-4 and the Niners at 3-5, but really, San Fran is better. The Bears have no defense ever since Brian Urlacher has been out for the year. Alex Smith may not be that bad. He was drafted at age 20. Give him some time and he will succeed.

Saints (-13.5) over RAMS

The Saints nearly lost last week while the Rams had the week off. The Saints played the Panthers and their number one pass defense (at the time). The Rams have the 22nd ranked pass defense. No contest here, the only concern is if the Saints will cover the spread.

DOLPHINS (-9.5) over Buccaneers

The Dolphins may be the best 3-5 team in the past few years. They have two running backs in the top 20 rushing leaders and an incredibly hard to defend Wildcat offense. The Bucs won their first game of the year under rookie Josh Freeman. My message to the Bucs: don’t get cocky…you’re going to lose.

VIKINGS (-16.5) over Lions

Minny had 2 weeks to think about their loss at Heinz Field and the Lions had one week to think about how they blew a 17 point lead to the Seahawks, eventually losing by 12. The Vikings lost valiantly. The Lions lost horrifically. You know how this will end, and that’s not well for the Lions’ D and Kevin Smith with his mostly healed shoulder.

Jaguars (+6.5) over JETS

Just in case you didn’t know, the Jaguars are 4-4, the same record as the J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets! Also, when was the last time Mark Sanchez played the game in cold weather? Home in October isn’t cold. And he played college and high school ball in Cali. It’s going to hit lows in the 40s in East Rutherford. Gimme the Jags with the points.

TITANS (-6.5) over Bills

The Bills are bad. T.O. has destroyed yet another locker room and Lee Evans is a shell of his old self. The running game is the only semi-bright spot on the team with the tandem of Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson. Unfortunately, the Titans can stop the run. Also, Tennessee is undefeated since Jeff Fisher donned that Peyton Manning at a fundraiser with Tony Dungy saying, “I just wanted to feel like a winner today.” This will make him a winner for the third straight week.

Bengals (+6.5) over STEELERS

How much does a team have to do to get some respect? The Bengals beat the Ravens twice, Green Bay, Chicago and the Steelers. This team has accumulated five 1st-rounders on defense and Chad Ochocinco and Cedric Benson are on fire this year. This will prove to people that the Bengals are truly for real, if they haven’t convinced people already.

BRONCOS (-4.5) over Redskins

The only thing the Broncos haven’t done this year is win in Baltimore and versus Pittsburgh, and they shouldn’t be disappointed in either loss. The Redskins, on the other hand, are awful. They lost to the Lions, Panthers, and Chiefs. Their top two offensive weapons, Chris Cooley and Clinton Portis. My only question about this game is who came up with this ridiculous line? The Lock of the Week

Falcons (-1.5) over PANTHERS

Both teams had high hopes going into the season and both teams have been very disappointing. The loser of this game is pretty much done for the year so both teams really need this division game. In reality, the Falcons are better, seeing as the Panthers couldn’t hold a two touchdown lead last game.

Chiefs (+1.5) over RAIDERS

The Chiefs finally rid themselves of troublesome running back Larry Johnson, a move fantasy owners, including yours truly, did weeks ago. New starter Jamaal Charles will get a great chance at a second impression as he faces off against the 29th run defense. One side note is that the Raiders number one pick Darren McFadden will make his first appearance since his Week 4 knee injury.

CHARGERS (-2.5) over Eagles

This would be the Game of the Week, if not for the Pats/Colts game. You get two high-powered offenses and two declining defense. In other words, we’ll have a shoot-out here. I believe more in the Chargers’ skill players, LT, Darren Sproles, Antonio Gates, and Vincent Jackson, than inexperienced first and second year players for the Eagles: LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin. I usually ignore spreads under three, so I’ll take the Bolts here.

Seahawks (-8.5) over CARDINALS

This is a bad game to watch. The Cardinals have been up and down and so have the Seahawks. But if you take a closer look at the Cardinals, they are 4-0 on the road and 1-3 at home. In fact, they have been dreadful at home, including 20-16, 31-10, and 34-21 versus the 49ers, Colts, and Panthers respectively. Therefore, seeing as the Cards are at home, I’ll take the ‘Hawks and the points.

Cowboys (-2.5) over PACKERS

Here’s something to chew on: what is good about the Packers? Greg Jennings is having a down year, Aaron Rodgers is on pace to fall just short of David Carr’s sack record, and they are 4-4. The Cowboys are finally showing up with big play threats Miles Austin, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice finally showing up. This line is way to small to contain the Cowboys.

The Pats and Colts will feature the Top-2 NFL QBs. Shhhh, don't tell Drew Brees!

Patriots (+2.5) over COLTS

Ahhh, the Game de Jour. The undefeated but overly injured Colts face off against the two-loss but red hot Patriots. Tom Brady seems to be back in 2008 form, and they are not a team to mess with. He will be able to pick his way through the Indy secondary that is missing Pro-Bowlers Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson. This will be a 100% fantastic game to watch. But how can you pass up the Pats with points?

