Last week, 7 road teams won out of the 14 games played. This week, it's extremely likely (or at least I think it is likely) that 8 road teams could win, and I even have Arizona winning at home. Whatever happened to home field advantage? Are there just not enough crazies out there like in Cleveland and Oakland to make a home field advantage? Not really sure. And yes, I realize it's hard to have a home field advantage in Cleveland this year with 1 out of every 3 players injured each week.
On to the games...
Manwich-sized Matchup:
Atlanta @ Carolina-
The Falcons are undefeated, but they've only faced San Fran, St. Louis, and Arizona. For those who are slow let me summarize--- the Falcons have yet to venture outside of the pathetic NFC West, and this is certainly their first test. The Falcon defense has looked incredible, but I'm curious to see what happens against Delhomme and Foster. Once again, I have to go with the home team, which is now 3-0 in the Manwich-Sized Matchup.
Pick: Carolina
Upset of the Week:
New Orleans @ Arizona-
Most people would pick Arizona to go 0-16. But I saw a lot of positives in their 6-3 loss to the Falcons last week. Their defense is actually above average. The Saints defense is a lot worse than the Falcons, so I'm sure Arizona can score more than 3 points. In addition, the game is in Arizona where it is really hot, and this reminds me of how Arizona shocked Green Bay at home last year on an unseasonably warm day.
Pick: Arizona
New England @ Buffalo-
Both of these teams are coming off of byes. Give Belichick 2 weeks to disect your team and you can ensure a big fat "L."
Pick: New England
Oakland @ Houston-
Well, my 2004 Sleeper Team, the Houston Texans finally won a game. This will be yet another shootout. Let's just go with the home team.
Pick: Houston
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh-
I think it's becoming pretty aparent that Bengals coach Marvin Lewis didn't actually COACH the 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense; he just inherited some fantastic defensive talent. We've all played Madden. Those guys had incredible rankings! When Lewis went to the Redskins for one year under Spurrier (everyone forgets this even happened) the Redskins defense stunk. Just like the Bengals. I'm noticing a trend here. Maybe Lewis should trade for GM Ozzie Newsome.
Pick: Pittsburgh
Indy @ Jacksonville-
This should be a great game- on paper. A stout defense against the best offense in the league. Peyton Manning threw for 320 yards and 5 touchdowns in the 1st half last week. The other side of the ball is a problem. Even if the Jags play good defense and get lucky like the Pats did in Week 1, there's no way the Jags are scoring over 24 points to win the game.
Pick: Indy
NY Giants @ Green Bay-
Point: Kurt Warner has regained his Superman powers! All the pollution in St. Louis resulted in increased amounts of Kryptonite in the water and Warner became useless. The change of scenery has been great for his thumb, his x-ray vision, and his speed (he ran for a TD last week).
Counterpoint: Warner was playing against the Browns last week and their backup CBs.
Pick: Green Bay
Philadelphia @ Chicago-
Did you know that THE Ohio State University Alumnus Craig Krenzel was only one more injury away from seeing action last Sunday?
Pick: Philadelphia
Washington @ Cleveland-
During the day off on Monday, 2 Browns pulled their groins while raking the leaves during filming of a United Way commerical. They gave it all for their communities.
Pick: Washington
Denver @ Tampa Bay-
Wow. I was really wrong about Tampa Bay finding a way to win last week. Oh well.
Pick: Denver
NY Jets @ Miami-
A great rivalry game, where anyone can win. Unless you have a coach w/ a really large moustache that screams, "Call me Magnum, PI."
Pick: NY Jets
Tennessee @ San Diego-
Can someone please tell Steve McNair that if he spends 2 nights in the hospital he doesn't have to play that week against the lowly Chargers? I think he's proven his toughness too many times already. And they said Brett Favre was hooked on painkillers 6 years ago, I can't even imagine what McNair is on. ("Alex, I'll take 'Mr. Ed's' Favorite Painkillers for $2000...")
Pick: Tennessee
St. Louis @ San Fran
San Fran continues the march to 2-14.
Pick: St. Louis
KC @ Baltimore
Did you know:
Ravens are: 0-1 -When Deion plays an entire game
Ravens are: 2-0 - When Deion gets injured and is not available for the entire game.
