NFL Wild Card Round Preview

I apologize for not posting any weekly NFL Previews the last three weeks. I had a lot going on with working two jobs and have barely had any time to myself. I even took a break from writing about RAW the last two weeks. It didn't help that those two RAWs were on Holiday Eves, but I just needed a break to recharge. But I am now back and am starting a new year.

The NFL Playoffs start this week with the Wild Card Round. I never posted any official Playoff Predictions to start the season, but I can say that I correctly picked 4 out of the 6 AFC teams (Missed Cincinnati and Indianapolis, picked Buffalo and Tennessee instead). I correctly picked 3 out of 6 NFC teams (Missed Minnesota, Washington and Seattle, picked Detroit, NY Giants and Chicago instead). A little better than 50% so not great. There are a couple of hot teams heading into the post-season and also a couple sliding teams. Without wasting time, lets get into the Preview. Each Preview will be accompanied by 3 bullet points then a prediction at the end.

Justin's Take: Stars, Goats & Notes From Week 16 of the NFL

Game of the Week: New Orleans 34  Dallas 31  (OT)
-There weren't that many close affairs this week in the NFL. Cincinnati/Pittsburgh was low scoring and ugly at times. This one had some offense involved and late game heroics from Tony Romo and the Cowboys. But in the end, the Saints were able to pull this one out and put a temporary halt to the Cowboys post-season plans. Drew Brees tore the Cowboys secondary apart, going for 446 yards and 3 TDs. But just when it looked like the game was over, Dallas came back and scored 2 TDs with under 4 minutes to play. Dallas couldn't ride the momentum into overtime, however. It was the most entertaining game from a slate of not so great games.

JC's Take: Stars, Goats & Notes From Week 14 of the NFL

Team of the Week: Dallas Cowboys
-For the second week in a row, a NFL team had to deal with a horrible tragedy less than 48 hours before their game on Sunday. And for the second week in a row, that team went on the field Sunday and pulled out an emotional victory. The Cowboys came back from down 9 midway through the 4th quarter to pull off a 20-19 win in Cincinnati. It was a game the Cowboys needed to stay alive in the Playoff race. You could see the emotion from the Cowboys players before, during, and after the game. Cameras caught players crying just going through sprints and runs in the early pre-game. But Dallas came up with a strong defensive effort, shutting down a good Bengals offense. And the Cowboys did just enough on offense to get them the win.

JC's Take: Stars, Goats and Notes From Week 13 of the NFL

Team of the Week: Seattle Seahawks
-Seattle has the suspensions of Cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman facing them right in the face. So what do they do? They went into Chicago and beat a very good Bears team, putting them in pretty good shape to make a run at the Playoffs. And the NFC West crown is not out of the question as well. The Seahawks came back in the 4th quarter to take the lead late. After Chicago was able to tie the game, Seattle received the ball first in over time. Russell Wilson drove the offense right down the field against a very good Chicago defense and scored the game winning touchdown on a pass to Sidney Rice. Seattle now has a one game lead for the last Wild Card spot. While Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin get all of the attention, Russell Wilson is quietly putting together a good season in Seattle. No matter what the stats say, anytime you have a winning record this late in the season is a good thing. And kudos to Pete Carroll for doing a great job coaching up this group.

NFL Week 13 Picks

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

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

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

Atlanta 34  New Orleans 28

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Why do the Steelers have so may awful uniforms?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFL Week 11 Picks

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

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

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

Buffalo 27  Miami 17

NFL Week 7 Picks

I apologize for my abomination of a job picking last week. If I don't do better this week, you can riot.

Last Week: 6-8
Year to Date: 53-37

Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers
If you like defensive struggles, then this one will be right down your ally. Seattle has arguably the best defense in the league. They gave up some yards last week to Tom Brady, but they did not break in their victory over New England. We also saw Russell Wilson come of age and lead a game winning drive right down the field. Wilson had his best performance as a starter and silenced any critics he had coming into the game. Wilson's reward for having such a good game? Going to San Francisco on short rest to face an angry 49ers team. The 49ers were schooled in every aspect of the game last week against the Giants. You know it has to be getting under everyone's skin in San Francisco. That is how this team thinks mentally with Jim Harbaugh at the helm. The 49ers gave Colin Kapernick the chance to play a bit more last week, and you wonder if he will get more time as the weeks go on. Especially if Alex Smith struggles again. This game gives the winner the early lead in the NFC West. The 49ers rebounded nicely after their loss to Minnesota, and I think they do that again here.

San Francisco 20  Seattle 16

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 2 Picks

The NFL season is back, and we are through one week of picks. Now lets lets go on to Week 2!

Last Week's Record: 8-7

Kansas City Chiefs vs Buffalo Bills
These are two teams that got off to starts last week that did not meet their expectations. The Bills were absolutely schooled by the Jets last week. Ryan Fitzpatrick did not look good. The new and improved defense got no pressure on the QB, and that resulted in the young secondary getting torched by Mark Sanchez. Buffalo also lost Fred Jackson for a few weeks and WR David Nelson for the year. C.J. Spiller will pick up the load on offense, and he did well last week. Kansas City hung with Atlanta for a little bit but ended up getting blown out in the end. The Chiefs gave up 20 unanswered points and only scored a late garbage time TD in the second half. Kansas City was without some key players on defense. They may get CB Brandon Flowers back though. The Chiefs have some tough games coming up, but I think the Bills are more motivated by all of their doubters after Week 1. And they are at home. I'll take Buffalo.

Buffalo 27  Kansas City 21

NFL Off-Season Preview: AFC North Edition

We are less than two months away from the start of the NFL season. Less than a month away from the start of training camp. The NFL season is slowly creeping up on us. Its my favorite sport, and now that I no longer have any type of schooling to go to, its my favorite time of year as well. Summer is fun, but fall means football, and you can't top that.

Much like I did with my off-season previews, I will break down each of my Season Previews into eight parts, looking at each division individually. I'm going to try and churn one of these out every week leading up to the start of the season. There shouldn't be any major roster moves between now and the start of the season. There will be the typical injury or two during the pre-season, but everything is set enough now that I feel confident starting these previews.

NFL Off-Season Preview: AFC North Edition

These are coming at a quicker pace with Free Agency coming soon. Today we look at the AFC North, which might have been the best division in all of football last year. They put three teams in the Playoffs last year. The Ravens and Steelers have been a model of consistency in recent years. They also have the best rivalry in all of football. Every time these two teams get together, you can expect a hard-hitting, smash mouth game of football. Both teams are getting up there in age, however, and may be on a slight decline. I still think both are Playoff teams, but they may not be as infallible as they once worth. The Bengals shocked everyone last year by finishing 10-6 and securing a Wild Card berth. They will only get better. And then there is the Cleveland Browns. Unless they trade up for Robert Griffin, they will be basement dwellers without a doubt. Hell, they probably will still be basement dwellers even with Griffin.

NFL Championship Weekend Preview

The second last one of these of the year. Last week was the complete opposite of what I was expecting. Saints/49ers ended up being the best game of the weekend, and may have been the best non-Super Bowl game I have ever watched. The game I was expecting to be the best, Giants/Packers, ended up being a Giants romp in the 2nd half. The Patriots wiped the floor with the Broncos, and the Ravens held on late to take out the Texans. I finished 3-1 on the week, just like in the Wild Card round, with my only loss the Packers. And that was the game I felt the least confident about. Just like last week, I will give a brief write-up about the team's that lost last weekend.

New Orleans: There is no doubt that the Saints will be a Super Bowl contender again next year. Greg Williams left the Saints to become defensive coordinator of the Rams, but that may end up being a good thing for the Saints. Their defense was torched by Alex Smith and have lacked the same punch they had the last couple of years. And with Steve Spagnuolo in the fold, the defense should be even better. The Saints will sign Drew Brees to a big contract, and that alone will make the Saints still contenders, even if they lose Marques Colston or Robert Meachem in free agency.

