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 12 of the NFL

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

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

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

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

NFL Week 10 Picks

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

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

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

Indianapolis 24  Jacksonville 13

Justin's Take: Stars, Goats & Notes From Week 7

Game of the Week: New England 29  NY Jets 26 (OT)
-I try to be unbiased as a writer. But deciding who to root for between these two teams is like trying to decide whether you want a root canal or a tooth pull without any Novocaine. I just can't do it. But these two did put on one heck of a football game Sunday. Despite all the problems the media overhypes with the Jets, they are still a decent football team. They're a better 3-4 football team then the Bills are now by a long shot. If Tim Tebow wasn't there the drama would be less. But the Jets gave New England everything they could handle. They came up with huge fumble recovery late on a New England kick return. But they needed to convert that into a touchdown. It almost seemed like they settled for a field goal. That allowed New England to come back and tie the game and then eventually win in OT. The Patriots still don't look like the dominant team that everyone is used to seeing. But they still found a way to win after giving up a lead late. They're still the best team in the AFC East, but not as dominant as in years past.

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

NFL Week 6 Picks

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

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

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

Pittsburgh 27  Tennessee 13

Justin's Take: Stars, Goats and Notes from NFL Week 4

Game of the Week: Green Bay 28  New Orleans 27
-Four weeks into the season and the New Orleans Saints are 0-4. I don't think anyone, even me who was down on the Saints this year, saw this coming. New Orleans has been hanging around in every single one of these games. But their defense just hasn't been able to come up with the big stop. And the Saints had the opportunity to win on Sunday, but a holding penalty negated a game winning field goal, and then Garrett Hartley missed on his second try. The Packers picked up a nice win, but they do not look like the dominant team they were last year. The game was close throughout which is what I like. No blowout and a battle of wills throughout.

NFL Off-Season Preview: AFC South Edition

The NFL season may be over, but the off-season is just getting started!

Starting with this Preview, I will be doing previews of each division this off-season. Expect me to pump out one of these a week. Depending on time I may be able to do two. I love writing about the NFL and I didn't want to stop during the off-season.

Our first preview takes a look at the AFC South. The tide finally turned in the division last year, with the Texans winning their first division title while the Colts, who were mainstays at the top, finished with a 2-14 record and earned the 1st pick in this year's Draft. But of course, the biggest question surrounding the Colts is the future of Peyton Manning. Is Manning healthy? Will he still be a Colt at the start of the year? No one really knows. Then there are the Titans and Jaguars. The Titans improved towards the end of the year but just fell short of the Playoffs and now face a QB controversy heading into the season. The Jaguars, meanwhile, hired Mike Mularkey to be their new coach and try to fix QB Blaine Gabbert.

I will be doing a team by team preview, with each team's pending big free agents as well as their biggest needs and questions facing them.

Houston Texans

2011 Record: 10-6

Many people thought the Texans would make a big step toward the Playoffs last year, and they did. The Texans won their first Division Title and made the Playoffs for the first time in Franchise history. They did all of that without their star pass rusher Mario Williams. They also lost WR Andre Johnson for most of the season to a hamstring injury and lost QB Matt Schaub for the year with a foot injury. The Texans jumped out to enough of a lead in the AFC South to clinch the division with two weeks to go. They easily handled the Bengals in the Divisional Round and held their own against the Ravens. If Matt Schaub had been in that game, the Texans might have won. T.J. Yates performed adequately in relief of Schaub, but there is no doubt this is Schaub's team. The Texans may experience a slight drop off this coming season, but I would still peg them as the favorites in the AFC South for the time being.

Biggest Question: Will Cap Issues Cause A Big Departure?

The Texans have a lot of free agents and not enough cap room to re-sign all of them. That could lead to a few tricky situations for the Texans. RB Arian Foster is a restricted free agent and the Texans will undoubtedly franchise tag him and ask for the max back if another team signs him to an offer sheet. If another team signs Foster, they will have to surrender a 1st round draft pick. While Ben Tate filled in nicely when Foster went down, he isn't the type of back Foster is.

The bigger issue facing the Texans will be whether or not they can keep DE/OLB Mario Williams. Williams missed most of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Teams will be throwing a ton of money at Williams. And as he showed in his brief time this season, Williams can play OLB in a 3-4 scheme or could easily transition back to DE in a 4-3 scheme. If you ask me, Williams is the crown jewel of the free agent market. That includes if Peyton Manning becomes available. Williams is a game changing pass rusher that makes any defensive front intimidating.

The Texans would like to re-sign two of their interior lineman: Chris Myers and Mike Brisiel. They also have K Neil Rackers to re-sign. It may take a hometown discount to re-sign Williams. He would like to remain a Texan, but of course, that always means at the right price. I see Williams walking to whoever offers him the most money and he feels is close enough to a contender so he can win a Championship. I guess I just listed most of the Texans big free agents so I can skip that part.

Top Needs

1. Wide Receiver

Maybe the Texans finally realize that Andre Johnson is very injury prone. When he went down last year, the team had to rely on Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones to carry the load for the team. When your secondary options can be covered in single coverage, that allows defenses to step up and stop your running game. The Texans could address this in free agency or in the Draft.

2. Nose Tackle

While the Texans defense was strong last year, nose tackle was a weak link of the front seven. Shaun Cody did not provide much of a presence up front for the Texans, only providing 23 tackles and one sack. The Texans would be best to address this position in the Draft. There are plenty of options available in the end of the first round for them to choose from.

3. Interior Lineman

If the Texans are unable to re-sign Myers or Biesiel, then they will need to find replacements for them. The Texans don't have a lot of depth on the offensive line. Wade Smith is also a weak link at LT and the Texans could use an upgrade there.

