Week 13: Where There are no Picks, Because Only One Game Matters....

After posting a 75% record last season, we see that I clearly can't pick games worth dick this year. I'm not even going to try this week. The Giants Thanksgiving Day humiliation makes it even less appealing. Have I thought about the NFL all week? No. The Celtics are 9 minutes away from sweeping their roadtrip, Kendrick Perkins is fulfilling his destiny to become the second coming of Robert Parish, and Kevin Garnett isn't looking like a gimp. So, I've been enjoying myself in other ways.....

It's been nice, pretending that football is over and I only have the NBA to worry about, but it's not real. But all I've really been doing is distracting myself from the one game season that awaits on Sunday. Call me crazy, but I still wouldn't be surprised to see the Giants in the NFC championship game if they can win this weekend. Yes, I know the Saints and the Vikings play in the NFC. But, if they can't win this weekend, Big Blue won't even see the postseason. The stakes are that high. I can't think about it. I just need to wait for it, and then experience it. Thank god for Florida Alabama tomorrow. Without it, this matchup with Dallas would consume me.


I've been hooked on Barstool Sports NY ever since it was launched. No site captures the emotions I feel pre and post Giants game more accurately, win or lose. Today, Scott gives us this masterpiece, which sums up exactly how I feel:

"I feel like Hillary Clinton right now. Because no matter how many different vaginas the Giants slide a cigar into, I’m standing by them no matter what. Through thick and thin. Good times and bad. So they can fuck all the fat interns they want, bottom line is that in the NFL, the best teams in the beginning of December are rarely the teams still standing at the end of January. And thats about all I have to hold onto at this point. And because even with Bradshaw questionable, the entire offensive line banged up, the season-long disappearance of Osi and Tuck, Eli’s foot problems, whothefuckknowswhat with Jacobs, the secondary’s weekly toasting, Pierce’s season-ending injury, and Bill Sheridan’s last few weeks as an employee of the New York Giants, there is not a bizarro world fucked up enough where I would ever pick the Cowboys over the Giants. Because I hate the fucking Cowboys and I never want to see that redneck dickhead Jerry Jones win anything."

Amen. You'd be hardpressed to find a scripture more powerful than that anywhere throughout recorded history. For the next three days, this is my rallying cry.

Deadskins...

I remember ridiculing the Eagles for tying the lowly Bengals two weeks ago. McNabb's comments after the game prompted the mockery, but after losing to the Bengals and the Lions, I can't talk trash about the Eagles. The Rams and the Bengals, apart from the Lions, are probably the two worst teams in football and they share one thing in common: they beat a team that was supposed to be a lock for the playoffs 4-5 weeks ago.

Thinking about yesterday's loss is like watching the stock-market these days -- you will see signs of recovery or optimism only to have them crushed by a broad sell-off or hedge-fund redemption. At the start of the season, Redskins' fans were fired up about their road wins at Dallas and Philly speculating that late season games at home would be favorable for the Skins. The Redskins would have a cakewalk with Detroit, St. Louis, Seattle, and Cincy and then leave room for a few losses against NFC East teams at home. Win one against Dallas or Philly, lose to New York, beat the teams you're supposed to beat, and you're playoff bound.

So now casual fans may ask, "how could the Redskins lose this game?"

1. The Bengals have the second-worst offense in the league

2. Cincy's star player and QB is injured (Palmer)

3. There was no home field advantage at the Bengals stadium

4. The 'Skins still had a chance to make the playoffs -- one loss by Dallas or Carolina would have put them right back into the hunt!

5. The Skins have one of the best running backs in football.

A lot was one the line for the Redskins and next to nothing was on the line for the Bengals (it's not like Cincy could even get the number one draft pick this year!). Yet the Redskins still lost this game and lost it badly. What gives?

My analysis suggests that Coach Zorn's play-calling suffers from a recent lack of creativity which makes the Redskins very predictable on offense. Couple bad play-calling with key injuries on the offensive line and you have a recipe for players getting frustrated with a rookie coach who can't seem to adjust his game-plans against defensive coordinators around the league. Zorn admitted this yesterday when he said, "I feel like the worst coach in football." Fans like me agree: you are close to the worst coach in football right now.

The result of Zorn's bad coaching is that popular players speak out, locker rooms turn against their coaches, and teams lose what could have been positive momentum to close the season or a final, desperate push to the playoffs. Morale, like morale on any team sport, is devastated after losses and public questioning makes everything worse and diminishes the collective respect for coaches on teams. (And respect for coaches, arguably, is even more important in the NFL where players make more than their coaches!)

Take the recent spat with Clinton Portis. Everyone in DC knows that Dan Snyder, the Redskin's owner, has a long-lasting and fond relationship with the All-pro running back which predates the Coach Zorn era (thanks for the phraseology Bill Simmons). Clinton knows he'll have zero repercussions for speaking out against the Coach and he took last week's loss as an opportunity to rip Coach Zorn's play calling. Portis called the coach and the play-calling "genius." And Watching Zorn give Mike Sellers the ball not once, but twice on the 1 yard line yesterday makes me agree with Clinton, although I hate it when players speak out against their coaches.

So maybe there is something to Coach Zorn’s recent decline in play-calling abilities. Maybe defenses know how to adjust now and Zorn isn’t ahead of the curve in his game-plans? Either way, players are unhappy and what could have been an excellent season just 5 weeks ago is now a disaster unfolding in sl0w-motion. What should be obvious is that offensive play-calling, like the expectations of players and their offensive duties, should increase as the season progresses. Good teams do this and make the playoffs (the Eagles, potentially) and bad teams (the Redskins) drop the ball.

Patriots fans – this is like seeing Tom Brady’s knee slowly tear over the course of the season. But instead of having it happen at once, it happens slowly and painfully while you watch with horror.

Roomofzen Podcast Episode #4: The Dynamite is Defective. We'll Have to go Around.

In Episode 4, Ted and I wax poetic about the greatness of the NFC East and do our best to insult just about every other division in the process. But, if you can get past that, we do offer some thoughts on both the Ravens and Giants and we offer an in-depth analysis of the upcoming matchup between the Redskins and Cowboys (which is without a doubt the biggest game of the week). Who needs these games more, and what impact will they have on the division going forward? Is this a must-win for Dallas? You'll just have to listen.

Note: We tried to squeeze some NBA talk at the beginning (Celts coming off a huge win, and Ted's Wizards coming off their first win), but by the time we were done this was another 2 hour job. So, I chopped off the NBA, and this is now well under an hour just like we like it. So, if you're surprised to hear Ted starting things off instead of my graceful "uhhh, ok, this is.....the roomofzen podcast.....episode 4", it's because I edited out the first hour or so.



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Genghis Tron: Board Up The House



Sick.

NFC East

As the roomofzen.com predicted, the NFC East is now the dominant division in professional football. The Giants are kicking-ass, the Redskins are about to beat the Steelers, and both the Cowboys and Eagles remain dangerous football teams despite their recent fortunes. And after suffering through years of AFC dominance, I am enjoying every minute of this return to greatness. It feels especially good to see the Patriots suffer while Brady cries on the sidelines. Maybe he's hanging out in that new sports-bar by the Patriots stadium, drinking away his sorrows? Or maybe his supermodel girlfriend left him for Eli Manning in the Big Apple?

