Mac's Picks - Week 4

NFL Week 4

I’ll be referring all questions about my 5-7-2 record from Week 3 to my new publicist, Kim Etheredge.

Last week: 5-7-2
Season: 21-23-2

Arizona at Atlanta (-7) – Monday night, the New Orleans Saints showed the NFL how to slow down Michael Vick and the West Virginia option. (Surprisingly, it didn’t involve blisters or a burning sensation) The question for Arizona is whether or not they have the personnel to mirror what New Orleans did to Vick.

Speaking of Arizona, is it ok to admit that I felt sorry for Kurt Warner earlier this week? I know that I’ve taken jabs at him for being married to Mrs. Papadopoulos from “Webster”, and the phone calls to whatever sports radio station dissed her husband were embarrassing, but I was muttering “Poor Kurt” to myself after Chris Mortensen reported that Dennis Green was preparing to replace Warner with Matt Leinart as the starting quarterback for this week’s game against Atlanta. He’s a nice enough guy, that’s for sure. He doesn’t appear to be like Doug Flutie who submarined the Buffalo Bills a few seasons ago when they chose Rob Johnson over him. Is it wrong that a part of me felt that Warner was being prematurely removed as the Cardinals starter?

Ok, now I know why felt sorry for Warner this week. I just wanted one more chance to bet against the team he was quarterbacking. Thankfully, Dennis Green has had a change of heart. Thank you, Jesus! Pick: Falcons -7

Dallas (-9 ½) at Tennessee – In today’s world, where irrelevant information is just a mouse-click away, I couldn’t find any statistics about how road favorites perform in weeks where there best player is alleged to have attempted suicide. I would imagine they wouldn’t do too well, but without the info, I can’t really say for sure.

Tennessee’s ineffective offense will inevitably speed up the timetable Titans head coach Jeff Fisher has for playing rookie QB Vince Young. I understand Fisher’s reasoning for not wanting to put Young in right now, but at some point, he’s not going to have a choice. With the Dallas defense coming town, that time could be Sunday. Pick: Cowboys -9 ½

Indianapolis (-9) at NY Jets – I’ll give credit to 1st-year head coach Eric Mangini. Winning two games on the road in his first month, even if it was against Tennessee and Buffalo, is a real accomplishment that his team can build on. The one guy I really like on the Jets is Jerricho Cotchery. His brilliant catch and run against New England reminded me of the “No (bleeping’) Way” plays the computer always makes in the 4th quarter of a Madden game.

I’ve heard the argument on ESPN Radio that since Jets head coach is a defensive guy who previously coached in New England (who always had a way of shutting down Peyton Manning); the Jets will be able to keep this one close. Unless the Jets quickly trade for Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi, Ty Law, Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel, I don’t see it happening. Indianapolis may not be hitting on all cylinders, but the game against Houston showed that they’re capable of blowing out clearly inferior opponents. Pick: Colts -9

Miami (-3 ½) at Houston – In Week 1, I gleefully took the Dolphins…and they lost. Heading into Week 2 I was certain that Daunte Culpepper would lead the ‘Fins to a big win in their home opener…and they lost. Last week, the Dolphins hosted the hapless Titans, were laying down 10 ½ points and I thought that it had to be the week Culpepper throws a pair of scores to Chris Chambers and Miami rolls to an easy 3-touchdown win. They won, but needed a last minute field goal to do so. They didn’t cover, and I felt immediate shame.

So Miami, you are officially on notice. This is your last chance to prove to me that you’re worthy of my pick. You’re going up against the winless Houston Texans, who are giving up 320 passing yards per game and are ranked 32nd in the NFL in total defense. If you can’t beat this team by more than 3 ½ points, you will be removed from my Christmas card list. Pick: Dolphins -3 ½

Minnesota at Buffalo (-1) – Before the season, many NFL observers were hyping Detroit, St. Louis and Arizona as potential sleepers in the NFC playoff picture. Meanwhile, a legitimate “sleeper” has emerged in the NFC. Emerging from the waters of Lake Minnetonka, the Vikings are 2-1, just played the defending NFC North champs very tough (ok, they gave that game away) and have a Duncan Hines-approved schedule in December (at Detroit and Green Bay, home against the Jets and St. Louis). If you take away the ugly uniforms, the mascot, and the loud horn sound they play in the Metrodome, I could downgrade my hatred for this franchise to a severe dislike. (No, I’m not completely over the Hutchinson/poison-pill nonsense)

Meanwhile, I’m not sure what is happening with the Buffalo Bills. They look good against New England and Buffalo, and then allow the bionic Chad Pennington to post a 94.5 passer rating in a windy Ralph Wilson Stadium? They sacked him just one time (for a measly 1-yard loss) and managed to lose a game in which they had a 300-yard passer (Losman), a pair of 100-yard receivers (Evans, Reed) and a 150-yard runner (McGahee)? What gives, Marv? Pick: Vikings +1

New Orleans at Carolina (-7 ½) – Following the highly emotional win over the Falcons in front of their real hometown crowd on Monday night, it would be totally excusable for the New Orleans Saints to come out Sunday and get the bayou kicked out of them. It’s a short week, they’re on the road against a Carolina Panthers team that many picked to win the entire NFC this year, and the Panthers are in must-win mode.

However, with the way the Saints are playing, particularly on defense, I’m strangely confident that they can cover this spread. In fact, an outright win would not be a surprise to me. It’s amazing how confident you can be in a team when their quarterback isn’t named “Aaron Brooks”. Pick: Saints +7 ½

San Diego (-2 ½) at Baltimore – The first real test of the 2006 season for these unbeaten teams will be against one another. Not to take anything away from their undefeated starts, but they haven’t played anyone yet. There’s no “really haven’t played” aspect of it, either. What’s the combined record of the Chargers and Ravens opponents? Yeah, try 0-11.

To make my pick for this game, which will undoubtedly be a close, physical match-up, I’ve asked myself three questions:

1. When the Chargers have the ball, who is the best player on the field?


2. When the Ravens have the ball, who is the best player on the field?


3. Which team has the best kicker?

The answers were LaDainian Tomlinson, Shawne Merriman and Matt Stover. Ok, so aside from special teams plays, the Chargers will have the best player on the field. If that’s going to be the case, it’s a no-brainer. Pick: Chargers -2 ½

San Francisco at Kansas City (-7) – If the Kansas City Chiefs have any hope of getting to the post-season in Herm Edwards’ first year as head coach, this is a must-win game. Even with Damon Huard making just his 8th start in 10 NFL seasons, this is a very winnable game. The 49ers have played well this year, but they’re still rebuilding and have some injury issues to key players (Vernon Davis, Frank Gore) on offense. Pick: Chiefs -7

(This might be the only game the Chiefs win before November. After hosting the 49ers, the Chiefs go on the road to face the Cardinals and Steelers. They close out October with home games against San Diego and Seattle. They do have a soft schedule in November and late December/early January, so 8-8 is still a possibility.)

Detroit at St. Louis (-5 ½) – If you notice a lot of tinfoil hats in St. Louis this Sunday, do not be alarmed. They’re just welcoming Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz back to the Gateway. Martz has done a phenomenal job in re-shaping the Detroit Lions offense. Though the stats show the Lions averaging just12.3 points per game, they’ve come dangerously close to scoring 40 points every time they’ve stepped on the field. One of these days, the other team isn’t going show up and those promises of a 40-point explosion are going to come true.

And what about the job Jim Haslett has done as the Rams defensive coordinator? So what if they’re averaging 130 rushing yards per game? Everyone knows that the measure of a good defense is how they do against erratic quarterbacks like Jake Plummer and Kurt Warner, right? Pick: Rams -5 ½ (Did I mention Jon Kitna is the Lions starting QB?)

