NFL Picks: Week 8

Last Week: 10-4
Season Record: 60-44

Wow, back on track last week. I even predicted the exact final score of the New England/San Diego game, but with the wrong winner. Here are the Week 8 prognostications....

Miami at Cincinnati--The Bengals are just hard to figure out, but they keep figuring out ways to lose. Dolphins 16, Bengals 13

Jacksonville at Dallas--The Cowboys actually played pretty good for a half Monday night, and with Jon Kitna having a full week of practice, they should prevail this time. Cowboys 24, Jaguars 17

Washington at Detroit--The Redskins are playing up or down to their competition. The Lions have had two weeks to prepare and they aren't as bad as their record indicates. Lions 20, Redskins 17

Buffalo at Kansas City--What's more surprising? That the Chiefs are one of the up and coming AFC teams or that the Bills almost beat Baltimore last week? Chiefs 27, Bills 24

Green Bay at NY Jets--Giving the Jets 2 weeks to prepare just isn't fair. Jets 26, Packers 17

Carolina at St. Louis--I bet the Panthers think this will be a cakewalk after beating the Niners for their first win. Alas, it will not be. Rams 23, Panthers 10

Denver vs. San Francisco at London--I just hope it's not raining there, because these two teams are lousy as it is. Broncos 16, 49ers 10

Tennessee at San Diego--I know the records and I know the Titans are playing really well. But the Chargers are kryptonite to Jeff Fisher. Chargers 27, Titans 20

Minnesota at New England--Favre will play, but the Patriots are going to make him wish he hadn't. Patriots 30, Vikings 20

Seattle at Oakland--Can anyone figure out either of these teams? Raiders 20, Seahawks 14

Tampa Bay at Arizona--Every week there is at least one game that makes me want to watch basketball. And here it is. Bucs 21, Cards 17

Pittsburgh at New Orleans--The Saints are due for a better game, right? Still, if they lost to Cleveland, the Steelers are going to make them look really bad. Steelers 20, Saints 10

Houston at Indianapolis--Don't think the Colts aren't looking for revenge after that embarrassment in Week 1. Colts 40, Texans 34

Bye week banter:
Atlanta--Are they good, or not? The second half will show us something
Baltimore--A near miss against Buffalo has everyone scratching their heads. Oh, and will all due respect to Mr. Big Hair, Ed Reed is the best safety I've ever seen
Chicago--Jay Cutler needs rest, and the O-line needs to sew their uniforms together
Cleveland--That fake punt was maybe my favorite play of the season
NY Giants--Their bye week is just good news for opposing quarterbacks
Philadelphia--Two weeks to figure out how they gave up 27 points to the Titans in the 4th quarter

NFL Picks: Week 7

Last Week: 7-7
Season Record: 50-40

I think I feel pretty good about being 50-40 in this wacky season, which keeps getting wackier. I mean, the Rams beat the Chargers? Yikes.

Cincinnati at Atlanta--The Bengals had an extra week off to think about that ugly loss to the Bucs. The Falcons had one less week than that to think about that ugly loss to the Eagles. But they are home and usually a different team in the Dome. Falcons 27, Bengals 20

Buffalo at Baltimore--Okay, if the Bills upset the Ravens, that would be the wackiest upset of them all. But it ain't gonna happen. Right? No, I mean, right? Right. Ravens 34, Bills 3

San Francisco at Carolina--Matt Moore is going to have a fire under his butt, and he's going to lead this putrid Panthers team to victory. And then Mike Singletary will yell and scream at his team some more. Panthers 20, 49ers 10

Washington at Chicago--Somebody better block Brian Orakpo. Oh, wait.....it's the Bears. Somebody better put Jay Cutler in an armored suit. Redskins 22, Bears 16

Jacksonville at Kansas City--The Jags are trotting out Todd Bouman or Patrick Ramsey if David Garrard (concussion) can't play. Yikes. Chiefs 31, Jaguars 13

Pittsburgh at Miami--Don't be looking for a lot of points in this one. In fact, if you want points in Miami, go watch the Heat play (apologies to my Cleveland peeps). Steelers 12, Dolphins 10