Ravens (-10.5) over BROWNS

Who ever scheduled this Monday Night game should be ashamed of themselves. The Ravens get back on track and the Browns stay on their losing track.

Season: 63-52

Last Week: 8-5

Lock of the Week: 4-4

Here we are, half way through the season, and we have learned that the Wildcat still works, along with many other things including the fact that the Lions are still terrible. We have three teams with a zero in their record: the undefeated Colts and Saints along with the winless Bucs. Will that stay the same way on Sunday. Home teams in CAPS.

FALCONS (-10.5) over Redskins

The Redskins are an awful team and the Falcons aren’t bad at all. Atlanta certainly won’t let themselves lose a third straight game and Washington doesn’t have much that they can do about it.

Cardinals (+3.5) over BEARS

The Cardinals were completely obliterated by the Panthers last week and the Bears did the same to Cleveland, but this game will way different than last week. The Cardinals have been much better on the road this year than at home, and they need to bounce back from last week. They should bounce back from their thrashing last week. Also, the Bears really aren’t that good.

Ravens (-2.5) over BENGALS

Okay, these still are the Bengals. Do you really think they’re going to beat the Ravens twice this year? I thought not. And if you haven’t already noticed, the Ravens landed their top two offensive weapons in a very successful 2008 draft, Joe Flacco and Ray Rice. Just thought you should know.

Texans (+9.5) over COLTS

The Colts are always great, but with Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson out for the year, Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson will torch Indy’s depleted secondary. I’m not completely sold that the Texans can march into Lucas Oil Stadium and win it, but they can certainly keep it close.

Dolphins (+10.5) over PATRIOTS

I love the Patriots in this game, but not by more than a TD and Field Goal. The Wildcat is still hard to stop and Chad Henne looks like a Parcells-type QB. But the Pats are still the Pats and they won’t let up their scoring. Brady will roll over the Dolphins’ poor secondary, but unlike their past two games, it will be by less then 11.

Packers (-10.5) over BUCCANEERS

This jersey isn't exactly flying off the shelves

The Buccaneers are just an awful, awful team. You can measure a team by now many players on their team you might actually want a jersey of. You know the Steelers are good because you can wear a Big Ben, Hines Ward, Polamalu, James Harrison, and maybe a Willie Parker jersey. For Tampa, you are choosing between Cadillac Williams and Kellen Winslow. A side note is that 1st-rounder Josh Freeman will become their third starting QB this year. This is the Lock of the Week.

JAGUARS (-6.5) over CHIEFS

Two bad defenses, two okay quarterbacks, two pairs of solid receivers, one great running back, and one awful game to watch.

SEAHAWKS (-10.5) over Lions

See the last game with a few adjustments.

Panthers (+14.5) over SAINTS

Fact: Jake Delhomme has never lost in New Orleans. So, does that mean the Panthers will win? No, but they definitely will keep it within more than two touchdowns. What a ridiculous line.

Chargers (+4.5) over GIANTS

Eli Manning and Philip Rivers will forever be tied because of their trade on Draft Day 2004. What most people don’t know, is that the trade also landed the Chargers Pro Bowlers Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding. Advantage: Chargers. Back to the game, the Giants have been able to stop no one over the past three weeks, and the Chargers can certainly run up the score. Big time win for the Chargers here.

49ERS (-4.5) over Titans

The Titans are awful and the Niners aren’t. Michael Crabtree is good and Justin Gage isn’t. Vernon Davis is good while Alge Crumpler isn’t. You get the pattern. An interesting note is that top 5 draft pick quarterbacks Alex Smith and Vince Young will face off in a matchup of the busts…or late bloomers.

EAGLES (-3.5) over Cowboys

Roy Williams complained early in the week that Tony Romo wasn’t trying to get the ball to him. He then went on to say, “I’m not a T.O. I’m not trying to be a T.O. I don’t know why people are trying to put me in that category.” He’s in the T.O. category because he is causing locker room problems and dropping passes, not because he is producing, since he’s not. The Eagles are the third best team in the NFC after New Orleans and Minnesota and the Cowboys will be lucky to be the third best team to miss the playoffs.

Steelers (-3.5) over BRONCOS

I hate to keep picking against the Broncos, but they aren’t as good as the Steelers. The Super Bowl champs need this more than the Broncos, and they have more talent. A spread just over three won’t make much of a difference in my pick, either.

Season: 55-47

Last Week: 10-7

Lock of the Week: 4-3

So far this year, I am on pace for an NFL record of 8.5-7.5, which won’t be good enough to meet my preseason goal of having a record good enough to make the playoffs. That’s not even saying that my Lock of the Week record is 3-3, which is 1.5 games behind the Patriots, which was my preseason goal. Well, Week 8 is here, and this is where my picks, against the spread may I add, will turn around. Home teams in CAPS.

