Tag Archives: Denver Broncos

The Few Things I Remember From This New Year’s Weekend

My body came back yesterday, but I think my head just finally returned from Tahoe this evening. It was a blurry three days up at the cabin, but I managed to sprinkle in some sports here and there. The majority of it came on Saturday morning/afternoon, as it was do or die for not only the Oakland Raiders, but also the West Sac Narwhals (you guessed it, my fantasy team). Here’s the recap of my weekend in sports…

Boring Morning Games – The scores may look close, but the 49ers-Rams and Jets-Dolphins definitely didn’t feel as close as your average 34-27 or 19-17 games. Neither had much meaning, other than the Jets being able to make a small claim toward a playoff berth. The Niners were also able to sew up a bye in the first round. The fantasy relevance was limited, with only Steven Jackson struggling to muster up 9 points. The Rams did a good job of wiping points away from my opponent though, putting up 17 against his 49ers Defense. I’d have much rather been watching the Lions-Packers. I opted to start Matthew Stafford for just the second time this season. The only other time was during Tom Brady’s bye week, and he turned in a dismal 12 point performance. Who would’ve thought, though, that it’d be the other Matt throwing for 6 TDs. But, when you’re in Northern California, you can’t expect to see any other NFC games while the 49ers are playing. Maybe I was just bored waiting for the game of the year….

Oakland Raiders Can End 9 Year Playoff Drought – The scenarios were many, but one was simple. Beat the Chargers, and get a Denver loss at the hands of Kyle Orton and the Kansas City Chiefs, and they’re in. Beating the Chargers isn’t usually a doable task, but Oakland beat them in pretty convincing fashion in front of a national Thursday night NFL Network stage IN San Diego. Throw in Orton’s return to Denver (he HAS to light it up against his old team, right?), and I was feeling like the chances were good. The Chiefs took care of business, even if Orton didn’t light it up. A 7-3 ballgame seemed like the perfect setup for the Raiders to get in. Ultimately, though, a porous defense and untimely turnovers – both Raiders staples this season – squandered away a golden opportunity. Oakland will miss the playoffs yet again, and Denver backs into the playoffs, riding a 6-22, 60 yard, 1 interception, and a fumble lost game by Tim Tebow. Sounds to me like a perfect script for a Denver upset against Pittsburgh next weekend. Too bad I wasn’t still 10 minutes from Nevada anymore!

Demarcus Cousins Demanded Trade From Sacramento Kings – This one caught me way off guard. I read the news on my phone, and quite frankly, I was many sheets to the wind at this point. The headlines, though, were crystal clear….

“Demarcus Cousins DEMANDS Trade”

“Demarcus Cousins SENT HOME For Good”

“Demarcus Cousins Has Played His LAST GAME In Sacramento”

By the time I got caught up on all the news, it was over. I just watched the Kings lose to the Grizzlies, but Cousins was back out there as if nothing ever happened. Albeit he came off the bench and played just 22 minutes, it’s amazing enough that he saw the floor at all. He struggled offensively, just 4 points on 1-5 shooting; but he grabbed 8 rebounds, including a game-high 6 offensive boards. I’m hoping it gets more back to normal in the next few games. Here’s a BIG reason why… Tonight, I was officially SOLD on Jimmer Fredette as an effective NBA player. He CAN get his shot off. He CAN create off the dribble. He CAN shoot 3’s from NBA range. OK, I suppose no one ever doubted the last one. Well to make up for that one, I’ll add that he CAN pass. Like Tyreke Evans, no one will ever be sold on him being an NBA point guard, but he can find the open man like one. So maybe two of those guys in the backcourt can equal one point guard. They’ve got another guy who can light it up with the best of them too in Marcus Thornton. If only they had a tall, quick, athletic, passing big man to round it out. Oh wait, they DO. It appears they’re on the brink of trading him though. If they end up shipping Cousins away, we’ll know it had to have been bad, because he’s a once in a decade talent, like a second coming of Chris Webber. Unfortunately, it took Webber a trade or two to really find his groove. Cousins has lasted longer in Sac than C-Webb did in Golden State, but it feels eerily similar. Who knows, maybe Demarcus gets reunited with John Wall in Washington for a few years, then he spends his prime in Oakland for the Warriors.

One Last Thought – Were there ANY College Football Bowl Games on New Year’s Day? I thought New Year’s Day was supposed to be about Bowl Games…? I swear, when I was a kid, roughly 6 of the best 7 of all 15 bowl games were on New Year’s Day. If I remember my weekend correctly (which I certainly don’t), NONE of the 35 Bowls were played on Sunday. What the HELL?! Oh well, Sunday was for BBQing. I broke out my new smoker and probably served up the best trio of Tri-Tip, Pork Loin, and Smoked Salmon this side of the Rocky Mountains. Yeah, I said smoked Tri-Tip… It’s California. I can’t find a brisket to save my life out here. One day, smoked Tri-Tip is gonna be a nationwide phenomenon though. It’s gonna be the Tim Tebow of barbeque… no one thinks it can be that good, but all it does it WIN.