Denver: John Elway says Tim Tebow has done enough to be the starter heading into Broncos training camp, and he's right. Tebow will only continue to improve as the Broncos make an offense that suits Tebow's strengths. While the Broncos offense still needs some work, their defense showed they aren't as good as they thought they were against Tom Brady. They need some help in the secondary big time, and could use a good coverage linebacker as well. The AFC West could be down again next year, so the Broncos have every opportunity to win it again next year.

Houston: The Texans were affected by a rash of injuries throughout the year. T.J. Yates struggled against Baltimore, throwing two bad interceptions in the process. With Matt Schaub back next year, as well as pass rusher Mario Williams, the Texans should still remain a top contender in the AFC next year. No one in the AFC South looks particularly threatening. Even if Peyton Manning returns, there is no idea what kind of team he will have around him.

Green Bay: The Packers shot themselves in the foot against the Giants. Multiple dropped passes, turnovers, and that hail mary at the end of the half killed the Packers chances. Green Bay needs some serious help on defense next year, especially in the secondary. The Packers also need to establish some kind of run game early in the season to help take some pressure off of Aaron Rodgers. Just like the Saints, expect the Packers to be contending for the Super Bowl again next year.

Now, on to the Picks!

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots: 3:00 P.M. on CBS
Many people saw these two teams meeting up in late January for the right to go to the Super Bowl. The Patriots have gotten here pretty much through their offense. While the Patriots defense has been playing a bit better as of late, they still have their weakness. They also haven't played a team the caliber of the Ravens this year. Tom Brady hasn't faced a defense as good as the Ravens. The Ravens usually give Brady fits, and it should be no different here. Baltimore is once again knocking on the door of the Super Bowl and look to finally get over that hump this year. The parallels to the Ravens Super Bowl winning team is there. A strong defensive unit lead by an average QB. The Ravens defensive veterans know this could be their last shot at the Super Bowl, and you know they will be focused on getting there. Three Questions Time!

Can Joe Flacco Take Advantage of the Patriots Secondary?
The Patriots ranked 31st against the pass this year. There are no excuses for Joe Flacco in this one. Safety Ed Reed called out Flacco this week, saying Flacco looked a bit rattled against the Texans and that he needs to get rid of the ball quicker. Flacco has been a big question mark all year. You never know what kind of performance you will get from him. But there is no doubt Flacco needs to play well here against a suspect Patriots secondary. But Flacco needs help. He needs his WRs to beat man coverage. Both Torrey Smith and Lee Evans are quite capable of beating the Pats deep. Joe Flacco needs to show that he can be the QB to take the Ravens to the Super Bowl, because if he doesn't so it this year, he may not have a chance to do it again.

Will the Ravens Be Able to Slow Down Tom Brady?
The Ravens ranked third in total defense this year, fourth against the pass. They also finished tied for third in sacks with 48. You can bet they will bring pressure on Tom Brady. Brady sat out practice Wednesday with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. While Brady says it's nothing, there still has to be something bothering him. Brady has thrown multiply touchdowns in all but two games this year. We know all of the weapons Brady has, so it is tough for defenses to bring pressure. But the Ravens won't be afraid to do that, mostly because the Patriots have almost know running game to speak of. The Ravens need to get to Brady early, because it can disrupt his game and get him frustrated.

Which Team Shuts Down the "X-Factors?"
Both the Ravens and the Patriots have what I like to call "x-factors," or players that can change the game in an instant. For the Ravens, that player is Ray Rice. Rice torched the Patriots in their last playoff meeting. Rice is so quick and explosive that it makes it very difficult for defenders to tackle him. He's a game changer and is capable of breaking a big run at any time. The "x-factors" for the Patriots are Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. These duel tight ends have been unstoppable in recent weeks. The Patriots have even been using Aaron Hernandez out of the backfield as a running back. You can bet Ed Reed and Ray Lewis will have something to say about these two tight ends getting open. Whichever defense can shut down  the x-factor for the other team has the best chance to come out on top.

PREDICTION
I don't see either team pulling away from the other. It doesn't look like that kind of game. The Ravens defense will step up big time in this one. If they can take out Gronkowski and Hernandez then Brady will have to rely on his second and third looks, and by that time the Ravens blitz may already have taken down Brady. The Patriots still gave up a handful of big runs to the Broncos last week, so they have to be worried about Ray Rice breaking one off. But as I said in the beginning, this game is on Joe Flacco. He doesn't have to play like Tom Brady, he just has to do enough to get his team a victory. He can't lead a bad Patriots defense get to him. The Ravens still need to build their game plan around Ray Rice, and not Flacco have the game on his shoulders. While Tom Brady has been playing great football recently, I think the Ravens defense does just enough to shut down Brady and pick up the road win on the way to the Super Bowl.

Baltimore 24  New England 20

New York Giants vs San Francisco 49ers: 6:30 P.M. on FOX
This is a game between two teams peaking at the right time. In the Giants case, they are clearly playing their best football of the season. They smoked the Falcons in the Playoffs and took out the defending Super Bowl Champions on their home turf. The Giants defense is finally healthy. Their pass rush is getting to the QB, and that is taking some of the burden off of their secondary. And Eli Manning is playing like an elite QB and his Playoff experience is showing. The 49ers offense came alive last week against the Saints. Alex Smith may have made up for all of his short comings so far in his career with that great TD run and then another great TD pass to Vernon Davis with 6 seconds left, a catch being called "The Catch 3" in San Francisco. The defense gave up a surprising amount of points, but the offense came to life in an unexpected way. I don't know if anyone thought the 49ers would win a shootout with New Orleans.

Will Eli Keep Up His "ELIte" Performance?
In two Playoff games, Eli Manning has looked great. He has thrown 6 TDs in two games and has a passer rating of 121.8. Eli has what may be the best trio of WRs in the league with Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Mario Manningham. With the 49ers having the best run defense in the NFL, expect this game to come down to the arm of Manning for the Giants. While the 49ers corners are very good, their safeties can be exposed. Specifically, Donte Whitner was burned for two TDs against the Saints. Expect Eli to target him often, even if it is with TE Jake Ballard. Whitner struggles to cover TEs in coverage, so Eli might be able to take advantage. The 49ers defense was torched by Drew Brees, and while Brees is still better than Eli, Eli can take advantage just like Brees did.

Is Alex Smith For Real?
While Alex Smith has improved this year under Jim Harbaugh, I don't think anyone saw his performance against the Saints coming. With 299 yards and 3 TDs, Alex Smith finally looked like a #1 pick. Smith's 26 yard TD run to put the 49ers up was a thing of beauty. Smith was sacked four times last week, and he will face a better pass rush this week with the Giants coming to town. Smith will need to get the ball out quickly in order to avoid having Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyora and Justin Tuck in his face. Expect the Giants to try and take away Vernon Davis and make the 49ers WRs beat them, which is something San Francisco can not allow. They also can't let the emotion of last week's win distract them from their goal. Alex Smith has shown this year that he can lead a team to the Playoffs, and a win here will show that Smith may not have the flash of a #1 overall pick, but he can do enough to get the job done.

How Much of A Factor Will the Weather Be?
The forecast for the game this Sunday is not a good one. There is a 70% chance of rain after kickoff with some high winds expected. That could lead to a sloppy game on the grass field in San Francisco. If that is the case, then the edge may be in the 49ers court. Frank Gore is a very good runner capable of breaking a big run. The Giants had the last ranked running attack in the NFL in the regular season but it came alive in the late portions of the season. Specifically, Brandon Jacobs looks like he's running with purpose. Jacobs has been running over defenders at a constant basis. But he will face the ultimate test against the #1 rush defense in the NFL. If rain is a factor, I think the edge goes to the 49ers.

PREDICTION
This is a tough game to predict. The 49ers are coming off of a huge, emotionally charged win against one of the best offenses and QBs the NFL has seen in the last decade. The 49ers will also have the home crowd behind them. San Francisco is coming off one of the most unexpected season's in NFL history. Jim Harbaugh has lead them to the Playoffs and has brought new life to the 49ers orginization. But the Giants are playing their best football of the season and may have been the best team in the league in the last month of the season. Eli Manning isn't afraid of going on the road in the Playoffs. He's won in Lambeau twice, so San Francisco isn't that intimidating to him. The 49ers defense can't have lapses like they had last week against Drew Brees. This game will be won by whichever team gets more pressure on the QB. Despite his strong performance last week, I think the Giants get to Alex Smith and it rattles him a bit, and Eli Manning makes a few big plays to his WRs and takes the Giants to their second Super Bowl under Eli and Tom Coughlin.

