Tag Archives: Washington Redskins

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


Doin Lines Week 1

I’ve been impressed with the revival of Entourage this season. For the last couple of seasons, I thought the show was heading downhill, but this year they got Vinny on a drug binge, making bad choices, and dating a porn star. Excellent twist to what was getting to be a repetitive series. Speaking of things reviving themselves, and the true reason for this post, the NFL is bizzniizzzizzaacckk! This means that every team has hope again (including my Raiders and the overly optimistic prediction I made about them making it to the AFC Championship), but this also marks the beginning of gambling season, and the return of Doin Lines! Even if you aren’t betting on spreads, lets face it, there’s plenty of $10 bets thrown down on games amongst friends. I found myself enjoying keeping track of how I did against the spread last year, and ended the season doing surprisingly well considering I was way below .500 for awhile there, and had pondered giving up posting my picks out of sheer embarrassment. My comeback was strong, and ending 49-45-3 on the season, which made me want to see how I could do in my second year of keeping track. At points during the season, I was much more into making these picks correctly than keeping track of my fantasy teams. Not to say that I didn’t care about fantasy, but of all the fantasy seasons, football is the least attractive to me. It’s too much of a crapshoot, and everyone talks endlessly about their “squad”, which is more of a turnoff than a girl with a butterface. Instead of picking ALL of the games, we decided to each pick the top six or so games that we believe are either mortal locks, or very watchable. I did say “we” right!?! Well, this season, By has decided to join me on the adventure of posting picks, so I don’t feel like such an addict doing all these lines by myself! By also had a couple quick thoughts before we get started.

Before I reveal my picks, I must say I’m excited to hear that Entourage is back on the radar in terms of “must see” programs.  There was a point in my life where I looked forward to watching Entourage as much as I looked forward to watching a football game on Sunday, but then it slipped.  But from what Chappy just wrote, and from what friends have mentioned, Vinny addicted to hard drugs, Sasha Grey,  plus the return of Carla Gugino (who is one fine woman) equals the return of Entourage!  I have catching up to do …

Now, on to business … Continue reading


Raiders Swoop Up Another Leftover Quarterback

These days, it’s almost more exciting to be a Raider fan during the offseason than during the season.  The Raiders are the one team I can count on to make big moves each year to try and get better the following year. It doesn’t pan out in a favorable way, but it’s nice to know that management, for lack of a better word, is not just sitting around apathetically in it’s cryogenic chamber. The most recent addition to the Oakland roster is supposedly Jason Campbell. The guys over at ESPN reported during this morning’s draft coverage that the now expendable Redskins quarterback is headed to Oakland in a trade for the Raiders’ 4th round pick in 2012. This gives Al Davis yet another backup QB to add to his two decade long collection – maybe even longer, because as I think back as long as I’ve been alive, I can’t recall a single franchise caliber QB donning the silver and black. Many will point no further than Rich Gannon earlier this decade, but to me, Gannon will always be the Kansas City Chiefs’ backup. I’d have to go back to Plunkett personally. But that predates my Raiders fandom. I think of names like Jeff Hostetler, Jay Schroeder, Jeff George, Kerry Collings and regretfully, Jamarcus Russell. Now we’ll see how Campbell adjusts to life in the Black Hole. I usually have optimistic expectations for guys who basically got pushed out the door in their old clubhouse, but I’m not sure Campbell ever had the makeup of a starting QB. He had the keys to the truck in Washington for a while, but never really delivered. I really like the idea of two former standout SEC quarterbacks battling it out for the job in a season that will likely make or break both of their seasons.


McNabb in D.C.

Farewell Philly

Donovan McNabb was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to their division rival Washington Redskins today.  In exchange for the six-time Pro-Bowl quarterback, who led them to five NFC title games and one Super Bowl appearance throughout the 2000’s, the Eagles will get two draft-picks, including a second-round pick (37th) in this year’s draft.  What are the ramifications of this trade you ask?  Unsure, really.  For McNabb, he doesn’t have to go to Oakland (sorry Chappy) which is not where he wanted to be at, at all.  He made that clear early, and I’m not so sure why Al Davis continued to openly pursue him after that was made clear.

The cardinal sin in making trades in all of professional sports is to never trade a star player to a division rival.  That’s why Green Bay didn’t send Brett Favre to Minnesota in 2008, see what Favre did to them last season?  But, Andy Reid and McNabb have had a great relationship throughout their time in Philly, a mutual respect to say the least, and despite the scrutiny McNabb endured while leading the Eagles to the brink of greatness only to fall short every year, the Philly fans and organization knew that McNabb deserved better.  And so the exception to the rule was made, and McNabb is now a Redskin.

So, whether or not Kevin Kolb has got the goods to pick up where McNabb left off in Philly, or whether or not McNabb can be this upcoming season’s Brett Favre for Washington remains to be seen.  I’ve always said this about Washington though, they are just one really good quarterback away from becoming a contender.  They definitely have had the talent, but haven’t delivered.  McNabb might be the key.  We’ll see.


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!


