JC's Take: NFL Week 8 Picks

JC's Take: NFL Week 8 Picks

Welcome back all! Time for some NFL Picks for this week. Picks are getting posted today because I won't have the time tomorrow to post them. So lets get to it!

Washington Redskins vs Detroit Lions

The Lions are coming off a bye and finally appear to be healthy. Running back Jahvid Best is almost fully recovered from his turf toe injury. Calvin Johnson appears to be 100%, and QB Matthew Stafford is ready to go after being out since Week 1 due to a shoulder injury. We may finally be able to see a Lions offense that had the possibility to surprise people earlier in the season. Even though the Redskins defense made life a living hell last week for Bears QB Jay Cutler, they're still in the bottom half of the league. The Redskins have been winning ugly the last couple of weeks, and I think it finally catches up to them this week. The Lions have been in every game they've played this year, and I think they finally win a close one.

Detroit 28  Washington 23

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Dallas Cowboys

As I've said, I believe the Cowboys season is done. They're 1-5, and they will be without Tony Romo for almost 2 months. Romo's replacement, Jon Kitna, should do better than last week. Kitna hasn't played a regular season game since 2008, so he's definitely rested. And he has a good amount of weapons at his disposal. The Jaguars are a fast sinking ship. After a huge win at home against Indianapolis and a road win in Buffalo, they've looked terrible at home against Tennessee and at Kansas City. They should have  David Garrard back under center this week. But Garrard doesn't help the problems they're having on defense. At 3-4 and fading fast in the AFC South, a bad loss here could be troubling for coach Jack Del Rio. With Jacksonville's bye week coming up, Del Rio can't afford a bad outing. It could mean the end of his time in Jacksonville. And I think Del Rio needs to be worried, because I think Dallas rebounds here with a win. Even without Romo, they still have too many weapons on offense.

Dallas 27  Jacksonville 16

Miami Dolphins vs Cincinnati Bengals

The Dolphins get to play where they like to play best this year, on the road. They're 3-0 on the road and 0-3 at home. They played well against Pittsburgh last week, but couldn't convert early turnovers into touchdowns. The Bengals are coming off a bad outing at Atlanta. The defense is continuing to struggle. The offense isn't good enough to win them games. I expect both teams to be able to pass the ball with relative success. Both secondaries can be thrown on. The queston is can the Bengals play a complete 60 minute game. My answer is no. The Bengals are up there with Dallas, San Diego, and Minnesota as big disappointments this year. I'm taking Miami in this one.

Miami 23  Cincinnati 21

Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs

The Bills almost pulled off a shocker last week in Baltimore. The offense looks like it finally has come together with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. The problem is the defense can't stop anybody. The Chiefs, meanwhile, put up 42 points against Jacksonville. They should do what Baltimore didn't last week, emphasize the running game. Expect a big day from their two headed running back combo of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones. The Chiefs defense, while greatly improved, can still be scored on. The Bills just need to play the game they played last week, and they'll be in it until the end. But in the end, however, I see the Chiefs pulling this one out. Arrowhead is a tough place to play, and that's what gives the Chiefs the edge here in a high scoring affair.

Kansas City 38  Buffalo 34

Carolina Panthers vs St. Louis Rams

Congratulations are in order for the Panthers after their first win last week. They had a good outing against the 49ers. But they may be without RB DeAngelo Williams this week. The Panthers are still a team lacking direction. I still would have sticked with Jimmy Claussen at QB. The Rams are coming off a heart-breaking final second loss at Tampa Bay. They were up in the game but couldn't hold onto the lead. That's the problems you go through with a young team learning to win. I think the Rams rebound here at home. As long as he is able to go, expect a healthy dose of RB Steven Jackson.

St. Louis 20  Carolina 14

Denver Broncos vs San Francisco 49ers (Game played in London)

Man, you almost have to feel bad for London. They get an under-achieving 49ers teams, and a Denver team that just gave up 59 points to Oakland at home. San Fran is starting former Ravens QB Troy Smith this week. Smith looked good at times when he played. He has the ability to take off and run when necessary. The Broncos are looking for any kind of answer after their embarassing performance last week. The offense just stalled early, and the defense looked like at times they weren't even trying. This game is such a crapshoot because of the London effect, and both teams are coming off terrible losses. I guess I'll go with  Denver here. Which means next week somebody from the 49ers organization will come out and say they can still make the playoffs even at 1-7.

Denver 26  San Francisco 21

Green Bay Packers vs New York Jets

This should be a fun football game. A great Packers offense against a well-rested, healthy Jets defense. Star cornerback Darelle Revis returns for the Jets this week. The Jets are the best team in the AFC, and just get better with the return of Revis. The Packers are coming off a much needed win against the Vikings. While the win was nice, they could have just as easily lost the game. Brett Favre' turnovers helped them. The offense, while very good in the passing game, still lacks a running game. The Jets know this and will force the Packers to establish a run game. I think the Jets are the more balanced team of the two, and that's why I'm picking them here. I expect it to be close, but the running combo of LT and Shonn Greene will wear down the Packers in the end.

NY Jets 21  Green Bay 17

Tennessee Titans vs San Diego Chargers

The Chargers season is slowly slipping away. In fact, at 2-5, it may already be gone. They have nobody to blame but themselves for their loss against New England. The task of turning around their season doesn't get any easier with a red hot Titans team coming to town. Kerry Collins looked very good in replacement of Vince Young last week. Young may be ready to go this week, but with their bye coming up, coach Jeff Fisher may hold out Young one more week just to make sure he is fully healthy for the stretch run. No matter who is under center, expect the Titans to run Chris Johnson early and often this week. I like the Titans here. The Chargers just aren't all there this year. Norv Turner may be out of job by years end, if not earlier.

Tennessee 30  San Diego 20

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Arizona Cardinals

The Bucs are a surprising 4-2 after a last second win against the Rams last week. Coach Raheem Morris says they're the best team in the NFC. I bet he thinks there are real pirates living in the ship at the stadium too. While the Bucs have been a nice story, they still have struggled, and have gotten crushed by the only two real good teams they've played (Pittsburgh and New Orleans). Arizona has just looked awful. They don't have any kind of passing game to speak of. Max Hall will start if healthy enough. WR Larry Fitzgerald has looked invisible on the field. They need to find a way to get him involved this week, especially against a vulnerable Bucs secondary. I think I like Arizona in an "upset" here. The Cards are due for a break sooner or later, and I think it comes this week.

Arizona 19  Tampa Bay 13

Minnesota Vikings vs New England Patriots

Will Brett Favre play or won't he? I think he won't, and if I were head coach Brad Childress, I wouldn't play Favre even if he says he can go. It was clear last week that the ankle effected Favre, and his play was terrible because of it. Tavaris Jackson, while he's no Favre, gives the Vikings something different under center, and gives Patriots coach Bill Bellicheck something different to game plan for. The Pats new offense without Randy Moss looked a litte shaky last week after a decent outing against Baltimore. It'll be interesting to see if they can rebound against a decent Vikings defense. I'm going to take the Pats here. No matter who lines up under center for Minnesota, the other side still has Tom Brady, who is better than either Vikes QB right now. Even though I think it will be close, I like the Pats as my lock of the week.

New England 24  Minnesota 23

Seattle Seahawks vs Oakland Raiders

Two teams that could be considered surprises this year. Seattle is 4-2 and atop the NFC West. They look rejuvinated under coach Pete Carroll. The acquistion of Marshawn Lynch also seems to be paying off for them. They're currently the team to beat in the division. The Raiders, while only 3-4, have looked competitive this year. They also just put up 59 points against Denver in Denver. If Oakland pulls off a win here, they have a huge showdown next week at home against Kansas City. And I think I'm taking Oakland here. The Seahawks don't play as well on the road as they do at home. The Raiders should run heavily behind Darren McFadden.