Cleveland (-3) at Oakland – You know you’re in rough shape when you’re hosting the winless Cleveland Browns and Vegas is giving you a field goal. Those may be the only points Oakland scores, too.

One of the more bizarre stats for the Browns is that their leading rusher is Charlie Frye, who has 1 more rushing yard than Rueben Droughns in 13 fewer carries. If you have Droughns in your fantasy league, your fortunes are about to change. Pick: Browns -3

Jacksonville (-3) at Washington – Congratulations to Mark Brunell for setting an NFL record for consecutive completed passes in a game (22). Your reward is a sore elbow and 60 minutes against the Jaguars defense. Good luck.

Speaking of the Jaguars, I have a question: When did Rashean Mathis become a good cornerback? I could’ve sworn that a year ago, he was considered an ordinary cover guy. This year it seems as though he’s immune to having pass interference called on him. I saw him get away with sneezing on Marvin Harrison, and stuff like that always draws a flag. Is this his contract year or something? Pick: Jaguars -3

New England at Cincinnati (-6) – With WR Chris Henry allegedly vomiting out a rear window while already suspended teammate Odell Thurman was failing a sobriety test, nobody can say that the Cincinnati Bengals don’t know how to celebrate a huge divisional win! I know some people have had enough of the CincinnATTICA Bengals, but how could you not want to see more? I want this team to raise so much hell away from the field that their owner, Mike Brown, starts wearing black and orange sweat suits on the sidelines and threatens to move the team to Toledo. (That would be the Ohio equivalent to Oakland, right?)

From Tom Brady’s body language, it’s clear something is wrong with him. He’s on the injury report with as probable with a right shoulder injury, but I don’t think that’s why he’s been so melancholy lately. I think he knows that he left a lot of money on the table for the Patriots to keep the core of the team together, and he’s seen guys like McGinest, Vinatieri, Givens and Branch be replaced with cheaper, less talented replacements. Thankfully, they play in the weakest division in the NFL. Pick: Bengals -6

Seattle at Chicago (-3 ½) – Yes, I’m unbelievably biased, but you know what, I think that the Seahawks have an excellent chance of winning this game.

1.) No team is going to be able to defend Seattle’s new 4-WR sets (Darrell Jackson, Nate Burleson, Bobby Engram, Deion Branch) adequately enough, so someone will always be open. Teams are going to have to bring in an extra DB to account for the 4th WR, which means that they’re taking one or even two linebackers out of the game. The strength of the Bears defense is the front seven. If you can reduce that number to 5, you’ve removed the teeth of the Bears defense.

2.) People are making way too much out of Seattle playing without the league’s MVP. Anyone who has watched the Seahawks over the last 3 years knows that the real MVP of this team is Matt Hasselbeck.

3.) Seattle is the more balanced football team. Chicago has one of the best defenses in the NFL, but the offense is still a work in progress. While the Bears can limit the Seahawks offensively, they’ll still allow some points. On the flipside, Seattle’s defense has the ability to completely shut down the Bears offense. Before the 2nd half of the Giants game, when Seattle was rushing 3-4 guys and playing a soft zone, Seattle’s defense had allowed just 19 points in 10 quarters of football.

4.) The NFL did the Seahawks a huge favor by scheduling the trip to Chicago this early in the season. Had this game been in December, with the snow, sleet and frigid temperatures, it would’ve been a huge advantage for the Bears. As it is, the forecast for Sunday night has clear skies and temperatures in the 50s.

This game may very well be a deciding factor in home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs, so I expect a very tight, hard-fought game. If you’re wondering, I expected the same thing last week when the Giants went into Qwest Field. How’d that work out? Pick: Seahawks +3 ½

Green Bay at Philadelphia (-11) – You have to wonder how the Eagles locker room responded to the latest incident involving Terrell Owens. I’m sure that some of the guys in there have reached out to T.O., but I’m guessing McNabb walked over to Donte Stallworth, gave him a great big hug and whispered “Don’t ever leave me” into his ear. Or they split a bowl of Campbell’s Chunky Soup. You get the idea. This team is much better without Owens. Pick: Eagles -11

Alexander's Left Foot? Still Broken.

Despite the "power of prayer", new tests show that the fourth metatarsal on Shaun Alexander's left foot still has a crack in it. What does that mean? Unless someone gives it the Mr. Miyagi treatment, Shaun Alexander will not play in Sunday night's game against Chicago.

While teams never want to go into an important early-season game against a conference opponent without your full assortment of offensive weapons, sitting Alexander is the right thing to do. Alexander also felt great before the games against Arizona and New York, but was clearly hampered by this injury.

Sitting him this week, along with next week's bye, gives Alexander at least 3 weeks to rest and rehabilitate the injury before the October 15th game in St. Louis.

Owens Denies Suicide Attempt

Despite my cynical nature, I'm buying the excuse that Terrell Owens did not attempt to commit suicide, and last night's episode was merely an allergic reaction between the pain medication and "natural" supplements (hey, I can't completely stifle my cynicism).

I don't intend to give this much thought, but I know many people will respond by questioning why the Dallas PD would lie by putting that in the report. To this, I'd point to the comments made by Lt. Rick Watson of the Dallas PD, who during his press briefing this afternoon called that report "preliminary". If it wasn't the official police report, why was it leaked? Furthermore, why is a leaked, unofficial police report considered the gospel?

As I mentioned earlier (post right below), it's plausible for Owens to have been mentally incompetent to correctly answer such questions. I would think that overdosing on a painkiller would have that sort of effect on Owen's speech and thought process, which was already pretty shaky to begin with.

Moving on to other turds in the NFL:

Odell Thurman's 4-game suspension has been extended by 12 games following his DUI arrest on Sunday night. Thurman, who led the Bengals in tackles during his rookie year in 2005, blew a .18 on the breathalyzer, and WCPO in Cincinnati has bizarre images and video from the scene.

Terrence Kiel, the starting strong safety for the 2-0 San Diego Chargers, has been arrested on two charges of transporting a controlled substance, and three charges of possession of a controlled substance (a Codeine-based cough syrup). I don't think this is what the NFL means when it asks its players to get involved in the community.

Quick Injury Recap

Mike Sando, who covers the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News-Tribune, is reporting that Shaun Alexander is hopeful to play this Sunday, thanks to the power of prayer. The 'Hawks have thrown him a bone and put him as "doubtful" on today's injury report, meaning there's a 25% chance of him playing this Sunday night against Chicago.

Also on the Seahawks injury report:

OUT: G Floyd Womack (knee), TE Jerramy Stevens (knee), DT Marcus Tubbs (knee)
Doubtful: RB Shaun Alexander (foot), DE Joe Tafoya (knee)
Questionable: DB Jordan Babineaux (concussion), G Chris Gray (knee), RT Sean Locklear (knee)

Cincinnati Bengals center Rich Braham could miss another month.

San Francisco 49ers rookie TE Vernon Davis will miss a month with a broken fibula. I mention this as his replacement, Eric Johnson, was claimed on my fantasy league's waiver wire before I could get him.

Terrell Owens Attempts Suicide

According to a police report, Terrell Owens has been hospitalized after attempting suicide.

Wow. Wednesdays are usually a very busy news day in the NFL, but who could've forecasted this?

If this is true, and I have my own reservations about this, you can pretty much forget about Terrell Owens playing again this season. If Owens has attempted suicide, it's obvious that the man needs professional help. Until he seeks that assistance, football is way down on the priority list. If the Dallas Cowboys won't step in and get Owens the help he'd need (if this is true), than new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell needs to.

I have some doubts about whether or not Owens actually attempted to commit suicide. I'm reserving judgment on this until all the facts are in, but here's a quick list for why I'm skeptical.

1. In the history of mankind, few individuals have been more in love with themselves than Terrell Owens. This is the same guy who coined the phrase "I love me some me", so why would he take some "kill me some me" action on Tuesday night?