Tonight's game against the Steelers will put the Redskins on the map if they win. But if they lose, the media will start comparing Jim Zorn to Norv Turner, which is bad. Turner, during his Redskins tenure, went 7-1 and 6-2 and then allowed his teams to finish 9-7 and 8-8 during the 1996 and 2000 campaigns. Mark my words: ESPN will have a field-day with Coach Zorn if they lose to the same team which just lost to the Eagles and Giants. Tonight's game is therefore a must win situation for the Redskins. (Note: I will be at tonight's game, ensuring a successful outcome)

The Giants looked downright scary in their win over Dallas yesterday:

- Manning was efficient with the football and avoided costly turnovers
- Six-foot five Brandon Jacobs destroyed the Dallas linebacking corps
- Toomer and Boss started contributing to the offense
- The Giants O-line continued their solid pass-pro
- And the Giants pass-rush was just relentless in their harassment of Brad Johnson

While I am happy for Nick, why do the Giants have to be nasty this year when the Redskins finally put together a decent season? The only good thing I can say about the Giants is that we have them at home at the end of the regular season. By that time, assuming the Giants continue kicking-ass, we may not have to beat them for playoff standing or the Giants might be resting their starters. One can only hope for such an outcome, but I doubt it will happen.

As for Dallas, I've never seen a team implode so quickly or fail to live up to it's potential like the Boys have done this year. In retrospect, this isn't surprising because they have Terrell Owens and Pacman Jones, but the media always gives Jerry Jones the benefit of the doubt ("Hey, he did it before with Irvin and Newton, so why can't he do it again?"). Prediction: Wade Phillips loses his job if the Cowboys don't make the playoffs. If you look at their roster, they are simply too good to be playing this badly.

As for Philly, McNabb is getting old, but he still has a few good seasons left in the tank. Maybe the Eagles can play spoiler this year in the NFC East if they don't make a serious playoff run. Or maybe they will finish dead-last and have everyone laugh at them? I'm comfortable with either outcome.

As for their offense, I've said it before and I'll say it again: the Eagles should have signed a big-name receiver instead of bolstering their secondary. Yes, Samuels gives them turnovers, but who does McNabb have as a deep threat or consistent weapon at receiver? Nobody. If the Redskin's problem is a GM who spends too much money, then the Eagle's problem is a GM who doesn't spend any money.

I will say this, however: if there is one thing that makes me happier than seeing Dallas falter, it's Philly playing mediocre or borderline terrible football. With or without TO, the Eagles are probably the one team I could do without in the National Football League. When they demolished the Vet, for example, they should have thrown away the franchise with it.

From here on out, expect the Giants and Redskins to continue dominating the National Football League. I expect the Redskins to disappoint at least once or twice before the season is over, but realistically speaking, we should be able to beat Cincy, Seattle, San Fran, and and Baltimore. And assuming we lose to the Steelers, Giants, Cowboys and Eagles, that would still put us at 10-6 and into the playoffs. Or, if we beat the Steelers tonight, then we would be 11-5 and well on our way to a first-round bye.

Sick.

Foil in the Oven: Week 8 picks

Sam Gash is a badass.

I was 9-5 last week , which was a nice way to bounce back from my Week 6 debacle...............


Dallas over Tampa Bay: The Cowboys were so confident because of their talent and star power that they were lacking urgency heading into the season. Last week’s loss to St. Louis will serve as the smelling salts they needed to wake up and get focused. If they are able to navigate through this tough stretch with reasonable success, they could still be a major factor in the postseason.




Washington over Detroit: The league’s leading rusher heads to Detroit to take on the 31st ranked rush defense. This is the lock of the week.




Buffalo over Miami: I was hesitant to buy into the whole “Buffalo is for real” thing when the season started. I knew that they had the potential to be a good team, but I had to wait and see. There were too many question marks. Trent Edwards showed promise last year, but I didn’t know how he’d hold up as a full-time starter. It has always been obvious that Lee Evans was incredibly gifted, but I had spent too many seasons watching him be inconsistent. Well, things all seem to be falling into place for the Bills in 2008. Edwards looks extremely steady, and Evans has been torching the opposition. Notice was served last Sunday with their win over the Chargers. The Bills are legit.





St. Louis over New England: I really think the Rams are turning around. It’s not just because they beat Dallas. It’s that they steamrolled Dallas one week after beating Washington. Two consecutive wins against top tier teams gets my attention. Steven Jackson seems to have found his comfort zone, and up-and-coming speedster Donnie Avery (my newest fantasy acquisition) paired with Tory Holt gives them the ability to stretch the field. The Rams have built a lot of positive momentum. Meanwhile, the Patriots are dropping like flies.





San Diego over New Orleans: The loss of Reggie Bush makes this game, and the Saints in general, much less exciting. Apparently we’re trying to impress the British with these annual London games and there haven’t been many players more exciting and explosive this season than Bush. He's certainly been more exciting than the Chargers' running back.





New York Jets over Kansas City: This game sucks so much that I can't even think about it long enough to write coherently. There's the obvious Herm Edwards connection, but I'm quite sure that nobody gives a shit. We've seen Larry Johnson stand up and talk about improving himself as a person and a football player. To be honest, I hope he can sort out his personal life, but I don't expect him to improve as a running back. He was overworked early in his career, and players rarely make big improvements at this stage of their development. So, I don't really want to talk about that. Instead, I will offer up the fact that I've always felt he got screwed out of the Heisman Trophy in 2002. There. That's my thought on this game. Larry Johnson should have won the Heisman Trophy in 2002. Do with it what you will.







Philadelphia over Atlanta: The Eagles are coming off of a bye week, which has been a pretty reliable predictor of success in 2008. Matt Ryan has been great, but this is his first time facing Jim Johnson's defense.





Carolina over Arizona: The Cardinals have not looked good on the East coast.





Baltimore over Oakland: The Ravens currently have the best run defense in the NFL, which means that the pressure to win this game will be squarely on the large shoulders of number 2. I like him a lot, and I think he’s going to be a star someday. But, he’s not going to win this game. I like the Ravens at home.





Houston over Cincinnati: Looks like Carson Palmer will miss another week, not that it really matters.





Jacksonville over Cleveland: Derek Anderson’s QB rating thus far is an appalling 49.2%. As a Giants fan in my mid-20’s, I’ve witnessed some pretty pathetic quarterbacking. I suffered through the likes of Dave Brown, Kent Graham, and Danny Kanell. You can say what you will about Kerry Collins, Kurt Warner, and the early Eli Manning years. They were all bright beacons of hope to Giants fans that had suffered through what I like to call “the dark age”. The point here, which I clearly strayed from, is that I’m pretty sure Dave Brown, Kent Graham, and Danny Kanell never had seasons when their completion percentages were below 50%. Dave Brown did, however, wear a jersey that said “Dave Brown” on the back when he played for the Cardinals. He also shares a birthday with my mother. Anyways, this means that Browns fans have watched their quarterback play at a lower level than Dave Brown, Kent Graham, and Danny Kanell ever did. That must be horrible.

When does Brady Quinn see the field? I understand that Browns don't want to look foolish for giving Derek Anderson a big extension. But, by giving him the extension, don't they already look foolish for trading away a first round pick to draft Brady Quinn? Quinn was drafted for this job. Anderson was great during the first part of the year. But, he declined steadily during the second half of the season. He certainly didn't do enough to warrant the three year deal the Browns gave him. You can't just throw money at a guy. Remember Tommy Maddox? The 2002 comeback player of the year? He wanted a big new contract after his memorable season. The Steelers, a far more competent organization than the Browns, didn't give it to him. They needed to make sure this wasn't just a flash in the pan. As it turns out, he was painfully average after that. He lost his starting job to Charlie Batch! The Browns should have let Anderson walk. Plain and simple.







New York Giants over Pittsburgh: This is when things start to get real for the Giants, and it should be a great game. The Giants currently have the NFL’s second best offensive attack and are number 1 in rushing. The Steelers are the NFL’s top rated defense, with the Giants coming in at number 4. This is one of those games that is won in the trenches, and that's an area where the Giants have a clear advantage. The Steelers are weak on the offensive line, and I expect Ben Roethlisberger to feel a lot of pressure. I’m getting chills all over right now just picturing Brandon Jacobs steamrolling Troy Polamalu.





San Francisco over Seattle: The Niners are just too good to lose to the Seahawks at home. Seattle fans, this is rock bottom.





