Sharpe Falls Short In Bid For Hall Of Fame
For the second year in a row, former Baltimore Raven and Denver Bronco tight end Shannon Sharpe was denied election into Pro Football’s Hall of Fame. Sharpe made the first cut from 15 to 10, but was not in the final cutdown from 10 to 5 among the modern-era players who were eligible.
The news that Sharpe fell short was somewhat surprising, but when looking at the list of candidates who were eligible for this year’s class, not overwhelmingly so. Everyone knew that Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith were locks to be inducted in the first year of eligibility for each. Also, Sharpe is in a pool of pass catchers that are also in line for induction: Andre Reed, Cris Carter and Tim Brown. Brown and Carter failed to make the first cut, while Reed fell short with Sharpe.
In addition, the Hall had a backlog of candidates that have been on the list for years and have been denied by candidates who were deemed more deserving. Some of those candidates finally were elected on Saturday. Russ Grimm had been eligible for years, and becomes the first member of the famed “Hogs” offensive line of the Washington Redskins of the ’80s and early ’90s to get into the Hall. Rickey Jackson, for years one of the best pass rushing linebackers for the New Orleans Saints and later the San Francisco 49ers had also been on the line for a few years. The same can also be said for the two senior candidates who were elected: Floyd Little and Dick LeBeau. With only a maximum of seven slots, there are going to be a number of candidates who are going to have to wait their turn. Sharpe just happens to be one of them.
I have no doubt that Sharpe, as well as Carter and Tim Brown, and perhaps even Reed will all eventually get in. It’s just going to take some time, particularly with a lot of deserving players on the list now and in years to come. Remember, in a few years Jonathan Ogden will be eligible. Will he have to wait a few years, or is he a first year lock to get in? Time will tell.
NFL Picks-Week 17
Filed under: AFC, Loser's Lounge, NFC, NFL, NFL Picks, football, playoffs, sports
Here we are at the last week of the NFL regular season, with teams fighting for spots in the playoffs, teams positioning for seeding in the playoffs, and those who are headed for the Loser’s Lounge. After today, twelve teams will move on to compete for the Vince Lombardi trophy and twenty teams head for the offseason.
As always, picks in bold:
Indianapolis at Buffalo: Only because I think the Colts will do what they did last week and rest the starters.
Jacksonville at Cleveland: Cleveland could win the game, but I think the three game win streak stops here.
Chicago at Detroit: Last week Jay Cutler showed he can be a competent NFL quarterback. He shows he can do it again this week.
San Francisco at St. Louis: Alex Smith needs another good effort to prove he’s the man for next season.
Pittsburgh at Miami: Pittsburgh has won when it had to, Miami hasn’t. The trends continue.
New York Giants at Minnesota: The Giants will play hard, but the Vikings need a win for their confidence.
Atlanta at Tampa Bay: Falcons are playing for consecutive winning seasons-that should be motivation enough.
New Orleans at Carolina: The Saints may give this one away, but recent results suggest a win would do more for them.
New England at Houston: I can only pick one maddening team this week. That team is Jacksonville, so I cannot pick Houston here.
Philadelphia at Dallas: The Eagles can clinch a first round bye with a win. I say they go out and get it, even though Dallas is now confident in late season games.
Green Bay at Arizona: Only because the Cardinals are at home. These two may play again next week.
Washington at San Diego: Even if the Chargers rest, the season can’t end soon enough for the Redskins. Jim Zorn hits the unemployment line immediately after the game.
Tennessee at Seattle: Chris Johnson goes for 2,000 yards today, and the Titans will do everything they can to get him there, including winning the game.
Baltimore at Oakland: To coin a phrase from Al Davis, the Ravens better “Just win, baby.” They should win, they can win, and I think they will win.
Kansas City at Denver: No Brandon Marshall today for the Broncos, but I don’t think they give up a game they can win that might push them into the playoffs. However, since their 6-0 start, the Broncos are 2-7 in their last nine games.
Cincinnati at New York Jets: If the Bengals had something to play for, they could beat the Jets. I think the Jets will get a second late Christmas present in the form of a playoff berth.
