NFL Divisional Round Preview

One Playoff round down. Next up is the Divisional round. I went 4-0 with my picks last week.

To touch quickly on Robert Griffin's injury: I think it is a damn shame what happened. I do think Griffin will be ready for next year. AP did it and I can see Griffin doing it as well. As far as what Mike Shanahan's role was, I don't think we will ever know. Dr. James Andrews and Shanahan apparently had different views on how healthy Griffin was. Once the offense started slowing down in the first half, I probably would have pulled Griffin. Griffin was of no help to the Skins offense once the knee started bothering him. I hope RG3 recovers, because he is a joy to watch on the field.

Now, onto the Preview. Same format as last week.

Justin's Take: Stars, Goats & Note From NFL Week 6

Team of the Week: Seattle Seahawks
I was tempted to go with the Green Bay Packers here, but I went with the team who I think took a big step forward yesterday. Seattle was down 23-13 with less than ten minutes left in the 4th quarter. But Seattle rallied behind the play of Russell Wilson and ended up winning the game 24-23. Wilson had his best game of the year: 293 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Wilson's throw to Sidney Rice to give Seattle the league looked very nice. While the defense gave up a lot of yards to Tom Brady, they also did a good job of bending but not breaking. Seattle is now tied with San Francisco for the division lead heading into a big showdown on Thursday night against the 49ers. I questioned how long Seattle would stick with Wilson before this game, but he silenced many of his critics with his performance Sunday. Seattle is here to stay folks. And with the 49ers poor performance Sunday, they could very well be the favorites in the NFC West.

Game of the Week: Baltimore 31  Dallas 29
It is hard for me to rip on Dallas in this one. They stood toe to toe against the Ravens and took all of their best shots. But in the end, the Ravens won out thanks to a little bit of luck. Romo missed on the 2 point conversion attempt. Even after the miss, Dallas still recovered the onside kick. But Dan Bailey missed a 51 yard field goal that would have gave the Cowboys the win. The Dallas run game was very effective against the Ravens defense. I thought for sure the game was over after Jacoby Jones 108 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but the Cowboys fought back. But they couldn't complete the comeback against an injury ravaged Ravens defense, which I will get into later. But this was a good back and forth game.

The Ray Lewis Memorial 3 Stars of the Week
3. New York Giants Defense
There was a good amount of trash talking going on in the week leading up to this game. But when the game finally arrived, the Giants were the ones that backed it all up. The Giants defense played great. They held the 49ers to one field goal the entire game. They had 6 sacks and intercepted Alex Smith three times. I always say never beat against Eli Manning with his back to the wall, but now I may say that about the entire Giants team. Eli didn't have his best game, but the defense certainly did. The Giants could make the argument that they are the best team in the NFL.

2. Robert Griffin
RG3 did not look good after the hit he took last week. But he came back this week and helped lead the Redskins to a come from behind victory over Minnesota. While Griffin only threw for 182 yards and one touchdown, it is what he did in the running game that impressed me the most. Griffin ran 13 times for 138 yards and a TD. His 76 yard run to clinch the game for Washington in the 4th quarter was impressive. How Minnesota lost containment on Griffin on that play is beyond me. But RG3 continues to impress and there are big things ahead for him.

1. Aaron Rodgers
Just when you think the Packers are done, they come back with a performance like they had on Sunday night. Up against a solid defense, Aaron Rodgers tore them apart as if they were a Division 3 college football team. Rodgers threw for 338 yards and 6 touchdowns and was only sacked twice. Similar to what Russell Wilson did in Seattle, Rodgers silenced all of his critics and showed why he is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. This is the type of game that can turn around the Packers season. And if this offense is going to get rolling again, opponents better watch out.

The "Romo's Gonna Romo" 3 Goats of the Week
3. Tom Brady
Most people look at Tom Brady and see a nice, clean cut guy who isn't one to get in somebody's face or make a scene. Well, during New England's game against Seattle, after Brady was intercepted by Seattle defensive back Richard Sherman, Brady had something to say. Brady told Sherman to find him after the game when they won. Well, Seattle did win. And Sherman found Brady after the game. Brady had nothing to say. Looks like Tom put his foot in his mouth with this one. New England isn't as invincible as they once were. They're a beatable team any given Sunday.

2. Houston Texans Defense
The Houston Texans were on the national, prime time stage on Sunday night. They had a struggling Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay Packers team coming to town. They were 5-0 and ready to show everyone that they were true contenders. But the Texans, specifically the defense, laid a gigantic egg on Sunday night. Now the questions will come about Houston. They had yet to beat a really good team this year. All of the Texans wins have come against mediocre teams at best. Houston should walk away with the AFC South crown, but the question of if they are good enough to be Super Bowl Contenders now is a legitimate point.

1. Philadelphia Eagles
Yes they are 3-3 and have been in all but one of their losses this year, but the entire organization just seems like a giant mess. Adam Schefter reported Sunday that the Eagles would be ready to cut ties with Mike Vick if the team doesn't have a solid year. Andy Reid gets questioned about his play calling every game. Mike Vick continues to turn the ball over and faces questions about whether he will still be the team's starting QB week after week. And the defense gave up a lead to the Lions Sunday and ended up losing the game. Philadelphia may be 3-3, but everything around that team just reeks of a disaster waiting to happen. There is so much negativity around the team that it will most likely linger throughout the year and affect their entire season.

Other Week 6 Notes
-The Ravens are 5-1 and currently have a two game lead in the AFC North, and that may still not be enough to get Baltimore into the Playoffs. The Ravens victory on Sunday came with a pretty big price. Baltimore lost two key pieces of their defense to injury. Star Cornerback Ladarius Webb is gone with a torn ACL. And the heart and soul of the team, Ray Lewis, is done for the year with a torn triceps muscle. They also lost NT Haloti Ngata for a couple of weeks with a sprained MCL. Its a good thing the AFC North appears to be a bit down this year, because Baltimore may struggle down the stretch. If Joe Flacco wants to show that he is an elite QB, this is his time. The Ravens will now have to win games with their offense. Losing your two best players for the year is never a good thing. Baltimore still has two games left with Pittsburgh as well as games at Houston, San Diego and vs the Giants. Nothing is for certain with the Ravens. I would still pick them to win the division as of today, but the confidence I have in them has gone down from the start of the season.

-So what do we make of the Atlanta Falcons? They are 6-0 and the last undefeated team remaining in the NFL. But they also have some flaws, and that was evident in their close win Sunday against Oakland. Matt Ryan was picked off three times. The running game continues to tread water and has yet to get going this season. Is it the play calling? Or is Michael Turner just not the back he once was? And the defense has had its good and bad times. They made a big play on an interception return for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. But on the next drive, they let Oakland march right down the field to tie the game. There's no denying that they are a Playoff team, but how far they can go is still a question to me. Matt Ryan has yet to win a game in the Playoffs. And the last time they were the #1 seed in the NFC, they were blown out by the Packers. I think this team is better than that one, but they are still a bit away from proving they can sustain a deep Playoff run.

-That was some comeback by the Denver Broncos Monday night. And it wasn't all Peyton Manning. The Broncos defense stepped up big time and allowed the Broncos to comeback with 35 unanswered points to take control of the AFC West. Peyton Manning was sloppy early, as was the defense. I don't know what changed at half time, but the Broncos looked like a different team. They saved their season with that performance. I don't know what Philip Rivers was thinking with some of those throws in the second half. He looked bad and panicked in the face of pressure. Rivers is the type of guy who could let this performance linger in the back of his head for some time. San Diego could not let Denver come into their place and win. They did, and it happened the worst way possible for the Chargers.

Random One Liners
-Are Chiefs fans begging for Matt Cassel yet?

-Maybe Jay Feely should save his over the top celebrations for when he makes a game winning field goal.

-I guess the Bengals collapse is happening earlier than I expected.

-Give it two weeks and I'm sure people will want Tim Tebow to start again.

-Okay Minnesota, you're now on the "Are They For Real?' clock.

-At this rate, the winner of the AFC East will have a 9-7 record.

The Booker T FAB FIVE
1. Atlanta Falcons
2. New York Giants
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Houston Texans
5. Chicago Bears

The Race for the #1 Pick Bottom 5
28. Carolina Panthers
29. Oakland Raiders
30. Cleveland Browns
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
32. Kansas City Chiefs

Three Games I'd Like To See Next Week
Seattle vs San Francisco: Winner takes control of the NFC West.
Baltimore vs Houston: Winner takes control of the AFC.
NY Jets vs New England: Ryan vs Brady. Get your quote books ready.

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

NFL Week 6 Picks

Two good weeks in a row. Here's hoping for 3.

Last Week's Record: 10-4
Year to Date Record: 47-29

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Tennessee Titans
The Steelers pulled out a much needed win last week at home against the Eagles. While the defense shut down Mike Vick, the offense had problems moving the ball. The Eagles defense has been playing better, but the Steelers should have been able to put up more points. Rashad Mendenhall looked good in his return and he added an added punch to the Steelers running game. The Steelers defense will once again be without Troy Polamalu. He re-injured his calf against the Eagles. Can he ever stay healthy? But that shouldn't be a concern for the Steelers. The Titans have looked absolutely dreadful the last couple of weeks. Matt Hasselbeck gets the call again this week. Expect the immobile veteran QB to face a heavy pass rush. And what the hell is wrong with Chris Johnson? Maybe getting paid is all he cares about now. Tennessee might keep it close early, but the Steelers will win this one handily in the end.

Pittsburgh 27  Tennessee 13

NFL Off-Season Preview: NFC North Edition

Its time for preview number two. This time, we look at the NFC North. I would consider the NFC North one of the toughest, if not the toughest division in the NFL. Three of the four teams in the division could easily make the Playoffs. The Lions finally made the next step last year and made the Playoffs. The Packers dominated the regular season but fell short in the Playoffs. And they return the majority of their team this year. Chicago added Brandon Marshall to help out Jay Cutler. Then there's the Minnesota Vikings. Well, at least they're staying in Minnesota! I would expect the division race to come down to the last few weeks of the season this year.