Tennessee over Indianapolis: I could be totally off base here. A couple of weeks ago I picked Baltimore to knock off the Colts, and I could not have been more wrong (the game was a blowout). But, all I can think of is that Tennessee will run all over Indy with Chris Johnson and LenDale White. These two looked unstoppable last week, and this Indy run defense is virtually non-existent. On top of that, Joseph Addai is out, which does not bold well against the fearsome front seven of the Titans. The Colts could certainly win. I just don't see how.






College Pick of the Week:


Michigan over Michigan State and LSU over Georgia:

Home field advantage pays huge dividends for the Wolverines and Tigers this weekend.

Foil in the Oven: Week 6 Picks

The Michael Beasley watch is officially on. If you read this blog over the summer, you know that I thought the Bulls were crazy to pass on Beasley, and I also thought that all the knocks on him were totally overblown as a result of the media's Derrick Rose lovefest. Beasley looked solid last night, accumulating 21 and 7 in 28 minutes of action. The guy is going to be a superstar in this league for a long time. If not for the threat of Greg Oden, I'd already be proclaiming him rookie of the year. We'll be tracking Beasley's progress all season long just to show how powerful the sports media has become. They can convince you to make decisions that go against all logic. I just don't understand how you could see Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose play in college and not think Beasley the better NBA prospect.

Quick Celtics thoughts: Patrick O'Bryant looked great on Wednesday night, and I feel good about having him come off the bench for the nights when Perk picks up 2 fouls in the first two minutes. People have been talking about Bill Walker (and his dunks were sick) but O'Bryant was the most significant performer in my mind. I'm also really happy that we still have Tony Allen. I can't stress enough how valuable I think he is to the Cs as a shutdown defender and a penetrator.

Yes, preseason basketball is exciting, and it reminds me what a great stretch of the year we are entering. But I won't talk any more about it now. A lot of dreams will be crushed this week in the NFL, as we take our next step into weeding out the pretenders.

I was 8-6 last week. Not a great showing, although I was looking pretty money after the one o'clock games. The late ones did me in. Let's shoot for better........



Baltimore over Indy: The Colts officially suck. I've given them the benefit of the doubt over the past few weeks. I chalked their poor performances up to the injuries to Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday. It made sense. I figured things would fall in to place eventually. They had to. These are the Colts. The Colts, Chargers, and Patriots are always good. Well, obviously this year is different. I have serious doubts about Indy after seeing that fluke win last week. Eventually, their offense may start clicking, but I doubt that it will happen against the Ravens. Look for McClain and McGahee to have big days against this soft Indy run defense.


Minnesota over Detroit: It's very clear now that none of us were giving the Lions enough disrespect in the offseason. It's time that we start giving them the lack of respect that they deserve. They are one of the league's most irrelevant teams, and they are hands down the worst team in the league's second worst division.


New Orleans over Oakland: Al Davis' press conference after Lane Kiffin's firing was so hard to watch. I know this man's place in NFL history, and I hate that my only memory of him will be as a senile old relic who refused to acknowledge that the game had passed him by. Lane Kiffin didn't con anybody. There was nothing in his past to indicate that he was ready to be a head coach in the NFL. In fact, I think he did great considering the circumstances. There was no coach that could have made the '07 Raiders successful. Furthermore, I'm a firm believer that it is ALWAYS a bad move in the NFL to change coaches mid-season. The Raiders are building around a young group of players with tons of potential. What they need more than anything else is stability this season while they gain experience. This move will most likely hurt them. And, what has been accomplished? The BEST case scenario is that Cable keeps Kiffin's systems in place and doesn't make any changes. I have no problem with the firing of Kiffin, but it should have come after the season.


Jets over Cincinnati: You know how I feel about the Bengals.


Chicago over Atlanta: I've been impressed with Matt Ryan, and obviously Michael Turner was a great acquisition. Last week was a huge win at Green Bay. Atlanta is headed in the right direction. But, the Bears are playing too well.


Carolina over Tampa Bay: These NFC South games are always tough to call. But, I don't think there's any question that the Panthers are the class of the division.


Washington over St. Louis: What's scary is that Washington has already finished their road division schedule. Things will only get easier for them.


Miami over Houston: Hey, why not. Good for Miami. They've made headlines for discovering that Ronnie Brown is a more effective quarterback than Chad Pennington (not all that surprising), but their defense has really been the key to the last two impressive wins. I think they'll make it tough on the Texans this weekend.


Denver over Jacksonville: The Broncos are a lock at home.


Philadelphia over San Francisco: I hate to do this, but make note that I am picking against the Niners for the first time in week 6. Hopefully our many readers who watched the Patriots last week have a better understanding now of why I thought there was so much potential in this San Francisco team. I still think they have a shot to win the NFC West. However, I can't put my faith in JT O'Sullivan against the pressure of Jim Johnson's defense.


Green Bay over Seattle: There is something very strange happening with this game. The line is different everywhere. ESPN has the Packers favored by 4. Sportsbook.com has the Seahawks by 1.5. Depending on where you look, it varies from the Seahawks giving 2 to Green Bay giving 6. So, if you're planning on wagering this weekend (and by no means am I encouraging you to do so), you should explore your options. I understand the confusion, but I'm surprised that the handicappers are not presenting a more unified front. I understand the argument for Seattle. They need this game after getting blown out last weekend, and they are tough at home. But, I still believe in this Packers team. My initial reaction was to take the Pack, so I'm sticking with it.

.............on second thought, you may want to stay away from that one. Too many unknowns. And, if the handicappers can't agree on it, what makes you think that you know what's going to happen?


Dallas over Arizona: If Anquan Boldin was playing, I'd be screaming upset in Arizona. However, without him, the 'Boys are too strong.

......Now, on to more important business. Can't you just feel the Cowboys starting to crumble? TO has downplayed whatever drama was happening last week, but we know better. Where there's smoke, there's fire. That's the way it is with TO. Adam Jones is already in trouble again, despite having men on a constant rotation who are being paid to keep him out of trouble. Wade Phillips and Jerry Jones feel that no action is warranted on the part of the team. As a Giants fan, this could not be going better. I'm not trying to make too much of this, but it's just that we've seen the way these things usually play out in Big D....





San Diego over New England: This is a tough one to pick. The Patriots have dominated recent matchups, but this isn't that same Patriots team. But, the Chargers are banged up. Chris Chambers is out. Antonio Gates is banged up. LaDainian "you don't do another man's dance" Tomlinson (why don't people call him that instead of LT?) is banged up. Merriman is out. So, I think things are pretty even. Basically for me, it comes down to the fact that the Chargers need this game more. A few months ago, I was already circling this on the calendar as one of the best night games of the season. Now, I'm just glad the NLCS will be on so I can watch that instead.



Giants over Cleveland: I've stated several times that I did not want the Giants to draft Eli Manning (and they didn't, but you know what I mean). I wanted them to take Sean Taylor. But, as soon as the trade was made to get Eli, I was on board. What choice did I have? I have stuck by him all along, and I couldn't be happier to finally see him playing with such consistency. I'm not ready to go overboard and start proclaiming him the superior Manning brother, but I think it's safe to say that he's arrived. He has had great starts to seasons before (In week 5 of 2006, he was an ESPN early season MVP candidate after a white hot start. Four weeks later, ESPN said that the trade the Giants made may have been the worst in NFL history), but there has always been the fear of inconsistency. I don't have that fear anymore. I have more confidence in this team than I have had in a long time. I'm not talking perfect season or even perfect division record. Hell, they may even lose this game. But, in the past I would worry about a loss causing the team to totally spiral out of control. That's not the case anymore.