Last week 11-5. Season 161-79.
Ravens Review: Down, But Not Out
Filed under: AFC, AFC North, NFL, following the locals, football, ravens review, sports
It was yet another heart-stopping game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, one in which the Ravens were seemingly in control, only to fall apart at a most crucial time. Baltimore’s 23-20 loss to the Steelers doesn’t knock the Ravens out of the playoff hunt, but it does put a dent in the team’s playoff hopes. Still they live, but play like we saw today will not cut it for long in the postseason, should they even get there. Thanks to the Denver Broncos loss to the Philadelphia Eagles late Sunday, the Ravens still have their destiny in their hands; but the way they lost today reads like a microcosm of their season. Another close loss, another play that needed to be made that wasn’t; and more needless penalties.
In fact, the dominant images from this game that fans will take away are Derrick Mason, the normally sure-handed receiver, dropping a certain touchdown pass; and a Domonique Foxworth intereception return and a Willis McGahee TD run both called back by penalties. After an amazing stretch in the third quarter, it only took a few plays to see the Ravens shoot themselves in the foot. Even the coaches made some mistakes, as John Harbaugh failed to call a timeout when the defense had the Steelers pinned deep in their own territory late in the first half.
Harbaugh may say that penalties have nothing to do with discipline, but I disagree. The Ravens penalties are all about discipline. Oniel Cousins’ personal foul penalty in particular is a case in point. Given his performance today I can understand his frustration, but when you have a chance to take the lead on a division rival, you can’t put the game in the official’s hands. Too often, that is what the Ravens did on this day. The yellow flag bailed out the Steelers time and again on very critical plays. Don’t even get me started on Frank Walker’s illegal contact play on Ben Roethlisberger’s interception. This is not to say the calls weren’t warranted, but that the Ravens let the officials decide the game instead of making plays themselves. I don’t want to hear about conspiracies, because that’s not what cost the Ravens the game. Mistakes and penalties at critical times cost the Ravens the game, and possibly the playoffs.
In the big picture, the Ravens did a lot of good things today. Ray Rice-what else can I say. He truly deserves a Pro Bowl invitation, if for no other reason than breaking the Steelers’ 32-game streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher. Rice ran for 141 yards in a great performance. The running game was working better than I expected it to against the usually stout Steeler defense. The Ravens defense did very well for the most part-for the better part of the day they looked something similar to the unit we all thought we would see at the beginning of the season. They were able to get pressure on Roethlisberger, sacking him four times. I expected the Steelers to throw the ball all over the field, but it didn’t really happen. The Ravens were also strong against the run holding the Steelers to 48 yards rushing. The Ravens also played one quarter of near perfect football-but it takes four quarters to win a game.
So, at the end of the day, mistakes and penalties have once again turned what might have been a victory into a defeat. While the Ravens still control their own fate, their sloppy play doesn’t bode well for any future games going forward. Now the team faces a trip to Oakland for another must-win game. A loss will most certainly doom their chances. But sloppy play, no matter who they are matched up with going forward, will doom them all the same.
NFL Picks-Week 16
Filed under: AFC, AFC East, AFC North, NFC, NFL, NFL Picks, football, sports
First, a bit of housekeeping: Week 15’s Picking & Winning was a casualty of the holiday rush. To quickly recap: 9 up, 7 down. Not one of my better weeks. 150-75 for the season.
The time for teams to make the playoff push is rapidly dwindling. While the NFC picture is pretty clear, the AFC is extremely muddled. Seven teams remain in the hunt for what amounts to the two wild-card spots (the AFC North and AFC East divisions are still in doubt, but I doubt Baltimore and Miami can win and get enough help to overtake Cincinnati and New England, respectively). In the NFC, Green Bay and Dallas hold the keys to playoff destiny, with the New York Giants on the outside looking in. In the AFC, the Ravens and Denver need only win their games and playoff spots are locked up. But if they lose-then Jacksonville, the Dolphins, the New York Jets, Pittsburgh and even Houston still have a shot. That makes for quite a few games with playoff implications on the schedule for Sunday.