NFL Off-Season Preview: NFC North Edition

The NFC North was dominated by the Green Bay Packers last year. They were undefeated for most of the year and looked unstoppable at times. They ended up losing to the Chiefs, then were taken out at home by the Giants in the NFC Divisional Round. The Lions took a big step last year and made their first Playoff appearance in a decade. The offense was finally all systems go with a healthy Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. The Bears struggled on offense and couldn't make it into the Playoffs after winning the division in 2010. And the Vikings had one of their worst seasons in recent memory and still appear to be the 4th best team inside the division. This is still a pretty strong division. The Packers, Lions, and Bears can all make the Playoffs, and with some improvements on defense, the Lions could challenge the Packers for the division title this year.

NFL Divisional Round Preview

Here I am, back again. It is Playoff Weekend again in the NFL, but now the big boys in both conferences are here. I went 3-1 last week, with my only loss being Pittsburgh against Denver. But you have to hand it to big play Tebow in that one. First let me share my thoughts on the losing teams from Wild Card Weekend.

-Cincinnati played tough, but that pick 6 killed all of their momentum heading into the second half. That is the one thing Andy Dalton had to avoid heading into half time. The Bengals are still a young team and will be back in the hunt for a Playoff spot next year. Having Jay Gruden stay on as offensive coordinator and not leave for Jacksonville or Miami is huge for them. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green will continue to grow into one of the best QB-WR tandems in the league, and that defense isn't going anywhere. Hopefully next year people actually come to watch this team play.

NFL Week 15 Review

Quite the newsworthy week in the NFL. Lots of upsets. Lets take a look at everything.

Team of the Week: Kansas City Chiefs
-With the Chiefs firing their coach earlier in the week, and the undefeated Green Bay Packers coming to town, Chiefs fans probably weren't expecting much. The Chiefs got out to an early 6-0 lead, and shut the Packers out in the first half. Then the Packers started mounting a comeback. But in the end, the Packers defense couldn't get Aaron Rodgers the ball back, and the Chiefs turned the NFL World upside-down. You have to wonder if the players really hated Todd Haley, because it looks like they played their hearts out for interim coach Romeo Crennel. In his first game as interim head coach, Crennel made as strong a case possible to become the permanent head coach in Kansas City. The Chiefs have played very erratically this year, so they could come out and lay a giant egg next week. But for now, the Chiefs are walking around with a bit more of a strut today after their huge upset.

NFL Week 13 Review

NFL Review time? You bet!

Team of the Week: San Francisco 49ers
-I think this may be the third time the 49ers won this award in the season. But the 49ers won the NFC West on Sunday with a great all around performance against the lowly St. Louis Rams. The 49ers shutout the Rams and had a great game offensively, taking the Rams to the wood shed. Alex Smith continues his career resurrection under Jim Harbaugh, which comes as a complete surprise to a lot of people. The defense is going to make this team a real threat come January. One under-rated guy on this team? Kicker David Akers. Akers has been pretty spot on this year, and he hit another four field goals on Sunday. I don't think Jim Harbaugh rests any players yet. Frank Gore may see a slightly lighter work load, but I don't know if anyone else rests considering the 49ers are still fighting for a 1st round bye. I predicted the 49ers to finish last in the NFC West. I will eat crow here, Congrats to the 49ers on a great season.

Game of the Week: Green Bay Packers 38  New York Giants 35
-This one really isn't close. The Giants were blown out at New Orleans on Sunday night, so you were kind of expecting something similar here. But the Giants stood toe-to-toe with the Packers on Sunday. They drove down the field with less than 5 minutes remaining to tie the game with a touchdown and 2 point conversion. Problem is, they left time on the clock for Aaron Rodgers to go 4 plays down the field to get into field goal position. It reminded me a lot of the Giants/Patriots game from the Patriots undefeated season. The Giants hung with the Pats the entire game before Tom Brady & Co. pulled it out in the end. The Giants fell to 6-6, but the Cowboys also lost so it wasn't a season-ender. The Packers just continue to roll and have already clinched the NFC North. The Packers are showing some flaws on defense, and I wouldn't consider them a lock to roll to the Super Bowl in the NFC.

Dog of the Week: Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys
-Come on man, really? That was some terrible clock management by the Dallas Cowboys at the end of their game against the Arizona Cardinals. They wasted 20 seconds getting lined up to spike the ball when they still had two timeouts in their pocket. Then, Garrett called a timeout right before kicker Dan Bailey booted the kick right through the uprights. So what happened on Bailey's next attempt? He was short and to the left. Garrett said after the game he thought the play clock was getting low. It wasn't low enough to prevent Bailey from getting the kick off on time. If you think the kick isn't going to get off on time, call the timeout before your kicker gets set. The Cowboys went on to lose the game in overtime and blew the chance to take a two game lead on the Giants.

Other Week 13 Notes
-Did you know that all Tim Tebow does is win? He did it again on Sunday, and this time he did it with his arm. Tebow had 2 TD passes in Denver's win over Minnesota. The Broncos are now 6-1 this year under Tebow, and that is all that matters when it comes down to it. Tebow won one of those games by only completing two passes, and he won another by scoring all of the team's points in the final 3 minutes. The Broncos now sit on top of the AFC West thanks to Tebow, and some much better play by their defense. The next two games are huge for the Broncos, home against the Bears and Patriots. If the Broncos can win those two, especially against the Patriots, then there's no reason to think they won't make the playoffs.

-At what point do you just start feeling bad for the Bears and Texans? Lets start with the Bears. First they lose Jay Cutler for what looks like the rest of the regular season. Then, they lose Matt Forte for 2-6 weeks with a sprained MCL. Now who do the Bears turn to on offense? Caleb Hanie has not done well his first two games, and Marion Barber is not an every down back. The Bears remain in a 3 way tie with the Falcons and Lions for the last 2 Wild Card spots, and it won't be easy. The Texans lost Andre Johnson again for another couple weeks after injuring his other hamstring. So the Texans lost Mario Williams, Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub. They get Johnson back then lose him again. They still pulled out a good win at home against Atlanta. The defense stepped up big time, holding the Falcons to only 10 points. It was big because it doesn't look like the Titans are going away. Being up 2 games with 4 games left is a huge advantage.

-The last Wild Card spot in the AFC may very well come down to the final week of the season. The Bengals, Jets, Titans, and Broncos/Raiders are all 7-5 and all have difficult schedules ahead. The Bengals looked particularly bad this past week against Pittsburgh. They went from being competitive against the Steelers at home to getting blown out on the road. Youth may be catching up to Cincinnati. The Jets pulled away late against Washington but looked shaky for 3 quarters. The Raiders were blown out in Miami and now go to Green Bay next week. Tennessee has won three of their last four but go to New Orleans next week. The Broncos are playing the best football, but they will win the AFC West in my opinion. If I'm a betting man, I'm going with the Jets to get the last Wild Card spot. They always find a way to sneak into the playoffs and I think they will again.

-I think it is finally to the point where this dysfunction in Philadelphia will cost Any Reid his job. The Eagles look like they have given up on Reid, and you don't need any more evidence than Thursday nights game against Seattle. That team just doesn't care anymore. They were suppose to be Super Bowl contenders but now they are contenders for a Top 10 pick. If Reid is back, DeSean Jackson won't be. I doubt Jackson will be back anyway. The defense, specifically the linebackers, look like a joke. I guess that is what happens when you make your offensive line coach your defensive coordinator. At this point, I wouldn't even  risk further injury to Mike Vick. Finishing 4-12 isn't out of the realm of possibility if this team really has quit, but I think they win their final game against Washington to get to 5-11.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-Are you happy you gave Jacksonville two home MNF games now, ESPN?

-Is it really just Ndamukong Suh that is dirty in Detroit?

-I would still take all of this Tebow talk over a potential Brett Favre return.

-Is the NFC West actually better than the NFC East?

-Can I play QB for the Rams this week?

-Hey Donovan McNabb, take all of this as a sign that it is time to retire.

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. New England Patriots  9-3  at Washington
2. Baltimore Ravens  9-3  vs Indianapolis
3. Houston Texans  9-3  at Cincinnati
4. Denver Broncos  7-5  vs Chicago
5. Pittsburgh Steelers  9-3  vs Cleveland
6. Cincinnati Bengals  7-5  vs Houston
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7. Tennessee Titans  7-5  vs New Orleans
8. Oakland Raiders  7-5  at Green Bay
9. New York Jets  7-5  vs Kansas City

This week would be the perfect opportunity for the Jets to grab the #6 Wild Card spot. They get a bad Kansas City team coming into their building. The Titans and Bengals both have tough home games, while the Raiders travel to undefeated Green Bay. If the Jets can win this week, they may be all alone in the #6 Wild Card spot come weeks end.

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. Green Bay Packers  12-0  vs Oakland
2. San Francisco 49ers  10-2  at Arizona
3. New Orleans Saints  9-3  at Tennessee
4. Dallas Cowboys  7-5  vs NY Giants
5. Chicago Bears  7-5  at Denver
6. Atlanta Falcons  7-5  at Carolina
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7. Detroit Lions  7-5  vs Minnesota
8. New York Giants  6-6  at Dallas

Obviously the big game this week is Giants/Cowboys. Winner takes the lead in the NFC East race. Atlanta and Chicago have tough road tests. That gives the Lions the opportunity to take advantage with a win against a bad Vikings team.

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
New Orleans Saints vs Tennessee Titans: If the Titans want some attention, a win here would help.
Houston Texans vs Cincinnati Bengals: Can the Bengals stop their apparent downfall?
Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants: Hopefully Jason Garrett freezes the other kicker this week.

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

NFL Week 5 Picks

It's NFL Picks time! Lets go!

