Contender or Pretender? - Week #4 Picks

Week 4

Lions @ Packers -14.5

Losing to the Bears was a bit of a shock to me for the Packers, even with the sloppy game they played.  Their running game needs to step up for Rodgers to be as effective as he was last year, which made them a Super Bowl contender.  I think they’ll win the game here, but the spread is too much to cover, especially with a Lions team that is putting points on the board and looking impressive this year.

Broncos @ Titans -6.5

The Titans seemed to have their way with the Giants D, scoring on all fronts.  CJ had a bounce back game, but did not look as good as Vince Young’s bounce-back performance.  The Bronco’s question marks at RB will mean that they will have to really on Kyle Orton, who played relatively well last week.  The Titans will get this, but it’ll be a close game so they won’t cover.

Bengals -3 @ Browns

The Bengals are staying competitive in the tough AFC North and with this rivalry game, they will continue to be competitive.  The Browns have not really shown anything this season, however with Wallace at QB I feel they have a better fighting chance then with Delhomme.  With that said, it still won’t be enough for the Browns to overcome the Bengals in this one. 

Panthers @ Saints -13.5

The Saints lost a heartbreaker to the Falcons on a Garrett Hartley missed FG.  The Panthers still do not have any potential plan of attack, even with Clausen in now.  Look for the Saints to bounce back and score at will against the lowly Panthers.

Ravens @ Steelers -1.5

Charlie Batch was throwing TDs left and right last week in his first start for the Steelers in years.  This is going to be a defensive battle, so the team who can battle through will ultimately prevail.  Flacco has been somewhat shaky this year so far, even with a nice bounce-back game last week.  Look for the Steelers to continue their winning ways.

Jets -4.5 @ Bills

The Jets are turning it around since their disappointing Week 1 loss.  This game should be no problem for the Jets as, yes you guessed it, the Bills are still garbage.  They did seem to wake up a little bit when Fitzpatrick became the starter, but they are by far the worst team in the NFL.  The Jets will easily cover this small spread.

49ers @ Falcons -6.5

It has been quite a shock at how bad the 49ers have been playing.  A lot of people predicted them to win the sluggish NFC West, but not at this pass.  The Falcons are looking like an elite team in the NFL and coming off a great win against the Saints, they should continue to do so.

Seahawks -1 @ Rams

The first place Seahawks look to stay atop the division going up against the Rams, who are coming off a surprising win against the Redskins.  If the Seahawks can keep up their D, look for them to not only win this game handedly, but also stay atop the NFC West.

Colts -8.5 @ Jaguars

Peyton Manning is off to his best start of his career and that’s saying a lot since Peyton has been an elite QB in the league for the last 10 years or so.  The Colts as a team on the other hand are struggling a little bit, mostly on the defensive side.  They recently have been playing better though.  The Jags have no chance here as they have no offensive fire power.

Texans -3 @ Raiders

The Texans suffered a minor bump in their plan to prove the league they are a greatly improved team with the loss to the Cowboys last week, however they get the Raiders this week.  Gradkowski gave the Raiders some life, but it won’t be enough here to top the Texans.

Cardinals @ Chargers -8

The Chargers are prone to slow starts in their recent seasons so there should be no red flags here….yet.  They usually do step up as the season progresses.  They have some ground to make up in the AFC West as the Chiefs are off to a hot start.  They should hopefully have no problem here against the Cardinals, however I’d caution with the high spread here.

Redskins @ Eagles -6

This is the game of the week by far.  The return of McNabb to Philadelphia could not come any sooner.  The Eagles are playing great football and are showing that they are the top dogs in the tough NFC East.  Vick is playing like a man on fire.  McNabb on the other hand will come out guns blazing.  That’s why I’m taking the Redskins here, even though the Eagles will probably win.

Bears @ Giants -3

What is happening with the Giants?  They go from a stellar defensive team, to a team that shows up like its playing with 5 people out there.  Eli the Magnificant and Ahmad Bradshaw cannot carry the team when the defense is giving up 29 points to a team like the Titans.  Cutler has stepped up so far this season and it shows with the Bears being unbeaten so far.  I like the Bears here, especially with points.