I think the Texans are still the favorites to win the AFC South next year. If they can find a way to re-sign Mario Williams, then they may be my favorites to win the AFC. The offense is fun to watch and the defense played surprisingly well in their first season in the 3-4 look.

Tennessee Titans

2011 Record: 9-7

The Titans surprised most people with their play this past year. They needed one more win to make the Playoffs, and I'm sure they are kicking themselves for losing to Indianapolis in Week 15. Lots of the Titans early struggles had to do with the slow start of RB Chris Johnson. Johnson held out for most of training camp and was clearly not in game shape come the start of the season. The Titans relied on Matt Hasselbeck at QB for most of the year, but Jake Locker looked ready to be the man in Tennessee at the end of the year. He filled in quite well for Hasselbeck when he went down with an injury. The Titans defense is in need of some changes. They ranked 31st in sacks and 24th in interceptions. They need to address that in the Draft, because they will lose some key defensive pieces in free agency.

Biggest Question: Who Starts at QB Week 1?

Matt Hasselbeck will be 36 at the start of the season and has been injury prone the past few years. While he helped the Titans finish with the record they did, he is also declining in ability and is clearly not the future of the franchise. The Titans drafted Jake Locker in Round One last year. In three real game appearances, Locker threw for 4 touchdowns and looked solid in the pocket. Locker played quite well in relief of Hasselbeck against New Orleans. I'm sure training camp will be used to determine who will be the starter, but I'm pretty sure Jake Locker will be under center for the Titans in Week 1. Locker has more mobility and can make more plays than Hasselbeck will be able to.

Top 3 Free Agents

1. CB Cortland Finnegan

Finnegan is a very good CB but also has a temper and can be a boatload to handle at times. While he is valuable to the Titans, they may not want to deal with his behavioral problems on and off the field. Most people expect him to reunite with his old coach Jeff Fisher in St. Louis.

2. S Michael Griffin

While Griffin finally put together a solid season last year, he still struggled with consistency before this year and there is no guarantee he can repeat the success he had last year. Griffin will probably ask for money based on this year's performance, but the Titans will more than likely not want to give him that kind of money.

3. DT Jason Jones

Jones played well for Coach Jeff Fisher in his defensive scheme, but struggled last year under Mike Munchak's new one. Jones is a wide nine technique, so he would fit well in a place like Philadelphia. He is still young and can still turn into a starting caliber defensive end.

Top Needs

1. Defensive Line

If the Titans want to compete for the AFC South crown they will need to improve their pathetic pass rush. I don't know if they will be players for Mari Williams or Cliff Avril, but they will need an overhaul from somewhere. There are a boatload of pass rushers in this year's Draft and the Titans will try to grab one of them.

2. Cornerback

There will be a big drop off in the secondary if Finnegan leaves. They don't have another corner on their roster capable of replacing his play making ability. A weak secondary and pass rush is a bad combination.

3. Interior Lineman

Eugene Amano is not a very good center, and RG Jake Scott is aging and a free agent. If the team wants Chris Johnson to rebound from an off year, they will need to find interior lineman who can create holes for him. Improving the offensive line will also help Jake Locker under center.

If the Titans can improve their defense, they may be one of those fringe Wild Card candidates again this year. Getting Kenny Britt back will be huge for this team. He was having a monster year before his injury. Chris Johnson should return to the CJ2K of 2010 with a full off-season of preparation. The Titans season will depend on how Jake Locker. If he played like he did for those flashes in 2011, the Titans will be in good shape. How Locker handles the pressure of being a starting NFL QB will determine the Titans season.

Jacksonville Jaguars

2011 Record: 5-11

The Jaguars fired Jack Del Rio just after the midway point of last season. They were looking for an offensive mind to replace him, and they got one with the hiring of Mike Mularkey. Mularkey was the offensive coordinator in Atlanta and had a previous head coaching gig in Buffalo. Being from Buffalo, I can tell you Mularkey got a pretty raw deal here. He got the Bills the closest they have been to the Playoffs in the last decade. Mularkey has a good offensive mind and is a good choice to help mold Blaine Gabbert into a decent NFL QB. The Jaguars are missing a lot of pieces and are not close to contending for a Playoff spot. They have one solid asset, and that is running back Maurice Jones-Drew. He is a workhorse in the backfield.

Biggest Question: Can Blaine Gabbert Turn Into An NFL QB?

The Jaguars drafted Blaine Gabbert to be their franchise QB. They dumped David Garrard before the start of the season and handed the keys over to Gabbert in Week 3. Gabbert never looked comfortable the whole season. Gabbert would look intimidated anytime he saw pressure coming at him. Often times he would thrown off his back foot when faced with a pass rush, something an NFL QB should not do on a regular basis. The problem was that the Jaguars had no one else to turn to. Luke McCown wasn't the answer. He's a free agent this off-season and won't be back. Look for Jacksonville to sign a veteran back-up that will help mentor Gabbert. Mike Mularkey has the task of turning Gabbert around. The first thing he needs to do is get him some better weapons at WR. Gabbert also needs to improve his accuracy in the pocket. Any chance the Jags have this season rests on Gabbert's shoulders.

Top 3 Free Agents

1. Jeremy Mincey: Defensive End

Mincey surprised many people last year with a strong performance. He had eight sacks and 57 tackles, and even forced four fumbles. Mincey was the Jaguars best pass rusher and they need to re-sign him, otherwise they have another need to fill.

2. William Middleton: Cornerback

Middleton played rather well when he stepped in to fill in for the injury-riddled Jaguars secondary. At the age of 26, Middleton is still young and has a lot of potential.

3. Josh Scobee: Kicker

A kicker you say? Scobee was the Jaguars most reliable weapon for points last year. He went 23-for-25 last year and 5-for-6 from 50+ yards. If Gabbert continues to struggle, having a solid kicker will help the Jags put points on the board.

