Tag Archives: Minnesota Vikings

Who is the Best of the NFL’s Undefeated Teams?

The game looks easy for great players!

The game looks easy for great players!

After debating with some friends and co-workers about who is the best undefeated team in the league, I think I’ve made my choice,  and that choice would be the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have made the best case for this spot, and it all starts with Breeeeeesss! His complete demolition of the #1 rated NFC Giants defense was pretty much the marker for how good they are this season. I thought they were good before, but this past weekend has made me see the light! Their run so far has been nothing short of amazing, and their whole team seems to be on the same page on offense and defense. They’ve even showed they can run the ball, but teams will still scheme to stop Brees. They are truly a team that has everything working on all cylinders.  They have a great leader to keep the ship steered straight, and fired up at the same time. I think they are a gambling mans goldmine as they cover the spread every week. One more crazy Brees stat since I’m all over him like Tim Mclelland on those 3rd base calls tonight during the ALCS. He’s got 13 TD’s this season which is only 7 less than all the QB’s in the NFC South combined and he’s had a bye week.

I'd give Peyton the ball in a game against Bears...

I'd give Peyton the ball in a game against bears...

The Colts came in a close second, and it’s really hard to pick against the reasonable early choice for MVP, Peyton Manning, but at the moment I have them slotted in at #2. We really haven’t seen the Colts at full strength, so it’s tough to say what they’ll be like when Bob Sanders and corner back Kelvin Hayden return on defense. With the relentless Mathis and Freeney, it can only give offenses more problems to worry about. They also recently lost Vinitari the most clutch kicker in a long time! If they get healthy, they might be getting the ball back more often for Peyton to work his magic. Maybe it’s because they haven’t been tested by any truly good teams yet, so there isn’t real measuring stick to go by for them. It’s too bad we won’t find out this week as they should run over a hapless Rams team. I don’t think Vegas can set a line high enough for the Colts coming off a bye week playing the Rams. It’s probably my top pick in doin lines week 7! Anyways, the Colts have the most room to improve of the undefeated teams as Peyton gets better acquainted with his receivers, and their defense gets some extra swagger back with Sanders. Either way, they are going to be a force through the rest of the season.

I think Marshall is as surprised as everyone else that it's all working out in Denver!

I think Marshall is as surprised as everyone else that it's all working out in Denver!

The Broncos are a shocker to everybody except maybe, Bill Simmons… I might root against them because they are in my beloved Raiders division, but in the end they have been very impressive. They are balanced, and Orton doesn’t make mistakes. Who cares about his winning record as a QB, it’s all about their defense and preparation for the games. Sure Orton might be a good game manager, but he’s not anywhere near the same league as the two guys mentioned above.  The Broncos have seemed to be one step ahead of their competition every game, and at the perfect times. I along with many kept waiting for the, I told you so loss, but it keeps not happening. I guess they are for real. I kinda thought they were the real deal last year, and crumbled epically bad down the stretch, but this feels like and is a much different team. The only reason I still have a mild doubt is that they haven’t had one injury this year. They haven’t made one change to their regular season opening roster, which makes me wonder if they have any big holes in the backups positions. One crazy stat; they’ve only allowed 10 points on defense in the 2nd half of games. They’ve given up more special teams points in the 2nd half than defensive points. This just shows how great they are at making crucial halftime adjustments. If you can win half the battle you can win a lot of games, even the Raiders D proved that against the Eagles. Bystradaumas wrote a good piece on the Broncos D.

The Vikings come in fourth in this race. I think they have the weakest coach of the bunch, and seem to struggle to hold the big leads that they have had in nearly every game. Giving teams chances could have cost them two games. They could have easily lost to the 49ers and the Ravens. I just don’t have confidence in Childress when the game is on the line, but he’s been lucky so far. Childress feels like a guy that would rather have the clock run down instead of going for an extra score with :40 seconds before the half. His weak decisions will cost them a game at some point, and almost led them to a 4-2 record, which makes me feel like they are at the bottom of these four undefeated teams. I’m really mixed with the Vikes as I like AP and Jarred Allen, but Favre annoys the crap out of me! It’s really hard for me to like or dislike them. It’s really confusing me! So I’ll leave it to you to decide!


Doin Lines Week 6

This picture might be better to look at than watch the Raiders play this week.

I think she might be more accurate than JaMarcus... We should give her a shot at the starting job, right?!?

Ouch, I think that was about as good of a week as Rush Limbaugh’s had in the press. Just like his run it’s not the first time it’s happened! I think I must’ve been distracted making my picks like JaMarcus reviewing the game plan with a burger sitting in front of him. A rocky 1-6 weekend has led me to my first, uh oh, did I jinx myself by thinking I had it figured out!?! It’s a second straight week I’ve taken a Brady like roughing the QB ankle biter hits to my once amazing record. Now I’m 17-14, which isn’t anything to write home about. In all honesty, I expect better from myself. I think this was the week I was talking about on Doin Lines Week 4, when I thought a Brad Lidge type meltdown was coming. It did happen, but strangely it was a Ryan Madson type meltdown two weeks later, weird… Anyways, it’s good to get that bad week out of the way, and now I’m ready for a big comeback this Sunday! Here are my Week 6 picks. Same as before the home teams are in BOLD.

Minnesota (-3) Over Baltimore

It’s funny how after the first couple weeks of the season everybody had the Ravens as the best team in the league, which I really never agreed with. Minnesota will be tested in this game, but I think they have the firepower to get it done against the Ravens D. I really like how balanced they are. It used to be all AP, but now defenses have to scheme around the passing attack as well. Speaking of AP, he hasn’t had one of those freakish highlight reel games in awhile, so maybe he’s due. Chances are against that against Ray Ray and the Ravens, but he is the best back in the league so it’s always possible.

