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.
The Love Of The Game Revisited
Filed under: baseball, basketball, college basketball, football, hockey, sports
Dear @tat2dsteelergal, @Tailgate365, @Pigsknlvnglady, @MDBirdLover, @steelergurl, @carolinaware and @thenflchick:
So What Do We Do Now?
Ladies and gentlemen, the 2009 NFL season has ended. The New Orleans Saints brought one home for NOLA and its thirsty for a championship fans, beating the favored Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV by a score of 31-17. With the final gun of the final game of the season, we are all left to football withdrawal for the next few months. Oh sure, the scouting combine is coming up shortly, the NFL Draft in a couple months and training camp a couple months after that.
But no games.
No Sunday afternoon communals in front of the tube or in the stands, or with friends or via internet meeting places. Sundays (and Monday nights) will be a lot quieter without NFL football.
No smack talk. No great hits, great plays and great laughs and sorrows to share.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure we all will be entertained in the months to come until the NFL ramps up again. Some of us will follow hockey, some college and NBA hoops, some with baseball, and some with all of those. And oh yeah, there’s the Winter Olympics about to begin too, if you’re interested. Life goes on for all of us outside of the sport we love; and we got to deal with that as well.
But the gridiron quiets down just a bit. The sporting passion of fans like yourself and many others recedes ever so slightly, only to build again as we inch ever closer to the beginning of another NFL season. As we move on to the next one, the sport faces an uncertain future: labor questions in the distance with the possibility of an uncapped year next season and a possible lockout for the season after that. Let’s not dwell on that; there will be time to focus on and discuss the possibility that after next season a football season won’t start on time, or at all.
For me, personally: I just want to thank you all again for making this season extremely enjoyable. First with your participation in my original Love Of The Game post, and throughout the season as we commiserated about the greatest game on the planet: NFL Football.
P.S. To so many others on Twitter that I shared Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and even Saturdays with over the past NFL season, thank you as well. I’ll try to name as many of you as I can, but if you think you should’ve been mentioned and you weren’t: hey, you know what I say-charge it to my head and not my heart.
@SidelinePass, @asportsscribe, @dfolkens, @cosadulce, @Inkognegro, @MkRob, @ltma, @brownsugar63, @ninerchick05, @cowboychick, @mrsFAB, @12kyle, @jeffw171, @GelaTrish, @edthesportsfan, @ay52, @stephsherman, @snwann, @khaijg, @Hail_Mary_Jane, @MDSteelerGal, @JUS_chillin, @BigDubz, @julythirteenth, @sbolen, @BMoreGoHard and @lovejonz618 (her Saints are champs at last!), thank you all.
522 Games Down, 1 To Go…
Filed under: AFC, NFC, NFL, football, playoffs, sports
There have been 522 games played in the 2009 NFL season. Those games have all been a prelude to the one game that means everything in the NFL: the Super Bowl. The 44th edition of the ultimate game (though if it is the ultimate game, how come they play it every year?) will feature the two teams that were the last to lose in the regular season: the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. At some point, both of these teams were expected to be here, particularly when they both were undefeated. Both limped home in the regular season though: the Saints lost three of their last four, and the Colts lost their last two, though how hard they were trying to win those two is up for debate. Both were the top seeds in their respective conferences, and both won two games at home to get to Miami for the right to play for the Lombardi trophy.
The Colts sliced and diced their way through two formidable defenses, while playing stellar defense of their own in their wins over the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets. There are those who would say the Colts had an easy road, having to play the AFC’s fifth- and sixth-seeded teams at home while avoiding the supposedly formidable San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots. Despite that, Peyton Manning did what he usually does, which is make plays no matter who is on defense or what kind of opposition he faces. In other words, they beat who was in front of them, all the while making the last two weeks of the regular season look absolutely meaningless.
The Saints on the other hand, set off a city-wide party with their two playoff wins over the Cardinals and Vikings. While the Saints destroyed the Cardinals with their offensive firepower, the Vikings held the Saints offense relatively in check. In fact, the Vikings overwhelmingly dominated the offensive statistics in the game, but came up short because of five turnovers. If the Vikings don’t give the ball to the Saints, it very well could’ve been Brett Favre, and not Drew Brees, opposing Manning in Super Bowl 44. But the Saints kept taking the ball away, and did what was necessary in overtime to set off the biggest non-Mardi Gras party the Crescent City has ever seen.
