Week 7: Looking to Bounce Back

KANSAS CITY +5 over San Diego: I don't really have the logic to explain myself here. My head is saying I should pick San Diego. But, I hate the Bolts, and they really are not good. They haven't impressed me once so far this year. This Chiefs team seems to be growing more confident each week, and they haven't won at home yet. They're due. The way the Chargers have looked, I think the best case scenario for them this week is a 3 point win.


Indianapolis -13.5 over ST. LOUIS: The three team tease is back and more reliable than ever. The Colts should be at the top of your teaser flow chart every week. You don't even need to look at the matchup. It's like the new Velveeta version of Easy Mac. You can't go wrong.





Chicago +1 over CINCINNATI: The Bengals looked very ordinary last week, and I really don't think they're as good as that 4-2 record. The injury to Antwan Odom makes this game a lock for the Bears, who have impressed me even in their losses. Also, doesn't it seem like it would be smart to always tease an underdog against the Bengals? They seem to always win on the last minute, ensuring a small margin of victory, or they lose. Either way, with the tease, you're probably in good shape.



Green Bay -8.5 over CLEVELAND: The Browns suck, and they seem to be getting worse. I'm really not sure what else you want from me.



Minnesota +5.5 over PITTSBURGH: The Steelers have won 9 in a row at home, and they'll have Troy Polamalu, a major game changer, back in action. But, I just don't like that pass-happy offense against this Vikings defensive front. This could be a long day for Big Ben. The Vikings big wins (San Fran, Green Bay, and Baltimore) have come at the Metrodome. This will be their first major road contest (they've been at Cleveland, Detroit, and St. Louis). This win in Pittsburgh will be a major statement.



New England -15 over Tampa Bay: Last year I lost when I wagered on the London game. I expected the Giants to steamroll the Dolphins, but the rainy field in London made it just a three point game. But, after last week, I certainly can't justify taking Tampa because of weather considerations. The Patriots are building momentum.




San Francisco +3 over HOUSTON: Frank Gore is back, Glen Coffee has some experience under his belt, Michael Crabtree is in the starting lineup, and I love the Niners from this point forward. Plus, they are coming off a bye, and they were embarrassed their last time out. I can only imagine that the image of Mike Singletary's grundle is permanently burned into Dre Bly's memory after that one.




OAKLAND +6 over NY Jets: 6 points? really? The Jets have lost three straight, and haven't looked good doing it. Their head coach seems completely shell-shocked after these losses, and they're bringing a rookie quarterback into the black hole to face a tough defense. On the other hand, the Raiders seemed to have bounced back extremely well from the ass whooping the Giants put on them a couple of weeks ago. They just beat a team that was playing in the NFC championship game last year, their coach was just cleared of assault charges, their new stud defensive lineman has guaranteed they will make the playoffs, and their recently deceased players are coming back to the field as pigeons. Yeah, I like Oakland here.







Buffalo +7 over CAROLINA: I don't care if Ryan Fitzpatrick is playing quarterback or not. There is no reason for Carolina to be giving 7 to anybody besides St. Louis.



New Orleans -6.5 over At Miami: Miami is a very popular pick this week. I guess I understand it from the standpoint that the wildcat might neutralize the Saints pressure and Miami will chew up minutes. But, I will direct your attention back to Monday night in week 2. Miami perfectly executed their game plan, holding the ball for over three full quarters. And yet, despite having less then 15 minutes of possession, Peyton Manning was able to score his points quickly enough to win the game. The Saints can do the same thing.



DALLAS -4 over Atlanta: I love Dallas coming off the bye here. Some of you out there might be wondering what it's going to take for me to believe in the Falcons. I don't have an answer. Every week I'm wrong about them, and I'm still not convinced.



NY GIANTS -7 over Arizona: I wouldn't want to be the Cardinals this week. The Giants were embarrassed last week. They are better than they showed, and I'm sure they are itching to get back out on the field. They were getting blown out in the first half, and they still had a chance to make it a one possession game had it not been for Roman Harper's forced fumble.

CC Brown had the Roy Williams syndrome last week. He was so eager to play the run that he got roasted in the passing game. Of course I'd rather have Kenny Phillips. But Brown started in this league for 4 years with Houston, and I expect him to bounce back and at least play competently from here on out.



Philadelphia -7 over WASHINGTON: NFC East divisional matchups are always closer than you'd think. Were it not for the Eagles losing to Oakland last week, I might like the Skins here. But, like the Giants, I'm sure the Eagles have had a bad taste in their mouth all week.



Your Teaser of the Week:




10 point teaser:

Indy -3.5 over St. Louis, Green Bay +1 over Cleveland, and New England -5 over Tampa Bay.

Embrace the Weekend.......

We've got a great lineup of college and pro football, the Red Sox playing to keep their season alive tonight, and the whole time we will all be anxiously waiting for the association to tip off in 10 days. I love this time of year.

Here are my week 7 picks

Here is Babcock's Take 5

Here are some sick Michael Jordan highlights:

Foil in the Oven: Week 7 Picks

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.