We Think We Know Football

Week 10 NFL Predictions -Jordan DeVore

Week 9 Results: Shitty. 6-7. Picked some games on the money though.

Oakland @ San Diego: What’s going on with the Chargers? Surprisingly, it’s Phillip Rivers. If McFadden was healthy I’d take the Raiders but he’s out. Chargers win, 31-21

Arizona @ Philly: Eagles are pissed from MNF and the Cardinals suck. Kolb better sit out before the Eagles further embarrass him.  Eagles win, 30-10

Tennessee @ Carolina: The Titans are crumbling and the Panthers just need to finish a game. Panthers win, 29-17

Houston @ Tampa Bay: The Texans have the playoffs in site with no one even close behind them. The Bucs will pull away a win here and shock the Texans. Bucs win 27-24

Washington @ Miami: Apparently, you just tell Reggie Bush, “you stink!” and he starts playing well. Somebody should’ve told him that from the first game. Miami wins another, 23-20

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis: The Jaguars have always played the Colts tough but the Colts have always been tough. Facing a top five Jaguars D, Painter will have all sorts of problems. Mojo is no contest to a weak Colts D. Jacksonville finally gets some offense going. Jaguars win 31-12

Denver @ Kansas City: Tebow made me stick my foot in my mouth last week. If they are going to run a Florida style option offense, Tebow can thrive. I like Timmy in this one. Broncos win, 24-23

Buffalo @ Dallas: DeMarco Murray is the shiznit. So is Fred Jackson. This game should be a fun one to watch. Buffalo is starting to slip and I think the Cowboys will take advantage at home. Cowboys win, 34-30

New Orleans @ Atlanta: Toughest game to call this week. I’ll take the two X-Factors of Sproles and Graham to make the difference. Saints win in OT, 30-24

St. Louis @ Cleveland: McCoy is struggling mightily. Bradford is near 100% so I’ll take him in an ugly one. Rams win, 16-12

Pittsburgh @ Cincy: Pittsburgh struggles on covering the long ball and Cincy can deliver it with the best two rookies in the AFC. This game will be tough but I like Cincy for the surprise win. Bengals win, 26-23

Baltimore @ Seattle: The Ravens put the loss to the Jags far behind them after an impressive showing against the Steelers. 12^th man won’t be enough to stop that momentum. Ravens roll, 35-17

NY Giants @ San Fran: The Giants are coming off a great win against the Pats. This is a west coast trap game and I don’t like the odds of another win. Niners win, 24-19

Detroit @ Chicago: Detroit badly needs this game to stay alive. I don’t think Forte will have the same success against the Lions defense as he did with Philly. Detroit has also had a week to prepare. Lions win, 28-21

New England @ NY Jets: The Steelers laid the blueprint to beat Brady…man-to-man coverage. The Giants copied it and so will the Jets. Jets win, 34-28

Minnesota @ Green Bay: Green Bay could easily run the table. Not only are they Superbowl favorites for this year, they may be for the next season as well. Packers win, 35-24

Week 9 NFL Predictions: The Redeeming Week -Jordan DeVore

Week 8 Results: 7-6, still keeping it short, not enough dignity back. Does anyone even read this anymore?

Notes: Picked Vikings by 2, won by 3

Miami @ Kansas City: KC has won 4 straight. I picked them to win the division but that was when Charles and Berry were in the picture. Maybe they’ll still prove me right. Chiefs win, 28-13

Atlanta @ Indianapolis: I read somewhere this week about Indy: “Its not for a lack of effort, which says volumes about the weakness of the roster.” Couldn’t say it better myself. The Colts will be the laughing stock of the league for the next few years. Falcons beat down the Colts, 31-13

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans: No one saw the Rams beating the Saints. I think it was the old school uni’s. I miss that royal blue and yellow. Saints bounce back with a win, 27-24 in OT

NY Jets @ Buffalo: The Jets are playing a little better ball lately once Rex decided to shut his mouth. But the Buffalo crowd is loud and pumped up for the most surprising team in the NFL. Buffalo wins, 23-21

Seattle @ Dallas: So DeMarco Murray goes HAM and you decide to throw the ball all game after Romo has been having issues? Dumb, just plain dumb. He had 8 carries for 74 yards. That’s a 9.3 YPG average. RUN THE BALL!!!! I want to pick Seattle but I believe that somehow Dallas will get it together. Cowboys win it ugly, 25-19

Cleveland @ Houston: AJ should be back and Foster is better than Gore who ran all over the Browns. Colt McCoy is looking less and less like the answer in Cleveland. Texans win 30-16

San Fran @ Washington: Washington is falling apart again, what do you know? I would say they should’ve taken a QB but then again, Kerrigan is playing great football. If they don’t take a QB next year I’ll be surprised. San Fran is somehow under the radar but playing phenomenal football. I think they get one step closer to a playoff birth with a win on the road. Niners win 24-20