College Pick Of The Week:

Texas (+6) over Oklahoma: I've always preferred the name "Red River Shootout" to "Red River Rivalry". Shootout sounds much more badass, and it is much more appropriate for this game, which features two of the nation's most prolific quarterbacks. I think Colt McCoy is the better of the two, and I think that the Longhorns shake up college football even more this weekend. I've been a supporter of the BCS all along, because I think it has given us the right champion in just about every year. But, if things continue as they did last season and this season, changes are going to have to be made. There's too many good teams for us to continue putting our faith in the current system.

The NFL After 5 Weeks...

So where do we stand after five weeks of NFL action? In no particular order, we have:

- 2 undefeated teams

- 3 or 4 teams doing better than expected; 3-4 teams doing worse than expected

- The NFC East dominating professional football (of course, the roomofzen.com predicted this domination, so everyone who reads this blog is not surprised, right?)

- Off-the-field trouble in Big D, Cincy, St. Louis, and Oakland

- Al Davis looking like a Zombie from Night of the Living Dead

- Two of last year's best teams returning mediocrity (Pats and Indy)

- The Redskins with a legitimate shot to go 7-1

- TO about to combust

- Plaxico Burress acting like a damn fool

- Chad Johnson dating Pacman Jones' cousin

- Tony Gonzalez complaining about his reception record while his team is losing

Although I follow the NFC East rather closely, I do take notes on the rest of the NFL. Here are some of my notes after five weeks of action:

1) Big Ben is really showing some toughness this year. I know that sounds Madden-esque, but the guy has a sprained shoulder and a crappy offensive line. Instead of taking a few games off, Big Ben has played through the injury, led his team to victories, and not complained once. Furthermore, the guy went from being able to complete only five passes in practice to throwing for 300 yards in their victory over Baltimore. You also have to take into account how badly his offensive line has played. Big Ben gets sacked or hit at least five times a game. That makes Big Ben a badass in my mind.

2) I watched a Raven's press conference yesterday and their new coach, Jim Harbough, is awesome. Anyone who gives the media crap like Jim Harbough has my vote.

3) Miami is still not getting the credit they deserve. They beat the Pats and everyone called it an upset. Most commentators blamed it on Brady being injured. Then they beat the Chargers, and ESPN still calls it an upset. When will people realize that this team is legit, especially with Joey Porter anchoring their defense? He is like Zach Thomas in his prime -- aka nasty. They also have Parcells and we all know he's an evil genius.

4) Is there anyone more predictable than TO? Does it surprise you that he’s talking trash about his team despite being thrown at 18 times? It shouldn’t. The guy is a cancer. What a Bassbowl, as Simmons wrote in his column this week.

5) I said it once, and I'll say it again: what was Brad Childress thinking with Tavaris Jackson and now Gus Frerotte? For those of you who follow the NFL in the off-season, you will remember Childress gushing over Jackson during press-conferences. Childress was adamant about how Jackson would start and would be the player of the future for the Vikings. But anyone with half a brain could tell you otherwise. The guy is not very good. So now they have Frerotte and Childress is saying the same crap about “his confidence in Gus." I know they have AP and that takes stress off their passing game, but Gus Frerotte is not very good. In fact, if you like the Vikings, I promise you he’ll disappoint sooner rather than later; it's only a matter of time, Vikings fans. Take it from someone whose watched him over the years: there is a very good reason Gus is a backup and not a starter (until now). He will start losing games for the Vikings, just like he did for the Redskins.

6) The Titans are a huge surprise, but they have Jeff Fisher, so they'll continue to be consistently good like the Steelers were under Cowher. Again, you can’t underestimate the value of consistently good coaching in the NFL, even with teams that look average on paper. I know this is cliché, but no one seems to give their Coach credit for making a very average team play above their ability level.

7) The Redskins & Giants are playing better than expected. I would actually argue they’re the two best teams in football right now. For example, the Giants lose their best receiver, replace him with an average back-up, and still trounce the Seahawks while making the back-up look like Jerry Rice. The Redskins go on the road twice, handily beat division rivals, and then avoid turnovers for five straight weeks. Translation: I can’t wait until these teams play each other again.

8) Speaking of the Giants, what the heck is wrong with Plaxico Burress? First we go through the drama of Plax not getting his contract during the off-season. Then he gets his contract and gets injured. I know that’s not his fault, but soon after getting his contract, he shows up late to work and we find out that he’s been fined fifty times (!) by the Giants for breaking the rules. Of course you have to ask the question, “why did the Giants give this guy a contract extension?” And of course the answer is, “he is a top-tier, NFL receiver.” But now, according to footballguys.com, we learn about this:

"WR Plaxico Burress (NYG) has apparently been avoiding calls from Khoury Alternative Claims Management, a San Antonio-based third-party administrator trying to catch up with the Giants receiver about some damage he did to a rental car. Burress returned a Suburban on June 2 to Epic Car and Truck Rental in Clifton, N.J., with scratches and dents in the bumper. He paid $996.95 for the rental but owed another $1,759 in damages. Burress dropped the car off after hours and never informed anyone of the damages."

Anyone care to explain this behavior to me? Nick?

9) I know everyone in the media is writing off the Pats, but similar to the Titans, the Patriots will still benefit from world-class coaching. I know this is stating the obvious, but even without Brady, Bill Belichek will make this team competitive week after week. Then again, if they keep losing to the likes of the Dolphins, that theory may have to be modified. Maybe Tom Brady was the next incarnation of Joe Montana? Either way, I still hate the Pats and I'm glad they're back to average...where they belong!

Ladies and Gentlemen: Start the Bandwagon

Conflict and adversity build character and oftentimes build winning football teams. After losing their star defensive player to death and then their starting quarterback to injury last year, the Redskins rallied 5 weeks in a row and made the playoffs. Now, after losing Joe Gibbs and going through the vagaries of learning a new offense under a rookie head-coach, the Redskins are winning again. Do you see a pattern here?

A part of me wants to give Sean Taylor credit for these remarkable four wins. Without his death, would the Redskins be playing with this same sense of urgency or strength of character? Last year's Redskins, aside from making the playoffs with a 40 year old quarterback, had to grow up in a hurry and bond as a team under horrific circumstances. My sense is that the same reasons why the Redskins won last year after Sean's death (toughness, strength of character, maturity), are the same reasons why they're winning this year.

I think it's hard to suggest otherwise. Having lost 4 defensive starters, and playing on the road against the 6th ranked NFL offense, the Redskins could have easily dropped this game, especially after beating Dallas last week. But instead of rolling over against a very good Eagles team, the Redskins delivered a gutsy performance which reminded me of the Patriots in all honesty.

I know everyone is giving Coach Zorn credit, but I'm talking about Clinton Portis and his associates here. Portis was Sean Taylor's best friend, and the two of them played together at the U. After Taylor's death, the Post reported that Portis made "leaps and bounds in his maturity" and turned into a much more serious person (both on the field and off). And considering how gruesome and terrible Taylor's death was, do you blame Portis for growing up in a hurry?

It's not that I discount the role or function of Coach Zorn throughout this resurgence. It's just that I believe the Redskins have grown up since Taylor's death and now they're playing smash-mouth football in his honor. Think of it this way: Sean's death forced the Redskins to grow up and realize that by winning and kicking everyone's ass on the playing field, they would be honoring their friend's memory in the best way possible. After-all, almost all the Redskins who played with Sean are still on the team. And they have undoubtedly adopted a new, sobering approach to winning.

So combine a new attitude towards winning with a Coach who shares many of the positive and none of the negative attributes of Joe Gibbs, and I think you have a formula for success this season.

Now, let's think about the things that went right yesterday, and how this season could get even better:

- The play of Jason Campbell, Clinton Portis, the injured defense, and the kicker were utterly crucial to their destruction of the Eagles yesterday. Suisham made three field goals from 40+; Campbell still has no turnovers after 5 games; Portis ran for 145 yards; and the defense stepped up without 4 of their starters. To beat the Eagles, a division rival, on the road, was therefore pretty special.

