First, some random thoughts on last week and recent NFL news.
* DirecTV Sunday Ticket is freakin’ awesome. All the games, and most of them in hi def? Wow. The schedule on Sunday was a little heavy on early games, though–it’s really hard to see a lot when you’re trying to follow nine games at once.
* Worst call of Week 1: The offensive pass interference call on Todd Heap. Yes, the Ravens deserved to lose that game, but that call… WTF? The defender was clearly holding Heap, he had a big hadnful of jersey. Heap nudges off the hold, and Heap got flagged? What?
* There was a Mario Williams sighting! 4 tackles, 2 sacks, a fumble recovery for a TD.
* I guess Randy Moss doesn’t actually need to practice.
* The Broncos were horrible in the red zone, but that was one of the most exciting finishes you could ask for in Week 1. I’ve never seen a FG unit get a kick off that fast.
* The Rams defense was bad, but the KC offense was even worse. You often see that kind of ugliness in Reliant Stadium, but usually it’s from the home team.
* I’m a little perplexed about why the Pats thing is such a freaking big deal. Teams are always looking at the other sideline and trying to interpret signs. So… the difference between a guy with binocs writing all this down and having it on videotape is what, exactly? Well, OK, it’s against the rules, so I guess there has to be something, but what I can’t figure out is why this rule exists in the first place. I have a hard time seeing how the competitive advantage here is a big deal. The Broncos cheated on the salary cap for their two Super Bowl seasons, and that’s one hell of lot more of a competitive advantage. I don’t seem to recall anybody calling seriously for the heads of the Broncos like they’re calling for Bill’s head. A suspension? Forefiting games? For that? Get over it.
Last week I went 8-6-2, and Al, you went 10-4-2. Nice start!
Anyway, on to this week’s picks…
Sunday 1:00
Bills @ Pittsburgh(-10)
Hunh, I was thinking more like 6 or 7 for this spread. I guess it’s in Pittsburgh; give the points.
Atlanta @ Jacksonville(-10)
Wow, ten again? That seems like too much; it’s not like Jacksonville exactly lit it up last week. I have a bad feeling about the Jags.
Colts @ Titans(+7.5)
Sure, yeah, give the points. I’ll probably keep picking the Colts until I see a good reason not to, and the Titans aren’t it, at least not yet.
Packers @ Giants(-2)
Do we know if Eli is playing? If so, I’d give the two. If not, I’d take the two. I guess they’re saying he’ll probably play, so I’ll give the two.
Texans @ Carolina(-6.5)
OK, beating a really crappy KC team at home is one thing. The Texans have no answer for Steve Smith, and on the road, I don’t see them keeping it close.
Niners @ St. Louis(-3)
Neither team looked good last week, that’s for sure. Huge game in some sense; the Niners could be 2-0 in the division and the Rams could be 0-2. That sounds wrong, but I’m going to take the points anyway.
Bengals @ Browns(+7)
See, now this one should be ten points, probably more. Bengals in a rout. Countdown for Romeo’s job being available starts soon.
Saints @ Tampa Bay(+3)
I had guessed New Orleans by 4, so I guess I’ll give the points.
Cowboys @ Miami(+3.5)
Only 3.5? Really? Cowboys.
Sunday 4:10ish
Vikings @ Detroit(-3)
I… can’t believe this, but I’m going to pick the Lions two weeks in a row. Err, no, wait, I can’t make myself do it, I have to take the points.
Seahawks @ Arizona(+3)
I wasn’t especially impressed with either of these teams last week, either—the entire NFC West looked pretty mediocre. I guess I’ll go with Seattle, but as far as I’m concerned, this one is a coin flip.
Chefs @ Chicago(-13)
I guess this spread makes some sense. I mean, the Bears are certainly a lot better than the Texans, and KC looked awful against Houston last week. The one thing the Bears really did well last year was beat the snot out of bad teams, and I think KC is a bad team. I hate giving 13, but I’m going to do it.
