JC's Take: Stars, Goats & Notes From Week 8 Of The NFL

Team of the Week: Denver Broncos
Denver took control of the AFC West this week with a very convincing win over the Saints. Denver's defense has had some problems stopping good offenses this year but they did a good job of shutting down Drew Brees and the Saints offense. And Peyton Manning looked like the Peyton Manning of old the entire game. Yes it was against the Saints defense, but it was still a very impressive performance. Denver has established themselves as the top dogs in the AFC West. They've shown they can put teams away early and also come from behind late like they did two weeks ago against San Diego. Denver is the most stable team in that division. If their defense can keep putting up performances like they did Sunday night, then they could be a threat in the AFC. That will be the key for Denver going forward.

NFL Off-Season Preview: NFC East Addition

And so here we are. The last of my off-season previews. For are last stop, we take a look at the division of the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.The Giants played the best football in the last month of the regular season and rode that momentum to a great post-season and eventually a Super Bowl win. The Giants have a couple key free agents this off-season, but they should be geared up for another run. The Philadelphia Eagles were billed the "Dream Team" heading into the season, but they struggled early on and couldn't come back late. The Dallas Cowboys? They had high hopes coming into the year, but two losses to the Giants in December kept them from making the Playoffs. And the Washington Redskins just traded away three 1st round Draft Picks for one player. This division usually gets the most talk from the national media because of the big time players in it, and they usually don't disappoint when it comes to making buzz.

New York Giants

2011 Record: 9-7

I sang the praise of the Giants for the last month of the season. Other than that stinker at home against Washington, they played very well. I didn't think, however, that the Giants would carry that momentum all the way to the Super Bowl. I thought the Packers would get the better of them. I thought the Giants could score an upset, but I didn't think it would happen. But the Giants shut down the Packers offense, got some good breaks against San Francisco, and scored late again against the Patriots to win the Super Bowl. Eli Manning in the process cemented his claim as an elite quarterback in the NFL. The Giants defense is what stepped up towards the end of the season. Once the pass rush was finally healthy, they were difficult to stop. Jason Pierre-Paul grew into one of the best pass rushers in the league. If the core group of the Giants can stay together, then there is no reason to think a repeat isn't possible.

NFL Week 8 Picks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That's all for today. NFL Picks Thursday.

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

NFL Week 8 Picks

A really bad week last week. Lets hope this week's picks makes up for that.


Last Week's Record: 6-7
Year to Date Record: 64-39

Arizona Cardinals vs Baltimore Ravens
I really thought the Arizona Cardinals were going to be better than this. They're lucky the Rams are in their division, otherwise they would be the laughing-stock of the NFC West. Kevin Kolb has thoroughly disappointed in his first year in Arizona. And Larry Fitzgerald isn't making the plays after signing his long-term contract. Oh, and the defense is getting torn to shreds. They can't stop any passing attack they've faced so far. And the Cardinals are facing a pissed off Ravens team this week. The Ravens were embarrassed on Monday night football in Jacksonville. Joe Flacco looked like a JV High School Quarterback out there. The team passed more instead of relying on Ray Rice. Ray Lewis questioned that after the game. If there was ever a time for Flacco to right the ship, this game would be it. If Flacco can't play well against Arizona, then he may not be the answer for the Ravens after all. But I might expect the Ravens to lean more on Rice this week than ever before, especially if the team is openly criticizing the use of Ray Rice. Ravens win this won.

Baltimore 31  Arizona 16

Minnesota Vikings vs Carolina Panthers
It's the Battle of Two Rookie QBs from the Class of 2011. Ponder vs Newton. Christian Ponder looked rather impressive in his debut last week against Green Bay. Now Ponder takes his act to the road. Expect Ponder to actually throw against Carolina. He built his confidence up last week against Green Bay, no reason to think that he won't throw against Carolina. It helps when you have Adrian Peterson on the team as well. The Vikings defense will have to focus on containing Cam Newton, otherwise he will run wild on them like he did against Washington last week. Greg Jennings burned the Vikings defense last week, and they have to be fearful that Steve Smith might do the same this week. This is a wide open game, and I expect a few points to be scored by each team. But I'm taking the Vikings here. They played better under Ponder and almost beat Green Bay, no reason they can't beat Carolina.