- The coaching, time-management and play calling abilities of Jim Zorn are clearly an improvement from Gibbs last season. Instead of wasting our timeouts halfway through the 3rd quarter or unnecessarily challenging plays, Coach Zorn is playing it cool and awares. Maybe he learned something from Mike Holmgren after all those years?

- In no particular order: we have an easy three games in the hopper followed by a bye-week, the rest of our NFC East games are at home, and the Redskins are now 4-1 after 25% of the regular season. Do you think any other team has a better situation than the Redskins right now?

I said it last week so I'll say it again this week: the official Redskins bandwagon is now coming out of the garage and preparing itself for operation. Stay tuned for more as the season unfolds....

'Skins

A part of me will always resent Dan Snyder for the way he's run the Redskins since he bought the team in 1998. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say that I have serious issues with an owner who is a cross between George Steinbrenner and Jerry Jones.

Over the past few years, my festering hatred for the owner spilled over to the Redskins. Somehow Synder, through almost ten years of complete idiocy, mismanagement, and raised prices, has poisoned my love for the 'Skins. Gone are the fond memories of Darrel Green, RFK stadium, and those epic Philly beat downs of the 1990s.

But yesterday's win reminded me why I love the Redskins so much and why I can momentarily forget that Dan Snyder owns the Redskins. The Cowboys-Redskins rivalry, for anyone even vaguely familiar with the NFL, is the league's best rivalry. And yesterday's game was unbelievably awesome even if you hated both teams. Let's consider some facts about this game:

- The Redskins just beat the best team in the NFL, on the road, with a rookie coach. The rookie coach was also calling plays, a task he's never done before this season. Yes, Coach Zorn is an early favorite for Coach of the Year. And yes, we will move up in the power rankings because of this victory. I'm beginning to like the Jim Zorn era here in DC; very auspicious start.

- Assuming they don't meet again in the playoffs, this was the last Cowboys-Redskins match-up in Dallas stadium. I can't think of a better way to close down a stadium.

- The Eagles lost last night, the Cowboys beat the Eagles, and now we might face the Eagles next week without Brian Westbrook. Assuming we beat the Eagles, we'll have a shot at first place in the NFC East. That is, unless the Giants keep on winning.

- This was Coach Zorn's first road win and first win against Dallas. According to Fox, you have to go all the way back to 1971 to find a Redskins' head coach who beat the Cowboys on his first try. That includes George Allen and Joe Gibbs...decent company, I would say.

- The Redskins didn't sneak a victory past Dallas. They shutdown Owens for a half, shutdown Marion Barber, and managed to keep a lid on Jason Witten. On offense, despite poor pass protection, the Redskins moved the ball with consistency and found a way to convert in the red zone. (Red zone conversion and consistent ball movement were offensive features nonexistent under Gibbs 2.0) If we maintain this type of momentum, I see at least 9 wins in our future, if not more.

- My new favorite player, Chris Horton, had another amazing game. Horton is a rookie from UCLA and he went to De La Salle High School in New Orleans. He's already been the NFC's Defensive Player of the Week and thanks to his huge interception yesterday, the Redskins kept a lid on the Cowboys' offense down the stretch. I see a bright future for this guy. (And what's amazing is that Horton doesn't even start on the Redskins secondary. That should tell you a lot about our depth right now, assuming Springs stays healthy)

In summary, the win was an excellent moment for Coach Zorn and an excellent moment for a franchise embroiled in the Snyder quagmire. I know it's just Week 5, but if we beat the Eagles next week and the Giants lose, then the OFFICIAL Redskins bandwagon might have to make an appearance.

Foil in the Oven: Week 4 Picks

I was 11-5 last week (but, in my defense, I couldn't have seen that Miami win coming and I conceded one game by predicting a tie).


Tennessee over Minnesota: It’s hard to have the type of success that people expected the Vikings to have without a balanced offensive attack. Remember, this isn’t just a team that runs a lot. This is a team that CANNOT THROW THE BALL. All you have to do to beat the Vikings is keep their ground game at bay. Tennessee can do that.


Denver over Kansas City: Where do you even start with this game? So far this season, the Chiefs have scored a combined total of 32 points. The Broncos have scored more points than that in each of their three games. The Broncos have looked good against stiff competition, knocking off San Diego and New Orleans in the past two weeks (and completely dismantling the Raiders in week 1). Meanwhile, the Chiefs made the Raiders and Falcons look like playoff contenders. Jay Cutler may still be a long way away from becoming the next John Elway, but he’s certainly becoming a household name in 2008. The Broncos currently rank second in the NFL in total offense, which is 26 spots ahead of the Chiefs. The last line I saw had Denver giving 9.5 in this one. Lay it down! They will cover. This is not a trap game. It’s a division game, and the Broncos will not take any matchup lightly as long as they can feel San Diego breathing down their necks.


San Francisco over New Orleans: I love the Niners. I’ve picked them every week, and they’ve made me look good most of the time. I’m taking them again here. The Saints are banged up badly. Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, Randall Gay, Scott Fujita…this is not good. Jamar Nesbit’s suspension could not have come at a worse time. The Niners seem to have everything clicking right now. I think that they are for real (remember....I’m talking NFC West so “for real” means “surprisingly, not below average”). People will pay more attention after this week.


Cardinals over Jets: This is a tough pick for me to make. The Cards are traveling across the country and playing at 1 o’clock EST. That, on its own, could do them in. But, I can’t ignore the fact that I like the Cards on paper. The Jets have been turning the ball over a lot, and Arizona has the firepower to make them pay.


Green Bay over Tampa Bay: Green Bay’s passing attack gives them the edge here.

Carolina over Atlanta: Don’t be tricked into respecting the Falcons. You can respect the fact that they are not a complete fucking mess like last year. But, they are a year or two away from where they need to be to win this game.


Jacksonville over Houston: I expected much more from the Texans than what they have shown. Matt Schaub is looking much less like the answer to their troubles, and they just seem to lack whatever it was they had last season that made them so intriguing.


Cleveland over Cincinnati: How does Marvin Lewis still have a job? Really, can we think about this? This has been the most consistently disappointing team on AND off the field for too long for him to keep his job. I am 100% sure that this team is never going to accomplish anything with the core that they have now. Sure, there is a lot of talent. And, I think that all of these guys are capable of reaching great heights on their own in different environments. But, as currently constructed, this team is going nowhere.


San Diego over Oakland: I won’t waste my breath explaining this pick: the Bolts always beat up on the silver and black. Instead, I’d like to talk a little bit about the Lane Kiffin situation.....

I think that, given the circumstances, Kiffin has done a great job. Last year was really just a throwaway year. But, I love what I see in this team right now. Granted, they will most likely be 3-1 after this week. But, you have to like that they went on the road to Buffalo and almost pulled that game out. They have a legitimate core of young and talented skill players. The future is bright if these goods are handled properly (highly unlikely). But, this team is so young on offense. Al Davis has to understand this, and he has to understand that these guys need time to develop. That’s more important than any single game this season. On top of that, Al Davis seems particularly upset about the team’s defense. But, he’s ready to make the defensive coordinator the new head coach. That makes no sense. And, while I will grant that the Broncos torched Oakland’s defense (along with every other defense that they have faced), this unit held Kansas City to 6 points and didn’t look bad on the road against the Bills.


Buffalo over St. Louis: How many times can we possibly see Trent Green being carted off the field with a season-ending injury? Why is he still playing? And why for the Rams?




Dallas over Washington: People all over the country have been talking about how strong the NFC East is. I love it. I cannot get enough of reading about how sick the division is. The high level of competitiveness makes everything so much more exciting. Adding to that excitement is the fact that all four of these teams have long and storied rivalries with each other. There is perhaps no more storied rivalry in the division than the one between the Cowboys and Redskins. Dallas will win. I’m sure of that. And, I’m willing to admit that as good as the whole NFC East is, the Cowboys are a step above the rest this season. Take a look at their wins: on the road at Cleveland, home against Philly, and the Packers in Lambeau Field. The game against Philly was close, but there has not been a single second of action this regular season when the Cowboys have not appeared to be in total control. I expect the Cowboys to win, but I’m hoping that the Redskins can elevate their level of play and give us another classic NFC East heavyweight battle.