Top Needs

1. Wide Receiver

If Justin Blackmon somehow falls to the Jaguars at the 7th pick they will be sprinting to the podium. It is tough to get free agents to come to Jacksonville. They will more than likely look to add a WR in the 2nd Round and might try to get a veteran free agent or two if possible.

2. Cornerback

Even if the Jaguars re-sign Middleton, they also have Rasheed Mathis who is a free agent. Mathis is 32 and might not want to come back to a young and re-building Jags team.

3. Defensive End

There are a boatload of options for the Jaguars at the #7 pick in the Draft if they want a pass rushing end. The Jaguars need to have more than one pass rusher that can get to the QB and cause some pressure.

The Jaguars are a young, re-building team that doesn't show any signs of being competitive this year. Even if Gabbert does improve, I don't think they have any shot of finishing over .500 barring some big off-season acquisitions. Jacksonville will go through some pains this season and will probably not be too fun to watch. But that shouldn't be a worry for the 50 or so fans they actually have.

Indianapolis Colts

2011 Record: 2-14

We apparently found out this past season that one player can mean that much to a team. When Peyton Manning couldn't go this season, the entire team struggled. The offense had no leader and could not score points. The defense was then put in a bad situation and they suffered as a result. The defense also suffered through a handful of injuries at the linebacker and cornerback position. That resulted in the Colts getting the 1st overall pick in this Year's Draft, and the right to draft QB Andrew Luck. That obviously creates a dilemma with Luck and Manning. Luck isn't the type of prospect that you want sitting for a couple of years. Luck is ready to play now. The Colts also have a new coach in former Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. Pagano will bring a new attitude to the Colts, much different than the bland and boring Jim Caldwell.

Biggest Question: Do I Even Have to State It? Two Words: Peyton Manning!

Everyday there is a different story out regarding Peyton Manning. Some days he is back to 100% and ready to play. Other days he can't throw a ball for the life of him and has to retire. Then Peyton and Colts owner Jim Irsay are negotiating, then they aren't. Peyton Manning is one of my favorite athletes ever, but even I am starting to get sick of all of the Peyton talk. They key date is March 8. That is when Peyton is due his $28 million roster bonus. If Manning can't prove that he is healthy, there is no way the Colts pay him that. The Colts know what they are getting with Andrew Luck, and they won't hesitate to cut or trade Peyton if he isn't 100%. My gut tells me Peyton won't be a Colt next year. It is just way too much money to commit to a QB who may never be fully healthy ever again.

Top 3 Free Agents

1. Reggie Wayne: Wide Receiver

Wayne has been the go to WR for Peyton ever since Marvin Harrison left. Wayne is going to be 34 at the start of the season and while he says he would come back to be a part of the re-build, I find it highly unlikely the Colts retain him. Wayne will catch on with a Championship caliber team.

2. Pierre Garcon: Wide Receiver

Garcon turned out to be the Colts most valuable WR last year. He lead the team in receiving yards and receptions. He is a speed WR who can burn defenders and would help Luck greatly.

3. Robert Mathis: Defensive End

Dwight Freeney is the Colts top pass rusher, but Mathis isn't too shabby either. He is over 30 but still has the speed to get to the QB and will attract some attention this off-season. I doubt Mathis comes back to Indy if they are re-building, but it will be interesting to see if Mathis can produce on a consistent basis without Dwight Freeney on the opposite end of him.

Top Needs

1. Interior Lineman

Center Jeff Saturday and Guards Mike Pollack and Ryan Diem are all free agents. Saturday will more than likely follow Peyton wherever he goes. Even if the Colts re-sign one or both guards, they still need to get better upfront, otherwise Andrew Luck won't have much of a career in the NFL.

2. Secondary

The Colts cornerbacks and safeties may be the worst starters in the league. They were consistently burned on a regular basis all year. Teams could pick them apart with ease. Somehow they need to get better, especially at the cornerback position.

3. Wide Receiver

Along with Wayne and Garcon, Anthony Gonzalez is also a free agent. That would leave Austin Collie and Blair White as the team's starters. Some WRs might look forward to playing with a young phenom like Andrew Luck, but those types probably wouldn't help the Colts win. Luck needs weapons though if he is going to be good in his first year.

The Colts are a re-building team, but the future will be bright with Andrew Luck. Luck will be under center for this team for years, very similar to Peyton Manning. If the Colts build around him right then they will be back to the top of the league in the next five years. But Luck needs a strong supporting cast, and that has to start with a strong Draft class this year.

There you have it. The first of eight Division previews. Don't know which Division will be next, but look for it during the middle of next week.

Until Next Time,

Justin C

Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Wild Card Round Preview

No Week 17 Review. Since I'm doing Playoff Previews as well as an off-season preview, I really don't find it necessary. Instead I'm going right into my Playoff Previews. Here are my records to end the year.

Head-to-Head Record: 165-91
Spread Record: 38-29-1

Almost every team in the Wild Card round of the Playoffs is heading into it with a big question mark attached to it. Two teams, Denver and Cincinnati, backed their way into the Playoffs and have pretty much no momentum going in. The Texans, a team I thought could get to the Super Bowl, sure haven't looked like that kind of team in the last month of the season. The NFC doesn't seem as wide open as the AFC, with the Saints and Packers looking like the heavy favorites. But lets not get ahead of ourselves, here we are only going to focus on the Wild Card round of the Playoffs. Lets go!

