NFL Divisional Round Preview

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

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

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

NFL Week 7 Picks

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

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

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

San Francisco 20  Seattle 16

NFL Week 5 Picks

I did much better last week. Could a rebound be on the way? Lets hope so! Picks!

Last Week's Record: 11-4
Year To Date Record: 37-25

Arizona Cardinals vs St. Louis Rams
This has all the makings of a trap game for the Arizona Cardinals. On the road against a divisional opponent on a short week. For the Cardinals sake I hope it isn't. They escaped a bad loss last week and won in overtime against Miami. The Cardinals let a less than stellar offense stay in the game, and their secondary looked a bit shaky. Kevin Kolb remains the starter for the Cardinals, and I see no reason to change that even when John Skelton is fully healthy. Arizona may have found a permanent second WR with Andre Roberts playing well the last couple weeks. St. Louis defeated Seattle last week thanks to some good trickeration on special teams. Steven Jackson looks to be going on the downside of his career. He hasn't helped the offense like a star RB should, and it again is causing Sam Bradford problems with the lack of weapons he has. No run game allows teams to focus on stopping Bradford. I see the Rams keeping it close, but the Cardinals are on a hot streak now and I think they escape with a win here.

Arizona 28  St. Louis 24

NFL Week 4 Picks

Picks for Week 4. Hopefully, none of you took my advice last week.

Week 4 Record: 8-8
Year to Date Record: 26-21

Carolina Panthers vs Atlanta Falcons
So, is it time to panic in Carolina? Everyone was hyped up for them against the Giants and expected them to take care of the short handed Giants last Thursday. Instead, the Panthers were whipped like a government mule. The offense couldn't move the ball at all, and the defense could not stop the Giants on the ground or through the air. Steve Smith called out Cam Newton after the game and told him to quit pouting. People seem to be making a bigger story out of it than it seems. Now the Panthers risk the possibility of going 1-3 with this trip to Atlanta. The Falcons have looked almost unstoppable on offense. And last Sunday the defense went into San Diego and shut down a pretty good Chargers offense. If the Panthers couldn't stop Ramses Barden, what makes me think they will stop Julio Jones and Roddy White? Nothing. Falcons win this one.

Atlanta 31  Carolina 20

NFL Off-Season Preview: AFC East Edition

After Week 3 this year it appeared that the AFC East may have a new dog on top. The Bills beat the Patriots for the first time since 2003. But the Bills faltered down the stretch, and the Patriots won the AFC East for the 8th time in nine years. The Patriots offense by the end of the year was a machine that couldn't be stopped. They have a duel threat at tight end with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez and the always pesky Wes Welker at WR. The Jets took a step backward last year, failing to make the Playoffs for the first time under Rex Ryan. And there is dysfunction in the locker room. The Bills finally looked ready to make the Playoffs for the first time in a decade, but they faltered down the stretch. The Dolphins started the season 0-7 and appeared poised to draft Andrew Luck first overall, but they finished strong going 6-3 in their last nine games. This is a strong division that only appears to be going up with teams like the Bills and Dolphins getting stronger.

Super Bowl XLVI Preview

It is almost here. The day every football fan waits for. A day where even non-football fans sit down and enjoy the game of football.

Super Bowl 46 is this Sunday, and it is a match-up that at least NBC, and I'm sure the NFL is happy about. The New York Giants and New England Patriots go at it this Sunday in Indianapolis, with the winner being Champions of the NFL. Why does NBC, the NFL and the advertisers love this match-up? It's simple: New York vs Boston, two of the biggest markets in the USA.

NFL Week 15 Review

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

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

NFL Week 15 Picks

Only 3 weeks to go!

Last Week's Record: 11-5
Year to Date Record: 136-72

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Atlanta Falcons
I guess Jacksonville just needed to face a team in worse shape then they were to get going. The Jaguars scored 41 points last week against Tampa Bay. Now two of those TDs were from the defense, but the offense still put up respectable numbers. Maurice Jones-Drew had one of his best games of the year. That helped take the pressure off of Blaine Gabbert. Jones-Drew won't find the goings as easy though against the Falcons. The Falcons came back from 16 down in the 3rd quarter to beat Carolina and stay ahead in the NFC Wild Card Race. Matt Ryan has had a solid last two outings, and he's needed them due to the groin injury that RB Michael Turner is dealing with. Turner has struggled the last 3 weeks. I thought he would break out against Carolina, but that didn't happen. The Jags defense has struggled against the run in the last month of the season, so if Turner can't get going here, something might really be wrong. This is a game the Falcons should easily win. They have more talent everywhere and are actually playing for something.