Texans (-3.5) over BILLS

The Bills are overrated this week after beating the Panthers by forcing/receiving four turnovers but had about one third the yardage and one fourth as many first downs as Carolina. Steve Slaton and the Texans will run all over the Bills’ last ranked run defense. Matt Schaub and Houston’s passing attack will also be to much to contain and the Texans will win by way more than a field goal. This is my Lock of the Week.

BEARS (-13.5) over Browns

Hey, Bears! You know how Hester scored here? On a KICK RETURN!

The Browns are awful and the Bears are okay. But we can finally see Jay Cutler and Matt Forte explode in the same game. One question for the Bears, though: Why isn’t Devin Hester returning kicks? Isn’t that an obvious choice?

Seahawks (+9.5) over Cowboys

The Cowboys have been riding on the Miles Austin train the past two games, but here is where the train comes to a halt. Tony Romo and Roy Williams are extremely overrated and are going to be stopped by Ken Lucas, Deon Grant, and the Seahawks secondary. Look for a big game from Julius Jones, as the ‘Boys have the 16th best run D. If they are really going to give me nearly a TD and field goal, I’ll take it and run.

LIONS (-3.5) over Rams

I sincerely apologize to anybody who has to watch this game. It is a shame either team has to win a game. The thing that gives Detroit the edge is that they have more offensive weapons and an extra week to prepare.

COLTS (-12.5) over 49ers

It’s hard to pick the Colts to win if the other team is getting nearly two touchdonws, especially if the other team is as good as the Niners. But Peyton Manning is at the top of his game and the Colts’ defense has greatly improved. San Fran will be turning to former number one pick Alex Smith, and Michael Crabtree is in only his second game. I definately like the Colts to win the game, but I’m not completely sold on a 13 point win.

Dolphins (+3.5) over JETS

Okay, the Dolphins won at home last time by four and won mostly on their 152 rushing yards. With Jet’s Goliath nose tackle Kris Jenkins out for the year, their run defense will be even worse. Look for a ton of Wildcat and a Fins win in East Rutherford.

RAVENS (-3.5) over Broncos

I hat to keep picking against the Broncos, but I have to do it again. The Ravens are my second favorite team to win it all, after the Pats of course. They have a scary good defense and a great young quarterback and runningback combo. The Broncos are also a very, very good team that I don’t want to take anything away from, but you gotta like the Ravens at home by more than a field goal.

EAGLES (-2.5) over Giants

Maybe the Saints and Cardinals are very good, or maybe the Giants without Kenny Phillips and Aaron Ross aren’t that good. They were torched by the great passing offenses of New Orleans and Arizona, and the Eagles with McNabb, DeSean Jackson, and now Jeremy Maclin could be as good as either of them. The pick up of Will Witherspoon will really help their defense, and I like the Eagles by around a TD.

Jaguars (+2.5) over TITANS

Again, after a while, you have to realize when a team is awful. That would be the Titans at this point. Soon, they’ll have to turn to Vince Young since Kerry Collins has not been the Collins of 2008. Mike Sims-Walker, Torry Holt, Marcedes Lewis, and MoJo Drew will tear up the Titans’ lousy pass defense. Gimme the Jags and the points.

CHARGERS (-16.5) over Raiders

The Raiders are an abysmal franchise, and I have no idea why I picked them last week. The Chargers have a way better tea than the Jets, who beat down the Black Hole 38-0 last week. The Jets were winning by so much, Mark Sanchez got bored and ate a hot dog. No joke. I expect Philip Rivers to be chomping down on a steak by the start of the third quarter.

Vikings (+3.5) over PACKERS

When these two teams faved off in the Metrodome, the Vikings won by a touchdown. That guy Brett Favre is now more in synch with All-Day Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, and Visanthe Shiancoe. I see no reason why Brett shouldn’t win in his return to the Frozen Tundra which is Lambeau Field. Just too many weapons on offense and too good of a defense to lose this game.

Panthers (+9.5) over CARDINALS

As bad as the Panthers have been and as good as the Cardinals have looked, there is no way either of these teams should have a nine plus point spread. Jake Dehlomme will have to throw because of their first ranked run D and fourth-to-last pass D. This is the game that swung Jake’s mojo, he hasn’t been the same since that dreadful January day, so look for Jake Delhomme to hand the Cardinals to Cajun fire, or the ball a few times.

Falcons (+9.5) over SAINTS

The Saints deserve to be one of the top two teams in the league, they have been great in every single way. But can they really win by double digits versus a very solid division rival? The Falcons have great players across the board, and I would be surprised if both of these teams found their way deep into the playoffs. This Monday Night game, could actually be a NFC Championship preview.

Season: 45-40

Last Week: 8-5

Lock of the Week: 3-3