Orton’s Final Stand

Not sure who this guy is, but he does one hell of a Orton impression! I think Charlie Sheen is the only one who can describe what Tebow is doing better than Orton did above. At least Orton went to KC where he can get some revenge on New Years Day when they play the Broncos…


Wow Denver…

So, today MCeezy and I got our wish of landing Carson Palmer on the Raiders. You never can tell what you’re getting until you see him play, but overall it’s hard to dislike the move as a Raiders fan. I’ve already heard some say he might flop because his last few years weren’t all that great, but then again when he was in Cincy, and his RB’s to help shoulder the offensive load there were Rudi Johnson, Chris Perry, and Cedric Benson (Not exactly an All-Pro list). I’m sure DMac will help him get some easy one on one situations on the outside, and he can’t throw the deep ball any worse than Campbell did, so all signs point to it being a good acquisition. I had to write a little about it even if it doesn’t have to do with the video, since obviously it’s the Raiders.

Anyways, I found this awesome Tebow tribute today, and think that Broncos fans might just be completely nuts to think Tebow is going to lead them to a super bowl anytime soon. They have many more question marks than at the QB position. Orton might be more hated man in Denver than Melo was leading up to the trade deadline, without even really doing anything that wrong besides sucking… Even if Tebow does lead them to a win this weekend over a pathetic Dolphins squad, is that even impressive? I’m sure we’ll hear plenty out of Denver regardless of the results…


When I’m Wrong I Say I’m Wrong….

A little while back I expressed my disdain over the Denver sentiment that Tim Tebow should be their starting quarterback. I understood their desire to see their entertaining young player make some plays on the field, but at the same time, I knew Kyle Orton was the safe bet to run the Broncos’ offense. This past weekend, since the 49ers were blowing out the Buccaneers, I caught a good majority of the Denver-San Diego game, and in the second half, it was clear that it was Tebow time. Down 16, Tebow made an immediate impact when called upon. All would agree that Tebow can make plays with his feet, but most would argue that that’s not a recipe for success in the NFL. I too knew Tebow could scramble with the best of em, but his arm actually impressed me in the extended time I got to see him play. After he scored a TD on his first drive with his legs, Tebow made an amazing throw on the two-point conversion attempt to Brandon Lloyd. Even though commentator Rich Gannon was able to pick Tebow’s fundamentals apart, I thought it was a perfect throw. Lloyd was nearly able to pull it in, and much credit has to be given to the defender for breaking it up. Even though Knowshon Moreno was primarily responsible for the Broncos’ next score, Timmy T led another solid drive downfield. Tebow also made some solid throws on the failed attempt to tie the game though time expired on Denver’s final drive. The bottom line is, Tim Tebow gives the Broncos just as much of a chance to win as Kyle Orton did, but brings a lot more potential for amazingness. So for that, I eat my words. I warned Denver fans to be careful what they wished for, but now I’m on board. It’s kind of like Occupy Wall Street. At first I was skeptical, but now that I see the possibilities, I’m on board. Consider me a part of Occupy Mile High.


Be Careful What You Wish For, Broncos Fans

I really don’t get the Coup d’eTebow going on out in Denver. Well, I do, but I don’t get how some fans can be so disillusioned to think that replacing Kyle Orton with Tim Tebow would turn the Broncos around. I wasn’t going to chime in when the fans were already chanting Te-bow in the season opener, but now I hear some wealthier fans are actually taking up billboards.  I don’t think the Broncos front office is trying to keep Tebow off the field. All the chatter at the beginning of training camp was that he would be the starter. Then he fell to number 2, then to 2B, next to Brady Quinn. Clearly Tebow played his way off the field. Surely the front office would LOVE to put their most marketable player out their on the field. Shoot, if he played even with Kyle Orton, they’d probably give him the nod. Obviously, playing Tebow is simply not a good football decision. It’d be like out here in Sacramento, if the NBA season ever starts, and the Kings weren’t playing Jimmer Fredette (which won’t happen). Fans would react the same, EXCEPT, they’d be smart enough NOT to call for him to play over Tyreke Evans. Fortunately in basketball it’s different and they can play together.

I got quite a heavy dose of Kyle Orton this past week, since the Broncos were opening the season against the Oakland Raiders. True, he can leave a little to be desired at times, but what I kept thinking to myself – especially in the second half, when the Te-Bow chants ridiculously started chiming on from the Mile High Crowd – was, would Tebow be making the plays that Orton isn’t? Not once did I say yes. The bad throws by Orton, I couldn’t see Tebow threading the needle any better. And even though Orton was sacked five times, Tebow, despite his well-documented scrambling skills, would not have evaded ANY of them. It’s not as though Orton was dancing around in the pocket getting chased down by 300 pounders. The Raiders defensive line (which I’m going to start calling the best in the NFL pretty soon) was simply bullrushing through the Broncos’ offensive line. Orton didn’t even have time to SEE them. What’s Tebow going to do in that situation?! I guess Denver fans want to find out. One day they probably will, and that’ll be the day the Tebow billboards will come down. Let’s just hope there’s a good-humored fan out there who’ll have the cash to replace it with a “IN with Quinn” billboard.