Atlanta 31  Jacksonville 13

NFL Week 14 Review

I'm sorry to disappoint those of you who want a 3,000 page report on Tim Tebow. It isn't in the cards. Instead, it is our weekly review of NFL Action.

Team of the Week: New York Giants
-The Giants had many doubters heading into this week, with me being one of them. I just didn't see how the Giants went into Dallas on Sunday night and pull off a win. Well, I shouldn't have doubted Eli Manning. Eli lead another 4th quarter comeback that gave the Giants the lead. Then Jason Pierre-Paul, who has been a beast for the Giants all year, blocked a potential game tying field goal by Dan Bailey that sealed the victory for the Giants. The win gave the Giants 1st place in the NFC East. They now control their own destiny in the NFC East. Win out and the Giants are in the playoffs. After the Redskins at home this week, the Giants have the Jets "on the road" even though the game is in New York, then host the Cowboys to end the year. Even if the Giants lose to the Jets, they can still get in with a home win against Dallas. The Giants still have some flaws, specifically in their secondary, but this was a much needed win for a team that was losers of four straight heading into Sunday night.

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 6 Review

Another NFL Week in the books. Lets review it!

Team of the Week: Philadelphia Eagles
-I could have easily given this to the San Francisco 49ers for the third week in a row, but I figured I would let someone else share the spotlight of this esteemed honor. The Eagles put their critics to bed for at least one week with their big road win over Washington. It's big for a couple reasons. First, the Eagles defense shut down what is one of the better running attacks in the league. They held Washington to 6 points. Second, the Eagles beat the Redskins coming off of their bye week. The Redskins had two weeks to prepare for this game and put up a stinker. The offense made plays and relied more on LeSean McCoy which is a good thing. People were quick to write off the Eagles, including myself, but we all may have spoke too quick. If the Eagles offense and defense played like they did Sunday, then they may start riding a hot streak that can't be stopped.

Game of the Week: New England 20  Dallas 16
-There were a lot of close games this week that I could have went with, but I decided on this one for a few reasons. First it was a defensive battle which I like most of the time. If anyone ever wants to find out how to control Tom Brady, watch a game where Rex Ryan is the defensive coordinator opposite Brady. Ryan's defense shut down Brady last year in Cleveland, and they did a pretty good job this week in Dallas. But then Tom Brady played like Tom Brady on the Patriots final drive, leading them down the field before finding Aaron Hernandez in the end zone with 20 seconds left to give the Patriots the lead. It was a big win for the Pats, who reclaimed the lead in the AFC East with Buffalo's loss. Tom Brady has looked quite human in the last few weeks, throwing as many touchdowns as interceptions. The Patriots have a bye next week, but their next 3 games are no roll overs: at Pittsburgh, home to the NY Giants, and at the NY Jets. Could be tough sledding ahead.

Dogs of the Week: Jim Harbaugh/Jim Schwartz
-I know lots of people are taking sides on this argument. But both guys are at fault here in my opinion. First off, Harbaugh was way too jumpy and excited when going for the handshake. He should have celebrated with his team after the game, or calmed himself down before going for the handshake. Schwartz also over-reacted to Harbaugh. Instead of practically challenging him to a fight, Schwartz should have either ignored him or just calmly said, "Hey, calm down." Sure it isn't the "manly" thing to do, but it's better than taking the attention away from a great game played between both teams. It is part of the reason I didn't give it my game of the week honors. I like both guys as coaches, but they both acted pretty immature Sunday.

Other Week 6 Notes
-It will be interesting to see how the Raiders handle Jason Campbell's broken collarbone situation. Right now, they plan on going with Kyle Boller next week against Kansas City. The bye week is after that, and that is when they could add a QB to the roster. At 4-2, the Raiders are serious contenders in the AFC West. But I don't know how much you can trust Kyle Boller to get you to the playoffs. Campbell is out a minimum of 6 weeks with his injury. Do they add a veteran back-up through trade or free agency? Do they lean on Boller? Do they dare call Brett Favre? My gut says they ride out Boller and hope he doesn't lead them to 6 straight losses. Boller isn't going to win them any games with his play, but he may lose them some.