So here’s what I think will happen in this week’s games (picks in bold; I picked the Chargers to win Friday night so I am 1-0 for the week so far):
Buffalo at Atlanta: The Falcons are on a mission to have consecutive winning seasons, and this game offers them the opportunity to get to 8 wins, with one game remaining. Matt Ryan will play, and Michael Turner may not; regardless, I see an Atlanta victory over the Bills.
Kansas City at Cincinnati: Cincinnati gave a great effort with heavy hearts last week in their loss to the Chargers. I don’t think they will be so far down that a loss to the Chiefs is on the horizon. The added motivation: a win gives them the AFC North title.
Oakland at Cleveland: I’m picking the Browns, who have played better football of late. If JaMarcus Russell gets the start, I’ll definitely feel better about this pick. Yes I know the Raiders upset the Broncos with Russell at quarterback in the 4th quarter, but nothing prior to that suggests he can consistently quarterback this team to victory.
Seattle at Green Bay: There is nothing that suggests that the Seahawks will beat the Packers at Lambeau. Green Bay will shake off the last second loss to the Steelers and go out and inch closer to a playoff berth, or secure one if Dallas or the Giants lose.
Baltimore at Pittsburgh: These teams usually split the season series, which makes it the Steelers’ turn to win. A win by the Ravens would just about end Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes, but with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback for this one, you can bet the Steelers would love nothing more than to put a dent in Baltimore’s playoff dreams. I hope I’m wrong with this one of course, but it doesn’t look good.
Houston at Miami: Last week’s loss to Tennessee really hurt the Dolphins; this week they face another team with slim playoff hopes. I’ve been trying to pick Houston over the hump week after week, I just can’t do it this time. Dolphins will be a bit more desperate, so I give them the nod.
Jacksonville at New England: Two weeks ago, with Jacksonville sitting on a playoff spot and the Patriots reeling, I would have taken the Jaguars in an upset. But this Jaguars team is inconsistent and New England is playing for a division title. Plus they are at home, where they are tough to beat.
Tampa Bay at New Orleans: Saints should bounce back after suffering a defeat at the hands of the Cowboys last week. Tampa Bay got a win against Seattle last week, but I don’t see them getting a two game winning streak in New Orleans.
Carolina at New York Giants: Using the desperate team theory, taking the Giants. I think it will be a tough test for them though; Carolina is coming off its best win of the season-a beatdown of the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football. If Julius Peppers continues to play inspired football, he could make life miserable for Eli Manning; the Giants front line could give Matt Moore problems as well.
St. Louis at Arizona: Arizona should have no problems with the Rams at home. With the division wrapped up, the Cardinals are just waiting for the playoffs. When was the last time the Cardinals had back-to-back playoff seasons? I’m not even sure that has happened in my lifetime.
Detroit at San Francisco: The 49ers’ defense should control this game, while the offense should make enough plays to beat the Lions. Alex Smith has to play well to be considered in the mix for the quarterback’s job next year.
Denver at Philadelphia: Brian Hawkins returns to Philadelphia to face the hottest team in the NFC. It will be interesting to see how the matchups go in this one; I’m taking the Eagles because of the explosive offense, and trusting that the defense can do enough to keep the Broncos off-stride.
New York Jets at Indianapolis: Taking the Colts, but would not be surprised if the Jets won. Particularly if the Colts, in true organizational fashion, start resting the regulars for the playoffs. There truly is nothing for them to play for, having clinched everything needed to head into the playoffs…but if the players want to go for the undefeated season, then I think they can beat the Jets.
Dallas at Washington: Up until last week, the Redskins had been playing better football, and then they got their doors blown off by the Giants. That run of recent good play began with a close loss against the Cowboys. Dallas now has some December confidence, so I don’t see them losing this game.
Minnesota at Chicago: With all the Brett Favre-Brad Childress drama over the last week, you would think the Vikings were imploding. I just don’t see it. They will do enough to bounce back against a toothless Bear team.
Enjoy the games everyone!
