Last Week's Picks

Because I feel bad about missing the picks I’m doing a “roundup” column instead. I’ll include my picks for the record:

Browns (-3) over RAMS (final score, 27-20)

Ray Didinger – for those outside Philadelphia Diddy is a senior producer at NFL films the unquestioned smartest football voice in America. He also co-hosts a Saturday morning sports talk show, which is going to become relevant right about now – was co-hosting his Saturday morning sports talk show and MacNow (other co-host) starts to talk about the great injustice that the NFL is doing to their fans and American football this week (we’ll get to that game later). Before MacNow gets a question but after he manages to use the word “abomination” to describe the event Didinger cuts in and guesses “Cardinals-Rams?”

That’s pretty much all I have to say about this game.

Lions (+5) over BEARS (final score 16-7)
So Dey-twa has beaten Chicago four straight times and is halfway to the “more then 10” wins Kitna guaranteed in the preseason and they have already matched or surpassed their win total in 4 out of the last 5 years. They did so on a steady diet of Kevin Jones, whoever their kicker is, and trying not to punt to Devin Hester (who delivered the brilliant post game comment “you can either give it to us at the 40 or you can pitch to Barry Bonds.”)
Still, I saw all of those 56 points and I’m not buying that this team is good yet.

Jags (+3.5) over BUCS (Jacksonville 24, TB 23)
Jacksonville ran 44 times, threw 16 times and won. Fred Taylor carried more times than the entire TB team and Jeff Garcia had 3 more completions than the Jags had attempts – and misfired 22 times.


Colts (-7) over PANTHERS (Colts 31-7)
Game of the year, 1 week away. I’m predicting an early injury to one of the all-world QBs and an ensuing blowout one way or the other. These games never match the hype.
As for this game the most exciting thing I can say is that it was a bad day for All-Pro Wideouts: Marvin Harrison missed the game due to injury and Steve Smith didn’t touch the ball after the first quarter – which seems impossible.

Bills (+3) over JETS (Bill, 13-3)
In a surprise to no one, the AP described this game as “incredibly dull.”

Pittsburgh (-3.5) over CINCY (24-13)
Chad Johnson has been telling other team’s defensive backs to “get him out of there” and is rumored to have mentioned a similar statement to at least one opposing head coach.
His mate across the hash marks, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, had this to say about Marvin Lewis to kick a field goal from the Steelers' two instead of going for the touch: "That's why they're 5-2 and we're 2-5,'' Houshmandzadeh said. ''Good teams put it in the end zone. Teams like us kick field goals.”
Marvin Lewis, who I always thought was a hell of a football coach, has lost that team.

E-A-G-L-E-S (-1) over Purple Jesus (23-16)
We held PJ in check and started gearing up for Romo (seen carousing with Brittney Spears) and TOD next Sunday at the Linc.

Raiders (+7.5) over TITANS (Ten 13-9)
Vince Young averaged 1.9 yards a pass and 1.6 yards a run. Maybe that’s how Madden is going to get him this year.

New Orleans (-2.5) over 9ERS (31-10)
I’m sure this point got beat to death during the telecast, but the fact that Alex Smith and Reggie Bush were high school teammates is pretty fucking cool.
Also, the Saints aren’t back, the rest of their division is just awful so it might look that way.

Dolphins (+9) over Giants (in London)(13-10 NYFG)

London Times said this: “In a contest that seldom lived up to expectations, there were too many errors, penalties and incomplete passes.” Sounds about right, I can’t believe we sent England Eli Manning and Cleo Lemon.
Anyone think the Dolphins might be ready for the Brady Quinn era to begin?

PATRIOTS (-16) over Skins (a million to nothing)
I can’t believe those classless redskins don’t even let their top-5 defense show up to the game.
Asante Samuel offered this: “we wanted the shutout real bad. But obviously when we let any team score on us, it’s really disappointing. We’re happy about the victory but we would have loved the shutout.”

I’m unreasonably confident that Brady is going to break his leg this week, thus ruing the single most dominant team that I’ve seen play sports. Things are too good to be true always seem to turn out that way.

Chargers (no line) over Texans (35-10 SD)
They played in San Diego and the Chargers look back. Dunta Robinson is embarrassed and Rivers can throw again, all is right in this world.

The Pack (+3) over DENVER
It’s a bad week for Denver.