Oakland 34  Seattle 24

Pittsburgh Steelers vs New Orleans Saints

This game is huge for the Saints. They can't afford to fall to 4-4, even in a down year for the NFC. Drew Brees looked awful last week throwing 4 interceptions, and it doesn't get any easier with the Steelers coming to town. The Steelers narrowly won last week against Miami. They should have been down by more than two in the final minutes. Big Ben looks like the Big Ben of old in his first two games. It looks like he hasn't missed a beat since coming off his suspension. The biggest concern for the Saints is they're lack of running game without Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. Teams have been able to focus on shutting down Drew Brees. As much as I think the Saints can pull it out, I have to go with the hot hand and pick Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh 28  New Orleans 21

Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts

Huge game on Monday night. Both teams are coming off a bye week. The Colts, however, are banged up on offense. They lost Dallas Clark for the year, and are expected to be without WR Austin Collie and RB Joseph Addai. Luckily, Peyton Manning can throw to anybody and still make them look good. The Texans ran all over the Colts in Week 1, so expect that to be the number one concern of the Colts defense. Matt Schaub should be able to effectively use play action to find a way to get the ball to Andre Johnson. A big key for the Texans will be how they play on defense without LB Demeco Ryans. In the end, however, I never bet against Peyton Manning at home, especially after already losing to a team on the road earlier in the year.

Indianapolis 37  Houston 28

That's all for this week. Next week's schedule:

Monday: WWE Week in Review

Tuesday: NFL Week 8 Review

Wednesday/Thursday: An Early Look Ahead: Wrestlemania 27 and Beyond

Friday: NFL Week 9 Picks

ETA Unknown: The 50 Best & 50 Worst Moments in Pro Wrestling History

Also, as I said in my last post, I'll have news soon on how will be able to read my thoughts on the WWE on another site!!!!

Until next time,
Justin C

JC's Take: NFL Week 7 Review

JC's Take: NFL Week 7 Review

Hello all, and welcome back! Time to recap this week's slate of NFL games!

Team of the Week: Tennessee Titans

-There were a couple of teams I thought of giving this spot to this week. I could have given it to the Giants for their win in Dallas, I could have given it to Cleveland for pulling off a shocker in New Orleans, and I could have given it to Oakland for ther whipping of the Broncos. But I decided to give it to the Titans because this game convinced me that they're for real. They beat Philadelphia with Kerry Collins at QB. They also won again without getting much production from Chris Johnson. If they ever get the right dose of a passing game and Chris Johnson together, they could constantly put up 40 points a game. This team is legit and will be there in the end. It will still be tough for them to make the playoffs because of the AFC is that good, but if they continue to play the way they have, it'll be tough for them to be left out.

Game of the Week: Baltimore 37  Buffalo 34 (OT)

-Again, this spot could have gone to a few games. Minnesota/Green Bay was good, as was Pittsburgh/Miami. But to me, anytime a high scoring game goes to overtime, it's very entertaining. The Bills came out on fire, getting up 17-3 and 24-10 on the Ravens before Baltimore mounted their comeback. But Buffalo rallied, coming back from 10 down in the last 6 minutes to tie the game and force overtime. The Bills prooved that their not the laughing stock of the league, and they can hang with any team in the league. Putting up over 500 total yards of offense against a top defense is no laughing matter. The game was full of offense and big plays, and late drama with the field goals.

Goat of the Week: Denver Broncos

-After the 1 PM games I was going to give this to Jay Cutler, but then the Broncos started playing. I had my fantasy scores up, and noticed next to Knoshown Moreno it said "Oakland 21 Denver 0, 1st quarter." I had to click on it because I didn't believe it. A team that probably should have beat the Jets last week, hung with the Colts, and BEAT the Titans on the road is down 21 to the Raiders at home? There's no excuse for that. The Raiders put up 9 points last week against San Francisco. Josh McDaniels probably lost any support he had left in Denver after this game. I remember before the Bills decided to bring back Dick Jauron for a fourth year, McDaniels was a guy I wanted them to hire. But after his 5-0 start last year, things have gone sharply down hill. He may be out of a job by years end.

Other Thoughts:

-The fumble call at the goal line in the Steelers/Dolphins game was the right interpretation of a bad rule. Yes, Big Ben fumbled, but there was no clear evidence of who recovered it. Just because the Dolphins defender fell on the ball, and a Dolphins defender came up with it does not mean he had possesion when the play was blown dead. But even with that call, the Dolphins can only blame themselves for that loss. They can't turn two early Pittsburgh turnovers into only 6 points. They need touchdowns. This could be the game that comes back to haunt Miami at the end of the year.

-Kevin Kolb made Andy Reid's QB decision easy after the bye week. Mike Vick will be starting again in Philadelphia. Like I said previously, I think it is the right decision. Vick is a dual threat under center, whereas Kolb is one dimensional. Defenses have to leave a linebacker back just to spy Vick because of his running ability, whereas Kolb is a traditional pocket passer.

-Um the Browns? I'm pretty sure NO ONE, except a few die hard fans in Cleveland, saw that coming. Any team that can force Drew Brees into 4 interceptions deserves credit. A tip of the hat to Rob Ryan, Browns Defensive Coordinator, for a great game plan. After the big names that are out there, Rob probably put himself at the top of the list for head coaching positions at years end. There's problems in New Orleans, and they better fix them fast. But it doesn't get any easier with Pittsburgh coming to town on Sunday night.

-I don't care how tough the guy is. If Brett Favre goes out there this week against New England with two fractures in his ankle, he's officially nuts. I know the guy loves the game of football and has his games played streak going, but sometimes you just have to do what's best for your team. A half healthy Brett Favre does absolutely nothing for Minnesota. Favre showed the effects of his injury during the game Sunday night. It's time for him to do what's best for his team. Heck, I think he should even consider retiring mid-season.

-Here those nails being hammered? It's into the coffin's being made for the Chargers and Cowboys seasons. Dallas isn't doing anything at 1-5 and Tony Romo gone for almost 2 months. San Diego, at 2-5, looks like they lack the concentration needed to turn the season around. Even in the AFC West, the Chargers just can't turn it around. It doesn't get easier with the Titans coming to town this week.

POWER RANKINGS!!!

1. NY Jets (5-1, #1 last week)- No change at the top. The Jets are still here, and had time to get Darrelle Revis back to 100% during the bye week. That's not good for the rest of the league.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-1, #2)- The Steelers look like the Steelers of old. But an injury to star defensive standout Aaron Smith may effec them slightly.

3. New England Patriots (5-1, #3)- The defense stepped up against the Chargers on the road. No reason to think it won't continue.

4. Indianapolis Colts (4-2, #4)- It's a good thing Peyton Manning is their QB, or these injuries on the offense would be alarming.

5. Tennessee Titans (5-2, #11)- They convinced me this week. Now they have the chance to shovel the dirt on the Chargers grave.

6. New York Giants (5-2, #10)- I think they're the best team in the NFC, slightly ahead of Atlanta. Their new three-headed WR combo puts them ahead.

7. Baltimore Ravens (5-2, #5)- They dropped slightly because the defense got dismantled by the Bills, who coming in had one of the worst offenses in the league.

8. Atlanta Falcons (5-2, #8)- Nice rebound win against Cincinnati. They'll be competing for the top spot in the NFC by year's end.

9. Houston Texans (4-2, #9)- They proved they could beat the Colts in Week 1, now it's time to see if they truly are for real when they go into Indy on Monday night.

10. Kansas City Chiefs (4-2, #14)- The offense looks like they've finally come together. Dwayne Bowe is making amends for his early season miscues.

11. Green Bay Packers (4-3, #16)- They needed that win to distance themselves rom the Vikins in the NFC North.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (4-3, #7)- With Vick starting after the bye, the team gets better because of his play-making capability

13. New Orleans Saints (4-3, #6)- Anytime you lose to the Browns like that, you drop a good amount. Who thought a hangover could last 7 weeks?

14. Washington Redskins (4-3, #15)- They were gift-wrapped the game by Jay Cutler, but in the NFL, a win is a win.

15. Miami Dolphins (3-3, #13)- They had every opportunity to beat Pittsburgh before the end. They have no one to blame but themselves.

16. Seattle Seahawks (4-2, #21)- They look to be the best team in the NFC West, but Matt Hasselbeck needs to get his act together.

17. Chicago Bears (4-3,  #12)- Jay Cutler is gonna have nightmares of DeAngelo Hall for months because Hall will just intercept all of his dreams.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2, #19)- Raheem Morris says they're the best team in the NFC. How about you beat a team with a winning record first, then talk about how good you are.

19. St. Louis Rams (3-4, #20)- Heartbreaking loss on the road at Tampa. The game showed their young and still have some things to learn.

20. Oakland Raiders (3-4, #28)- They're second in the AFC West. If they can put up half the offensive outing they did against Denver, they can compete.

21. Arizona Cardinals (3-3, #17)- That was ugly against Seattle. But they're still only a game out in the NFC West. Too bad they don't have a competent QB.