Patriots -1 @ Dolphins

Brady and Moss have found the connection that led them to a Super Bowl years back.  They came up short last week against the Jets.  There looking to improve this week especially against division foes.  The Dolphins can’t afford to lose any more ground in the tight AFC East.  This game could go either way, but look for the Patriots to bounce-back and take it to the Dolphins.

Lock of the Week- New York Jets

Record:  23-23-2 (7-9)         Locks- 3 for 3

NFL Week #2 Picks

Here they are folks! Your Week #2 NFL Pciks!

Week 2


Eagles -5 @ Lions
The late second loss for the Lions will be disappointing, however I don’t think they can bounce back against a Vick-leaded Eagles offense. He looked good when he came in for the injured Kolb. This should be an exciting game to watch from the Eagles perspective.

Bears @ Cowboys -9
Cutler had an exciting game, as he was second in passing yards in the NFL in Week 1, but that was against the Lions. The Cowboys were below par in their performance against the Skins, and should be looking to bounce back and score some points against the Bears, however this spread may be too much for them to cover

Buccaneers @ Panthers -3
Matt Moore had too many turnovers for the Panthers, as the Jimmy Clausen era may be coming sooner than people think. Their run game looked good against the Giants but I think the Bucs will surprise here, trying to go 2-0.

Chiefs @ Browns -2
Gotta give props to the Chiefs D and special teams that looked awesome against the high-powered offense of the Chargers. The Browns didn’t do anything impressive in Week 1, in what I thought would be a win, against the Bucs. Look for the Chiefs to win the game, without the help of points if they play like last week.

Cardinals @ Falcons -7
It was a tough loss for the Falcons last week against the Steelers. The Cardinals just squeaked by the Rams last week. Look for Roddy White to have another monster game against the Cardinals.

Dolphins @ Vikings -6
The Dolphins held up my Lock Pick for Week 1 by being granted an intentional safety, as they beat the Bills. I thought they would handle them easily and put up more points. The Vikings on the other hand had no problem putting up points against the Saints solid D and should have no problem here.

Steelers @ Titans -5.5
CJ seemed to pick up where he left off from last year, having another monster game. The Steelers won an OT thriller on a Mendenhall 50-yd rush, which really surprised me. The Steelers D is still good, but look for CJ to have another good game in the Titans home opener.

Ravens -1.5 @ Bengals
Seems like the Ravens shocked the world when they beat the Jets last week. They didn’t shock me, in the low-scoring defensive trench war. Rice did not have a productive game, but who would against the Jets D, besides Boldin that is who had 100+yds. The Bengals had a shootout with the Patriots, but look for the Ravens here, especially with this low spread.

Bills @ Packers -14
These games are always tough to pick because a two touchdown spread is a tough swing either way. I’m taking the Packers here because let’s face it, the Bills are still garbage. Rodgers will recover from last week and Jackson will have no problem replacing Grant this week against a lowly Bills D.

Seahawks @ Broncos -3.5
The Pete Carol led Seahawks put up surprising points against a solid 49ers D in Week 1. Hasselback looked like the QB of old, while at the same time Orton for the Broncos put up a near 300yd passing game. Let’s see if the Seahawks can keep it rolling, getting some points here.

Rams @ Raiders -3.5

Campbell will do some good for the Raiders, who have desperately needed a solid QB after Rich Ganon retired (what a name drop). Their home here too so that will help and their also playing the Rams, which helped even more.

Jaguars @ Chargers -7.5
I’m not going to make excuses for the Chargers performance last week, but all I will say that it is tough to throw the ball 40 times in a game with a heavy downpour in your face. Just saying. The Jaguars will be a tough Week 2 opponent as the Chargers have had trouble stopping the run and MJD is as good as anyone in the league. Look for Rivers and the Bolts to bounce back and have a big game to get back to even.

Patriots -2 @ Jets
So Mark Sanchize thinks the Jets are going 15-1 the rest of the way? I don’t think so. They’ll be lucky if they can win 2 games in the next 5 weeks. Their D looked as good as advertised, but it’s that struggling O led by the Sanchize himself that will have Mike Tannenbaum pulling more of his hair out then he did during the Revis negotiations. Looks for Brady and the Pats to squeeze by here.

Texans -3 @ Redskins
What a performance by the Texans. They really surprised everyone by putting the numbers up they did against the Colts. McNabb looked McNabb-like against the Cowboys last week, but I don’t think it will be good enough here. Look for the Texans to stay on a role and make some noise from this week out.