NFL Picks-Week 15
Filed under: AFC, NFC, NFL, NFL Picks, football, sports
It has been crazy busy this week, so much so I didn’t even get to write the Picking and Winning Post for Week 14. For the record, I went 13-3, but inexplicably forgot to make my picks at the Ink Twinvitational. My picks have been made for this week though, and I am already 1-1-took the Colts on Thursday to remain undefeated, but my pick of the Saints on Saturday went down as Dallas won a December game by 24-17. So the path to perfection talk for New Orleans may now cease.
And on with the remaining games of the week (picks in bold):
New England at Buffalo: Apparently these aren’t the old New England Patriots-dissension in the ranks, Randy Moss may or may not have quit on the team, but I don’t see them losing against the Bills. It may not be pretty, and they needed a break or two to beat the Bills the last time, but I think they come out with a victory.
Arizona at Detroit: One of these two will not look like they did last week in losing. Guess which one it is?
Miami at Tennessee: The Titans defense should put this in favor of the Titans. Vince Young may play, may be nicked up, may not play, but I think the Titans will win. Both teams will go in wanting to keep playoff hopes alive, however slim (Titans).
Cleveland at Kansas City: Based on the most recent performances, the Browns should get the nod here. They may win. But I don’t think so.
Houston at St. Louis: Now the Texans will string together some wins. Too late for them-when they needed wins to make a run for the playoffs, they couldn’t get them.
Atlanta at New York Jets: Jets all the way. Bad weather and superior defense carry the day.
Cincinnati at San Diego: The Bengals will come to play with heavy hearts after the passing of Chris Henry. In similar circumstances earlier in the season, they played well in a victory against the Ravens after assistant coach Mike Zimmer’s wife had passed during the week before the game. However, I think San Diego has been playing near perfect football for two months, and with the second seed in the playoffs on the line, I think the Chargers will do just enough to win the game.
Oakland at Denver: Chalk this one up for the Broncos. If JaMarcus Russell makes any kind of appearance in this game, it’s a wrap. You can tell how far he has fallen out of favor in Oakland when Charlie Frye is named the starter due to Bruce Gradkowski’s injury. Apparently, Raider management is convinced that Russell is not the answer at quarterback.
San Francisco at Philadelphia: Snow Bowl #1 should see the Eagles and their big-play offense get a test from San Francisco’s defense. The Eagles should win, but their defense could stand a bit of tightening up. No way they should be involved in a shootout with the Giants last week. The weather may make this one a bit more low-scoring than it would ordinarily be, but I think the Eagles will still win.
Green Bay at Pittsburgh: I expect the Steelers to give a great effort in this one. Jacksonville’s loss on Thursday kept Pittsburgh’s slim playoff hopes alive. You have to hope that they come out with a bit more fire than they did against the Browns. However, if the Packers play defense as they have lately, even the Steelers’ offense may have trouble getting points. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers lost, but I think they win.
Chicago at Baltimore: Now that the Ravens sit in possession of the last playoff spot, they need to focus on winning each game. Last week was a gift from the schedule maker; so is this week. Snow Bowl #2 should feature a lot of the three-headed monster and just enough Joe Flacco to keep the defense honest. If the Ravens team that showed up last week shows up this week, this will be a Ravens win.
Tampa Bay at Seattle: Will anyone be watching this game? I won’t. But still gotta make a pick, and the Seahawks get the call.
Minnesota at Carolina: The Vikings suffered their second loss the last time they were on Sunday Night Football. Look for them to get a win tomorrow night, particularly since now a win brings them within a game of the Saints for home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
New York Giants at Washington: The Redskins have looked like the better team over the last few weeks, but they don’t have the victories to show for it. I don’t think the removal of Vinny Cerrato will translate down to the playing field, and with the Giants in desperation mode, I’m going with them to hang on to their fading playoff hopes. The game will be much closer than the opening day beatdown they gave the ‘Skins in the Meadowlands.
Enjoy the games everyone!