Last Week's Record: 10-6
Year to Date Record: 43-21

Tennessee Titans vs Pittsburgh Steelers
I would have never thought the Titans would be in better shape heading into this game compared to the Steelers. Anywhere you look, the Steelers are banged up. Ben Roethlisberger has a sprained foot, but it likely to play. Rashard Mendenhall is listed as questionable but all signs point to him not playing. The Steelers offensive line is a mess. James Harrison is out for the Steelers. That's not good at all. The Titans are playing surprisingly well. I thought for sure Matt Hasselbeck was done, and we would be seeing Jake Locker by the end of the year. But Hasselbeck has this team 3-1 and atop the AFC South. Can the Titans keep it up? This game will go a long way to proving that. The Titans defense should be able to keep the Steelers in check for the most part, especially with the injuries the Steelers have. The Steelers need to put pressure on Hasselbeck, who is one of the least mobile QBs in the league. I would expect a defensive battle here, and I'm going with the Titans. They're the healthier team, and they may be the better team to.

Tennessee 17  Pittsburgh 16

Seattle Seahawks vs New York Giants
Seattle put up a surprisingly good effort against Atlanta last week. Seattle was down 20 points in the 3rd quarter but made a spirited comeback, only to fall short. Tavaris Jackson threw for over 300 yards, but the running game let the Seahawks down, with only 53 yards on 15 carries. The secondary didn't help matters either. The Giants pulled off their comeback, coming from behind to beat Arizona. Eli Manning torched the Cardinals secondary and again looked like "Good Eli." The Giants will more than likely be without Brandon Jacobs, but they still have Ahmad Bradshaw so that shouldn't be a problem. Seattle also has to deal with traveling across country to the East coast and playing an early game. The Giants may actually be the team to beat in the NFC East now, so they can't slip up here. I don't think they will either.

NY Giants 31  Seattle 20

Cincinnati Bengals vs Jacksonville Jaguars
The Battle of the Rookie QBs: Part 2. Andy Dalton lead a 14 point comeback against an undefeated Bills squad last week. The Bengals took it to the Bills in the second half, showing that they are not a team to be taken lightly. The defense has played exceptionally well, and it is a shame more people in Cincinnati aren't going to the games to see that. A.J. Green looked like a future stud last week, and while Andy Dalton did make some rookie QB errors, he also showed poise leading a comeback. The Jaguars played ok against New Orleans, but they need to step up their game offensively. They've scored a combined 39 points in their first four games. The defense is doing a good job stopping the run, but they are having trouble against the pass. That should mean big things for Bengals TE Jermaine Gresham. Expect an ugly, defensive minded game with two rookie QBs. But I'll take the Bengals in the end. Better defensive team with more weapons on offense.

Cincinnati 20  Jacksonville 14

New Orleans Saints vs Carolina Panthers.
You have to give the Panthers credit. They are keeping games close and making them entertaining. Cam Newton is playing surprisingly well this season. He is making the Panthers, even at 1-3, a team you want to keep tabs on every week. If the Panthers could get their running game going, they could surprise a few more people later this year. Unfortunately for the Panthers, they are facing a very talented team in New Orleans this week. Drew Brees continues to be Drew Brees. He has a great connection with TE Jimmy Graham, who is emerging as a big time player in the Saints offense. The Saints should focus on pounding the ball up the middle in this game with rookie RB Mark Ingram. Also, expect the Saints to throw a lot of different looks at Cam Newton and try to confuse him with different packages. The Panthers kept their game close against the Packers, no reason they can't do it again here. But the Saints win it in the end.

New Orleans 34  Carolina 21

Oakland Raiders vs Houston Texans
The Texans got a big time win last week when they took care of Pittsburgh at home. But just when it looked like the Texans were finally healthy, star WR Andre Johnson went down with a very fluke hamstring injury. Now, Johnson is out for approximately 3 weeks. He may be a bigger loss to the Texans than Arian Foster was. The Texans have a handful of running backs they could replace Foster with. But no one can replace what Andre Johnson brings to the table. Johnson forces the safeties to look his way. Now they can focus more on stopping Arian Foster. You would have liked to see the Raiders put up more of a fight this past week against New England. Jason Campbell didn't have his best game against a bad Patriots secondary. The Raiders should rely heavily on Darren McFadden in this game. He's finally turning into the stud RB the Raiders hoped they would get when they drafted him in the 1st round. I'm really tempted to pick the Raiders here, but I think the Texans pound away with Arian Foster and squeak out a close win.

Houston 27  Oakland 23

Philadelphia Eagles vs Buffalo Bills
So, about that whole "Dream Team" label for the Eagles. At 1-3 and with the way they've  been playing, the Eagles will be lucky to finish at .500. Mike Vick continues to make excuses for the team's poor play. The defense got thrown around last week against a weak 49ers team. That's bad news for the Eagles coming to Buffalo facing a rather good Bills offense. While the Eagles secondary was said to be the strength of the team, they've let them down in recent weeks. The Bills have an array of weapons to use that should spread out the Eagles defense. Expect a decent game from Bills TE Scott Chandler. The Bills are coming off a game where they were physically dominated against Cincinnati. The game probably took them off of Cloud 9 after beating the Patriots the week before. The home crowd should help the Bills out here. The Bills need to contain Mike Vick in this one. They were gashed by the run on defense last week, and Vick could run circles around the Bills LBs. I like the Bills to pull one out here. The Eagles distractions might be their downfall sooner rather than later.

Buffalo 28  Philadelphia 24

Kansas City Chiefs vs Indianapolis Colts
The Chiefs won their first game of the year last week against Minnesota, putting them behind the 8 ball in the "Suck for Luck" sweepstakes. But their win wasn't without some drama, as coach Todd Haley and QB Matt Cassel were seen arguing at one point on the sidelines. Cassel has yet to live up to his potential and Haley is taking criticism for the Chiefs bad start. The good news here is that they have the opportunity to go on a bit of a win streak taking on the Colts this week. The Colts will stick with Curtis Painter this week at QB, and it is probably not a bad move. Painter didn't look terrible Monday night against Tampa Bay. He made a couple nice throws to Pierre Garcon and didn't cost the Colts the game, the defense did. The defense gets shredded up the middle in their Cover 2 look. I didn't think the loss of Peyton Manning would effect this team that much, but it has. The Colts should lean on Joseph Addai and Delone Carter here. The Colts also have more talent offensively, and find a way to win their first game here.

Indianapolis 24  Kansas City 21

Arizona Cardinals vs Minnesota Vikings
This game could also be called "Donovan's Last Stand." Donovan McNabb hasn't done anything to justify him to remain the Vikings starter. The team is 0-4, and a loss here would pretty much guarantee that the Vikings will start Christian Ponder very, very soon. The Vikings need to be relying more on Adrian Peterson as the focal point of their offense than they are. McNabb isn't going to win this team any games. The Cardinals blew a second half lead against the Giants last week and fell to 1-3. This team has more talent than their record shows. But the secondary has been a major liability for the Cardinals. The offense woke up last week after vanishing in Seattle, but they can't win the game on both sides of the ball for the Cardinals. For a team that had high hopes coming into the season, their flame is fading fast. Ken Wisenhunt may be on the hot seat if the team doesn't turn it around quickly. With Vikings CB Antoine Winfield out, Larry Fitzgerald should have a huge day. I think that is enough to give the Cardinals to win in a high scoring affair.

Arizona 35  Minnesota 30

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs San Francisco 49ers
It may have been ugly, but the Bucs pulled off a win last week against Indianapolis. Josh Freeman was a bit shaky but got his act together in the 2nd half. LaGarrette Blount has disappeared a bit for the Bucs, and they need to get him more involved with the offense. The defense got heavy pressure on Curtis Painter, and their young defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers are playing exceptionally well. And lets not forget DT Gerald McCoy up the middle as well. The 49ers at 3-1 now have a 2 game lead in the NFC West. They're winning with Alex Smith at QB, something I never would have thought they could do. Frank Gore played very well last week with an injury, and the defense made some big time turnovers to seal the win late. The 49ers are an overtime loss away from being 4-0. They seem to have a rejuvenated spirit under new coach Jim Harbaugh, and I like them to win here against Tampa. The Bucs may be 3-1, but they still haven't impressed me that much like they did last year.

San Francisco 23  Tampa Bay 20

New York Jets vs New England Patriots
There are problems in Jetsland, and they are not good. Mark Sanchez looked abysmal last week against Baltimore. He's yet to live up to his franchise QB label, and has yet to put together a solid season. The Jets are also abandoning the run game for some reason, which should be the focal point of their offense. Their offense should get back on track this week against the worst ranked defense in the NFL, but you never know what Bill Belicheck has up his sleeve. And I'm sure the Patriots haven't forgotten about the whipping they took in the playoffs last year in Foxboro against the Jets. Belicheck doesn't forget these things, and neither does Tom Brady. And with the way Brady has been playing, it can't be a good thing for the Jets. Oh yeah, and Antonio Cromartie has been running his mouth all week too. That doesn't help matters. Rex Ryan likes to talk a big game, and I think that is going to come back to bite him this week. The Pats defense will give up yards and big plays, but the Patriots offense will make more and will give them the win here.

New England 31  NY Jets 21

San Diego Chargers vs Denver Broncos
The Chargers did a good job this year avoiding their usual September slow start. Mike Tolbert and Ryan Matthews have emerged as duel threats in the running game, something the Chargers missed last year. That's a good thing because Philip Rivers isn't off to the best of starts. The running game is doing a good job of keeping the offense going. The defense isn't doing anything ground breaking, but it is keeping teams in check. Sometimes that is all you need out of a defense. The Broncos, meanwhile, continue to struggle to find an identity. You couldn't expect them to beat the Packers, but their struggling mightily on defense and offense. The Tim Tebow outcries from fans have to be getting to coach John Fox and QB Kyle Orton. The Broncos also can't get any type of running game going, even with Knowshon Moreno and Willis McGahee in the backfield. Orton is putting up respectable numbers, but he is not doing enough to help his team win now. I don't know if Tebow will play this year, but the distractions have to be adding up. And it causes the Chargers to win here on the road.