Chiefs (+6.5) Over Redskins

Jason Campbell looks confused way too much for me to have any confidence in him.

Whatever coach, just give me the damn play!

Exqueeze me? Baking powder? Did Vegas give the Redskins a touchdown spread? The Skins haven’t shown me enough to prove that they are worthy of being nearly a 7 point favorite. They barely escaped the Lambs by two! If the Skins showed any life against the really easy schedule they’ve had so far I might pick them, but when I honestly think KC could win this game outright I may as well take some points with that. It’s not that I think KC is close to good this year, but it seems like they actually are showing up to compete every game, and I do see them playing hard in this one. Kansas City gives up a lot of points, but Washington just can’t move the ball no matter who their playing. I look for this to be about as entertaining as last week’s Bills and Browns suckfest, so put your money on KC and just check the ticker.

New Orleans (-3) Over NY Giants

This is a tough one, and even though they both came off the bye weeks, I have to take the Saints at home. You might say the Giants played last week, but it was against the Raiders, so it was just a long scrimmage for them.This is a pretty good pregame ritual!

You could argue that the Saints have played better teams so far, and that would be true, as four of the Giants games were against teams with a combined 3-13 record. So by strength of schedule the Saints are the better team. I like good teams coming off bye weeks with plenty of time to study their opponent. Drew Brees with lots of time to prepare sounds like a setup for one of those MVP case building games. His crazy chant and dance ought to fire up the home team enough to put up 10 a quarter and give this Giants D something to actually test them. With Eli’s sort of injury, it’ll be interesting to see if the Saints bring some pressure early to test his durability.

Pittsburgh (-14) Over Cleveland

I’m not sure I buy that the Steelers are good this year, but I do buy that they are two touchdowns better than the  Browns. I’m still kind of shocked that the Browns are even in the win column, but someone had to win that game last week. I think Pittsburgh will blow this one open early, as their passing attack looked pretty good last week. I feel like they’ve been playing down to their opponent, but they’re due for a big blowout. It looks like Mendenhall is getting some nice big holes to run through lately, and I think that’s why the passing game is opening up for them. The Browns boast a 32nd ranked rush defense so I’m hoping we get to see Ben scramble for some always fun awkward white guy running moments.

Detroit (+13.5) Over Green Bay

I’m not sure why I like them to cover. Maybe it’s a little because I’m turning into a mini Lions fan from a gambling standpoint, or maybe it’s because they only lost by 8 to the defending champs. Either way, I like taking the points against an inconsistent Green Bay team. Do I think Detroit will win? Doubtful, but seeing their new frisky attitude shows me that they are starting to be considered a “team” instead of a “speed bump”. Also, since the Pack have had such a hard time protecting Rodgers it helps this choice, because the Lions pass rush is actually pretty good. I also think the surprisingly good Lions running game could do well against a bad run defense. Hopefully Megatron will be on the field, he’s definitely worth about 6 points to in this game.

TJ Houshmanzadeh Seahawks SeattleSeattle (-3) Over Arizona

I still think that both these teams suck, but one has to win, and I think it will be the home team as they get healthier. Seattle has the 9th ranked passing defense, so they should be able to at least somewhat contain the Arizona passing attack. On the other side, the Cards have the worst passing defense in the league ranked 32nd. Last week against Jacksonville it finally looked like Hasselbeck was getting comfortable with his receivers, which included a sighting of their big offseason acquisition TJ Whosyourmama. Maybe I got caught up after watching Sonicgate and am picking a bad team foolishly, but it’s tough to convince me Arizona wasn’t a red hot playoff fluke last season.


Doin Lines Week 5

Football Field SidelineIt looks like we are starting to be able to tell between the contenders and the pretenders are already. The games actually seem much easier to pick than the past couple years. Even though last week was a little disappointing for my standards (2-3), but I wasn’t overly confident in very many games going into the week, which is why I probably only picked 5 games. Green Bay killed me when they went for the FG while down two scores. Why didn’t they go for a TD to cover that spread! I guess that should be no excuse, I expect better from myself! I’m still 16-7 on the season, so I have a little leeway at the moment in terms of a winning record on the season. I can honestly say I felt different last week watching the games, and suddenly realized that JaMarcus has single-handedly overthrown any hopes I had left that the Raiders could be competitive from week to week. Sure they might show up every third week and give someone a close game possibly even winning a couple, but in my eyes, the “caring” about the outcomes part of this season, is over. It’s scary that I was more excited about a pre-season Warriors game than my Raiders game in week 5! This should be good news from a betting perspective though! I’ll have minimal emotion attached to my picks. Here are my non-emotional LOCKS for week 5, and same as always, the home teams are in bold.

This should be on Mullet Galore's Homepage

This should be on Mullet Galore's Homepage.

Minnesota (-10) Over St. Louis

These teams are polar opposites of each other. I’m no fan of the Favre 24 hour network, but this team is very good, and can’t afford to take anyone lightly. It doesn’t seem like a team that would either. The Vikes and Rams records are mirror images of each other, literally (5-0, 0-5) I can’t write a backwards five but you get the idea. The Vikings are already the media’s darlings that are Super Bowl bound, and I have a hard time being convinced that they will let up this week. I actually can’t believe this spread isn’t over 14! Adrian Peterson should have a much better game compared to last weeks very un-AP like performance. The 49ers skunked the Rams last week 35-0, and I see this one ending close to that same score. This might be the easiest pick of the week. I’m more curious if Jared Allen is going to bring back that mullet! His hair looks long enough to do it again, bring it back Jared!