Cincy @ Tennessee: Chris Johnson is singlehandedly destroying the Titans. His comment that he should be paid as one of the top 10 players in the league is ridiculous and he’s proving it to the world. Meanwhile, Dalton has got my vote for Rookie of the Year if he continues and along with AJ Green, they may be the best rookie tandem in NFL history before its over with. Bengals win again, 28-14

Denver @ Oakland: Tebow looked plain lost out there. He has now been sacked 14 times in two games. If he was on any other team and void of the hype, he would be out of the NFL…unless, he gets reasonable and agrees to play a slash type role of FB/HB/TE and occasional QB. I think he can be highly successful. But McDaniels has made his mark on this franchise. If Quinn can’t come in and earn the #1 spot, this team will have to spend another 1^st round pick on a QB.

NY Giants @ New England: New England is not fun to play after they got beat up in the previous game. They rarely ever lose two straight, especially at home. Pats win, 30-25

St. Louis @ Arizona: The Rams came out of nowhere last week to beat the Saints with Feely at QB. If SJax can keep it up, the Rams will start a mini winning streak. Rams win, 28-21

Green Bay @ San Diego: If the Chargers miss the playoffs, that botched snap will haunt Rivers for years. Green Bay is just too talented to lose to a team making careless mistakes in consecutive games. Matt Cassel picked the Chargers apart in the 4^th quarter. Its scary what GB can do with a healthy, revitalized team after the bye week. Packers win 35-27

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh: Baltimore has been playing Jeckyll and Hyde lately. I don’t know which team will show up week to week. But the Steelers always get hot late in the season, and their defense just manhandled the Pats. Steelers win, 24-21

Chicago @ Philadelphia: Just when Philly was falling apart, they came soaring back. Shady McCoy is playing lights out of late but will have a little more difficult of a time with the pesky Bears defense. The Bears WRs drop too many balls though and I don’t see them making enough plays. Eagles win, 28-24

Week 8 NFL Predictions: Shorter Abbreviated Version - Jordan DeVore

Week 7 Results: 6-7

Notes: Horribleness…but my Jags won! I’m doing quickfire picks until I regain my dignity.

Arizona @ Baltimore: The Ravens got embarrassed by the Jaguars on MNF. Flacco looked drunk out there and the O-line got hammered. They need to bounce back. Ravens win, 27-17

Minnesota @ Carolina: Hightower looked like Adrian Peterson against the Panthers. If not for falling behind, he would’ve rushed for far more. Ponder looked great in his first start. How’s Adrian Peterson going to look against the Panthers? Great. Vikings win 26-24

Jacksonville @ Houston: Jacksonville’s defense is killing opponents and Matt Schaub has been getting knocked around all season. That’s not a good combination for the Texans that have dropped 3 of the last 4 against the Jaguars. Foster has been amazing but so has Ray Rice…he had 28 yards against the Jags. Mendenhall was shut down other than one long run by the Jags. I like Jacksonville with the upset here. Houston always seems to unravel right about now and always seem to beat themselves against Jacksonville. Jaguars scrape by, 20-17

Miami @ NY Giants: Miami is just plain awful. Giants roll, 34-10

New Orleans @ St. Louis: Bradford is a shadow of who he was, battling injuries all season. The Rams’ defense isn’t going to help him much. Saints bash in the Rams, 42-13

Indianapolis @ Tennessee: Chris Johnson needs to get benched. He’s costing them games that Harper and Ringer could win. It’ll send a message. This Colts team will be eager for revenge after a nationally televised slaughter. Mathis and Freeney will go wild to get a win. Colts win their first, 17-16

Detroit @ Denver: I like Tim Tebow but the hype he’s getting after beating the worst team in the NFL is ridiculous. The Lions will set things straight. Lions win 27-21

Washington @ Buffalo: Washington struggled mightily without Santana Moss in the passing game. Things won’t get any easier with the pesky Bills’ secondary. Bills win 33-19

Cincinnati @ Seattle: I still think Seattle is a fluke and that Cincy can play spoiler and possibly get a playoff spot if the Ravens keep their bad play up. Whitehurst is an improvement, but we’re talking about the Seahawks here. The “twelfth man” will keep it close. Bengals win in OT, 26-20

Cleveland @ San Fran: San Fran is playing great football because Gore is having a great season. Vernon Davis needs to stay involved for this team to make it in the postseason if they get there. He’s too big of a threat to not utilize more than they do. 49ers run over the Browns, 28-13

New England @ Pittsburgh: The Pats always give Pittsburgh a hard time and usually come out on top of late. Pittsburgh offense is on a roller coaster ride this year. New England however is steady rolling other than a few tips passes against the Bills. Pats win on the road, 31-28