-Can someone please explain the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to me? They upset the Atlanta Falcons a few weeks ago, then last week they get demolished by San Francisco, and this week they upset the New Orleans Saints without star RB LaGarrette Blount. They held Drew Brees and company to 20 points, and forced an interception in the end zone to seal the game. Tampa has their good weeks and their bad weeks. There are times when they look like a young, up-and-coming team, then there are times where they look like division bottom dwellers like last week. But now they are tied for the division lead in a tight NFC South race. The Bucs go to London next week to play Chicago, a big game for both teams.

-See what happens when Good Eli Manning shows up? Eli didn't throw any picks or make any bad plays in the Giants 27-24 win over Buffalo. Eli didn't throw any touchdowns, but did have 292 yards passing and was not sacked once. And the much maligned Giants defense stepped up, getting two interceptions on two horribly underthrown passes by Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Giants currently stand on top of the NFC East, but that spot changes almost weekly, and the Giants are known for some late season collapses. After the bye the Giants have an easy home game against Miami, but then two tough road games at New England then San Francisco. I still think the Eagles win the NFC East, but the Giants might give them the biggest challenge.

-I have to give some love to the Cincinnati Bengals. They are 4-2 right now and in the thick of things in the AFC. Because of Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and A.J. Green aren't getting the rookie recognition that they deserve. Green looks like a future stud WR, and Dalton is playing perfectly fine at QB. Dalton isn't making many mistakes. And the defense is one of the best put together units in the league. They haven't allowed over 24 points in any games this year, which is really remarkable considering the amount of points some teams are putting up this year. But while the 4-2 start is nice, the Bengals still have to face the Steelers and Ravens twice, as well as go to Tennessee and host Houston. Not any easy tasks to say the least.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-Is that the last game Donovan McNabb starts at QB for his career?

-Rex Grossman or Jon Beck? I bet the Redskins wish they still had Donovan McNabb.

-What value does Brandon Lloyd have to the Rams at this point?

-Will poor Blaine Gabbert ever get a win?

-Only 24 points against St. Louis? Packers fans should be concerned. #sarcasm

-With Tim Tebow coming to town next week, should the Dolphins be considered the road team in Miami?

POWER RANKINGS
1. Green Bay Packers (6-0, #1 last week)- Win, Practice, Travel/Stay Home, Win, Repeat Next Week.

2. Baltimore Ravens (4-1, #4)- The Ravens early bye week didn't stop them from their continued dominance.

3. New England Patriots (5-1, #6)- Tom Brady has looked human, but the defense has played well the last two weeks. Tough schedule ahead after the bye though.

4. San Francisco 49ers (5-1, #8)- Big jump for the 49ers this week. But Jim Harbaugh has some guys playing the best football of their career, and they have a 3 win lead in the pitiful NFC West.

5. Detroit Lions (5-1, #2)- Lions fans are now off of Cloud 9. This is still a good football team, but they have a tough test next week against Atlanta.

6. San Diego Chargers (4-1, #7)- They've has 2 weeks to get ready for the Jets. There's no excuses if they don't beat a down Jets team on a short week.

7. New Orleans Saints (4-2, #3)- This time, the Saints weren't able to pull off a late victory. But Sean Payton is one tough S.O.B. after taking that hit.

8. New York Giants (4-2, #12)- That's the Giants team their fans expected to see this year. Ahmad Bradshaw should be the featured back from here on out.

9. Buffalo Bills (4-2, #5)- That loss is on Ryan Fitzpatrick. Two badly underthrown balls for INTs. They should use the bye week to get healthy, and still have a good shot at the playoffs.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2, #10)- No second half points against Jacksonville has to be a concern. They almost let Jacksonville steal one.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2, #15)- They have taken advantage of a weak early schedule, but they have a brutal schedule coming after the bye week. Can the rookies hold up?

12. Oakland Raiders (4-2, #11)- I hate dropping teams even though they won, but the loss of Jason Campbell could be a devastating blow to their playoff hopes.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2, #16)- Hesitant to move them up because I'm still not sold on them. Need to put together a couple solid outings in a row.

14. Tennessee Titans (3-2, #14)- They've had 2 weeks to prepare for their big showdown against Houston. No excuses for a poor performance.