Doin Lines Week 10

Beth Rams CheerleaderLast week was rough, but I can’t say I didn’t expect it. There were a lot of tough games to pick from, and since there were lot of the crappy teams had a bye week it made it even tougher. I went 2-4 last week, which brings my record to an awful 22-26 on the season. It has obviously made my picks look less than reliable at this point, but hopefully I’ll get some redemption this week picking a couple extra games. Too bad there’s a game tonight or I’d wait to put these picks up another day, but as always the home teams are in bold.

San Francisco (-3) Over Chicago

Vernon Davis hurdle stiff armThe 49ers and the Bears have both been very inconsistent this season and neither looks to be a playoff team at this pint, but then again everybody changes their mind from week to week… The 49ers have done well against very good teams, so I feel like they should pull this one out. Vernon even called their D-line weak, and said they were going to destroy them! Pretty strong words, but he later took back some of the thunder on Twitter which was disappointing. I think Chicago’s O-line is the biggest problem as Forte can’t get going and Cutler spends most of the time on his back. The 49ers kept Indy in check, so  I can’t see any reason they won’t against this cubs I mean Bears offense in check.

Denver (-3.5) Over Washington

I can’t say Denver has done much the past couple weeks to make me overly confident in them, and it seems like nearly everyone has jumped off their bandwagon for the time being. Who knows though after this week everybody might be back on that bandwagon! The Skins however are the perfect team to get you back on track after a couple of rough losses. I doubt the Broncos, now struggling defense, will have much of a problem stopping this disastrous offense. Sorry no Zorn jokes this week. I think I’ve beat up on him enough in my other weekly picks posts! Pick Denver with confidence.

Cincinnati (+7) Over Pittsburgh

Cedric Benson diving TDI’m kind of surprised that Cincy is a seven point dog in this one. The Steelers have played close games nearly every week, and haven’t been the model of consistency this year. Probably because everybody guns a little harder against the defending champs. I don’t see them covering against a team that is 5-0 as an underdog, which is exactly what this Bengals team is. I don’t think they’ll have the same kind of success they had against the Ravens, but I can see them winning outright, so there’s no reason not to take a touchdown’s worth of points! Pittsburgh doesn’t win these kind of games pretty, so I see this one coming down to a FG.

New Orleans (-13.5) Over St. Louis

Not much to say for this one. The Aints are long forgotten these days in New Orleans, and they now have a team that looks like a super bowl contender! If you pick the Rams in this game, you WILL lose. This is my Miller Lite “can’t make the spread high enough pick of the week”. I could see the Rams putting up a fight, but as soon as that first quarter is over, it might be hard to keep it close from there on out! The Rams are the first team to earn two cheerleaders at the top of my picks… Congrats Rams fans!

Kansas City (+2) Over Oakland

Darren Mcfadden RaidersThis pick goes against a lot of my personal gambling rules that I’ve made for myself, such as don’t bet on my team or bet on two crappy teams. Alas, I have to do it! This probably won’t be a “watchable” game for most fans, but the last time these two teams met, KC should have won the game, but blew it in the end. I can’t say enough bad things about the Raiders right now, but they are getting a few key guys back this week that may or may not help them including McFadden, Schillens, and Gallery. Every time I pick the Raiders to cover they lose, so maybe I can jinx my crappy team into a win as I’d rather lose the bet.

Arizona (-8.5) Over Seattle

Anquan Boldin CardinalsWell, I’ve gone back and forth on whether Arizona is for real or not. They like to mess with me by showing up only when I pick against them. Is that a sign to pick Seattle this week? Probably not, since Seattle hasn’t really shown that they can do anything well for very long let alone a whole game against a team that IS going somewhere. Warner can win a game with 5 TD’s for them and he can lose a game with 5 INT’s, and I don’t think the Seattle D has enough to get 5 picks. Boldin is supposed to be back as well, and I’m thinking since he’s been so pissed off that he didn’t play last week he’s going to have a big game against a not so great secondary.

New England (+3) Over Indianapolis

I hate picking the Pats to win this game, because I truly do despise them. They have been playing very well lately, and it’s not just the offense, their defense seems to have finally figured themselves out! I don’t really want to pick this game since it is beginning to be a solid rivalry between the two teams that always plays out in the close game fashion, so I’m taking the points. It was hard picking with my gut instead of who I want to win. I think the Pats will be extra fired up to end the Colts unbeaten streak, and will have some Belichick surprises for ready. This should be the game of the week!


Doin Lines Week 9

Rachel_Watson Bucs Cheerleader

Last week was good to get out of the way! The teams that had been covering all season (Indy and New Orleans) finally let me down. Oh well, I’m sure they could care less that their undefeated streak vs. the spread was broken. I had a really hard time last week flip flopping on my choices all the way up to game day, and this week looks like I might be having more tough decisions again. I went 2-4 and now am 20-22-1 on the year. You know how there are people that smell so bad that you can almost taste their awfulness? That tasty smell are the teams that have a week 9 bye; Oakland, Cleveland, Buffalo and St. Louis. What makes this week even more interesting is that there are a lot of 10+ point spreads with the mentioned teams sitting it out! I guess that shows you the parity in the league this season. As usual the home teams are in bold.