Dallas @ Philadelphia: DeMarco Murray wowed the NFL world with a stellar performance. Two questions are on my mind with the Cowboys. 1) Can Murray continue to play well? 2) With the offensive coordinator allow him enough carries? This game is the toughest to pick because you never know which Eagles or Cowboys teams are going to show up. I like the Cowboys to pull off the upset. Cowboys win, 29-24

San Diego @ Kansas City: Kansas City has 3 wins and they are all against poor opponents (they got the Raiders in a QB switch). Rivers is pissed about the Jets game and he plays better when that happens. I like San Diego to get back on track here. Hopefully for my fantasy football leagues, so will Ryan Mathews, Malcolm Floyd, Rivers, and Gates too. Chargers win in Arrowhead, 24-14

Week 8 Picks - Short and Sweet Gambling Edition - Justin Pompey

Last week: 5-7-1

YTD Totals: 42-37-3

Week 8 In Yo Mouth!

Indianapolis at Tennessee (-9): The minute Kenny Britt went down I thought that was it for Hasselbeck’s resurgence and the Titans sleeper chances. Judging by the whupping that Houston gave them last week, I’d like to think I was correct. I don’t see how they are laying 9 points when Chris Johnson is tip toeing like me coming in the house after missing curfew.

Jacksonville at Houston (-9.5): I wont rehash all the Jags defensive stats that analysts have been hurling at you this week. But they spent $400M on their linebackers so they better be good. I like the Jags to shut down Arian Foster.

Minnesota at Carolina (-3.5): You damn right.

New Orleans at St. Louis (+13.5): I’d take the points if Bradford is playing. But I’m starting to wonder if he would even make a difference. Horrible squad. He needs more playmakers. Side note: Is Steven Jackson gonna look back on his career and say fuuuuuck I came to the Rams two seasons too late. And I was stuck there my entire career while I secretely dominated. Sucks for him. Another losing season.

Arizona at Baltimore (-12.5): Vegas continues its trend of making these lines sky high in both college and pros because they have been getting killed with obvious lines. Arizona is bad. Kolb is worse. Baltimore is making up for that horrendous performance last week. But how good is Flacco in the first place?

Miami at New York Giants (-9.5): Same line as the Seattle game and they freakin lost. I dont know how you get behind Matt Moore though. Giants always let down in the obvious moments. It boils down to Eli vs Matt Moore but I’m going Eli.

Washington at Buffalo (-5): This line has moved an entire point because I guess someone loves the Redskins and hates Toronto. I’m gonna say this is a Fitzpatrick game where you say - we just gave him $60M?

Detroit at Denver (+2): This line also moved an entire points because I guess Tim Tebow is FUCKING JESUS. I don’t care I’m taking him! Angels in the Backfield.

New England at Pittsburgh (+2.5): This line was Pats by 3.5.  Coming off a bye you have to love only having to win by 3 here. I should take the home team but Pittsburgh has been very weak against SB winning and top-calibur quaterbacks.

Cleveland at San Francisco (-9.5): Shutout alert.

Cincinnati at Seattle (+1.5): I bet this game last week when it was PK and Seattle farted in Cleveland. I’m taking them here because teams coming off the bye have been awful due to no practicing. And something about Qwest field.

Dallas at Philadelphia (-3): Primetime. And who usually folds under that pressure? The Romo-coaster? I like em anyway.

San Diego at Kansas City (+3.5): You never bet against a home dog on MNF with giant spreads. This line has moved from 4 to 3.5 because people are pounding the Chiefs. This is a MUST WIN for San Diego to stop the second guessing on Philip Rivers. I think the Chiefs make it close here.

GAMES I WOULD BET SECTION

Saints, Ravens, Niners - 6 Point 3 Team Teaser - 4 units

Steelers Money Line (+115) - 2 units

Jaguars +9 - 2 units

I pulled all of that out of my ass.

Cam The Scam (satirical piece) - Burger

Don’t let Cam Newton fool you, this is all part of his plan. Let’s face it the guy will NEVER be an NFL QB. He just doesn’t have the footwork and all he ever did at Auburn was play under shotgun and run.  400 yards passing? Who care? He isn’t a NFL QB and never will be. Has tied the record (will break record) for most rushing Touchdowns by a rookie QB? Again he just doesn’t have what it takes to be an NFL QB.

I know what you’re saying, “but Burger he is on par to have over 4,000 yards and beat Peyton Manning’s record”. Now let me tell YOU something. Peyton Manning had poise and good footwork in the pocket, he also had a strong arm and a good field of vision. All of these things Cam the scam is pretending to have just so he can get a big payday. Did I mention in College his Dad tried to get money for pay to play? Again outside of all of the 80’s Miami U players, Eric Dickerson, and around 1,000 other great NFL players who took money under the table Cam will just be another loser who can’t make it in the NFL.

Also he just isn’t smart enough to take on a NFL style system. Sure he looks like he has the playbook down but it’s obvious that he just hasn’t. Did you see when he got sacked on the blindside during which a HOF announcer Ryan called it a “spinal tap”? Sure you’ll say that there was totally missed block but Cam should have seen it and turned it into yards. Face it folks he just isn’t NFL material and can’t cut it in this league. 