Cincinnati Bengals vs Houston Texans: Saturday 4:30 P.M. on NBC
As I just said above, neither of these teams are going into the Playoffs with a lot of momentum. The Bengals got into the Playoffs thanks to losses by Oakland and Denver. The Texans have lost three in a row and almost had to rely on Jake Delhomme in the Playoffs after T.J. Yates left last week's game. For the Texans, it is their first Playoff appearance in franchise history. They took advantage of a down year for the AFC South. The Jaguars were horrible, the Colts didn't have Peyton Manning, and it took the Titans half a season to finally get everything together. Had the Titans played better all year they probably would have won the division. The Bengals exceeded everyone's expectations this year by even getting to the Playoffs. I thought they were a Bottom 5 team this year. But Coach Marvin Lewis got rid of the distractions, mainly Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens, and righted the ship to get his team here. Even if the Bengals didn't get to the Playoffs, 9-7 was still an accomplishment for them. These two team met in Week 14, with the Texans winning on a late TD to win 20-19. That was their last win. Lets look at 3 storylines headed into this game.

Can the Texans Go Far With T.J. Yates?
The Texans had high hopes going into the year, and rightfully so. With Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, and Andre Johnson leading the offense, many thought the Texans were Playoff bound for the first time ever. They still got there, but they took a different path. After Schaub got hurt in Week 10, Matt Leinart took over. Then Leinart got hurt and T.J. Yates took over. Yates struggled in the last month of the season to get any kind of offense going. Of course, Yates didn't have his star WR Andre Johnson at his disposal. But that is not an excuse for Yates poor play. Now Yates faces the high pressure of the Playoffs, and he is coming off taking a big hit last week against Tennessee. In his 5 regular season starts, Yates has only thrown 3 TDs to go along with 3 interceptions. Yates will need to step up his play in the Playoffs if the Texans have any hopes of advancing.

How Will the Bengals Rookies Handle Playoff Pressure?
If it wasn't for Cam Newton's all world year, Andy Dalton would be under consideration for Rookie of the Year. Dalton isn't putting up flashy stats, but he has been a great game manager for the Bengals. He doesn't wow you with his flashy skills, but he doesn't make mistakes that cost his team games. He also has WR A.J. Green to help him. Green is a big play threat that can change the game with one long catch. But we all know the Playoffs are a different type of season. While the Bengals finished 9-7, they only beat one team with a winning record, the Titans. They also lost to every AFC Playoff team besides the Patriots, who they didn't play. While the Texans have struggled recently, they are still a good all around team. The Bengals rookies have done well during the regular season, but can they keep it up in the post-season?

Which Defense Comes Out On Top?
I expect this game to be a bit on the low scoring side because both of these teams have solid defensive units. The Texans finished the year second in total defense, the Bengals finished seventh. Both teams are solid against the run, and each team finished in the Top 10 in the league in sacks. The Texans lagged a bit when Wade Phillips left the team, but they should have everything together now. The Bengals pass defense, however, has struggled since losing CB Leon Hall to injury earlier in the year. The Bengals will probably have to double cover Andre Johnson if they really want to shut him down.

PREDICTION
I expect this game to be very similar to these two's Week 14 meeting. A close, low scoring game throughout that will be decided in the final minutes of the 4th quarter. You know that the Texans will be motivated by their home crowd who will be pumped for their first Playoff appearance. If the Texans can get to Andy Dalton, I think they have a great shot at winning. The Bengals, meanwhile, will need to focus on shutting down Arian Foster and Ben Tate and make T.J. Yates beat them. Both teams struggled to end the season, but I think the Texans have more overall talent, and they win their first playoff game in franchise history. I think Andre Johnson is a big factor in this one and shows why, when healthy, he is a top WR in the NFL.

Houston 24  Cincinnati 19

Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints: 8 P.M. on NBC
Well, the Lions have no one to blame for themselves for this match-up. All the Lions had to do was beat the Packers second stringers, but they couldn't even do that. In fact, they let back-up QB Matt Flynn thrown for 480 yards and 6 TDs, something that neither Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers ever did as a Packer. If the Lions defense couldn't stop Matt Flynn, how do they expect to stop Drew Brees? They couldn't stop Brees in their Week 13 match-up, which saw the Saints win 31-17. The Saints are rolling into the Playoffs. They have won eight in a row, and some would consider them a better all around team than the Packers. Drew Brees has been making his case for the MVP award. The Saints offense looks unstoppable, and I don't know if anyone can stop them. Questions Time!

Can Anyone Stop Drew Brees?
I kind of answered this in my game preview. The Lions couldn't stop Matt Flynn, what makes them think they can stop Brees? In their Week 13 meeting, Brees threw for 342 yards and 3 TDs. The Lions are in the bottom half of the league in pass defense, which is not a good sign for them. The Lions will need to pressure Brees if they want to stop him, but Brees is so good at getting the ball out quickly that even that makes it hard to stop him. And you can't sit back in coverage and give him time to find his secondary targets. Its tough stopping Brees, and I don't know if the Lions can do it.

Don't Forget That Lions Offense Though. But Can They Hang with the Saints?
While the Lions didn't play the best defense last week, the offense definitely showed up to play. Matthew Stafford threw for over 500 yards and the offense looked good again for the third week in a row. Stafford has been able to utilize all the weapons at his arsenal, similar to what Brees does in New Orleans. While Calvin Johnson is the star, he also gets taken out of the game at times due to double and even triple coverages. But Stafford uses his other options like Nate Burleson, Titus Young, and Brandon Pettigrew. He will need to use all of those guys to keep up with the Saints offense. Stafford threw for over 400 yards in their Week 13 match-up, but the team only scored 17 points. The Lions will need more than that to beat the Saints. They're capable of that on offense.

Can the Lions Avoid Dumb Penalties?
The Lions had a problem with penalties towards the end of the year. In their match-up with the Saints they had two 15 yard personal foul penalties. They have a tendency to lose their focus at times. If the Saints offense is having their way with the Lions defense, can they keep their composure long enough to stay in the game? Or will the Lions take dumb penalties and cause the game to get out of reach? You never know when Ndamukong Suh could snap again. The Lions can't let a couple early Saints touchdowns get them down and do stupid things.

