NFL Week 13 Picks

Not bad last week. Better than my fantasy football teams.

Last Week: 11-5
Year to Date: 118-57

New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons
This may be the second best rivalry in the NFL. I don't know if anything will top the Ravens/Steelers in the near future, but this one is starting to get close. It is becoming pretty apparent through various players words in the media that these teams do not like each other. The Saints ended the Falcons undefeated season the last time these two teams played. New Orleans came up with a big goal line stand and did not allow the Falcons to take the lead in the fourth quarter. The Saints are coming off a loss that saw their offense get stopped by the 49ers defense. They got to Drew Brees and returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Atlanta doesn't have the pass rushers to get to Brees like the 49ers do, so Brees will have more time here. Atlanta got out of Tampa Bay with a win and placed a strangle hold on the NFC South. Atlanta has the offensive fire power to stay with the Saints in this one. This won't be a defensive struggle. If Matt Ryan and the Falcons want to take the next step, they need to win this one. I like the Falcons to take this one. They got Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rogers going last week. If they can get rolling come Playoff time, the Falcons offense gets that much better.

Atlanta 34  New Orleans 28

JC's Take: Stars, Goats & Notes From Week 12 of the NFL

Team of the Week: Washington Redskins
-Three weeks ago, Mike Shanahan was talking about players playing to be on the team next season. Many people questioned Shanahan giving up on the season so early. Two wins later, Washington now sits at 5-6, one game out of a Wild Card spot and two games back in the NFC East, with a big game coming up against the Giants next Monday night. The Redskins went into Dallas on Thanksgiving and lit up the Cowboys. Robert Griffin made some big time throws and he looks like every bit a QB that the Redskins expected him to be. Griffin has a rocket for an arm and the velocity on some of his passes is amazing. You never know what Giants team to expect week in and week out, so that is why next week is so big for the Redskins. Even if Washington doesn't get to the Playoffs this year, the future looks bright for them. Had it not been for injuries to Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan on defense, they might be in better shape.

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 11/26/12

Dean Ambrose is getting a live mic tonight. I'm assuming a lot of the Internet nerds are tuning in.

3 Hours of Ryback? God Help Us All
We opened with Ryback taking on Titus O'Neil. Ryback dominated. Titus asked for a timeout but Ryback clotheslined him on the floor. Darren Young grabbed Ryback's foot to distract him and Titus hit his sit down power bomb but Ryback kicked out at one. Titus went for it again but Ryback blocked it and threw Titus into Young on the apron. Ryback hit the Meat Hook Clothesline and Shell Shocked for the win.

After the match, Ryback said he was going to stay in the ring until either C.M. Punk, the NXT guys, or all four of them came out.

Segment Analysis: I hate that the Prime Time Players are being jobbed out already. And I just talked about my hope for the tag team division. Survey Says: 1.5/5

What I'm Thankful For In The WWE

It is Thanksgiving weekend here in the United States. A time to eat some good food, gather with friends and family, and truly be thankful for everything that we have in life. With the WWE, 2012 has been a rough year. There is not a lot to like about the current product. But there have been some bright spots in the WWE this year. I wouldn't say the WWE has been a complete failure this year. There are some things to be thankful for in the WWE. As a writer and a fan, these are the things that I am thankful for.

NFL Week 12 Picks

So close to perfection. Damn You Rams!

I went 3-0 on Thanksgiving. If you don't believe me check my Twitter!

Last Week's Record: 13-1
Year to Date: 107-52

Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears
Chicago needs Jay Cutler in a bad way. I understand Jason Campbell went up against a very good defense last week, but he still looked beyond terrible against the 49ers. He looked uncomfortable in the pocket and did not deal well with the pressure that the 49ers brought. Cutler still has not been cleared to play yet, so that makes his status for this game a question mark. Cutler makes a world of difference for this team. You know the Bears defense will be out to make a statement after a poor performance against the 49ers. It was the most points the Bears have given up all year, and it was to a QB starting his first game. The Vikings wanted to use their bye week to get their star WR Percy Harvin healthy, but Harvin has yet to practice this week. Having Harvin play takes pressure off of Adrian Peterson. Without Harvin, teams can crowd the box to stop Peterson. Christian Ponder has struggled mightily in his last few games, even failing to go over 100 passing yards in two of his last four. Both teams may be missing stars, but I like the Bears defense to take advantage of Christian Ponder and grind out a win here.