Week 7 NFL Predictions: Long and Thoughtful Edition -Jordan DeVore

Week 6 Results: 8-5

Notes: Picked Giants to win by 3 and they did, picked Raiders by 7 (won by 8), Picked Jets by 16 (won by 18)

San Diego @ NY Jets: Rex Ryan can’t keep his mouth shut. Way to give a pretty hot Chargers team some bulletin board material jackass. Look for LT to try to prove a point but I see Eric Weddle and the Charger’s DBs having Sanchez for lunch when it counts. Malcolm Floyd is healthy again, which takes cover off of Vincent, making life on Revis Island a little better without added safety help. Chargers shock the Jets, 29-20

Chicago @ Tampa Bay: The London game always seems weird to me with extra sloppy play. I thought that the Bucs were overrated after getting throttled by the Niners but apparently the Niners are pretty damn good. Then the Bucs go out and beat the Saints. Blount being out almost looked like a blessing when Earnest Graham starting running all over the Saints. Forte will have a stout game against the 22^nd ranked Bears run defense but ultimately I think the Bears will fall short. When your RB has 20 more catches than any WR on your team, you know there’s some problems in the offense (Forte is actually leading #1 WRs around the league in receptions). Buccaneers win in London, 28-23

Washington @ Carolina: Cam made a bone head throw or two last game and everyone on Charlotte sports radio is mad. Well, when you expect a rookie to throw as much as Rivera is letting Cam throw, mistakes happen. He did have a tipped INT intended for Smith that would’ve easily been a TD. Its funny to me that Grossman was benched after one bad game as a starter. Makes me think Beck was the guy all along and just wasn’t quite ready. Beck has the legs to make some plays and take advantage of the Panthers’ weak LB corps. If Carolina wants to start winning games, they need to run the ball more. Stewart’s yards per carry are amazing but he isn’t given enough touches. Washington’s once strong run game at the beginning of this season has all but disappeared. The RB by committee should do well against a weak Panther run defense. I think Carolina finally gets over the hump. Panthers bite Redskins, 27-24

Atlanta @ Detroit: Turner ran wild on the Panthers but he won’t do the same against the Lions front seven. Ryan will be forced to throw and that hasn’t been going too well for him this year. Julio Jones is still out and Roddy White was shut down last game without his partner in crime on the other side. Detroit is pissed they lost their first game since last season and they are ready for revenge. With Best banged up, the Lions will be forced to throw but I actually think that plays to their advantage here. Lions win in OT, 30-27

Seattle @ Cleveland: Seattle’s wins were flukes. Cleveland proves it. Browns win, 28-14

Denver @ Miami: Miami was 10,000 tickets short until they heard Tebow was coming to town. Those tickets sold instantly. I like Tebow, I hope he does well in the NFL, but I have too many doubts. I hope he’ll prove me wrong. No better team to start against then in his home state playing the worst team in the NFL. I’ll be shocked if Sparano has a job after this loss. Timmy’s Broncos win, 30-13

Houston @ Tennessee: Chris Johnson has completely disappeared this year. The Titans would’ve been better off without the guy. Harper and Ringer run much better, this year at least. Matt Schaub is getting pounded in the pocket this season and the record shows. If they miss the playoffs again I wouldn’t be surprised if Schaub is out and they draft a new rookie QB. Jacoby Jones is straight garbage and has killed me in fantasy by his lack of production when stepping in for AJ. If it was at Houston I’d take the Texans but Tennessee plays even rougher at home. Titans win 31-28

Kansas City @ Oakland: Kansas City has had a week to prepare against Oakland but the Raiders are on a roll lately. McFadden vs. Battle is an easy choice. Raiders win another, 27-19

Pittsburgh @ Arizona: The Cardinals have probably watched the 2^nd half of Steelers v. Jags last week a few times. Jacksonville shut the offense completely down. With Mike Wallace not 100% and a banged up O-line, this Steelers team is traveling to Arizona where there Cardinals usually play well at home. I think Pittsburgh is a bit overrated…in their 4 wins, they beat the Seahawks, Colts, Jaguars, and Titans. Only one team with a winning record. I’ve had a hunch all week that Kolb will lead the Cardinals to a win. Could be dead wrong but here it goes…Cardinals win 21-20

Green Bay @ Minnesota: So you wait to start Ponder until the Superbowl Champs are coming to town. Seriously Minnesota? What were you thinking? I do think Ponder will be a great QB but he’ll be like a deer in headlights when Dom Capers’ defense is coming from all angles. Packers blow out the Vikings, 35-10

St. Louis @ Dallas: Bradford is banged up and the whole Rams team is in disarray. DeMarco has a chance to steal the spotlight from Jones while he’s nursing an injury. If you are hurting in fantasy, he’s worth a chance for the next week or two. Dallas’ defense is too strong to keep this one close. Cowboys win big, 38-15