Cleveland at New Orleans--Apologies to my Cleveland peeps again. Saints 30, Browns 17

St. Louis at Tampa Bay--Really, I have to pick this game? Well, it's better to pick it than watch it, I guess. Bucs 17, Rams 14

Philadelphia at Tennessee--Do you get the feeling Chris Johnson is going to bust a couple of really long runs in this game? He's just due. And that Titans' D-line is going to just mangle Kevin Kolb. Titans 31, Eagles 24

Arizona at Seattle--Another one that's just shaping up to be a classic. Not. Seahawks 37, Cards 20

New England at San Diego--This is a fun match-up no matter when or where it's played. Rivers against a crappy secondary and Belichick probably pulling out a few fake plays to piss the Chargers off. Chargers 23, Patriots 20 (and I'm predicting OT for this one)

Oakland at Denver--Seriously, aren't there any good games this weekend? Broncos 21, Raiders 16

Minnesota at Green Bay--Ah, that's right...they saved the good games for Sunday and Monday night. And this one's a beauty, probably Brett Favre's last game ever at Lambeau, as he brings a banged up elbow, surgically repaired ankle and legal issues on his mind when facing a banged up Packers' team. If only the Pack had half the running game the Vikings do.....Vikings 27, Packers 24

NY Giants at Dallas--So long as the Giants are able to put an extra blocker on DeMarcus Ware, the Cowboys will once again figure out a way to self-destruct. Giants 28, Cowboys 24

Bonus--in baseball, the Phillies will come all the way back to win their series in 7. The Yankees will win Game 6, and lose Game 7, setting up a Rangers/Phils World Series.

NFL Picks: Week 6

Last week 5-9
Season record: 43-33

Okay, last week was a mess....what's up with this NFL season anyway? I'm pretty sure I have never gone 5-9 before, but I'm pretty sure many of you had the same type of luck with your picks last week. So let's shake things up here...mmmkay?

Seattle at Chicago--Remember a few years ago when these teams were meeting in the playoffs? The Bears, despite their O-line woes, are likely heading back there while the Seahawks are heading into the abyss. Bears 24, Seahawks 10

Miami at Green Bay--If Aaron Rodgers does not play, this could be ugly. But it could be ugly even if he does play. Dolphins 20, Packers 17

Kansas City at Houston--With all of the talk about the Chiefs' suddenly awesome defense, I have to say that I just don't see another team holding the Texans' offense in check in back to back weeks. Texans 30, Chiefs 20

Baltimore at New England--I keep wanting to pick the Ravens here, and I think I may have in a few other forums, but I have this twitch that keeps the cursor leaning toward New England. It's the same twitch that makes me reach for that second doughnut when I know I shouldn't eat it. Patriots 23, Ravens 16

Detroit at NY Giants--As a Giants' fan, I want to keep picking against my team, because when I do that, they win. But let's face it.....trap game or not, they won't lose this one. Will they? PS Hakeem Nicks is awesome, isn't he? Giants 33, Lions 17

Atlanta at Philadelphia--If Kevin Kolb starts again, I can't pick the Eagles. Not against a surging Falcons' squad. But if former Falcon Mike Vick starts.....ah, who are we kidding? Falcons 21, Eagles 17

Cleveland at Pittsburgh--Big Ben gets a bye his first week back...ooh, snap. Steelers 41, Browns 13

San Diego at St. Louis--After being brought back down to earth by the Lions last weekend, the Rams now face the high-flying Chargers. And that's a last-place schedule. Chargers 28, Rams 14

New Orleans at Tampa Bay--I don't know what is wrong with the Saints' offense, but if they can't beat the Cardinals, they won't be able to beat a newly confident Bucs' team in Tampa. Bucs 23, Saints 13

NY Jets at Denver--Just a hunch, because logic surely would not agree with me. Broncos 24, Jets 20

Oakland at San Francisco--You'd think that the Niners should finally win one, right? Not so fast, because the Raiders have been playing tough. Then again.....49ers 17, Raiders 13

Dallas at Minnesota--Two wins between them in Week 6. Damn, that's crazy. And one of these teams, barring a tie, will be 1-4 after Sunday. Vikings 27, Cowboys 24