Giants @ Colts -6
Manning v. Manning. A match-up that will be sure to excite Archie beyond belief, I’m sure. A better question to ask then who is going to win the game should be, who will Archie cheer for. Will he play both sides of the fence, or will be take a stand and cheer for his non-retarded looking son? That’s Peyton by the way. Peyton’s pissed about losing to the Texans I’m sure. If he put up 400+yds in that game, imagine what he will do against Eli and the Giants? 500+?? Don’t be surprised if he puts up numbers like Week 1 again.

Saints -6 @ 49ers
The Saints looked good against the Vikings in Week 1. The 49ers on the other hand, did not look good against the Seahawks. I wish Alex Smith the best as he has been through a lot in his life, but he needs to play like he did in the final weeks of the season last year if he wants to keep his job. The 49ers D also went M.I.A. They’ll show up here, but not enough to stop the Saints.

Lock of the Week- Kansas City Chiefs

Record: 9-6-1 (9-6-1)

Pick-Em NFL Week #1 Picks

Week 1


Vikings @ Saints -5
I like the Vikings here. Yes the Saints are the defending Super Bowl Champs but I never really believed into their hype with their D especially. Considering the Vikings are getting 5 points here, take them.

Dolphins -3 @ Bills
The Bills are garbage. They have no firepower on offense and they have a Swiss-cheese D. With the Dolphins only giving 3 points, I think this is a steal.

Raiders @ Titans -6.5
The Titans are clearly the better team here, yet the Raiders D is getting stronger. The Titans should win this game with CJ hopefully dominating, but I don’t know if they can cover. Take the Titans cautiously.

Broncos -2.5 @ Jaguars
I don’t like Kyle Orton as a QB and I don’t think that Moreno can carry the whole team. MJD will be running everywhere. I like the Jags, especially getting points.

Panthers @ Giants -7
If Eli doesn’t play as retarded as he looks, the Giants will be a good team. If the D can step up and play better then last year, I don’t see why they can’t win here, especially giving a touchdown. Giants.

Colts -2.5 @ Texans
Can’t see why this spread is so small. The Texans do have a high power offense and play well against the Colts, but I mean who can deny Peyton. The Colts will go as far as he can take them. Take the Colts confidently.

Falcons -2.5 @ Steelers
The Steelers are going to struggle without Big Ben, as I don’t think there good enough without him. I like the Falcons here, but its going to be a close game I think.


Browns @ Bucs -2.5
This game sucks. It’s two bottom barrel teams going at it, when in the end may come down to that respective team’s only win for a while, however if I had to pick, I’d take the new and improved Browns.

Bengals @ Patriots -4.5
T.O and Ocho can’t talk there way to a win here, as the Patriots will be the team in this game. I don’t think the points will be tough to cover here, there two powerful of an offense.


Lions @ Bears -6
This may be a shocker here, but I like the Lions here. It may be the only time I’ll think they can win compete, but the Bears are not the Bears of old and 6 points is a lot to cover.


Packers -3 @ Eagles
Two very good teams here, but Aaron Rodgers is their post-Favre savior. He scores in bunches and is a fantasy god. 3 points should be nothing for the Packers to cover.

49ers -3 @ Seahawks
I want to see what Pete Carol brings to the table before I jump on board. Plus the 49ers D is a force and Frank Gore is going to be a monster for them. 49ers.

Cardinals -3.5 @ Rams
The retirement of Warner will not be good for the Cardinals, as Derek Anderson is not a starting QB in the NFL. I like them here solely because they are playing the lowly Rams.


Cowboys -3.5 @ Redskins
The Redskins will give good competition to the NFC East this year with a coach who can handle the high-money players down there, but the Cowboys are still a better team. Cowboys are good here.

Ravens @ Jets -2.5
It’s going to be a hard-knock first game for the Jets in Week 1. The Ravens are going to be a force in the AFC this year. The Jets have a great D, especially with Revis signed, but the Ravens match-em in that department, but have the better QB of the teams. Ravens win here with the points.

Chargers -4.5 @ Chiefs
Ahhh the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers are going to score at will in this game, as Rivers is going to come out looking strong. The question will be if their D can stop them and look like a great D should look like. Chargers win the game and cover the spread here.


Lock of the Week- Dolphins