PREDICTION
Unlike the Bengals/Texans game, I think this will be a very high scoring affair. The Saints defense is good, but they don't get to the QB often and don't force a lot of turnovers. The Lions can match the Saints with scores for a short time, but eventually they will need their defense to step up and stop Drew Brees. If the Lions front seven has the game of their life and pressures Brees, then the Lions might have a shot. But the Lions best defense might be their offense. If the Lions offense can keep the Saints offense off the field through good clock management, then the Lions will have a shot. But I don't think that will happen. The Saints are just playing so well right now that the Lions can't stop them. The Lions made the Playoffs like their as many expected, but they are a few pieces away on defense from being a Title contender. Saints win.

New Orleans 45  Detroit 34

Atlanta Falcons vs New York Giants: 1 P.M. on FOX
This is probably the toughest game of the weekend to predict. Both teams are evenly matched. The Giants won their "win and your in" game against the Cowboys Sunday night that got them here. The Giants have been inconsistent all year, but they have played well the last two weeks. The Falcons clobbered the Bucs in their finale and are probably sending the Packers Thank You baskets for beating the Lions. You know the Falcons didn't want to see the Saints again, two weeks after being clobbered by them. Both of these teams are very similar on offense which should lead to a great match-up. Neither team out matches the other greatly, so expect a close match up throughout. Question time? You bet!

Which Giants Team Shows Up?
As I said, the Giants have been a very up and down team this year. The Giants have beaten the Patriots on the road, a decent Jets team, and almost upset the Packers. But the Giants also lost to the Seahawks at home early in the season, and were swept by the Redskins. The Giants offense is usually never the problem, but the defense has had flashes of inconsistency all year. Injuries have been a big part of that, but the Giants are finally almost fully healthy heading into the Playoffs and that will be a big help, especially with the pass rush. But the Giants have looked impressive in their last two games, both wins against good teams. If that Giants team shows up Sunday, they will be tough to beat.

Can the Falcons Offense Keep Clicking?
Outside of their loss to New Orleans, the Falcons offense has been rolling in recent weeks. They totaled 31, 41, and 45 points. Now yes, those games were against Carolina, Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay, but those are very impressive numbers on offense. With Julio Jones fully healthy, the Falcons have a very potent offense attack. Matt Ryan has lead the Falcons to their third straight Playoff appearance. He has one of the better receiving corps in the league with Roddy White and Julio Jones at WR, and Tony Gonzalez is possibly the best TE to ever play the game. He's also never won a Playoff game, and with his career running out of time, you know he is graving that first playoff win. Oh, and the Falcons also have Michael Turner at running back. You can't focus on one aspect of the Falcons offense because they are one of the most balanced offenses in the league.

Will No Dome Affect the Falcons?
I know lots of people don't like to say weather is a factor for teams that play in domes, but I think it could be here. Not only do the Falcons play in a dome, but they also played New Orleans twice, at Minnesota, and at Indianapolis. That's 12 games indoors. Two of their other games were against Carolina and Tampa Bay, very warm weather cities. The weather won't be bad in New York on Sunday, but it will be colder than normal. Being outdoors can change a team's gameplan and affect their play, but only if they let it happen.

PREDICTION
As I said, this is the toughest game of the weekend to predict. Both of these teams are evenly matched, especially on offense. I think I have to give the edge to the Falcons on offense. Their WRs are more explosive and Michael Turner is a better running back than Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. Tony Gonzalez could be a huge factor in this game. The Giants don't have the greatest linebackers so they may have to bring a safety down to cover Gonzo. But that would leave one-on-one match-ups for Roddy White and Julio Jones. The key for the Giants will be their pass rush. If they can get to Matt Ryan then they will win this game. But with Osi Umienyora plagued by injury, it takes away a threat if he plays. This one is an honest coin flip for me. As much as I love the Falcons offense, they still haven't won a Playoff game with Matt Ryan. They lost last year as the #1 seed. The Giants have Playoff experience and know what to expect come Playoff time. I'm giving the Giants the edge here, but I'm not confident. But I would be saying the same thing if I was picking Atlanta. Giants win a nail biter.

NY Giants 28  Atlanta 27

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Denver Broncos: 4:30 P.M. on CBS
Remember that time when Tim Tebow was the darling of the NFL? Yeah, that seems like ancient history. The Broncos have lost three in a row and backed their way into the Playoffs thanks to a Raiders choke job at home against San Diego. Tebow has looked awful in his last two starts. You can't blame him for the loss to New England, it wasn't his fault the defense couldn't stop anything. The Broncos come into the Playoffs on a three game losing streak, but the Steelers come in banged up. Ben Roethlisberger is still nursing a high ankle sprain, and they just lost Rashard Mendenhall to a torn ACL. The Steelers have also struggled to score in recent weeks. What time is it? It's question time!!! (had to throw in a C.M. Punk reference)

Will TEBOWMANIA Meet Its Final Resting Place?
Broncos fans enjoyed the ride Tim Tebow gave him during his first seven starts, but you have to wonder if even they are starting to realize that he may not be the QB of the future in Denver. Tebow has looked horrible the last two weeks. Against a bad Buffalo defense in Week 16, Tebow threw 1 TD, ran for another, but also threw 3 interceptions and lost a fumble. Last week against Kansas City, he lead no TD drives and had 1 fumble and interception. Teams are finally catching on to Tebow. They're dropping everyone back in coverage, keeping their defensive lines in their running lanes, and making Tebow beat them with his arm. And trust me, I've seen Tebow throw in person, he's not going to beat you with his arm. The Steelers love to blitz the QB, but you have to wonder if they will just sit back in this game and let Tebow try to throw against them. I don't see how Tebow does that.