Dodgeball

Alright…. this has gone too far. It’s gone too far, and we’re not even to the NBC Sunday night game. But this Matt Dodge kid is getting thrown under the bus pretty hard today. At some point during both Jets-Steelers and Raiders-Broncos, the CBS coverage crews were dumping on him pretty hard. Now, ESPN Sportsnation is getting a few kicks in with their latest poll. Who do you blame more, the Giants defense or MATT DODGE? Do we really believe he was told deliberately not to punt to Desean Jackson, and he just munsoned it? I’ve got to give him more credit than that. This one’s on the coaches if you ask me. In every operation, you’ve got people in charge of making decisions, and it’s their job to put certain people in the right situations. If you’re getting paid to run the show, then you should probably make a point to make sure your punter knows to not punt to Jackson. It’s just a simple lack of preparation. We all do it, but damn, they’re really letting this kid take the fall for it this time. Just because he’s the league leader in blocked punts doesn’t mean he’s an idiot. Not sure why I’m defending this guy – I’d never even heard of him before today. The Legend of Michael Vick just grew a whole nother chapter though…..

Which makes me want to weigh in, for the first time really, on Michael Vick. Chris Berman said (overdramatically) that players didn’t want to let Vick down. This is true because a lot of players could have been dragged down with him, but he basically took the fall for the whole league. He didn’t run a dogfighting ring; he bred dogs. He bred them and sold them to his colleagues. Naturally they wanted badass dogs that could fight and his business evolved. He made some costly decisions, but in the end, he took the fall for a lot of other people’s actions – and never threw anyone under the bus in the process. As a result, the majority of the NFL is going out their way to have his back in return for him having theirs. If there is a way for the Eagles to play in Atlanta against the Falcons in the playoffs, sign me up. That’s looking like the likely NFC Championship game right now.

In West Coast news, Tim Tebow made his first NFL start – in Oakland. The most Christian player in the league has to make his debut in the Black Hole, with demons and skeletons everywhere. It brought a smile to my face last night when I heard the news he was getting the start. Much to my delight, the Raiders pulled away in the second half and came away with a 39-23 win. That’s a total of 98 points on the Broncos this year in two games. Shanahan would’ve never stood for this, but he’s got his own share of problems right now. As for the Raiders, they’ll host the Colts next week, in a game that’s unfortunately important for Indianapolis. Oakland is now 2 games back with two to play. The upside is that they’re really only one game back from a winner-take-all showdown in Kansas City. The possibility of the Chiefs losing to Tennessee just got a little more promising today with the Titans showing signs of life and beating Houston. The Colts game is one the Raiders really have no business winning, but it makes the game worth watching, and those are two words I haven’t used to describe a Week 16 Raiders game in a long time.

 

 


A Great Day In Denver

It wasn’t quite as exciting as the home win over San Diego two weeks ago, but it sure was nice to see the Raiders hang 59 points of the Broncos at Mile High. They’re lucky to get 59 points in four games, let alone four quarters. The Raiders got on the board quick with a 43 yard touchdown pass from Jason Campbell to a wide open Zach Miller. Right about at that point I realized, WE HAVE A GAME. It’s a great feeling that a Raider fan only gets to experience three or four times a year. You never know when they’re going to show up. Even if you try to guess when they will, they definitely won’t. So today when I saw Campbell and Miller connect on their opening drive touchdown, I decided I’d better knock out my weekly Sunday chores now rather than wait till the second half when the Raiders are long out of it. I bounced out to the garage for what seemed like 5 minutes to vacuum my car, and when I came back in, it was 21-0! Fortunately, they weren’t done, so I got to see the next 38 points that followed. It was bittersweet that Darren McFadden’s four touchdowns went to my fantasy opponent, but for a win like this, I’ll take it. At least he had Kyle Orton… Anyway, now that the Raiders sit firmly in second place, just 1.5 games back of division leader Kansas City, it’s time for one of those can the Raiders be a playoff contender? Let’s predict their win-loss record game by game for the rest of the season and see where they end up deals…

Wk 7: @Denver.  59-14 Win.  (3-4) The best Raiders performance of the last 7 seasons gives them a 2-0 record in the division.

Wk 8: Seattle.  13-24 Loss.  (3-5) Seattle realizes it’s suddenly 4-2 and in the driver’s seat in the NFC West and decides to make a run at it.

Wk 9: Kansas City.  10-35 Loss.  (3-6) The Chiefs continue with an easy schedule by cruising through Buffalo and have the division in their back pocket.

Wk 10: BYE  (3-6) A tough matchup, but it’s usually the one week the Raiders never lose.

Wk 11: @Pittsburgh.  3-35 Loss.  (3-7) Not sure how you manage to draw the Steelers in Pittsburgh two years in a row, but probably not gonna win two in a row.

Wk 12: Miami. 24-28 Loss.  (3-8) Oakland’s had a tough time with Miami, only winning once this decade in the regular season. There was a shutout playoff victory in there.

Wk 13: @San Diego. 6-27 Loss.  (3-9) I should’ve known they weren’t gonna be able to pull it off twice in a row.

Wk 14: @Jacksonville. 30-13 Win.  (4-9) Ah, finally a game against a bad team. That always helps remind the Raiders they can be good.