Indianapolis at Washington--If the Chiefs can slow Peyton Manning in Indy, the 'Skins should be able to do the same. Redskins 23, Colts 21

Tennessee at Jacksonville--The Titans should win this game, but should is not a word that describes the 2010 NFL season. Jaguars 28, Titans 23

NFL Picks: Week 5

Last week: 8-6
Season record: 38-24

Wow. A quarter of the NFL season is now in the books. It's been a weird year so far, too....but give it another 4 weeks and we'll see some races start to really materialize. Meanwhile, here are your Week 5 Crystal Ball picks:

Denver at Baltimore--The Broncos gutted out a tough win on the road in Nashville last weekend, but facing the Ravens in Baltimore is altogether different. Ravens 20, Broncos 13

Jacksonville at Buffalo--Sure, the Jags beat Indy a week ago. Sure, the Bills can't seem to beat anyone or even look good in losing games. But that's why the tables will turn this weekend. Bills 23, Jaguars 21

Chicago at Carolina--This is my second out of four picks for 0-4 teams to reach 1-4. I was going to pick the Bears until I saw that Todd Collins would start in place of Jay Cutler. Panthers 20, Bears 18

Tampa Bay at Cincinnati--The Bucs had a bye and some rest, while the Bengals continue to show why they are impostors. Still, they do have some talent and their defense should shut down Tampa pretty good. Bengals 17, Bucs 10

Atlanta at Cleveland--This one should be the Matt Ryan/Roddy White/Tony Gonzalez/Michael Turner show. Sorry, Cleveland. Falcons 30, Browns 17

St. Louis at Detroit--It's really hard to believe that the Rams have given up just 13 points per game, when they gave up an astounding 31 per game a year ago. But Sunday, I just have the feeling that Shaun Hill is just gonna light them up. Lions 38, Rams 24

Kansas City at Indianapolis--Along with the winless teams all winning, it's time for someone to beat the Chiefs. And who better than Peyton Manning? Colts 27, Chiefs 17

NY Giants at Houston--The Giants are about as hard to figure out as any team in the NFL. The Texans just have an explosive offense, and if Matt Schaub can stay upright and hand the ball off to Arian Foster about 25 times, it may just wear down the Giants' D. Texans 33, Giants 24

Green Bay at Washington--If the Packers can ever get some sort of running game going, they could be lethal. But until then, they aren't really able to control the clock. Meanwhile, the Redskins keep scores low and close. Packers 20, Redskins 16

New Orleans at Arizona--The Saints need to get their running game in gear in order to allow Drew Brees to find his receivers down field. But let's face it--this is the suddenly horrendous Arizona Cardinals we're talking about. Saints 23, Cardinals 10

Tennessee at Dallas--This should be a really interesting game. The Titans, like the Redskins, keep games close and low-scoring while hitting hard and making the other team take penalties. That should play right into Jeff Fisher's teams' hands, but Tony Romo and company have had an extra week off and should score enough points to win. Cowboys 27, Titans 17

San Diego at Oakland--When I had Antonio Gates on my fantasy team last year, he didn't do much for me. Which is why he's having an awesome season already. Thanks, Antonio. Chargers 40, Raiders 21

Philadelphia at San Francisco--If Michael Vick were playing, this would be a different ball game. But Kevin Kolb? Against a Mike Singletary team that is winless and extremely angry? Um, no way. 49ers 24, Eagles 20

Minnesota at NY Jets--This is probably the game of the week. The Jets at home on the big stage, Brett Favre returning to the Meadowlands to face his former team, and Randy Moss also returning to the Meadowlands for the second time in the first five games. Jets 22, Vikings 19

MLB playoff predictions

This isn't going to be just a football site, though that's where my expertise is. But I thought it would be fun to pick the MLB playoffs too. It's either this, or pick the NBA preseason games, but ESPN's Heat-a-thon has all that covered, right? Anyway, here we go....