San Diego 27  Denver 21

Green Bay Packers vs Atlanta Falcons
Can anyone stop the Packers? I don't know. Aaron Rodgers is playing at All-World levels right now. If they keep playing this well, you have to wonder if they could go 16-0. If they make it past the Falcons, the only real challenges they have left are two games against Detroit, and road games at San Diego and NY Giants. But I don't even know if an All Pro defense could stop the Packers offense right now. The defense has some concerns attached to it, especially stopping the passing game, but this offense is so good that I will take them in any shootout. The Packers face a Falcons defense this week that gave up 300+ yards passing to Tavaris Jackson, who is about a quarter of the QB Aaron Rodgers is. At 2-2, the Falcons have some work to do. They are currently third in the pecking order in the NFC South after being the top seed in the NFC last year. Matt Ryan is struggling as well. He finally had a decent game last week. Because it is prime time I think the Falcons can keep it close, but the Packers pull away late to seal the win.

Green Bay 35  Atlanta 27

Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions
If you are reading my picks for the first time you should know that I am a huge believer in the Detroit Lions this year. I picked them to finish second in the NFC North this year and to earn a Wild Card berth. But they've exceeded all of my expectations this year. Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are playing on Steve Young-Jerry Rice levels. Stafford throws the ball up, Johnson goes up and gets it. Three guys around him? Too bad. Johnson wins. The secondary got picked upon a bit last week against Dallas, which might cause some concern. But the Lions roared back in the second half to remain undefeated. And with DT Nic Fairley making his debut for the Lions this week, it just adds more nastiness to the Lions defensive line. The Bears at 2-2 can't afford to lose this game and fall three games behind in the NFC North. The defense had trouble stopping Cam Newton last week and you have to wonder if they can stop Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson this week. Jay Cutler will have to win this game on offense for the Bears, as the Lions will probably bottle up Matt Forte. With this being the Lions first Monday night game in a while, expect the crowd to be pumped up and help the Lions pull out a victory here.

Detroit 31  Chicago 23

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week's Record: 4-0
Year to Date Record: 9-6-1

Kids I don't encourage gambling, but here are my Vegas picks this week:

Green Bay -5.5 at Atlanta: The Packers offense is a TD better than any offense in the league right now.

Cincinnati +2 at Jacksonville: The Bengals defense will cause fits for Blaine Gabbert

Arizona at Minnesota OVER 45.5: Two bad defenses means points galore.

Buffalo +3 vs Philadelphia: Too many distractions for this Eagles team for my liking.

There's my NFL stuff for the day. Wrestling piece up this afternoon.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 4 Review

Another crazy week of comebacks in the NFL. It is getting to the point where you can't turn off a game at halftime if your team is down by double digits. Lots of teams made a statement this week. Some for the better, some for the worse. Lets get into the Review. And at the end, POWER RANKINGS!!!

Team of the Week: San Francisco 49ers
-At 3-1, the 49ers may have already clinched the NFC West. Seattle and Arizona each have one win. St. Louis has none. I thought the 49ers were the worst team in that division before the season. Now they have a two game advantage. The team has a poor offensive line, but Frank Gore found holes and was able to gash a weak Eagles front seven. Alex Smith still isn't a good QB, but if the team relies on Frank Gore heavily then it can hide Smith's inabilities to play QB in the NFL. The 49ers defense made some key plays in this game to contain Mike Vick and the Eagles. It's a big win for a franchise that has been down in recent years. The 49ers have two big games coming up, hosting Tampa Bay then going to Detroit, so it will be interesting to see how they perform against two top teams in the NFC.

Game of the Week: NY Giants 31  Arizona 27
-It was tough for me to pick a Game of the Week this week as I didn't think any one game really stood out. But this one was pretty good and close before the Cardinals went up 10, but then the Giants came back and took the lead, albeit on a controversial call. Victor Cruz "gave himself up" on a first down catch even though he was apparently never touched down. The referees ruled that the play was not challengeable, but I think it was a bad call. The whistle was blown way too quickly. The Cardinals blew a golden opportunity to make a statement in the NFC West, while the Giants took a big step to staying on top in the NFC East. It may be the Giants division to lose with both the Eagles and Cowboys struggling. Good Eli Manning has shown up two weeks in a row, and that is a good sign for Giants fans.

Goat of the Week: Tony Romo
-Congratulations go out to Tony Romo for winning this award twice in the first four weeks. The Cowboys were up big in this one, but Romo threw two bad picks that were returned for touchdowns, and it took all of the momentum out of the Cowboys sails. The Boys are now 2-2, but they could just as easily be 0-4. Romo better get things right and quickly. They beat the Redskins on all field goals, and they barely beat the 49ers in overtime. This was suppose to be a better team with everyone back healthy this year, but there may be more questions then they wished they have.

Other Week 4 Notes
-Lots of injuries in Week 4. The most significant? The Patriots losing LB Jerrod Mayo for 4-6 weeks. The Pats defense was already weak, and losing their best player will not help matters. The Patriots are already a one dimensional team on offense, and they will pretty much have absolutely no defense for the next few weeks with Mayo gone. The Pats did a surprisingly good job holding the Raiders to 19 points, but they need to hope that more teams don't take advantage of their poor secondary. The Patriots worked on improving their run game against Oakland, now they need to get their defense on the right track.

-If I'm Pittsburgh, I'm worried about my lack of productivity on offense the last few weeks. They have one big play TD against Indianapolis, and this week against Houston they were only able to score ten points. Now both Ben Roethlisberger and Rashard Mendenhall are facing injury concerns. The defense was the concern in Week One, but they have played better since then. If Big Ben and/or Mendenhall are out extended periods of time, it could mean trouble for the Steelers already slow offense. And having no offensive line doesn't help matters.

-Hopefully, that was more of a wake up call than a reality check for the Bills. The Bills weren't going to win every game, but this Cincinnati one was one they were supposed to win. The Bengals just out muscled them on both sides of the ball. Being 3-1 is still a great thing for Buffalo. I was thinking 2-2 at best through the first four games. The offense needs to get back to form and the defense can't give up big plays against rookies like A.J. Green, or give up a drive like they did that allowed Cincinnati to win the game. The Bills have two tough games coming up, home against Philadelphia and at the NY Giants. A split in those two games would be just what they need.

-The star is clearly off of Mark Sanchez in New York. He looked dreadful last night against Baltimore. I was never a believer in Sanchez, even after the Jets playoff run last year. I didn't think he could lead a team to a Super Bowl, and he is proving that point right now. The Jets need to get back to what they are good at: running the football. Give the ball to Shonn Greene and LaDanian Tomlinson and let them gain yards on the ground. Mark Sanchez hasn't shown he can win a football game if he is being leaned on yet. The Jets may be in more trouble than they realize this year. A trip to New England next week will not make matters any easier.

Hey, I'm Just Sayin...
-Could even The Avengers stop the Packers offense?

-Is it the Rams schedule or are they just not as good as people thought?

-I told you Matt Hasselbeck still had something left. Didn't I? No? Are you sure?

-Are the Chiefs really happy they won this week? Now they fall behind in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes.

-Christian Ponder, come on down! You're the next contestant on: Give the Vikings fans a reason to still watch this season!

-Will the Lions star fade in prime time next week?

POWER RANKINGS!!!!
1. Green Bay Packers (4-0)- If you look up unstoppable in the dictionary, a picture of Aaron Rodgers may indeed be in there.

2. Detroit Lions (4-0)- They may have stolen the title of "America's Team" from Dallas this week. They are currently America's Sweethearts. Calvin Johnson is a beast.

3. New Orleans Saints (3-1)- The Saints could easily be 4-0. The offense is playing great and the defense is putting pressure on the QB.

4. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)- They had a hicc-up at Tennessee, but otherwise the defense has shown up and the offense hasn't done anything to cost them any games yet.

5. Houston Texans (3-1)- That was a big win for Houston against Pittsburgh, but now they need to hope Andre Johnson isn't hurt too seriously.

6. San Diego Chargers (3-1)- The Chargers have done a good job of avoiding their typical September slow start. Now they need to hold off a talented Raiders team.

7. Tennessee Titans (3-1)- The Titans have surprised me, and many others this year. There next two games are huge tests: at Pittsburgh and home to Houston with a bye week in between.

8. Buffalo Bills (3-1): The Bengals were simply more physical. This team still has the tools on offense to hang with anyone. They just won't surprise others anymore.

9. New England Patriots (3-1)- I may have them low, but their defense will be a huge liability in the coming weeks with the loss of Jerrod Mayo.

10. New York Giants (3-1)- The good Eli Manning has shown up the last few weeks. Maybe Bad Eli has finally been put to rest?

11. Washington Redskins (3-1)- You have to be concerned about Rex Grossman's play the last two games. The Skins won't be here long if he continues to play this bad.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)- They're winning ugly, but they are still wins. If the Bucs played a team with a better defense Monday, then they would have gotten destroyed.

13. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)- They pretty much control their own destiny now in the NFC West. Jim Harbaugh has these guys playing some decent football. If only they had a decent QB.

14. Atlanta Falcons (2-2)- The offense finally played a good game this week, but the defense was beaten by a bad Seahawks team. That has to be a concern.

15. Chicago Bears (2-2)- They've lost to 2 of the best teams in the NFC, and both weren't close. Now they have to go to a red hot Detroit team on Monday night.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)- The offense is a major concern for this team, especially the line. You have to wonder if Big Ben can make it through the hole season healthy.

17. Oakland Raiders (2-2)- Fans probably wish they showed more of a fight against New England. They can't keep kicking themselves with stupid penalties.

18. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)- The defense is playing really tough. If the offense plays like they did in the 2nd half against Buffalo, they could be dangerous.

19. New York Jets (2-2)- I had questions about this team before the season started. Mark Sanchez is proving me right, he's not a franchise QB.

20. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)- They have a bye week to recover from Tony Romo Collapse Part 2. And get healthy. This ship needs to get righted quickly.

21. Cleveland Browns (2-2)- They disappeared in what should have been a statement game against Tennessee. The offense is struggling.

22. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3)- The Miami Heat struggled early on, but they play an 82 game season. These guys only have 12 games left.

23. Carolina Panthers (1-3)- They're fighting, showing promise, and keeping games interesting. That's all you could ask for from such a young team.

24. Seattle Seahawks (1-3)- They almost pulled off a huge upset against Atlanta. Their home field advantage will keep them in most home games.

25. Arizona Cardinals (1-3)- This team is better than their record shows. Now the defense needs to start playing up to par.

26. Denver Broncos (1-3)- Are the Tim Tebow murmurs getting to this team? You would have to think that they are a distraction.

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)- They've only scored 39 points in four games. That's the struggles you go through with a rookie QB.

28. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)- They finally won a game, but there appears to be some problems growing between Todd Haley and Matt Cassel.

29. Indianapolis Colts (0-4)- The Colts have been competitive the last couple games. The defense was gashed late on Monday night, which is one of the main problems.

30. St. Louis Rams (0-4)- Injuries and a brutal schedule have crippled this team, and things don't appear to be getting any better.

31. Minnesota Vikings (0-4)- Look at the positive: At least they didn't blow a double digit second half lead against Kansas City.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-4)- Gut call: Next year, this team will be run by Bill Cowher and quarterbacked by Andrew Luck.

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
Green Bay vs Atlanta: Falcons haven't forgotten the Divisional Round Playoffs from last year
NY Jets vs New England: Patriots haven't forgotten the Divisional Round Playoffs from last year
Philadelphia vs Buffalo: Bills can't lose two in a row, but the Eagles can't fall to 1-4. What gives?

That's all from me today.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 4 Picks

It's Saturday. Pick Time.

Last Week's Record: 10-6
Year to Date: 33-15

Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys won last week, in a pretty ugly fashion. They tallied 6 field goals in their 18-16 win over Washington Monday night. Tony Romo made it through the game with his injured chest, but it wasn't pretty. The defense did its part shutting down Rex Grossman. The Lions came back from down 20-0 against Minnesota to win in overtime on the leg of Jason Hanson, pushing their record to 3-0. It almost seems like no one can stop the Matthew Stafford-Calvin Johnson connection, and don't expect the Cowboys secondary to do that either. The Cowboys will have to put heavy pressure on Stafford if they want to stop him. I expect another close game here, but the Lions pull it out in the end.

Detroit 27  Dallas 23

Carolina Panthers vs Chicago Bears
Cam Newton finally got his first win as an NFL QB in the rain last week. If the Panthers could get their running game going they could be a surprise team this year. Don't expect Newton to put up the same numbers he's been putting up. The Bears secondary is very strong and their quick pass rush should be able to contain Newton. The Bears need to get their run game going, and they should be able to do that against the Panthers soft run defense. The Bears stayed competitive last week against Green Bay, but their late comeback fell short, and was cut off by a phantom holding call on a great punt return. The Bears will be looking for a win here to keep pace with Detroit and Green Bay. A loss would put them a long ways back. But the Bears have just a bit more talent then Carolina. They win here.

Chicago 23  Carolina 16

Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals
The Bills shocked the NFL world last week with their come from behind, upset victory over New England. They showed that they may be for real this year. Ryan Fitzpatrick was named AFC Player of the Month. The Bills offense is one of the best in the league and almost seems like it cannot be stopped. The Bengals looked terrible last week, scoring only 8 points against a less than stellar 49ers defense. Andy Dalton looked like a rookie QB, and the Bengals couldn't get anything going on offense. Their defense, however, has been very stellar. Their front seven is shutting down running attacks and putting pressure on the QB. This has the classic signs of a trap game for Buffalo, but this team isn't one of those teams that thinks highly of themselves. They don't have an arrogant persona about them. It's close, but the Bills win because of their offense.

Buffalo 28  Cincinnati 20

Tennessee Titans vs Cleveland Browns
This is actually quite an intriguing game. Both of these teams are 2-1, with the winner taking a big step forward to competing for a playoff race. The Titans, however, lost a big piece of their offense last week when WR Kenny Britt was lost for the year with a torn ACL and MCL. Now the Titans absolutely have to get Chris Johnson going. With the loss of top WR Kenny Britt, Matt Hasselbeck loses his favorite weapon. The Browns pulled off a last second win last week against Miami, without star RB Peyton Hillis. Colt McCoy has struggled the first few games after showing promise late last season. With Hillis back, the Browns should lean on him heavily. Expect a low scoring game here, but the Browns win on a last second field goal.

Cleveland 17  Tennessee 14

Minnesota Vikings vs Kansas City Chiefs
Some people are calling this the first stop on the "Andrew Luck Bowl." I don't know why. The Vikings drafted Christian Ponder this year in the first round, why would they draft Andrew Luck? The Vikings blew a big lead again last week against Detroit. Donovan McNabb is not playing very well, and the team is forgetting that Andrew Peterson should be the focus of the offense. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ponder sooner rather than later. The Chiefs, meanwhile, showed some fight last week in their close loss to San Diego. Their still missing something on offense, as Matt Cassel continues to struggle to live up to his potential. This game really could go either way. Maybe the Vikings shouldn't build a big lead. The Vikings have the best playmaker in the game, so I'm giving them the edge.

Minnesota 24  Kansas City 13

Washington Redskins vs St. Louis Rams
You have to feel bad for the Rams. They've had a brutal first three games. Now while you can feel bad for them, some of that is also their own doing. They played terrible last week against Baltimore, a game they were out of by the end of the 1st quarter. Even though they are 0-3, there not out of it yet in the NFC West, but they need to win this week. The Redskins offense finally came back down to earth last week against Dallas. Rex Grossman looked like bad Rex. But their defense still looked strong, and you can expect them to bring the heat onto Sam Bradford. I picked the Rams last week saying they would play desperate and that back fired. They play desperate again this week, but this time they pull off the win.

St. Louis 27  Washington 24

New Orleans Saints vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Blaine Gabbert's first game as a rookie QB was in a monsoon against Carolina. His first home game? Against a blitz happy New Orleans Saints defense. Talk about throwing Gabbert to the wolves. Expect the Saints to stack 8 guys in the box to stop Maurice Jones-Drew, making Blaine Gabbert beat them. The Jaguars defense has been surprisingly stout against the run, but they are vulnerable against the pass. The Saints have Drew Brees to take care of that. Brees should be able to pick apart the Jags secondary, especially the Jags LBs who are poor in coverage. The Saints put points up in bunches and win here.

New Orleans 38  Jacksonville 14

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Houston Texans
I'm really intrigued by this match-up. The Texans offense hung with the high powered Saints offense last week, but their improved defense took a step back last week. The Steelers, meanwhile, didn't look too great last week in their win over Indianapolis. Their offensive line is in shambles and they were down to their last five active offensive linemen last week. Luckily for Pittsburgh, their defense bailed them out. Their defense will have to play just as well as they did last week. But the Steelers aren't facing Kerry Collins. They're facing Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, and a close to 100% Arian Foster. When the Texans offense is healthy, they're scary good. You have to worry about Big Ben's pass protection in this one. Expect the Steelers to rely on Rashard Mendenhall. I think this game is close, but the Texans have a few more offensive weapons at their disposal and take this one.

Houston 24  Pittsburgh 23

San Francisco 49ers vs Philadelphia Eagles
So, will Mike Vick complain after this game too? Vick went off on the officiating in last week's game, believing he wasn't getting calls for getting hit late. Vick also hurt his non-throwing hand in the game, but is expected to play this Sunday. Vick needs to exploit a bad 49ers secondary and rely heavily on DeSean Jackson. The 49ers won an ugly game last week in Cincinnati. Alex Smith continues to not impress. Frank Gore is playing at less than 100% which can't be good. The Eagles are an angry team after last week's embarrassing home loss to the Giants. Expect the Eagles to role here.

Philadelphia 31  San Francisco 14

New York Giants vs Arizona Cardinals
Good Eli Manning showed up last week for the Giants. That's the Manning the Giants want to see if they want to win the NFC East this year. Some people are questioning whether or not the Giants are the best team in the NFC East. I'm still not ready to jump on that bandwagon. I'm not writing off the Eagles just yet. The Cardinals offense did a vanishing act last week against Seattle. The running game couldn't get going at all. Expect a lot of Larry Fitzgerald this week. He should be the center piece of every Cardinals offensive game plan. This one is a toss up to me. These teams are kind of bi-polar, you never know which side you are going to get. I'm picking the team with the best offensive playmaker gain.

Arizona 33  NY Giants 31

Atlanta Falcons vs Seattle Seahawks
The Falcons offense did not look good last week against Tampa Bay. Michael Turner was an absolute non-factor, and Matt Ryan had one of his worst games as a starter. The Falcons are now 1-2 and already behind the 8-ball in the NFC South. They're in danger of falling to 1-3 too, because it is not easy to win in Seattle. It was an ugly game that saw the Seahawks prevail in the end with some strong defense. Tavaris Jackson still looked bad, but the offense made just enough plays to beat the Cardinals. They'll need to make a few more to beat Atlanta. You can be sure the Falcons will be ready to play here, and won't be intimidated by the Seattle crowd. The Falcons offense is too good for a mediocre Seattle defense.

Atlanta 30  Seattle 20

Miami Dolphins vs San Diego Chargers
The Dolphins may be the leaders in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes. They play in what is arguably the toughest division in football in the AFC East. Their offense has looked terrible the last two games, and Tony Sparano is already on the hot seat in Miami, and he may not make it through the season. That's a recipe for disaster in Miami. Oh, and they can't win at home either. The Chargers, while 2-1, are going through their normal September struggles. They barely hung on to beat the Chiefs last week. Philip Rivers has struggled, and he will be without Antonio Gates again this week. I expect the Chargers to win here. They are just much more talented on offense.