Philadelphia over Chicago: I can’t get behind this Bears team. As good as that defense is, they couldn’t knock off the Bucs last week, and now it seems as if people around the nation may have put a little too much stock in the week 1 victory over Indianapolis. Philadelphia will put pressure on Kyle Orton. He will throw interceptions. The Eagles will capitalize.


Baltimore over Pittsburgh: This should be an exciting game to watch, but I don’t expect a lot of scoring. Give the under some thought here. Pittsburgh has a nice arsenal of skill players, but they can’t protect Ben Roethlisberger. The Ravens defense will get to him early and often, and this will create the field position their offense needs to pull it out.


College Pick of the Week:

Mississippi State +24 to LSU. Mississippi State only lost 3-2 to Auburn two weeks ago. Then LSU had to come back to beat Auburn. This line just seems to big for me. My advice: throw them into a teaser with South Florida (-9.5 to NC State) and Wisconsin (-6.5 to Michigan).

Week 3 Picks

I was 12-3 with NFL picks in Week 2 (Texans and Ravens did not play).

Here's what I expect in Week 3:


Atlanta ties Kansas City: No matter how hard they try, it will be impossible for both of these teams to lose. But, that doesn’t mean that there has to be a winner.

Buffalo over Oakland: I’ve said that I really like Oakland, and I think that they are going to keep improving steadily as the year continues. I’d actually be picking them if this game were being played in the Black Hole. But, because it isn’t, I’m taking the Bills.

Tampa Bay over Chicago: Tampa can do the same things that Chicago does on defense and special teams, and they’re stronger on offense. I like the Bucs here.

Carolina over Minnesota: Steve Smith’s return will give the 2-0 Panthers a boost. The benching of Tavaris Jackson will create turmoil for a team reeling from not being able to put away Indy last week. The Vikings look like big time pretenders right now. For some reason it seems like everyone assumed that because Adrian Peterson is good, the Vikings would automatically be good. Peterson played great last week, but this team has a lot of holes. In a quarterback happy league, this team concerns me.

New England over Miami: I’d like to turn back the clock on Sunday and watch a classic shootout between Drew Bledsoe and Dan Marino. I’ll settle for Matt Cassel and Chad Pennington, but only because I already know there is a 0% chance of a different game being shown.

Giants over Bengals: I’m literally never going to pick the Bengals to win once this season. Not even if they play the Rams (which I don’t think they do). World champs win big here.

Houston over Tennessee: Despite their horrid week 1 performance, I think that Houston is a more solid all-around team than Tennessee. Big game for Andre Johnson here.

Washington over Arizona: It seems like Arizona is much more talented than Washington. But, by virtue of their divisions, I think the Skins might be better than you think and the Cardinals might be worse. For example, Kurt Warner’s numbers are great right now and he is a great fantasy starter, but where is this team REALLY going? Plus, the games in Washington. I like the skins.

San Francisco over Detroit: This is my third straight week picking the Niners. When I picked them in Week 1, I said "the Niners are better than you think, but they still suck, if that makes sense." I still believe that, and that will be enough to beat the Lions. Much like TO, Issac Bruce does not age.

Seattle over St. Louis: I had to think about this one. It might be close.

Denver over New Orleans: I was wrong about Denver. That they won last week due to referee errors and faulty replay equipment is irrelevant when projecting this week’s game. The Chargers COULD NOT STOP the Broncos’ offense.

Philadelphia over Pittsburgh: This is going to be a great game. The Eagles look very good right now, and DeSean Jackson as a deep threat is going to make Brian Westbrook even more dangerous.

Indy over Jaxonville: The Jags always give Indy trouble, but I like the Colts here. There was a definite moment last week when the Colts offense suddenly clicking.

Baltimore over Cleveland: Where is Brady Quinn?

Dallas over Green Bay: Despite my intense hatred for the Cowboys, it’s hard to not get excited watching Marion the Barbarian running the ball. I fear him.

San Diego over the Jets: The Chargers have played well this season, and I don’t expect that they’ll continue losing in the final seconds of games. Darren Sproules showed that he is a real threat, and the carries he gets now will make that offense even more dangerous once Tomlinson is back to full health. Also, I firmly believe that the Chargers could bring Natrone Means out of retirement, start him at tailback, and still win this game.

College Pick of the Week: Texas Tech (11) over Umass: I’m not exactly going out on a limb here. But, I just wanted to take a minute to highlight the state of Massachusetts. Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a UCONN fan, but I always like to see the Minutemen succeed as well. I went to my first UMASS game over Labor Day Weekend and really enjoyed the experience. Aside from enjoying the largest kielbasa I have ever seen, I found the atmosphere at the game to be great. You can even stand right next to the field and take in the action close up. I doubt this is an option at Texas Tech.

I’m sure there will be no moneyline here. But, this game is in Texas so I’d say you’re probably safe taking the points.

If you want real college picks, here they are:

Take the points on all four of these:

Florida State -4.5 over Wake
Miami -3 over Texas A&M
Florida -7.5 over Tennessee
Mississippi State +8 over Georgia Tech

Go with the spread, sit back, and enjoy. Babcock and I will be at Farmaid.

The NFC-East Smackdown: Part Two

The Boys (Continued from Part One)

Let's start this discussion with Tony Romo. As much as I like to make fun of him, he's pretty darn good. He has one of the quickest releases of any NFL quarterback, one of the best receivers in TO, and a reliable ally / vacation partner in Jason Witten. And now that he has a massive contract making him one of the highest paid NFL players, he’s poised to be even better than last year, which is scary because he threw for 36 touchdowns and 4,100 yards. Watch out, NFC East.


You have to assume TO is going to be nasty this year because he usually ends up surpassing expectations. The guy seemingly thrives on people doubting him. I literally hate the guy, but I'll admit he's one of the best receivers in the league (he's also a physical freak of nature). Marion Barber, who made the Pro Bowl despite splitting carries with Jones, is now the sole running back on the Cowboys offense, and if he stays healthy, the 'Boys offense is going to kick major ass. Round out the crowd with Witten and you have quite an arsenal for Romo.

But the Cowboys' offense is not without holes or chinks in the armor:

- Barber can go down with an injury at any time because he runs so damn hard. Add on extra carries and you have to assume the guy will tone it down a bit since he's so much more valuable to the franchise healthy. How will that affect his production?

- Aside from TO, the Cowboys receiving corps is mediocre at best. Yes, Witten makes up for this, but the team lost Terry Glenn and Crayton isn't the most reliable option. Sam Hurd is apparently impressing people at training camp, but that's pre-season propaganda in my mind. I'll wait to see him play well over a consistent stretch of time to believe the hype. So here’s the problem: if Owens goes down, the Cowboys receiving corps looks pretty anemic.

- Terry Glenn is gone now. Say what you want about Jones’ stance in the contract negotiations, the guy is a fairly substantial loss for the Cowboys despite his age and speed (or lack thereof). How do you make up for Glenn? With Curtis? Joe Horn was just released from the Falcons so maybe the Cowboys will bring him in for a career rival. It would certainly bolster their receiving corps.

Moving onto the Cowboys defense – the team improved itself across the board, which again is scary because they were so nasty last year (3rd in sacks, top ten in yards allowed). Want some examples?

1. The team added Zach Thomas who, despite his propensity for injuries, is still very good and can provide leadership within the 3-4 system Wade Phillips is implementing this year.

2. The team signed Pacman who was nasty on the Titans as a kick returner and zone-coverage corner. Watch Pacman have an excellent season, prove everyone wrong and make Jones look like a genius. Swell.