Buffalo (-6) Over Cleveland

Buffalo has been a little disappointing this season as I didn’t expect that heartbreaking opener to linger this long, but they’re not nearly as disappointing as the Browns. The Bills only have one way to go, and that’s up. They’re much too talented of a team to play this poorly as they showed last season that they were at least a team that could string together a few wins. I see them getting their swagger back against a scarily bad Browns team.

I’m not sure if Cleveland got worse because they made a terrible TV show on Fox with their town’s name, but they’re already looking to the future, and seem to have conceded this season. They already traded away Braylon this week, and seemed to get what they needed in some draft picks in the future. There is only one way I could possibly see the Browns being competitive in this one, which would have to include one spectacular game from Cribbs running some kicks back. That’s not all that likely since their defense doesn’t seem to like making the other team punt.

I doubt Patrick Willis is questioning much Singletary has to say on improvements to his game.

I doubt Patrick Willis is questioning much Singletary has to say on improvements to his game.

San Francisco (-2.5) Over Atlanta

Apparently the 49ers are more and more like Mike Singletary with each passing week. He seems to have the whole team believing in themselves, which can never be underestimated. They’re probably the least publicized 3-1 team that can only get better in four or five weeks when Crabtree gets all situated. If it wasn’t for that lucky/heroic Favre throw, they could be undefeated! They’ve covered or beat the spread for me every week this season, so this is no time to give up on them now with less than a field goal! Atlanta might be better than they’ve played so far, but their offense hasn’t been in sync all season. They are coming off a bye week, but I don’t see it being easy against a solid San Francisco defense. We might have to off on Michael Turner’s breakout week. Starter Shaun Hill is a surprising 7-0 at home for the 49ers which makes me more confident in this pick, and Vernon Davis is finally relevant in San Francisco. They have something amidst the foggy bay in an otherwise dead NFC West.

Carolina (-3.5) Over Washington

I’m not big on Carolina this year, and it’s pretty hard for me to pick this one since Delhomme gets booed as much as JaMarcus at home games. He’ll just have to hope their running game can help him cure his turnover habit he’s developed lately. They have a good O-Line, so I don’t see why they aren’t running more, oh yeah, they’re usually behind. I’m kind of picking them because I just have a hard time convincing myself that they aren’t a good team. They just had their bye week, so I’m sure they had plenty of time to prep for a crappy Redskins team. Also, there wasn’t any reports of Steve Smith punching a teamate, so that has to be a plus! The Skins have won two games, but they close games against the Rams and Bucs. One of their losses came to the Lions, so really the Redskins should have a winning record with the opponents they’ve faced so far. They just changed offensive coordinators, which is always a good sign for a team during the season. I see Carolina taking their frustrations out this week on a awful Washington team.

Wes Welker diving TD

Wes is more!

New England (-3) Over Denver

Much has been made over the Broncos sparkling record of 3-0, but I’m still not a believer. They’re much hyped defense hasn’t really faced anyone with a reputable offense. I wouldn’t even really count Dallas as a great offense at this point. I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t take the Broncos too serious yet. I think the Patriots are going to be their first real test. I thought Brady has looked like he’s coming back to his old form, and with Wes Welker being inserted back into the lineup we may see the offensive fireworks once again. Moss will be able to stop running the short routes and head upfield again! I see them getting rolling on offense again. I think Orton will have to prove himself this week as the Pats run defense is pretty solid. He’s got some playmakers in the wide receiver corp, but will he have enough time to find them against the new Patriots blitzing style defense?

Jacksonville (+1.5) Over Seattle

Don’t ask me why I’m breaking my golden rule of not betting on two crappy teams, because I don’t think I really have that answer at the moment. I guess I just have to pick the Jags, because they really took it to the Titans last week, and showed that that can be a good team at times. The Seahawks may or may not have Hasselbeck in at QB, but at this point does it really matter? Their whole offensive line is hurt, so even if he is in there with hurt ribs, I don’t see him being in there for too long. They honestly need to show me some sign of life against a team not named the Rams for me to pick them at any point this season. If Garrard had anyone besides MJD to pass to, I’d probably parlay this pick with the Minnesota game.

Maybe having the same QB every week can make him keep the balls from falling to the ground

Maybe having the same QB every week can make him keep the balls from falling to the ground.

New York Jets (-1.5) Over Miami

The big question in this game is: can the wild cat beat the 4th ranked defense in the league? The Rexecutioners have allowed the fewest yards in the league, and held the Madden style Saints to 10 points if it weren’t for Sanchez’s two mistakes this would have been a very close game. Sanchez will have to shoulder the offensive load with his new buddy Braylon, and critics are eager to see if he can bounce back from a bad start in Hispanic Heritage Month. The Jets have won their last three games in Miami, so I don’t see history changing now that Miami is in the Chad Henne phase of the franchise.


Doin Lines Week 4

Chalk LinesThis season has been great so far! I had a good Sunday last week going 5-1, and my sole misstep was betting on my own team. I guess my new rule should be to never bet on JaMarcus especially at home, where the crowd might be more hostile than any away game as seen on this youtube clip after the Denver game! My season record is now 14-4 from my picks last week, and my high confidence picks from the first two weeks. It’s scary how confident I feel picking games right now, I think I might be in for a big let down soon. Not like .500 let down, we’re talking Brad Lidge meltdown, but hopefully that won’t be next week! Since the bye weeks are starting up, I only really like five of the games on the board, so without further ado, here are my LOCKS of the week. Once again the home teams are in bold.