NY Giants 27  San Francisco 23

There you ahve it. Obviously nothing next week, but for the Super Bowl I will have a postion by position breakdown of the match-up, as well as the 3 keys and x-factors to the game.

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

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 17 Picks

Last week of regular season picks. I will do a preview for each round of the Playoffs as well, then more than likely an off-season preview in March and April, along with a Draft preview as well.

Last Week's Record: 10-6
Year to Date Record: 153-87

Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints
This is a match-up of two offenses that are fun to watch for different reasons. For Carolina, they have the always entertaining Cam Newton for them at QB. Newton's big arm and play making abilities on the ground make him a duel threat under center. Along with Johnathan Stewart and DeAngleo Williams, the Panthers have one of the best running attacks in the league. The Panthers are going to be a popular playoff pick next year, and this match-up could be a bigger game next year for both teams. The Panthers need to get healthy on defense and if they do that, watch out. The Saints offense is fun to watch because they have Drew Brees at QB. Brees has one of the best football minds in the game. He finds his open WR every play. It doesn't matter if it is his first option or fourth option, Brees finds him. Brees just broke Dan Marino's single season passing record, so he doesn't have that to play for this game. But the Saints are still fighting for a 1st round bye, but that seems unlikely with the 49ers easy match-up. But the Saints will play hard here. The Panthers almost knocked off the Saints earlier in the season, but a late Saints TD drive stopped that. I think the Saints pull out a close one here. Brees will pick apart a weak Panthers secondary.

New Orleans 35  Carolina 24

NFL Week 12 Picks

I will be occupied all day tomorrow and with NFL games starting early on Thursday, I figured I would get my picks done while I have the time today and very early tomorrow. There are a lot of big games this week with many playoff implications.

Last Week's Record: 9-5
Year to Date Record: 100-60

Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions
For the first time in a very long time, the Lions are playing a relevant game on Thanksgiving. The Lions host the undefeated Packers in a huge NFC showdown. A win by the Lions here might give them hope for a division title, but I think that might be stretching it a bit too much. A win here would help a lot because of the loss of Jay Cutler for the Bears. The Lions offense came back to life last week against Carolina. The Packers defense isn't the greatest, so expect a big game from Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Now with that being said, the Lions pass defense is nothing to write home about, so expect Aaron Rodgers to throw at will. All of this leads to one word: SHOOTOUT. This game features two of the best passing offenses in the league. Aaron Rodgers seems unstoppable, although he did get a good test last week from Tampa Bay. If the Lions can LIMIT Rodgers and not let him throw at will they may have a chance. Detroit's front seven needs to pressure Rodgers and make him throw it early. For the Lions, Matthew Stafford needs to limit his mistakes and not force throws to Calvin Johnson. But I think the Packers front seven is better than the Lions, and their added pressure give the Packers a win.

Green Bay 38  Detroit 34

Miami Dolphins vs Dallas Cowboys
These may be the two teams playing the best football in the last 3 weeks. The Dolphins have won 3 in a row after starting the season 0-7. Reggie Bush is running like a number one back for the first time in his career. Matt Moore is making people forget about Andrew Luck in Miami. And the Dolphins defense is shutting down the run and pressuring the QB into bad mistakes. If this Dolphins team had shown up earlier in the year, they may at least be .500 and in the hunt for a playoff spot. Tony Sparano may be saving his job. I still think its unlikely, but its possible. The team is playing hard for him, but they are also still playing in front of half empty stadiums. The Cowboys have won three in a row as well as their offense has come to life in recent weeks. Tony Romo has thrown at least 3 TDs in the last two games, and has put the Cowboys in a tie for first in the NFC East. With the Cowboys easy schedule in the coming weeks they have no excuses for a let down. But the Dolphins will be a tough out here. They will play just as hard as they have been in recent weeks and will look to spoil the Cowboys run at the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Cowboys are the more talented team and will win a close one.

Dallas 27  Miami 22

San Francisco 49ers vs Baltimore Ravens
It's Harbaugh vs Harbaugh. I'm sure it is the exact way the Harbaugh family envisioned spending their Thanksgiving. On the 49ers side, Jim Harbaugh has the 49ers at 9-1 and within one game of clinching the NFC West. If the 49ers win this week and Seattle losses, the division goes to San Francisco. Now, that doesn't mean a let up from the 49ers. They are still within a game of Green Bay for the top spot in the NFC. The Packers could slip up in the coming weeks, they have some difficult match-ups. Second, I don't think let up is in Jim Harbaugh's vocabulary. He will have his team playing hard every week because that is how he coaches. No let up whatsoever. On the Baltimore side, John Harbaugh has his team in a good spot. At 7-3, they are tied with Pittsburgh atop the AFC North. They have had let downs against lesser teams this year, but I wouldn't expect that against San Francisco. But the 49ers defense is very stingy and will shut down Ray Rice, or at least attempt too. If Joe Flacco can get time, he should find Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith open. The 49ers secondary isn't the greatest. But I like the 49ers here. They play a similar game to Baltimore: smash mouth, grind it out, run stuffing defense. But the likely loss of Ray Lewis will hurt the Ravens defense in the end. San Francisco wins a low scoring affair.

San Francisco 20  Baltimore 17

Houston Texans vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Let the Matt Leinart Era begin in Houston. This is a good first test for him. Leinart isn't being thrown to a top team, he's being thrown to a Jacksonville team that couldn't beat Cleveland last week. Leinart will more than likely have stud WR Andre Johnson back, which is a huge help. Even with Johnson back, expect a heavy dose of RBs Arian Foster and Ben Tate from the Texans. That will help take the pressure off of Leinart early on. The Jaguars continue to struggle offensively with Blaine Gabbert under center. But with teams focusing on Maurice Jones-Drew, Gabbert will eventually have to win a game himself. That will be tough to do against an improved Houston defense. Jones-Drew will get his touches and yards, but Gabbert still isn't good enough to win a game like this. Jack Del Rio's clock continues to tick as the Texans win here.

Houston 24  Jacksonville 13

Buffalo Bills vs New York Jets
Talk about two teams that are heading in the wrong directions. Three weeks ago the Bills were 5-2, but that seems like an eternity ago. The Bills have lost 3 straight, including an embarrassing home loss to the Jets. The offense has scored a combined 26 points the last three weeks. They didn't even get into the end zone last week against Miami. Ryan Fitzpatrick has looked terrible, and the defense is getting burned deep by anything that moves. Injuries are also mounting for the Bills. RB Fred Jackson has a bruised right calf that may keep him out. WR Donald Jones and C Eric Wood are out for the year, and both WRs Stevie Johnson and David Nelson are banged up. The Jets have lost two in a row after winning three straight. Mark Sanchez has looked terrible in both losses. They have injuries at RB with Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson both banged up. And the hyped defense couldn't stop Tim Tebow from driving 95 yards on them at the end of the game last week. The Jets, however, are still in better shape than the Bills overall. They are healthier, have a better coaching scheme, and are playing at home. That gives the Jets the win this week.

NY Jets 21  Buffalo 13

Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals were brought down to Earth the last two weeks after back-to-back losses against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. They only lost by a touchdown both games, but they were also in position to win both of those games in the end. But Andy Dalton threw a bad interception at the end of the game against Pittsburgh, and he had no time to throw against Baltimore in the closing seconds. That's not to take anything away from Cincinnati. The Bengals are still holding on to the last Wild Card spot, and are still playing better football than everyone below them in the AFC. The Bengals should get WR A.J. Green back this week, which will help open up the offense more. The Browns finally won a game last week against Jacksonville, and they will have revenge on their mind after a bad opening week loss at home against Cincinnati. Expect the Browns to be motivated for their cross state rivals. If Colt McCoy can get time to throw they might have a chance. But I don't see that happening. The Bengals rebound here and take care of the Browns in a low scoring affair.