Indianapolis @ New Orleans: Remember when the Colts were 0-3 and getting mad at people saying they were nothing without Manning. “We’ll show you we’re more than just a one man team.” HA!!! Saints win big, 34-17

Baltimore @ Jacksonville: Having a top 10 defense isn’t much help for the Jags when they can’t get it going on offense. Bringing Sims-Walker back will pay dividends but not this early…Gabbert has no chemistry with him yet. Hopefully, this will allow Mike Thomas to play more out of the slot. Jacksonville is historically bad in night games, especially MNF. Last year they got thumped 30-3 at home by the Titans. Flacco is not really playing that well but the Ravens defense is helping the offense out tremendously by giving them chances. Jacksonville held the Steelers scoreless after the 2^nd quarter last game, shutting the entire offense down. This one will be close because it’s a must win for Jacksonville. But the Ravens own the fourth quarter and Jacksonville has been slowing to a snail’s pace to end games. In the battle of defense, Ravens win 20-16

Week 7 Picks - Short and Sweet Gambling Edition - Justin Pompey

It’s getting to that time of the year. We are starting to learn who is good, who sucks, and who is still an enigma. Crazy outcomes are about to start happening. Teams that looked like dogs the first 3 weeks of the season will start to play tough…and vice versa. Awesome time of the year because you really dont know. On to the picks…

Last Week: 6-5-2

Season Totals: 37-30-2

Chicago at Tampa Bay (+1): Prime example of who the hell knows. I’ll just take the home team here coming off a great victory against the Saints.

Washington at Carolina (-2.5): Don’t like the position as a favorite when Shanahan has 3 backs capable of ramming it down our throats. I can see those zone off tackle runs right now even though they are missing two key lineman. Our defensive tackles are just brutal. We should be able to outscore these guys here though. If I had a play here it would be under 43.5. Washington’s defense is no joke either. Panthers only cause we can score more.

San Diego at New York Jets (+2): Rex Ryan’s mouth is going to get him in trouble. Next three: Bye,@Buffalo, NE. I see no better than 4 and 6 after Week 11. I like the Chargers here in a tough one.

Seattle at Cleveland (-3): Does this game have to be televised? Seahawks have played 3 good games since getting skunked in Pittsburgh. I love them here coming off the bye.

Houston at Tennesee (-3): Matt Schaub is Romo light. Another solid defense they are facing on the road. I like the Titans here to get the run game going again.

Denver at Miami (-1.5): Worst home field advantage. Matt Moore vs Tebow. Wrong team favored here. Fox > Sparano too.

Atlanta at Detroit (-3.5): Detroit’s cooling off and this exactly what they needed. A date with the Vanilla Falcons. If we stopped the run last week no way we lose that game. You stop Michael Turner you stop the Falcons. Matt Ryan and that offense is so over-rated. Signed - Panthers Fan. *EDIT* - Changed pick due to no run game for Lions. Still hate the Falcons though.

Kansas City at Oakland (-4.5): Chiefs off bye vs Carson Palmer with three days of practice. I like the Chiefs here all the way.

Pittsburgh at Arizona (+3.5): Jury is still out on the Steelers as Tomlin said but I dont care. The Cardinals suck.

St Louis at Dallas (-12.5): I’m just taking the dog here just because.

Green Bay at Minnesota (-9): Aaron Rodgers in the dome. Sign me up. Definitely teased this down to 3. Miraculous if they lose to Ponder.

Indianapolis at New Orleans (-14): Teased the Colts to +20. God I hope Painter is getting better. Saints could win like 38-24 on some wild scores by the Colts. I’m gonna take the points here.

Baltimore at Jacksonville (+7.5): Line would be about 10 if a.) Steelers hadn’t let off the pedal and let Glabbert look decent last week and b.) it was at home. Baltimore rolls…

Week 6 NFL Predictions: Long and Thoughtful Edition -Jordan DeVore

Week 5 Results: 7-6, eh…Seahawks surprised me and everyone else.

Notes: Picked the saints to win 30-26 (they won 30-27). As stated Graham had a big day. Picked Detroit to win by 12, they won by 11. The Texans are cursed. Going to bounce back this week.