Detroit (+10) Over Chicago

Calvin Johnson Megatron

I can’t really believe that I’m going to pick the Lions two weeks in a row, but when you get ten points for a team playing against a team that only shows up half the time, I’ll take those points. For some reason I think if Detroit tries hard in any game for the rest of this season it will be this one. If you win your first game out of the last 20, wouldn’t you be fired up to do it again? I’m pretty sure I would, especially going against a long time rival. I don’t see them winning on the road, but I look for them to put up a good fight to cover two scores.

On the Chicago side, it seems like even though they injected some insulin into their offense they still don’t seem to be clicking. Sure they beat Seattle, but it was lucky at the end of the game on some blown coverage. If a suspect Seahawks team can hang around with them, so can the Lions.

Indianapolis (-10) Over Seattle

Peyton Manning funny Speaking of those Seahawks, they get to play against the princess of the NFL, Peyton Manning. In any betting format can anyone really talk themselves into taking Seneca Wallace over Manning on the road? Didn’t think so. Who cares if Freeney is out this game, Seneca probably couldn’t even start for the Browns. Seattle has six starters missing from the lineup including their QB. When you already have your 8th starting lineman in the lineup it’s not a good sign for Seattle’s offensive continuity. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 74% of their passes against the Seattle D, and although they get Lofa Tatupu back, I think Peyton should have this one finished off by halftime. Look for Joseph Addai and Donald Brown killing some clock in the second half. Like Fabulous says “Put it in the bag”.

Buffalo (-1.5) Over Miami

Pennington’s absence is obviously going to hurt the Dolphins. They can only run the wildcat so many times before they need to throw the ball, at least a little. For some reason I can’t see Chad Henne having the same type of success as Mark Sanchez or even Matthew Stafford has had in their young careers. Hell, he could barely manage Michigan’s offense. With Porter, their defensive leader, still questionable for the game I have to go with the Bills.

Are you ready for BEAST MODE!?!

Are you ready for BEAST MODE!?!

It’s really hard to be confident in the Bills offense, as they somehow got shut down by a Saints team that seems to give up a lot of points even if it happens to be garbage time. TO didn’t record one catch last week, which was the first time in 185 games. I’m sure this news is as relevant as his show is, but they do need to find ways to get him and Lee Evans the ball. They will get a huge boost as Marshawn Lynch is coming back fresh off his suspension.

San Francisco (-9.5) Over St. Louis

Last weekend was a heart breaker for the 49ers as they were the better team through much of the game. Despite losing Gore they proved that Singletary has turned them into a full on team – that doesn’t quit. They seemed to receive contributions from everyone. Now that they’re in the confines of their own home, I see them dominating a weak St. Louis team.

The Lambs are racking up injuries and losses like they’re going out of style. They have dropped 13 straight which is making me a believer that they could be this year’s Lions. The lambs must be scared that there are wolves in the end zone, because they’re averaging a league low 8.0 points per game. Kyle Boller is supposed to start this weekend, so it looks like he’ll be Patrick Willis’s lamb chop.

Green Bay (+3.5) Over Minnesota

I have as much confidence in this pick as I believe Jordan can make a comeback at 50, but only picking four games is weak! I know we’ve all heard that this isn’t personal for Favre, and that he’s not taking it as anything more than a game. Screw what he says, I think it will be more emotional than he anticipates, and in a spiteful rage he’s going to force some throws maybe getting a little too greedy. This is a very bad idea against a ball hawking defense like the Packers. Their D already has 7 picks on the season, and I see Favre forcing one at some point for a pick 6. The Minnesota defense is currently ranked 4th in the league, but their first two weeks were against the Browns and the Lions (not exactly powerhouse offenses). Although the Packers lost to the Bengals, and haven’t showed much consistency this year, I feel like they are due for a all around well played game. I think Rodgers will benefit from overload of media surrounding Favre, so hopefully we’ll see relaxed Rodgers out there. Plus, in the wishy washy state I’m in with this game I’ll take the points, because many of these divisional battles come down to a last second field goal.


Favre Does It Again! ….Or Does He?

First off, I’m not a 49ers fan, so sour grapes this is not.  However, I am a Northern California guy, so I will admit the thought of them going 3-0 to start the season did have me a bit tingly inside.   See, I’m a Raiders fan, and since they already got their win for the season, I have to hope for something else good to happen.  It seemed to be in hand late in the game when I tuned in upon my return from Costco.  (Side note: although they have huge ribeye steaks, I was left unsatisfied tonight)  ANYWAY…. with the Niners up 24-20 in the latter stages of the 4th, it looked like if they could just hold on for one more Vikings’ drive, they would have this thing locked up.  They did, and got the ball back with under 2 minutes to go – I believe.  Three quick Glen Coffee runs and three timeouts later, the Vikings got the ball back and didn’t particularly look like they were going to do anything with the ball.  Then, on what would turn out to be the last play, Favre, under pressure, manages to escape and rifle one downfield that was caught, albeit miracuslously, by none other than… wait, who was it?  I know it was one of those sloppy seconds the Vikings like to employ at wideout.  Oh, man… not Bernard Berrian.  Not Bobby Wade.  Billy McMullen?  No, we’re on the right track though.  Greg Lewis! I knew it was one of those ex-Philly receivers.