Cincinnati 23  Cleveland 16

Minnesota Vikings vs Atlanta Falcons
The only reason to really watch the Vikings is out for a few weeks. RB Adrian Peterson suffered an ankle sprain last week and will likely miss this week's game. Toby Gerhart replaces AP, but he may not be half the running back Peterson is. Expect a lot of Percy Harvin in the backfield to try and throw off the Falcons. The Falcons will be able to drop a few more people back in the secondary, which should cause problems with Christian Ponder. The Falcons got a nice win last week at home against Tennessee. Expect Matt Ryan to have a big day against a bad Vikings secondary. If he gets Julio Jones back, then it will be a big day for them. Michael Turner should have a nice game as well. The Falcons are the all-around better team and should dispose of the Vikings rather easily here.

Atlanta 31  Minnesota 17

Arizona Cardinals vs St. Louis Rams
Um, does anyone care about this game? The Rams and Cardinals have both had equally disappointing seasons. The Cardinals acquisition of Kevin Kolb has been a colossal bust for them. The team is playing better under 2nd year QB John Skelton than Kolb. At least he remembers who Larry Fitzgerald is. The defense that was suppose to be improved has disappointed mightily. The Rams were beat up by injuries and a brutal early schedule. Sam Bradford has been injured, and injuries on the offensive line haven't helped him. The defense has finally come around. The acquisition of Brandon Lloyd has helped Bradford a lot, and the Rams should do everything possible to try and re-sign him in the off-season. Expect a big game from Steven Jackson, which leads to a win for the Rams.

St. Louis 28  Arizona 23

Carolina Panthers vs Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are one lucky franchise. After years of glory under Peyton Manning, they have one bad year and now will soon have years of glory under Andrew Luck. The Colts will take Luck if they get the 1st overall pick, no questions asked. And I think they will. The Colts have nothing going for them on offense or defense. And the defense will struggle against Cam Newton this week. Expect Newton, Johnathan Stewart, and DeAngelo Williams to run wild on the Colts poor run defense. If the Colts can get their run game going they might have a chance, but the Panthers offense can put up points in bunches, and they should have no problem doing that against Indianapolis. The Panthers rebound after a bad couple of weeks and pick up a win.

Carolina 31  Indianapolis 21

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Tennessee Titans
Hey, give Tampa Bay credit. They gave Green Bay one of their toughest games of the year last week. Josh Freeman was able to find open WRs and LaGarrette Blount found holes and just ran over the Packers defense. It may be too little too late for Tampa Bay. At 4-6, their playoff chances are all but down the drain. They are two games back of the last NFC Wild Card Spot. The Bucs may finally be putting everything together, but I don't think it will help them make the playoffs. Coach Raheem Morris blamed Tampa's struggles on the lockout, but that is not an excuse. Tampa showed last year they are good enough to win now, but they failed to live up to the hype this year. Tennessee failed to win a big game against Atlanta last week. They lost Matt Hasselbeck with an elbow injury, but he may be able to return this week because there was no structural damage to the elbow. Chris Johnson couldn't get going again, but against a bad Tampa defense he should be able to find holes. Tampa will give Tennessee a fight, but the Titans have more to play for and pull out a win here.

Tennessee 24  Tampa Bay 21

Chicago Bears vs Oakland Raiders
Well, let the Caleb Hanie Era begin in Chicago. It is his team for pretty much the rest of the regular season. The good thing is Hanie knows the system so he should be able to step right in with no problem. The bad news is he is still unproven for the most part in the league. He stepped in well during the NFC Championship, but that was it. Expect a heavy dose of Matt Forte from the Bears. But if the defense keeps playing well, the Bears shouldn't have a problem staying in all their games. The Raiders just keep winning under Carson Palmer. Palmer should have time to throw here against the Bears secondary. Palmer has to love the help he is getting from Michael Bush at running back, and if Darren McFadden returns this week, it gives the Raiders a dangerous two headed attack at running back. Before Cutler's injury, I would have picked the Bears. Now? I think the Raiders take this one and continue their stranglehold on the AFC West.

Oakland 27  Chicago 24

Washington Redskins vs Seattle Seahawks
Another game I don't know if anyone really cares about. The Redskins finally played a good game last week against Dallas. They showed signs of life on offense against Dallas. Problem is, their field goal kicker let them down again. Graham Gano missed a 52 yard field goal in OT, allowing the Cowboys to come back and win. Seattle, meanwhile, has played some good football in recent weeks and have won two in a row on the back of Marshawn Lynch, who finally looks like a #1 running back. Expect Lynch to have a good game again this week, and carry Seattle to their third win in a row.

Seattle 23  Washington 14

Denver Broncos vs San Diego Chargers
The Chargers are just in an absolute free fall. They've lost 5 in a row, and haven't won a game since they beat Denver in Week 5. Philip Rivers isn't playing like Philip Rivers. He doesn't have time to throw in the pocket and is making some bad decisions in the pocket. Injuries to different offensive playmakers throughout the year hasn't helped either. The defense also is getting picked apart rather easily. Meanwhile, the Broncos have won 4 out of 5 with Tim Tebow and have adopted their offense to fit his skill set. Oh, and the defense is playing lights out football. Von Miller is a beast at linebacker for the Broncos, and Champ Bailey is playing like the shut down corner he used to be. Tim Tebow should be able to make big plays against the Chargers, and I think he does to help them win here.

Denver 31  San Diego 27

New England Patriots vs Philadelphia Eagles
This is an interesting game. The Patriots look like they may have finally come together as a whole team. The defense has looked respectable in the last couple weeks. The Patriots have also been trying to get some kind of run game going, but that still hasn't happened yet. Tom Brady won't win them every game, even though having TE Rob Gronkowski and WR Wes Welker helps out matters. But it will be interesting to see Brady match-up with the Eagles secondary, who seem to have finally come around in Philadelphia. They shut down the Giants offense last week. If they can do the same thing to Tom Brady, it could mean trouble for the Patriots. No matter who starts for the Eagles, Vince Young or Mike Vick, both men should be able to make plays against the Patriots defense. It may be a mild upset, but I like the Eagles to shut down the Patriots and win here. They will be motivated after last week's win.

Philadelphia 28  New England 24

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Kansas City Chiefs
Why was this game not flexed out of the Sunday night slot? Even two weeks ago, the Chiefs still looked like a bad football team. Now they are even worse without Matt Cassel under center. Tyler Palko did not look good at all against New England. What do you expect from him against a good Steelers defense? The Chiefs defense might be able to contain the Steelers for a little bit, but they can't score points for them. I expect a Steelers win, and a rather easy one too with them coming off the bye.

Pittsburgh 35  Kansas City 14

New York Giants vs New Orleans Saints
Is this the beginning of the Giants collapse? It may very well. They shouldn't have gotten shut down so easily against Philadelphia. Eli Manning is better than that. The Giants really have missed Ahmad Bradshaw, who gives them a good running attack on offense. The Saints have had a bye week to prepare for the Giants. The Saints should rely on quick passes to avoid the Giants pass rush. If they do that, Drew Brees should be able to make plays with all of his offensive weapons. I would think Darren Sproles might be in for a good game out of the backfield for the Saints. With the game in New Orleans, I think the Saints win and make Tom Coughlin's seat even hotter than it was already.

New Orleans 24  NY Giants 23

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week's Record: 2-2
Year To Date Record: 25-18-1

Miami +7 at Dallas: Dolphins will put up a fight til the end.

Atlanta -9.5 vs Minnesota: No AP means no chance for the Vikings.

Denver +6.5 at San Diego: Even if the Broncos lose, it will still be a close game.

Pittsburgh -10.5 at Kansas City: Chiefs have pretty much no chance.

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

NFL Week 9 Review

Quite possibly the best week of NFL action so far this year. Close games, teams stepping up, and teams faltering a bit. Lets get to it.