Ravens Review: A Laugher In The Rain
Filed under: AFC, NFC North, NFL, football, ravens review, sports
After last week’s dismal performance against the Green Bay Packers, the Baltimore Ravens and their fans needed a game to remove the horrible residue of that terrible loss. Thankfully, another team in the NFC North, the Detroit Lions, were next up on the schedule. In monsoon-like conditions, the Ravens played an almost perfect game in routing the Lions 48-3. While the win over the hapless Lions proves very little other than showing that when the Ravens can put it all together, they can play with anyone in the NFL. That said, it was Detroit. That this game was easier than most means very little; the Ravens did what they were supposed to do-beat an inferior team and not give them reason to hope for the upset. Looking ahead, the Ravens need to have the same mindset when the Chicago Bears come to M&T Bank Stadium for the final home game of the year.
The Ravens were fortunate that the two teams ahead of them and in possession of the last two wild-card spots in the AFC both suffered defeats yesterday. With the Denver’s loss to Indianapolis and Jacksonville’s loss to Miami, the Ravens inched ever closer to claiming a playoff spot. However, the wins have to keep coming for Baltimore, and losses have to appear for Jacksonville and Denver if the Ravens are to make the playoffs. Baltimore helped themselves immensely with the win over Detroit, but the mission is not over.
As for the game, Ray Rice again proved he is one of the most versatile running backs in the league. Rice racked up over two hundred all-purpose yards in a little over one half of playing time. His 166 rushing yards pushed him over 1,000 for the season; hopefully there will be more seasons like this in his career and that they come in the purple and black. In fact, it was great to see Willis McGahee (2 TDs) and LeRon McClain (1 TD) also get carries-for one game at least, the three-headed monster made an appearance and did damage all day to the tune of over 300 yards rushing. Joe Flacco did not make any major mistakes while spreading the ball around. Demetrius Williams was even seen making plays! And the defense played one of its best games of the year, despite not recording a single sack of Daunte Culpepper. Basically, the Ravens were sound in all three phases of the game; and there haven’t been too many games you could say that of this crew this season.
And while it’s hard to nit-pick after a win like this, I feel I have to say something about Troy Smith’s touchdown dance in the fourth quarter with the game all but decided. I know he doesn’t get much time on the field, because it is a rare day indeed when the Ravens have a game locked up early in the second half, but I thought (and maybe it was just me) that the dancing after his touchdown run was a bit much. Act like you’ve been there before. Yes, I know that the boat has sailed on parading around like peacocks on even the simplest plays in the game, but still, I didn’t think it was necessary. Just do what you are supposed to do and keep it moving. Also, the officials seemed confused and uncertain at times throughout the contest. Perhaps they can blame that on the rain too.
All in all, a good day for the Ravens and their fans…a stress-free afternoon of Sunday football for once. Now to focus on the task at hand, beating the Bears on Sunday in another all-important game.
The Loser’s Lounge
Filed under: Loser's Lounge, NFL, football, sports
There are only four weeks left in the NFL regular season. Throughout the season, reality sets in for some teams as dreams conjured on the first day of training camp of competing for or making a run toward the Vince Lombardi trophy die in a pile of losses, injuries and general bad circumstances and even luck. To those teams and their fans, there is only one place they can go to lick their wounds, to heal from the broken heart they feel when a dream conceived becomes a dream deferred (at least for another season). This place is called the Loser’s Lounge.
The Loser’s Lounge is the place where football fans can gather to commiserate, gripe, moan, bitch, complain, lament, etc. the fate of their favorite football team. All fans are welcome in the Loser’s lounge, except for fans of teams that are doing as well as or better than expected. So far this season, the Loser’s Lounge has not seen any Colt, Saint, Bronco, Viking, Cardinal, Bengal or Jaguar fans, for example at this moment. At some point, all but one team and its fans will end up in the Loser’s Lounge, because there can only be one real winner every football season.