Wk 15: Denver. 34-42 Loss.  (4-10) The Broncos avenge their week 7 massacre behind three rushing TDs for Tim Tebow.

Wk 16: Indianapolis. 9-38 Loss.  (4-11) The Colts are fighting for a playoff spot and the Raiders are downward spiraling into draft position. This can’t end well.

Wk 17: @Kansas City. 17-13 Win.  (5-11) With the division sewn up, the Chiefs rest their starters and Oakland withstands a late game drive by Brodie Croyle to lock up another 5-11 season for Tom Cable.

Call me a pessimist if you must, just call me right when the season is over.

 


AFC West Stronger Than Expected E-Mail Thread

Friday’s aren’t always all that busy at work, and we had some time to break down the AFC West between a Chargers, Broncos, and Raiders fan.

Cali4Dre: So I was looking at the Chiefs schedule the rest of the way, here’s what it looks like with my assumptions highlighted (green=win, red=loss, yellow=too close to call).  My apologies to Oakland for not giving them a chance in their two games, and to Denver for calling their home game too close to call  I gave the Chargers the win at home because their loss in week one was on the road, and they still had a chance to win on the final drive of that fluky, stormy game.

I can easily see them winning at least 9 games, and if the split the yellow ones it looks more like an easy 11 win season.  Pretty scary for the Chargers and Broncos, they have to be fairly perfect clean the rest of the way to keep up cause it looks like the Chiefs will be 6-2 going into the second week of Nov…

After Sunday’s game against the Colts, the Chiefs play only two more games against teams that were in the playoffs in 2009

Chiefs’ Remaining 2010 Schedule

 

Date

Opponent
Sunday, Oct. 10 at Indianapolis
Sunday, Oct. 17 at Houston
Sunday, Oct. 24 Jacksonville
Sunday, Oct. 31 Buffalo
Sunday, Nov. 7 at Oakland
Sunday, Nov. 14 at Denver
Sunday, Nov. 21 Arizona (Changed to Win)
Sunday, Nov. 28 at Seattle
Sunday, Dec. 5 Denver
Sunday, Dec. 12 at San Diego
Sunday, Dec. 19 at St. Louis
Sunday, Dec. 26 Tennessee
Sunday, Jan. 2 Oakland

Chappy: You have them losing to AZ!?! I guess you’re a Max hall/BYU fan…

I guess of anyone, I wouldn’t mind the Chiefs taking the division, kinda like me rooting for the Rangers to take the AL West this year…

It’s funny at the beginning of the year I chalked up the Chief’s games as wins for Oakland, but now I’d question any game they play as a win.

Comstock: tough day at work, huh?

I think it’s a little premature to say this team will win 10 games, as their 3 wins have come in the MNF “fluke,” pulling out a late win vs. a not very good Cleveland team, and blowing out a grossly overrated Niners team at home.  we’ll find out a lot about how good this team really is with 2 significant road tests in a row.

BUT they should beat Arizona at home…it’s safe to say after 4 weeks that team sucks.

Cali4Dre: Sorry guys, I did mean to put the Arizona game in green… my bad.  So if that’s the case, then they will definitely finish above .500???

Comstock: I can get down with that…they may not turn out to be a playoff team, but the turnaround is definitely well under way.

Chappy: I have my doubts that they will for sure be over .500, because didn’t the Broncos start 6-0 or something like that last year?!? That didn’t turn out so well…

Cali4Dre: With all the parity this year, such as the Colts not looking so dominant and owning the South division spot, there is a definite possibility that two teams will come out of the West this year… Continue reading


Doin Lines Week 5

That football is doing some serious lines!

Looks like we both need to re-evaluate how we are making these picks. We got one right out of ten last week, setting the lowest week total of wins since I’ve started doing this. Just like New Orleans picked itself up after Hurricane Katrina, we will have to do the same. We just need to hope that this turnaround happens a little faster than the real life one. This losing streak is showing me that no matter how much you think you know going into a game, you don’t really know crap compared to those lines makers. Just like the Geek and Sammy we have proven that we are good a pickin losers so far. It can’t be this bad for the rest of the year can it!?! I doubt it, so on to the picks.

What is the writing equivalent to being so ashamed, that you can’t even show your face in public?  Would it be, being so ashamed that you wouldn’t want to let anyone read your words?  Because that is how I feel after three consecutive, embarrassing weeks of football picks.  If you fancy my words, or my humor, or perhaps lack there of, I appreciate your loyalty to me.  But please, I beg of you, please do not read my picks for … *gasp* my picks.  After going 1/5 last week, it absolutely dawned on me.  I suck at this.  I suck at this bad.  Do I give up?  No.  But I am not cruel enough to wish bad upon our readers, so I hope you all either run as far away as you can from my picks, or simply pick the opposite.  My picks should have yellow caution tape surrounding them.  With that said, here are this week’s losers …

Last Week (Chappy 0-5, By 1-4) Overall (Chappy 8-14-1, By 6-12-2)

Denver (+7) @ Baltimore Continue reading


Tebow Slangin Some Jerseys’ Really Grinds My Gears

Tim Tebow hasn’t taken an NFL snap, and might not this whole season. I’m sure he’ll get in on some plays though kind of like his first year at Florida. The numbers on jersey sales came in from NFL’s website for the month of April, and Tebow was on top by a wide margin. I remember back when I saw Brady Quinn’s Right Guard commercial before he took a snap in the NFL, and it made me throw up a little. Mainly because these guys are already pulling in a ton of money from their ridiculous first round contracts and bonuses, then to top it all off they get a few extra million from advertising crap. Prove something to us before you start on the marketing campaigns. One thing I can draw from the sales, is that there are either a lot of religious people out there, or everyone in the state of Colorado and Florida decided to buy his jersey the second it was available.

