I was 6-8 last week, compiling a losing weekend record for the first time. Unlike Ocho Cinco, I will not offer any excuses. And, as embarrassing as it is to fall below .500, I couldn't be happier with what is currently happening in the league.
There are many who are opposed to parity, preferring instead to watch a handful of dominant teams. I prefer what we currently have, because it means that you have to watch every game. You can't take any outcomes for granted. Even more importantly, it means that we can look forward to lots of meaningful end of season games as the playoff picture shakes itself out. Finally, we have been seeing incredibly exciting games. If NFL games were one minute shorter, I would have been right about 4 more of my picks. Sure, I'd love to have those wins, but I can't help being excited.
Over the past two years, we've been able to predict at least one of the Super Bowl teams without difficulty. That's not the case now. I have no idea who will win this week, never mind February. I have never been less confident in my picks, and that's the way it should be...........
Buffalo over San Diego: There is huge potential for the Chargers to win big in this one. I just want to get that out there. Either Buffalo is going to win a tight game or San Diego is going to roll, and I feel like both are equally likely. But, I'm basing my pick on two trends that have been pretty reliable so far this season. The first trend is that teams playing on opposite coasts have not looked good. In fact, I don't believe that a west coast team has won on the east coast yet this season. The second trend is that teams coming off a bye week have looked rejuvenated and extra-prepared.
SIDENOTE: I will remember last week's Sunday night game as the night the Charger Girls put themselves on the map. Dallas and Oakland obviously have great traditions, and recently my understanding has been that the Redskins cheerleaders were the league's best. However, the Charger girls really made a statement against New England. I'm not somebody who usually notices or spends time discussing the cheerleaders, but how could you not notice them last week? There were times when the camera was focused on a clear cleavage shot for 15 seconds straight (possibly because the game was a sleeper). I can't say enough in support of this production decision. I checked with Babcock before writing this to make sure I wasn't the only one and he said he definitely noticed too.
Chicago over Minnesota: The Vikings are not good. I've been saying it all season, and I don't think anybody can argue with me after last week. They had the Lions at home, and were it not for Dan Orlovsky accidentally taking a safety that game would have gone into OT. Their other two wins were the result of seemingly flukey defensive and special teams plays (although the win over Carolina was more legit than the win over New Orleans). In a way, they're sort of like a poor man's Chicago Bears.
Pittsburgh over Cincinnati: Thank god the Falcons/Bears game ended up being great last week because I nearly choked on my own vomit watching the Bengals and Jets (and the Jets throwback uniforms weren't helping). The downgrade from Carson Palmer to Ryan Fitzpatrick has rendered the Bengals unwatchable. On the flip side, the Steelers just had a week off to do some healing.
Tennessee over Kansas City: I don't think this Tennessee undefeated run is going to last much longer. In fact, earlier this week I was going to take Kansas City. They have been a tough out at home. But, the combination of the bad karma that is due to them after refusing to free Tony Gonzalez and the fact that they will be without Larry Johnson this weekend was enough to change my mind.
Dallas over St. Louis: It will take a lot more injuries and distractions than this to make Dallas as bad as the Rams.
Miami over Baltimore: The Dolphins are dangerous and I can't figure out why John Harbaugh would want to rile them up. I like the fish at home.
Giants over 49ers: I said two weeks ago that I was uncomfortable with the Giants being at the top of the power rankings. As upset as I was with Sunday night's loss, I feel much better about the rest of the season. The Giants weren't good enough for the kind of expectations that were being laid out for them by the media. That doesn't mean I don't think they're good enough to win the Super Bowl. They are. But, they're not just going to cruise through the regular season like the dominant Patriots and Colts teams of the past few seasons. There just aren't any teams like that out there this year. They will however, cruise past the Niners at the Meadowlands this weekend.
New Orleans over Carolina: I've been a little too high on both of these teams so far. I expect this to be high scoring, and I give the Saints the edge in a shootout.
Houston over Detroit: Kill me.
Raiders over Jets: I have a feeling that Favre throws at least two INTs here. I'm going with the opposite coast trend again.
Indy over Green Bay: Close one here. I really like this Packers team, but I can't get that ass-whooping the Colts put on the Ravens out of my head.
Washington over Cleveland: That Browns game on Monday night reminded me of the Bills Monday night home game against Dallas last season (except that obviously Dallas came back to beat the Bills). They were at home on prime time, which has not been the norm for the past few years. The fans were outstanding. There was just a feel throughout the entire game that this was going to be Cleveland's night. For that reason, I need to see how they do this weekend before I can know whether or not they have really turned things around.
Tampa Bay over Seattle: With Matt Hasselbeck out and this game being played in Tampa, there is absolutely no way the Seahawks win this game. It's a lock.
Denver over New England: I can't take the Patriots. How could I after last week?
College Pick of the Week:
Missouri (+6) over Texas: This is really more wishful thinking than anything. A win for the Tigers would totally shake up the college football world. And, it could definitely happen. The burnt orange played great last week, but that secondary is still very concerning. We know that Mizzou is lethal through the air. Texas is coming off a big win that for many associated with the program already makes this season a successful one. Missouri is coming off a frustrating loss and is looking to prove that they are still one of the nation's best teams. Put these factors together, and you've got the recipe for an upset in Austin.
No comments:
Post a Comment