15. Chicago Bears (3-3, #18)- They took advantage of a bad Vikings team Sunday night. If that Bears team shows up more often they could compete for a Wild Card spot.

16. Atlanta Falcons (3-3, #17)- They pulled away late against Carolina. Now they have a big game against Detroit that could pave the road for the rest of their season.

17. Philadelphia Eagles (2-4, #20)- That's the Dream Team we've been expecting all year.

18. Washington Redskins (3-2, #9)- The impending QB controversy causes this drastic drop. They may be better off flipping a coin.

19. Houston Texans (3-3, #13)- What looked like their opportunity to win the division has stumbled into a road block. They need Andre Johnson back quickly.

20. New York Jets (3-3, #22)- It was an ugly win, but a win that the Jets needed to get some confidence back. Now back to real business against San Diego next week.

21. Seattle Seahawks (2-3, #20)- Could Charlie Whitehurst really be any worse than Tavaris Jackson?

22. Dallas Cowboys (2-3, #19)- It was a valiant fight against New England, but the defense couldn't stop Brady on the last drive. At least it wasn't Romo's fault.

23. Cleveland Browns (2-3, #21)- This time it was Peyton Hills hamstring. What will it be next time? A hang nail?

24. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3, #24)- Perfect opportunity for them to take advantage of a Jason Campbell-less Oakland Raiders team.

25. Carolina Panthers (1-5, #23)- Close but no cigar is only entertaining for so long.

26. Denver Broncos (1-4, #26)- Whatcha gonna do, when TEBOWMANIA RUNS WILD ON YOU!

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5, #27)- The defense never gave up and held the Steelers scoreless in the second half. Too bad the offense couldn't pull through.

28. Minnesota Vikings (1-5, #28)- Paging Christian Ponder. Christian Ponder under center please.

29. Arizona Cardinals (1-4, #29)- Hopefully they used the bye week to straighten out the offense.

30. St. Louis Rams (0-5, #30)- Moral Victory: Holding the Packers to 24 points.

31. Indianapolis Colts (0-6, #31)- Curtis Painter has the early lead for Thor in the 3rd movie.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-5, #32)- Dolphins fans waiting for Wrestlemania 28 in April, the next big event to be held in Sun Life Stadium.

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
San Diego Chargers vs New York Jets: Can the Chargers keep up their hot early start?
Atlanta Falcons vs Detroit Lions: Falcons need this one, Lions can't start a losing streak now.
Houston Texans vs Tennessee Titans: Winner has early edge in the AFC South race.

That's all from me today. Vengeance PPV Preview and NFL Week 7 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 Picks

It's Saturday. Pick Time.

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

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

Detroit 27  Dallas 23

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

Chicago 23  Carolina 16

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

Buffalo 28  Cincinnati 20

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

Cleveland 17  Tennessee 14

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

Minnesota 24  Kansas City 13

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

St. Louis 27  Washington 24

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

New Orleans 38  Jacksonville 14

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

Houston 24  Pittsburgh 23

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

Philadelphia 31  San Francisco 14

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

Arizona 33  NY Giants 31

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

Atlanta 30  Seattle 20

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

San Diego 28  Miami 14

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

New England 38  Oakland 30

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

Green Bay 41  Denver 21

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

Baltimore 17  NY Jets 12

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

Tampa Bay 23  Indianapolis 17

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFL Week 3 Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFL Week 3 Picks

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

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

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

New Orleans 27  Houston 23

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

Philadelphia 24  NY Giants 16

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

Carolina 35  Jacksonville 27

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

New England 42  Buffalo 38

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

Cleveland 20  Miami 17

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

Cincinnati 31  San Francisco 21

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

Tennessee 26  Denver 21

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

Detroit 24  Minnesota 19

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

St. Louis 20  Baltimore 17

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

Oakland 24  NY Jets 21

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

San Diego 35  Kansas City 13

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

Seattle 30  Arizona 28

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

Atlanta 27  Tampa Bay 23

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

Green Bay 21  Chicago 20

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

Pittsburgh 27  Indianapolis 17

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

Washington 24  Dallas 23

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

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

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

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

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

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

That's all from me this week.

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

NFL Week 2 Review

Hello everyone. Wrestling done for the day. Time to review Week 2's NFL action.