So, my first thought was, “damn, Favre does it again!”  But the more I watched the replay, the less complimentary I became.  Sure, he did a great job of avoiding the blitz, but when you watch the replay from the behind-the-pocket cam, it looks like Favre is simply throwing toward the end zone with nary a preference where or to who.  I heard something to the effect of Favre admitting he had, in fact, no intended receiver on the play.  My less than substantial efforts to track down his quote surprisingly went unfulfilled.  However, if he said that, good for him.  Greg Lewis also disclosed the fact that he wouldn’t have been in on that play except that Percy Harvin had run, like, 9 or 10 deep routes leading up to that play.  What I do know is Percy Harvin doesn’t make that catch.  Nate Clements was covering that play about as good as you can, but ultimately it was the couple inches that Lewis had on Clements in height that made the difference.

So here’s my question Doin Workers…. Does Brett Favre deserve credit for the game winning play, or was it just lucky?  (even though he’s Brett Favre)


Doin Lines Week 3

50 yard line moneyAnother week down in the NFL season, and I have little to show for it. This week didn’t even start off promising like last week did as I went 7-9 vs. the spread, and now am 15-17 on the year. I think there’s a chance I could be entering a Lamar Odom type state as he slowly realizes he’s tying the knot with Khloe. Whatever state of self doubt it is, I may have to reconsider continuing to post these picks publicly throughout the rest of the season. On a brighter note, I once again did good in my confidence games, and am now 9-3 on the season with picks that had a confidence rating of 4 or 5 on! This gives me hope, and has made me realize that I shouldn’t be picking every game out there. I have reconsidered, and will go a different route. Say goodbye to confidence ratings, and get ready for the six LOCKS of the week. I’m guessing there’s as good a chance I’ll have a few $$ on these games come Sunday.

San Francisco (+7) Over Minnesota

Patrick Willis Adrian Peterson 49ers Vikings

Cmon AP, I just want to give you a hug!

I like taking the points here. Minnesota has looked really good this season, but on the other hand who have they played? Cleveland and Detroit to jog your memory. This will be their first real test against what I deem a good team, and most likely the only team that’s remotely worth preparing for in the NFC West. The 49ers had a win against last year’s Super Bowl loser, and I thought they showed a lot winning that game on the road. I think they’ll do just fine in Minnesota, keeping it within a touchdown. I have a feeling that Patrick Willis will be spelling Peterson all day long, which could be fun to watch. Same goes for the other featured back (Gore) in his quest for a resurrection year!

New York Jets (-2.5) Over Tennessee

I’m not sure if the Jets are “Super Bowl” good as many media outlets seem to claim on the east coast, but their defense “the Rexecutioners” has shown that they are going to be tough to score on. I didn’t think I’d pick the Jeff Fischer lead Titans to go 0-3 on the season, but in a very hostile and fired up crowd, it’s going to be tough to convince me to bet otherwise. Although Tennessee has a great running game, I think they can be tamed the way the Jets did with Steve Slaton was in Week 1. The Titans are also in the midst of a four game losing streak dating back to last season. Mark Sanchez has impressed everyone so far, and put to rest Pete Carroll’s doubts about him being ready enough to enter the draft. I guess we now know why he wanted Sanchez to stay so bad, because USC doesn’t seem to trust anyone they have to be in there!

Detroit (+6.5) Over Washington

I don't think the coyote e-mailed Jessica with any tips...

Whoa settle down! I didn’t pick Detroit to win or anything, I just picked them to cover! This game has the same excitement level as Jessica Simpson losing her dog to a coyote. Washington went against St. Louis last weekend, and pulled out two point victory. I couldn’t believe they weren’t blowing out the Rams. The Rams are dysfunctional at best, and just showed that Washington has no identity and no offense. I think Detroit will put up a good fight at home to try and put an end to their losing streak. I don’t think they will, but I see this one being close enough to take the points.

New York Giants (-6.5) Over Tampa Bay

I’ve never given Eli much credit even though he’s won a Super Bowl, and going into this season I still viewed him as mediocre. This season everyone was to saying how he’s going to have a bad season, because he has no recievers. I’ve been very impressed with how well Manningham and Smith have played for him. If you look at it more closely is it really the recievers or is Eli really that good? As for the Buccaneers, they are the worst they’ve been since before the Tony Dungy era.  They are in the midst of a six game losing streak dating back to last year. I don’t see the bleeding stopping this weekend, and forsee TV blackouts for Bucs fans in the near future!

Chicago (-2.5) Over Seattle

Jay Cutler Bears hit

Cutler getting the insulin knocked out of him.

Seeing this line raise a point over the last day and a half has me convinced that the Bears are the right pick. With Hasselbeck hurting his ribs for a second straight season, I have a hard time picking them especially after getting pounded by San Francisco last weekend. The Seahawks just aren’t a good team, and I don’t see how changing to the Jim Mora Jr. Era will make things better. It seems like Cutler is getting some fluidity with his receivers as he showed the Bears faithful the kind of a Pro Bowl QB they traded for pulling out a win from the defending champs last week!

Oakland (+1.5) Over Denver

I don’t really like picking this game, because I’m not a fan of betting on my own team and jinxing them. Seriously though, how can I curse the Raiders any more than they already are. They already lost a game to the catch or no catch rule that was analyzed by David Flemming as a catch when other catches this season weren’t ruled incomplete. The Broncos got lucky against the Bengals in week 1, and followed that up with a strong performance at home against Cleveland. I think on the road it’ll be another nail biter. The Raiders looked good in their first game and lost, looked bad in their second game and won. I don’t know what to expect from their offense, but I have a feeling that their recievers that torched them last year, won’t have that same success this time around!