22. Cleveland Browns (2-5, #30)- They may not be going anywhere this year, but they showed the last two weeks that they will be competitive the rest of the way.

23. Minnesota Vikings (2-4, #18)- Who knows, playing without Favre may be an improvement for them at this point.

24. Cinncinati Bengals (2-4, #22)- The offense showed up late, but the defense had already blown the game by the time they got there. Marvin Lewis will be job hunting come January.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4, #23)- David Garrard should be back this week, but at this point it probably won't make much of a difference.

26. San Diego Chargers (2-5, #25)- They fought back against New England, but it wasn't enough. Turnovers early killed them.

27. Dallas Cowboys (1-5, #26)- Everyone besides Cowboys fans are loving everything about the Cowboys season.

28. Detroit Lions (1-5, #29)- They get Matthew Stafford back this week. They could play spoiler down the line for playoff teams.

29. Denver Broncos (2-5, #24)- How far away are we from the Tim Tebow era? It's probably closer than you think.

30. Carolina Panthers (1-5, #31)- Congrats on the first win. It's always better to get one under your belt.

31. San Francisco 49ers (1-6, #27)- If one person in the 49ers organization says they will still make the playoffs, they should be cheked in a mental hospital.

32. Buffalo Bills (0-6, #31)- They almost pulled off a shocker in Baltimore. They too could play spoiler come December.

Three Games I Want to See Next Week:

1. Green Bay @ NY Jets- A healthy, well-rested Jets defense against an outstanding passing attack lead by Aaron Rodgers.

2. Pittsburgh @ New Orleans- It should almost be like a playoff game for the Saints. They can't afford to fall to 4-4, even in a down year for the NFC.

3. Houston @ Indianapolis- Can the Texans take advantage of a hurting Colts team? They need to in order to back up their Week 1 win.

That's all for today. The 50 Best & 50 Worst Moments in Pro Wrestling is taking a bit longer than expected. I'm also in the process of developing an early preview of a potential Wrestlemania 27 card. Either way, I'll be back Friday with Week 8 NFL Picks.

Also, I'll soon have some news on where you can read more of my writing on another site!!!

Until next time,

Justin C

JC's Take: WWE Bragging Rights Review + Lesnar/Undertaker

JC's Take: WWE Bragging Rights Review

Hello once again! Welcome back for my review of yesterday's Bragging Rights PPV. Also, at the end of this review, I'll have my thoughts on what seems to be the biggest news coming out of this weeked, the confrontation between the Underaker and Brock Lesnar after Lesnar's UFC fight Saturday.

Match 1: Daniel Bryan (U.S. Champion) defeated Dolph Ziggler (IC Champ) in a Raw vs Smackdown, Champion vs Champion Match: ****

This was a great way to start the PPV. It had everything you wanted: near falls, face paced action, and some great counters. Bryan's kicks at times looked vicious. Even Dolph Ziggler's superkick looked great, and Bryan sold it well. The crowd was clearly behind Bryan here. The match delivered and was easily the best match of the night. Bryan could easily be considered the best "technical" wrestler the WWE has right now. He makes a great US Champion, and one can only hope his next feud is with one C.M. Punk. As for Ziggler, he showed in this match that he has the potential to be considered for the main event level. Smackdown could use another heel to step up, and Ziggler could very well be that guy. A great match to open the show, and I would advise people to take some time and watch it.

Match 2: John Cena & David Otunga defeated "Dashing" Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre to win the WWE Tag Team Titles: *1/2

Next was an unannounced visit from the Tag champs. I wish they would have announced earlier they were making an appearance. Cody Rhodes = RATINGS. Have you seen his grooming tips? Every man should follow them. Anyways, Cody said that since they became champs, they've dominated the tag division, and no one is worthy of facing them. In comes the buzz & flashing lights, which means the RAW GM has something to say. He said there was a team worthy of facing them. Out comes Wade Barrett, who says this will be a great night for the Nexus, and says it starts with winning the tag gold. Out comes David Otunga and his partner, John Cena. This right here starts my questioning of the booking last night. Barrett wants Cena to be focused on helping him win the WWE Title, but then decides last minute he wants him to exert his energy earlier to win the Tag Titles? Doesn't make any sense. Anyways, Cena completely dominated the tag champs making them look terrible. This match also showed that David Otunga is not ready to be wrestling matches on his own. It would have made more sense for it to be Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel in the match.

Match 3: Ted DiBiase Jr. defeated Goldust: **

It's nice to see Goldust finally being used again. This was a fun little match. DiBiase needed the win here, but it was completely erased after the match when Goldust laid him out again, and walked away with the Million Dollar belt. DiBiase won, shouldn't he have gotten the belt back? What also made the whole thing weird was Goldust's NXT rookie Aksana. When Maryse was beating her up, she CONSTANTLY kept pulling down her dress. You better get used to wearing dresses like that honey if you want to be employed. It just looked bad. The match was ok, but just felt like more of a TV angle than anything.

Match 4: Layla (w/Michelle McCool) defeated Natalya to retain the WWE Divas Title: *

The best part of this match was Michelle McCool's one liner before the match, "We're gonna beat Natalya faster than we delete those text messages we get from Brett Favre." ZING! Anyways, the match was nothing to write home about. Layla is improved in the ring, but still has a ways to go. The WWE is obviously high on Laycool, as they have beaten better women wrestlers in the past few months.

Match 5: Kane defeated the Undertaker in a "Buried Alive" Match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship: **1/4

This was the third PPV match in  a row for these two. It was a brawl, that's the best you can ask from these two together. They aren't going to put on a great wrestling match in the ring. They brawled on the outside, in the crowd, and finally back to the make-shift grave. It looked like Taker had the match won, but unexpectedly Nexus, minus John Cena, came in and started attacking Undertaker. Again, I question the booking. Wade Barrett is an hour away from the biggest match in his career, and he is out here exchanging punches with the Undertaker? Hopefully they explain why Nexus attacked Undertaker tonight. I doubt Kane had anything to do with it. He's not somebody to ask for their help. From a booking perspective, it's just a way to write Taker out of storylines for a few months because he needs shoulder surgery. It also doesn't allow Taker to lose cleanly to Kane. After Undertaker was buried, a bolt of lightning hit the grave, and Taker's deadman symbol was shown on the grave. Could it mean a return of the American Badass Taker? Who knows. The match was a ok brawl, but it'll be nice to see Kane move on to another opponent.

Match 6: Team Smackdown defeated Team RAW in the 7-on-7 Bragging Rights Elimination Match to win the Bragging Rights Trophy: ***

With these type of matches, it's tough to get any kind of good flow going between wrestlers. It was better than last year's match because it was an elimination match rather than just a 7-on-7 first pinfall wins match. I was very surprised by the outcome. When it got down to Edge & Rey Mysterio against The Miz, I actually thought my predicted finish was going to happen. This is the 3rd straight PPV loss for The Miz. Hopefully he doesn't lose all of the heat he has. Nobody really stood out in the match. Big Zeke lasted for the final two in the match, but screwed up his elimination. Mysterio slipped when he came off the rope, and Jackson raised his shoulder, probably assuming they'd redo the spot, but the ref counted the pin. It was surprising to see Smackdown look like the better brand throughout the build-up and end. Now Smackdown will brag for two weeks about how they are the better brand, and then everyone will forget about it and the trophy will disappear.

Match 7: Wade Barrett defeated Randy Orton via Disqualification, meaning Randy Orton retained the WWE Championship: *1/2

Talk about a disappointment. The match on the card everyone was looking forward to the most failed to deliver BIG TIME. Orton and Barrett just couldn't get the match out of first gear. They just didn't seem to click in the ring. Before the match, Barrett told Cena he had to make sure he won the match, or Cena would be fired. That right there made the outcome for a "smart" fan obvious. Cena was going to attack Barrett, leading to a DQ. Barrett never said win the title, he said win the match. It failed to deliver big time and WWE better hope they can salvage Cena/Nexus in the next few weeks. Orton also seems to have lost some momentum as a face. He needs to get some of that back as well. Anytime your main event of a PPV ends in a non-clean finish, it has to be considered a let down.

Overall: I'd give the PPV A 4 ot of 10. Two points for the opener, one for the Bragging Rights match, and one for McCool's Favre one liner. It was a lackluster show, and it will probably show in the PPV buys. As I said in my preview, there's no way the WWE can continue to have 3 PPVs in the span of two months.

Where We Go from Here: Survivor Series is a month away. What's that you say? You're shocked there is actually a month break between PPVs? Me too! If it was up to me, I'd still book three 4-on-4 interbrand elimination matches, plus a Divas one. I know the WWE won't do it, but my card would look something like this:

WWE Title Match: Randy Orton vs Wade Barrett

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Kane vs Edge

Elimination Tag #1: Big Show, Daniel Bryan, Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry vs Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, CM Punk, Tyler Reks

Elimination Tag #2: Rey Mysterio, John Morrison, Goldust, MVP vs Alberto del Rio, The Miz, Ted DiBiase Jr, Jack Swagger

Elimination Tag #3: The Hart Dynasty, Santino & Vladimir Kozlov vs Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre, The Usos

Elimination Tag #4: Natalya, Melina, Gail Kim, Aksana vs Michelle McCool, Layla, Alicia Fox, Maryse

My thoughts on Lesnar/Taker

Perhaps the piece of news making the biggest waves this week was the confrontation between The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar after his UFC fight Saturday night. Here's video of the incident, the confrontation starts at the 45 second mark:

Lesnar/Taker Confrontation

I don't really know what to think. Is it possible Lesnar could return for something at Wrestlemania? Sure. Do I think it will happen? No. Lesnar has too much riding on him in UFC. There's a good chance his reputation could take a hit in the fans of UFC eyes because he's going back to a 'fixed" sport. Lesnar also was very negative about the pro wrestling business on his way out, so he'd basically be contradicting himself just to get a big day. Now having said that, too many things seemed to fit perfectly in that little confrontation. First of all, the Undertaker NEVER breaks character and gives interviews like that. He did when he portrayed his "Biker" Taker character, but never when he was deadman Taker. Second of all, if you watch the video from about the 30 second mark on, Taker is constantly looking away at Lesnar, watching him exit and almost like he is waiting for him. Then, Lesnar just happens to walk right by Taker while he's getting interviewed. Add to the fact that apparently Lesnar and UFC President Dana White have had a "disagreement" over something lately, it just adds feul to the fire. I'd say it's about 70/30 odds right now that it doesn't happen. But rumors will be flying for the next month or so.

That's all for today. I'll be back tomorrow with my NFL Week 7 Review.

Until next time,

Justin C

JC's Everything Blog: JC's Take: NFL Week 7 Picks

JC's Everything Blog: JC's Take: NFL Week 7 Picks: "JC's Take: NFL Week 7 Picks Hello all, and welcome back for my Week 7 Picks in the NFL. Buffalo Bills vs Baltimore Ravens Tough spot to be..."

JC's Take: NFL Week 7 Picks

JC's Take: NFL Week 7 Picks

Hello all, and welcome back for my Week 7 Picks in the NFL.

Buffalo Bills vs Baltimore Ravens

Tough spot to be in this week for my Bills. Sure they're coming off a bye week and have had plenty of time to preare for the Ravens. But the Ravens are coming off an OT loss to New England, a game in which they blew a 4th quarter league. Ray Lewis has already said he feels bad for Buffalo this week. I feel bad for them too. The Ravens offense should be able to tear apart a weak Bills defense. And the Ravens defense will be able to put a lot of pressure on Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. This could get ugly quick.

Baltimore 34  Buffalo 14

Washington Redskins vs Chicago Bears

Both teams are coming off tough home losses. The Redskins lost on Sunday night to Indianapolis, a game they had multiple opportunities to win. The Bears are coming off a surprising home loss to Seattle. Jay Cutler continues to get decimated behind the Bears poor offensive line. He might not make it through the whole season, and he needs to if the Bears want to keep playing come January. The Redskins, meanwhile, need to keep pace with the Giants and Eagles in the NFC East. The game is another home-coming for Redskins QB Donovan McNabb, who returns to his hometown of Chicago. I like the Bears in this one. Jay Cutler should be able to find some holes in the Redskins secondary before he ends up on his back. Bears in a close one.

Chicago 27  Washington 21

Cincinnati Bengals vs Atlanta Falcons

The Bengals are one of the surprise teams this season, but in a bad way. Most people I'm sure thought they would have have a winning record going into their bye week. A home loss to Tampa Bay changed that. Hopefully, for their sake, the Bengals fixed everything during their bye week. Even if they did fix certain things, however, their defense still remains a question mark. The Falcons are coming off a bad road loss to Philadelphia. Every team has a bad loss here and there, but the Falcons looked surprisingly bad last week. They'll most likely be without Cornerback Dunta Robinson, which is good news for Bengals WRs Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens. Even without him, I still like the Falcons here. The Bengals defense is a huge question mark. I expect Tony Gonzalez to have a good game here.

Atlanta 31  Cincinnati 20

Philadelphia Eagles vs Tennessee Titans

A big game for both teams. With the Colts & Texans on a bye, and playing each other next week, the Titans have a chance to move into first place in the AFC South with a win here. The Eagles, meanwhile, would love to head into their bye week with a 5-2 record in the NFC East. The Titans may be without QB Vince Young, who suffered a knee and ankle sprain in their Monday night game against Jacksonville. That would mean Kerry Collins would get the start. While Collins is an adequate back-up, he lacks the play-making mobility that Young brings. The Eagles will start Kevin Kolb at QB for the third week in a row. If he plays well again here, it will cause Andy Reid to make a tough decision who to start after the bye week: Kolb or Mike Vick. Going off the bases that I think Collins will start, I like the Eagles here. The Eagles defense will be able to pressure Collins, who is like a statue in the pocket.

Philadelphia 21  Tennessee 16

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Miami Dolphins

Big Ben returned to the Steelers last week and played well. Sure it was against the Browns, but he looked like the Big Ben of old. Ben should be able to find Hines Ward and Mike Wallace pretty well this week. The Dolphins secondary is nothing to write home about. The Dolphins are coming off a big and much needed win at Green Bay. They return home where they are 0-2 this year, losing to the Jets and Patriots. That's a tough opening home stretch, facing what are probably the 3 best teams in the AFC. I expect the Dolphins to go 0-3 at home this year. Chad Henne will face a lot of pressure from the Steelers front 7. They should also be able to contain Ronnie Brown. The Dolphins roller coaster season continues.

Pittsburgh 30  Miami 20

St. Louis Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Two young teams with surprisingly ok records. The Rams are 3-3 and coming off an upset win at home against the Chargers. The Bucs are 3-2, but coming off a bad home loss to New Orleans. The Rams have looked decent on offense with Sam Bradford under center and a healthy Steven Jackson in the backfield. Tampa Bay has struggled against elite teams, but have had success against teams equal or lesser to them. This one won't be a defensive struggle. I expect both teams to put points on the board. I also like the Rams here. And I think they have a real shot of contending for the NFC West crown.

St. Louis 38  Tampa Bay 35

Cleveland Browns vs New Orleans Saints

As I said in my Week 6 Review, Colt McCoy didn't look half bad against the Steelers. His week two test? The defending Super Bowl champs. Expect Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to dial up blitz after blitz against the rookie. I think the Browns should just let McCoy play ouy the year, to see if he is the answer at QB. The Saints are coming off a must win game which saw them take down Tampa Bay. Now they return home with an offense that looks to have found its rhythm. Drew Brees should be able to pick apart a weak Browns secondary. My lock of the week, only because I refuse to desginate a lock against my Bills.

New Orleans 42  Cleveland 13

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Kansas City Chiefs

A big game for both teams. The Jags are 3-3 and can't fall any further back in the AFC South. The Chiefs are 3-2, and need this win to open up a bigger lead atop the AFC West. Who will start at QB remains a question for Jacksonville. I doubt it is David Garrard, who hasn't practiced all week. Trent Edwards hasn't practiced either due to a right thumb injury. That could mean Todd Bouman starts. Expect a heavy dose of Maurice Jones-Drew. The Chiefs need to take advantage of a weak Jags defense. The secondary can be burned for big plays. The two-headed monster of Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles should also be able to find running room. I like the Chiefs to rebound at home here.

Kansas City 28  Jacksonville 14

San Francisco 49ers vs Carolina Panthers

Too bad San Fran lost last week, this could have been the battle of 0-5's. How dare they! Even in victory last week, the 49ers still looked bad offensively against a poor Raiders defense. Alex Smith must have been hearing the "We Want (David) Carr!" chants towards the end. The Panthers are 0-5 and looking for anything to get them going. They're going back to Matt Moore at QB, which I don't like. At this point, let the rookie, Jimmy Claussen, start the rest of the way to see if he is the answer at QB. The Panthers get Steve Smith back at WR, but I don't think it helps here. The 49ers win, and actually go on a two-game winning streak.

San Francisco 20  Carolina 10

Arizona Cardinals vs Seattle Seahawks

A battle between two teams tied for the lead in the NFC West. The Seahawks picked up their first road win of the year last week in Chicago. Marshawn Lynch looked sold in his debut as a Seahawk. The Cardinals are coming off a bye week and will again start rookie Max Hall at QB. The Cardinals have to find a way to get Larry Fitzgerald more involved in the offense. Until they do, I like the Seahawks here. Seattle is a tough place for a rookie QB, or any QB to play. Expect Lych and Justin Forsett to run through the Cardinals defense.

Seattle 27  Arizona 17

Oakland Raiders vs Denver Broncos

Even though the AFC West is anybody's to take, neither one of these teams can afford to fall to 2-5. The Raiders offense continues to have problems at QB, while the Broncos defense is having problems stopping people when they need to. Kyle Orton is having a career year, but expect a good amount of Knoshown Moreno for the Broncos here. The Raiders are terrible at stopping the run. No matter who starts at QB for the Raiders, they'll have a tough time against a good Broncos secondary. With the home edge, I like the Broncos here.

Denver 33  Oakland 21

New England Patriots vs San Diego Chargers

The Chargers have been quite a big disappointment this year. But there's no better way to attempt to turn around your season then with a win against New England. The problem for the Chargers is that they aare hurting. Star TE Antonio Gates and WR Malcolm Floyd are both question marks to play. They need both of those guys to help take advantage of a less than stellar Patriots secondary. The Patriots are coming off an OT win against the Ravens, which saw them erase a 4th quarter defecit. With Tom Brady's favorite target, Deion Branch, back it looks like a re-juvinated Brady. The defense was able to hold its own against Ray Rice and the Ravens, which is a sign of improvement for them. I like the Patriots here to take advantage of an injury-plagued Chargers team.

New England 28  San Diego 17

Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers

Brett Favre's second return to Green Bay. This time he brings Randy Moss with him. The Vikings are coming off a much needed win against Dallas in the "Desperation Bowl." Favre limited his mistakes last week, and he'll need to do that this week against a strong Packers defense. While the Packers defense is strong, they are still facing injury problems. Clay Matthews, A.J. Hawk, and Charles Woodson are all dealing with different ailments. Aaron Rodgers will need to be able to carry the load offensively. The Vikings can be thrown on, and he'll need to take advantage of that. I like the Packers at home here in prime time. And a wild prediction: the game ends in OT with a Brett Favre interception returned for a TD.

Green Bay 33 Minnesota 27  OT

New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys

It's the 12th round for the Dallas Cowboys, and the Giants are looking to deliver the KO punch. The Cowboys can come back from 1-4, but a 5th loss I think is the death nail. The Cowboys have nobody to blame but themselves. They should have won the opener in Washington, and they were in it last week against Minnesota. Wade Phillips won't be there by seasons end. Owner Jerry Jones may not fire him, but I wouldn't be surprsied to see a "voluntary resignation." The Giants, meanwhile, are clicking after struggling in the early weeks. Hakeem Nicks looks like atop flight WR, and Brandon Jacobs has calmed down after his early season problems. I think the Giants do indeed deliver the KO punch here. The Cowboys will probably be very focused, but the Giants are just a better football team.

NY Giants 23  Dallas 19

Those are the picks this week. A review of WWE Bragging Rights will be up Monday, and my Week 7 NFL Review on Tuesday.

A little MLB: I like the Yankees tonight in Game 6, but I'm nervous for them having to go against Cliff Lee in Game 7. In the NL, I'd be worried if I was the Giants. They're going back to Philly having to face Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. They needed to win yesterday with Lincecum on the mound. I think the Phillies take it in seven.

Until next time,

Justin C

JC's Everything Blog: JC's Take: WWE Bragging Rights Preview

JC's Everything Blog: JC's Take: WWE Bragging Rights Preview: "JC's Take: WWE Bragging Rights Preview Hello all. Welcome back for my preview of this Sunday's WWE Bragging Rights PPV. This is the third P..."

JC's Take: WWE Bragging Rights Preview

JC's Take: WWE Bragging Rights Preview

Hello all. Welcome back for my preview of this Sunday's WWE Bragging Rights PPV. This is the third PPV in a month's time. That could be a problem for the WWE. Not many fans are going to be willing to shell out $50 that many times in a month's span. Not only that, but the WWE is going to face some heavy competition this weekend. There is a big Brock Lesnar UFC fight the night before, and the Sunday night football game this week is Vikings/Packers, Brett Favre's return again to Green Bay. This has a chance to do one of the lowest PPV Buyrates in company history. I don't think it will be lower than the abomination that was December to Dismember, but it could be the second lowest in company history. This is again an example of the WWE having too many PPV's. They need to cut down. If I were them, I'd break it down into the following:

1. Late January- Royal Rumble

2. Late March/Early April- Wrestlemania

3. Mid May- Extreme Rules

4. Late June- King of The Ring/Judgement Day

5. Mid August- SummerSlam

6. Early October- Night of Champions

7. Mid November- Survivor Series

8. Late December- Insert PPV Name Here

This gives the WWE about a 6 week time frame between PPVs, except the December-Royal Rumble time frame, to continue current storylines or build new ones. By only having 8 PPVs, it gives the fans more reason to shell out $50 for a PPV. Plus it makes PPVs feel more like a big event. It also takes away gimmick PPVs such as Hell in a Cell and TLC, hopefully alllowing more meaning to be brought back to those matches. They could be saved for the conclusion of big time feuds, kind of like a potential Cena/Barrett Cell match.

The problem I have the most with Bragging Rights is that it is right before Survivor Series, which used to be the traditional 4-on-4 or 5-on-5 elimination style matches. Plus, the "Bragging Rights Trophy" being fought over disappears from TV after a couple weeks, essentially leaving it meaningless. I was always a fan of the 4-on-4 elimination matches back in the day, the mixing and matching of different stars was fun. But that's debate for another day. Here's my preview for this Sunday's PPV.

 

WWE Divas Championship: Michelle McCool (C) vs Natalya

As much as I don't particularly care for the women's division in the WWE, it is nice to see an actual feud built up between Natalya and Laycool. Natalya won via DQ at Hell in a Cell when Layla threw her shoe in the ring, causing a DQ. Either Layla or McCool can defend the title here, but I'd expect McCool to be the one to do the wrestling on the PPVs. She's a better worker than Layla. I think Laycool holds on to the titles here. I believe Vince and Company are high on them. I can see them holding onto the title until Beth Phoenix returns from her knee injury.

WINNER: Michelle McCool

 

RAW vs Smackdown, Champion vs Champion

United States Champion Daniel Bryan vs Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler

This is a match that was thrown together this week on RAW. It would have been nice to see this been put together immediately to give these guys a couple of weeks to build an actual storyline, other than their 5 minute confrontation from RAW this past week. These two are both good enough workers to put on a good match. Daniel Bryan is the one I see coming out on top here. He needs the win more in my opinion. I could also see some failed interference on Vickie Guerrero's behalf costing Dolph the match. Also with Bryan, I kind of liked his "Ladies Man" thing he did this past week on RAW. It gives a nice wrinkle to his character.

WINNER: Daniel Bryan

Team RAW vs Team Smackdown Bragging Rights Match (7-on-7 Elimination Match)

You know these brands hate each other right? They don't like each other. Of course a month from now no one will even care. I don't like how they are trying to force this brand pride down our throats, when it's obvious that they don't really care. Like I said above, the reason I don't like this PPV, and this match in particular, is because it takes away from the mystique of Survivor Series. How can you have a unique 4-on-4 elimination match with people like John Morrison and say Edge on the same team if they were on rival brands facing each other on the previous PPV? Anyways, Smackdown won the random brand Battle Royal this past Monday. And not to spoil Smackdown for anybody, but Smackdown again gets the upper hand this Friday. So, at least to me, it is quite obvious that Team RAW is going over on Sunday. Since it is an elimination match, I expect the Miz to end up being the sole survivor for Team RAW, further pushing him as a top heel on the RAW brand, and getting him ready for his eventual WWE Title run in the near future. I'd also expect RAW team member Eziekel Jackson to look dominant in the match. But I'll say The Miz gets the win after eliminating the last 2 Smackdown members Edge & Rey Mysterio. Chalk this one up for Team RAW.

Winners: Team RAW

World Heavyweight Championship: Buried Alive Match- Kane (C) vs Undertaker

Ah, the feud that refuses to die. The Undertaker has already had two chances to try and win the title from Kane, but he has been unsuccessful. So why not give him a third chance at it? Like I've said in previous postings, I think this match should have been saved for Survivor Series, the 20th anniversary of the Undertaker's debut. They could have easily subsituted another opponent for Kane, such as Edge. But they decided to have this match here. The Undertaker now apparently has the same magical powers as Kane. Whether that gives him an advantage or not remains to be seen. For those of you who don't know what a Buried Alive Match is, the rules are as follows: There are no pinfalls, submissions, countouts, or disqualifications. The only way to win the match is to "bury" your opponent in a set up grave, usually by the stage. With the way they have been making The Undertaker seem vulnerable recently, I think I'm actually going with Kane here. I think, possibly, it will set up a re-debut of the Undertaker at Survivor Series. I'd think it'd be awesome if he re-debuted as the American Badass Taker, but that's highly unlikely. So I think Kane gets the win here, and my guess it that there will somehow be a reason to give Undertaker a rematch at Survivor Series.

WINNER: Kane

WWE Championship Match: Randy Orton (C) vs Wade Barrett w/John Cena

This match should be good. Wade Barrett has been on fire since Hell in A Cell. He's playing his role of master and commander over John Cena perfectly. His verbal tirade on Cena two weeks ago was great. He comes off as an arrogant, cocky guy who believes that he is as good as he thinks he is. While the Cena/Barrett interactions have been great, it has also taken the focus more of Barrett's opponent Randy Orton. It just has seemed like he is playing second fiddle to Barrett/Cena. It'll be interesting to see how Cena either helps or doesn't help Barrett in this match. While I agree that Barrett has been awesome lately, I still think it's a tad too early to give him the title. Somehow, I think Orton will retain the title here. If I had to guess, I'd say Cena tries to help Barrett win but it somehow backfires. Or Cena could do what Shawn Michaels did a few years ago at the Royal Rumble. Deliver his finsher to both men, then put Barrett on top of Orton and leave, similar to what HBK did when he was "working for" JBL and had to help him in his match against Cena. Cena retained, but HBK did his job. Either way, I'll say Orton retains here.

WINNER: Randy Orton

That's all for today. I'll be back tomorrow with my Week 7 NFL Picks.

Until next time,
Justin C

JC's Everything Blog: NFL Week 6 Review

JC's Everything Blog: NFL Week 6 Review: "JC's Take: Week 6 NFL Review Team of the Week: Houston Texans Just when it looked like the Texans were about to fall to 3-3 in the compet..."

NFL Week 6 Review

JC's Take: Week 6 NFL Review

Team of the Week: Houston Texans

Just when it looked like the Texans were about to fall to 3-3 in the competitive AFC South, they rallied to beat the Chiefs. A 21 point fourth quarter helped the Texans improve to 4-2. Their defense still needs work, but the offense finally came back to life. There's no way the Texans could have fallen to 3-3 and still had a chance in that division, at least in my opinion. Sure they were helped by a questionable penalty called late against the Chiefs, but that doesn't excuse the Chiefs from giving up 21 4th quarter points. The Texans now carry momentum into the bye week, with a huge Week 8 showdown at Indianapolis looming.

Game of the Week: New England 23  Baltimore 20

I gave this game the edge slighlty over Miami/Green Bay. Both of these teams showed that they both belong in the upper tier of the AFC. The Ravens had this game in their grasp, but failed to hold on in the end. I think the one thing that killed the Ravens was not going for it on 4th &1 midway through the 4th quarter. Ray Rice had been running well all game, and you have to have faith in your stellar offensive line to gain that 1 yard. The Patriots rebounded nicely after the bye week, and it looks like the addition of Deion Branch will pay off greatly for the offense. I have a feeling these two teams might meet again in January.

Goat(s) of the Week: Brandon Meriweather, James Harrison, Dunta Robinson

There's no excuse for any of these three guys hits from this week. The NFL needs to start cracking down on hits like these. Meriweather is lucky he didn't get flagged earlier on Todd Heap's TD. If he had timed it better he would have hit Heap in the head. James Harrison says he's contemplating retirement because he doesn't know if he can follow these new NFL standards. Well idiot, maybe if you didn't lead with your head when you tackle you would play according to the rules. Dunta Robinson's hit was just as bad for DeSean Jackson as it was him. Both players suffered concussions from hit. Hopefully the NFL does what it says it's going to and start suspending players for these hits. Just handing out $150,000 fines to millionaires won't stop them. Losing a full gameday paycheck hopefully will.

Other Thoughts:

-People are worried about the Dallas Cowboys, but I think the San Diego Chargers struggles worry me more. They've been the class of the AFC West the last few years, but are struggling mightily. An 0-4 record on the road, with losses at St. Louis, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Oakland. Sure those teams for the most part are improved from previous years, but the Chargers have more talent than all of those teams. The only good thing for the Chargers is that at 2-4, they can still win the AFC West. But they have already played what I would call the easy part of their schedule. They have a home game this week with New England. They also still have a home game with Tennessee, and road games at Houston, Cincinnati and Indianapolis.

-What will Andy Reid do with his QBs now? Kevin Kolb looked good again against Atlanta. Michael Vick will more than likely be ready either this week, or after the bye. Do you stick with Kolb? Or go back to the game changer Vick? If I were Reid, I'd probably stick with Kolb. It might not sit well with Vick or Philly fans, but like Reid said when he named Vick the starter, you stick with the hot hand.

-I have to give credit to Colt McCoy. He proved me wrong. I thought he was going to get decimated by the Steelers, but he actually played quite well. 23-33 for 281 yards and 1 TD is a respectable stat line, especially against what many people consider the best defense in the league. At this point, if I were Eric Mangini (or Mike Holmgrem), I'd probably just leave McCoy in there the rest of the year. You're not going anywhere this year, so why not see what the kid can do.

-Some questionable pass interference penalties this week. In the Jets/Broncos game, Denver safety Renaldo Hill was called for interfernce on Jets WR Santonio Holmes on a 4th and 6 bomb. There barely looked to be any contact between them, except for Hill slightly grabbing Holmes face mask. The play lead to a Jets 1st down, and a Jets TD that won the game. In the Cowboys/Vikings game, a late interference call against the Cowboys gave the Vikings a 1st down, and allowed the Vikings to run out the clock. The ball appeared to be high and uncatchable, but the penalty was called anyways. Both of these occasions seemed to be refs having to much determination in the outcome of the game. Sometimes the refs just need to let these guys play.

Power Rankings!!!!

1. New York Jets (5-1)- They go into their bye week with the best record in football. They may have been helped late this week, but they're still for real.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1)- If Big Ben can play that well in his first game back, just imagine how well he can do with a few more games under his belt.

3. New England Patriots (4-1)- Tom Brady's favorite target, Deion Branch, is back. That could spell bad news for the rest of the AFC.

4. Indianapolis Colts (4-2)- Nice win on the road in Washington. Maybe Peyton Manning will just carry this team into the playoffs.

5. Baltimore Ravens (4-2)- To quote Dennis Green, they had the Patriots where they wanted them, and let em off the hook!!! Good thing they have the Bills coming to town this week.

6. New Orleans Saints (4-2)- They rebounded nicely at Tampa Bay. Drew Brees looked like his old self.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2)- Even with the QBs playing well, they could struggle if DeSean Jackson is out an extended period of time.

8. Atlanta Falcons (4-2)- A road loss to Philly isn't the end of the world. But getting blown out early could be a slight cause for concern.

9. Houston Texans (4-2)- A nice comeback against the Chiefs. Now they have 2 weeks to prepare for a huge showdown at Indianapolis.

10. New York Giants (4-2)- They allowed the Lions to hang in the game, but finished it in the end. Now they go to Dallas on Monday night, looked to deliver a KO punch to the Cowboys season.

11. Tennessee Titans (4-2)- Impressive road win in Jacksonville. But I'd be worried if Kerry Collins has to start the next couple games.

12. Chicago Bears (4-2)- If Jay Cutler keeps getting sacked like this, the Bears may need to give Jeff George a call.

13. Miami Dolphins (3-2)- They took advantage of an injury plagued Packers team, which is what they were suppose to do. Now they face a strong Steelers team.

14. Kansas City Chiefs (3-2)- The Texans game may be one of those games that comes back to haunt them come December.

15. Washington Redskins (3-3)- They had opportunites to win the game against the Colts. Now they have a big game in Chicago with both teams needing a win.

16. Green Bay Packers (3-3)- They need to get healthy fast with Brett Favre returning to town this week. Big game in the NFC North.

17. Arizona Cardinals (3-2)- Coming off the bye, they need to find a way to get Larry Fitzgerald more involved.

18. Minnesota Vikings (2-3)- They won the Panic Bowl, now they need to win on the road in Green Bay against an unhealthy Packers team.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)- They've been smoked by both quality teams they've played so far (Pittsburgh & New Orleans). They're improving but aren't ready for the big leagues yet.

20. St. Louis Rams (3-3)- Nice bounceback win against the Chargers. Now they need to win against the Bucs to keep pace in the NFC West.

21. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)- A road win against the Bears looked nice. Marshawn Lynch took no time fitting in with his new team.

22. Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)- Coming off a bye week, they get an Atlanta team coming off an embarassing road loss at Philly. Hopefully they're well-prepared.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)- David Garrard and Trent Edwards looked like they could be the same exact QBs. You could barley tell the difference during the game.

24. Denver Broncos (2-4)- They hung with the Jets. Sure they got hosed by a questonable call, but they shouldn't have let it come to that.

25. San Diego Chargers (2-4)- As I said, it doesn't get any easier. They better hope Antonio Gates isn't out an extended period of time.

26. Dallas Cowboys (1-4)- Apparently Wade Phillips is safe for now. That doesn't mean he'll be there in January.

27. San Francisco 49ers (1-5)- They got their first win. Now they play a winless Carolina team. Could a winning streak be on the horizon?

28. Oakland Raiders (2-4)- They're still in the AFC West race, but they need to find answers to their offense and struggling run defense.

29. Detroit Lions (1-5)- They're hanging with some good teams, which is good for a young team looking at the future.

30. Cleveland Browns (1-5)- Colt McCoy looked adequate against Pittsburgh. I say let him play the rest of the year to see if he can be an NFL QB.

31. Buffalo Bills (0-5)- The good news is they're rested after the bye. The bad news is they get a pissed off Baltimore team. Uh oh.

32. Carolina Panthers (0-5)- Benching Jimmy Clausen isn't the answer. At this point, as with Colt McCoy, let Claussen play thee rest of the year to see if he can play QB in the NFL.

I'll be back this week with my Week 7 NFL Picks, and Bragging Rights preview.

Until next time,
Justin C

JC's Everything Blog: WWE Week in Review: 10/11-10/17

JC's Everything Blog: WWE Week in Review: 10/11-10/17: "Hello All, JC's WWE Week in Review Welcome back! Here's my review of anything and everything WWE from this past week. -Lets start once a..."

WWE Week in Review: 10/11-10/17

Hello All,

JC's WWE Week in Review

Welcome back! Here's my review of anything and everything WWE from this past week.

-Lets start once again with the continuation of the John Cena in Nexus angle. I think it continued well this week, with Wade Barrett again being the star of the night. It's amazing how well Barrett has progressed in such little time.His ranting promo at the end of RAW was terrific. And adding the "You Can't See Me" at the end was great. Barrett must have really learned from his NXT rookie Chris Jericho. This week, Cena has to team with Randy Orton to take on Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty. If Harris and McGillicutty win, they will be officialy inducted into the Nexus. I think this has to be the outcome. Nexus can't survive with just the four plus Cena. Harris and McGillicutty can fill the "muscle" role for the group. But once again, a strong continuation of the stroyline. It'll be interesting to see how long the WWE can keep this up, but as long as Barrett keeps performing well, it should continue to be good TV.

-C.M. Punk was officially moved to RAW last week. Like I said last week, I think it's a good move. Punk had nothing left for him on Smackdown, and a move to RAW gives him fresher opponents, including the possibility of a Daniel Bryan/Punk feud, which would be good for everyone watching. I also liked Punk's beatdown of Evan Bourne. Bourne had an injury and needed to be written off TV anyways, and this was the perfect way to do it. It gives Bourne, hopefuly, a feud to return to when he comes back. I also like it from Punk's perspective. It establishes him as a force on RAW. And do you know what the best part about it was? He didn't need to use the mic to get heat on him. That's why Punk is that good.

-Other then Cena/Nexus, the other main focus of RAW was establishing Team RAW for the Bragging Rights PPV. The team consists of Captain The Miz, Sheamus, R-Truth, C.M. Punk, John Morrison, Santino Marella, and a 7th person yet to be named. The Miz looked good in his match against Cena as he continues to grow into his role as a top heel. John Morrison continues to shine and looks destined for a main event push down the line. Sheamus and Daniel Bryan had a nice 5 minute match. I'd really like to see these two have a long feud down the line. They have two contrasting styles, but both worked well together in the ring. Bryan also recovered from his beatdown last week against Sheamus. R-Truth is over enough with the crowd to deserve his spot. C.M. Punk hates Smackdown, so that works. Santino is weird. He's also over, but doesn't really do that much. I actually thought Zack Ryder was going to win there, especially with his recent interactions with Edge. My guess is Mark Henry gets the last spot. He had to miss RAW this week do to a family emergency. Team RAW looks pretty decent.

-On the Smackdown side, the team consists of Captain Big Show "Insano", Rey Mysterio, Jack Swagger, Edge, Kofi Kingston, Alberto del Rio, and Tyler Reks. I don't think Reks stays on the team. He might get replaced again by the man he beat, Kaval. The best part about the Bragging Rights PPV is seeing how everyone interacts on each team. How will Mysterio & del Rio, and Swagger & Edge co-exist after their recent altercations? It's also nice to see former tag champs Miz and Big Show as opposing captains. The only thing I don't like about the qualifying matches is how every secondary champion in the company lost their qualifying match. The tag champs Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre lost to Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston, respectively. Intercontinental champ Dolph Ziggler lost to Edge, and United States champ Daniel Bryan lost to Sheamus. I know they were all going up against opponents who were better than them individually, but that doesn't say much about your secondary champions if they lose that easily. I think if you look at both teams from a talent perspective, you would give the advantage to Smackdown. They have more world championship reigns. RAW is more of an "up-and-coming" team.

-I think the WWE shouldn't be giving away Kane vs Undertaker in a "Buried Alive" match at Bragging Rights. I'm still of the opinion that the match should be saved for Survivor Series, considering it wll be the 20th anniversary of the Undertaker's debut. I don't know what they could have done for this PPV. Maybe give the Undertaker off, and have Kane be a part of team Smackdown? I just think a Buried Alive match should be the end of this feud. Maybe they could have had an Inferno Match? But WWE probably doesn't think setting someone on fire is PG. I don't think the feud ends at Bragging Rights. I think somehow it gets stretched to Survivor Series, maybe in a "Buried in Cement" match.

Other News & Notes:

-I can't believe two hot women can actually be so annoying that I have grown to hate them. That's what Michelle McCool and Layla have done. They're THAT annoying on the mic. Layla's British accent makes it that much worse.

-Apparently on NXT this week Goldust proposed to his rookie Aksana to keep her in the country. Like I said, it gives Goldust something to do. He deserves it for being a company guy the last few years. Plus it gives him someone to counter Maryse on the outside in his feud with Ted DiBiase Jr. I couldn't help but laugh though when Michael Cole said it was a bigger deal than Jim & Pam from The Office. A bit of a stretch there.

-Matt Hardy was finally officially released from the company. I don't know if it was just his way of trying to get released, but I think he might have actually just lost it. Just type in his name on YouTube and watch some of his videos. I think he's actually lost it. Even if he doe go to TNA, I don't think he'll do anything special. He's not that great in the ring or on the mic.

-Right before I started writing this blog I read that Tough Enough might be brought back to TV by USA Network. For those of you who don't know, Tough Enough was essentially WWE's version of reality TV. They'd take somehwere between 10-16 people and train them to become pro wrestlers. Once the season got further along, they'd vote one person out each week. It was similar to NXT, but it was more training and there were no storylines. I think it's a good idea. The first two seasons were good.

-Apparently, lower card wrestlers and rookies are being forced to attend mandatory promo classes taught by Vince McMahon. How I would love to sit in on one of those classes. I think there are better promo people working for WWE that could teach it, such as Arn Anderson and Dusty Rhodes, but it is Vince's company after all.

That's it this week. I'll be back either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning with my NFL Week 6 recap. Then between Friday and Saturday I'll post my Week 7 preview, and a preview of Bragging Rights. I'm also still working on my 50 Best and 50 Worst moments in wrestling history blog.

Until next time,
Justin C

JC's Everything Blog: NFL Week 6 Picks

JC's Everything Blog: NFL Week 6 Picks: "Hello All, Back for some Week 6 picks. Last week I went 6-8. Not good. Here's hoping for improvement this week. Seattle vs Chicago The Se..."

NFL Week 6 Picks

Hello All,

Back for some Week 6 picks. Last week I went 6-8. Not good. Here's hoping for improvement this week.

Seattle vs Chicago

The Seahawks are rested coming off a bye week. Plus, they now have new running back Marshawn Lynch in the fold. How much action he gets this week will be interesting. I expect anywhere from 12-15 touches. The Bears get Jay Cutler back, which they have to be greatful for. Todd Collins looked awful against the Panthers last week. Either way, I think the Bears will rely heavily on Matt Forte this week, easing Jay Cutler back into the game. I just don't like the Seahawks on the road, even after the bye.

Chicago 20  Seattle 10

Miami vs Green Bay

The Dolphins are also rested coming off their bye week, and two home primetime losses to divisional rivals. The Packers are banged up on both sides of the ball. Aaron Rodgers is still a question mark, Jermichael Finley is out for the year, and Clay Matthews may not play. They're vulnerable for an upset against a rested Dolphins team. Do I think it happens? No. The Packers still have enough playmakers, at least on the defensive side, to still cause problems for Chad Henne. It'll be close, but the Packers get the win in the end.

Green Bay 27  Miami 23

Kansas City vs Houston

Both of these teams need a win here. The Chiefs lost their first game of the year last week at Indianapolis. While the defense showed up, the offense could not take advantage of a week Colts defense. The Texans got stomped at home by the NY Giants. The offense looked out of sink and Eli Manning took advantage of a bad secondary. While both teams need the win, I'm giving the edge here to the Texans. They can't fall to 3-3 in the super competitive AFC South. I expect a better game from the offense. And until Matt Cassel proves he's for real, I can't pick him in a big game on the road.

Houston 30  Kansas City 17

Cleveland vs Pittsburgh

I almost feel like I don't need to write anything for this. Big Ben's return for Pittsburgh. Cleveland is starting rookie Colt McCoy on the road against the Steelers. I fear for his well-being. Maybe the Browns should just line-up Josh Cribbs under center the whole game. They'd probably have a better chance. This, without queston, is my lock of the week.

Pittsburgh 34  Cleveland 6

San Diego vs St. Louis

Both teams are coming off bad losses. The Chargers fell to 2-3 with a road loss at Oakland, a team they hadn't lost to in 13 straight meetings. The Rams looked awful on the road at Detroit. The Rams also lost their #1 WR, Mark Clayton, for the year. That will hurt considering he was Sam Bradford's favorite target. The Chargers offense, even with their record, has been clicking all year. And considering the Rams just got lit up by the Lions, I would expect nothing less from the Chargers. I think Rivers goes for 400 yards again, and probably 4 TDs. The once tied for first in the NFC West Rams fall again.

San Diego 38  St. Louis 20

Detroit vs NY Giants

The Lions got their first win of the week last week. Good for them. Their reward? Going to New York to face a Giants team that looks like they've finally found their identity. The Giants pass rush will cause problems for Shaun Hill. Also, expect Eli and company to pick apart a week Lions secondary.

NY Giants 35  Detroit 14

Baltimore vs New England

They may not admit it, but you better believe the Patriots haven't forgotten about last years embarrasing home playoff loss against the Ravens. It's the first game of the post-Randy Moss era, so it'll be interesting how the offense performs. I think a lot of Wes Welker's success was because of Moss, and now defenses will be able to gameplan for Welker better. The Patriots have secondary problems, and it'll be interesting to see if Coach Bellicheck fixed it during the bye week. If not, Joe Flacco can take advantage of that. And the more people the Patriots have to drop into coverage, the more open space that leaves for Ray Rice. This one will be close throughout, but I like the Ravens in this one because of their strong Front 7 on the defensive side.

Baltimore 24  New England 19

Atlanta vs Philadelphia

A big game in the NFC. Mike Vick's status remains in question for the Eagles. My gut feeling says he probably won't play, and will come back after Philly's bye week. Kevin Kolb looked ok in replacing Vick last week, but it was still obvious that Vick is the better option. The Falcons, meanwhile, have looked like the best team in the NFC for the first five weeks. Matt Ryan looks to be growing into the franchise QB position, and the defense has been playing pretty well. I think they're for real, and I like them here on the road. Winning in Philly should put any doubts about the Falcons to rest.

Atlanta 23  Philadelphia 21

New Orleans vs Tampa Bay

Who would have thought that this game would have some big implications. Tampa Bay, at 3-1, has a chance to prove if they are for real. The Saints, meanwhile, would fall to 3-3 with a loss here, putting them 2 games behind the Bucs in the loss column. The Saints offense has looked lost without Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush, but they're expected to get Thomas back this week. Tampa Bay is coming off a surprising road win at Cincinnati. This one won't be a blowout, it'll be closer than people think. I think the Saints though will pull it out in the end. They have the experience, and I just Drew Brees to do enough to get the win.

New Orleans 31  Tampa Bay 23

NY Jets vs Denver

The Jets have looked great since their Week 1 loss to Baltimore. The offense has looked tremendous. LT looks like he's bee reborn again. The addition of Santonio Holmes last week just gives them more weapons and makes them just that much better. The Broncos have been riding the arm of Kyle Orton so far this year, but he can't do it all for them. The Broncos defense is plagued with injuries, and that's not good going up against a strong Jets team. Look for the Jets to run, run, run against an injured Broncos front 7.

NY Jets 28  Denver 16

Oakland vs San Francisco

The Raiders are coming off a nice win last week at home against San Diego. And at 2-3, they're still in contention in the AFC West. San Francisco, at 0-5, is looking for a win. According to their owner, they can still win the NFC West. It's possible because of the weakness of the division, but 0-5 is just too hard to overcome in my opinion. With that being said, however, I like the 49ers here. Frank Gore should be in line for a big day. I expect this one to be high scoring, but the desperation of San Francisco wins out in the end.

San Francisco 37  Oakland 33

Dallas vs Minnesota

This game should be called the Desperation Bowl. Both teams, pre-season favorites, are 1-3 and cannot afford another loss. The Cowboys need this win more. Every team in their division is 3-2 and have looked good. The NFC North has an injured Packers squad and a Bears team that still has some flaws. Look for an heavy dose of Randy Moss in this game in his first home game back at Minnesota. Brett Favre says his elbow is bothering him, but that won't stop him from playing. I just think the Cowboys are missing something this year, and Wade Phillips better be worried if he loses this week, which I think they will.

Minnesota 30  Dallas 20

Indianapolis vs Washington

The Redskins are coming off a nice OT win against the Packers. They've been winning ugly, but a win is a win. The Colts defense looked much better in their home win last week against the Chiefs. Peyton Manning looked a bit off, but expect him to rebound this week against a poor Redskins secondary. The Redskins running attack is without Clinton Portis, and Ryan Torain was unable to do a good job filling in last week. I think the Colts offense will be able to handle the Redskins D, and Donovan McNabb and company won't be able to keep up.

Indianapolis 34  Washington 23

Tennessee vs Jacksonville

Two 3-2 teams in the AFC South looking for separation. The Titans are coming off a surprising road win at Dallas, while Jacksonville didn't fall asleep against the Bills. The Jags secondary, however, still looked vulnerable. I think Vince Young should be able to take advantage of that. I also think David Garrard can take advanage of a bad Titans secondary. This one looks to be a shootout, and it also features two of the best running backs in the game with Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew. I like the Titans just a little better on the road.

Tennessee 35  Jacksonville 31

Those are my picks. Myself and some friends are working on a "50 Best & 50 Worst Moments in Wrestling" blog, which will hopefully be up in a week or so.

Until next time,
Justin C