Team of the Week: New York Giants
-This could have gone to a handful of teams: The Jets, Dolphins, and Ravens all had arguments to get this spot. But I decided to give this one to the Giants for a couple of reasons. Reason 1: They went into Foxboro and beat the New England Patriots. That doesn't happen too often. The Giants for the most part shut down Tom Brady and kept the entire Patriots offense in check. Reason 2: The Giants gave Tom Brady a dose of his own medicine. After Brady put the Patriots up with under 2 minutes to go, Eli Manning got the ball back and drove his team right down the field. Eli's TD pass to Jake Ballard with 16 seconds left sealed the win for New England. It was the first game of a brutal stretch for the Giants and they passed with flying colors. It doesn't get easier with their next stop at San Francisco. But if the Giants play like they did Sunday then there's no reason they can't survive this brutal stretch.

Game of the Week: Baltimore 23  Pittsburgh 20
-When in doubt, go with the game that is the better rivalry. It was another dog fight between the Ravens and Steelers, but the Ravens came out on top for the second time this year. You have to give the Ravens credit. I don't know if anyone gave them a chance after their two poor outings this year. But just like the Giants, the Ravens were handed the ball with time running low and drove right down the field on the Steelers. I'm sure the Steelers were thrilled that Joe Flacco was getting the ball at the 8 yard line with his poor play the last two weeks. But Flacco didn't fold, and threw a beautiful TD pass to Torrey Smith with 26 seconds left. The Ravens now have the tiebreaker edge on the Steelers and stopped all the momentum the Steelers had going into this game.

Dog of the Week: Pittsburgh Steelers Defense
-Up 4 with about 2 minutes to go. You give Joe Flacco the ball at the 8 yard line, forcing him to go 92 yards for a touchdown. And you let him? Joe Flacco has struggled mightily the last 2 weeks and you would think the Steelers could shut him down. But they let Flacco go right down the field on them, and lost the game in the dying seconds on a beautifully thrown ball by Flacco to Torrey Smith. The game should have ended earlier on a similar pass to Smith, but Smith dropped it. Now the Steelers lost both games to Baltimore and are looking up at them in the standings. That was a game the Steelers had to have. Now they face another stiff test in Cincinnati next week.
Other Week 9 Notes
-Do we have to consider the Jets the favorites in the AFC East now? They absolutely dominated the Bills in every aspect of their game Sunday. They shut down the Bills offense and wore down their defense in the second half with their ability to convert on 3rd downs. The Jets have now won 3 in a row and have a reeling New England team coming to New York on Sunday night. This is the perfect opportunity for the Jets to kick the Patriots while they are down. The Jets defense kept Tom Brady in check for the most part in their first meeting, no reason they can't do it again. And you still can't count out the Bills either. They have a big 3 game road trip ahead. Games at Dallas and Miami are both winnable, and you know they will have revenge on their mind when they go into New York in 3 weeks. This may come down to the final week of the season, when Buffalo goes to New England while Miami tries to play spoiler against the Jets. Basically, I think 4 AFC Playoff Spots will come down to the Bills, Jets, Patriots, Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers.

-The Bears may be the team no one talks about in the playoff hunt in the NFC, but they may just as well sneak in come the end of the season. The Bears took care of the Eagles in Philadelphia Monday night and now sit at 5-3 in the NFC. They also have a head-to-head tiebreaker over Atlanta. Matt Forte may be the best running back in the NFL right now. He leads the league in yards from scrimmage. The biggest improvement in the Bears game is the protection their offensive line is giving Jay Cutler. Cutler has more time to throw the ball and is finding his open WRs much easier. Other than a Christmas Day trip to Lambeau, the Bears schedule isn't that daunting. They have a huge opportunity next week against the Detroit Lions to get a win back from their loss a few weeks ago to them. If the Bears win next week, they'll be serious contenders.

-And all of the sudden, the AFC West is a four team race again. The Raiders, Chiefs, and Chargers are all tied at 4-4, and the Broncos sit one game back at 3-5. Everyone likes to say the NFC West is the worst division in football, but that crown this year may belong to the AFC West. The 49ers make the NFC West respectable again. Every team in the AFC West has taken a step back in recent weeks. The Chargers are on a 3 game losing streak. The Raiders have lost 2 straight home division games. The Chiefs just got thumped by the Miami Dolphins at home. The Broncos have won 2 of 3 but neither of their wins have looked pretty. We should get some answers this week, as Oakland takes on San Diego Thursday night while the Broncos go to Kansas City. Every team still has a somewhat brutal schedule ahead, so the winner of this division may be the team that gets to 9 wins.

-We will find out just how for real the Bengals are in the coming weeks. It starts with a pissed off Steelers team coming to Cincinnati next Sunday. Then the Bengals travel to Baltimore the following Sunday. If they can win one of those games, then I think they will be in good shape. But two losses sends the Bengals to 6-4. I think 10 wins is the minimum to make the playoffs as a Wild Card this year in the AFC. The Bengals also have a visit from Houston coming. Two straight losses could be deflating to such a young team like the Bengals. Can they overcome the two top dogs in the AFC North? They have the talent, but they need to stay focused all week and not let the hype get to them.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-Did anyone even watch the Rams/Cardinals game this week?

-Who's the favorite in the AFC?

-Do the Colts even care anymore?

-Are the Texans that good? Or is their division and schedule that bad?

-I hope Todd Haley didn't cut himself shaving.

-I can't believe the Dolphins took themselves out of the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes.

-If the Denver Tebows win the AFC West, I'm not watching Sportscenter during the playoffs.

POWER RANKINGS!!!
1. Green Bay Packers (8-0, #1 last week)- Yeah you know the story. Next.

2. San Francisco 49ers (7-1, #2)- Big test against the Giants this week. Can Alex Smith beat a good Giants defense?

3. New York Giants (6-2, #4)- I guess you can't spell Elite without Eli. Great win to start their brutal schedule ahead.

4. Detroit Lions (6-2, #5)- The bye week accused them of playing dirty as well.

5. Baltimore Ravens (6-2, #9)- Joe Flacco shut up his critics for one week.

6. Atlanta Falcons (5-3, #8)- If Julio Jones has finally arrived, then the Falcons just got a lot more dangerous.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3, #4)- The defense let Joe Flacco drive 92 yards in 2 minutes. That is not Steelers football.

8. New York Jets (5-3, #11)- They're playing the best football in the AFC East right now, and they have a chance to put down the Patriots next week.

9. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2, #12)- I want to put them higher but I don't know if they are better than the teams above them. We will find out the next two weeks.

10. New Orleans Saints (5-3, #10)- The offense has been slowed down a bit in the past few weeks.

11. Chicago Bears (5-3, #14)- Jay Cutler looks like a good QB when he has time to throw.

12. Buffalo Bills (5-3, #6)- Can they rebound after their first butt kicking of the year? Time for this young team to show if they're for real.

13. Houston Texans (6-3, #13)- Still don't know if their record is a by-product of their schedule and weak division, or if they really are that good.

14. New England Patriots (5-3, #7)- That pass defense could keep them out of the playoffs. It's that bad.

15. Dallas Cowboys (4-4, #21)- Only reason for the big jump is because everyone above them looked bad in defeat. Loss of Miles Austin for a few weeks might hurt.

16. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5, #15)- This team isn't unified enough to win 7 of their next 8 games.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4, #18)- Only move up because they didn't look terrible in defeat. Offense has regressed though.

18. San Diego Chargers (4-4, #17)- If it wasn't for Philip Rivers, they might have actually beaten the Packers.

19. Tennessee Titans (4-4, #19)- The most stagnant offense in the NFL. You can thank Chris Johnson for that.

20. Kansas City Chiefs (4-4, #16)- You follow up your big Monday night win with that? Talk about a deflater.

21. Denver Broncos (3-5, #29)- I don't think they are this good, but no one below them is either.

22. Oakland Raiders (4-4, #20)- Apparently Hue Jackson is getting power hungry in Oakland. Maybe he should focus more on the games rather than making personnel decisions.

23. Minnesota Vikings (2-6, #23)- Christian Ponder had two weeks to prepare for Green Bay. Can he pull out an upset this time?

24. Cleveland Browns (3-5, #22)- Looks like the Dawg Pound got neutered.

25. Carolina Panthers (2-6, #25)- Looking for a spoiler in the NFC? Look no further.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6, #26)- How did they get 2 Monday night games?