2. The bottle of pills was empty, but that doesn't necessarily mean Owens ingested all of them.

3. If he was having an adverse reaction to pain medication, it's possible that he didn't have the full mental capacity to answer the EMT's "Were you attempting to harm yourself" question correctly.

Stay tuned on this one. As if you have a choice.

Alexander Out Indefinitely

If you follow the NFL, or read this blog, you already know that the Seattle Seahawks will be playing without the 2005 NFL MVP Shaun Alexander for the the next few weeks. Some are pointing to the "Madden cover" jinx and the hex on recent Super Bowl runners-up as a reason why Alexander, noted for his durability, has a small crack in a non-weight bearing bone on his left foot. I'm sorry, but I'm not buying into that nonsense.

I didn't believe in the "Curse of the Bambino", which had over 80 years of heartache behind it, so why I am going to believe there's a curse or jinx associated with a video game? That's just lunacy. As for the Super Bowl runners-up, that's a trend. When it gets into the 10-15 year range, then you can tell me that it might mean something. Otherwise, I've watched too much football in the last 10 years to believe that because a team loses the Super Bowl in one year, they automatically don't make the playoffs the following season.

So let's just cut through all the BS, and get to what this injury really means.

What Seattle's Offense Looks Like Without Alexander

The first 3 games of this season actually sheds some light on this. It was obvious in Week 1 that the running game, even with a healthy Alexander, was a work in progress. As Mike Sando points out, the losses of G Steve Hutchinson, WR Joe Jurevicius and even TE Ryan Hannam in free agency are part of the problem. Sprinkle in the injuries to Jerramy Stevens (out until 10/15) and Itula Mili (who dressed, but did not play against New York), as well as the injury to Floyd Womack, and it's easy to see why the Seahawks ground game hasn't performed as well as it did during Alexander's record-breaking 2005 season.

While it's impossible to replace the "threat" of having the NFL's MVP in the backfield, Seattle isn't without weapons on offense. In fact, the argument could be made that the recent addition of another MVP will soften the blow of not having Shaun Alexander for a few games.

Seattle used the debut of Deion Branch in a Seahawk uniform to unveil a 4-WR set, which clearly gave the Giants some problems. Few teams, if any, are equipped to match up against this without removing a linebacker or two. The 4-WR sets spread the defense out and softens the middle, which should actually help the Seahawks run the ball as they prepare to play without Alexander for a few games.

Before Alexander's injury, the threat of him running the ball created opportunities in the passing game. Well now the addition of Deion Branch and the use of more 4-WR sets will create some opportunities in the running game.

Now Introducing....Maurice Morris

Maurice Morris is likely the name burning up fantasy football league waiver wires today, as he'll be the guy the Seahawks will turn to as Alexander's replacement. Morris has limited experience as a starter, but Morris has been with the Seahawks (and in this offense) for 5 seasons. So it's not as though Seattle is turning to a rookie.

He's a better blocker, better receiver out of the backfield, and hits the hole much more quickly than the patient Alexander does. With an offensive line that may feature two greenhorns (Chris Spencer will get his 2nd career start at LG, and rookie Rob Sims may start at RG for Chris Gray), a guy who isn't dancing in the backfield and hits the holes quickly may be the better option in the short-term.

The Prognosis

If this injury was of the season-ending variety, I could understand why people would immediately begin writing the Seahawks off. Replacing a guy who produces like Alexander would be an impossible task for any team.

Thankfully, it's a short-term obstacle for a team that is used to playing without it's full arsenal of offensive weapons. You only have to point to last October (when the Seahawks lost both of their starting wide receivers) or the playoff game against Washington (when Alexander was knocked out in the 1st quarter) for evidence that Seattle is capable of adapting their offense and still winning football games.

Mac's Week 3 NFL Review

I won't take a petty jab at New York Giants GM Ernie Accorsi, and after reading the story of how New York Giants GM Ernie Accorsi has privately supported a young girl whose father perished in the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001, you probably wouldn't, either.

But I will still question what his thought process was when he dropped the dime to the league office to allege that the Seattle Seahawks were piping artificial noise into the Qwest Field speakers a week before the Giants traveled back to Seattle to face the Seahawks.

Was it done to catch the Seahawks in the act, or was it to create a built-in excuse in case his team of "soft" players couldn't get it done?

It's likely that we'll never know the answer, as it's unlikely the Giants will be making a return trip to Seattle in the Accorsi Era. He's retiring after this season, and the 1-2 Giants do not appear to be heading towards the playoffs.

Recapping the Sunday action:

Miami 13, Tennessee 10 - I'd occasionally flip over to this game, hoping to see the Dolphins driving on Tennessee (I took Miami minus the 10.5 points) for a touchdown. Every time I clicked on channel 710, I saw a punter. That's never a good sign.

Washington 31, Houston 15 - See what happens when you have a moderately healthy Clinton Portis on the field? Unless his arm is falling off, there's no reason he should be on the inactive list, Joe Gibbs.

Indianapolis 21, Jacksonville 14 - Statistically, the Jaguars dominated the first 3 quarters of the game...but still trailed 14-7. It was clear that the Colts missed their injured defenders (particularly Bob Sanders), as the Jaguars ran all over them in the 1st half, controlling the clock and keeping Peyton Manning on the sidelines. Still, it wasn't enough as the Colts eventually gashed the Jags for a pair of second half touchdowns and got the big division win. One thing is for certain: The Jaguars defense is very good, and Maurice Jones-Drew is going to be a very good running back for Jacksonville.

Green Bay 31, Detroit 24 - The Rod Marinelli era is looking a lot like the eras, isn't it? Congratulations to Brett Favre for tossing his 400th TD pass on Sunday. To put that milestone in perspective, Favre tossed his 400th TD pass on the same day Matt Hasselbeck tossed his 100th. Hasselbeck turns 31 today.

New York Jets 28, Buffalo 20 - Are the Jets for real? Two road wins would indicate that they are. The involvement of Kerry Collins and JP Losman would indicate that you may want to give it a few more games. As for Buffalo, how do you lose at home with a 300-yard passer, a 150-yard rusher and TWO 100-yard receivers? That can't possibly have happened before.

Cincinnati 28, Pittsburgh 20 - Do you still think I'm nuts for saying that the Pittsburgh Steelers are the 3rd best team in the AFC North and won't make the playoffs? The offense isn't too fearsome with Randle El's versatility, Plaxico Burress red-zone prowess and Jerome Bettis' leadership. The defense is very good, but they couldn't handle the Bengals offense. Carson Palmer is looking better and better each week, and I'm comfortable enough to say that the Bengals will repeat as division champs.

Carolina 26, Tampa Bay 24 - The Bucs season is officially over. They're 0-3, Chris Simms just had his spleen removed, and now the offense is going to be led by rookie QB Bruce Gradkowski. If you have Cadillac Williams in your fantasy league, trade him now and accept that you're going to get .40 cents on the dollar for him. As for Carolina, the package on the offense clearly reads "Just Add Steve Smith".

Chicago 19, Minnesota 16 - It wasn't pretty, and if it weren't for an fumbled exchange between Brad Johnson and Chester Taylor, the Vikings likely would've run out the clock, but the Bears got a huge division win. They're sitting pretty at 3-0, with all three wins coming inside the division. They'll go 6-0 in the division, too, as they still have Minnesota and Green Bay at home. As for Minnesota, they have to ecstatic with the 2-1 start. With the rest of the NFC contenders (NY Giants, Dallas, Washington, Carolina, Arizona) slumping, they're in good position to get a wild card slot.

Baltimore 15, Cleveland 14 - With McNair, Mason, Lewis, Heap and that defense, what were the Ravens doing trailing by 11 in the 4th quarter? With San Diego coming to town, Baltimore needs to get a lot better very quickly to be taken seriously.