Deion "Past his Prime Time" Sanders should get the point- the Ravens are better off without him.
Pick: Baltimore
NOTE: To answer a popular question, in all games, I'm only picking the winner. I don't deal w/ the spread.
Last Week: 8-6
Season: 30-16
Manwich Matchup: 1-2 (thank you Colts)
Upset Special: 2-1 (damn Tampa Bay; I'll never trust them again)
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Monday, September 27, 2004
Substance Not Style for the 5th Street
The mighty lords of cosmos have put things back in line. Yes, the Detoit Lions have lost. If they had beaten the Eagles I was heading towards the nearest bomb shelter, waiting for the apocalypse. But all is not right and this blogger (apparently there's over 2 million of us in the USA alone) wants to point out a few of them.
The Flop
1. One thing that needs to be addressed is politics. Yes its a sports column so I'm going to use a sports analogy and it entails substance versus style. In today's politial campaigns and media- style trumps all. "Vote for Bush, he has leadership qualities." "John Kerry shares your values ." another commercial sang. Think about how people evaluate head coaches in the NFL and you'll quickly see how silly those kinds of comments go. Bill Bellichek is many things, charismatic is not one of them. A popularity contest between him and a pet rock, the pet rock is getting the nod. But how many people are calling for his firing because of his lack of charisma? I'm pretty sure Tom Coughlin is wound so tight he fines his mother if she's late to a family function. But if he makes the playoffs, all of his personal shortcomings will be overlooked. In the NFL you don't see a head coach pleading for his job with his wife at his side because its the substance and results that counts, not the image. Ultimately candidates should be evaluated on results and policy choices - no different than coaches are. The next time someone tells you that someone should be elected president on purely on charisma, think about the Patroits and if they would have been better off with a charismatic coach.
2. On the topic of substance over style, how about those Jaguars? Pretty they are not. But they have given up only 28 points all year long. They have two mountains of men in the middle that crush opposing teams running games. They have a pass rush that would sack a QB, even if he were protected by barbed wire. Oh and Mr. Leftwhich is finding a way to win in the clutch. They beat the Titans and are quickly building an impressive resume for the playoffs. The question remains though, can they beat the Colts (although will they have a stadium after all these hurricanes may be an equally important question).
3. For a team that represents style over substance I turn to the Atlanta Michael Vicks. Don't get me wrong Michael Vick is the most exciting player in football. I'm pretty certain Michael Vick can score from anywhere on the football field and possibly from the Men's Room. But the key word is "can". Yesterday they edged the 0-2 Cardinals, by the score 6-3 ,when Arizona's Shaun King hit into a double play. Beating the Cardinals by 3 points does not bode well for future match ups against the NFC elite teams.
The Turn
4. The AL West is a close race. One game seperates two teams. Two games seperates three teams. And does anyone care? Hello? Is this thing on? Meanwhile off the East Coast Boston and New York continue to garner the headline. BoSox cut Yankees lead to 5 games , nation hold's collective breadth. Sure I realize everyone east of the Missippi River is fast asleep by the time the AL West games are over but a little respect please.
5. The River (random thoughts)
Is it just me or is the Brown's season already begining to approximate the proverbial "runaway train". A thrashing by the Giants? I'm not sure crack offensive coordinator Terry Robskie could guide an offense through a maze on the side of a Happy Meal let alone into the end zone. I'm glancing over and Peter King's column over at SI continues to steal my ideas. Don't think I'll forget this, Pete. Brett Favre v. Peyton Manning lived up to everything that was it billed to be. I got to believe that both defensive coordinator's were drinking heavily by the 4rth quarter. Finally apparently the secret to Mike Nugent's field goal skills is General Tso's Chicken. Who knew?
The Flop
1. One thing that needs to be addressed is politics. Yes its a sports column so I'm going to use a sports analogy and it entails substance versus style. In today's politial campaigns and media- style trumps all. "Vote for Bush, he has leadership qualities." "John Kerry shares your values ." another commercial sang. Think about how people evaluate head coaches in the NFL and you'll quickly see how silly those kinds of comments go. Bill Bellichek is many things, charismatic is not one of them. A popularity contest between him and a pet rock, the pet rock is getting the nod. But how many people are calling for his firing because of his lack of charisma? I'm pretty sure Tom Coughlin is wound so tight he fines his mother if she's late to a family function. But if he makes the playoffs, all of his personal shortcomings will be overlooked. In the NFL you don't see a head coach pleading for his job with his wife at his side because its the substance and results that counts, not the image. Ultimately candidates should be evaluated on results and policy choices - no different than coaches are. The next time someone tells you that someone should be elected president on purely on charisma, think about the Patroits and if they would have been better off with a charismatic coach.