Doin Lines Week 2

Chalk Lines FootballOne week of the NFL season is in the books, and I could have sworn going into Monday Nights games with an 8-6 record vs. the spread I would come out with a winning week. Low and behold neither were blowouts, and I’m 8-8. I’ve always believed that the NFL is nearly impossible to win bets on a consistent basis. I guess it’s that way for pretty much any other sport too, unless you count the NBA in a Donaghy officiated game. As our blog mate (cali4dre) eloquently put on his post “Even the biggest underdog can rise up and play inspired football on any given week”. I felt good come out of the week going 5-2 on my confidence picks of 4 or 5. I’m glad to see the NFL back, and hopefully this is a good season! Anyways, here are my picks for week 2. It’s the same rules from last week as I will pick the winner, the home teams are in CAPS, and I will also give a confidence rating from 1-5 on how I feel about the pick.

Oakland (+3) Over KANSAS CITY

4, we live blogged the Raiders Monday Night game, and as a fan of the Raiders I have to say I was extremely satisfied with their efforts.Jamarcus Russell over throw There were so many question marks coming into the game, and unlike last year they showed up! Jamarcus will need to get past the, I hope this pass goes close to that wide open receiver, phase if they are going to ever get better. Kansas City played Baltimore tough, but if McGahee ran all over them, and I think McFadden and Bush will surely break off some big runs. Hopefully this can give Russell fewer opportunities to make mistakes aka wild throws. Oakland won in KC Week 2 last year, so I’m taking the points!

TENNESSEE Over (-6.5) Houston

2, this is a tough one for me, as I have a very hard time believing in Kerry Collins. I remember watching the post game interview after they lost Thursday, and he looked more dazed that Chong. He continually kept saying uhhh over and over in the interview. Pretty classic Collins. On the same notion I’ve always liked Jeff Fischer. Houston was disappointing at home against the Jets, and their offense will probably struggle more as they face a defense that brings even more pressure than New York. I’ll take my chances with the Titans at home!

New England (-3.5) Over NEW YORK JETS

5, Brady looked really rusty in the first half, but found a way to shake it off. I think this might be the game he breaks out in putting up the numbers that made him an MVP. Even last week in true lame Patriot form the ball rolled their way with a fumble, and all of a sudden they turned into 2007 Patriot mode. Is there any luckier franchise over the last decade getting those breaks?

The Jets, Mark Sanchez, looked very good in his debut. It had to have helped that Thomas Jones had a big day on the ground keeping some of that rookie QB pressure off Sanchez’s shoulders.Mark Sanchez Mexican Flag Mouthpiece I think Sanchez is going to need more than a running game and his Mexican Flag mouthpiece to take this one.

GREEN BAY Over (-9) Cincinnati

3, I don’t have much on this one, except I’m pretty confident that this will be won by the Packers in a major way at Lambeau Field. I’m always a believer that a team that is supposed to be a dynamic offense won’t struggle two weeks in a row, buy you can always count on the Bengals for the unexpected! If the Bengals can’t put up points against one of the worst defenses in the NFL (Denver) then how are they going to do against a pretty good looking defense? That’s what I thought…

Minnesota Over (-9.5) Over DETROIT

5, As much as I hate to take a road team at over two scores I have to do it. Detroit is the worst franchise in professional sports, and even a divisional rivalry game isn’t enough to sway me on this one.Adrian Peterson Stiff Arm The way the Saints marched all over the Lions should show signs that the Vikings should be doing the same. I would go back to the Monday Night games to re-think this one, but Detroit doesn’t have nearly enough talented players in this underdog story. On a side note, AP is on pace for 2,880 yards rushing with 48 TDs! I think he might even increase those projected numbers this weekend.

New Orleans (+1.5) Over PHILADELPHIA

3, With McNabb’s injury sounding like he’s probably going to be out, I’m forced to take New Orleans at this point in the week, even if it is in Philly. I actually think I might have picked the Saints either way with or without McNabb. The Saints weren’t all that consistent last year, but I think having a healthy roster is already making a difference.Drew Brees throwing And seriously if you had to pick between Kolb vs. Brees you have to put your money on Drew!

Carolina (+6.5) Over ATLANTA

2, I really don’t know what to expect with this one. Carolina played about as bad as you can last weekend, but they are a pretty good team. Atlanta on the other hand played okay, but showed some weak spots as they only had one drive longer than 50 yards. I think this one will be tight, so I’ll take the points.

WASHINGTON Over (-9.5) St. Louis

3, I was watching the Skins and Giants game when the Santanna Moss and Corey Webster scuffle broke out, and it made me smile. I think that was the moment I really felt like football was back! I can’t say I really liked the way the Redskins played, but they are going to play a terrible team in the Rams. The Rams seem to go backwards on offense, as they’ve racked up more penalties than the Raiders lately. Ten points is a lot to ask from the Redskins, especially since I think they might not take the Rams seriously enough, but in the end probably their second squad could probably cover ten…

JACKSONVILLE (-3) Over Arizona.

1, This game feels like a trap. I think Arizona might be pissed after their loss to SF, but do Jesus freaks like Kurt Warner even get pissed? I didn’t think so either, so I’ll have to take the Jaguars at home in this one. As you can see this is the first 1 confidence rating I’ve ever given, so to sum it up I really don’t care about this game.