With the season just past the three-quarter pole, reality has to be setting in on quite a few teams’ expectations, and their fans as well. You Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans, come on in, we have seats for you right down front. Cleveland Browns fans, we have seats in here for you too. But those teams had their seats reserved a while ago. What about teams who went into the season with high expectations that just haven’t panned out the way it was supposed to? Like you Chicago Bear supporters…Jay Cutler was supposed to bring your team up to higher heights; how’s that working out for you? Come on in, there’s plenty of room here at the Loser’s Lounge. Hey you Tennesee Titans fans, nice 5 game winning streak you had, too bad you had a six gamer going the wrong way that basically sunk your season right out of the gate. Get on in here too. Washington Redskins fans, sorry about your luck; even when your team plays well, you still have trouble denting the win column. We got room for all of you too-best of all there’s no exhorbitant price tag to get in the Loser’s Lounge. We won’t sue you for non-payment. The pain you feel when your team suffers loss after loss is all you have to pay.
Some supposed “contenders” may be making their way into the Loser’s Lounge far earlier than expected. Will the New England Patriots make their fans take the trip to the Lounge before their time? How about the Pittsburgh Steelers-losers of four in a row. Are they just another loss away from bringing Steeler Nation into the Lounge? Don’t get me started about the Baltimore Ravens-that Super Bowl run fans and players had in their sights looks to be only a mirage. All of those teams and their fans may be headed to the LL before they were ready.
As a fan of the Ravens, I am edging dangerously close to heading into the Loser’s Lounge…maybe I might see you there. Tell you what; if I get there before you do, I’ll save you a seat. Unless of course my team (or yours) is hoisting the Lombardi trophy in a couple months.
Picking & Winning-Week 13
Filed under: NFL, Picking And Winning, football, sports
Some bad picking in the late Sunday games dragged down my score this week…so did anyone have the Raiders beating the Steelers? Anyone? Didn’t think so. As far as the wife and I, I will keep the mentions to a minimum so she will continue to follow the game. Don’t want her giving up on one of (if not the best) sport on the planet.
My results (with my picks in bold, as usual):
Philadelphia 34 at Atlanta 7: Yes the Eagles won. The only memorable thing about this game is that Michael Vick got some run and finally made some plays. One rushing touchdown and one touchdown pass. Falcon fans apparently were so starved to see good quarterbacking, even from a former player, that they chanted for Vick during the game.
St. Louis 9 at Chicago 17: You gotta love Stephen Jackson. He’s playing his heart out for a team that isn’t very good. The Bears aren’t much better, but that win will lower the volume on questions about the team for a few days.
Detroit 13 at Cincinnati 23: Chad Ochocinco brings out yet another unique TD “celebration.” His wallet was uniquely hit for $30,000. The punishment certainly does not fit the crime here, but I guess they think by fining him more they will stop his shenanigans. News flash: he doesn’t care! He’s just having some fun; the NFL could lighten up just a bit.
Tennessee 17 at Indianapolis 27: So the Vince Young express stops at a team that had an even longer winning streak than theirs. Won’t be long though until the Colts shut it down for the regular season; with a three game lead in the conference with four games to play, they will be resting up starters fairly quickly (or after one more win to clinch home field throughout the playoffs).
Denver 44 at Kansas City 13: Boy was I wrong. Not about the pick, but about the dominance. Denver looked like the team that went 6-0 to start the season in this one, but the Chiefs helped them out-which is why the score was so lopsided. A couple more wins and the Broncos will sew up a playoff spot. If anyone can beat the Chargers, they may have a shot at a division title.
New Orleans 33 at Washington 30 (OT): For the third week in a row, the Redskins were close to victory. For the third week in a row, the Redskins tasted defeat. Jim Zorn may be gone at the end of the season, but his players are not quitting. They were ready to play, but they gave the Saints too many chances to stay in the game.
Tampa Bay 6 at Carolina 16: The Panthers won. On to the next one…
Houston 18 at Jacksonville 23: The one thing that I was mad about on Sunday was that I picked the Texans to win this game. Any other pick that I got wrong I could live with. This was inexcusable. I give up. I can’t figure out either one of these teams. I have probably gotten more games wrong involving these two teams than anyone else in the league.
Oakland 27 at Pittsburgh 24: Can somebody tell me what is going on in Pittsburgh? Please? Though I may have been happy to see the Steelers lose, I certainly didn’t think they would go down like this. If that was the unleashing of hell, I can’t wait to see what they bring Thursday night. Oh, they are playing the Browns? THAT will be the unleashing of hell, right? Right?