2. On the topic of substance over style, how about those Jaguars? Pretty they are not. But they have given up only 28 points all year long. They have two mountains of men in the middle that crush opposing teams running games. They have a pass rush that would sack a QB, even if he were protected by barbed wire. Oh and Mr. Leftwhich is finding a way to win in the clutch. They beat the Titans and are quickly building an impressive resume for the playoffs. The question remains though, can they beat the Colts (although will they have a stadium after all these hurricanes may be an equally important question).
3. For a team that represents style over substance I turn to the Atlanta Michael Vicks. Don't get me wrong Michael Vick is the most exciting player in football. I'm pretty certain Michael Vick can score from anywhere on the football field and possibly from the Men's Room. But the key word is "can". Yesterday they edged the 0-2 Cardinals, by the score 6-3 ,when Arizona's Shaun King hit into a double play. Beating the Cardinals by 3 points does not bode well for future match ups against the NFC elite teams.
The Turn
4. The AL West is a close race. One game seperates two teams. Two games seperates three teams. And does anyone care? Hello? Is this thing on? Meanwhile off the East Coast Boston and New York continue to garner the headline. BoSox cut Yankees lead to 5 games , nation hold's collective breadth. Sure I realize everyone east of the Missippi River is fast asleep by the time the AL West games are over but a little respect please.
5. The River (random thoughts)
Is it just me or is the Brown's season already begining to approximate the proverbial "runaway train". A thrashing by the Giants? I'm not sure crack offensive coordinator Terry Robskie could guide an offense through a maze on the side of a Happy Meal let alone into the end zone. I'm glancing over and Peter King's column over at SI continues to steal my ideas. Don't think I'll forget this, Pete. Brett Favre v. Peyton Manning lived up to everything that was it billed to be. I got to believe that both defensive coordinator's were drinking heavily by the 4rth quarter. Finally apparently the secret to Mike Nugent's field goal skills is General Tso's Chicken. Who knew?
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Week 3 - Injuries Galore
Injuries piled up all across the league last week. It was just a gruesome Sunday and fantasy owners all across the nation are scrambling- Priest, Deuce, Edge, Winslow, and Heap all got seriously injured.
Let’s devote sometime to America's favorite nickel cornerback, Deion “Less than Primetime” Sanders. Deion returned a punt this week for 20 yards! It was amazing, he actually did something productive, but as soon as he got tackled, he ripped off his helmet and started celebrating. Too bad for Deion, but that’s a 15-yard penalty! (Did he not see the KC-Cleveland game in 2002?) Deion then promptly got injured on his next time on defense. Total net gain: 5 yards. I can’t wait until he gets burned for a touchdown!
Let’s get to the games, time is short:
Manwich-sized Matchup:
Green Bay @ Indy-
What a matchup. Favre vs. Manning should get headlines all week. It’s too bad that Favre is half the man he used to be. And it’s too bad that Edgerrin James probably is not playing this week. So we are talking about the amazing Colt passing attack vs. the ground game of Green & Green Bay. I have no idea how this will turn out, so I’ll just go with the home team. Also, home teams are 2-0 in the Manwich-sized matchup (whereas I have been feebly picking the away teams)
Pick: Indy
Upset of the week:
Tampa Bay @ Oakland
Welcome to the rematch of the 2002 Super Bowl participants! Only 20 months ago, Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, Charley Garner, Warren Sapp, and Rich Gannon would have all been closer to their primes. I have no idea why, but I suspect TB will finally get a W. “If not now, when?”
Pick: TB
Chicago @ Minn-
Those Bears sure put on a show last week. Reverses, fake-reverses, fumbles. They tried so hard to let Green Bay back in the game, but Favre just isn’t the same guy he used to be. The Bears had their moment in the sun, now I’m sticking w/ my 2004 NFC Champion Minnesota Vikings.