SAN FRANCISCO (-1.5) Over Seattle

5, I really like this game. Seattle turned it over three times in the first quarter against the RAMS, with no consequence. They were at home, and failed to put up 50 which they could have against their horrendous D. I don’t think they can turn the ball over that much against anyone as good as the 49ers or a team at home. I’m not sold on everyone liking Seattle, because beating up the Rams is like giving up your spot in the drink line at the bar to a dude, it just doesn’t happen. I still wonder how much Crabtree could have helped SF out…

Tampa Bay (+4.5) Over BUFFALO

3, Can a team survive when their teammates house is being vandalized for losing the game? Can a team that blew a double digit lead on a short week come in fired up?Marshawn Lynch Stiff Arm My prognosis is, doubtful. They need a healthy Marshawn to soften up those coverages to get Evans and Owens some more looks. Tampa played decent against a good Cowboys squad. I think they could take this one from a flat Buffalo team. It’s my bold pick of the week.

DENVER (-3) Over Cleveland

2, This game has boring written all over it, and I don’t like to bet on bad teams. Even though the Broncos squeaked out a win, I feel like Josh McDaniels is coaching for his job already, and we’re only in week 2! I think he will deliver a win in their friendly confides of Mile High. Cleveland can’t even decide who they should have at QB as it took them until just before the season to pick between Anderson and Quinn. I almost thought they were going to change at the end of their game last week.

SAN DIEGO (-3) Over Baltimore

2, Not that I thought SD looked good last weekend against the Raiders. They seemed to sleep walk the same way the Patriots did through most of their game.Philip Rivers Crying pissed I think their home opener will be a win especially with the Ravens not taking it to Kansas City more. With Rivers temper is hotter than Derrick Jeter’s press coverage in New York, I hope we see Ray Lewis get into his head in this one!

Pittsburgh (-3) Over CHICAGO

1, Giving Da Bears three points in a home game. If there’s one thing we saw in their game against the Packers is that they still have a good defense. Another thing we saw was that Cutler might be missing something, like his receivers! One plus is Cutler won’t be having to scan the field with Polomalu roaming. I wouldn’t pick this game if I didn’t have to!

New York Giants (+3) Over DALLAS

3, New York wasn’t flashy last weekend, but they did show they could be very efficient. Their defense looks great with Osi in there again. I didn’t see any of Dallas and Tampa game, so that’s all I’ll say…

Indianapolis (-3) Over MIAMI

4, I don’t mind that Indy’s not the home team. They usually don’t let bettors down two weeks in a row. They will correct those drive ending problems they ran into last week, and put Flipper into submission. Has anyone else noticed there aren’t as many Peyton Manning commercials lately? I’m so happy that the networks got the hint! I mean he had a couple good ones, but how much does anyone want to see his face that much.


Doin Lines Week 1

Chalk linesThroughout the season I will be try to predict the outcomes of the NFL spreads. I used to gamble quite a bit, and had good and bad times with it. I think I would’ve done better if I hadn’t gone for so many parlays, but that makes it more exciting. Anyways, I’ve never kept track over a whole season, so this should be interesting. The home teams are in bold, and the first team listed is the favorite. I will also be giving a confidence rating on my picks with a scale of 1-5. A one would be “I like me betting on the Raiders, because they’re my favorite team”, and a 5 would be “Parlay this one with any other 5 on the board” Without further ado here is the predictions.

Pittsburgh (-6) Tennessee

3, It’s going to be tough for everyone going to Pittsburgh, but Tennessee proved last season that they are for real with their 12-4 mark, but are a fairly big underdog against the Steelers. The Titans have pretty much the same look as last year minus Haynesworth. They should be ready to at least cover in this one, since I feel like this line should be around -3. Plus, I have a feeling the Titans will want to pull out everything they have to get a win off the newly crowned champs.

Atlanta (-4) Miami

4, I felt like the Dolphins were huge overachievers last season. They wouldMichael Turner stiff arm Falcons probably do fine in the AFC West, but in their division I think it’ll be a long tough road for them. Their first game is going to be in hostile territory against a team looking to see improvement through acquisitions and growth from their young QB. The Falcons should cover this spread with all the offensive firepower they have.

Baltimore (-13) Kansas City

2, It’s always hard to tell how crappy a team is going to be. I doubt that KC will win this, but can you really give a guy named Flacco enough confidence in covering a two TD spread? I didn’t think so. KC will kill a few bettors at the end of this game scoring some points in garbage time. They seemed to do that well last year even with Thigpen.

Philadelphia (-1.5) Carolina

2, this is a tough one. I don’t like it when the home team isn’t favored, but in this one I can’t argue. Carolina’s often stalling offense is always a roller coaster that I wouldn’t bet a replica ring on.Donovan Mcnabb McNabb has two weeks to prove he is the undisputed starter, so I like Philly taking this one either by a good offensive effort or Jake Delhomme choking it away.

Cincinnati (-4.5) Denver

3, With all the drama in Denver this off-season it’s hard to tell what is going to come out of the once proud franchise. Saying they are dysfunctional is an understatement, but saying Cincinatti hasn’t had it’s problems isn’t fair either. I don’t like any team coming off as many problems and changes as Denver had this off-season, and they won’t figure it out until it’s too late.

Minnesota (-4) Cleveland

5, Like I said before I don’t like road teams being favored, but I really can’t bet on a franchise that just named it’s starter today, Quinn. Cleveland didn’t make any upgrades and sorely needed to over the off-season. Minnesota should run away with this one. We could even see a chunk of playing time for Tavaris or a tryout from Anderson if Quinn struggles…

Houston (-4.5) NY Jets

4, it’s Mark Sanchez’s first start as a pro, and I have a feeling that he’s going to get acquainted with Mario Williams early and often.Mario Williams If the Jets had a solid running game or receivers that didn’t disappear, I’d give them a chance. Schaub is expected to go today, so as long as that stays the same I’m taking the Texans.