Cincinnati (+3) Over Baltimore

Carson Palmer Chad Ochocinco

Carson's been with Chad long enough to understand him... Or not!

The cardiac cats always seem to be in very tight games whether they end up pulling out the W or having a heartbreaker. Baltimore played an inspired game last week blowing out the Broncos and showed that they are still the force that many people put as the best team in the league early on. Baltimore seems to have a hard time putting in efforts like that in back to back weeks, so I see this being a close one. Cincy showed some promising flashbacks from that very explosive offense they had a couple of years ago. I don’t see Palmer and Benson having that same kind of success they had against the Bears, because this Ravens unit is better. It does look like their offense is rejuvenated, and with the presence of a running game they can move the ball late to tire out the elders on the Baltimore D. Since the Bengals are at home it’s tough for me not to take the points, especially since I could see them winning outright!

Atlanta (-10) Over Washington

roddy white catchWashington is arguably the worst team in the league, and I doubt they have enough in them to pull out any kind of upset on the road or even have enough defense to keep this one close. Atlanta is coming off a short week, but who cares when you get to play a team that can’t seem to do anything right. Matt Ryan and Gonzo should shred the middle of this defense all day long. If Zorn was a brand, he should probably start looking for a bailout plan. It’s been so bad in DC that the fans aren’t even allowed to bring in signs that make fun of this pathetic team. If I wasted my money to go watch my team lose games, I would demand the right to bring whatever sign I want into the stadium! I forecast Atlanta going up big early, and heavy doses of Turner throughout the second half.

Announcers talking about Brett Favre on Minnesota’s Bye Week (-50) Over the amount of coverage the Rams receive for the rest of the season.

I mean this line is self explanatory, but I would seriously bet on this!  This would be exclude plays and mentions of the Rams defense getting shredded against a good team!

Green Bay (-10) Over Tampa Bay

Ah, we move onto the only team left that still could match the Lions amazing winless record. The Bucs haven’t really shown that they even want to be out there on Sundays, and especially don’t show up against any team that is deemed competent. I wonder if you’ll be able to hear Packers fans in the stands since there’s no way this one will be sold out. Tampa does have an amazing crop of cheerleaders though, so fortunately Rachel won’t be the only one we see this season! It could very well be a fantasy firework show from Aaron Rodgers who has put up big numbers against some of the best of defenses in the league, and going up against one of the worst I foresee a 5 TD day. I bet the Packers D might even out score the Bucs in this one.

New Orleans (-13) Over Carolina

Darren Sharper interceptionI was disappointed to see the Saints not cover last weekend. I guess it was the opposite of the week before where Sharper snagged a pick 6 to cover with two minutes to go. This weekend, Atlanta scored in the last two minutes to cut the lead to 8 which killed the beating the spread hope, oh those Vegas guys always get you back (shaking fist in the air)! It was easily the Miller Lite disappointing moment of my Monday. New Orleans has proved they are good at two things. Scoring points, and putting pressure on opposing offense and making them make mistakes. Carolina’s offense just happens to have Jake Delhomme, who is turning the ball over like Matsui getting RBI’s. NOT a good thing going on anytime they are trailing, so I see no reason to doubt that the Saints will have neutralized the Panthers running game by being up by 21 at the half and forcing them to put it in Delhomme’s hands.

San Francisco (-4) Over Tennessee

I don’t really like this pick that much, but since the Niners held Indy in check I don’t see any reason that they can’t take the Titans down during their miserable season. The SF offense has looked a little better as of late with Alex Smith taking over. The emergence of Crabtree last weekend coupled with Vernon Davis’s breakout year it has to mean only better things are in store for them! Having some threats will even open up some more room for Frank Gore to run, and maybe give him a little less wear and tear so he can stay in the lineup. Tennessee has officially fallen into the crappy team section, which confirmed my preseason thought that they were a fluke last year. A Kerry Collins led team is never the way to go! They finally figured that out and threw Vince in there, but it doesn’t seem to matter at this point. The only thing exciting about them is Chris Johnson.

Philadelphia (-3) Over Dallas

Frank Drebin Naked GunThis should be a good one. I think it all comes down to Romosexual and whether he shows up or not. The Cowboys are so reliant on him, it’s pathetic. Any game he plays bad in they never win. In the always unfriendly City of Brotherly Love, I have my doubts of him settling down in this one. Frank Drebin, I mean Wade Phillips is lucky anytime they are successful. He doesn’t put them in good positions to succeed, but just gets plain lucky. On the other side Philly looks about as good as they ever have. Team chunky soup was supposed to be explosive because of Westbrook and Vick, and Brian has been in and out and Vick is ineffective thus far. The good news is they haven’t needed them as they have weapons all over the field, in Desean, Maclin, and McCoy. Mcnabb is always on the verge of Romo type stinker game too, but it usually comes on the heals of an injury opposed to randomly popping up, except that Oakland one he got a pass since the offensive line forgot they were blocking that day.


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 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.