Chicago 17  Minnesota 13

JC's Take: Stars, Goats and Notes from Week 11 of the NFL

Team of the Week: San Francisco 49ers
-In the battle of back-up QBs, Colin Kapernick won. And he may have just created a QB controversy in San Francisco. The 49ers dominated the entire football game Monday night. Not only that, but they had continued success driving down the field against a very good Bears defense. The 49ers defense got to Jason Campbell, causing six sacks and two interceptions. San Francisco imposed their will on both sides of the ball and finally looked like the team I picked to go to the Super Bowl at the start of the year. You have to wonder if Jim Harbaugh goes back to Alex Smith or rides the hot hand with Kapernick next week. Great performance by the 49ers.

Game of the Week: Houston 43  Jacksonville 37 (OT)
-Thank You Andre Johnson. Thank You Matt Schaub. In my picks blog this week, I said that if Jacksonville won, I would write a 10,000 word blog talking about the Jaguars victory. I wasn't kidding. I was getting ready to start working on that today. But the Texans offense saved my ass and came up with a big play in over time to secure the Texans a late victory. When Blaine Gabbert left the game in the first quarter, Chad Henne took command and the Jaguars looked like a completely different team with him under center. You have to wonder why Henne hasn't been starting earlier. I know they wanted to develop Gabbert, but it was evident after five games this year that he wasn't the answer. For the Texans, this game exposed some holes they have and need to be fixed. It also showed that they are beatable and are now sure fire bets to win the AFC in a run away.

The "Adrian Peterson Is On A Bye, So I Have To Pick Other Guys" 3 Stars Of The Week
3. Julian Edelman
The one thing I like about Bill Bellicheat is that he always finds ways to have one guy you didn't expect play a big part in beating you. This week that guy was Julian Edelman. Edelman returned a punt for a touchdown and also caught a pass for a touchdown. He was also one tackle away from returning a kickoff for one as well. Edelman isn't someone who wows you with his athletic ability, but he's a hard worker who can make a play if you take him lightly.

2. A.J. Green
If you still have doubts about A.J. Green being one of the Top 5 WRs in the league, then you don't know football. Green had another touchdown catch this week in Cincinnati's rout of the Chiefs. That gives Green 10 on the year. He's had one in every game this year except for Week 1. You have to wonder where Cincinnati's offense would be without Green. They really don't have too many other weapons. Sooner or later, teams will have to start doubling him like they do Calvin Johnson.

1. Matt Schaub/Andre Johnson
These two share the award because they both put up some tremendous stats this week against Jacksonville. Schaub threw for 527 yards and 5 touchdowns, while Johnson caught 14 passes for 273 yards and scored the game winning touchdown. This is just an example of what the Texans could have been like all these years if everyone on offense had stayed healthy. Things are finally starting to come together in Houston, and they have the Super Bowl in their sights.

The Almost As Bad As Most Cancelled Fall TV Shows 3 Goats of the Week
3. Philadelphia Eagles Defense
I don't know how much more evidence you need to see that the Eagles have quit on this season. That may have been some of the worst coverage I have seen in my football watching life this past week. Robert Griffin had all day to throw and the secondary just had complete lapses in coverage, allowing WRs to get open. I'm surprised Andy Reid is still coaching this team.

2. Ken Wisenhunt
OK. I understand that John Skelton has been struggling lately. But why in your right mind would you pull him, on the road, with your team surprisingly in the lead, against one of the best team's in the NFC. And it isn't even like it was a veteran. It was a rookie QB who has not seen the field this year. Needless to say, Ryan Lindley did not fair to well, and Arizona lost their lead. Is Wisenhunt trying to lose his job?