San Francisco @ Detroit: Stafford’s numbers are dropping lately in terms of yards as opposing defenses are playing heavy coverage and forcing Best to run. Don’t overestimate his last performance, 88 of those yards came on a completely blown run coverage by Chicago. Best needs to run hard to both keep Stafford healthy and lessen the pass coverage by other teams. San Fran blew away a decent Bucs team, or so we thought? Although Smith only threw for 170, he was efficient with 3 TD’s and no INT (only one on the season). Gore and Hunter ran for nearly 200 together with 6.3 and 7.2 YPC averages. With Morgan out indefinitely, Crabtree needs to step up big time. The Niners’ run defense is stout so Stafford will need to air it out to go 6-0. I’m taking Pettigrew and Megatron over the 49ers corners. Lions win again, 31-26

St. Louis @ Green Bay: Green Bay’s pass defense is still garbage but doesn’t look like they need much better. The weapons Rodgers has at his exposure should keep the Packers in the Super Bowl quite often in the next 5-10 years. St. Louis doesn’t have a reliable WR corps to get things going on offense. Packers are just too strong and will exploit a horrible Rams secondary. Look for Finley to have a huge game as a mismatch nightmare. Packers win big, 35-19

Carolina @ Atlanta: The Falcons offense is reminding me a lot of what happened to the Bengals when T.O. came to town. They went 6-0 in the AFC North with a stout running game and then tried to change their offense around to fit T.O. Exhibit A: Julio Jones. Well he’s out this weekend. Turner needs to get more carries than 16 to keep Rodgers off the field, especially when you have a lead. Carolina nearly beat the Saints and may have if not for a stupid, inexplicable time out before the half to allow Kasay to nail a 46 yarder. DeAngelo is running hard but will face a tougher Falcons run D this Sunday. Cam Newton continues to show poise and I believe he has what it takes to get a win in Atlanta. Despite adding big time players on defense, Atlanta is ranked 28^th in pass defense. Newton will exploit this weakness. Panthers win 27-24

Indianapolis @ Cincinnati: I’m starting to think the Colts are trying to lose. How do you blow a huge lead against the sorry Chiefs? Matt Cassel looked like Tom Brady for a minute. Painter is playing much better but its still not enough. Look for Delone Carter, rookie from Syracuse, to get most of the goal line looks and carries with Addai out. He had a great Senior bowl but has yet to get in a rhythm. Dalton and Green are looking pretty good lately. With this Cincinnati defense playing in tip top shape, the Bengals could steal a few wins in the AFC North. I like their defense versus an inexperienced but improving Painter. Bengals win, 23-16

Buffalo @ NY Giants: The Bills are serious this year. Fred Jackson is running his legs off and Fitzpatrick is a field manager with precision passing. The defense may allow quite a bit of yardage but they have 12 picks on the season. Eli has been known to throw a few in his day. But he’s also been clicking with Cruz and Nicks lately. Both teams are about even but I think this is a trap game for Buffalo coming off of a big comeback win. This one will be a shootout but the Giants are pissed from getting beat by the Seahawks. Giants win on a final field goal, 31-28

Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh: Jacksonville’s chances of winning last game were killed my Matt Turk’s 3 punts of around 25 yards and a botched snap from Meester. MJD is averaging 5 YPC and the Steelers Run D is giving it up big time this year. However, the Jaguars are really struggling as a second half team and the Steelers defense is not what you what to go up against when that is happening. The Jaguars are missing CBs Cox and Coleman, which will leave them having to start undrafted rookie Rutland. Big Ben is on fire of late and he’ll take full advantage of this weakness. Jacksonville has a top 10 defense and is stout against the run. I wouldn’t start Mendenhall. Jacksonville will continue to improve but the schedule is not helping the record out. Steelers win, 30-17

Philadelphia @ Washington: Everyone laughed, including me, when Grossman said he would lead the Skins to a division title. With the Eagles struggling, and both the Giants and Cowboys playing inconsistent, its looking more like a reality. Vick is getting pummeled and making careless mistakes with the ball. His WRs are helping him by bobbling passes into the hands of defenders either. The Redskins don’t make many mistakes but there’s one main thing on their mind. The Eagles and Vick flat out embarrassed them to pieces last year on national television. The Redskins want revenge and I believe they’ll get it. Ryan Torain should get the nod and have a great game against an Eagles team that’s giving up over 140 a game on the ground. Redskins get revenge, 30-20

Houston @ Baltimore: The Texans are just cursed. It almost seems like it wasn’t a coincidence that they had to play an emotionally charged Raiders squad. Andre Johnson is banged up and the loss of Mario Williams will shift the defense around and cause some strain. Baltimore’s defense is playing lights out this season 2^nd against the rush and 8^th against the pass. Once Baltimore takes an early lead at home, the Ravens defense should be able to hold back the battered offense of Houston. Ravens win, 27-20

Cleveland @ Oakland: Darius Heyward-Bey has come out of the woodwork at last…well maybe, we’ll see. Although Campbell isn’t throwing for 300 yards, he’s doing enough to keep Oakland competitive. Hillis will be back but it seems that the Browns want Hardesty to have a bigger role. Regardless of who’s running the ball, this will be a ground and pound game. This will open up the play action pass for Oakland to take advantage of Joe Haden on the bench for the Browns. Raiders win, 21-13