Minnesota 33  Carolina 28

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans
As ugly as it was, Blaine Gabbert got his first win against Baltimore in prime time. Gabbert didn't do a lot, but he did enough to get his team in field goal range for their only points. Maurice Jones-Drew also did his part, carrying the ball 30 times. Jacksonville's defense deserves just as much credit too. They pressured Joe Flacco, forced him into bad throws, and shut down Ray Rice. Now, they can't win every game like that. But it was nice for Gabbert to get that first win under his belt. The Texans took a completely different approach to winning last week. They absolutely thumped the Titans last week in Tennessee 41-7. And they did that without Andre Johnson, and he may return this week. The Texans are the clear favorites now in the AFC South, and if they play like they did last week, no one in the division will compete with them. If the Jags win here, they actually aren't out of the AFC South race. But they won't win. Houston builds off of last week.

Houston 28  Jacksonville 13

Miami Dolphins vs New York Giants
The Dolphins are terrible. The QB they signed two weeks ago, Sage Rosenfels, has already been put on Injured Reserve. They signed J.P. Losman this week. That's never a good sign. The team is in shambles. They blew a 15 point lead last week against Denver in the final 3 minutes of the game. There have already been rumblings of John Gruden or Bill Cowher coming to Miami next year. The Giants, meanwhile, are coming off a bye week rested and healthy. Eli Manning played well against the Bills two weeks ago, and Ahmad Bardshaw had his best game of the season. There's no reason to think the Giants won't role here. Of course they did lose to Seattle at home, but Miami is much worse than Seattle.

NY Giants 27  Miami 10

New Orleans Saints vs St. Louis Rams
The Saints scored 62 points last week against Indianapolis. The Rams also have one of the worst defenses in the NFL. This one could be another huge blowout. The Rams probably won't have Sam Bradford again either. Steven Jackson scores the only two TDs for the Rams, because he's on my fantasy team. But the Saints score way more. No need for further analysis.

New Orleans 45  St. Louis 14

Indianapolis Colts vs Tennessee Titans
Both of these teams are coming off of humiliating losses. The Titans were terrible at home against Houston. Matt Hasselbeck looked terrible, and Chris Johnson has yet to come to form after missing all of training camp. Johnson says it isn't his fault, but when you miss as much time as he did, it will show. And it is showing. The Colts, meanwhile, are finding out that life without Peyton Manning isn't all that great. Last week's 62-7 loss was hopefully the peak of their embarrassment. The Colts weren't playing that bad before last week. They can't let it affect them too much. The Colts are in the Andrew Luck race, but the Titans may be thinking of trotting out Jake Locker if the team continues to struggle. This could be an ugly game, but I think the Titans win here. If Chris Johnson can't get going here, then he may never get it going this year.

Tennessee 24  Indianapolis 20

Detroit Lions vs Denver Broncos
Tim Tebow's first start had a very up and down feel to it. He was sacked six times and had less than 50 yards passing in the first half. But he found a resurgence in the second half, primarily the last 3 minutes, and lead the Broncos to an 18-15 over time victory. Tebow still has a lot to do before he becomes a competent NFL QB. He had a lot of inaccurate throws and relied too much on his legs. And he lost Willis McGahee for a couple of weeks with a broken hand. Tebow should be motivated in his first home start of the season. The Lions are facing their own problems. They've lost two in a road, and are going to a tough place to play in Denver. And they may be without their starting QB Matthew Stafford. Stafford has an ankle sprain and is a game-time decision. Knowing Stafford and his toughness, my money is that he ends up playing. Even if he doesn't play, Shaun Hill is a good enough back-up that there won't be too much of a drop-off. Expect the Lions defense to be blitz heavy and get in the face of Tebow. Maybe Ndamukong Suh can trash talk Tebow after one of them. I expect this one to be close considering the Broncos new found spring in their step thanks to Tebow. But the Lions win a tight one.