Can the Steelers Avoid Being One Dimensional?
In Week 17 the Steelers lost running back Rashard Mendenhall for the rest of the season to a torn ACL. Mendenhall wasn't a game changer, but he was clearly the best back on the Steelers roster. Now the Steelers will have to rely on Isaac Redman to carry the load for them, and he doesn't have a proven track record in the backfield. The Steelers have been a pass heavy team, and  you have to wonder if they might become a bit too pass heavy this week with Mendenhall out. Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown will stretch out the Broncos secondary, but if the Steelers can't run the ball then the Broncos will just drop their safeties back to prevent that. The Steelers will need to try and establish some sort of run game early on, because if they don't the Broncos can key on the pass and put pressure on Big Ben.

Will QB Pressure Be the Key to Victory?
I think this will be the key factor in determining the winner of this game. Each team has some of the best pass rushers in the NFL. The Broncos boast rookie Von Miller (11.5 sacks) and Elvis Dumervill (9.5). The Steelers bring James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, who each have nine sacks. If Miller and Dumervill can get to an immobile Ben Roethlisberger, then the Steelers offense might face some problems. Big Ben suffered a set back with his ankle injury last game, so it might be difficult for him to move around in the pocket. If the Steelers bring pressure, Tebow can escape the pocket and make some plays with his legs. That won't stop the Steelers from blitzing, but Tebow could burn them if they do it too much.

PREDICTION
This game has low scoring affair written all over it. And I mean really low scoring. The Broncos offense is having trouble doing anything of note. Their option style offense has been figured out. Tebow can't throw. Even with Ryan Clark out for Pittsburgh, it still doesn't mean Tebow can win this game in the air. The Steelers might not have much of a running game but they still have some threats at WR that can make a big play when needed. Big Ben is one tough son of a gun, and you know he will make a play or two that no other regular QB will make. He has the Playoff experience and doesn't have a problem winning on the road in January. The Steelers get a big TD pass from Mike Wallace, and that is the only TD of the game.

Pittsburgh 16  Denver 6

There's my Wild Card Preview. For those wondering, I'm still sticking with my pre-season Super Bowl prediction of the Ravens over the Packers in the Super Bowl. Divisional Round Preview same time next week.

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

NFL Week 13 Picks

More football, more picks!

Last Week's Record: 12-4
Year to Date Record: 112-64

Philadelphia Eagles vs Seattle Seahawks
This starts off a bunch of stinkers for Thursday night games in the coming weeks. Now of course, I can't blame the NFL for this one. On paper at the beginning of the year it looked like a good game. The "Dream Team" Eagles head to Seattle, which is always a tough place to win. But the Eagles have an array of problems at their hands. Mike Vick is out again. DeSean Jackson was benched last week. The only positive in the last few weeks has been the improved play of the defense, even though the Patriots had their way with them last week. Seattle has been playing well as of late, but they won't catch San Francisco for the division. Marshawn Lynch is running like a #1 running back which has been good for Seattle. You have to wonder if the Eagles haven't already packed it in. I'm taking Seattle here. They don't have a bunch of drama surrounding their team.

Seattle 23  Philadelphia 21

Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
These appear to be two teams headed in opposite directions. The Panthers look like a team on the rise with Cam Newton under center. Their offense is fun to watch. Newton looks like the franchise quarterback everyone thought he could be. The Panthers have also finally got their two headed running attack of DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart going. The Bucs, meanwhile, have regressed mightily after a strong season last year. The offense isn't as potent, and the defense is having problems stopping the run. That's bad for Tampa considering that the Panthers love to run the football. Tampa coach Raheem Morris is on the hot seat, and this game here won't do anything to cool it down. The Panthers run wild on Tampa and win in this one, sending the Bucs to the bottom of the NFC South.

Carolina 34  Tampa Bay 28

Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers
A huge game in the AFC Playoff Picture. The Bengals have a one game lead on the Jets, Titans, and Broncos in the AFC Wild Card Race. They rebounded last week with a win against Cleveland, but didn't get the lead in the game until the final 2 minutes. The Bengals struggled to get anything going offensively. When the Steelers visited Cincinnati a few weeks ago, Andy Dalton struggled a bit against the Steelers defense. He threw a couple bad picks. Now Dalton will have to play better, but this time on the road. It's a shame that this team, even at 7-4, can't sell out their home games. The Bengals are a good football team. The Steelers survived last Sunday night against Kansas City. The offense looked brutal at times last week. The Bengals have a stout defense, so they may find more trouble to move the ball this week. Troy Polamalu will play for Pittsburgh, although you have to be worried about the "concussion like" symptoms he has. The defense will need to pressure Andy Dalton here and not allow time for him to throw. Expect a low scoring affair, with the Steelers pulling out a close one in the end.

Pittsburgh 17  Cincinnati 13

Atlanta Falcons vs Houston Texans
A big game for both teams. The Falcons are in a three way tie for the two Wild Card spots in the NFC. But the offense has finally gotten going for the Falcons and that will be a big help for them. Michael Turner is struggling through a nagging groin injury, and the Falcons need to hope that it isn't bothersome for him down the stretch. The Falcons might also be down their top two cornerbacks for this game. If that is the case, it should help new Texans QB T.J. Yates a bit when it comes to passing against the Falcons. Yates looked ok last week after being thrown into action after Matt Leianrt's injury. Yates might have to throw this week because the Falcons are good against stopping the run. Arian Foster and Ben Tate might have some trouble getting going here. The good thing for Yates is that he has one of the best defenses in the league backing him up. That should take a good amount of pressure off of Yates. Expect a close game here, but I'm still going with the Texans here. I guess I like their home field advantage. And they have a slightly better defense.