3. The team drafted Mike Jenkins who is nasty at corner. Many people claim he’s the best cornerback taken in the draft this year. I somewhat agree with that assessment.

Of course their defense was sick to begin with. Ware, Ellis, and Spencer round out a fantastic pass-rush, which will keep teams off-balance when they try to throw. (And if they do throw, they have to deal with Newman, Jones, Jenkins, and Williams in the secondary.) Throw in Tank Johnson at NT, Spears and Canty rushing up the middle, and you get a defense which kicks major ass. I'm actually not looking forward to our Cowboys match-ups this year when I sit down and think about it now. These guys are legit. They remind me of the Ravens in all honesty and that’s saying a lot.

Plot-lines / Players to watch

How thirsty is this team for revenge and face-saving? To my delight the Cowboys were humiliated last year when their star-QB and tight-end went on vacation before the biggest game of their lives. Of course they lost this game and I couldn't stop laughing as a Redskins fan. Will the Cowboys make up for this gaffe last year? Will their coach break his reputation as a first-round playoff master and choke-master in the playoffs? Stay tuned, folks.

TO and team chemistry. What's that you say? TO is happy with the 'Boys and the days of his off-the-field antics are over? Think again. TO will always be TO and the guy is a bona-fide asshole. One thing can go wrong and the guy can erupt, burning down the entire franchise in a lava of selfish pride. A part of me is astonished that TO has lasted this long with the Cowboys. Maybe Jones has a special contract clause which allows him to release Owens if he even sneezes improperly. And judging by his treatment of Terry Glenn, a good guy by most accounts, this wouldn’t surprise me. (Please let there be an Owens breakdown this year…)

The 'Iggles

Most experts can’t agree on the strength or potential of the ‘Iggles this year. Some people laud the Eagle’s decision to bring in depth to running back and receiver, while others point to McNabb’s declining production and increasing age. Talking heads rave about the addition of Samuels, but I'm skeptical for many reasons. Since the Eagles have been defined by the play of McNabb in recent years, let’s start with the aging veteran.

The Eagles are at best a mediocre team in the NFC without Donovan McNabb. He missed two games last year and the team went 8-8 in the NFC. Conversely McNabb hasn’t been playing too well in recent years. Last year he threw almost ten interceptions and both his yards per throw and total passing yards were well below his career averages. You also have to worry about injuries to McNabb because it limits his running game which made him special to begin with. If I remember correctly, last year he took many more sacks than usually because his running game was limited by injuries and age. Added sacks to an aging and already injured veteran does not bode well for the Eagles team.

The Eagles running game more than makes up for the declining production of Donovan McNabb. In Westbrook you have one of the best running backs in football. (With the exceptions of AP and Tomlinson, I don’t think you can find a better running back.) Behind Westbrook you have Booker, Buckhalter, and Hunt – three guys who can effectively substitute for third downs or goal-line situations. This type of depth and talent across the board gives the Eagles options to deal with their fading quarterback and dubious receiving corps. If these guys stay healthy, expect the running game to keep the Eagles competitive for a playoff run.

The Eagles receiving corps, with the exception of LJ Smith and Kevin Curtis (when he's not being jammed at the line), is terrible. I would even argue their starters, Brown and Curtis, are not very good because neither of them consistently put up more than 1,000 yards per season nor do they stay healthy with any consistency. For example, Curtis became the 2nd (or 3rd?) Eagle in the past ten years to put up more than 1,000 yards. And Brown, despite all the hype, barely had 600 yards as a starter. Both are under 6 feet tall and even with the addition of DeSean Jackson, the Eagles have a Redskins' version of the mighty-mites. I'll conceed LJ Smith is nasty, but can he stay healthy for more than a game? And what were the Eagles thinking when they tagged him franchise player? Catching a few touchdowns and staying injured each year shouldn't warrant that decision. Ted -- any insight here?

The Eagles defense also confuses me. Why did they sign Samuels when they had Sheppard and Brown holding down the fort? With a healthy Brian Dawkins, the Eagles secondary is pretty damn good and intimidating. Was the signing of Samuels related to the Eagles lack of defensive takeaways or turnovers (I think they ranked dead-last in the league last year in these categories)? Maybe. But was it necessary to spend all that money on an aging veteran when they had two very good corners? Debatable I guess.

Another weakness in the Eagles defense is their relative youth at linebacker -- Bradley, Gaither, and Gocong. How well will these guys play with added responsibilities and the expectation that they'll be responsible for three downs every time they hit the field? I won't go into the Eagles pass rush / d-line because I think it's above average across the board. Trent Cole is nasty and I expect him to kick ass as usual, so I'll leave it there.

Plot-lines / Players to watch

Injuries: McNabb, Sheppard, Samuels, and LJ Smith. The Eagles need all of these guys healthy to regain their prior form. Will Samuels be worth the money they paid?

Linebackers: can the youth movement step up to the plate? Especially without Spikes this year.

McNabb's quaterbacking: can he return to past form and lead the Eagles to glory? Can he stay in good shape? Will the Eagles fans turn against him?

The NFC East Smack-Down: Part One

As many of you know, the RoomofZen holds the NFC East in high esteem. Where else can you find the same level of ass-kickery, history, rivalries, and championships in the NFL? Absolutely nowhere. Don't even try to argue with me here. The AFC North comes close, but keep in mind half these teams have never won a Super Bowl nor have the Ravens been in the league that long. And don't give me any crap about the AFC East. The majority of teams in that division have been mediocre for years. The NFC East is probably the best division because it features so many interesting plot-lines that have not been, nor will be in the near-future, replicated throughout the NFL. Witness:

1. The best and oldest-running divisional rivalries in football (Skins-Cowboys; Philly-Dallas; Giants-Dallas)

2. Divisional teams capable of making and traveling far in the playoffs (can you name another division with this type of potential across the board? doubtful)

3. Teams with combustible and drama-filled rosters which could explode without notice (Owens on Dallas; Jones on Dallas; Philly fans and McNabb; Burress on the Giants; Synder on the Skins; all this makes for interesting drama throughout the regular season)

4. Two of the league's most dynamic and competitive owners (Jones and Synder), combined with two of the league's most conservative and traditional owners (Lurie and Mara), duking it out for NFC East pride. Jones and Synder, love them or hate them, are easily the most competitive owners in the league. Jones would sell his soul for another Super Bowl; so would Danny if Jones did it first.

Long story short: a lot of shit goes down in the NFC East. These teams hate each other and fight to the death. As such, both Nick and I will profile this division for our readers. We owe it to you so let's get started with predictions and team breakdowns.

Overview / Predictions

Predictions are always tough because they're usually wrong and oftentimes make you look stupid. But I'll try anyway since I think history and roster changes make this division somewhat predictable.

The Cowboys will win the Division, followed by the Giants, Redskins, and Eagles. The Cowboys will either get the one or two seeds in the NFC, while the Giants and Skins will most likely pick up Wild Card berths in a nail-biting end to the regular season. I'm not saying the Eagles can't finish higher than the Redskins. If Westbrook stays healthy and McNabb produces, the Eagles have a shot. Make no doubt about it.

The G-Men

The Giants are the reigning World Champs. But we know what happens to reigning world champs outside the Patriots: they usually suck the year after. People forget how close the Giants came to losing the NFC Championship Game to the Packers, a team which was not very good in my opinion. The Redskins almost beat them for god-sakes. I give the Giants all the credit in the world, but for them to repeat would require a near-miracle. People also forget that the Giants almost imploded under Couglin last year, and it's a double miracle that the team pulled itself together for the playoffs.

Players / Plot-lines to watch:

Burress and his new contract. Plaxico was a big reason why the Giants played so well last year. His receiving skills, filling in for the injured Jeremy Shockey, made Eli look like his brother. Burress also gave the Giants a unique offensive threat which was hard to cover. As such, Plaxico wants to restructure his long-term contract, yet the Giants are not budging. They will not pay their best player despite his performance last year. If Plaxico doesn't get his new contract, will he have the same motivation to play well this year? How will this affect his relationship with the team and ownership?