Detroit 23  Denver 21

Washington Redskins vs Buffalo Bills
And now the Redskins are coming back down to reality. Jon Beck is playing as bad as Rex Grossman did. And now, they lost RB Tim Hightower and TE Chris Cooley for the year, and WR Santana Moss is out 5-7 weeks. That's just a bad combination all around for the Redskins. The Redskins defense is good, but not good enough to win games on their own. Beck played ok last week against Carolina, but he didn't play well enough to win them the game. The Bills are coming off a bye week. They got slightly healthy, but lost LB Shawne Merrieman for the year and NT Kyle Williams is still out a few weeks. The defense isn't built to be a shut down unit, but they shouldn't have problems containing the Redskins here. Starting LT Demetrius Bell is out this Sunday, as is his back-up Chirs Hairston. LG Andy Levitre will move to LT, which could cause some problems. But Ryan Fitzpatrick is the least sacked QB in the league, and he has Fred Jackson to lean on. If Jackson keeps up his star play, he could gain some attention in the MVP race. This game is in Toronto. I could go on a rant about this series as a Bills fan, but I won't. The Bills win here. But it is close, as the Bills know they have a huge showdown with the Jets next week.

Buffalo 30  Washington 24

Cincinnati Bengals vs Seattle Seahawks
I don't know what you would call Seattle's performance last week. Pathetic may be too nice of a word for it. Charlie Whitehurst looked terrible, as did the entire offense. Seattle is a different team at home though. The home crowd usually motivates them enough to play better. But the crowd can't improve the play of Tavaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst. Fans are probably actually hoping it is Jackson, which is the first time they've hopes that since Jackson was acquired. The Bengals are 4-2 coming off of their bye and now take on the tougher portion of their schedule, with the first stop being this West Coast trip. The Andy Dalton/A.J. Green combo has been a pleasant surprise but it will be interesting to see if they can keep it up. After this week, the Bengals go to Tennessee then face Pittsburgh and Baltimore back to back. The Bengals will also be without Rey Maualuga for this game. I expect a close game here, but the Bengals are the better team and should win here, even in Seattle.

Cincinnati 17  Seattle 16

Cleveland Browns vs San Francisco 49ers
The Browns are lucky Seattle played a lot worse than them last week. For a team that was suppose to improve on offense, it sure looks like they have taken a step back. The Browns will probably be without RB Peyton Hillis again on offense, although he really isn't the problem. The problem is Colt McCoy and his apparent regression this season. The defense is playing better, but the offense is just bad. They've only broken the 20 point barrier once this year. The 49ers, meanwhile, have gone under a huge resurgence under new coach Jim Harbaugh. He has Alex Smith playing well, and Frank Gore is playing much better than last year. The defense has also stepped up and played better. No reason to see the 49ers struggling here. They should take care of the Browns.

San Francisco 26  Cleveland 17

New England Patriots vs Pittsburgh Steelers
These are traditionally two of the best teams in the AFC, but whenever they met up, it is always Tom Brady and the Patriots that come out on top. The Steelers offense though is playing better than they have in recent years. Ben Roethlisberger loves finding Mike Wallace deep, and he should be able to find him plenty against the Patriots 32nd ranked pass defense. The Steelers pass defense has traditionally been abused by Tom Brady on a regular basis. Brady always finds ways to find an open WR. Last season, it was Te Rob Gronkowski who torched the Steelers. I think both QBs should be able to find open WRs, so I think it could come down to who has the better running game in this one and can control the clock. If the Steelers can pound the ball away on the ground while finding openings in the passing game, there is no reason to think they can't win. I know Tom Brady and Co. usually own the Pats, but I think the Steelers finally win one here. They've looked much better after I doubted them a few weeks ago.

Pittsburgh 38  New England 34

Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles looked good heading into their bye week against Washington. They finally looked like the Dream Team everyone pegged them to be. Now they had the bye week to work out all of the kinks that they still had to workout. Now they have a prime time home game against one of their biggest rivals. The Cowboys took care of business last week against St. Louis, and a new star might have been born in RB DeMarco Murray. Murray ran for 293 yards last week against St. Louis. The Eagles run defense is nothing to write home about. Murray may not run for 293 yards, but he should top a 100. This game rests a lot on the shoulders of Tony Romo. Can Romo find Miles Austin and Dez Bryant against the Eagles "Holy Trinity" at cornerback. Romo has struggled in the spotlight before, and you have to wonder if he can handle the spotlight here again. Mike Vick should be able to find his WRs against a struggling Dallas secondary. Vick should also be able to make plays with his legs. The Cowboys need to bring heavy pressure on Vick and force him into mistakes, similar to what the Bills did a few weeks ago. Because Tony Romo has yet to shine in the spotlight, I'm taking the Eagles here.