San Diego 28  Miami 14

New England Patriots vs Oakland Raiders
Tom Brady is a very angry man. He is not happy about the loss last week in Buffalo. That's bad news for the Oakland Raiders. Their secondary is already hurting. Expect Brady to just pick them apart. But the Raiders are no slouches either. The Patriots defense, especially the secondary, is very mediocre. Ryan Fitzpatrick tore them apart last week. Also expect a heavy does of Darren McFadden from the Raiders. They should be able to give a good balance of their passing attack and McFadden, enough to keep the Patriots on guard and ready for everything. I expect this one to be close, but I would never want to bet against an angry Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck coming off a loss. I will take New England here.

New England 38  Oakland 30

Denver Broncos vs Green Bay Packers
I don't want to say the Broncos have absolutely no chance of winning here, but it's slim to none. Kyle Orton should be able to exploit the Packers surprisingly weak secondary this year, but the Broncos defense will more than likely have no answer for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers high powered offense. The Broncos only hope is that their pass rush gets to Rodgers and forces some turnovers. But I don't think that is happening. Rodgers lights up the Broncos and the Packers continue to look like a team playing Madden on Rookie Mode.

Green Bay 41  Denver 21

New York Jets vs Baltimore Ravens
Expect a brutal, nasty defensive game here. It's just how these two teams are built. But the Ravens have some offensive firepower. Joe Flacco had the best game of his career last week against a lowly Rams secondary. But the Jets secondary is not the Ravens secondary. Flacco could struggle a bit here, so expect a heavy dose of Ray Rice. Darren McFadden ran all over the Jets run defense last week, no reason Rice can't do the same. The Jets loss last week exposed some problems in their game. They aren't really built to score more than 20-24 points in a game, and if a team can put points up on them, they could be in trouble. I'm still not sold on Mark Sanchez, and he will probably struggle again here. I think the Ravens are a better football team, and they win a low scoring affair here.

Baltimore 17  NY Jets 12

Indianapolis Colts vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The last time these two teams played on Monday night, the Colts completed the biggest comeback in regular season history. Unfortunately for the Colts, Peyton Manning won't be on the field to help them again. Curtis Painter takes the field for them this week. He actually didn't play terrible last week. He lead the Colts only TD drive, and put them in position to stay in the game. He also missed a wide open Pierre Garcon on what would have surely been a TD. The Bucs overcame the Falcons last week in what is a huge step for a young team like them. They held a good Falcons offense to only 13 points. That's bad news for a poor Colts defense. The Colts improved defense should somewhat contain the Bucs, but Tampa pulls away from the Colts in the end.

Tampa Bay 23  Indianapolis 17

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week: 2-2
Year to Date: 5-6-1

Obviously by my results, I hope you guys don't take my advice gambling. But I will continue to give it to you!

Detroit +2.5 at Dallas: I think Detroit is winning here. Cowboys can't stop Calvin Johnson

Denver at Green Bay OVER 46.5: Packers could put up 30+ by themselves

New Orleans -7 at Jacksonville: Drew Brees is more than 7 points better than Blaine Gabbert

NY Giants at Arizona OVER 44.5: Both secondaries are terrible. Points could come in bunches

That's all for me this week. Hell in A Cell Review Monday, RAW Review and Week 4 Review Tuesday.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 3 Review

It was quite the fun weekend in the NFL. Teams that were out to prove themselves did just that, while some teams are left with more questions than answers.

Team of the Week: Buffalo Bills
-It might finally be time to say that my Bills are for real. Down 21-0 to the Patriots early in the 2nd quarter, the Bills could have easily folded and received another beatdown at the hands of Tom Brady & Bill Belicheck. But instead of folding, they rallied to score 10 points in the final 2 minutes of the first half. Then the defense picked off Tom Brady three times in the 2nd half, including returning one for a touchdown. Rian Lindell's field goal gave the Bills their first win over the Patriots in 15 games, and the Bills are now the only 3-0 team in the AFC. Their offense is clicking on all cylinders, and the defense stepped up big to hold off Tom Brady in the end. This Bills team has a different attitude and swagger then they did in year's past. Now it is up to them to hold onto that swagger. And if they do, the playoffs could be that light at the end of the tunnel.

Game of the Week: New Orleans 40  Houston 33
-Who doesn't love a high scoring affair? These two teams put points on the board in bunches. The Texans could have easily won this game, and they should have. But the offense that is praised by everyone couldn't convert their red zone opportunities. The Texans had the chance to go on the road and beat one of the better teams in the league. But they couldn't convert and the defense was torn apart by a high powered offense, which has to be somewhat of a concern. The Texans are still the class of the AFC South, but the division won't be handed to them. The Saints, meanwhile, asserted that they are still a force to be reckoned with in the NFC. Drew Brees has as many weapons as he has ever had and there's no reason to think they won't be right their in the end.

Goat of the Week: Mike Vick
-Listen Michael, I understand that you are upset about the loss. And yes, you may be getting hit a bit late on a play or two. But you do not go out and complain about it in front of the media during your post game press conference. Vick said he wasn't complaining, but it sure sounded like it. Lots of the reasons Vick gets hit is because of his style of play. His running often times hurts him rather than helps him. It leaves him open to big hits. Vick's hand injury, or concussion, were not the result of late or dirty hits. Vick should have talked to the referees on the field during the game, not address the situation in the post game. Vick needs to concentrate on next week's game, and not let this frustration build or sit with him the whole week.

Other NFL News & Notes
-How much more can I continue to praise the Detroit Lions? Just like the Bills, the Lions could have folded and let the Vikings walk all over them. But the Lions fought back in the 2nd half. And in overtime, the Lions completed their comeback against the Vikings and moved their record to 3-0. There's no reason to think the Lions wouldn't be able to hang with the Packers when the time comes. The Lions are a young team coming into their own at the right time. Calvin Johnson is staking his claim as the best WR in the league, and Matthew Stafford is showing that he is every bit worthy of his #1 overall pick status.

-The Raiders finally won a game outside of the AFC West, and they looked good doing it to. They hung with then finally delivered the knockout blow to the Jets late. Darren McFadden, just like Matthew Stafford in Detroit, is showing how good of a player he can be if he is fully healthy. The best part is that they are doing it with a bunch of no-names on offense. And with the Chargers struggling to beat even the lowly Chiefs, the Raiders may be the best team in that division. They have a chance next week to make even a bigger claim to that when the Patriots come to town.

-Tennessee will tell you they have just as much of a chance to win the AFC South as the Texans do, but they suffered a major blow to their chances with WR Kenny Britt likely going down for the rest of the year. That's Matt Hasselebeck's favorite weapon as evident in the first two games. Chris Johnson's holdout is effecting his game early on. Once Johnson gets going, that should help the Titans. But with Kenny Britt gone, you would have to think defenses will focus more on stopping Johnson then ever before. Can Matt Hasselbeck win this division for them? Maybe. But I would feel a lot more confident with Kenny Britt still around and Chris Johnson playing like the Chris Johnson of 2010.

-Sure the Steelers won against Indianapolis Sunday night, but a better team would have eaten them alive. Ben Roethlisberger fumbled twice and threw a terrible interception in the second half, but the Colts couldn't take advantage of the turnovers. The Steelers need to address their offensive line concerns immediately. Big Ben won't stay upright for too much longer if they don't. They ended last night's game with only 5 healthy offensive linemen. That's never a good thing. The Steelers also couldn't get their run game going against a poor Colts run defense. Even with the win last night, the Steelers still have a lot of questions remaining on the offensive side of the ball.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-How long until the Bill Cowher to Miami rumors start?

-Will Todd Haley still be around to work with Andrew Luck next year?

-Where was that holding call on the Bears punt return?

-Does the NFL hate the Rams with this brutal early schedule?

-Matty Ice needs to get inside the hot tub quickly.

-Who doesn't love a good monsoon game? Oh yeah probably Jacksonville.

My Top 5
1. Green Bay Packers
2. New Orleans Saints
3. Buffalo Bills
4. Detroit Lions
5. New England Patriots

My Bottom 5
28. St. Louis Rams
29. Minnesota Vikings
30. Indianapolis Colts
31. Miami Dolphins
32. Kansas City Chiefs

Three Games I Would Like to See Next Week
Pittsburgh vs Houston: Big time test #2 for the Houston Texans. Can they pass this time?
New England vs Oakland: I'd be worried if I were a Pats fan? Can they stop anyone?
NY Jets vs Baltimore: Game could have huge implications come late December's playoff race.

That's all from me for now. RAW Review up shortly.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 3 Picks

Its Saturday. That means NFL Picks! Lets get to it!

Last Week's Record: 12-4
Year to Date Record: 23-9

Houston Texans vs New Orleans Saints
If the Texans win this game, there is no doubt that they are for real. The Texans have looked good during this 2-0 start. The offense is clicking without star RB Arian Foster. They've avoided major injuries other than the Foster one. The defense is much improved under Wade Phillips. The Saints rebounded from their loss at Green Bay by destroying the Bears. Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams cranked up the pressure and took advantage of the Bears poor offensive line. Williams will have to do the same thing this week if he plans on stopping Matt Schaub. This game will be a chess match. It's going to come down to who makes the right move to stop the other. I'll take the Saints and Sean Payton here. Payton isn't afraid to go for the big play, and I expect him to take some calculated risks in this one.

New Orleans 27  Houston 23

New York Giants vs Philadelphia Eagles
The last time these two teams played it was the "Miracle at the Meadowlands Part 2." The Eagles were down 24-3 late in the game before they went on a monstrous rally, capped off by DeSean Jackson's punt return for a touchdown with under 10 seconds left to give the Eagles the victory. The big question in this one is whether or not Mike Vick will play this week. He suffered a concussion last week against the Falcons and needs to past some test in order to play this week. He practiced Thursday and Friday, so I don't see why Vick doesn't play. The Giants took care of the Rams Monday night, but not without facing some questions. Rams players were questioning some of the Giants injuries, claiming they were faking them to slow down the Rams No-Huddle offense. If the Giants couldn't hang with the Rams No Huddle, what makes me think they could hang with Mike Vick, even at less than 100%. I think even if Vick doesn't play that the Eagles still win here. Mike Kafka played well in relief last week, he will be better if given a full week to prepare.