Dallas @ New England: Tony Romo is continuing to show that he is not a clutch QB. The Lions comeback was absolutely atrocious although the brunt of the blame needs to go on the offensive coordinator for continuing to throw with a huge lead. The Dallas offense has struggled without Miles Austin but he should be back this week. This will help stretch the field against the 32^nd ranked defense of the Patriots. Dez Bryant should match up well against the Patriot’s short corners. The Law Firm will have a hard time rushing against Dallas who is allowing a league low 62 yards per game. Romo has a Jekyll and Hyde thing going and I think his arrow will point up this weekend. Rob Ryan will have some way to contain Welker who looks like the Patriots only WR at times. Cowboys win, 29-27

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay was decimated by the 49ers this past weekend. Jet lag played a part in the huge loss but the Buccaneers haven’t really beaten anyone good yet. The Falcons are weak, the Vikings are horrible, and Indy is a joke. Their best game came against the Lions when they lost by 7. Brees and company are somehow flying under the radar as a deep playoff candidate this year. They show no signs of slowing down either. The Saints are underrated and the Bucs are overrated. That will show in this one. Saints win 33-24

Minnesota @ Chicago: No way McNabb can deal with Chicago’s defense. Peterson will get a TD or two but I can’t see the Vikings winning this in Chicago. Bears win, 23-14

Miami @ NY Jets: Mark Sanchez is garbage and Rex Ryan is smoking something mighty good to still be talking about the Superbowl. The Jets run game is almost non-existent lately and that’s partly by choice. That boggles my mind. Sanchez is not an elite QB so the offense doesn’t need to be designed like he is. However, Matt Moore is in his first start and the Jets are not a good team to be going up against. The Jets defense will get at least 2 picks off of him. Jets win, 25-9

Week 6 Picks - Short and Sweet Gambling Edition - Justin Pompey

Finally had a sweet week. I went 10-3 bringing my season total to 31-25-1. Lets see how short I can go. Meant to mention I’m getting lines as I write this. So current as of Thursday.

Saint Louis at Green Bay (-15): Offensive line will do Sam Bradford no favors. But I do think the Rams will be competitive coming off the bye. The Packers will just be too much.

Jacksonville at Pittsburgh (-12): Line moved a half point. Unless Big Ben cant throw, not even close.

Philadelphia at Washington (+1.5): Was a pick em when I bet Eagles on Monday. Big line move. I still like the Eagles in a must win.

San Francisco at Detroit (-4.5): Solid defense by the Niners keeps this close. Jahvid Best will be pivotal here.

Carolina at Atlanta (-4): Was 4.5 earlier. I like Killa Cam either way.

Indianapolis at Cincinnati (-7): Do not like takings the Bengals. Colts by default even with no Addai and against Bengals tough d.

Buffalo at New York Giants (-3): Same ol Giants. Haven’t known what youre gonna get from them in a looong time. Last week was crucial. Bills have gotten a ton of turnovers and if Eli is off could get ugly.

Houston at Baltimore (-8): This was -7 earlier. Vegas doesnt like Mario Williams being out plus the Ravens are playing excellent on defense. This is a great teaser pick.

Cleveland at Oakland (-7): Man. Wouldnt bet this.

Dallas at New England (-7): Dallas has a real chance of winning barring a bone head play from the Romo-coaster.

New Orleans at Tampa Bay (+4.5): I think this is a lock for the Saints. I personally think the NFC South was inflated by the two wins we gave the division. Take away some heroics against some mediocre teams and the Bucs and Falcons look pretty normal. Only team I truly liked this year was N.O.

Minnesota at Chicago (-3): With that terrible o-line it seems like the Bears score on accident. We ran on them. The Lions ran on em. Alll Day will run on em.

Miami at New York Jets (-7): Matt Moore.

Week 5 NFL Predictions: Long and Thoughtful Edition -Jordan DeVore

Week 4 Results: 11-5, got back on track this week

Notes: Picked the Saints by 13 over Jacksonville and was dead on,  Picked the Bears by 6 and they won by 7, Picked New England to win 31-20 and they won 31-19. Way off on the Cleveland game.

Tennessee @ Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh’s age on defense is showing against strong offensive teams. Hasselbeck is reviving his career and surprisingly didn’t miss a step last week with Kenny Britt absent from the field. Arian Foster torched the Steelers on the ground. I think CJ is ready to get going and Tennessee is hot in the AFC South. With Big Ben and Mendenhall hurt I don’t like the Steelers chances. Titans win in Steel Town, 24-20

Seattle @ NY Giants: Seattle put up 28 last week against the Falcons. Well, apparently the Falcons suck and the 12^th man smacked them around. Eli Manning went from horrible to playing pretty darn good in just a few weeks. Manningham is back but Victor Cruz is making a case to be the #2. Either way the Giants are starting to mesh together. We’ve seen in the past what they can do when all cylinders are go. Giants roll over the Seahawks, 28-9