Houston 27  Atlanta 23

New York Jets vs Washington Redskins
The Jets found a way to win last week against the Bills. Mark Sanchez threw 4 TD passes, yet he is still getting booed by his home fan base. Sanchez did have his moments last week. He didn't put together a complete game. The defense was also thrown on a bit too much by Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Jets need to establish their running game more. They haven't done a good job of doing that all year. Shonn Greene may be the most under-utilized running back in the league. The Redskins pulled off a good, come from behind win last week in Seattle. Rex Grossman hit a couple of nice deep passes, and Roy Helu had another strong game in the Washington back field. The Redskins defense will try to pressure Mark Sanchez into making bad throws here. Last week the Bills sat back in coverage, but the Redskins will pressure him instead. I think this is a close game, but the Jets pull out the win late because they are the more talented team.

NY Jets 20  Washington 16

Indianapolis Colts vs New England Patriots
Once a great AFC rivalry, this year it is a meaningless game. It was taken out of the Sunday night prime time slot, and for good reason. The Colts stink. They are starting Dan Orlovsky at QB this week, but it won't matter. The Patriots are clicking on offense and on defense. The Pats rolled through the Eagles last week, and look poised to win out for the rest of the season. There's just no chance for the challenged everywhere Colts team. Patriots roll, no need to over-analyze.

New England 38  Indianapolis 14

Oakland Raiders vs Miami Dolphins
This has all of the makings of a trap game for the Raiders. The Dolphins are playing some really good football in the last month and had won three in a row before falling on a last second field goal against Dallas on Thanksgiving. Matt Moore is showing signs of being a competent NFL QB, Reggie Bush is looking like a starting NFL RB, and Brandon Marshall is playing like the #1 WR everyone thought he could be. And the defense is playing much better. If they played like this at the start of the year, they could be in the middle of the playoff race and Tony Sparano might have a job in Miami next year. The Raiders have a one game lead in the AFC West on the Broncos. The Raiders couldn't get into the end zone last week against Chicago. Only 1 TD and eight field goals. The Raiders are hoping to get Darren McFadden back this week. That would be a huge help for them. A two headed running attack of Darren McFadden Michael Bush is scary to think about. If the Dolphins can pressure Carson Palmer in the pocket they have a very good shot and winning, and I think they do. Miami pulls off the upset.

Miami 28  Oakland 23

Denver Broncos vs Minnesota Vikings
Tim Tebow is the messiah. I've come to accept it. The Broncos could be down by 21 with two minutes left, and I still think that the Broncos would come back and win. Tebow doesn't do it pretty, but he does enough to help his team win. The Vikings have one of the better run defenses in the league, but their pass defense is atrocious. The Broncos defense has also improved greatly in recent weeks. Von Miller is a beast in the linebacker core with 10.5 sacks. They should feast upon Christian Ponder this week. Adrian Peterson has a shot at playing this week, but even if he does he probably won't be at 100%. The Broncos should be able to shut down the Vikings offense. Percy Harvin might have a big play or two up his sleeve, but the Broncos just have this ray of luck shining over them right now, and I think they pull out another win. That means more Tim Tebow talk dominating ESPN for a week.

Denver 26  Minnesota 17

Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills
The Bills had last week's game against the Jets last week all wrapped up. But defensive miscues caused the Jets to score the game winning TD late, and a dropped past and mis-thrown ball on offense stopped the Bills from scoring the go ahead TD in the final seconds. The Bills four game losing streak has made their 5-2 start a distant thing of the past. The offense finally looked better last week, but they didn't make the big play when they needed it, and penalties hurt them as well. Stevie Johnson has been talked about enough, so expect him to try and shut his critics up here. The Titans quietly keep winning and know they have a shot of winning the AFC South with the Texans now on their third string QB. Chris Johnson should have a big game here against the poor Bills run defense. He's finally gotten going after a slow start to the season. If Matt Hasselbeck can put together a strong outing then the Titans have a good shot to win. But you have to think the Bills will be motivated coming home after three straight on the road. While the Bills fans, this guy included, don't think they can make the playoffs, the team still does. The Bills pull out a win here and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Buffalo 30  Tennessee 27

Kansas City Chiefs vs Chicago Bears
I for the life of me cannot understand why Todd Haley is again going with Tyler Palko here. Even if Kyle Orton doesn't know the whole playbook, can he really be that much worse than Palko? What about Ricky Stanzi? Is he worse than Palko? At this point the Chiefs should at least give him one game to see what he has. But instead, Palko is the guy again and he still hasn't scored a TD in his two games as a starter. The Bears lost a close one last week against Oakland. Caleb Hanie didn't look terrible, but he did make a really bad decision driving late with the delayed spike. Hanie should have a good game here against the lowly Chiefs. But expect a heavy dose of Matt Forte here from the Bears. The Bears will lean on Forte here and will take down the lowly Chiefs lead by the lowly Tyler Palko

Chicago 24  Kansas City 10

Baltimore Ravens vs Cleveland Browns
This is one of those games where you expect the Ravens to win, but after their questionable losses this season, they could just as easily lose. The Ravens have been without Ray Lewis the last two weeks, but that really hasn't mattered. They shut down the 49ers last week, only allowing 6 points and sacking Alex Smith 8 times. Joe Flacco looked alright against the 49ers. He has his trio of weapons at WR back with Lee Evans returning. And he still has Ray Rice in the backfield, who should be leaned on heavily here. The Browns almost pulled off the upset of Cincinnati last week on the road, but they couldn't stop the Bengals in the second half and their own offense sputtered in the same half. The Ravens will bring the pressure on Colt McCoy and force him to make quick decisions. Even though the Browns offense looked better last week, I would expect them to struggle against Cleveland. There is always the original Browns leaving for Baltimore factor here that adds a bit to this rivalry, but I think the Ravens pull off the win. But I wouldn't be shocked to see the Browns win either given the Ravens road struggles against bad teams.