Philadelphia 31  Dallas 27

San Diego Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs
Remember after Week 2 when everybody was ready to write off the Chiefs. They were blown out by Buffalo and Detroit, and they lost Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry for the season. Matt Cassel looked terrible, and everything looked ready to fall apart. But the Chiefs held everything together, and are now right back in the AFC West race. They dismantled the Raiders in Oakland last week, which had to be a good feeling for everyone in the Chiefs organization. The Chargers, meanwhile, blew a double digit second half league against the Jets last week. Philip Rivers has not looked like himself at all this year. He hasn't had Vincent Jackson or Antonio Gates full time this year, but that has never slowed down Rivers before. He has a good running game this year, but that apparently isn't helping. You have to think that the Chargers will struggle in Arrowhead. The Chiefs played them close in San Diego, and I think they pull out the win on Monday night.

Kansas City 24  San Diego 20

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week's Record: 2-2
Year to Date Record: 16-11-1

Pittsburgh +3 vs New England: Like I said, I think this is the year the Steelers finally beat the Patriots

Kansas City +3.5 vs San Diego: Chiefs are on a resurgence, Chargers are struggling

NY Giants -10 vs Miami: This spread seems to small

Minnesota +3.5 vs Carolina: They played the Packers tight, no reason they can't beat the Panthers

That's all from me today.

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

NFL Week 5 Review

This Review will be better than my Fantasy Football teams, which are a combined 5-15.

Team of the Week: San Francisco 49ers
-Two weeks in a row? You bet. That wasn't a statement by the 49ers, that was a pipe bomb dropping on the entire NFL. Many, including this reviewer, thought the 49ers would be an afterthought this year, even in the below average NFC West. But new coach Jim Harbaugh has brought new life to the entire team. Alex Smith has been brought back from the dead. Frank Gore looks to be back to the Frank Gore of old. And the defense is making plays and putting their offense in a good position to win games. At 4-1, the 49ers pretty much control their own destiny in the NFC West. Tampa Bay was suppose to be the surprise, up and coming team this year. But the 49ers shattered that fantasy this week by holding the offense to only 3 points. There is new life in San Francisco, and it is well deserved for such a storied franchise.

Game of the Week: New Orleans Saints 30  Carolina Panthers 27
-The Panthers are this year's version of the NFL's "Lovable Losers." They have played all of the big boys close this year and came within a minute of up-setting one of the league's power house teams this past Sunday. Cam Newton is putting on a show for the fans. He has sparked life into Steve Smith, which has caused so much pain for this fantasy owner who kept Chad Ochocinco over him this off-season in his dynasty league. Plus the Panthers brought back the option this week with DeAngelo Williams, which gave Williams his best game of the season. But in the end, the Saints showed their offensive dominance marching down the field to take the lead. Ron Rivera taking that timeout at the end of the half and a blocked PAT came back to haunt the Panthers. The NFC South may be the best division in the NFL this year.

Goat of the Week: New York Jets
-If I'm a Jets fan, I'm starting to worry about my team. At 2-3, there are a lot of questions surrounding this team. If it wasn't for Tony Romo, this team would easily be 1-4. Mark Sanchez continues to play terrible. The focus of the offense isn't the running game. And now the Jets WRs are apparently complaining that they don't have enough of a role in the offense. Add to that Rex Ryan getting all emotional about the team's loss, and that could be a recipe for disaster. The Jets have a nice bounce back game against the Dolphins at home on MNF next week, then host the Chargers before their bye. They are already 2 games back of the Bills and Patriots in the AFC East. If they don't right the ship quickly, they may get too far behind to catch up to either team this season.

Other Week 5 Notes
-I have to give a lot of credit to the Oakland Raiders this week. Just a few days after the passing of their owner Al Davis, the Raiders went out and played an inspired game against Houston, and pulled off a mild upset at home. You have to figure this team will play with a heavy heart the rest of the year. And with three straight home games coming up on their schedule, it should help motivate this team even more. The defense held the Texans in check for the most part, and the offense out-played the Texans good offense. This Raiders team is for real focus, and this season could be a great way to remember Al Davis by.