I’m still as skeptical as the next guy on how Tebow will play in the NFL, and I don’t think it will work. Not just because I’m a huge Raiders fan, and want project Timmay to fall flat on it’s face, but because I wouldn’t have felt comfortable with him if he was on the Raiders. That’s the main way I decide exactly how much I think a player has to succeed. Do I want him on my team? No, not really, unless Jamarcus was still our starter. It feels like he’s got just about everything going against him in the media, and the “experts” analysis, so that makes me think he will want to prove those doubters wrong. If there’s one thing I know he’s good at, that would be proving people wrong with God as his guide. There is some irony to him picking #15 as his number. You replace Brandon Marshall, a perennial headache off the field, and now have #15 representing Jesus part 2.


The Other Raiders Show Up Again!

Still getting used to the fact that Jamarcus Russell threw a game winning touchdown pass today. I’m not ready to give him any credit for it however. It’s clear this team is stepping up as a unit and everyone is getting it done collectively. Great day for Michael Bush gaining 133 yards on the ground. For the Raiders, the wins don’t mean anything, but knocking the Broncos out of the division title hunt isn’t too bad of a consolation. Enjoy the highlights…. not sure how long the video will stay up before the NFL pulls it.


Doin Lines Week 14

You may as well put her out there since Ulacher's replacements haven't stepped up.

I was pretty pumped on Saturday, as I hit both the predictions I made for the Civil War and SEC Championship game. I didn’t do quite as well when it came to Sunday, but I still went 5-3 on the week bringing the season record to 36-34-1. It’s nice to see I’m not losing money as fast as Tiger is with all these mini settlements or the big one with his wife. One thought on the game I didn’t actually see tonight. How bad is this Steelers team that lost back to back games to the Raiders then the Browns? I’ll let you answer that one, but it’s not a playoff contender that’s for sure. As always the home teams are in bold.

Denver (+7) Over Indianapolis

Indy easily handled one of the hottest team in the league taking the Titans down in blowout fashion, but in the end the Colts love to play in close games. I think this week will be close as Denver seems to have regained some of their early season form and won their last two games. With Orton looking healthy again their offense is back on track, and can keep up with the Colts on the scoreboard. I’m not predicting that the undefeated streak is going to end here, especially the way the breaks are going for them. I know that the Broncos sure have a lot more at stake with this game, and I could see them possibly winning outright.

Cincinnati (+7) Over Minnesota

I guess this is bold picking two teams in a row to upset two of the top three teams in the league, but last week was the Vikings first real test since they played Green Bay six weeks ago. Minnesota showed that they aren’t unstoppable when they play a GOOD team, and Cincy is a GOOD team this year. I also think Cincy will come out a little more pumped than normal as they play the game with a chance to clinch their division. Aside from the game fell asleep on against Oakland they have been great this year. I’m sure they picked up a few pointers from Arizona last week, so maybe we will see Favre turn into Farva!  This should be one of the best games of the week!

Green Bay (-3) Over Chicago

Uh oh, last week I picked all road teams, and now I’ve already picked three! I really like this line though! It might be the easiest pick of the week! I think I like Charles Woodson more than the Monday Night Crew. He’s always been a favorite former Raider of mine. I still can’t figure out why teams would throw to his side of the field. If only we still had him and Asomugha, nobody would throw on us… Anyways, Green Bay is rolling right now, and the Packers have finally been keeping Rodgers upright. He’s currently tied for third in the NFL in passing TD’s and I don’t see any reason for him not to continue putting up big happy fantasy owner numbers against a suspect Bears D. I know this is a rivalry and all, but one team just isn’t that good, and the Bears fall off was worse than Tara Reid’s fall from fame.

The Media (-1,250 articles) on Tiger Woods OVER

I have to admit that I am surprised I ended up doing two posts on Tiger’s troubles, but since it’s all we hear about I had to add to the 30,000 articles already out there. Anyways, I’m taking the over 1,250 articles coming out this weekend that are Tiger related. This is slowly turning into a bigger fiasco than Michael Jackson’s death! Hopefully A&E doesn’t make a show about it like they did with the Jackson 5.

Houston (-6) Over Seattle

Yeah, I know the Texans have sucked lately, and the Seahawks have been playing decent, but just looking at Seattle’s 1-5 road record and haveonly score 16.7 points per road contest. Those numbers alone make me a believer in the Texans. Matt Schaub should be able to put up a solid fantasy day with a TD connection or two with Andre against a banged up 25th ranked passing defense. The Seahawks DON’T have a good offense, especially their supposed big play-maker TJ Houshmanzadeh who is averaging a stellar 3 catches for 7.9 yards per game with no touchdowns. One thing I do like about Seattle is that they are giving a chunk of carries to Forsett as he gets his shot to be the next big thing out of Cal. Funny note from Yahoo on Forsett about Jim Mora’s awesome job as coach!