Team of the Week: Detroit Lions
That wasn't a beat down the Lions gave the Chiefs, it was a crucifixion. The Lions just steam rolled the Chiefs in every aspect of the game this past week. The Lions look for real. Sure the Chiefs may not be the team they were last year, but they are certainly better than they showed this past week. Everyone in the NFC needs to be weary of the Lions this year. Right now, there's no reason to think they won't be a playoff team this year. They have two big road games coming up, at Minnesota and Dallas, before returning home for a Monday night game against Chicago. There's really no reason to think the Lions couldn't be 4-0 heading into their showdown against Chicago.

Game of the Week: Buffalo Bills 38  Oakland Raiders 35
It was really only a game in the second half, but it was one hell of a half of football. Down 21-3 going into the half, nothing appeared to be going right for my Bills. But suddenly, the offense showed up in the second half and just torched the Raiders defense. Ryan Fitzpatrick tore apart the Raiders secondary, and Fred Jackson showed why he deserves to be the feature back of the team. The Raiders played one hell of a game as well. They have just as bright a future as the Bills do. The Bills real litmus test will be a home game against the Patriots this Sunday. The defense will need to step up its game if they want to hang with Tom Brady & Co.

Goat of the Week: Minnesota Vikings
Nothing appears to be going right for the Vikings this year. Up 17-0 at the half, the Vikings allowed Tampa to work their way back in the game, and win 24-20. Donovan McNabb has looked awful in his first two games. If it wasn't for Adrian Peterson, the offense would be non-existent. The defense has played well for the most part, but they shouldn't have let the Bucs drive down the field like they did to take the lead. With the Packers & Lions looking strong, and the Bears no slocuhes either, it could be a long season for Vikings fans.

Other Week 2 Thoughts:
-The current leaders in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes? It has to be the Kansas City Chiefs. They've looked awful in their first two games, scoring a combined 10 points. They've lost their best player on offense (Jamaal Charles) and one of their best playmakers on defense (Eric Berry). Todd Haley was already on the hot seat at the beginning of the year and you better believe someone has a torch under it now. Even with the Colts having a down year, they still will probably win more games than the Chiefs at this point. The two team play each other in Week 5, the loser takes the lead in the Luck Lottery.

-What the hell happened to the Ravens this week? While expected the Titans to keep the game close, I didn't expect a double digit win by the Titans. I thought for sure the Ravens would just constantly pressure flat-footed Matt Hasselbeck all day, but they didn't. This is a pretty sizeable step back  for the Ravens. After curb-stomping the Steelers in Week 1, everyone expected them to run by the Titans in Week 2. While the Steelers were busy showing they still are a force to be reckoned with, the Ravens showed they still have some kinks to work out, and that the AFC North is still a dog fight between the two.

-Another surprising team? The Washington Redskins. The Skins are 2-0 and look like a different team this year. Rex Grossman has been adequate on offense and hasn't shown the "Bad Rex" side of him that he is known for. If Mike Shanahan can continue to keep Rex under control and find a way to keep his team in games, the Redskins may be a playoff contender come the end of the year.

-Despite the Packers 2-0 start, it may be time to worry about their secondary. Getting torched by Drew Brees is one thing, but being torched by Cam Newton is another. Sure Newton threw for over 400 yards against Arizona, but the Cardinals secondary is bad. The Packers have one of the best defenses in the league, they shouldn't be giving up 400 yards to Newton.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-Maybe the Dolphins should petition to play all 16 games on the road.

-Tim Tebow at WR. There. Happy Broncos fans?

-Can the Pats put Vince Wilfork at full back?

-Punting down 12 half way through the 4th? Does Steve Spagnulo want to win?

-How about you wait til the end of the game to point at the score board Mike Vick.

-I guess Al Davis didn't allow Hue Jackson to read the new NFL Rule Book.

My Top 5
1. New England Patriots
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Houston Texans
4. New York Jets
5. New Orleans Saints

My Bottom 5
28. Minnesota Vikings
29. Miami Dolphins
30. Indianapolis Colts
31. Seattle Seahawks
32. Kansas City Chiefs

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills: Time to see just how for real the Bills are.
Houston Texans vs New Orleans Saints: The first true test for the new and improved Texans.
Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears: Bears can't fall two games back in NFC North, even this early.

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