Philadelphia 24  NY Giants 16

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Carolina Panthers
It's the Battle of Rookie QBs. Cam Newton is just lighting it up in his first two starts as a NFL starter. Newton threw for over 400 yards last week against a very good Packers defense. He plays a Jaguars defense this week that isn't really the greatest. I expect Newton to put up very good numbers again. The Jags roll out rookie QB Blaine Gabbert for the first time after Luke McCown's abominable performance against the Jets. I thought Gabbert should have started the whole year after David Garrard's release, but coach Jack Del Rio didn't think so. Now Gabbert has the reigns for the rest of the year, and there could be some growing pains. The Panthers are going to be fun to watch the rest of the year, and I think they win their first game of the year in a shootout.

Carolina 35  Jacksonville 27

New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills
Well, it's gut check time for the Bills. They've lost 15 straight against the Patriots, and this may be the best opportunity the Bills have had to finally win one. Both of these teams offenses have been very effective in the first two games. Tom Brady is on pace to shatter the NFL's passing yards in a season record. The Bills are lighting up the scoreboard with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm. Both team's defenses have played well at times, but also have been torched for big plays. The Bills secondary had a rough go of it last week, and they will have to play much better in order to get the Patriots off the field. The Pats are also banged up in the secondary, with safety Patrick Chung reportedly out and both starting corners game time decisions. This has shootout written all over it, but in the end, the Patriots squeak one out in a close one in Buffalo.

New England 42  Buffalo 38

Miami Dolphins vs Cleveland Browns
The Dolphins must be ecstatic. They are finally going out on the road to play a football game. Given their recent struggles and poor attendance at home, going on the road might be what the Dolphins need. The offense struggled last week against Houston. The Browns won on the road against Indy after pounding it out on the ground with Peyton Hillis. The Browns are a better team and should use Peyton Hillis to run all over the Dolphins defense.

Cleveland 20  Miami 17

San Francisco 49ers vs Cincinnati Bengals
Despite the 1-1 record, the Bengals have been playing some surprisingly good football the first two weeks of the season. Rookie WR A.J. Green looks right at home on the NFL turf, scoring a TD in each of his first two games. The Bengals offense has been good, but they may be without WR Jerome Simpson, who is the subject of a drug investigation. The 49ers almost beat the Cowboys last week but fell short in overtime. The offense didn't look to good again, and you have to wonder how much longer Alex Smith has left as the team's starting QB. I expect another high scoring game here, with the Bengals pulling it out in front of whatever kind of crowd they have at Paul Brown Stadium.

Cincinnati 31  San Francisco 21

Denver Broncos vs Tennessee Titans
The Titans are coming off a very surprising upset of the Baltimore Ravens last week. The Titans shut down the Ravens offense, and the offense found holes in the Ravens secondary. Kenny Britt has had an outstanding first two games. The Broncos struggled again last week before finally putting away the Bengals. If the Broncos were looking for a week to finally get the run game going, this could be it. Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno should be able to find some holes in the Titans run defense, but Chris Johnson should be able to find just as many in the Broncos defense. Johnson finally has a breakout game and the Titans move to 2-1 and remain competitive in the AFC South.

Tennessee 26  Denver 21

Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings
Everybody seems to he hopping on the Lions bandwagon. I was on it before the season started, so I'm sitting near the front while watching everyone else jump on in the back. The offense is scary good. There's nothing else I can say about it. They wiped the floor with the Chiefs last week. The Vikings blew a 17-0 halftime lead last week against Tampa. Donovan McNabb has looked old and sluggish in his first two starts. The Vikes need to rely on Adrian Peterson in this game, and for the rest of the season. But Matthew Stafford should find some holes in the Vikings secondary, which is performed poorly this year. I expect a close game here, but the Lions move to 3-0 in the end while Vikings fans begin to call for rookie QB Christian Ponder.

Detroit 24  Minnesota 19

Baltimore Ravens vs St. Louis Rams
You have to wonder if the NFL had it out for the Rams or something. Starting with the Eagles, then at the Giants on Monday night, and now they get a pissed off Ravens team. The Rams are still banged up, with Steven Jackson a game time decision. If Sam Bradford watches the tape from last week's Ravens game, he should find the same holes Matt Hasselbeck found last week. Expect a heavy dose of Ray Rice from the Ravens. Lee Evans is out for Baltimore, which means Anquan Boldin will likely face some double coverage from the Rams secondary. The Rams will be playing with a sense of desperation in this game. Even in the NFC West, starting at 0-3 is never a good thing. I think the Rams pull of a surprising upset here.

St. Louis 20  Baltimore 17

New York Jets vs Oakland Raiders
The Raiders offense didn't cost them the game last week against Buffalo. Jason Campbell tore apart the Bills secondary and Darren McFadden found holes in the Bills front 7. The Raiders are no slouches this year. The offense is holding up its end, now the defense has to do its part. If the Raiders front 7 can put pressure on Mark Sanchez, that should help out the secondary. The Jets dismantled a terrible Jaguars team last week and now finally go on the road to face a challenge. The Raiders won't be afraid to take chances against the Jets defense. The home crowd should help the Raiders out here, and I expect them to play just as well as they did last week. The Raiders win by a field goal.

Oakland 24  NY Jets 21

Kansas City Chiefs vs San Diego Chargers
The Chiefs have lost Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry. The offense has scored 10 points in two games. The Chargers have looked good on offense despite some struggles last week against the Patriots. The defense should pressure Matt Cassel into some mistakes and Philip Rivers should be able to pick apart the Chiefs secondary for an easy win.

San Diego 35  Kansas City 13

Arizona Cardinals vs Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have to be happy to be heading home. After going scoreless against Pittsburgh and losing in San Francisco, the home crowd in Seattle should give the Seahawks a boost. The Seahawks will also have WR Sidney Rice back, which is bad news for an already weak Cardinals secondary. The Cardinals almost pulled out a win in Washington last week. Larry Fitzgerald has a terrific track record against the Seahawks, and there's no reason to not see him do the same thing here. I expect the Cardinals to put up points, but I think Seattle does the same in their first home game of the year. Seattle knows they can't start 0-3 either, and play with desperation to pull out a win here.

Seattle 30  Arizona 28

Atlanta Falcons vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
These two teams played a pretty good game in Tampa last year that saw the Falcons come back late and pull out a win. I expect another close game here. The Falcons defense shut down Mike Vick for the most part last week. A heavy dose of Michael Turner should be expected in this one. Adrian Peterson ran all over the Bucs defense last week, no reason to expect Michael Turner can't do the same. The Bucs showed a lot of poise in their comeback over the Vikes last week. Even with the Vikings shutting down Mike Williams, the Bucs found a way to win. But Tampa needs to rely more on LaGarrette Blount to take some pressure off of Josh Freeman. I like the Falcons here with Michael Turner shouldering the load.

Atlanta 27  Tampa Bay 23

Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears
A rematch of last year's NFC Championship game. I expect Jay Cutler to have a chip on his shoulder heading into this game. After leaving last year's game early, he will want to go out and prove something. The Packers defense, while good, has been torched in the secondary the first two games of the year. Jay Cutler needs to take advantage of that. But the Packers will also put pressure on Cutler because of a weak Bears offensive line. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense will probably not be as smooth as they have been in the first couple weeks. The Bears defense will get in Rodgers face more than the Panthers and Saints did. But in the end, Aaron Rodgers finds a way to put a few more points on the board for the Pack.

Green Bay 21  Chicago 20

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts
This game has lost a whole lot of intrigue without Peyton Manning huh? The Colts have looked lost without their star QB this year. The offense just can't get anything going. The run game has been stopped, and Kerry Collins looks like he should have stayed retired. The Steelers dominated a much weaker Seahawks team last week, but Big Ben didn't look like the normal Ben. The Steelers heavily relied on Rashard Mendenhall, and they should do the same thing again this week. Expect a heavy pass rush from the Steelers front seven as well. With the game being in prime time, I think the Colts will keep it close early before the Steelers find a way to pull away in the end.

Pittsburgh 27  Indianapolis 17

Washington Redskins vs Dallas Cowboys
The Redskins are a surprise at 2-0 this year. Mike Shanahan has Rex Grossman looking like a relevant NFL QB again, and Tim Hightower is the next running back to benefit from being in Shanahan's offense. The Cowboys are banged up on offense. Miles Austin is out, and Felix Jones, Dez Bryant, and Tony Romo are all listed as questionable. The Cowboys secondary is still struggling, and Rex Grossman should expose that in this match-up. You have to wonder if injuries will haunt the Cowboys here, especially Tony Romo's. Playing with a punctured lung is not an easy thing. I think the Redskins surprise people here and upset the Cowboys in Jerry Jones palace.

Washington 24  Dallas 23

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week: 1-2-1
Year to Date: 3-4-1

Kids, I don't endorse gambling. But if you feel the need to bet on some games this week, here are my picks:

Buffalo +9.5 vs New England: This one will be a shootout, but a close shootout.

San Francisco vs Cincinnati OVER 40.5: Both offenses should be able to put up points

Washington +6 vs Dallas: Redskins should hang with an injured Cowboys team

San Diego -13 vs Kansas City: Chiefs offense is almost non-existent

That's all from me this week.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 2 Picks

Hey everyone. Welcome back for my Week 2 NFL Picks. Hope you enjoyed my Night of Champions Preview. If you didn't read it yet, check it out after reading this. Anyways, on to this week's picks!