27. Washington Redskins (3-5, #24)- Mike Shanahan dreaming of Andrew Luck during games too.

28. Arizona Cardinals (2-6, #30)- John Skeleton or Kevin Kolb? Does anyone even care?

29. Miami Dolphins (1-7, #31)- Playing better football then everyone else down here.

30. Seattle Seahawks (2-6, #27)- Wishing they still played in the AFC West.

31. St. Louis Rams (1-7, #28)- Disappointing follow up to their upset of the Saints.

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-9, #32)- If Peyton still has some years left, they could always trade #1 overall pick for a lot of assets.

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
NY Giants vs San Francisco 49ers: Giants looking to keep hot streak going.
New England Patriots vs NY Jets: Can the Jets bury the Patriots even further?
New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons: Winner has inside track on NFC South crown.

That's all from me today.

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

NFL Week 9 Picks

Big week ahead in the NFL. Lots of meaningful games and big time match-ups.

Last Week's Record: 12-1 (DAMN YOU NEW ORLEANS!)
Year to Date Record: 76-40

Miami Dolphins vs Kansas City Chiefs
The Dolphins may be winless, but you can't deny the fact that they are playing hard. They went into New York and had the Giants beat for 3 quarters. Problem is, football is a 4 quarter game. The Dolphins lack of depth and experience was exposed late in their loss to the Giants. Matt Moore fizzled after a hot start, and Reggie Bush was shut down in the second half. I think they'll get a win by the end of the year, but it will be tough to get that win this week. The Chiefs, meanwhile, have won four in a row and are now in a 3 way tie atop the AFC West. The last two weeks have seen the Chiefs take out division rivals Oakland and Kansas City. All of the sudden Matt Cassel looks like a competent NFL QB, and whatever differences he has had with Coach Todd Haley seem to be a thing of the past. And the defense has stepped up huge, lead by Tamba Hali and Brandon Flowers. The Chiefs can be tough to beat in Arrowhead, and I see them winning their fifth in a row here. Dolphins will keep it close though.

Kansas City 31  Miami 20

Atlanta Falcons vs Indianapolis Colts
One bye week later, and the Atlanta Falcons look like the favorites in the NFC South. The Saints haven't looked like the Saints of old in recent weeks, and Tampa Bay is easily the most inconsistent team in the NFL. The Falcons are coming off a bye and a big win on the road in Detroit that saw the defense shut down the Lions vaunted offensive attack. And there is no reason to think the Falcons will struggle here. Michael Turner should carve up the Colts run defense and Matt Ryan should be able to find Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, and a returning Julio Jones with ease. The Colts have just looked terrible recently. The veterans on the team, specifically Reggie Wayne, have looked discouraged and uninterested late in their losses. I think they just want the season to be over. They won't get any relief here. Falcons win with ease.

Atlanta 34  Indianapolis 17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints
Um, what the hell was that last week New Orleans? That might have been one of the worst games of the Drew Brees Era in New Orleans. He was sacked six times and was hurried in the pocket. Other than their win over Indianapolis, the Saints have been struggling to put teams away recently. They let the Rams defense get 6 sacks, and Tampa's pass rush is much better than St. Louis. The pass defense has struggled in recent games as well. Tampa Bay meanwhile is coming off a disappointing trip to London which saw them lose to Chicago. Tampa has been wildly inconsistent this year as the young team has failed to put together a string of good games. Tampa beat New Orleans by 6 in Week 5 after stopping the Saints late. You have to think the Saints still have last week's game stewing in the back of their mind. I think that plus the home crowd rallies the Saints and lifts them to victory here.

New Orleans 27  Tampa Bay 23

New York Jets vs Buffalo Bills
This is a big game for both teams. The Jets are 4-3 and are coming off two straight wins, including a 2nd half come from behind win against San Diego. I'm still not entirely sold on the Jets. Mark Sanchez is wildly inconsistent and the defense has had problems stopping some teams this year. In this game, the Jets need to put the bulk of the workload in the hands of Shonn Greene and LaDanian Tomlinson. Despite a good performance last week, the Bills still have a soft run defense. With the Bills offensive line still not 100%, expect a heavy pass rush from the Jets. Problem is, Ryan Fitzpatrick has a very quick release and can find his hot receiver quickly. The Bills also have Fred Jackson who refuses to go down after the first hit. He's on pace to break the Bills record of total yards from scrimmage in a season. While the defense has struggled, they had a breakout performance against Washington. They had nine sacks and two interceptions in the game. They came into the game with four sacks on the season. Marcell Dareus was a force at nose tackle and may have found a permanent home their. The Bills will have to pressure Sanchez and force him into mistakes. This is going to be another close one, but I'm leaning Bills. It may be my blind homerism, it may not. But the Bills are the more stable, consistent team.

Buffalo 23  NY Jets 19

Seattle Seahawks vs Dallas Cowboys
Both of these teams are coming off ugly losses last week. The Seahawks were man-handled at home against Cincinnati. They started Charlie Whitehurst at QB, an he played just as bad as he did against Cleveland. Tavaris Jackson entered the game and threw for over 300 yards, but it wasn't enough to help Seattle comeback and win. The Seahawks are stuck in a quandary on offense and just can't seem to get anything going. The Cowboys were embarrassed by the Eagles on Sunday night. The offense was barely on the field, and the defense couldn't slow down Mike Vick and the Eagles offense. I guess the game against St. Louis wasn't really indicative of anything. The Cowboys get another cupcake home game here, so expect them to look strong and rebound from their bad Sunday night performance.

Dallas 28  Seattle 16

Cleveland Browns vs Houston Texans
The AFC South is the Texans division to lose. They've already beaten every other team in the division by 10+ points and have shown they are the team to beat. Now that's not to say the Texans don't have some flaws, especially on defense. They still struggle a bit to stop the pass. They lost another linebacker last week, already adding to the loss of Mario Williams. They may get Andre Johnson back this week, which would be a huge boost for that offense. Houston only has 3 games left against teams with a winning record, so to say they have a soft schedule might be an understatement. The Browns continue to struggle on offense under new coach Pat Shurmur. The new coach was suppose to help the offense, but they can't get anything going. Now they lost Montario Hardesty for a few games. The defense can't score points for them. The Browns should be able to get some points against the Texans, but not enough to help them win. Houston wins here.

Houston 24  Cleveland 14

San Francisco 49ers vs Washington Redskins
Are the 49ers the second best team in the NFL? That's an interesting question to ask right now. Their record, 6-1, is the second best but the talent doesn't necessarily say that. On offense, Alex Smith has had a career resurrection under Jim Harbaugh. He's still not a Pro Bowl player, but he is doing enough to help his team win and not making dumb mistakes. The defense is what has been the story. Lead by Patrick Willis, they are shutting down opponents with ease and getting pressure on the QB. They also do a great job starting the run. They have a four game lead in the NFC West, and could realistically clinch the division by Thanksgiving. Not like Jim Harbaugh would care, he would still run up the score. The Redskins are coming off an abysmal performance against the Bills. Zero points on offense and ten sacks later and I don't think Mike Shanahan still has any answers. I think it is pretty clear that their 3-1 record was a bit over-hyped, and they really don't have a NFL QB on their roster. The offense is too banged up and bad to beat a good 49ers team. San Fran wins easily.

San Francisco 27  Washington 13

Cincinnati Bengals vs Tennessee Titans
I'm officially a believer in the Bengals. A bad team probably would have faltered on a road trip to Seattle, but instead they dominated the Seahawks. The Andy Dalton-A.J. Green connection is here to stay for a long time. If it wasn't for Cam Newton's stellar play, Dalton would be getting more praise for his performance and team's 5-2 record. The defense has stepped up huge as well. They've scored a defensive touchdown in 3 straight games. They put pressure on the QB, which in turn leads to turnovers. The Bengals still have a tough schedule down the stretch, but the defense will keep them in most games. The Titans rebounded off a bad loss to Houston with a win against the NFL's punching bag known as the Indianapolis Colts. Problem is, Chris Johnson still couldn't get anything going on the ground. And Coach Mike Munchak said Javon Ringer may get more touches this week as Johnson continues to struggle. Maybe Johnson is just happy to have his money and doesn't care anymore? I think the Titans keep it close, but the Bengals defense gets to immobile Matt Hasselbeck and forces some turnovers, allowing Cincinnati to pick up another road win.