Jets @ Ravens(-10)
No team QB’d by Kyle Boller should ever be 10-point favorites, no matter who’s playing QB for Gang Green. Baltimore has a lot of other key injuries, too, so 10 seems a reach. J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets!
Raiders @ Denver(-10.5)
Wow, five double-digit spreads in week 2? Yikes. Anyway, the Lions absolutely lit up Oakland in Oakland last week. Is there a reason to think the Raiders will play better in Denver? Not really. Broncos.
Sunday NBC
Chargers @ New England(-3.5)
Look, the Pats will be really motivated to win to show they can win big games without any funny stuff. The Pats won the last time these teams met, and if anything, the Pats are better than they were last year. If it comes down to a coaching decision, you know how this will turn out.
MNF
Redskins @ Philly(-7)
The Iggles didn’t show me very much last week. McNabb looked out of sync and the Eagles still have no receivers. Westbrook looked good, but he can’t do it all himself. Of course, the Redskins also didn’t look very good, but that was less of a surprise.Still, recent history suggests that the Eagles should win this handily, and I’ll go with that. Go Iggles!
Here are some more thoughts:
* You’ve had a rough couple of weeks, but at least Big Blue took out some frustration on Fatty and the Domers.
* McFadden is a monster. I hope the Jets lose ALL of their games.
* The Pats should have just bought that mook a ticket on the 50 yd line. And seriously. Why are you cheating against the Jets of all teams?
Sunday 1:00
Bills @ Pittsburgh(-10)
Big points. I guess folks were impressed by Big Ben last week. So was I. Give the points, especially after the heartbreaker for the Bills last week.
Atlanta @ Jacksonville(-10)
The Falcons are absolutely hapless. Harrington is scared to death of throwing the ball downfield. Give the points.
Colts @ Titans(+7.5)
Gosh, the Colts are so strong on offense, but here’s a game that I think the losses on their defense start to show. The Titans will run on them early and often. I’ll take the points.
Packers @ Giants(-2)
The Giants are a mess and The Packers are playing with a whole mess of confidence. I’ll take the two.
Texans @ Carolina(-6.5)
I like Carolina big in this game. Delhomme had a big game last week and maybe he’s put last year behind him.
Niners @ St. Louis(-3)
The Niners aren’t going to win a game on the road, are they? Naah. You can have the points.
Bengals @ Browns(+7)
Wow, only 7? Ok. Give them.
Saints @ Tampa Bay(+3)
The Colts made the Saints look silly, but as bad as they looked, they’re much better than the Bucs. Give the points on the road.
Cowboys @ Miami(+3.5)
Both QB’s had great games last week. But Miami’s D is much better than that of the Giants. I actually like Miami at home.
Sunday 4:10ish
Vikings @ Detroit(-3)
I have to go with Detroit. The Vikings will try to run on a team that will be throwing bombs. It should be no contest.
Seahawks @ Arizona(+3)
Seattle has to be better. They should handle this Arizona team that has a long way to go before they’re decent.
Chefs @ Chicago(-13)
So the question is how bad the Chiefs really are. Is Houston any good or are the KC defense backs just big Virginia fans? Wow, that’s just too many points. I’ll take ’em.
Jets @ Ravens(-10)
The Jets can’t stop the run. The QBs are a wash. Unless this Oregon kid turns out to be Namath, the Jets will have a loooooong day. I’ll give the points.
Raiders @ Denver(-10.5)
These spreads are agonizing. This is a big rivalry game, right? The Raiders have to show some kind of spine? Right? Oh geez, ok, I’ll take the points.
Sunday NBC
Chargers @ New England(-3.5)
This is such a great matchup, but the Pats are just so loaded. I’ll give the points.
MNF
Redskins @ Philly(-7)
I think it’s too many points in a tough division game. I like getting points here.
Good luck!