Early Edition: Week 7 NFL Predictions

First off, fantasy gets the weekend off. Two reasons:
1) I stink at it.
2) Thursday is a little earlier than I like to predict and prognosticate.

So why the Early Edition? (Remember that show?) Simple. I'll be in Dallas this weekend with the family.

Yeah, I'll check this place out (Falcons @ Cowboys will be on the games being picked this weekend, btw) along the way.
Credit: GoldandtheGame.com

Time for the 10 Questions of the Week

Credit: Newsday.com

1) If (when) Sanchez struggles on Sunday in Oakland, does Clemens see any snaps?
2) Anybody outside of New York and Anaheim (aka LA) that has interest in the ALCS over the NFL weekend slate?
3) Is Cedric Benson ready to lead the NFL in rushing?
4) How will Frank Gore's return impact the 49ers?
5) Speaking of those Niners, what's the over/under on 1 reception for rookie wideout Michael Crabtree?
6) Does anyone actually watch Fox's Brothers? Besides Strahan's family, I mean?
7) Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco: who wins a playoff game this season?
8) Is Roddy White becoming a top-5 NFL receiver?
9) Is Marvin Harrison now officially done?
10) Does Jim Zorn survive after Monday night?

Weekly Picks
Last Week: 5-3 (I bet on the Skins and paid the price. As for the Iggles, more on that debacle later.)
Season Total: 20-13 (I made a target of 25-15 at this point. A 5 and 2 week means I need to pick an easy one or two. No dice!)
Upset Special: 2-1 (I went with three road dogs and got 2 out of 3. I would've won big on Arizona and Houston, but the Giants really let me down.)
Survivor Selection: 4-1 (Philly breaks my stranglehold on selecting the "easiest game of the week". Believe me, I wasn't alone. Nevertheless, it still stings.)

Minnesota Vikings @ Pittsburgh Steelers (-4)
I'm taking the Stillers, barely, and the home-field advantage. Minnesota can survive losing this game. In fact, you don't want too too much hype this early in the season. Seriously.

San Diego Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs (+ 4 1/2)
I think this is the week the Chargers get back on track. But mark my words: they aren't winning the AFC West this season. The playoffs aren't out of the question though...yet.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins (+7)
In a last second change, I'm switching to Philly. I felt like the Skins might be troublesome; however, the reports from practice this week have been flat and uninteresting. No juice left in DC worth mentioning.

Buffalo Bills @ Carolina Panthers (-7)
Why do I believe in Carolina and the awfulness that is Jake Delhomme? Steve Smith pouts and responds with 2 TD receptions.

NY Jets @ Oakland Raiders (+7)
I am a negative negative man. The Jet wideouts are extremely banged up and this team can't travel west. If you find this above 7, take the money and run.

Upset Special #1
Atlanta Falcons @ Dallas Cowboys (-4)
My mom is a LEGIT die-hard Cowboys fan. I know, hate away. I sympathize with the team for her and for Troy Aikman (always a personal favorite). She bleeds the team colors and has never been to a game in Dallas. She missed out in the final year of Texas Stadium, so she deserves a win in her trip out to Big D. Ain't gonna happen. In fact, I question these odds entirely. Matty Ice on the road is enough to eeek out a W. Sorry mom.

Upset Special #2
Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals (- 2 1/2)
I had a feeling last week with Houston and it would've paid off handsomely. I don't want to sink the Bengals yet, but I think the Bears are a better team and can play well in this envrionment. In fact, I'm picking them to win outright in a rather entertaining matchup (who would've thought that earlier this season?).

I'm dead in the Survivor-pool. I'd love to target the following squad though: Indianapolis. Not the toughest pick in the world, right?

Thanks for the crappy London-matchup Goodell. Thanks.

Parting Thought of the Week

Credit: SeattlePI.com

Let's play the "what-if" game. Crabtree may see 12-15 snaps this week and perhaps even double that next week. Some wild rumors have him starting (opposite Ike Bruce), but still not seeing too many snaps. If the 49ers are able to target Crabtree for a big play or perhaps in the redzone, how does Coach Singletary respond to his former holdout rook? I know I'd love to see it.

Enjoy the weekend slate...

Fresh off the Bye Week: Week 6 NFL & Fantasy Predictions

After taking a week off, I'm back!
Let's be nice and call it a bye week.
In case you didn't know, it came just at the nick of time. Whew.

Time for the 10 Questions of the Week...

Can the Broncos, fresh off of an impressive win against the Patriots at home, truly ready to step up with the NFL's elite and take down divisional-rival San Diego?
Credit: STFUSports.com

1) Can Dick Jauron save his dignity and upset the Jets?
2) Is there a major trade in the works, which is so unlike a typical NFL trade deadline (outside of the Edwards/Adams deals)?
3) Are people truly realizing the scope the Gaines Adams-deal may have on the Bears defense?
4) Are the Rams going 0-16?
5) If Washington loses to KC, is Zorn out even BEFORE the bye week?
6) The the Bengals truly a 5-1 team?
7) Jay Cutler or Matty Ice: who ya go this Sunday night?
8) Braylon Edwards feeling 2 for 2 with TD catches in his first two games with the Jets?
9) Ray Rice is second in total yards from scrimmage in the NFL. Trend or a telling statistic?
10) Seriously, are the Saints for real?

Weekly Picks
Last Week: 4-4 (Not my strongest weekend; however, I took a lot of risks. After a "bye week", I expect a stronger performance. Although there are way too many HUGE numbers out here to target too many games.)
Season Total: 16-10 (I'm putting a target out there. 25-15. It can happen. It can.)
Upset Special: 4-2 (Lost a little momentum. No sweat, 2 picks this week will help!)
Survivor Selection: 4-0 (It's just too easy right now with some of these horrid teams out there.)