Pick: Minnesota
Philadelphia @ Detroit-
2 undefeated teams battling it out. I’m expecting TO to get a touchdown and celebrate by grabbing a fan’s hotdog and eating it off of the chest of a cheerleader.
Pick: Philadelphia
Arizona @ Atlanta-
RB Michael Vick tries for 2 straight 100-yard rushing games as his march to surpass Bo Jackson as the greatest video game character of all time continues.
Pick: Atlanta
New Orleans @ St. Louis
This is a really interesting game. The Saints have lots of offense and no defense. Same with the Rams. Oh wait, Deuce got injured. That makes it easy!
Pick: St. Louis
Cleveland @ NY Giants
Wow, a battle between the 1st place Cleveland Browns vs. the 2nd place NY Giants! Sounds like a playoff game, but that’s the beauty of matchups after 2 games. The fans will be on the edge of their seats! The over/under on combined turnovers is 9.
Pick: Cleveland.
Baltimore @ Cincinnati
Could this be the Bengals break-out game? This is an early battle between 2 first-place teams with extremely young QBs. Without Heap, the Bengals could play a 5-5 with one DB and still hold the Ravens to 10 points.
Pick: Cincinnati
Jacksonville @ Tennessee
I have a feeling that Jacksonville will need more than 10 points to win.
Pick: Tennessee
Pittsburgh @ Miami
Let us welcome Miami alum Ben Roethlisberger to the NFL! I really think Miami should win, but this is just going to be an ugly, ugly game. I’ll go with Redhawk mojo over the Wannstedt moustache.
Pick: Pittsburgh
Houston @ KC
The 2 worst defenses in the NFL will face each other in, essentially, an elimination game. KC has to find a way to score 42 points in order to overcome the 35 their defense will give up. The loser of this game will have to look forward to the 2005 NFL draft. Isn't it great that in week 3 we already have teams getting eliminated?
Pick: KC
SF @ Seattle
SF sure has had some close losses (Atl, New Orleans). I think it’s time they had a loss that wasn’t close. Seahawks win by 20. Only 14 more weeks until Coach Erickson is fired!
Pick: Seattle
San Diego @ Denver
Denver is going to be furious after their debacle last weekend.
Pick: Denver
Dallas @ Washington
The Vinny Testaverde farewell tour continues. I was hoping Brunell was healthy to have a rematch of 1998 NFL playoff NY Jet vs. Jacksonville playoff game.
Pick: Dallas
Last Week: 10-6
Season: 22-10
Manwich Matchup: 0-2 (damn those Vikings)
Upset Special: 2-0 (thank you Jacksonville defense!)
Let’s devote sometime to America's favorite nickel cornerback, Deion “Less than Primetime” Sanders. Deion returned a punt this week for 20 yards! It was amazing, he actually did something productive, but as soon as he got tackled, he ripped off his helmet and started celebrating. Too bad for Deion, but that’s a 15-yard penalty! (Did he not see the KC-Cleveland game in 2002?) Deion then promptly got injured on his next time on defense. Total net gain: 5 yards. I can’t wait until he gets burned for a touchdown!
Let’s get to the games, time is short:
Manwich-sized Matchup:
Green Bay @ Indy-
What a matchup. Favre vs. Manning should get headlines all week. It’s too bad that Favre is half the man he used to be. And it’s too bad that Edgerrin James probably is not playing this week. So we are talking about the amazing Colt passing attack vs. the ground game of Green & Green Bay. I have no idea how this will turn out, so I’ll just go with the home team. Also, home teams are 2-0 in the Manwich-sized matchup (whereas I have been feebly picking the away teams)
Pick: Indy
Upset of the week:
Tampa Bay @ Oakland
Welcome to the rematch of the 2002 Super Bowl participants! Only 20 months ago, Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, Charley Garner, Warren Sapp, and Rich Gannon would have all been closer to their primes. I have no idea why, but I suspect TB will finally get a W. “If not now, when?”
Pick: TB
Chicago @ Minn-
Those Bears sure put on a show last week. Reverses, fake-reverses, fumbles. They tried so hard to let Green Bay back in the game, but Favre just isn’t the same guy he used to be. The Bears had their moment in the sun, now I’m sticking w/ my 2004 NFC Champion Minnesota Vikings.