Seattle 42, New York Giants 30 - Have you ever heard the saying "Oh, it was closer than the score indicates"? Well, reverse that one. Seattle led by 39 points entering the 4th quarter, went into "prevent" mode and the Giants got some cheap, meaningless points. Still, some are praising the way Manning played in the 2nd half. So let me see if I understand this correctly.

When the Seahawks blitzed and disguised their coverages, Manning's QB rating was 21.1. After the Giants were down by 32 points, and Seattle settled into a soft zone coverage, rushing no more than 4 guys with 0 blitzers, Manning had a 149.8 rating.

So that's the key! The Giants should just coast in the 1st half, trail by 17+ points, and let Manning lead them to a comeback win. They won't win many games that way, but at least they'll get Manning to the Pro Bowl.

Philadelphia 38, San Francisco 24 - Last week's loss to the Giants was an abberation. Right now, this is the best team in the NFC East. It'll be interesting to see how they manage the rest of the season with Jevon Kearse, but Trent Cole is an emerging pass-rushing threat. 10 career sacks in just 18 games. Not too shabby, kid.

St. Louis 16, Arizona 14 - The Rams message was crystal clear: "Hey Arizona, if you want 2nd place in the NFC West, you're going to have to go through us!" Does Kurt Warner still think he plays for the Rams? I ask because of some of those INTs he threw were head-scratchers.

Denver 17, New England 7 - With 3 Super Bowl rings, a spot reserved in Canton, and a gorgeous girl on his arm, you really have to wonder why Tom Brady has such a long face these days. Could it be that he left a considerable amount of money on the table so his cap number would allow New England to keep the core of the team together, and he watched them allow David Givens, Willie McGinest and Adam Vinatieri to walk away scot-free, trade Deion Branch for a snuffleupagus, and try to "make do" with Doug Gabriel (Raiders reject), Reche Caldwell (Chargers reject), recent "graduate" Junior Seau and a rookie kicker? Could that be the reason?

Hey, I know that thanks to it's other 3 inept occupants, the Patriots are going to win the AFC East with a 10-6 (maybe 11-5, but I doubt it) record, host a playoff game in January, when it's 10 degrees and snowing in Foxborough, but this does not look like a team that can compete with Cincinnati, Indianapolis or San Diego, regardless of venue. And the decisions (or lack thereof) in the off-season have everything to do with it.

Windows of opportunities are still very small in the NFL, and it's arrogant to believe that because you've got the best head coach and the best quarterback, you're destined to be a factor. The reality is you need quality contributors to get to, and win, the Super Bowl. The Patriots have allowed too many of those guys to freely walk out the door because they had the audacity to ask for some of Billionaire Bob's money, and the play on the field is beginning to show it.

Monday Night Prediction

My heart is with the Saints tonight (my picks record be damned), but my head is telling that the Atlanta Falcons will win rather easily tonight, 31-20. Too much Vick, Dunn and Jerius Norwood.

Odell "Turd"man Arrested for DUI

Already sitting out a 4-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy wasn't about to get Odell Thurman's way of getting his "drink on", and now the 2nd-year linebacker is facing DUI charges after being pulled over near a DUI checkpoint and failing a breathalyzer test.

Thurman, driving teammate Reggie McNeal's SUV, blew a .18 on the test, over twice the legal limit.

The least surprising element of this incident is that Chris Henry was in the vehicle with Thurman. Henry has been arrest nearly half a dozen times in the last 12 months, but hasn't committed the sort of infractions that have landed him on the suspension list. Henry had a pair of touchdown receptions in Sunday's win.

Mac's Week 3 Picks

It’s hard to find something to complain about after a 10-win week. Sure, Green Bay and Philadelphia choking away double-digit leads at home didn’t help the cause, but those types of games don’t happen very often.

Last Week: 10-6
2006 season: 16-16

Carolina (-3) at Tampa Bay – I am officially done with Tampa Bay. If I weren’t already painfully aware that I’m an idiot, I might be cursing myself for picking them to make the playoffs this year. Steve Smith is reportedly ready to start his season, which would be the first thing to go the Panthers way this month. Pick: Panthers –3

Chicago (-3) at Minnesota – Minnesota got a great win last week, but if John Fox doesn’t get cute, the Panthers probably win that game. I doubt Lovie Smith will make the same mistakes. One sub-plot here is whether or not Rex Grossman can make it through the game. He’s never started 3 games in any NFL season, and Minnesota has already served as a location for one of his season-ending injuries. Pick: Bears –3

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (-1) – With the news that Joey Porter’s pit bulls escaped and killed a miniature horse, would anyone be surprised to see Chad Johnson impersonating a jockey during an end zone dance this Sunday? Pick: Bengals +1

Green Bay at Detroit (-6 ½) – Just so I’m clear on this: The Detroit Lions have scored 13 points this year, and are giving half of that total to the Packers this week? Pick: Packers +6 ½

Jacksonville at Indianapolis (-7) – The Jaguars 2-0 record is impressive, especially when you consider they’ve two playoff-caliber teams. Both of those games have been at home, though, and I never like teams playing on the road on a shortened week. Pick: Colts -7

NY Jets at Buffalo (-5 ½) – The Bills expect to have Takeo Spikes back in the lineup this week, which will help them take down another overrated quarterback. Pick: Bills –5 ½

Tennessee at Miami (-10 ½) – Yes, Tennessee is this bad. Pick: Dolphins –10 ½

Washington (-4) at Houston – Washington gets Clinton Portis back, and Mark Brunell needs to start playing better to stave off a potential QB controversy. Is it possible the $62M Danny Snyder shelled out in the off-season to improve the offense finally pays off? Pick: Redskins -4

Baltimore (-6 ½) at Cleveland – Baltimore gets another warm-up game before they host the San Diego Chargers in Week 4. That’s when we’ll find out if the Ravens are the real deal. Pick: Ravens –6 ½

Philadelphia (-6) at San Francisco – The 49ers haven’t played like the doormats they were expected to be, but they haven’t faced a team as good as Philadelphia yet, either. After letting a win slip through their fingers last week, the Eagles will be focused on earning a convincing win this Sunday. Pick: Eagles -6  

St. Louis at Arizona (-4 ½) – Funny how those who predicted a 1,500-yard season for Edgerrin James are tempering their lofty projections now that they’ve realized the Cardinals offensive line isn’t very good. (Some of us knew that back when he signed with Arizona.) The good news for James and the rest of the Cardinals is that you don’t need an All-Pro left guard to run on the Rams. Just follow the paths the Bells in Denver and Frank Gore have paved the last two weeks. Pick: Cardinals –4 ½

Denver at New England (-7) – The last time the Patriots and Broncos squared off before a national audience, the Patriots “dynasty” came to an end. Don’t think that isn’t the back of the Patriots minds, even if they don’t like the “D” word. On Sunday night, they’ll make a statement. Pick: Patriots -7

Atlanta (-3) at New Orleans – The long accepted answer to the question “Why can’t an NFL team run the option” was that the defenses were simply too good in the NFL for it to work. Are we still sure about that? Pick: Falcons –3 (I wanted to pick New Orleans because I think it’s great that they’re 2-0 and have sold out the entire home season for the 1st time in franchise history. In the end, I just couldn’t overlook that Atlanta is the better team.)

NY Giants at Seattle (-3 ½) – Harvey Keitel’s “Mr. Wolf” character in Pulp Fiction had one of the best lines in the entire movie. ESPN’s Bill Simmons often cleans it up and uses it to keep people from losing perspective about a subject. Simmons’ PG-13 version of that line goes a little something like this:

“Well, let's not start sucking each other's <Popsicle sticks> quite yet”

That line perfectly sums up how I feel about all the talk of how the Giants overtime win against Philadelphia last week was some sort of coming out party for Eli Manning and the Giants.  