Kansas City Chiefs @ Washington Redskins (-6 1/2)
Tricky tricky Vegas. Both teams stink. Skins, somehow, win by a touchdown.

Tennnessee Titans @ New England Patriots (-9)
Number still seems kinda big, even for an 0-5 road Titan team, until you realize two things:
A) New England doesn't lose back-to-back games.
B) Collins isn't long for this starting role, Vince Young or not.

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3 1/2)
I thought the Panthers would play better last weekend, although the Skins play everyone (bad and really bad) pretty close. The Panthers win, not big but big enough to cover this somewhat surprisingly tight number.

Upset Special #1
NY Giants @ New Orleans Saints (-3)
I wish I could find this number at -3 1/2, but it doesn't exist. The Giants are worth the risk; especially without putting real money on it.

Upset Special #2
Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks (-3 1/2)
I refuse to believe in Seattle, even at home. Maybe I'm giving Arizona WAAAY to much credit. Who cares? I want to. So I will!!!

Upset Special #3
Houston Texans @ Cincinnati Bengals (- 3 1/2)
This prediction is gonna bite me in the ...

Survivor Selection [Gone: New England, Minnesota, Baltimore, & NY Giants]
Philadelphia is going to WAX the Raiders. Not too much brilliance needed to make this pick o' the survivor week.

Fantasy-Time
I'm taking a new route on fantasy. I'm gonna whipe the confusing scoring system OUT and make things very very VERY easy. Start these 5 guys and sit these 5 guys. They're all 50/50 (often FLEX or last-resort) starts. Enjoy the wealth of knowledge!!!

Start (TE-edition)
1) Leon Washington
2) Greg Olsen
3) Mercedes Lewis
4) Devrey Henderson
5) Benjamin Watson
Extra: Josh Johnson (believe it BABY!)

Sit (WR-edition)
1) Lee Evans
2) Jericho Cotchery
3) Vincent Jackson
4) Washington D
5) Bernard Berrian
Extra: Larry Johnson

I know you missed me. See you next week!!!!

Tuesday FourCast: Week 7

Week 7 came and week 7 went. Some things returned to “normal,” such as the Giants winning. Other things went even more haywire than before, such as the Cowboys self-imploding (or is that self-bloweding up, Emmitt?) even further. An eloquent sports writer would delve into such complicated matters. Unfortunately, you’re stuck with me this week. On with the countdown.

#1. Zoot Suit Riot

Mike Nolan, defensive guru. Mike Nolan, old-school extraordinaire, rockin’ the suit from the sidelines. Mike Nolan, the third coaching casualty of the 2008 NFL season. Admittedly, I’ll kind of miss the suits since I thought that brought back some class to the sidelines (which the NFL, ironically, was hesitant to allow). Unfortunately for Nolan, his coaching couldn’t bring back class to the ‘49ers. A season removed from being my pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, the Alex Smith Experiment (not to be confused with the Alan Parsons Project) has blown up entirely. And even though it was the offense that sputtered all season long, defensive great Mike Singletary has been tapped to lead the way. Personally, I think Mike will be a tremendous head coach in the NFL someday … but I’m really hoping that he rocks the formalwear on the sidelines.

#2. American Boy

Well, Estelle won’t get to see “American boy” Reggie Bush in London next week. Once projected to be the Michael Jordan of the NFL, Bush is now nursing an injury to the meniscus in his left knee and will likely miss the next 3-4 weeks, if not longer. Although Bush still has not become the offensive threat many projected him to become, he has played a very impressive role on special teams this year. Not to belittle his offensive impact, his versatility still does require defensive coordinators to throw some wrenches into their game plan. Given LT2’s relatively lackluster season, thus far, and Londoners won’t get to see the match-up between the two explosive running backs that, perhaps, the NFL had intended.

#3. This Is How We Do It

I wonder if Montell Jordan had as much trouble coming up with a second single as the Cleveland Browns seem to have with disinfecting their locker room. Evidently, staph infections are how the Browns do it. It turns out that the temporary case of elephantitis suffered by Kellen Winslow last week was actually the sixth known instance of a staph infection to plague a Browns player since 2005. Really guys? Can’t you just bug bomb the locker/training rooms?

Also in the Montell Jordan mold, excessive bitching is apparently how Winslow does it. “Solja” Cry Baby didn’t like that Browns GM Phil Savage didn’t check-up on him in the hospital or wish him well upon his grand return to the team. Really Kellen? Would you like Savage and the rest of us to throw all hands in the air? Maybe wave them from here to there? Because evidently you think you’re an O.G. mack, but you’re just a wanna-be player. (Note: This is the most publicity that Montell Jordan has received since 1998. We’ll be expecting a check)

#4. It Wasn’t Me

Jay Glazer has been “Mr. Scoop” all season long. Heck, I’d raise his hand in victory if he were here. This time, Glazer brought us news that evidently Brett Favre has been feeding information about the Packers offensive game plan to some of Green Bay’s opponents. The most information is with regard to the Detroit Lions, the Packers least fearsome NFC North rival (we here at PHSports use the term “rival” loosely as it applies to the Lions). Glazer has been spot on with his reports in recent memory, so I’m inclined to go with him. However, Brett “I wish I could do the Shaggy voice to match my shaggy beard” Favre has categorically denied such actions against the team that made him into a legend. Then again, Favre also categorically denied retiring, un-retiring, and wanting to be traded. Wouldn’t this guy make a damn good Presidential candidate?

Maybe the new version of the song could go something like:

But we caught you with Matt Millen – It wasn’t me

Heard it from 2 other sources – It wasn’t me

Marinelli wouldn’t comment – It wasn’t me

Brett Favre is such a d-bag – It wasn’t … oh F it, it was me.