Pick: Minnesota
Philadelphia @ Detroit-
2 undefeated teams battling it out. I’m expecting TO to get a touchdown and celebrate by grabbing a fan’s hotdog and eating it off of the chest of a cheerleader.
Pick: Philadelphia
Arizona @ Atlanta-
RB Michael Vick tries for 2 straight 100-yard rushing games as his march to surpass Bo Jackson as the greatest video game character of all time continues.
Pick: Atlanta
New Orleans @ St. Louis
This is a really interesting game. The Saints have lots of offense and no defense. Same with the Rams. Oh wait, Deuce got injured. That makes it easy!
Pick: St. Louis
Cleveland @ NY Giants
Wow, a battle between the 1st place Cleveland Browns vs. the 2nd place NY Giants! Sounds like a playoff game, but that’s the beauty of matchups after 2 games. The fans will be on the edge of their seats! The over/under on combined turnovers is 9.
Pick: Cleveland.
Baltimore @ Cincinnati
Could this be the Bengals break-out game? This is an early battle between 2 first-place teams with extremely young QBs. Without Heap, the Bengals could play a 5-5 with one DB and still hold the Ravens to 10 points.
Pick: Cincinnati
Jacksonville @ Tennessee
I have a feeling that Jacksonville will need more than 10 points to win.
Pick: Tennessee
Pittsburgh @ Miami
Let us welcome Miami alum Ben Roethlisberger to the NFL! I really think Miami should win, but this is just going to be an ugly, ugly game. I’ll go with Redhawk mojo over the Wannstedt moustache.
Pick: Pittsburgh
Houston @ KC
The 2 worst defenses in the NFL will face each other in, essentially, an elimination game. KC has to find a way to score 42 points in order to overcome the 35 their defense will give up. The loser of this game will have to look forward to the 2005 NFL draft. Isn't it great that in week 3 we already have teams getting eliminated?
Pick: KC
SF @ Seattle
SF sure has had some close losses (Atl, New Orleans). I think it’s time they had a loss that wasn’t close. Seahawks win by 20. Only 14 more weeks until Coach Erickson is fired!
Pick: Seattle
San Diego @ Denver
Denver is going to be furious after their debacle last weekend.
Pick: Denver
Dallas @ Washington
The Vinny Testaverde farewell tour continues. I was hoping Brunell was healthy to have a rematch of 1998 NFL playoff NY Jet vs. Jacksonville playoff game.
Pick: Dallas
Last Week: 10-6
Season: 22-10
Manwich Matchup: 0-2 (damn those Vikings)
Upset Special: 2-0 (thank you Jacksonville defense!)
Monday, September 20, 2004
"Special" Coach guides 5th Street
Hey Now! week 2 of the NFL and week 2 of 5th street. its a good day. before starting out on a sports rant I wanted to go with a quick emmy's update. Arrested Development (best new show on tv) got I think the only network emmy. (and thats including the fact that deadwood didnt get one (best show on tv). Shape up networks . your getting beaten like the proverbial rented mule.
The Flop
1. Kellen Winslow hurt on special teams? I've been trying to come up with a good reason why Butch had K2 on the field. He might block a punt you say. I dont see Michael Vick returning punts, I don't see Tony Gonzalez playing safety, and Eli Manning doesn't work as a car valet. They would all be good at those jobs but guess what the value added to them doing those jobs doesn't overcome the risk of them getting hurt(especially Eli with a car in nyc). There's only solution to this problem and it involves firing Butch Davis and shipping him off to a third world country like Texas.
2. Pundit watch..well as a respected Pundit you immediately need to rank teams and pick the winner for the next 14 games. So who do i got? Well my superbowl pick (KC) is going South faster than a retired Superman off to Florida. KC got beat by Carolina who got beat by Green Bay who lost to Chicago who got beat by Brown University's Choral Society who lost to....Detroit? Ahhh No. Look I remember a simpler time when you got to knock the king off the Mountain in order to be king. New England is the king, they havent lost, they get the nod. Out of the NFC its looking like the winner of Philly and Minnesota will be the annointed one (at least till week 3)
3. Is it just me or have turnovers been ridiculously high this year. There are a few basic laws in the world, gravity pulls things down, beer can solve all the world's problems (or possibly start them), and if you turnover the ball you'll lose. Giants beat Washington, turnovers. Bears beat Green Bay, turnovers. Bush beat Gore , turnovers again, albeit declared by the Supreme Court (I knew I hated instant replay for a reason).