The bottom line is that without a fluky play (Tim Carter’s fumble recovery in the end zone), an untimely Philadelphia penalty (Trent Cole’s personal foul penalty that put New York in field goal position with 15 seconds left), and a replay official sucking down a cheesesteak instead of reviewing what looked like an interception by Brian Dawkins, the Giants don’t win that game.

Yes, Eli Manning played very well in the comeback win. So well that DJ Gallo thinks he’s adopted. Still, the Giants trailed by 17 points in the 4th quarter because they’re still not a mentally tough, disciplined football team. They spent the first 45 minutes committing penalties, bickering on the sidelines, and nearly getting Eli Manning killed by allowing 8 sacks. If it weren’t for the Philly meltdown, the Giants would be 0-2 and in deep trouble.  

This week, the Giants head into Seattle during a week in which this story hit the wire. At least one NFL team thinks the noise in Qwest Field is artificially enhanced, and voiced a complaint to the NFL about it. The first thought that comes to mind is that the Giants are the team who complained. I tend to doubt that. The last thing the Giants would want is to give Seattle fans another reason to be loud on Sunday.

The crowd noise is important, and could very well be the difference-making element to this game. The Giants struggled to protect Eli Manning last week, and the Seahawks led the NFL in sacks with 50. This year 7 different Seahawks have registered a sack, and the team is on pace for 64, so it’s not as though the Giants can key on one particular player to stop the rush. If they can’t hear the snap count or communicate along the offensive line, it could be a long day for the offensive line. A long day for them means a long day for Manning. A long day for Manning means a Seahawk victory. Pick: Seahawks –3 ½

If I Had A Billion Dollars

Here’s a question for you: Let’s say you woke up one day and decided to treat yourself to a Rolls Royce Phantom Black. Sure, it costs $340,000, but you’re worth it. You drive it home and prominently park it in the driveway, making you the envy of the neighborhood. Now, would you slap an “I’d Rather be Bass Fishing” bumper sticker on it? Would you let your teenage daughter take it to the mall?

Maybe when hell freezes over. Otherwise, it’s not happening.  

Ok, now let’s say you’re in charge of ESPN. Your network just won the bidding war for Monday Night Football, and you’re going to pay the NFL $1.1 billion dollars annually. Would you give the keys to that vehicle to Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser?

I don’t have much of a problem with Mike Tirico, but Joe Theismann is one of the worst analysts covering the NFL. He’s like a 4-year old seeing the game for the first time. Everyone is amazing! Everyone is on the brink of a Pro Bowl season, even David Carr. In one series last week, Theismann said that Ben Roethlisberger was both “back” to his 2005 form and “looking uncomfortable in the pocket”. Which is it, Joe, because he can’t be both.

Tony Kornheiser is a great columnist, but he doesn’t belong in the booth. The guy is a minor step up from the talking heads on ESPN’s “Around the Horn”, and if they ever put “guys” Skip Bayless in the booth, I’d stock up on canned goods as the apocalypse is nigh. Or get some makeup, so you’d look “fabulous” for the end of time.  

Kornheiser does have one redeeming quality: He calls Theismann out. That’s great. That’s refreshing. And knowing Theismann like we do, it’s going to happen at least once a night.

My displeasure with ESPN’s presentation of MNF isn’t limited to the guys calling the game. Oh no, there’s also that pre-game show? Counting Tirico, Theismann and Kornheiser, ESPN has NINE (9) on-air personalities at the game. You’ve got Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber patrolling the sidelines for irrelevant information, and Chris Berman, Steve Young, Tom Jackson and Michael Irvin doing the pre-game show. For every point scored in last Monday’s Jacksonville-Pittsburgh game, ESPN was right there with an ESPN personality.

I may be one of the few people left on Earth who still likes Chris Berman. I’ll admit that his act is a bit tired, but he’s like the crazy uncle who tells the same joke whenever he comes around. As old as the jokes are, it wouldn’t feel like football season if Berman weren’t running out of breath while reading a long sentence off the teleprompter, or picking a Bills-49ers Super Bowl.

Nope, my problem isn’t with Berman. It’s with the Playmaker, Michael Irvin. You see, I have a bit of problem with the newer NFL alumni that have entered the jockocracy. Some of them haven’t figured out how to be objective, and Irvin is the prime example of that. Last year’s nuzzling of Terrell Owens was an embarrassment, and it’s amazing that ESPN re-upped his contract after that and his arrest for possessing a crack pipe. (Though that arrest at least offered up some form of explanation for his bizarre viewpoints)

With the money ESPN shelled out for MNF, you would think no expense would be spared when it came time to fill the booth. After all, when it comes to broadcasting an NFL goal, the goal should be quality, not quantity. That’s something ESPN is yet to learn.  

Volek Traded to Bolts

In a move made more to ease concerns about the relatively young QBs currently on their roster, the Chargers have sent a draft pick (5th or 6th round) to the Tennessee Titans for their odd-man out, Billy Volek.

San Diego has been in the market for a veteran QB to backup Phillip Rivers, who is 2 starts into his NFL career. The Chargers opened the season with just two 2 quarterbacks on the roster, with rookie QB Charlie Whitehurst serving as Rivers' backup.

Tennessee had been looking to trade Volek, who was the team's starting QB at this time last month. The long-time backup to Steve McNair was elevated to the top of the depth chart when the Titans shipped McNair to the Baltimore Ravens, and Volek was able to stave off rookie Vince Young during training camp. Volek's fate was sealed when Tennessee agreed to terms with veteran Kerry Collins a week before the regular season started, and Collins has been the starting QB in both of Tennessee's losses this year.

This is a deal that has made sense for both teams since the Titans signed Collins, but with the two teams meeting in Week 2, Jeff Fisher obviously didn't want to send Volek to San Diego and possibly divulge the secret weapons of the Titans offensive arsenal.

Fisher's strategy clearly paid off, as Tennessee was able to score a whopping 7 points against San Diego on Sunday.

Week 2 Casualty Report

It wouldn't be a Monday during the NFL season without some injuries, so let's take a look at some of the key ones and the impact they'll have going forward.

DE, Jevon Kearse, Philadelphia Eagles: Kearse will miss the rest of the season with sprained ligaments in his left knee. This is a major blow to the Philadelphia Eagles pass rush that has created 13 sacks already this season.

WR, Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys: Owens will have a plate screwed into the broken ring finger on his right hand. Owens stated after the game that he'll miss 2-to-4 weeks while healing from this injury, but there's almost no chance Mr. Ego will miss the Cowboys game in Philadelphia on October 8th.

DE, Erasmus James, Minnesota Vikings: Will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee. James, a 1st round pick in 2005, was expected to be a key player on the Vikings defense, which has already lost 3 players (S Tank Williams, LB Chad Greenway) for the season.

LT, Charles Spencer, Houston Texans: As if the Houston Texans didn't have enough problems protecting David Carr, they'll have to get by for the rest of 2006 without rookie left tackle Charles Spencer, who broke his left tibia after it got in the way of Ron Dayne.

DE, David Pollack, Cincinnati Bengals: David Pollack sustained the most serious, and most scary, injury in Week 2, and he'll become the 3rd DE chosen in the 1st round on this list to miss the rest of the season. Pollack broke his neck in the game against Cleveland. It's injuries like this that put player holdouts in perspective. At any given moment these guys could lose their livelihood, which is why I always cut players holding out for more money a bit of slack.

C, Rich Braham, Cincinnati Bengals: More bad news for the Bengals. Center Rich Braham's injured knee will keep him out of their big, early-season game against division rival Pittsburgh.

More updates to come later....

NFL - Week 2 Review

A very wild week in the NFL. Three games went into overtime, some whacky special teams plays and the two players who made guarantees failed to deliver. Here's a game-by-game look at Week 2.