Cincinnati 26  Tennessee 21

Denver Broncos vs Oakland Raiders
I'm guessing Tim Tebow is on a short leash in this game. He looked atrocious against Detroit and John Fox was hesitant to give Tebow his blessing for this game. But Tebow gets one more opportunity to show he can play QB in the NFL, and I'm sure he knows that a bad first half means that he could be on the bench in the second half. Tebow's mechanics are just all over the place and not there yet. Now of course this isn't all on Tebow, the defense couldn't stop the Lions at all. They've been a big let down this year as far as Broncos fans are concerned. The Raiders have had two weeks to let Carson Palmer get more adapted to the playbook and to wash the taste of their shutout against Kansas City out of their mouth. The Raiders may be without Darren McFadden, but it is not too big of a drop off to Michael Bush. I'm sure the defense will be licking their chops for the opportunity to get after Tim Tebow. With Carson Palmer fully adapted to the playbook, I expect the Raiders to pick up the win here.

Oakland 24  Denver 13

New York Giants vs New England Patriots
A Super Bowl rematch. This begins a brutal portion of the schedule for the Giants. If they're for real, they should get through the schedule with at least 5 more wins the rest of the year. They barely came away with a victory last week against Miami at home. If the Giants fall behind early to New England, Tom Brady and Bill Bellicheck won't let them back into the game like the Dolphins did. Eli Manning, if he continues his good play, should be able to pick apart the Patriots terrible secondary. Anybody could pick apart the Patriots secondary at this point. It's amazing to see a Bill Bellicheck coached team struggle so badly on defense, especially against the pass. And the Giants have a 3 headed monster at WR that will be tough to stop. The Giants need to hope Ahmad Bradshaw is healthy, because Brandon Jacobs looked bad against Miami. The Giants pass rush needs to get to Tom Brady in this one. If they can, I can see the Giants forcing some turnovers and putting their offense in good position. The offense actually struggled at times against Pittsburgh, and they don't have any kind of running game to speak of. I really like the Giants defense, and I think they do enough here to help New York pull off a mild upset.

NY Giants 31  New England 27

St. Louis Rams vs Arizona Cardinals
I don't know if anyone saw the Rams win against New Orleans last week coming except for maybe the players of the Rams. They dominated the Saints in every aspect of the game. Steven Jackson looked like the Steven Jackson of years past where he was considered one of the best running backs in the league. A.J. Feely actually looked good at QB, and the defense put pressure on Drew Brees and forced him into a couple of turnovers. I don't know if this will be a turn around for the Rams season, but it was a nice victory nontheless. The Cardinals on the other hand gave up a huge lead against the Ravens and lost on a last second field goal. Kevin Kolb has looked terrible, and the defense can't stop anything. Ken Wisenhunt may be on the hot seat if he can't get some wins at the end of the year. The Cardinals have the better talent, but the Rams seem more motivated. I'll take the Rams here.

St. Louis 35  Arizona 34

Green Bay Packers vs San Diego Chargers
The Packers have had two weeks to, well, continue being the Packers. They weren't banged up and they haven't struggled anywhere, so it's not like they needed the bye week to fix things. Aaron Rodgers is the leading MVP candidate as he continues to have one of the best seasons an NFL QB can have. There are just so many weapons on offense at his disposal. If they could get a consistent running attack going, they would be unstoppable. The Packers pass defense has been a bit of an issue, but their offense is so good that they mask it. The Chargers are coming off a horrible loss at Kansas City. They had the game won before Philip Rivers fumbled a kneel down snap late in the 4th quarter. The offense still struggled and are now dealing with injuries at running back. The Chargers just seem a bit off this year and it is showing in their performance. The offense shoud be able to score against the Packers, but this game will be on the defense to stop the Packers offense. I don't think the Chargers defense is good enough to stop the Packers offense. I'm taking the Packers in a high scoring affair.

Green Bay 38  San Diego 31

Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers
These two teams have taken opposite directions since the Ravens Week 1 blowout of Pittsburgh. The Ravens have struggled the last couple of weeks, losing at Jacksonville then barely coming back to win at home against Arizona. The Ravens can't afford to fall behind early against Pittsburgh, because they won't Joe Flacco and Company back in the game. I'm really surprised how much Flacco has regressed this year. I also don't know why the Ravens aren't leaning more on Ray Rice. Rice should be the workhorse of this team but offensive coordinator Cam Cameron seems to get too cute and try to get Joe Flacco involved too much. The defense hasn't really struggled unless the offense puts them in bad postions. The Steelers are on a 4 game winning streak and coming off a big win at home against New England. The defense is playing well after struggling early, but they may be without Lamar Woodley and James Farrior in this game. They are already without James Harrison, so losing those two linebackers would be a big blow. The offense, specifically the passing game, is playing well. Antonio Brown finally has broken out in the last couple of weeks after all of the pre-season hype. Normally these two play a low scoring game. I think it is in the middle here as far as scoring goes. But I'm going with Pittsburgh here. They are playing better football right now.

Pittsburgh 23  Baltimore 20

Chicago Bears vs Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are finally looking like the Eagles team everyone expected them to be this year. The offense looked like an unstoppbable machine against Dallas. Mike Vick found open WRs with ease and they keot the Cowboys defense on the field for extended periods of time. LeSean McCoy isn't getting enough praise for his great play. McCoy has a touchdown in every game this year. The defense also shut down the Cowboys star studded WR duo. The Bears are coming off a bye and a win in London against Tampa Bay. Last year the Bears shut down Mike Vick in route to a win. I don't know if the defense will be able to do that again, but they will need to in order to stop Phialdelphia's offensive attack. The Bears should pound away with Matt Forte in order to keep the ball away from Philadelphia. I think the Bears keep this game close for a bit, but Philadelphia wins it late.

Philadelphia 31  Chicago 28

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week's Record: 3-1
Year to Date Record: 19-12-1

St. Louis +3 at Arizona: Rams are playing better and more inspired football right now.

NY Giants +8.5 at New England: Giants aren't as bad as they showed against Miami.

Cincinnati +3 at Tennessee: Bengals are the better team overall.

Atlanta -7 at Indianapolis: Falcons have had 2 weeks to prepare for bad Colts.

That's all from me.

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

NFL Week 8 Picks

Another week down in the NFL Season. Lets take a look at it!

Team of the Week: St. Louis Rams
-It may not mean anything come the end of the year, but that was one hell of a performance by the Rams against the Saints. The Rams were double digit underdogs who were pretty much written off by everyone before the game even started. But a pre-game speech by RB Steven Jackson motivated the Rams enough to come out and play their best game of the year against the Saints. Maybe a visit from the recent World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals did the trick to. The Rams shut down Drew Brees, sacking him 6 times and forcing two interceptions, returning one of them for a touchdown. Steven Jackson just tore apart the Saints defense going for over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Rams may not be going anywhere this year, but I'm sure that was a great win for their fans and the team.

Game of the Week: Pittsburgh 25  New England 17
-When these two teams usually meet, it results in a shootout with both times putting up 30+ points. This game? Not so much. Both teams got chunks of yards, but the game was kept rather low scoring for these two teams. The Steelers shut up their critics again this week by finally taking care of the Patriots, which they hadn't done in 7 of the last 8 games against them. The Steelers are now 6-2, have won 4 in a row, and are now on top of the AFC. They've looked much better than their AFC North counterpart the Baltimore Ravens the last couple of weeks. The Patriots, meanwhile, continue to struggle against the pass on defense. And when Tom Brady doesn't have an all world game, it hurts the team. I would not be surprised at all to see these two teams meet up again in late January.