1. Bart Scott
Bart Scott used to be a very good team leader for the Jets.Now, you have to wonder if he has just lost his damn mind. Scott tried leading a locker room mutiny against the media after their win against the Rams. Of course, this is because of the story that came out last week that un-named Jets players ripped Tebow for being terrible. Well guess what Bart, the players on your defense are the ones that are bringing unwanted attention to this team. Your media mutiny only made you guys look like bigger fools than you already were. The Jets have become a side show act. No one takes them seriously anymore.

Other Week 11 Notes
-If I am the Pittsburgh Steelers, I am very concerned about making the Playoffs. At 6-4 they stand in the final Wild Card position. But as they showed last night, it is going to be a struggle for them with all of these injuries catching up to them. Ben Roethlisberger just makes that team so much better. And now it looks like Byron Leftwich is down, meaning that Pittsburgh will have to turn to Charlie Batch at QB. Now they are bringing in WR Plaxico Burress because they are down at that position too. I wouldn't even worry about catching the Ravens, I would just be worried about holding on to the spot they have now. They go to Cleveland next week, a team that the Steelers struggle with at times. The game is always low scoring, and that is with Big Ben at QB. They then go to Baltimore and face another dog fight there. The Steelers need to find different ways to win these games coming up. If the Steelers lose the next two games, Big Ben will have a lot riding on his shoulders if he returns with four games left.

-Jason Garrett still needs to be worried about his job, even after yesterday's come from behind win against the Browns. Why should Garrett be worried? Because his team had to come from behind to beat the Browns. I've always thought Cleveland would be a team that will fight tooth and nail until the end of every game this year. That's their mentality. But the Cowboys have more talent and should have won that game without any problems at home. Then again, they are the Cowboys. A team that for some reason only likes to show up in the second half of each game. Add to the fact that Browns President Mike Holmgren was seen talking to Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones on the sidelines, and Garrett has even more to be worried about. A report came out that this weekend that Holmgren would only return to coach the Cowboys. Holmgren is stepping down as Browns President, Garrett is on the hot seat, this report comes out, and Holmgren is seen talking to Jones. Pieces keep falling into places.

-We are only heading into Week 12, but it looks like every division in the AFC is wrapped up. New England has a two game lead in the AFC East, but no other team has the talent in that division to catch them. The Texans have a three game lead in the AFC South and still play the Colts twice. They also hold wins over Denver and Baltimore, and still play New England. The Texans essentially control their own destiny for the #1 seed in the AFC. Denver holds a three game lead over the Chargers and have beaten them twice. No one is catching Denver there. And the Ravens hold a two game lead over Pittsburgh and just beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh. What does this all mean? It means the question of resting players will come into effect pretty early for all of these teams. Now these four teams are looking to establish themselves and work out the final kinks they have before the Playoffs role around. All four of these teams have their own strengths and weakness, and they will look to fix those weaknesses with the Playoffs looming.

The HOT HOT HOT SEAT
-These Guys Should Just Start Packing Their Desks Already
1. Andy Reid, Philadelphia
2. Norv Turner, San Diego
3. Ron Rivera, Carolina
4. Romeo Crennel, Kansas City

-The I Wouldn't Buy A House Quite Yet In That Town Group
1. Jason Garrett, Dallas
2. Pat Shurmur, Cleveland
3. Ken Wisenhunt, Arizona

Random One Liners
-Why was everyone all hyped up about the Dolphins again?

-Why do the Steelers have so may awful uniforms?

-I bet Larry Fitzgerald regrets signing that contract extension now.

-If only Sam Bradford had some actual weapons to help him out on offense.

-Someone should give Mason Crosby the leg of the turkey for dinner.

-Maybe Jon Gruden will just leave the announce booth and start coaching the Eagles next week.