Houston at Indianapolis - The biggest story out of the Texans-Colts game was that one of Colts running backs likely distinguised himself. Rookie Joseph Addai outrushed veteran Dominic Rhodes by 45 yards on 2 more carries and scored his first NFL touchdown. Oh, and Peyton Manning threw for 400 yards and 3 TDs. Just another day at the office for Manning and Colts, who ran their all-time record against Houston to 9-0.

New Orleans at Green Bay - Few predicted that the Saints would win more than 4 or 5 games. New Orleans is yet to play at home, and they're already halfway there. Sean Payton is using Reggie Bush effectively, and Drew Brees isn't making the costly mistakes previous Saints quarterbacks have made.

Cleveland at Cincinnati - Despite Sgt. Winslow's prediction that Leigh Bodden would shut down #85, Chad Johnson is still going to check off the "No" category for Bodden on his report card. Johnson had 6 grabs for 78 yards and a touchdown. The ground is the only thing that can stop #85, as Johnson appeared to injure his right shoulder on his TD catch. Injuries were the theme of the day for Cincinnati, who may have lost David Pollack and Rich Braham on Sunday.

Detroit at Chicago - Dumbass Predictions, Part II. Detroit WR Roy Williams predicted a win (and 40 points) against the Bears defense. Williams had a decent day (6 receptions, 71 yards), and the Lions finally scored a touchdown this season, but it wasn't nearly enough as Detroit was blown out by the Chicago Bears, 34-7. At their current pace, Detroit will cross that 40-point mark against the NY Jets on October 22nd.

Oakland at Baltimore - Aaron Brooks left with an injury in the 1st quarter, giving way to the "future" QB, Andrew Walters. Walters played better than Brooks, but that isn't really saying much. Walters completed 30% of his passes (that grows to nearly 50% if you count the 3 interceptions he threw) and moved the Raiders into position to actually score 6 points. That's 6 more than anyone expected them to score on the Ravens defense. I predicted a good season from the Ravens, but I am concerned about yesterday's 1-6 performance in the red zone. 28-6 is a blowout, but they should've scored 40 points yesterday.

Tampa Bay at Atlanta - Around 4pm, I did the tuck and roll as a I lept off the Buccaneers bandwagon. The offensive line can't block, Chris Simms can't throw and I don't understand Jon Gruden's play-calling. There is no veteran QB on the roster who can step in and guide them to narrow victories. I give up. For Atlanta, 306 yards on the ground against Tampa Bay is incredible. The Buccaneers were the one team that always bottles up Vick, and last year, this group was very stingy against the run. It's going to be a long season for the Bucs.

Carolina at Minnesota - As much as they miss Steve Smith, the absence of their best player is no excuse for what happened yesterday. Mistakes on special teams (Chris Gamble's ill-advised lateral and being caught napping on the fake FG for a touchdown) cost John Fox's crew the game. Now the Panthers are 0-2, two full games behind New Orleans and Atlanta. On the bright side, DeAngelo Williams earned some more playing time. For Minnesota, they were lucky to escape with an overtime win. They didn't do a very good job of protecting Brad Johnson, and that includes All-World LG Steve Hutchinson, who got abused by Panthers DT Kris Jenkins.

NY Giants at Philadelphia - Indulge me for a minute, ok? Back in October of 2004, the Seattle Seahawks led the St. Louis Rams 27-10 as they entered the 4th quarter at Seahawks Stadium. That period would see the Rams bottle up the Seahawks running game, preventing the Seahawks from running out the clock. St. Louis scored 17 unanswered points to tie the game, forcing overtime. In overtime, Marc Bulger hit Shaun McDonald for a long touchdown. St. Louis 33, Seattle 27.

Fast-forward to Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles lead the Giants 24-7 as they enter the 4th quarter. The Eagles can't generate any ground game to run the clock out. They miss a field goal attempt. The Giants score two touchdowns, get the ball back and kick the tying field goal with 7 second left in regulation. Eli Manning hits Plaxico Burress with a 31-yard TD in overtime to win the game.

Aside from the Eagles actually touching the ball in the overtime period, the two games are eerily similar. In 2004, the Seahawks were never fully capable of erasing that game from their memories. They won the division, but lost at home to the Rams in the playoffs. How will the Eagles respond after giving away a win to a division rival?

Buffalo at Miami - I wonder what the people who predicted that the Dolphins would make the Super Bowl (hello, Sports Illustrated!) are thinking this morning. In the home opener, against a Buffalo Bills defense started FOUR rookies, the Dolphins score just 6 points.

St. Louis at San Francisco - I'm not normally one to brag, but in my weekly picks column, didn't I mention that people were too quick to praise Jim Haslett and the Rams defense? After giving up 360 yards to the 49ers, failing to sack Alex Smith even once, and losing 20-13, maybe the Len Pasquarelli's should wait for more games to unfold before hyping up a unit that clearly isn't worthy of such praise.

Arizona at Seattle - Seattle is still shaky offensively, but they were good enough to beat the upstart Cardinals by 11 points. Led by an underrated defense, the Seahawks applied constant pressure on Kurt Warner (in fairness, thats not the hardest thing in the NFL to do) and held the high-powered Cardinals offense to just 256 yards. Seattle missed some opportunties to blow this game wide open, but they'll take the 11-point win and 2-0 record.

Tennessee at San Diego - Titans rookie QB Vince Young led the Chargers in rushing and passing, which at this point of the season, where he's still the #2 QB, isn't a good thing. The bright side for the Titans is Young got his first TD pass out of the way, hitting Drew Bennett for 18 yards to Titans to within 26 of the Bolts. The most shocking aspect of this game was that Shawne Merriman only had 1 tackle, and the Chargers did not sack Young or Kerry Collins once.

New England at NY Jets - I sort of suspected that the departure of David Givens and Deion Branch, along with getting healthy on the offensive line and the drafting of Laurence Maroney, that the Patriots would be a more run-oriented offense in 2006. Splitting carries between Maroney and veteran Corey Dillon is working. Combined, the duo ran the ball 36 times for 145 yards and a pair of TDs (one each), while Tom Brady only attempted 29 passes, one of which he connected with rookie Chad Jackson for a 13-yard TD pass. Not a bad debut for Jackson, who has awfully big shoes to fill. It was also good to see Tedy Bruschi return from a broken wrist to notch 6 tackles and an interception.

Kansas City at Denver - Thankfully, I didn't subject myself to a second of the Jason Elam-Lawrence Tynes show. 9-6 games are painful enough to watch, a 9-6 game that goes into overtime is torture.

Washington at Dallas - Is it too late for Washington to send Al Saunders back to Kansas City? The Redskins offense is excruciating to watch, and the defense isn't nearly as good as advertised. It's still early in the season, but the Redskins are looking more and more like a pretender. The Cowboys win probably quieted the Tony Romo talk, but the news isn't all good in Big D. Terrell Owens has a broken finger, which may sideline him for a month. Convenient, seeing how Dallas travels to Philly in early October.

NFL Week 2 - Mac's Picks

I’m dedicating my 6-10 record last week to Dom Capers, who I miss dearly. Just knowing he held a head coaching position in the NFL made picking these games so much easier.

So I didn’t have a good performance last week. Honestly, who would’ve thought that two teams in the NFC South would be 1-0, and Carolina and Tampa Bay wouldn’t be one of them? Did anyone think Seattle would fail to score a touchdown against Detroit? Denver kept St. Louis out of the end zone…and still failed to cover the 4-point spread?

If those games went the way everyone expected, I’m 10-6 and feeling pretty good. But I am what my record says I am. Right now, that’s not very good.