Baltimore 21  Cleveland 19

Dallas Cowboys vs Arizona Cardinals
The Cowboys may have played the best football in the month of November. They went 4-0 and Tony Romo had his best month of the season. The Cowboys now have a one game lead on the Giants in the NFC East and control their own destiny. DeMarco Murray should have a field day against the poor Cardinals run defense. The Cowboys may get Miles Austin back this week, which adds another weapon to what has been a very good Cowboys offense in the last month. The Cardinals have won 3 out of their last 4 games with John Skelton at QB. Beanie Wells had a monster game last week running for 228 yards. And Patrick Peterson has been a beast returning punts for the Cardinals this year. While the Cowboys defense has been better, they can still be thrown on. Expect a big game from Larry Fitzgerald. I think this game is closer than people think it will be. The Cardinals can score, but the Cowboys score a bit more to get the win.

Dallas 35  Arizona 31

Green Bay Packers vs New York Giants
Going back three weeks, I thought the Giants had a good shot to win this game. But now? Not so much. The Giants have lost 3 in a row after beating New England. And the Giants did not look good at all Monday night against New Orleans. The defense couldn't shut down Drew Brees, which makes it highly unlikely that they will be able to shut down Aaron Rodgers. Eli Manning will be able to throw against the Packers secondary, but he can't play defense. The Giants will likely have Ahmad Bradshaw back, but I don't know if that will help them enough to win. The Giants pass rush needs to have an all star game for the Giants to have a chance, and I don't think that happens. The Packers have just as many weapons on offense as the Saints do. Aaron Rodgers should be able to find all of his weapons at some point during the game. The Packers are just playing to well right now to lose. Give me the Pack in this one.

Green Bay 31  NY Giants 23

St. Louis Rams vs San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have had more than a week to get the bad taste of their loss to Baltimore out of their mouth. The offense looked terrible last week. The Ravens showed that if you shut down Frank Gore, Alex Smith will not beat you. The 49ers defense held up their end for the most part, but the offense struggled. That may hurt the 49ers come playoff time. The Rams offense continues to sputter and coach Steve Spagnuolo may be the next coach to get fired. The Rams have only scored 4 TDs in the last four weeks, and 3 of them have been to Brandon Lloyd. The Rams woes continue here, as the 49ers are out to show that last week's game was not an indication of how they will perform against the better teams come playoff time.

San Francisco 24  St. Louis 9

Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints
This has all the makings of a shootout in the Big Easy. The Saints rolled the Giants Monday night. Drew Brees and Company just look unstoppable at times. The Saints look like a team ready to make a run into late January. Drew Brees has so many weapons that defenses just can't focus on one guy to stop. They also have a nice three headed trio at the running back position. Expect the Saints defense to blitz and blitz often, forcing Matthew Stafford to make quick decisions. The Lions don't have much of a running game to speak of, so if the Saints can shut down Matthew Stafford, they have a good shot of shutting down the Lions. The Lions will most likely be without Ndamukong Suh pending appeal of his two game suspension. But even with Suh, I don't think the Lions have a shot of shutting down the Saints. Drew Brees finds his open targets and the Saints continue their roll.

New Orleans 35  Detroit 28

San Diego Chargers vs Jacksonville Jaguars
How did the Jaguars get two Monday night home games? I can't wait to see how the ESPN crew tries to hype this game up as watchable. The Jaguars fired Jack Del Rio this week, so there's something to talk about. But Blaine Gabbert doesn't look like the franchise QB the Jags thought he could be. I don't think the Jags will attract a big name coach. The Chargers have struggled mightily this year, and that will probably cost Norv Turner his job. Philip Rivers may be playing hurt, and the defense can't stop anyone. It's been quite the disappointing season for San Diego, as their Super Bowl window for that team has come and gone. The Chargers still have a better offense, so they win here.

San Diego 21  Jacksonville 13

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week's Record: 3-1
Year to Date Record: 28-19-1

Houston +2.5 vs Atlanta: I still think the Texans are the better team.

Denver +1.5 at Minnesota: How can you bet against Tim Tebow at this point?

Buffalo -1.5 vs Tennessee: My Bills homerism lead me to this pick.

Carolina +3.5 at Tampa Bay: Panthers are playing better football.

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

NFL Week 4 Picks

It's Saturday. Pick Time.

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

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

Detroit 27  Dallas 23

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

Chicago 23  Carolina 16

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

Buffalo 28  Cincinnati 20

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

Cleveland 17  Tennessee 14

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

Minnesota 24  Kansas City 13

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

St. Louis 27  Washington 24

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

New Orleans 38  Jacksonville 14

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

Houston 24  Pittsburgh 23

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

Philadelphia 31  San Francisco 14

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

Arizona 33  NY Giants 31

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

Atlanta 30  Seattle 20

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

San Diego 28  Miami 14

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

New England 38  Oakland 30

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

Green Bay 41  Denver 21

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

Baltimore 17  NY Jets 12

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

Tampa Bay 23  Indianapolis 17

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFL Week 3 Picks

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

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

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

New Orleans 27  Houston 23

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

Philadelphia 24  NY Giants 16

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

Carolina 35  Jacksonville 27

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

New England 42  Buffalo 38

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

Cleveland 20  Miami 17

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

Cincinnati 31  San Francisco 21

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

Tennessee 26  Denver 21

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

Detroit 24  Minnesota 19

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

St. Louis 20  Baltimore 17

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

Oakland 24  NY Jets 21

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

San Diego 35  Kansas City 13

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

Seattle 30  Arizona 28

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

Atlanta 27  Tampa Bay 23

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

Green Bay 21  Chicago 20

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

Pittsburgh 27  Indianapolis 17

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

Washington 24  Dallas 23

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

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

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

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

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

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

That's all from me this week.

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