The FAB FIVE
1. Houston Texans
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. New England Patriots
5. San Francisco 49ers

The TURRIBLE FIVE
28. Cleveland Browns
29. Oakland Raiders
30. Carolina Panthers
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
32. Kansas City Chiefs

Three Games I'd Like To See Next Week
Green Bay at New York Giants: Did the bye week help the reeling Giants?
San Francisco vs New Orleans: Classic defense vs offense battle.
Atlanta vs Tampa Bay: Can Bucs keep up impressive run?

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 11/19/12

I'm going to try my very best to enjoy RAW tonight. I know I have been down on the product lately, but C.M. Punk's year long Title reign is something to celebrate. I'm hoping we get a mock "This Is Your Life" from Punk.

Will Someone Just Get Ryback to Catering Already?
Ryback came out. He said he was about to feast on the WWE Championship until C.M. Punk's three men took food from his mouth. He said they are now all his prey. He told all of them to come out and face him right now, and if they don't, he is going to tear this place apart until he finds them. Vickie Guerrero came out. She said if Ryback caused chaos tonight he would be fined or suspended. But she does enjoy the way he destroys people, and she wanted to see how big his appetite really is. Tensai came out for a match. After some brawling Tensai hit a chokeslam and his diving back drop but Ryback kicked out immediately. Ryback hit a bodyslam then a spinebuster and they went to the outside. Ryback threw him into the barricade then back in the ring. He hit the Meathook Clothesline then Shell Shocked for the win.

Segment Analysis: So was that segment suppose to get us to support Ryback again? Because that didn't really do anything for me. We've seen Tensai/Ryback before. And Ryback just showed why he can't be a main eventer with his promo. If you have to use food analogies the whole time, it ain't gonna work. Survey Says: 1.5/5

WWE Survivor Series Results

I'll be reviewing Survivor Series live here all night, as my work vacation comes to an end and I get ready to go back tomorrow. But I'm here tonight, hoping for a worth while show.

David Otunga was named the fifth member of Team Ziggler. Ziggler's fellow heels did not like the pick.

3MB beat Team CoBro after McIntyre caught Ryder with his cast, allowing Mahal to pick up the win.

Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, Tyson Kidd, Sin Cara, Rey Mysterio vs Tensai, Primo and Epico, Prime Time Players

A bonus match to start the show. Is seeing Tensai a bonus? Epico and Tyson Kidd started. They exchanged some offense until Epico pulled Kidd down onto the apron. Kidd was able to escape and tag in Gabriel. Gabriel tagged in Rey, but Epico caught him with a kick and tagged in Young. Rey tagged in Sin Cara, who hit his normal offense on Primo. Primo took out Sin Cara with a leg sweep and tagged in Tensai. He hit some bodyslams then tossed Cara into the corner where he tagged in O'Neil. The heels took turns working over Sin Cara. Tensai took out the faces until CLay punched Tensai and Cara tagged him in. All of the faces hit dives to the outside on the heels, leaving Tensai and Clay. Tensai took out Clay and hit his back dive, eliminating Clay. Gabriel moved out of the way of Tensai's back dive and Gabriel rolled him up for a three count. The heels took turns working over Kidd this time. O'Neil missed a charge at Kidd and crotched himself. Kidd caught O'Neil with a kick and rolled him up for a three count. Kidd then caught Epico in a sharpshooter, eliminating him. Primo went to the top, but Kidd caught him mid air with a dropkick. Kidd tagged in Rey. Rey hit a seated senton from the top. Primo ducked a 619, but Rey rolled him up for a three count. Rey then hit a 619, then all the faces got some offense in on Young and picked up the win.

WWE Survivor Series Preview

If the booking for Survivor Series has showed us anything, its that the WWE's creative team is as much of a mess as it ever has been. In the span of the week, they changed their main event match and completely just over looked feuds various wrestlers were in. On one side we have C.M. Punk, who's been in a war of words with Mick Foley over the last couple of weeks. So what happens? They make those two the captains of respective Survivor Series teams and they make a match for the PPV. Okay, fair enough. But what happens a week later? That match is scrapped, and now Dolph Ziggler is the captain of Team Punk? And Mick Foley has what kind of beef with Ziggler?