2006 Record: 6-10

Tampa Bay at Atlanta (-5 ½) – All signs are telling me to get off the Buccaneer bandwagon, and to do so as soon as humanly possible. They were just shut out, at home, by the Baltimore Ravens, Chris “laissez-faire” Simms is the lowest-rated QB in the NFC, and the offensive line is a mess. This week they head into Atlanta, who just beat the Carolina Panthers on the road. I’m sticking with the Bucs because I don’t think Michael Vick can play turnover-free football two weeks in a row, and I can’t walk away from 5 ½ points. Pick: Buccaneers +5 ½

Oakland at Baltimore (-11) – When you lure your offensive coordinator away from running a bed & breakfast in Idaho, you've already forfeited the right to be shocked when you get shut out in Week 1.

Sending the Raiders across the country to play Baltimore, after what happened on Monday, borders on cruel and unusual punishment. Art Shell telling reporters that he removed Aaron Brooks in the 4th quarter “for his safety” is cruel, especially since he’s about to face a defense with guys like Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, who’ll provide the punishment. Pick: Ravens –11

Detroit at Chicago (-8 ½) – After failing to score a touchdown in the season opener, it probably wasn’t too smart of Lions WR Roy Williams to predict that his team would score 40 points this week against the NFL’s best defense. Whenever a player does that, it’s easy money. Pick: Bears –8 ½

Cleveland at Cincinnati (-10 ½) – Three days after losing a home game to the lowly New Orleans Saints, Sgt. Winslow decides to call out Chad Johnson. Just a hunch, but I bet that didn’t sit too well with Romeo Crennel. Pick: Bengals -10 ½

New Orleans (-2) at Green Bay – Remember those days when the universal rule among gamblers and handicappers was that you never, ever, under any circumstance, bet against Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field? For old time’s sake, I’m invoking that rule this week. Pick: Packers +2

Houston at Indianapolis (-13) – Memo to Peyton Manning: You’re the highest paid player in NFL history. Therefore, it’s perfectly acceptable for you to occasionally say “no” to an endorsement opportunity. You’re everywhere, Peyton. You’re like the NFL’s version of Ben Stiller. Nobody is going to forget about you anytime soon, so there’s no reason for you to be on my TV screen every 5 minutes. Pick: Colts -13

Buffalo at Miami (-6 ½) – With Troy Vincent placed on IR this week, and Takeo Spikes questionable with a hamstring injury, Daunte Culpepper’s 1st game in South Florida should go more smoothly than a leisurely boat cruise on Lake Minnetonka. Pick: Dolphins -6 ½

Carolina (-2 ½) at Minnesota – In my preview of the Carolina Panthers, I mentioned that if the Panthers stay healthy, they should win their division and make the playoffs. With Travelle Wharton done for the season, and Steve Smith and a wobbly Dan Morgan on the shelf, this is a much different team than the one many have predicted to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLI. Pick: Vikings +2 ½

NY Giants at Philadelphia (-3) – The good news for Eli Manning is that duck-hunting season doesn’t begin in Philadelphia for a few more weeks. Pick: Eagles -3

St. Louis (-3) at San Francisco – While everyone else is praising the Rams defense, has anyone noticed that they gave up 161 yards on the ground and that Denver repeatedly shot themselves in the foot? Or am I the only one? Pick: 49ers +3

Arizona at Seattle (-7) – Arizona’s offense looked good in the 34-27 win that christened whatever the hell they’re calling that thing they play in. Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but as good as their offense is, the defense gave up 27 points and nearly 400 yards to Alex Smith and the 49ers. As for Seattle, don't worry about the offense, which will only get better once Deion Branch gets involved. Pick: Seahawks -7

Kansas City at Denver (-10 ½) – It’s possible that the presence of Jay Cutler will result in more erratic performances from Jake Plummer, who doesn’t have a history of responding well under pressure. Still, the Chiefs offense is in such disarray, I’m comfortable giving them more points than they could score against Cincinnati last week. Pick: Broncos -10 ½

New England (-6) at NY Jets – As if you needed more proof that most of what you see in Week 1 should be taken with a grain of salt, Chad Pennington has been named the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Week. As for New England, despite struggling at home against the Bills, and playing without many of the guys responsible for all them Lombardi trophies, their schedule and division make it impossible to write this team off. Pick: Patriots -6

Tennessee at San Diego (-11 ½) – Anyone want to bet that the number of times Kerry Collins is sacked this week will be greater than the number of pass attempts Phillip Rivers even makes? Pick: Chargers -11 ½

Washington at Dallas (-5 ½) – Who wouldn’t enjoy seeing the Cowboys enter their bye week 0-2, with a brewing QB controversy, and a likely unhappy Terrell Owens? If that shoddy offensive line play continues, it could happen. Let the rubber necking begin! Pick: Redskins +5 ½

Pittsburgh at Jacksonville (-1) – The word out of Pittsburgh is that Big Ben hopes to play on Monday night, despite having his appendix removed less than 2 weeks ago. Ok, let me see if I understand this.

- During the summer, a helmet-less Ben Roethlisberger head-butts a Chrysler while riding the fastest motorcycle in production. Yet, he doesn’t even miss a day of training camp

- On the eve of the 2006 season Roethlisberger has his appendix removed, which usually sidelines normal people for 4-6 weeks. Yet, he plans on missing just the one game.

It appears as though Roethlisberger would need to have a severed limb for him to miss any significant time.

I’ll admit that I was wrong about the Jaguars. I didn’t think they’d have the weapons to beat a good Cowboys defense, but Leftwich played with poise, distributed the ball quickly to several different receivers, and Fred Taylor put together some good runs. Pick: Jaguars -1

NFL News & More on the Branch Trade

Some news & notes from last night's Monday night doubleheader, and other news that broke on Monday.

Monday Night Football

- According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Jerry Porter was seen laughing and pumping his fist after one of the many times (7 total) Aaron Brooks was sacked last night. Porter was inactive for the game, and it's been clear since before training camp that Porter wants out of Oakland. Perhaps his alleged (we didn't see it, so we can't confirm it) celebration over his team's misfortune will be the final straw that sends Porter packing.

- Danny Snyder spent nearly $62M on off-season acquisitions to upgrade the offense, and in Week 1, that spending spree once again failed to pay off.

Three drives stalled in the red zone, and the Redskins were forced to settle for chip-shot field goals from John Hall. With a coordinator earning more money than Vikings QB Brad Johnson this year, you'd expect Washington to score more than 1 touchdown in their 4 red zone attempts.

I'm feeling less comfortable about my prediction that Washington will win the NFC East.

Week 1 Casualty Report

The general belief in the NFL is that after Week 1, nobody is playing at 100%. This weeks notable injuries include:

Travelle Wharton, LT, Carolina Panthers - Lost for the year with a torn ACL & MCL in his left knee. Major loss for the Panthers, who are pretty thin at the tackle position.

Dan Morgan, MLB, Carolina Panthers - Concussion. I've lost count of how many times Morgan has been concussed. If you were counting, you'd need two hands and that's never a good thing. NFL franchises do not mess around with head injuries, so I don't expect to see Morgan on the field anytime soon. There is a possibility that the multiple concussions may signal a premature end to Morgan's playing career.

Joe Jurevicius, WR, Cleveland Browns - Jurevicius is expected to miss a minimum of 4-6 weeks with broken ribs. Ironically, it was a rib injury to Bobby Engram that catapulted Jurevicius into the Seahawks starting lineup last October. This is bad news for the Browns, as Jurevicius is the big, sure-handed target that you'd want when you're breaking in a young QB.
Trent Green, QB, Kansas City Chiefs - Will miss a minimum of two games after suffering a concussion on the weekend's most controversial hit. Green was giving himself up when he was viciously hit by Bengals DE Robert Geathers, who was not flagged on the play. After seeing countless replays of this hit, I'm starting to see Geathers side of things. It's unfortunate that Green got injured, but I'm thinking that this is one of those plays where the defender couldn't possibly have avoided making contact. Protecting the quarterbacks is something the NFL strives to do, but it's not tiddly-winks out there, and occasionally, a QB is going to get jacked up.