Dec 7 Forsett scored a touchdown but got only eight touches Sunday as the Seahawks stubbornly stuck with the less dynamic Julius Jones.

Recommendation: Jones got 25 touches and did little with them, totaling 64 yards. Forsett totaled 34 yards, almost all of it coming on a 25-yard reception. It seems obvious to everyone but coach Jim Mora that Forsett should see more action. Perhaps that will happen, but don’t count on it until there’s official word. Forsett’s “tweaked” quadriceps was not a factor.

Tennessee (-13) Over St. Louis

The Titans hit a speed bump last week on their march to an improbable playoff berth. I doubt they can do it, but you never know. I see them winning convincingly after a tough game against Indy. Going home is always a boost, but playing the Rams might be even more of a boost. The biggest hype for the Lambs is Todd Mcshay and Mel Kiper Jr. arguing over whether they should pick Jimmy Claussen at the top of next year’s draft. I’m already sick of their big boards and projections, we don’t even know if the Rams will have the honor to pick that high! They might even improve their pick by pulling out a win in Tennessee! Ok, just kidding, I think if that happened, the Nets will make the NBA playoffs! Which by the way you can get a good discount on this site by buying them now!

Oakland (+1) Over Washington

Yes, I finally get my chance to gush on Gradkowski, and yes, I’m going to go right ahead and jinx him right now by picking the Raiders to win at home. Sure he throws some ugly looking passes, but didn’t Jeff Garcia do that his whole career!?! Bruce has given us a true leader in the huddle. I haven’t been this proud/excited with anything Raiders related in quite some time, and now that the offense looks like it actually has some confidence with the play-makers after FINALLY getting them some touches! Louis Murphy has been a fan favorite since they drafted him, and it’s good to see him being able to showcase his skills by having a QB that can get the ball to him. Washington does everything they can to lose each week, and that was on full showcase against the Saints. They are about as healthy as Al Davis, so I wouldn’t expect much of a showing on the road. If their spirits weren’t broken last week, then maybe Zorn isn’t that bad. Maybe they’ll come out fired up, but more than likely after that rough loss they might just pack it in for the rest of their games this season.

San Diego (+3) Over Dallas

This match up features the hottest team in the league versus the luckiest. Is it just me or do teams like to give games away when they play the Cowboys. I hate that their game is always televised, and I hate even more I have to watch some dumbass move by the other team that gives Dallas a win. It’s getting ridiculous. I keep thinking that it can’t happen again right!?! Well, I’m sure it could, but the Chargers look as focused as they’ve ever been. I think even Norv Turner has made me think that he can actually coach a little. I guess those Turner theories only work in the playoffs. I see Romo making one too many mistakes this week against an improving San Diego defense. We all know that Dallas likes to crumble in December, so lets just hope it’s fun to watch!


Doin Lines Week 13

Well, I took a week off, but I’m back! I’m actually pretty surprised that I have done my picks for all but one week. Anyways in week 11, I went 4-3 which brought me back to .500 (31-31-1) on the year. As I was scanning through the upcoming games I realized that I liked a lot of road teams to win, so this week is my road LOCKS of the week! The lovely lady pictured above is a former Redskins cheerleader turned wife to a Redskin named Chris Cooley. Yes, the guy who let his dong flop out for everyone to see on his blog (that’s his wife, Christy). As usual the home teams are in bold, or in this case listed 2nd

Denver (-4.5) Over Kansas City

I actually think KC can hang in there with the Broncos, but that all depends on which Denver team shows up. Is it going to be the physical one that pushed teams around on the line of scrimmage for seven wins or will it be the team that got pushed around in four losses? I think having the extra few days off, and annihilating the Giants, should give them at least a little more confidence going into this showdown. If KC has any shot, it will be because of Jamaal Charles is running the ball effectively. The Broncos should win this game convincingly, if they truly are a contender.

Tennessee (+6.5) Over Indianapolis

This game features two teams that have lived to win in the 4th quarter. Vince and Peyton have been the definition of clutch these past six weeks. Only one team can win this week though, and you can bet it will be close. It’s ridiculous that the spread is this high even if the Colts are at home. The Colts haven’t beat the spread in three straight weeks, and this week doesn’t seem much different to me. The Titans are possibly the hottest team in the league, and the college option play with Vince and Johnson seems to have every analyst drooling worse than Peter Griffen’s co-worker at the toy factory. They have been playing some inspired and fun to watch football, so we’ll see how it plays out! I think this Titans squad has more talent to end the Colts winning streak than the Texans did.

Philadelphia (-5.5) Over Atlanta

I’m not sold on the Eagles, and usually don’t bet on them because they are so up and down. This week however, they are playing against a very banged up Atlanta team missing their glue on offense. Having Turner and Ryan sidelined makes this all that much easier to pick Philly. It will be interesting to see how the crowd reacts to Vick, but honestly, I don’t really care if they boo or cheer. If he was actually doing something in the offense, I could see a reason to make a big deal about it, but he’s not, so get over it MEDIA! It will just be a side note to the game. Desean Jackson will be out, but thankfully for the Eagles, they have plenty of other weapons to use in his absence.