4. The Turn
How do you win at baseball, simple spend money. Basically every team who spent money is/was in the chase for the playoffs. I know the Mets and Baltimore. But the Mets are run by a guy in a monkey suit or a monkey in a human suit and Baltimore spends half its money building moats to protect DC from Montreal. Oh Oakland and Minnesota have won, you say? well thats cause they knew something other teams didnt . They knew about the magic stats like On-Base percentage and slugging percentage. But the cats out of the bag, baby. Boston, LA, etc know the secret formula. So Oakland and Minnesota and all the low spenders need knew secret stats (check out recent peter gammons on this one)...like fielding and base running. but guess what this moving target will be caught and then we'll see really really bad inequality.
5. The River (or random thoughts)
Jacksonville defense is for real. They shut down Denver. And they do it via their line. They will stick around. Seattle has won 2 on the row on the road (as opposed to last year when they won like 1.4 on the road). They will stick around. Tampa Bay players are en masse going to retire and start playing on the football senior circuit halfway through the season. The Indians need to stop playing in the month of September. If football has a network (I'm not sure what theyre covering in June although I would love to see Michael Strahan and Warren Sapp debate salary cap implications) they definitly need a poker network. Next week I'll report live from Columbus on the secret of Mike Nugent...
The Flop
1. Kellen Winslow hurt on special teams? I've been trying to come up with a good reason why Butch had K2 on the field. He might block a punt you say. I dont see Michael Vick returning punts, I don't see Tony Gonzalez playing safety, and Eli Manning doesn't work as a car valet. They would all be good at those jobs but guess what the value added to them doing those jobs doesn't overcome the risk of them getting hurt(especially Eli with a car in nyc). There's only solution to this problem and it involves firing Butch Davis and shipping him off to a third world country like Texas.
2. Pundit watch..well as a respected Pundit you immediately need to rank teams and pick the winner for the next 14 games. So who do i got? Well my superbowl pick (KC) is going South faster than a retired Superman off to Florida. KC got beat by Carolina who got beat by Green Bay who lost to Chicago who got beat by Brown University's Choral Society who lost to....Detroit? Ahhh No. Look I remember a simpler time when you got to knock the king off the Mountain in order to be king. New England is the king, they havent lost, they get the nod. Out of the NFC its looking like the winner of Philly and Minnesota will be the annointed one (at least till week 3)
3. Is it just me or have turnovers been ridiculously high this year. There are a few basic laws in the world, gravity pulls things down, beer can solve all the world's problems (or possibly start them), and if you turnover the ball you'll lose. Giants beat Washington, turnovers. Bears beat Green Bay, turnovers. Bush beat Gore , turnovers again, albeit declared by the Supreme Court (I knew I hated instant replay for a reason).
4. The Turn
How do you win at baseball, simple spend money. Basically every team who spent money is/was in the chase for the playoffs. I know the Mets and Baltimore. But the Mets are run by a guy in a monkey suit or a monkey in a human suit and Baltimore spends half its money building moats to protect DC from Montreal. Oh Oakland and Minnesota have won, you say? well thats cause they knew something other teams didnt . They knew about the magic stats like On-Base percentage and slugging percentage. But the cats out of the bag, baby. Boston, LA, etc know the secret formula. So Oakland and Minnesota and all the low spenders need knew secret stats (check out recent peter gammons on this one)...like fielding and base running. but guess what this moving target will be caught and then we'll see really really bad inequality.
5. The River (or random thoughts)
Jacksonville defense is for real. They shut down Denver. And they do it via their line. They will stick around. Seattle has won 2 on the row on the road (as opposed to last year when they won like 1.4 on the road). They will stick around. Tampa Bay players are en masse going to retire and start playing on the football senior circuit halfway through the season. The Indians need to stop playing in the month of September. If football has a network (I'm not sure what theyre covering in June although I would love to see Michael Strahan and Warren Sapp debate salary cap implications) they definitly need a poker network. Next week I'll report live from Columbus on the secret of Mike Nugent...
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