New England 21 at Miami 22: Okay, maybe there is something wrong with the Patriots. They aren’t as good as everyone thinks they are. First, they can’t win on the road. Second the defense is less than stellar. And if a Tom Brady led team can’t put away the Dolphins, something is very wrong indeed.
San Diego 30 at Cleveland 23: The final score looks closer than the game actually was. At any rate, the Chargers keep rolling.
San Francisco 17 at Seattle 20: So much for seeing the Vikings again in the playoffs, 49ers. There aren’t going to be any playoffs for you. Not if you lose games like this.
Dallas 24 at New York Giants 31: The Giants have life…a season sweep of the Cowboys makes it so. Date of game: December 6th. Cowboys cruelest month. I pick them to win anyway. Should I pick against the Cowboys the rest of the season?
Minnesota 17 at Arizona 30: So Brett Favre actually had a bad game, and the Vikings went down to the resurgent Cardinals. If Kurt Warner is the quarterback and the defense plays well, you can ‘t count the Cardinals out. That is what I learned from this game-and the fact that maybe the Cardinals are ready to make their move. It helps though, that they play in a weak division.
Baltimore 14 at Green Bay 27: I was right on this one, but oh am I sorry I was. The Ravens looked out of it for most of the night, save a stretch in the third quarter where it actually looked like it might be a winnable game. Too many mistakes doomed the Ravens yet again. And still, they aren’t out of the hunt for a playoff spot. They’ll have to re-discover how to win games though, to get one.
Week 13: 10-6. Season to date: 128-64.
Thursday night’s game: I’m taking the Steelers. They may not unleash hell, but certainly they should beat the Browns. If they lose, I won’t know what to say.
NFL Picks-Week 13
And so we head on into the final weeks of the NFL regular season. The tension ratchets up as teams fight for playoff positioning, and even for spots just to get into the postseason tournament. But it’s not just for teams looking to get into the playoffs. Teams that have no shot at playoffs have players playing for jobs-if not with their current team, then somewhere else in the NFL.
Picks in bold:
Philadelphia (7-4) at Atlanta (6-5): Chris Redman saved the Falcons last week against Tampa Bay, but can he do it again against the Eagles? Even with the game at home, I don’t see the Falcons beating Philadelphia unless they get an otherworldly effort from their defense. Or Andy Reid outsmarts himself, which is possible.
St. Louis (1-10) at Chicago (4-7): The Bears have to win to have any shot at the playoffs; it may already be too late. That said, they should be able to beat the Rams at home. If Lovie Smith’s job isn’t already on the line, a loss here may turn up the temperature on the hot seat.
Detroit (2-9) at Cincinnati (8-3): Cedric Benson returns to share carries with Larry Johnson, who had his best game of the season in last week’s victory over the Browns. Cincinnati has to keep winning to have a chance at a first round bye for the playoffs.
Tennessee (5-6) at Indianapolis (11-0): Tennessee needs to win, and they need the game more than the Colts. Yet I think even Vince Young’s dream run has to end somewhere…but if Chris Johnson continues to get loose, the Titans can certainly win. I just don’t think they can outscore the Colts.
Denver (7-4) at Kansas City (3-8): The Chiefs were thoroughly dominated by the Chargers last week; while Denver appears to be on the right track again after four straight losses, I don’t see that kind of domination by the Broncos here. They will do more than enough to win though.
New Orleans (11-0) at Washington (3-8): The Redskins have come close the last two weeks, only to lose late. I hear a lot of talk about “trap game” for the Saints, but I think even on a short week, they will have too much for Washington. Skins have to hope for a lot of turnovers to have any chance; and if it’s one thing the Redskin defense has not done, it’s cause turnovers.
Tampa Bay (1-10) at Carolina (4-7): With Jake Delhomme out, I see a chance for Tampa Bay to win, but it will have to play great defense and contain the Panthers running game. I don’t see that happening.