New Orleans (-9.5) Over Washington

Zorn knows the end is near, looks like he's even tearing up!

The Miller Lite Can’t Make This Line High Enough Award, goes to, every opponent that the Skins play from here on out. As we proclaimed yesterday on Doin Work, Drew Brees is the front runner for MVP this season. Hardly a shock to many, but we had to debate it anyways! I don’t really foresee any possible way for the Redskins to keep this one close. The Saints are looking to clinch the NFC South with this victory, so it should give them enough incentive to NOT overlook this game even on a short week! After making Brady look like an average QB, just think what they will do to Campbell and this ugly offense.

St. Louis (+9) Over Chicago

Yes, I finally found a game I can take the points for the lambs. Actually, I’m not overly confident on this one, but since I have to stick with the road team theme, it’s very possible for them to cover. The Rams are a terrible team that might not win again for the rest of the year, but the Bears aren’t much better lately as they’ve completely abandoned the run, and have a defense that is a former shell of the dominant unit that it used to be. The loss of Lance Briggs won’t be helping them much. They’ve been giving up tons of points. The Rams have one bright spot, and that is Steven Jackson. He’s currently ranked 2nd in the league in rushing yards, despite the team playing from behind in most cases. It’s going to be tough for Chicago to compete if they don’t start giving Forte the ball some more! I know he hasn’t done much this year, but giving him only eight carries last week is ridiculous!

San Diego (-11.5) Over Cleveland

Rivers was in our MVP talks, mainly because the Chargers could be the hottest team in the league, but alas, he was denied from the top 5. This San Diego team is one that nobody wants to face right now, especially a team as bad as the Browns! LT is finally playing well, maybe it’s because of his kid he just had. He didn’t want his newborn to think that he was the reason for his decline into running back irrelevance. He’s been scoring like he used to lately as opposing teams forget to protect against the run in this pass happy offense. Their D has been stepping it up too, causing turnovers, and getting pressure on QB’s. They look like their normal December selves. It’s only a question now of when will Norv mess this up!


NFL Power Rankings Week 13

Since I was unable to make my gambling picks for the weekend being away for Turkey Day, I’ll have to settle with putting out my Power Rankings through Week 12. Without having the advantage of seeing how the big MNF matchup plays out I’ll just assume that the Saints win. Since everybody might be in the mood to slim down, after all that turkey I’m only doing the top 16 teams. No need to write about all the other teams that would just rather have an autograph from the guys lining up across from them.

#1 Indianapolis Colts (11-0)

It’s tough to not pick the Saints, but I think the resilience of this Colts team puts them over the top. They’ve now won five straight trailing going into the 4th quarter. If you aren’t convinced by that, they have won an amazing  19 in a row, and is the most behind the Patriots 21 straight.

#2 New Orleans Saints (10-0)

Drew Brees blah blah blah, he’s amazing blah blah blah. We’ve all heard it. The impressive part of this team is that they are the 5th ranked rushing team, and it’s not all because teams are playing the pass, it’s because they are actually very good at running the football. People always say how the Vikings are so balanced, this team is just as balanced as them!

#3 Minnesota Vikings (10-1)

Unfortunately I was completely wrong about Favre signing with the Vikings. I guess the season isn’t over yet, so there’s still hope he could suck it up still, but I’m not holding my breathe. The Silver Fox, as Jared Allen calls Favre, looks to keep it rolling all the way to a first round bye.

#4 New England Patriots (7-3)

Yes, Brady is as flaming as ever, but damn it I respect him… He’s got a better rhythm with his receivers than Bostonian sports fans have with being completely annoying. Their young defense has been a lot better recently, and they will need them to keep up the good play when it matters. Should be a good one Monday Night, and they will be tested every play with the Saints!

#5 San Diego Chargers (8-3)

Who would’ve thought the Chargers would be this good? Not me, and not most of their fans until recently. I thought they were the best in the AFC West, but not the kind of team that could win six straight. Somehow Norv has this team rolling, and they still don’t run that often, but it doesn’t seem to matter with Rivers throwing the ball 40 times a game. They might be the hottest team in the league.

#6 Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)

They didn’t dominate Cleveland like I thought they would, but at least they won which is better than they could say for playing against Oakland. The Cardiac Cats have proven they can come from behind, they can win ugly, and they play surprisingly good defense. They look to be a lock for the division title with the Steelers loss.

#7 Dallas Cowboys (8-3)

I don’t know why, but I just don’t think they as good worthy of their record. Of course there’s always a little extra drama with them, and Romo feels about as reliable as betting on or against the Raiders each week. I hope Dallas stumbles along the way, it always makes it more fun when they go into panic mode!

#8 Arizona Cardinals(7-4)

I can’t say I’ve been a big supporter or had any confidence in them against the spread this year, but they DO pull out wins, and look as explosive as ever with another new gadget in Beanie Wells. Even though they lost to the Titans they are still the division leaders, and should wrap up the west sooner than later. As long as they get old man Warner back in there, and Leinart doesn’t have to face Vince Young anymore, they will be fine.