Dog of the Week: Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers
-On ESPN they have a "Not Top 10." Philip Rivers may be on the century's "Not Top 10" list. That was just inexcusable. Fumbling a simple snap that was going to be nothing more than a kneel down attempt. Instead of winning on a last second field goal, the Chargers gave away the ball. It forced overtime and gave the Chiefs a victory. Now the Chargers are in a three way tie atop the AFC West. The Chargers could have really used this game. Instead of having a one game lead, they are now tied with the Raiders and Chiefs. And next week they get a rested Green Bay Packers team. The Chargers only face two teams with losing records the rest of the way. Things could get ugly and quick.

Other Week 8 Notes:
-There is seriously something wrong in Ravens Land. After losing ugly in Jacksonville on Monday night, the Ravens almost had an uglier loss against Arizona at home on Sunday. But thanks to a terrible second half by the Cardinals, the Ravens were able to come back and win on a last second field goal. Problem is, the Ravens are far superior to the Cardinals in every aspect of the game. They should have won that game by 20+ points. But they didn't. The Ravens were specifically bailed out by 3 pass interference calls in the end zone that set them up on the 1 yard line. Joe Flacco, while passing for 336 yards, still didn't look sharp for the second week in a row, and he really hasn't all seasons except for Week 1 against Pittsburgh and Week 3 against the Rams. The Ravens go to Pittsburgh next week then to Seattle before taking on Cincinnati and San Francisco at home. That's a tough schedule ahead.

-The NFL now needs to fear the Philadelphia Eagles. After a 1-4 start, the Eagles have won two in a row and looked like the Dream Team everyone thought they would be in the process. The Eagles scored on their first six possessions Sunday night in their route of the Cowboys. They tore apart Rob Ryan's improved Cowboys defense, and shut down the pass attack of the Cowboys. LeSean McCoy deserves some major props for all he's done this season. He has scored a touchdown in every game this season. He is often over looked because of Mike Vick, DeSean Jackson, and the Eagles secondary, but he is showing his worth as one of the best running backs in the league this year. McCoy deserves some MVP talk if he keeps up this pace. The Eagles are two games back of the Giants in the NFC, but if they continue to play this well, they should be able to catch them no problem.

-Speaking of the Giants, we will see what they are really made of in the coming weeks. Take nothing away from their 5-2 record. They are a good football team. Eli Manning, minus the loss to Seattle, has played relatively well this year. Plus the Giants are getting healthy and their pass rush is improving. But they have a brutal schedule ahead. If you're in a Halloween mood, this upcoming schedule will scare you if you are a Giants fan: at New England, at San Francisco, vs Philadelphia, at New Orleans, vs Green Bay, at Dallas, vs Washington, at NY Jets, vs Dallas. That is one of the most brutal 9 game stretches any team will ever see. If you figure the Giants need 10 wins to make the playoffs, they would need to win 5 of those 9 games. It will be tough, but this Giants team has the talent to pull it off. But they can't fall behind in any of those games like they did to Miami this week. Because the teams the Giants are playing won't fall apart like the Dolphins did.

-You asked for it Broncos fans, and you got it. Tim Tebow looked dreadful this week against the Lions. An article after the game in the Denver Post called Tebow the worst starting QB in the NFL. Tebow was thrown around like a rag doll Sunday. He looked terrible in the pocket, was inaccurate, and panicked when faced with pressure. Coach John Fox was non-committal on who would start at QB when the Broncos go to Oakland next week. As bad as Tebow has played, I don't think you can not start him for at least another week. Going back to Kyle Orton would seem stupid, so I guess that means the Broncos would have to go to Brady Quinn to see what he has. I never thought Tebow would be a starting QB in the league, and Sunday against the Lions was proof why I thought that. I don't care what kind of heart or determination the guy has, if you don't have the proper mechanics to be an NFL QB, he will not succeed.

Hey I'm Just Sayin
-We will right it how we want to write Tony Sparano: Dolphins Continue to "Suck for Luck."

-I bet the Panthers wish they kept John Kasay over Olindo Mare.

-After last week's performance, did Pete Carroll really think Charlie Whitehurst was a better option than Tavaris Jackson?

-It's conceivable that the 49ers could clinch the NFC West by Thanksgiving.

-The Bengals just won't go away. They could be a real threat to the Ravens for 2nd in the AFC North.

POWER RANKINGS!!!
1. Green Bay Packers (7-0, #1 last week)- At least they took it easy on the bye week: They only beat it by 35 points.

2. San Francisco 49ers (6-1, #3)- They've all but locked up the NFC West, and Jim Harbaugh has all but won Coach of the Year.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2, #6)- In one month they've gone from a team with questions to the top team in the AFC.

4. New York Giants (5-2, #5)- They escaped Miami, but need to show up for 4 quarters for every game from here on out.

5. Detroit Lions (6-2, #7)- Some of it had to do with playing Tim Tebow, but they manhandled the Broncos in every aspect of the game. Good way to head into the bye.

6. Buffalo Bills (5-2, #9)- The defense had nine sacks and showed they could play without Shawne Merriemen and Kyle Williams. Marcell Dareus arrived in this game.

7. New England Patriots (5-2, #2)- If this game showed anything, it's that when Tom Brady is shut down, the defense can't win them the game.

8. Atlanta Falcons (4-3, #10)- They move up two spots because of the poor play of two other teams, and they have the Colts this week. Almost a guaranteed win at this point.

9. Baltimore Ravens (5-2, #8)- Joe Flacco needs to figure out things quick, because the Ravens can't  continue to fall behind like they did and expect to win.

10. New Orleans Saints (5-3, #4)- The final score makes the game seem closer than it was. The Saints were dominated throughout, and Drew Brees had one of the worst games of his career.

11. New York Jets (4-3, #11)- Can they keep the momentum they had going into the bye? We'll see with a big game in Buffalo Sunday.

12. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2, #12)- They just won't go away. Expect them to be around the playoff hunt still in December.

13. Houston Texans (5-3, #15)- They could sweep in the AFC South. No one is close to them as far as competition goes in that division.

14. Chicago Bears (4-3, #14)- A full two weeks to prepare for the Eagles on Monday night. No excuses.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4, #17)- It's not impossible to think that they could run the table if they play like they did on Sunday night.

16. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3, #19)- Who would have thought they would be in a tie for first after their horrible start? The defense has taken huge strides.

17. San Diego Chargers (4-3, #13)- If the Chargers miss the playoffs, they will look back at the Chiefs game as the reason why.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3, #18)- A bye week to prepare for an angry Saints team who was just embarrassed by St. Louis.

19. Tennessee Titans (4-3, #21)- Probably already regretting that Chris Johnson contract.

20. Oakland Raiders (4-3, #20)- Hopefully Carson Palmer now knows 50% of the playbook.

21. Dallas Cowboys (3-4, #16)- I guess having a good game against the Rams isn't the cure all for a teams woes.

22. Cleveland Browns (3-4, #22)- It's almost like they are just there. No one ever talks about them.

23. Minnesota Vikings (2-5, #28)- Christian Ponder has rejuvenated this team. He has a bright future.

24. Washington Redskins (3-4, #24)- I bet they wish they hadn't won 3 games. Now they can't Suck For Luck.

25. Carolina Panthers (2-6, #23)- Can't miss a field goal like that. That's somewhat deflating.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6, #25)- Sooner or later, Blaine Gabbert is going to have to show he can pass for over 100 yards.

27. Seattle Seahawks (2-5, #27)- Maybe the Seahawks should have signed J.P. Losman.

28. St. Louis Rams (1-6, #30)- Should have had Steven Jackson give speeches before every game.

29. Denver Broncos (2-6, #26)- TEBOWMANIA just got squashed by Yokozuna.

30. Arizona Cardinals (1-6, #29)- What was worse? Trading for Kolb or that huge choke job Sunday?

31. Miami Dolphins (0-7, #32)- They move up because at least it looks like they are still playing hard.

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-8, #31)- They move down because it looks like they are ready for a nice spring vacation.

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
New York Jets vs Buffalo Bills: Huge playoff implications in the AFC. Are the Jets back or Bills for real?
New York Giants vs New England Patriots: Lets see how the Giants handle this brutal schedule.
Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers: Two teams going in opposite directions. Can the Ravens rebound?

That's all for today. NFL Picks Thursday.

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