Oh, and lets not forget the fact that John Cena is in a program with Dolph Ziggler, Vickie Guerrero and A.J. It would only make sense to maybe see a Ziggler/Cena singles match at the PPV, right? Nope. Ziggler is instead inserted into the traditional Survivor Series match, and Cena is in the WWE Title Match. But they continue to have Ziggler and Cena interact on TV. See what kind of jumbled mess this whole PPV is? Why should the WWE expect people to care about the PPV if it seems like they are putting such little effort into the show themselves? It really looks like Vince McMahon doesn't consider Survivor Series a Big 4 PPV. He tried to scrap it once before, and it looks like he is trying his best to get people to not care about it again.

NFL Week 11 Picks

A bit of a down turn from previous weeks, but still respectable.

Last Week: 9-5
Year to Date: 94-51

Miami Dolphins vs Buffalo Bills
The Bills last week showed how good they can be when the offense plays to its potential. They came very close to beating the Patriots last week in Foxboro, but a bad Ryan Fitzpatrick interception in the end zone ended those hopes. The defense all was run over again. When you score 31 points in the NFL, you expect to win the game. But the defense barely put any pressure on Tom Brady and could not cause any turnovers. Buffalo has an easy schedule coming up so there is still a glimmer of hope for the team. Even without Fred Jackson, the Bills should be okay with the electric C.J. Spiller in the backfield. He needs more touches and he will get them now. Miami was embarrassed last week at home and might have ended any hopes of a decent season happening this year. The offense looked terrible for the first time all season. And the defense was ran over by Chris Johnson. I don't know what changed for Miami, but things didn't look good. On a short week, I like the Bills here. Miami will still be reeling from their bad loss.

Buffalo 27  Miami 17

JC's Take: Stars, Goats and Notes From Week 10 of the NFL

Team of the Week: New Orleans Saints
-The Saints struggled mightily for the first month of the season. The offense put up points, but the defense had problems shutting teams down. But in the last two weeks, the Saints defense stepped up and helped them win games. Last week, the Saints defense held the Philadelphia Eagles to 13 points. This week against the Saints they came up with a huge 4th down stop inside their own 10 yard line with under 2 minutes left. Then they stopped the Falcons at the end of the game and handed the Falcons their first loss of the season. The Saints are now 4-5 and are in no way out of the NFC Playoff picture yet. If the Saints defense can show up and have a consistently strong performance every week, then they will be right back in the thick of things. Drew Brees and the offense can put up 30+ points like its nothing. If the Saints can hold teams to under 30 points every week, then they can win just about any game.

NFL Week 10 Picks

Can I ride my hot streak into another week? Damn right I can!

Last Week: 12-2
Year to Date: 85-46

Indianapolis Colts vs Jacksonville Jaguars
The Colts continue to play like a team motivated by losing their coach. Indianapolis pulled out a big win against Miami last week at home and put themselves in a great position to grab a Playoff spot in the AFC. There is still a lot of season left, and the Colts do have a difficult schedule, but all they need to do is keep playing as well as they have been. Andrew Luck is not playing like a rookie and the way he is leading this team on the field is incredible. But the Colts play on the road needs to improve. Their offensive performances struggles. The good news is that they have a chance to improve on that at Jacksonville. The Jaguars are a giant mess of a team right now. They are without their top offensive weapon, Maurice Jones Drew. And the offense is struggling to do anything with Blaine Gabbert under center. Jacksonville will be in position to draft a QB next year, one Mike Mularkey can hand pick himself and make his QB. It is clear Gabbert is not the answer. Similar to the Chiefs, I don't pick the Jaguars to win. They may keep it close, but the Colts win here.