So who will win the game? As much as I would love for the Saints to win-if for no other reason than to see the month-long party that will ensue with a Super Bowl win and Mardi Gras-I think the Colts will take it. Both offenses will put up points, but the key will be which defense can make enough stops. If the Saints can force Manning into mistakes and the Colts into turnovers, they definitely can win, but will they? I’m thinking not nearly enough to pull off the upset. Most of all, I’m hoping for an exciting game…there have been few of them in this year’s postseason.
Enjoy the game, no matter who you are rooting for.
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.
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!
Ravens Review: Taking Care Of Business
Filed under: AFC, NFL, following the locals, football, ravens review, sports
For the second week in a row, the Baltimore Ravens did what they were expected to do: beat down an inferior opponent. This week’s victim was the Chicago Bears, who basically handed the game to the Ravens in a 31-7 defeat. Whether it was jet lag, disinterest, or the team is ready for the season to end, the Bears did not look as if they were ready to play yesterday. If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: a win is a win, and the Ravens will definitely take it. When the dust settled after Sunday’s games, the Ravens moved from just out of the playoff picture, to holding the fifth seed in the AFC. Thanks to most everyone around them losing, the Ravens gained ground simply by taking care of business. Now the business gets t0ugher, as the Ravens travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers, their own playoff hopes still alive after a last-second 37-36 win over the Green Bay Packers. More to come about that game a bit later.
Back to the victory over the Bears: there was some good and some bad in this one. The good: for the second straight week, the defense rose to the occasion, although some of that may have been Jay Cutler’s willingness to throw interceptions at inopportune times. The offense looked like the offense we saw at the beginning of the season, and while the three-headed monster didn’t really reappear this week, Joe Flacco had a great game, throwing four touchdown passes. Todd Heap re-emerged as a receiving threat and there was even some appearances of the ”Suggs Package,” even if it didn’t do much. However, the loss of Lardarius Webb for the season is a big blow; Webb had become the starting cornerback due to Fabian Washington’s injury and had instantly become the best corner the Ravens had. Now without him, Frank Walker will see some real playing time, which should have all Ravens fans reaching for blindfolds and heart medication. Rumor has it that Chris Carr will start at corner opposite a seemingly rejuvenated Dominique Foxworth, with Ozzie Newsome on the lookout for an additional cornerback, perhaps a return by Chris McAlister, who was recently released by the New Orleans Saints. And again, there were some stupid penalties, that though they were not costly, were not necessary. Walker’s delay of game penalty after his interception yesterday was really stupid; and Terrell Suggs’ removing his helmet-how long have you been in the league? Don’t you know that will get called each and every time?
Going forward, what can fans and observers take away from this game? Can you honestly say the Ravens are peaking at the right time? That they are now, once again, a dangerous team built for a playoff run? I don’t know about all that; after all it wasn’t all that long ago that they gave a stinker of a performance against the same Packers on Monday Night Football that had me ready to drown my sorrows and question whether or not they would win again the rest of the way out. The opposition the Ravens have faced the last two weeks have made them look really really good; can you transfer that type of performance against a team that knows them all too well, in their house? That game has now received even more juice now that the Steelers are playing for two things: a continuation of their hopes to get back in the playoff mix to defend their Super Bowl title, and to put a large dent in the Ravens’ own playoff dreams. The Steelers are as vulnerable now as they have ever been; if indeed the Ravens are peaking, this would be as good a time as any to show it. With six teams just one game behind the Ravens in the playoff hunt, it would behoove them to get out of Heinz Field with a victory, but it will not be easy.
If, by chance the Ravens get by the Steelers next week, a trip out west to play the suddenly competitive Oakland Raiders looms. Depending on how brutally physical the Steelers-Ravens game is, that game could set up as a trap game, unless the Ravens get a lot of help as they did this past Sunday to keep them above the mark for a playoff spot.
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!
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.
Twitter: @mindpinball
- @brownsugar63 doing fine thanks. How is your recovery going?
- @brownsugar63 Hey! The #Terps are on that side of the bracket. Those teams may meet in the 2nd round. Ugh.
- something is wrong when ESPN is playing "Shots" as a lead-in to commercials. Don't they know the song is about getting drunk?
- @SidelinePass you are as hooked as the rest of us lol
- @thenflchick getting better at it already Lol
- @SidelinePass Going well thanks...what are u up to today?
- @12kyle whoa...you on top of errything LOL
- @12kyle yes his HBCU blog is good. He used to do one for sports in the DMV.
- Waiting for the MEAC title game between SC State and Morgan State or @jarrett_carter vs.@12kyle LOL
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