NY Yankees vs. Minnesota--The Yankees enter this series having skidded into the wild card spot, though rumor has it that they just wanted to avoid facing Cliff Lee in the ALDS. And they will send CC Sabathia to the mound twice in the first four games if necessary, because he's their only reliable starter. The Yanks have recently dominated the Twins in postseason play, but this year may be different. I just have this feeling Joe Mauer will carry the Twins on his back, and Jim Thome will hit a couple of big bombs. Twins 3, Yankees 2

Texas vs. Tampa Bay--Yeah, the Rangers have Cliff Lee, but this one is more about the Rays' pitching staff vs. the Rangers' big bats. That would mean David Price, James Shields and Matt Garza against Josh Hamilton, Vlad Guerrero and Nelson Cruz. You know that old adage about how great pitching trumps great hitting? Yep. Rays 3, Rangers 1

Atlanta vs. San Francisco--The Braves snuck in as a wild card in manager Bobby Cox's last season, and they get to face Tim Lincecum tomorrow night to open the series, as well as Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez. These teams both have awesome closers in Billy Wagner and Brian Wilson, but with Chipper and Prado out for the Braves, this one could be over before you blink. Giants 3, Braves 0

Cincinnati vs. Philadelphia--Poor Dusty Baker gets his team into the postseason, and has to face Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels back to back to back. But with Joey Votto, a legitimate MVP candidate leading the offense for the Reds, and a Cincinnati team that led the NL in batting (.272) and home runs (188), this could be interesting. Still, tough to go against recent playoff experience. The Phils were World Champs two years ago and have represented the NL two straight years. Cincinnati hasn't been to the playoffs since 1995. Phillies 3, Reds 2

Oh, and regardless of what happens, for the love of G-d, can we not have more than one first-round sweep? In the last five seasons, there have been 11 sweeps in 20 first-round series. That just sucks for true baseball fans! Anyway, play ball!

NFL Picks: Week 4

Last week: 10-6
Season record: 30-18

San Francisco at Atlanta--The Niners have to win at some point, don't they? Well, not with Michael Turner running in the dome. And how about this? SF fired their offensive coordinator last week, but it's their defense that has failed them miserably, giving up an NFL high 87 points (tied with Buffalo). Yikes, Mr. Singletary. Falcons 34, 49ers 17

NY Jets at Buffalo--The rejuvenated Bills are home and play the Jets tough, but come on. Jets 23, Bills 13

Cincinnati at Cleveland--The Browns always play Cincy tough, and Peyton Hillis almost single-handedly beat Baltimore last weekend. But there is just too much talent for the Bengals not to pick them. Bengals 28, Browns 27

Detroit at Green Bay--Mike McCarthy will absolutely not let his team sink to 2-2, but that doesn't mean the feisty Lions will make this easy. Packers 30, Lions 23

Carolina at New Orleans--I might have to cover my eyes for this game. Jimmy Claussen should fear for his life. Saints 33, Panthers 10

Baltimore at Pittsburgh--Charlie Batch hit the lottery last Sunday, but the Ravens are just more talented as a whole and will barely eke this one out. Ravens 16, Steelers 13

Seattle at St. Louis--I love Steve Spagnuolo and he may have his team believing. And the Seahawks are going to be let down after another upset last weekend. Rams 27, Seahawks 24

Denver at Tennessee--Chris Johnson and that Titans' O-line will dominate. Titans 23, Broncos 17

Indianapolis at Jacksonville--MJD will play well as he always does against Indy, but the Jaguars are destined for a last place finish in the AFC South. Can Austin Collie have another insanely big game? Colts 40, Jaguars 17

Houston at Oakland--Everyone wants to pick Oakland in an upset here, but Arian Foster may have 300 rushing yards against this weak rush D of the Raiders. Texans 30, Raiders 20

Washington at Philadelphia--The game of the week. Donovan McNabb returns to Philly while the Eagles and Mike Vick are flying really high. Get your popcorn ready. Eagles 27, Redskins 17

Arizona at San Diego--How the mighty have fallen in Arizona. And, well, the Chargers never seem to rev up until November. But they won't lose to this team at home. Chargers 31, Cardinals 14

Chicago at NY Giants--My heart says G-men, what with the Ring of Honor being unveiled at halftime. But my head says they will find another way to lose. Bears 30, Giants 17

New England at Miami--Very, very tough one to call. I'm going to have to go with the home team, though. Dolphins 21, Patriots 18