Team Unity and their coach. Coach Coughlin had a sinking ship last year with the Giants. Miracously he pulled the team together and led them to a Super Bowl. But you have to assume there is some underlying disfunctionality within the Giants organization if you followed what happened last year. Players were criticizing the coach and the Giants ownership almost fired the entire coaching staff. Will those same types of issues resurface this year if the Giants lose a few games? I know Nick will disagree here, but there is always doubt in my mind. What led to the Giants organization having those problems in the first place?

Can they replace Shockey with Boss or their secondary receivers? Like him or not, Shockey was a huge offensive threat for the Giants. I know they won without him, but his skills are still a huge hole to fill. Let's say the injury-prone Plaxico goes down this year. What will the Giants do for offense at receiver? Can Boss step it up?

Bradshaw's sentencing. I know this may be a minor issue, but he could face suspension from Goddell. It's still a distraction, like it or not.

Loss of Strahan and health of their defense. Will Strahan's role be filled by his counter-part, Mr. U? I think the Giants are ok here, but Strahan's loss is a big one both in terms of leadership and pass-rushing ability.

Repeat pressure. Like any Super Bowl victor, the Giants have pressure to repeat, or at least perform at a high level again. Can they repeat? I'm sure Nick will tell you yes, but I'm doubtful. Pressure eats away at teams and coaches and without Shockey, an unhappy Burress, a tough schedule, and high expectations, I expect the Giants will collapse miserably. Yes, I am a Skins fan and yes, misery loves company.

The 'Skins

The Deadskins continue to struggle under the reign of Napoleon Snyder. And until the owner sells the team, I will be skeptical of "our chances" or Super Bowl possibilities. This is sad but true.

Yes, I think the Redskins are good enough to make the playoffs. But the NFC, apart from our division, is pretty shabby although Arizona and Minnesota may be good this year. No, I don't think they'll ever get past the first round with our current roster of midgets and QBs learning their 10,000th offense in five years. A QB can only learn so much.

Roster mistakes, thanks to Dan and Vinny, get to the heart of the matter: we have a new coach teaching a new offense to a guy who never mastered an offense in the first place. Remember our playoff run came from a 40 year old guy who never played a down of football as a starter. What does that say about Campbell who already had (has) more experience than Collins? Combine Campbell's learning curve with: tiny receivers; injury prone running backs not built for a ground and pound offensive line (which we have); throw in a rookie coach brought in to bid time for Bill Cowher and presto, you have the Washington Redskins. Bring on the pain, Danny-boy. (Side-note: I hope to be proven wrong here. If the Redskins are nasty, I will eat my shorts. But it's doubtful.)

Players / Plot-lines to watch

How well Zorn performs and the availibility of Coach Cowher next year. My sense is that Danny-Boy would, and probably will, fire Coach Zorn if Coach Cowher becomes available next year. Anything short of a second-round playoff run will liquidate Zorn if Cowher returns next year. Stay tuned. Zorn is already operating on borrowed time if you ask me.

Transition to a West Coast offense. As mentioned above, the Redskins have to go through another learning curve under another set of coaches and philosophies. Granted the Redskins are built to run a West Coast Offense in their receiving corps (speedy threats that can stretch the field, reliable tight ends for short routes and running backs who can catch the ball (Portis)), their offensive line is built for Riggins or Jerome Betis. And Clinton Portis is not John Riggins. Sorry. So can the O-line pass protect better than their run blocking skills in order to execute Zorn's offense? That's a huge liability in my mind which needs to be addressed since our pass rush defense was abysmal last year. Just ask Jason Campbell and his knee-cap.

Jason Taylor and the defense. I've already commented on Jason Taylor, but suffice to say I'm skeptical of this guy and I hope he proves me wrong. Dancing with the Stars was obviously a good career move for him, but he did leave his Miami teammates in the dust. That Parcells released him and refused to even speak to him speaks volumes in my mind. Parcells is probably one of the best coaches of all time, up there with Gibbs and Belichek. Nobody messes around with Parcells and gets away with it. But of course the Redskins will let you if you've made the Pro Bowl enough times.

Jason Campbell's knee-cap, his ability to learn the new offense, and frankly his ability to play at a high level in the NFL is still up in the air for me. Like Taylor, I am very skeptical about this guy, although he could turn out a decent year if the 0-line gives him protection. I like Campbell as a person, but he has yet to really impress me. Stay tuned here, folks.

Health of Landry, Portis, Randle-El & the Offensive line. This goes without explanation. Landry has a hamstring injury which could languish, Portis is always injury prone (as is Randle-El), and the O-Line is constantly having surgery. Let's just hope we have better luck than last year.

The 'Boys

This pains me to write, but the Cowboys are really f-ing good this year. Romo and Owens are always a threat; Barbor, if healthy, is one of the best backs in the league; Witten is nasty if he stays healthy; and with Jones / Newman / Williams, the Cowboys have one of the sickest secondaries in the league.

The thing about the Cowboys is that while you love to hate them, you can't deny how nasty they are with Owens happy. Of course Owens is always a risk to team morale (see my post on the Owens virus awhile back) and Pacman, if reinstated, can also be a huge distraction. But the Cowboys are always a threat with Owens, and I get the sense that the teams feels as though their season was short-changed last year. And I think this year they will take everything more seriously and maybe not go on vacaction before the playoffs.

Part Two: the remaining breakdown of the Boys & the hated Iggles preview and breakdown.

The Jerry Jones Traveling Circus

Watching the Celts on Comcast, but obviously flipping to TNT at halftime to hear Sir Charles give us some gems such as "The Lakers are way too good of a team to be playing zone. Playing a zone is basically saying 'we suck on defense'". Love that the Celts are making Bibby look stupid after his comments, and love the energy. Hopefully we can put it away without Pierce having to play too many minutes with that back.

Real quick, I wanted to switch gears to the Giants and just say how happy I am to hear that the Cowboys signed Pacman Jones. Like Babcock, I am a big believer that Pacman would have been a good acquisition for New England. That would be a situation in which his distractions would be minimal, he would be around a group of guys that are focused 100 per cent on football, and Belicick would provide the structure and discipline that he would need. Dallas could not be more of the oppisite, and I can't help but laugh at what a circus my hated division rival has become.

Wade Phillips is the coaching equivalent to that dad who is a great guy and doesn't want to be too hard on his kids so he looks the other way on things like drinking or other clues in the form of innapropriate paraphanielia. Sure, more often than not his kid will end up alright. But, a really badly behaved kid will take advantage of him and could get into serious trouble. Nobody will want to blame the dad because he's a good guy and he loves his kid. But, at the end of the day everyone knows he should have stepped in somewhere. He is not the right guy to be coaching Pacman. Tank Johnson is a guy who, much like Pacman, seems to be totally self-destructive. These are two guys who have been given several chances by the league, and who have had a very clear picture painted of what their behavior should be. Both have violated it time and time again. It's completely unfathomable. Now, they are playing on the same defense. Between TO mouthing off and accidently overdosing on medication, Tony Romo running off to Mexico with Jessica Simpson, and Wade Phillips proving last season that he does not have much (if any) control over his players actions, it is very suprising that Dallas would take a chance on one of these two guys. But both of them! A roster of felons is nothing new for Jerry Jones, but I just don't think this team has the talent of the old Aikman/Irvin/Smith teams. It looks like a division title is in the cards for Big Blue next season.

I've posted this many times before. But, I'll never get sick of watching it:




Tommy just screamed at the top of his lungs "Bruce Willis almost caught that!" Can we please get a Heinsohn/Barkley duo? Just for one game. Please. I'll order it on Pay-Per-View if I have to.