#9 Philadelphia Eagles (7-4)

Mcnabb has won two close ones in a row! Maybe we can put to rest those talks of him being the worst closer in Philly and slide him to the #2 slot behind Lidge. They’ve had tons of injuries, but I think they’ll be able to pull through when everybody gets healthy. Let’s just hope for their sake that DeSean isn’t out for long after his concussion he suffered today.

#10 Green Bay Packers (7-4)

Rodgers IS having an amazing season. If it weren’t for him, their defense would probably outscore their offense! If they didn’t have to play Minnesota twice, they could probably be 9-2. Even missing key guys in their D they destroyed Detroit on Thanksgiving. They finally look like what everyone expected when the season opened, a playoff team.

#11 Denver Broncos (7-4)

They had a nice bounce back game against the Giants, but once again they will have to prove themselves after those four straight bad weeks. If they can somehow beat Indy in week 14, I’ll buy them as “for real” again. At the moment I don’t see them winning a wild card spot.

#12 Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)

They’ve been up and down as all title defenders usually are. I think Polamalu was a bigger loss than Big Ben. I’ve always been a big Dixon fan, so I was glad to see him get a chance to showcase his abilities in the NFL. Baltimore barely beat them tonight, and with a third string QB starting and Troy out this should have been much more lopsided, so even though the Ravens won the Steelers are still the better team.

#13 Baltimore Ravens (6-5)

I don’t really think the Ravens D is all that great anymore. Thankfully they have Ray Rice to help Flacco put up some points, which haven’t been as plentiful as they once were. It was a big win for them tonight, but I don’t see that translating into a wild card berth…

#14 Atlanta Falcons (6-5)

With Matt Ryan hurt, I’m not sure this team is really going to go anywhere. Even if they get back Turner, I still don’t see them turning it around. It’s been a disappointing season for them, and I don’t expect to see them in the playoffs.

#15 Tennessee Titans (5-6)

I actually think the Titans are better than the two above teams, but since they are under .500 it’s hard for me to justify putting them at 13. Vince has made me a believer, and also may have cemented himself with Mario Williams as the best players from that 2006 draft.

#16 Miami Dolphins (5-6)

They haven’t missed a beat since losing Ronnie Brown, and I for one thought they would. The Wildcat has been as effective as ever with Rickey looking like the dominant back we remember from his prime! I like this team, because they show up every week whether they have a good chance to win or not.


Thanksgiving Games of the Day

Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions, 9:30am PST

Sentiment for dropping the Lions from the annual Thursday docket has reached an all-time high this year, but personally, I think the Lions are a Thanksgiving Day tradition. They are the tryptophan to my NFL turkey. It’s just too bad they always play the FIRST game. At any rate, today’s game should be somewhat interesting, as Matthew Stafford will take to a national stage against a division rival. Today we’ll see if the Lions are headed in the right direction, or simply mired in another aimless so-called rebuilding phase. If only they had Mel Gray!

Oakland Raiders @ Dallas Cowboys, 1:15pm PST

Many are predicting this game to be an equally bad trouncing as the first game. However, the Raiders placed a little bit of hope in NFL fans’ minds with last weekend’s upset over the Bengals. Oakland is out to prove they are a new team with Bruce Gradkowski at the helm. Meanwhile, Dallas is out to prove, yet again, that they are a legitimate contender this season. Either way, today we’ll find out exactly who these two teams are.

New York Giants @ Denver Broncos, 5:20pm PST

About a month ago, it looked like we’d have a rare big game on Thanksgiving Day. Thanks to the Broncos, losers of four straight, this is no longer true. Instead, the Giants and Broncos will play with a large part of their season on the line. The winner will remain in the playoff hunt, while the loser, presumably Denver, will suffer a devastating loss that would likely kill any hopes for momentum down the stretch run of the season.

Orlando Magic @ Atlanta Hawks, 5pm PST

Atlanta owns the best record in the East, thanks to the spectacular play of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Jamal Crawford. Orlando has had an equally impressive start while adjusting to the reinsertion of Rashard Lewis into the lineup. Three of the five best teams in the East reside in this Southeast Division, so tonight’s game will be a key step forward for the winner of this game in controlling the division – for the time being.

Chicago Bulls @ Utah Jazz, 7:30pm PST

Chicago and Utah are two teams sort of teetering on the balance between good teams and contenders. They both feature superstar point guards in Derrick Rose and Deron Williams, along with rising stars down low in Joakim Noah and Paul Millsap. With the Bulls sitting at 6-7 and the Jazz an even .500 at 7-7, both teams will be fighting hard to pull this win out and stay above the .500 mark.

Portland University @ UCLA, 7:30pm PST

There’s plenty of college hoops action today, but given our West Coast bias, this is the game of the day. Portland has become an unlikely threat to challenge Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference. On the other side, UCLA is unranked, due in part to a season opening loss to Cal State Fullerton. They rebounded with wins over Cal State Bakersfield and Pepperdine. Tonight will be UCLA’s final tuneup before a showdown with #1 Kansas two Sundays from now.