Cincinnati @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville’s defense has looked great this season despite some of the point totals. When you have to punt from your own 5 yard line, 4 times a game, points will be scored. The Jaguars offense is 32^nd in the league in scoring and will be going against the #1 defense in the league. Zimmer has gotten the Bengals back to the top in defense this year. Several dropped INTs have plagued the Jaguars from making big game changing plays. They still picked Brees off twice and sacked him 4 times. I see more of the same this week after they have made progress in practice this week. The Jaguars offense has been dismal but Gabbert has shown promise. If the playcalling gets better this offense will put up some points. This one will go down to the wire. Jaguars scrape by in OT, 20-17

New Orleans @ Carolina: Sproles and the Saints TEs tore up a Jacksonville defense last week that was top 5 in the league. They took advantage of a linebacking corps that is weak against the pass. The Panthers LBs are not off to a good start this year. With Beason out, the LBs have taken a significant hit and it has showed. This will be the backbreaker to a shootout between Cam and Brees. I want to pick Carolina but Brees will make less mistakes. Saints win, 30-26

Oakland @ Houston: Andre Johnson is out this week. I’ve learned from experience that you can’t count on Jacoby Jones, especially in fantasy. This game will be Arian vs. Darren and it’s hard to say who I like. The Raiders rushing defense is at the bottom end of the league and Houston is at home. I like the Texans to win, 24-19

Philadelphia @ Buffalo: The Bengals shut down the Bills offense but that won’t be the case in Buffalo this weekend. Nmandi is out of sorts in the Eagle’s defensive scheme. They looked confused in coverage and are losing the one on one battles without bump n’ run. On the other side of the ball, Vick is getting pounded because they want to keep him from running. But running keeps him from getting pounded. He’ll be on IR before they realize that you can’t take a running QB who makes plays with his feet and stick him in the pocket 24/7. Buffalo will be fired up for this one. I like the guy from Harvard and an underrated Bills secondary in this one. Bills win, 29-26

Kansas City @ Indy: I never thought I’d say this but I’m acting rooting for Indy. After watching Peyton Manning light up the AFC South for the past decade, I am scared to death we’ll have to worry about Luck for the next decade. Painter made some mistakes but the guy just needs more time. He never got any first team snaps and its biting the Colts in the ass. Cassel’s struggles won’t be aided with Freeney and Mathis coming at him. I like the Colts at home. Colts win a schloppy one, 24-16

Arizona @ Minnesota: Donovan McNabb, seriously? Put in Ponder. You’ll lose either way. Give the guy some experience. Beanie Wells is getting going and Kolb needs to prove he belongs. This is a great team to build some progress against. Cardinals win 31-21

Tampa Bay @ San Francisco: Is San Fran the real deal? This game will test them. Blount and Preston Parker are carrying the load for an improving Buccaneers offense. Alex Smith is starting to improve as Vernon Davis is getting more touches. Crabtree is back this week and will provide an added weapon. Although the run game for the 49ers is struggling, Kendall Hunter is emerging as the #2 back and showing signs of explosiveness. Both defense are middle of the road here so it’s down to the offenses to really decide this one. I’m banking on jet lag. 49ers stop a late Bucs rally, 24-23

NY Jets @ New England: Mark Sanchez is apparently Tom Brady in Rex Ryan’s eyes because they continue to throw the ball like they have some kind of potent offense. Then again, Shonn Greene is garbage and LT can’t run against a stacked box anymore. The Jets are in trouble. Sanchez may have some luck throwing against the worst pass defense in the NFL. The Pats have also struggled historically against bigger WRs so look for Burress to have a good game. Welker is playing lights out and virtually un-guardable. I like the Pats at home. Patriots win big, 38-20

San Diego @ Denver: I used to take up for Orton until I saw a stat line that he is 6-21 starting for Denver in the recent years. I think Tebow is ridiculously overrated and Quinn should get the nod but who knows? Rivers is having a difficult time without Gates but lucky for him Ryan Mathews is finally playing up to his full potential. Denver’s defense is slightly improved but I’m looking for the Chargers offense to pick up some steam. Chargers win, 27-13

Green Bay @ Atlanta: Atlanta is falling apart and its difficult to tell why. They allowed the Seahawks to score 28 points on them with Tavaris Jackson, yes Tavaris Jackson, throwing for 300+ yards and 3 TDs. Aaron Rodgers and his offense are looking like they could win the Superbowl with just Clay Matthews playing defense by himself. Atlanta needs to bounce back and they are trying to do that against the league’s best. Not gonna happen. Packers embarrass the Falcons again, 41-27

Chicago @ Detroit: Nick Fairley is getting his debut amongst the strongest front four in the league. Cutler has been thrown around this season like never before. When facing a front of this caliber he’ll do one of two things: 1) Anxiously get rid of the ball and make careless mistakes 2) Get annihilated in the backfield. On top of that the game is in Detroit with fans pumped about the Lions and fresh off a Tiger’s win. Detroit and Megatron do work, 35-23