-It's the Tim Tebow Era now in Denver. In reality, it is probably more of the "Suck for Luck" campaign beginning. Sure, Tebow made some good plays Sunday. But he also held onto the ball way too long and scrambled much more than a QB should. He also under threw a lot of WRs. He had Eric Decker wide open down field and even over threw him. The fans wanted Tebow, and now they may face the realization that he isn't the QB everyone hoped he could be.

-Last week, I said the Steelers were in trouble with all of the problems and injuries they were facing. So what did they do? Completely man-handle and beat up a pretty good 3-1 Tennessee Titans team. Ben Roethlisberger played perfectly fine on a sprained foot. The offensive line held up, and the defense didn't miss a beat without James Harrison. Maybe it was my blind hatred towards the Steelers that made me feel like I did, but there is no reason this team should be considered an afterthought in the AFC. Plus, they host Jacksonville and play at Arizona in the next two weeks. That's a nice way to get back on track.

-Something is wrong in Atlanta. A team that was the top seed in the NFC last year is now 2-3 and facing a lot of questions. Matt Ryan is not playing very well. The defense was not able to play a complete game against Green Bay after holding them to 6 points in the first half. The honeymoon may be over for Mike Smith and Matt Ryan in Atlanta. I would even be worried about Carolina coming to town this week. Cam Newton should be able to make a few plays against a vulnerable Falcons secondary not playing up to the level they should. If the Falcons don't turn this around quickly, they could face one of the worst drop-offs a #1 team from the previous year has ever faced.

Hey, I'm Just Sayin....
-Will people now take the Bills for real?

-At least Kevin Kolb's old team is doing as well as his new one.

-50 yard field goal? Yeah that's a chip shot for Sebastian Janikowski.

-Is the shine off of Victor Cruz in New York?

-Did the Vikings just now realize their offense should be 80% Adrian Peterson?

-If Ryan Fitzpatrick is "The Amish Riffle", does that make Andy Dalton "The Gun Slinging Ginger"?

POWER RANKINGS!!!
1. Green Bay Packers (5-0, #1 last week)- Still looks like they are playing on rookie mode in Madden.

2. Detroit Lions (5-0, #2)- Calvin Johnson only had 1 TD this week. Talk about a slump.

3. New Orleans Saints (4-1, #3)- That scare this week may have been needed. They can't rest on their reputation, they need to live up to it.

4. Baltimore Ravens (3-1, #4)- The bye week may have actually hurt their momentum.

5. Buffalo Bills (4-1, #8)- These "No Names" keep winning and are playing with a chip on their shoulders. Everyone needs to take them for real.

6. New England Patriots (4-1, #9)- Bill Belicheck pretty much made Rex Ryan cry. That has to put a smile on his face.

7. San Diego Chargers (4-1, #6)- They almost let Tim Tebow lead a comeback against them. That should worry the San Diego defense.

8. San Francisco 49ers (4-1, #13)- Jim Harbaugh brings new life to wherever he goes. It's like he was born to be a great coach.

9. Washington Redskins (3-1, #11)- Right now, they're the best team in the NFC East by default. But Rex Grossman needs to improve his play for them to stay at the top.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2, #16)- I'm still concerned about their offensive line, but clearly Ben Roethlisberger isn't. I'm pretty sure he would play with his leg cut off.

11. Oakland Raiders (3-2, #17)- That was an inspired game they played in Houston. Their next three games: Cleveland, Kansas City, Denver. All at home.

12. New York Giants (3-2, #10)- And there is the bi-polar New York Giants we all love!

13. Houston Texans (3-2, #5)- Andre Johnson is still out a few weeks, and now Mario Williams is lost for the year. I still think the division is there's for the taking. Just need to stay healthy.

14. Tennessee Titans (3-2, #7)- That is what we call a "Reality Check."

15. Cincinnati Bengals (3-2, #18)- If the defense continues to play at thus level, they may be around the playoff hunt come December.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2, #12)- What the hell was that? Talk about a knockout punch.

17. Atlanta Falcons (2-3, #14)- Time to cue up the panic meter in Atlanta.

18. Chicago Bears (2-3, #16)- The Bears only hopes now are a Wild Card berth. There's no way they are winning the division back three games.

19. Dallas Cowboys (2-2, #20)- Tony Romo had the bye week to get things right. And if he didn't, then he may not be the answer in Dallas.