K-Rob Signs With the Packers

From the "Have Talent/Will Travel" department comes the news that Koren Robinson has signed a contract to play for the Green Bay Packers.

It's obvious that Packers GM Ted Thompson is kidding himself when he says:

"I'm not making excuses," Thompson said. "He's made some mistakes. But this is a good kid. He is a good character guy, for all intents and purposes."

Good characters are players like Troy Brown or Hines Ward. Guys who weren't given much of opportunity to even make the NFL, but earned every chance they got and forged great careers for themselves. Robinson doesn't fit the bill, Ted. This is a guy who was chosen with the 9th pick of the 2001 NFL draft and has squandered every opportunity handed to him.

I have no doubt that Koren Robinson is a nice, likable guy and I sincerely hope he learns how to keep his demons at bay. But to call him a "good character guy" while justifying his signing is a weak attempt to mask the fact that the Green Bay Packers are a terrible football team.

Bledsoe + Pressure = Tony Romo, starting NFL QB

Bill Parcells did little yesterday to diffuse the brewing QB controversy in Dallas. A day after Drew Bledsoe gave away interceptions like they were unwanted kittens, it's crystal clear that Parcells is inching closer and closer to replacing Bledsoe with untested, but more mobil QB Tony Romo.

I didn't watch much of the Cowboys-Jaguars game, but it appeared that both interceptions thrown by Bledsoe in the 4th quarter on Sunday were poor, unforced throws. And that won't sit well with the Tuna.

Reaction to Branch Trade

The Boston Herald has articles on the Branch deal here, here, and a good article on the lack of WR on the Patriots roster right now. John "Popper" Tomase reports on how other Patriots took the news.

The Boston Globe checks in with some comments from a miserable Richard Seymour here. Alleged anti-Patriot Ron Borges never misses an opportunity to say "I told you so" to the Patriots brass.

Clare Farnsworth of the Seattle-Post Intelligencer touches upon all the angles of the Branch trade.

The Seattle Times has an article here, and a good column by Jerry Brewer here on the Branch trade.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune writes that the addition of Branch indicates what the Seahawks ambitions are, while Mike Sando goes above and beyond and provides not only the facts detailing the Branch trade, but also has a history of trades the Seahawks have made involving 1st round draft choics.

Nationally, Clark Judge of CBS Sportsline.com thinks that the Patriots got the better end of the deal.

And I think Judge is insane.

Look at the Patriots receiving corps without Branch, then look at the reaction in the Patriots locker room to the news he's been traded, and try to tell me that New England came out on top yesterday.

Seattle just acquired a 27-year old wide receiver who is heading into the prime of a career that already has "Super Bowl MVP" attached to it?

Meanwhile, the Patriots underestimated Branch's value in today's NFL, allowed the rest of the league to determine what Branch's ultimate value really is (a MAJOR front-office blunder) and took a 1st round pick from a team that just played in the Super Bowl because they couldn't afford to trade him inside their own division.

Clark Judge dusts off some of the recent WR deals in an attempt to illustrate that Seatle overpaid for Branch. He mentions that Phiadelphia traded a DL (Brandon Whiting) and a 5th round pick for Terrell Owens. San Diego traded a 3rd and 6th round picks for Kennan McCardell and Atlanta recently shipped a 3rd round pick for Ashley Lelie.

Hey, Clark! So what?

Philadelphia got Owens on the cheap because San Francisco had no choice but to trade him. Has Judge alreayd forgotten about the mess Owens created within the 49ers organization, and that um...San Francisco technically didn't have to trade Owens, either, since the head case's agent forgot to file the proper paperwork?

When the Chargers acquired McCardell, the disgruntled wide receiver was 34 years old and holding out on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. McCardell has been in San Diego for two years, and at 36, his time remaining in the NFL is limited. When Branch is in his 3rd season with Seattle, he'll be 30.

I'm giddy that Judge has brought the trade of Ashley Lelie into the discussion. According to Judge, the one difference between the two stalemates was that the Patriots got a 1st round pick for Branch, while the Broncos only received a 3rd from Atlanta.

First of all, the Broncos didn't get anything from Atlanta. They got the Redskins 3rd round pick in a 3-team deal. If you want to compare what Atlanta traded to Washington (who sent the 3rd round pick to Denver) for Lelie, you're talking about running back TJ Duckett, a former 1st round draft pick. But Clark Judge is only a national columnist, so we shouldn't expect him to remember such things.

Judge cannot be serious with his comparison of Lelie to Branch. Ashley Lelie was a 1st round draft pick who hasn't done anything in the NFL as of yet. In Denver, he was the #3 WR, was holding out and even if he returned, he likely wouldn't have had any impact in Denver.

Branch is a 2nd round pick who outperformed his rookie deal. He was the New England Patriots #1 WR, Tom Brady's favorite and most reliable target. Once he had to return in Week 10, to get credit for the season, Branch would've instantly improved the Patriots passing attack heading into the playoffs.

So is trading a #1 pick for someone like that worth it?

Hell. Yes.

Who Made Out the Best - ESPN Poll

The main page at ESPN.com asks the question: Which team made out the best in the Deion Branch trade:

a. Seahawks - Get Deion Branch

b. Patriots - Get 2007 1st round pick

c. It's a great trade for both teams

Not surprisingly, only one state (Vermont) on the East coast thinks the Seahawks got the better end of the deal. Seattle's market (Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho) thinks Seattle got the better end, as did Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Kentucky, Alabama, and the international community.

One state, Minnesota, believed the Patriots getting the 1st round pick is the better end of the deal. This shouldn't be surprising. After all, the Vikings traded a slew of draft picks to the Dallas Cowboys for Hershel Walker. Dallas used those picks to go on a run of Super Bowl wins, so you can't blame Minnesotans for placing a higher premium on April's draft than most markets do.

As for me, I think Seattle is the winner here. For starters, they're getting a quality wide receiver entering the prime of his career. I don't necessarily feel that he's worth that much money (or a 1st round pick), but that's what the market has dictated.

I think you almost have to give Seattle the edge here because Seattle will receive both short and long-term benefits from this trade, whereas the Patriots will only receive long-term gains.

To correct Mike Florio over at PFT.com, the acquisition of Deion Branch should be taken at face value. Florio speculated that Nate Burleson isn't panning out in Seattle, Darrell Jackson isn't 100%, so Seattle had to make this deal. He's wrong.

This is proactive manuever, not a reactive one. Burleson did only have 1 reception yesterday, but it was on an improvised play and went for 36 yards. It appears that Burleson (who did struggle early in camp) and Hasselbeck are close to being on the same page. There is a concern about Jackson's left knee, which has been surgically-repaired twice in the last 12 months. But he had 5 catches for 47 yards and appeared to be moving very well yesterday, especially on the play where he reversed field, and ran about 70 yards to gain an actual total of 13. Same quickness, and he didn't appear to be limping.

Seattle acquired Deion Branch because he'll improve the team's depth at that position. Last year, the team lost Bobby Engram (4 games) and Darrell Jackson (10 games) and were very fortunate to have Joe Jurevicius, a veteran presence, on the roster. If the team were to fall prey to the same misfortunes this October, they wouldn't be nearly as prepared as they were in 2005.

Adding Branch resolves that in the short-term, and provides the team with a long-term starter at a very important position.

Deion Branch Is a Seahawk

According to various Internet reports, the Seattle Seahawks have acquired WR Deion Branch from the New England Patriots for a 1st round pick in 2007.

The addition of Branch potentially gives Seattle the deepest corps of wide receivers in the NFL. However, there are lingering concerns about Darrell Jackson's long-term health (two knee surgeries in the last 12 months) and Bobby Engram