Houston (5-6) at Jacksonville (6-5): In one of those I have no idea why I’m picking this team games, I have the Texans, losers of their last two, beating a team with a current hold of a playoff spot at home. The Texans had two chances to prove they were on the rise; they failed both times. And still I pick them. I will hate myself if Jacksonville wins.
Oakland (3-8) at Pittsburgh (6-5): I’ve heard that hell will be unleashed by the Steelers this month. If that’s the case, it’s bad news for Oakland. The Steelers are in a precarious position: on the outside looking in at the playoffs and needing to win as many games as possible just to get in. It starts here, because a loss to the Raiders will be severly damaging.
New England (7-4) at Miami (5-6): Last week’s loss by the Dolphins put a major dent in their playoff chances. I don’t see them getting back on track by beating the Patriots, who have to be in a bad mood after being destroyed by New Orleans last Monday night. I look for the Pats to win big.
San Diego (8-3) at Cleveland (1-10): Will the weather play a factor? That’s about the only thing questionable about this one. Chargers should roll.
San Francisco (5-6) at Seattle (4-7): San Francisco needs a win here to keep its playoff hopes on course. The defense will do well, but will the offense? If the offense can generate points, give the victory to the 49ers.
Dallas (8-3) at New York Giants (6-5): This game looks like the Giants last stand. The Giants beat Dallas earlier in the season, but I don’t think anyone thinks they are the better team now, even though they are playing at home. Of course December is the cruelest month for the Cowboys; perhaps this is the year they do well in the last month of the season.
Minnesota (10-1) at Arizona (7-4): If Kurt Warner returns, this might have the makings of a shootout. For that to happen, the Cardinals offensive line has to find a way to keep Jared Allen and his mates blocked, or it will be a long afternoon for Arizona. Even so, I think the Vikings keep rolling behind the near-mistake free quarterbacking by Brett Favre.
Baltimore (6-5) at Green Bay (7-4): I really want a reason to pick the Ravens, but the fact that they are 2-0 in primetime games this season isn’t enough. It’s not that I don’t think the Ravens can win, but I’m not convinced they can get enough pressure on Aaron Rodgers to keep him from picking them apart. If my prediction holds true, the road to the playoffs gets a whole lot tougher for the Ravens.
Picking And Winning-Week 12
Filed under: NFL, Picking And Winning, football, sports
I know, it’s late. Too late. But here are the result of my Week 12 picks (picks in bold):
Green Bay 34 at Detroit 12
Oakland 7 at Dallas 24
New York Giants 6 at Denver 26
Tampa Bay 17 at Atlanta 20
Miami 14 at Buffalo 31
Cleveland 7 at Cincinnati 16
Seattle 27 at St. Louis 17
Carolina 6 at New York Jets 17
Washington 24 at Philadelphia 27
Indianapolis 35 at Houston 27
Kansas City 14 at San Diego 43
Jacksonville 3 at San Francisco 20
Arizona 17 at Tennessee 20
Chicago 10 at Minnesota 36
Pittsburgh 17 at Baltimore 20 (OT)
New England 17 at New Orleans 38
That’s 11-5 for the week. 118-58 for the season. Sorry for the lack of commentary, I’ve been a bit under the weather. I’m taking the Jets tonight over Buffalo.
Twitter: @mindpinball
- @steelergurl then u better win then LOL
- @steelergurl there ya'll go...bettin' on stuff.
- @MDSteelerGal Hey...thanks for my Y&R update! Don't know whether it's good or bad that you can go away for awhile and catch up in minutes.
- @ay52 FW is a nice guy or so I am told, but I won't miss the laundry in the secondary whenver he's around.
- @BigDubz damn, you living right. Fish one night, steak the next...
- Sizing Up The Terrapins’ Chances: First of all: GO TERPS! (and having got that out of the way)-here is my opinion ... http://bit.ly/b5SZWa
- Some Thoughts About The Bracket: Well, all the talking of strength of schedule, Top 25 wins, Top 50 wins, RPI, roa... http://bit.ly/dr2xJU
- @DemetriusHall from one of those u smashed, sorry for your luck. I thought u would run the table.
- @ms_sugakane same here. But it just feels even worse today for some reason LOL
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