20. Seattle Seahawks (2-3, #24)- That was a big win for Seattle in New York. Pete Carroll, just like Jim Harbaugh, is a great motivator.

21. Cleveland Browns (2-2, #21)- Peyton Hillis could distract this team for the rest of the season.

22. New York Jets (2-3, #19)- The honey moon is over for Rex Ryan in New York.

23. Carolina Panthers (1-4, #23)- Are they the most exciting 1-4 team in the history of the NFL?

24. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3, #28)- Starting to look like the AFC West Champs from last year.

25. Philadelphia Eagles (1-4, #22)- They booed Santa Claus in Philly. Can you imagine what Andy Reid will hear the next home game?

26. Denver Broncos (1-4, #26)- Tim Tebow: The Path to Take to Get to Andrew Luck

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4, #27)- Blaine Gabbert's next 3 opponents: Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Houston. Will he make it out of that stretch injury free?

28. Minnesota Vikings (1-4, #31)- Donovan McNabb saved his starting job for one week.

29. Arizona Cardinals (1-4, #25)- Is Larry Fitzgerald regretting that long term contract yet?

30. St. Louis Rams (0-4, #30)- Maybe the bye week saved them from a 40 point beating against Green Bay? Yeah, don't think so.

31. Indianapolis Colts (0-5, #29)- Why bring back Peyton Manning when you can guarantee Andrew Luck?

32. Miami Dolphins (0-4, #32)- Sage Rosenfels? You guys are still trying to win this year? Riiiggghhhttt.

Three Games I Would Like to See This Week
Buffalo Bills vs New York Giants: Giants can't afford a 3-3 start, Bills need to still silence any doubters.
San Francisco 49ers vs Detroit Lions: Two surprise teams. Whose hot streak ends?
Dallas Cowboys vs New England Patriots: Two weeks to prepare for the Pats, can the Cowboys right the ship?

That's all from me today. NFL Picks later in the week.

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

NFL Week 5 Picks

It's NFL Picks time! Lets go!

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

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

Tennessee 17  Pittsburgh 16

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

NY Giants 31  Seattle 20

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

Cincinnati 20  Jacksonville 14

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

New Orleans 34  Carolina 21

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

Houston 27  Oakland 23

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

Buffalo 28  Philadelphia 24

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

Indianapolis 24  Kansas City 21

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

Arizona 35  Minnesota 30

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

San Francisco 23  Tampa Bay 20

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

New England 31  NY Jets 21

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

San Diego 27  Denver 21

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

Green Bay 35  Atlanta 27

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

Detroit 31  Chicago 23

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFL Week 4 Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That's all from me today.

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

NFL Week 4 Picks

It's Saturday. Pick Time.

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

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

Detroit 27  Dallas 23

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

Chicago 23  Carolina 16

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

Buffalo 28  Cincinnati 20

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

Cleveland 17  Tennessee 14

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

Minnesota 24  Kansas City 13

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

St. Louis 27  Washington 24

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

New Orleans 38  Jacksonville 14

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

Houston 24  Pittsburgh 23

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

Philadelphia 31  San Francisco 14

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

Arizona 33  NY Giants 31

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

Atlanta 30  Seattle 20

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

San Diego 28  Miami 14

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

New England 38  Oakland 30

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

Green Bay 41  Denver 21

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

Baltimore 17  NY Jets 12

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

Tampa Bay 23  Indianapolis 17

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFL Week 3 Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFL Week 3 Picks

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

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

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

New Orleans 27  Houston 23

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

Philadelphia 24  NY Giants 16

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

Carolina 35  Jacksonville 27

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

New England 42  Buffalo 38

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

Cleveland 20  Miami 17

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

Cincinnati 31  San Francisco 21

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

Tennessee 26  Denver 21

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

Detroit 24  Minnesota 19

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

St. Louis 20  Baltimore 17

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

Oakland 24  NY Jets 21

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

San Diego 35  Kansas City 13

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

Seattle 30  Arizona 28

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

Atlanta 27  Tampa Bay 23

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

Green Bay 21  Chicago 20

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

Pittsburgh 27  Indianapolis 17

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

Washington 24  Dallas 23

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

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

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

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

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

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

That's all from me this week.

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