Indianapolis 24  Jacksonville 13

Justin's Week 9 NFL Take: The Coaching Hot Seat Edition

Team of the Week: Indianapolis Colts
This Colts team has something very special going for themselves. Most people might have thought their season was over after Chuck Pagano had to leave for the year after being diagnosed with leukemia. But instead of folding up shop, the Colts rallied around it and now have put themselves in a prime position to make a post season run. Sitting at 5-3, the Colts essentially control their own destiny. They still have some tough games left, most notably against the Texans twice, New England and Detroit. But if Andrew Luck keeps up his stellar play, the Colts could snag a Wild Card spot. And if you haven't seen Chuck Pagano's post game speech to his team, go out of your way to see it. Very moving and inspiring.

Putting Together A Survivor Series Dream Card

Survivor Series is the next PPV on the WWE schedule. A few years ago this PPV was in danger of being taken off the PPV schedule and replaced with something else. It is a shame that the higher ups in the WWE don't see this as a big 4 PPV anymore. Maybe if the WWE actually tried pushing their mid card and gave them some depth than they could build more multi-man matches and they could actually be a big deal. But that is just a problem with the WWE as a whole.

Now the WWE treats this PPV as one of its least important on the card. The only reason last year felt different was because of The Rock. You could say that Money in the Bank is now a Big 4 PPV, bigger than the Survivor Series. But I always enjoyed the Traditional Survivor Series matches. I think they can be a lot of fun if booked properly. The one or two that they have had the past couple of years have usually been good. With the added emphasis on the tag team division, there should be no reason to take away or not get behind the traditional Survivor Series match. If the roster had any depth, it could be a fun spectacle to watch.

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 11/5/12

RAW is from England tonight. What does that mean? We are bound to get a bunch of corny English people jokes and some piped in crowd noise. Enjoy!

After recapping the happenings from last Monday, The Miz questioned why a team leader would walk out like Punk did. Miz quit the Survivor Series team.

They Aren't Worth Billions Anymore
Six Man Tag. PTPs and Antonio Cesaro vs Rey Mysterio, Sin Cara and R-Truth. Cesaro wanted no part of R-Truth and tagged in Darren Young. Truth hit a bodyslam and tagged in Rey. Rey hit a leg drop. Young tagged in Titus but the faces took turns working him over. Back from commercial, Truth hit a high kick on Young and tagged in Sin Cara. Sin Cara hit a hurricarrana then an armdrag. Cara tagged in Rey and he hurricarranaed Young into the ropes. Cesaro tagged himself in and hit a backbreaker on Rey. O'Neil came in and hit multiple backbreakers on Rey. After the heels worked on Rey some more, Rey made the hot tag to R-Truth. Truth hit a suplex/neckbreaker combo on Cesaro. The faces cleared the ring. Sin Cara hit a hurricarrana on Cesaro, Rey hit a 619 and R-Truth hit the lie detector for the win.

NFL Week 9 Picks

I showed some signs of improvement last week. Hopefully things get fully better this week.

Last Week: 9-5
Year to Date: 73-44

Kansas City Chiefs vs San Diego Chargers
Things just aren't right in San Diego. They put together a woeful performance last week against Cleveland. Philip Rivers had a terrible game, Ryan Matthews fumbled again, and the Chargers offense failed to put together a meaningful drive. Now there are people in San Diego questioning what has gone wrong with this  Chargers team the last few years. Norv Turner has had so much talent and has yet to put together a Super Bowl team in San Diego. The Chargers run defense faces another challenge this week in Jamaal Charles. Charles may be the only real threat that the Chiefs have on their team. They are forced to start Matt Cassel after Brady Quinn was hurt last year. At this point, the Chiefs may wish they had the QB situation Maryland has, starting a linebacker at QB. Kansas City had high hopes this year but the season may be one of their worst in recent memory. Kansas City may not win another game this year. Even with San Diego's recent struggles, they should still win here.

San Diego 21  Kansas City 13