Indianapolis (-7) Jacksonville

3, I think it would be impossible to pick anyone but Indy at home. Jacksonville usually gives them a good fight, but in a home opener it’s going to be hard for the Jaguars to pull it out especially with their disappointing 5 win campaign last season. I think the Colts will start the season as they usually do undefeated with a convincing win.

New Orleans (-13) Detroit

5, The question is when will the Saints be up by 13? First half? First quarter? Watch the bottom line or your stat tracker to see just how many they can put up. I don’t see the Lions 20 game losing streak ending in week 1 especially in a tough environment.

Dallas (-6) Tampa Bay

4, Tampa Bay is in shambles after barely missing the playoffs last year. They are doing an overhaul with minimal talent, so it’s pretty hard not to like the Cowboys in this one. Dallas will probably run a little more smoothly with TO out of the way. Look for the Buccaneers fans to be one of the blackout teams soon.

Arizona (-6.5) San Francisco

2, I really don’t know what to expect from this one. I’ll loosely pick the Niners to cover.Kurt Warner Cardinals old Arizona had an incredible season last year, but I don’t see lightning striking twice. It was kind of funny watching Kurt Warner fall to late rounds in nearly all my fantasy drafts. That has to say something about their chances.

NY Giants (-6.5) Washington

2, it seems like the Giants start off strong and slowly fade away as the season wears on. If Eli had one good receiver, I’d probably bump up my confidence rating, but in this rivalry game it’s always tough to give a team nearly a TD. Washington just ends up being disappointing every season, and this year doesn’t look much brighter, as I see the Giants taking this one.

Seattle (-8.5) St. Louis

3, One rule I have is never to bet on crappy teams, because you never know what you’ll get. Seattle vs. St. Louis definitely fits that mold, and I can’t really give more than a TD to any team I deem crappy. St. Louis should make this competitive while they cover the spread.

Green Bay (-3.5) Chicago

4, I like the way the Packers look this year.Greg Jennings Packers Rodgers has a lot of guys to throw to, and proved that he is going to be a good starter for years to come. The Bears have issues on defense especially against the passing game. I like the Pack to set the division tone with a convincing win.

New England (-11) Buffalo

4, If Brady is indeed back to 07′ form, we could see the stats that only a QB on Madden puts up. I don’t really see the impact of TO on the field overshadowing the gaping hole left by Lynch in the backfield. I think Buffalo is a decent team, but they are no match for the Pats in Foxboro on opening night. There could be two Monday night blowouts.

San Diego (-9.5) Oakland

2, it’s never easy picking against your team especially when they are giving a TD plus, but the Raiders are starting to mirror the Timberwolves as their franchise spirals out of control. They have talent, but no direction. On a side note, I hope Gruden calls this game on ESPN, it would be nice to hear what he has to say about his former employer! Plus I caught him during a pre-season game and he was pretty funny.


Spreading the Gospel of Brett Favre Hate

     We here at Doin-Work would like to spread the word of the gospel. No, this isn’t religious website; we didn’t sell out and join a Christian blog network overnight. The greater gospel that we speak of is sports, and divine right to hate the notorious d-bags who play the GAMES we love. With that in mind we would like to post Brett Favre’s serious p**sy chop block last night in the Vikings PRESEASON game against the Texans. You’ve probably already seen this by now, but this post is intended to make sure the gospel of Brett Favre’s “douchieness” is spread far and wide.


Favre Less Than Impressive

Brett Favre made his “comeback” Friday night in Minneapolis and left much to be desired.  Favre completed just one of four pass attempts, a four yard completion to rookie Percy Harvin.  I know often times a box score doesn’t tell the whole story, but did anyone in Minnesota or Kansas City catch the game?  Was their any silver lining in this performance?  Was their a lack of protection?  Or did Favre simply complete another phase in the decline of a legend?  Post a comment if you watched the game.


Did the Vikings get Favre or Farva?

Farva Super Troopers

Brett Favre WranglerThere has been way too much hoopla over Favre for a third straight summer. I’m not surprised he came out of retirement again, but since there are so many people talking about it I guess I need to weigh in with my thoughts on Farve. At the end of his Green Bay tenure he ended their playoff run by throwing a crucial interception in his NFC Championship game. This was when he entered the Farva era. Everthing he’s touched since that game has crumbled. He has been hurting organizations by doing the ol: I’m going to retire, and ended up un-retiring to play again. Wait, no I’m going to be retired, no wait I want to play. Okay, I’ll play again. He had a crappy season in New York, and I was pretty sure that would show him that he wasn’t what he used to be. He’s covered in grey hair now, and he doesn’t bring the same arm or legs to the game.

Personally I don’t really care about Minnesota or Favre all that much. He’s been an outstanding player, but this has disaster written all over it.Michael Jordan Washington Wizards Visions of Jordan playing on the Wizards are crossing my mind. They have AP in the lineup, so that might save his body some blows, but in the end car ramrod will probably run the Vikings fans to the depths of the Love Boat days. It just feels like it’s a panic move for Minnesota, since they already were trying to figure out who their QB of the future is in Tavaris and Sage. Childress should have taken a nice firm stance like Mike Singletary has taken with Crabtree. Once he made him decide by a certain date, he should have closed the door once that day passed. Childress should have moved on. Why not just see how the duo does for the first half of the season? If they are struggling during a very favorable first five weeks of the season, and the QB position is a weak spot, give Favre a call. Instead they’ll have Farva running around in their locker room on his path to find out if this is his final year. I predict that it will finally be the year we see that he has nothing left…