Last Week & Year to Date Record: 11-5

Kansas City Chiefs vs Detroit Lions
These two teams appear to be headed in opposite directions. The Chiefs were man-handled in every aspect of the game last week against the Bills. Matt Cassel was off, they couldn't get Jamaal Charles going, and the defense couldn't put any pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick. Now the Chiefs go on the road to face a Lions team coming off a strong showing against a 10 win Tampa team. The Lions offense showed what it could do if they stay healthy the whole year. Matt Stafford gave the Lions a few injury scares, but he looked effective. I don't like the Chiefs chances to rebound here. The Detroit crowd should be pumped for this one.

Detroit 27  Kansas City 19

Oakland Raiders vs Buffalo Bills
The Bills surprised the entire sports world with their dominating performance last week against Kansas City. Now they return home to what should be a rabid crowd. The defense will have the task once again of stopping one of the league's best runners in Oakland's Darren McFadden. McFadden ran for 150 yards last Monday night against Denver. The Raiders defensive line is tough and physical, and it will be interesting to see if the Bills O-Line can match their intensity. But if the Bills stop McFadden, the Raiders could be in trouble. They're already down WRs Jacoby Ford and Lois Murphy are out, and WR Darius Hayward-Bey and TE Kevin Boss are questionable. With injuries mounting, and the Raiders traveling across the country on a short week, I'll take the Bills here.

Buffalo 28  Oakland 23

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Minnesota Vikings
That was an ugly game for Donovan McNabb last week. 38 passing yards? Ugh. He better not play that bad this week or the home crowd will already be clamoring for Christian Ponder. The Bucs are coming off a tough home loss to the Lions that saw them fall behind early, which forced them to play catch-up all game. That took the focus away from RB LaGarette Blount. Expect Blount to get more touches this week. I still like the youth on the Buccaneers, and think the QB/WR combo of Josh Freeman and Mike Williams will be enough to overcome a Vikings team that didn't show much last week.

Tampa Bay 21  Minnesota 20

Chicago Bears vs New Orleans Saints
I was quite surprised with the Bears performance last week. I did not expect them to dominate the Falcons like they did. The defense forced Matt Ryan into mistakes, and the offense was built around Matt Forte, which was smart. It will be interesting to see if Bears LB Brian Urlacher plays this week after the death of his mother. The Saints have had ten days to get re-focused after their opening night loss to Green Bay. The defense can't give up early points like they did. If the Saints put pressure on Jay Cutler he's bound to make a few mistakes. I like the Saints here in a tight one, simply because Drew Brees is that good at home.

New Orleans 31  Chicago 28

Baltimore Ravens vs Tennessee Titans
The Ravens curb-stomped their arch-nemesis Pittsburgh Steelers last week. They staked their claim to the AFC North and to possibly being one of the best teams in the NFL. Joe Flacco found his open receivers and Ray Rice found holes against a stout Steelers defense. The Ravens defense forced a very good Steelers offense into 7 turnovers, so Ravens fans should have fun watching the team dominate Titans QB Matt Hasselbeck. Chris Johnson did not get going at all last week, and it will be even tougher for him to get going this week against the Ravens D. The Titans crowd will keep them in it very early, but the game ends being a Ravens blowout.

Baltimore 34  Tennessee 13

Cleveland Browns vs Indianapolis Colts
The Colts can't be that bad right? They looked lost against the Texans. Kerry Collins looked like a rookie QB playing his first game, and the offense could never get going because of it. The Colts defense was put in a bad situation almost every time they were on the field, and that didn't help matters for them. The Browns lost a close game to their Ohio rivals Cincinnati last week. It was a game they were suppose to win considering how young the Bengals are. So who rebounds here? I still think the Colts are a .500 team. So are the Browns, but expect the Colts fans to be supportive of their team this week despite a weak performance last week. Colts win a close one.

Indianapolis 21  Cleveland 19

Jacksonville Jaguars vs New York Jets
The Jags squeaked out a win at home last week in their first game after cutting David Garrard. They almost gave up the lead late but the defense came up with a late interception to seal the victory. The Jets should have lost last week, but they were gift wrapped the game last week by Tony Romo, who fumbled at the goal line and threw a terrible INT late in the 4th quarter. The Jets offense still looked only adequate, and Mark Sanchez couldn't keep a rhythm going. I don't like the Jags chances here with Luke McCown at QB. Maurice Jones-Drew may be able to make some plays, but the Jets overall defensive unit will shut down the Jaguars here.

NY Jets 24  Jacksonville 14

Seattle Seahawks vs Pittsburgh Steelers
This might be the "Lock of the Century." The Steelers are angry after last week's ugly loss at Baltimore and will take out on poor Seattle here. The Seahawks just don't have the offensive fire power necessary to beat the Steelers on the road. Big Ben lights up a week Seattle secondary here, and Pittsburgh makes it known that they are still a force in the AFC.

Pittsburgh 41  Seattle 16

Arizona Cardinals vs Washington Redskins
The Cardinals were lucky to squeak out a win last week against Carolina. The Cardinals defense looked atrocious, especially in the secondary where the loss of CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie showed. Cam Newton threw all over them. Can Rex Grossman do the same? Why not. Grossman looked effective last week against a banged up Giants defense. I think these two teams are pretty evenly matched, but I like the Cardinals playmakers more than the Redskins. The Cardinals offense shows up and surprises the Redskins at home in this one. I like Larry Fitzgerald to have a big day here.

Arizona 30  Washington 27

Green Bay Packers vs Carolina Panthers
The Packers showed why they have a good chance of repeating as Super Bowl Champs in their opener as the offense looked amazing against the Saints. Aaron Rodgers hasn't missed a beat this off-season and looks great. The defense gave up some late scores that kept the Saints in it, but they also caused some key turnovers and stopped the Saints at the goal line to seal the win. The Panthers showed signs of being an exciting team this season. Cam Newton lived up to the hype in his first NFL game, but can he carry it over to the next game and beyond? One thing is for sure: Don't expect 400+ passing yards from Newton here. I think the Panthers keep it close early, but the Packers show why they're the Champs and pull away late.

Green Bay 35  Carolina 23

Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers
Dallas should have won last week. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. They were ahead before Tony Romo blew the game. Now they may be without WR Dez Bryant this week. The Cowboys still have an array of offensive weapons, so that should be a concern for them. Their defensive secondary looked weak again, but don't expect 49ers QB Alex Smith to be able to take advantage of that. The 49ers owe Ted Ginn thanks for winning them the game last week. I expect the Cowboys to rebound here and win one on the road.

Dallas 28  San Francisco 17

San Diego Chargers vs New England Patriots
The Patriots looked like the same old Pats Monday night. Tom Brady absolutely dismantled the Dolphins defense in route to victory. Brady had all day to find open WRs. I don't expect the Chargers to give Brady as much time. But Philip Rivers and company need to have a better start in order for them to hang with the Pats. The Patriots defense showed last week that they can be vulnerable at times, as the Dolphins drove down the field a couple times for scores. They made it look easy on the opening drive before the Pats D tightened up. These two teams always play it close, but I like the Pats here on a last second field goal.

New England 27  San Diego 24

Houston Texans vs Miami Dolphins
The Texans looked great last week against Indy. The offense showed how good they can be, and the defense forced turnovers and didn't look like a joke like last year. Having Wade Phillips in the fold really helps them. The Dolphins hung with the Patriots early before faltering late in the game. The secondary was torched by Brady, and I expect Matt Schaub to do the same here. The Dolphins have lost 10 out of their last 11 at home, might as well make it 11 of their last 12. I expect big things from Andre Johnson this week.

Houston 33  Miami 21

Cincinnati Bengals vs Denver Broncos
The Bengals surprised the Browns last week behind rookie QB Andy Dalton, even though Bruce Gradkowski was the QB when the game ended. Dalton is expected to play this week after suffering a wrist injury. But expect the Bengals to give the Broncos a heavy dose of Cedric Benson. Darren McFadden ran for 150 yards against the Broncos last week. There's no reason Benson shouldn't be able to pound the ball down the Broncos throats. In Denver, Broncos fans are already clamoring for Tim Tebow after one game. It's ridiculous. I'm still not a believer that Tim Tebow can play QB in the NFL. Kyle Orton had one bad opening game. If he keeps it up, then increase the cheers. And unfortunately for Orton and coach John Fox, they hear the Tebow chants again this week as the Broncos are distracted by all of this and get upset by the young Bengals.

Cincinnati 19  Denver 14

Philadelphia Eagles vs Atlanta Falcons
It's the Michael Vick Bowl. The Current Team vs The Former Team. The Eagles got off to a slow start last week but were able to put away the Rams. The Eagles run defense looked bad early before Steven Jackson went out for the Rams. Michael Turner could be a big cause for concern. Matt Ryan's job doesn't get any easier this week. After getting pressured constantly by the Bears, Ryan goes up against one of the best secondaries in the league. Expect a heavy dose of Tony Gonzalez in the passing game. Mike Vick will be out to shut the Falcons fans up. I wouldn't expect a warm reception for him. The Falcons are a better team then they showed last week, and they will be desperate to not start 0-2. They win a close one here.

Atlanta 26  Philadelphia 24

St. Louis Rams vs New York Giants
These are two beat up teams. The Rams are without WR Danny Amendola and probably RB Steven Jackson. Sam Bradford is expected to play after suffering a bruised finger, but his receiving options are limited. The Giants are banged up on defense and it showed last week against Washington. Both of these teams can't afford an 0-2 start, especially the Giants in the NFC East. I like the Rams as a young and up-and-coming team, but the injuries effect them here more than they do the Giants.

NY Giants 23  St. Louis 16

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week: 2-2

Kids I don't encourage gambling, but if you feel the need to put some money down on some NFL games this week, here are my suggestions:

Arizona vs Washington OVER 44: Both teams defenses are just ok, and I think the game is high scoring.

Baltimore -6 at Tennessee: Ravens are a force the Titans can't stop.

Baltimore vs Tennessee OVER 38: Ravens may score over 38 by themselves

Buffalo -3 vs Oakland: Oakland is banged up on offense.

That's all from me this week.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka