NFL Week 12 Recap

After a few weeks without doing one of these, I thought it would be a good way to pass the time as the Indianapolis Colts finish pounding the Iggles.

New Orleans 31, Atlanta 13 - The Saints are no longer merely a playoff possibility. With 5 weeks left on the schedule, the Saints are leading their division and are currently the #2 seed in the NFC playoff picture. Still, I'm amazed at how productive Drew Brees has been this year. He's closing in on a 6th straight 300-yard passing game, and is on pace for 5,000 yards for the season. Did anyone see this coming, especially after the Saints dealt Donte Stallworth to the Eagles?

Atlanta's inability to pass, and stop the pass, has done them in this year. On the defensive side, it's all about the injuries. No Patrick Kerney. John Abraham has missed most the season (he did play today), and the secondary is banged up. At least they have an excuse. But offensively, what more can Jim Mora Jr. and Greg Knapp do for Michael Vick? They have an excellent two-back run game, three former 1st round picks at WR and a Pro Bowl tight end. Yet they can only muster 84 yards passing?

Washington 17, Carolina 13 - The season may not be over, but when you compile the list of disappointing teams, you have to put both of the teams on top of the list, don't you? And I'd say that Carolina has been the more disappointing of the two. This was supposed to be the most talented team in the league, and a well-coached one to boot. For them to be 6-5, and lose to Jason Campbell in his 2nd NFL start, makes me wonder if this team can get it together by January.

St. Louis 20, San Francisco 17 - It was frustrating for me to watch this game. The guy I was playing in fantasy football had both Frank Gore and Steven Jackson going, and every time I peeked in today, one of them was gashing the other team's defense.

As for the game, this was vintage...ok, it wasn't vintage anything. I would say it's an example of San Francisco's youth coming back to haunt them. The 49ers were simply unable to put the Rams away, and they gave the Rams too much time late in the 4th quarter to come back.

NY Jets 26, Houston 11 - How many people thought Chad Pennington was done when Mario Williams attempted to bury him alongside Jimmy Hoffa? Come on, raise your hand...

Minnesota 31, Arizona 26 - If you've been watching tonight's SNF game on NBC, it's been mentioned how teams rarely win when they're one dimensional on offense. Arizona attempted to run the football 6 times today. Is it any wonder they lost? Sometimes these guys know what they're talking about. Sometimes.

Buffalo 27, Jacksonville 24 - The Bills were helped by Roscoe Parrish's punt return for a touchdown. I like to call those "The Dante Hall Specials", because the officials let at least one hold and one block in the back go as Parrish streaked down the sidelines. It was reminiscent of Hall's 96-yard punt return against Denver a few years back. I still don't know how no laundry ended up on the turf on that one.

Baltimore 27, Pittsburgh 0 - It's official now that the Pittsburgh Steelers will not make the playoffs this year. I have to wonder what western Pennsylvania is going to be like in January. The Steel City's greatest export that month will be blank, melancholy stares. Relax, Pittsburghers: It's only 10 weeks until pitchers and catchers report to Pirates camp.

Cincinnati 30, Cleveland 0 - Is it already time for Cleveland to do another house cleaning? Perhaps it's a bit too soon, but then again, maybe it's not. This team has shown zero progress under Crennel. None. The defense never had a chance against Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson, and the offense couldn't move the ball against one of the worst defenses in the NFL. And today, Braylon Edwards threw a tirade at Charlie Frye. Peter King reported on Football Night in America that Edwards' tirade was directed at the offensive line. So that makes it acceptable?

San Diego 21, Oakland 14 - I'm not trying to start something here, but I watched a lot of this game today, and it looked like Philip Rivers was a bit scared. Maybe he just has awful mechanics, but every pass seemed to be thrown off his back foot, and his passes were often short of their target.

And since I'm stirring things up, there is no way that was an "illegal forward pass" by Vincent Jackson, who apparently thought he was still playing at Northern Colorado when he flipped the ball to the ground even though nobody touched him down after his falling reception. San Diego scored on that drive, so Christmas came early for Marty's bunch.

Tennessee 24, NY Giants 21 - Yes, I'm tooting my own, but I've repeatedly mentioned how "soft" I think the Giants are. Today, I was (once again) proven right. They positively choked that game away today. Up by 21 with less than 10 minutes to go, and Burress gives up on a play. Mathias Kiwanuka then treats Vince Young like it's a drill, and Uncle Rico is a blocking sled. Then Manning's ill-advised interception. All the while, Tom Coughlin stands on the sideline with the "what the ----" look on his face. I agree that Coughlin didn't miss any tackles or throw any interceptions, but when the teams plays like that, the coach is ultimately responsible.

New England 17, Chicago 13 - Some may look at this game and note that it was sloppy. I just saw two great defenses doing what great defenses do, and that's forcing turnovers. i had a sense that this game was going to come down to the play of the quarterback, and I'll take Tom Brady over Rex Grossman 100 times out of 100.

On a side note, I think that installing that FieldTurf is going to be the best improvement Robert Kraft has made to this team since hiring Bill Belichick. It'll make their defense faster, it'll make Laurence Maroney unstoppable, and Tom Brady won't have to worry about his footing anymore.

Indianapolis 45, Philadelphia 21 - Because Jeff Garcia was in the building I'm hesitant to say this, but I think we just witnessed Joseph Addai's coming out party. I've been saying it all year long, but Addai should've been starting for a few weeks now. Nothing against Dominic Rhodes, but Addai is just more dynamic. It may have been against a poor Eagles run defense, but 170+ yards and 4 touchdowns is no joke.

Quote of the Week
"The road to Glendale is paved with Trojans" - Brent Musberger, after USC defeated Notre Dame, 44-24.

Apparently, the road to Glendale is ribbed for her pleasure.

Mac's Game Balls

Offense: Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts - As mentioned above, I'm very impressed with Addai's performance on Sunday night. 170 yards and 4 touchdowns is just a phenomenal outing for the rookie RB. (For the record, Edgerrin James had 4 carries for 15 yards on Sunday)

Defense: Asante Samuel, New England Patriots - Samuel intercepted Rex Grossman three times, including one that clinched the game for the Pats.

Special Teams - Rod Bironas, Tennessee Titans - Based on the condition of the turf in Nashville, the 49-yard field goal by Bironas in the games final 11 seconds gets him this honor. Don't look now, but the Titans are 4-4 with Vince Young starting at quarterback!

Monday Night Prediction

The weather is calling for upper 30s and some snow showers in Seattle, which would be a first during a Seahawks game. Personally, I don't think that the whole "that weather helps the Green Bay Packers" way of thinking.

Teams do not practice in the elements, so why would snow help the Packers? Plus, the weather in Green Bay has seen above normal temperatures and very little snow this month. Since all NFL players have, at one point, played in inclement weather, I don't think a few flurries and chilly temperatures aides one team or the other. About the only time I think it has any merit is when the temperature is very, very cold (negative temps, wind chill, etc...) and the visiting team plays in a very warm climate. In those instances, I can see how the shock of being outside in the elements would have a negative impact on the roadies.

For tonight, I'm going with a Seahawks 27, Green Bay 16 prediction. I don't expect Matt Hasselbeck's return to pay huge dividends in his first game, but I do think they'll improve offensively with Hasselbeck joining an improving Shaun Alexander in the huddle. Once the offense improves, which it will, the defense will benefit greatly by not having to spend so much time on the field.

Tony "Mojo" Romo

When Dallas quarterback Tony Romo made his NFL starting debut on Monday Night Football, John Madden announced to the world that just a few days earlier, his girlfriend had dumped him. In the wake of a breakup, some professional athletes accidentally ingest too many painkillers (Terrell Owens), and some go on to lead the NFL in passer rating. After all, when you're named the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, the chances that you'll remain single are pretty slim.

So who is rumored to be the new lady in Tony Romo's life?



Jessica. Simpson.

Yet another example of how I made a severe vocational error.

Much Ado About Romo

While waiting for the turkey to cook, and for it to be 12pm so I can crack my first beer, I'm passing the time by watching SportsCenter. And I just heard Ed Werder say that with the injuries to Donovan McNabb and Matt Hasselbeck (who will return this week), and the inconsistencies of Michael Vick, Dallas Cowboys 4th-year rookie QB, Tony Romo, could go to Honolulu for the Pro Bowl this year.

What?

Romo does sport a nifty 100.0 passer rating in his 4 NFL starts, and that's nothing to sneeze a Still, it's only FOUR starts. ESPN did run some sound bytes of Bill Parcells discussing the manner at his weekly (or daily) press conference, where he called such talk "ludicrous", and accurately pointed out, and I'm paraphrasing here, that while everyone is focusing more on the good things Romo does, Parcells still sees the mistakes Romo makes. The Tuna even pointed out that last week, if pass interference wasn't called on a Romo pass to Terry Glenn, the Cowboys likely would've lost the game because the ball was intercepted by Colts safety Antoine Bethea.

The front-runners for the three Pro Bowl quarterback slots in the NFC have to be Drew Brees (New Orleans) and Marc Bulger (St. Louis). Brees leads the NFL with 3,114 yards, has a 95.1 QB rating (in 10 starts) and has the Saints in position to make the playoffs. Bulger has been in-credible this season. He's thrown just 3 interceptions (one of them was the equivalent to a pooch punt, and actually caused me to pound on the concession table at Qwest Field I was standing at when Ken Hamlin intercepted that 4th down throw) and his 93.9 QB rating on a 4-6 Rams team is impressive.

It's true that McNabb's injury will open up a spot on the NFC Pro Bowl roster, and if he continues to play this well, Romo will likely be in the discussion. But so won't Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Delhomme, two former Pro Bowl QBs on teams that lead their respective divisions. If the Bears go 15-1 or 14-2, Rex Grossman has to have a seat at the table, as well. Yes, he's inconsistent, but winning a lot of football games is a pretty good beard and Grossman is tied for 1st in the NFC in touchdown passes.

Speaking of the WorldWide Leader, ESPN analyst Michael Irvin has once again found himself embroiled in a situation where columnists, both black & white, are calling for his dismissal from the ESPN airwaves for comments he made regarding Tony Romo.

Basically, Irvin stated that the reason Tony Romo is so athletic is because somewhere in his lineage, there's "some brother in that line somewhere". Irvin went on to insinuate that possibly Romo's "great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandma pulled one of them studs up out of the barn...You know, back in the day."

Though it was done in a manner only Michael Irvin appears capable of, there's very little difference between what Michael Irvin said about Tony Romo (who is white) on the Dan Patrick Show and what Rush Limbaugh said about Donovan McNabb a few years ago on ESPN's Sunday Countdown. If ESPN quickly fired Limbaugh for his statements, why is Irvin getting a free pass for his comments?

Look, Irvin is easily the weakest link among ESPN analysts. Aside from inside access to Terrell Owens, Irvin contributes very little to their broadcasts. There's almost no reason for him to even be in Bristol, CT or on location at the Monday Night game in the first place, so if he's really going to make moronic statements like this, ESPN needs to treat him the same they treated Limbaugh.

Mac's Picks - Week 12

I usually don’t make my weekly picks until Thursday, so I momentarily toyed with the idea of splitting this column into two parts. One today, with the Thanksgiving Day games, and one tomorrow, so I could get a better read on this Sunday’s games.

After realizing that my Thanksgiving will include a few beers (Harpoon IPA this year), a lot of turkey and a tryptophan nap on the couch during the Tampa-Dallas game, the odds on me actually getting around to writing the second part of the column were pretty slim. As my record indicates, I stink at making picks, so there was really no reason to wait to make them.

So enjoy the picks and have a Happy Thanksgiving! Also, if you have any beer suggestions, feel free to pass them along to brianmac07@hotmail.com.

Last Week: 10-5-1 (Shocking, eh?)
2006 Season: 68-87-5

Miami (-3) at Detroit – It’s obvious what Joey Harrington is thankful for today. A year ago, he was in Detroit fighting for the job he’d eventually lose. A year later, he’s the starting quarterback for the resurgent Miami Dolphins and heading back to the Motor City to face the Lions, who will need a heaping helping of luck to match last year’s 5-11 record. Get to the stadium early, Lions’ fans, and remember to bring the “Fire Millen” hand turkeys you spent all night making. Pick: Dolphins -3

Tampa Bay at Dallas (-11) – Thanksgiving is one of the holidays that breeds dysfunction, and the Bucs-Cowboys game on Turkey Day is no exception. This game has the belligerent uncle who screams at his kids all day and scowls at whoever ate the last piece of pumpkin pie (Gruden), the guy napping on the couch after too much turkey (Terrell Owens) and a huge, immovable centerpiece serving absolutely no purpose (Bledsoe). Should I mention Parcells’ turkey neck? I believe I just did. Pick: Cowboys -11

Denver (-1) at Kansas City – Arrowhead Stadium is one of the toughest places for a visiting team to play, and Denver is about to do it on a short week. That’s nearly impossible. Denver is only marginally more talented than Kansas City (and even that is debatable), and if the NFL Network’s Adam Schefter is to be trusted, the only reason Jake Plummer wasn’t replaced by Jay Cutler this week is because Denver only had 4 days to prepare. It’s a shame that so many people won’t be able to see this. Pick: Chiefs +1

Arizona at Minnesota (-6) – After the Vikings lost to the Patriots, it was alright, they were playing San Francisco the next week. After they lost to the 49ers, it was okay because they were playing the Packers at home the next week. After the Packers beat them, it was alright, because they were playing the Dolphins the next week. As you may have guessed, the Vikings lost. With the Arizona Cardinals coming to town, this will be the week the Vikings get back on the winning track, right? Pick: Vikings -6

Carolina (-4) at Washington – Peyton Manning leads the NFL in QB rating with a 100.5 mark. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 103.0 against Washington, and the ‘Skins defense sacks the opposing QBs about once per game, which is pitiful. Clearly, Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith are likely in for a big, big day. Pick: Panthers -4

Cincinnati (-3) at Cleveland – Ever since Chad Johnson complained about how he was being used in the Bengals offense, he’s gone off for 17 catches, 450 yards and 5 touchdowns…in the last two weeks! The Bengals have obviously opened things up offensively, and with the Browns secondary, this one has the potential to get out of hand pretty quickly. Pick: Bengals -3

Houston at NY Jets (-5 ½) – There must be something in the water at Reliant Stadium. How else can you explain how Mark Brunell can set the NFL record for consecutive passes in a single game (22) there in September, and then have David Carr match it this past Sunday? That type of efficiency is next to impossible in the swirling wind at the Meadowlands. Pick: Jets -5 ½

Jacksonville (-3) at Buffalo – There’s a theory that teams from warm weather cities struggle in cold weather. Well, Jacksonville has the 4^th best rushing attack in the NFL, and Buffalo can’t stop the run (25^th in the NFL), so I wouldn’t be too concerned about the temperature in Orchard Park, New York this Sunday. Pick: Jaguars -3

New Orleans at Atlanta (-3) – After getting off to great starts, both NFC South teams are reeling. Atlanta is struggling to overcome injuries to key defensive players (John Abraham, Patrick Kerney, Aundray Bruce), and Michael Vick, aka “Coach Killer”, has been his normal up & down self.

New Orleans hasn’t been dealing with injuries. Their defensive problems can be traced to probably not being as talented as their 1^st half record indicated. Still, the Saints are very talented on offense, and I don’t see any reason why that won’t continue against the Falcons. Pick: Saints +3

Pittsburgh at Baltimore (-2 ½) – Pittsburgh may be trying to turn their season around, but with the AFC playoff picture as competitive as it is, the recent winning streak is like Ben Roethlisberger applying the brakes after he hit the Chrysler. Pick: Ravens -2 ½ (It’s good to see the 2003 pre-incarceration version of Jamal Lewis start to emerge)

San Francisco at St. Louis (-5 ½) – Jesse Palmer, aka “The Bachelor”, is the analyst for the FOX telecast of this game. Will he hand out roses to the players who perform well? Please? Pick: Rams -5 ½

Oakland at San Diego (-13 ½) – The last time these two teams played, Art Shell removed Aaron Brooks for his safety. Now that Brooks has finally returned from the injuries sustained in that game, he gets to face the Chargers once again with an offensive line minus left tackle Robert Gallery. Do I really have to say anything else? Pick: Chargers -13 ½

Chicago at New England (-3 ½) – This week’s USA Today Sports Weekly had an interesting stat: In their last 15 games against teams with a winning record, the Patriots are 5-10. This year, Denver and Indianapolis have walked into Gillette Stadium and walked out winners. Losing at home to the Jets, and star players like Richard Seymour saying that the Patriots were “out coached” afterwards, shows that the “mystique” the Patriots once had is somewhat faded. The Bears did struggle against the Jets in the Meadowlands last week, and who is better at dismantling inexperienced starters like Rex Grossman than Bill Belichick? Pick: Patriots -3 ½

NY Giants (-3) at Tennessee – If you’ve read this column before, you already know that I’m not a big believer in the New York Giants. Between the dropped passes, penalties and in-fighting, I don’t think they’re a mentally strong team. Now that they’re dealing with some adversity (injuries to Strahan, Arrington, Umenyiora), the Giants have lost two straight and the inconsistency of Eli Manning shows that he’s not developing as quickly as the Giants hoped he would.

This week, the Giants have two huge games (Dallas, at Carolina) coming up, the Giants could fall victim to the dreaded “trap” game. If any team on a 2-game losing streak could fall prey to the “trap” game, it’s the 2006 New York Giants. Pick: Titans +3

Philadelphia at Indianapolis (-9) – The loss of McNabb effectively ended any playoff aspirations the Eagles may have had. Jeff “Crisp” Garcia may have been a former Pro Bowl quarterback, but right now he’s a journeyman signal caller on his 4^th team in as many years. There’s nobody on the Eagles who can replace McNabb’s leadership, and the defense isn’t the type of group that can dominate the opposition.

Meanwhile, the Colts finally lost a game. Though they’ll never admit it, not having the pressure to remain perfect may actually help them in January. 16-0 in the regular season is great and all, but this is a team, the coach and QB in particular, that needs to start producing in January and early February. Pick: Colts -9

Green Bay at Seattle (-6 ½) – I know you’re sick of hearing about it, but for Brett Favre to start this week’s game, after the way in which he was hurt last Sunday, I’m convinced that Brett Favre isn’t human. When he first got injured, I was convinced that the streak was over. How sad would that be for Favre to see his streak end the week before he’s scheduled to face his old coach, Mike Holmgren, in one of the few buildings (Qwest Field) that he hasn’t played in? For Favre, I’m sure that would’ve been devastating.

For Seattle, it doesn’t really matter who is playing QB for the Packers, as they have their own issues to worry about. They’re about to get their full complement of offensive talent back, and they’ll need this unit to jell, and to do so quickly, not simply “for the playoffs”, but to even get to the playoffs. They’re only one game ahead of the 49ers, and while the “B” squad played admirably, the results have been well below Mike Holmgren’s standards.

You could argue that the inconsistent play of the offense has contributed to the erratic, often downright lousy play of what was supposed to be an improved Seahawks defense. Getting the starters (Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander, Robbie Tobeck, Sean Locklear and Bobby Engram) on offense back from injury should help the defense woes that have plagued the ‘Hawks in 2006. Pick: Seahawks -6 ½

Mac's Picks - Week 11

There is nothing worse than being without internet access while traveling. The hotel claimed to have high-speed internet access in every room, so I wrote the column on the plane on my way to Seattle, figuring I’d just pass it along once I got there.

(Last week's column can be found here.)

After checking in, I discovered that only some of the rooms had a high-speed modem, and since I don’t have a wireless card, and this place didn’t have a data center, I was up a certain creek without a paddle. I ended up cobbling together a column at an online café on 1^st Ave in Seattle, where buying a coffee also got me 30 minutes of free internet time. I’d blame my 5-11 record on having to make the picks Domino’s style (30 minutes or less), but let’s face it, my prognosticating skills aren’t too good this year.

Aside from that hiccup, the trip out to Seattle was phenomenal. The “Get Snowed In” party at the Pyramid Brewery last Friday night was a blast. The beer was great, and getting to see Built to Spill is always a treat. The next night, I headed over to El Corazon to see one of my favorite bands, and the greatest live band I’ve ever seen, The Supersuckers, who didn’t disappoint. Follow that up with a Seahawks win over the Rams on a rainy Sunday, and I have to say that I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend in Seattle. That I spent less than $150 in the Seahawks Pro Shop probably needs to be investigated.

I went to the game with my brother, Pat, who a week earlier went to the Colts-Patriots game in Foxborough. As a neutral observer (he is more of a Patriots fan, though I’m working on it), he couldn’t believe how loud Qwest Field is. Everything you have read about that place is 100% true. It is the loudest stadium in the NFL, and yes, Mr. Accorsi, it’s all natural.

Last Week: 5-11
2006 Season: 58-82-4

Atlanta at Baltimore (-4) – Jets fans aren’t surprised that John Abraham will be missing his 8^th consecutive game. With Patrick Kerney out for the season, and Jason Webster and Edgerton Hartwell ailing, is there anyone left on the Falcons defense that can stop Steve McNair and the suddenly potent Ravens offense? Pick: Ravens -4

Buffalo at Houston (-2 ½) – Just the thought of picking JP Losman on the road prompts me to throw up in my mouth a bit. Pick: Texans -2 ½

Chicago (-7) at NY Jets – Here’s a nugget of information for you Bears fans: I’ve flown out to Seattle to see the Seahawks play the Rams the last two years, and on both days, a Chicago Bear has returned a missed field goal 108 yards for a touchdown. I’m not saying that me being in Seattle has had anything to do with it, but you Grabowski’s would be wise to donate heavily to my travel fund once the 2007 schedule is released. You know, just to be on the safe side. Pick: Bears -7

Cincinnati at New Orleans (-3 ½) – At 4-5, and with the Saints, Ravens, Colts, Broncos and Steelers still on the schedule, the Bengals’ road to the playoffs has hit a DUI checkpoint. As for New Orleans, putting up 31 points against the Steelers in Pittsburgh tells me that the offense is legit. I’m still not sold on the defense, but this is a game the Saints can, and should, win. Pick: Saints -3 ½

Minnesota at Miami (-3 ½) – Duante Culpepper won’t play this week, rendering the game’s most intriguing subplot moot. So I’m forced to actually analyze this game, which is never a good thing. Minnesota likely won’t do much against a pretty good Dolphins defense, and we know that the Vikings will stop the struggling Dolphins ground game. So the question is this: Is the Vikings secondary so bad that Joey Harrington can pick them apart? I wouldn’t bet on it, but this game is in Miami, and the Dolphins are on a bit of a roll. Pick: Dolphins -3 ½

New England (-6) at Green Bay – After 4 years of playing on grass that even Ricky Williams wouldn’t smoke, the Patriots have finally decided to switch to FieldTurf. The only question I have is why the Kraft family didn’t make this switch sooner. The Patriots share Gillette Stadium with the New England Revolution (MLS team), and the playing surface has always been an embarrassment. Switching to the fake stuff is a wise move. Pick: Packers +6

Oakland at Kansas City (-9 ½) – I’m going to go ahead and disagree with Herm Edwards on the decision to name Trent Green the starting quarterback this week. Damon Huard may not be a dynamo back there, and word is he was playing a little scared against Miami, but Green has to be rusty and without Tony Gonzalez, I’d think that continuity would take precedence over early season depth charts. Pick: Raiders +9 ½

Pittsburgh (-3 ½) at Cleveland – They’re not “back” or anything, but the Steelers looked pretty good on Sunday. Pittsburgh won’t be going to the playoffs, but they could possibly get some respectability back with a strong finish. Respectability is what they had in mind heading into this year, right? Pick: Steelers -3 ½

St. Louis at Carolina (-6 ½) – I have to admit, I kind of chuckled when I picked up this week’s Sports Weekly (published by USA Today). On the cover was Rams RB Steven Jackson, with the title “Ram Tough” on the front page. “Forget finesse, St. Louis and Steven Jackson look to get bullish on the rest of the NFL”.

Good timing, guys. St. Louis has lost 4 straight, were just swept by the Seattle Seahawks for the 2^nd year in a row, and while everyone was raving about how improved the defense is, they still rank 23^rd in total defense and 29^th against the run. Oh, and they lost starting CB Travis Fisher and Pro Bowl LT Orlando Pace for the rest of the year. Whoops! Probably not the best time to go up against a Carolina team that appears to be hitting its stride. Pick: Panthers -6 ½

Tennessee at Philadelphia (-13) – As if the 2006 NFL season couldn’t possibly get any more bizarre, Andy Reid relinquished play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and it resulted in the Eagles committing to the running game and a 27-3 win. It doesn’t get much stranger than that. Pick: Eagles -13

Washington at Tampa Bay (-3) – Thanks to the “flex scheduling” the NFL is applying to the season’s final 8 weeks, I thought NBC would be all over this one when decision time was near. After all, these two teams met twice last year in Tampa, and both games were thrillers. With the Redskins at 3-6, and Tampa Bay at 2-7, NBC didn’t have to think long about the decision to pass on this one.

No Clinton Portis, and Jason Campbell making his 1^st NFL start against a still frisky Bucs defense equals a Bucs win. Pick: Buccaneers -3 (FOX is sending Matt Devlin and Bill Maas to Tampa to call the game. Couldn’t they have just left two open microphones in a nearby sports bar and let whoever walked by call the action? Wouldn’t that be better than inflicting Bill Maas on the general public?)

Detroit at Arizona (-2 ½) – Live from University of Phoenix Stadium, it’s “Sleeper Bowl ‘06”! This is why I don’t go crazy trying to identify “sleepers” before the season. Most of the time, they just hit the snooze button on the season and catch some extra winks.

Combined, these two teams have won three football games this year. THREE! Check out any of the NFL preview magazines, or online columns, and 75% of them will have one of these two teams in the playoffs this year. Didn’t these people realize that Dennis Green and Matt Millen were still employed by these clubs? Pick: Cardinals -2 ½ (Those 2 ½ points aren’t ever enough to pick the Leos on the road)

Seattle (-6 ½) at San Francisco – For the second week in a row, the Seattle Seahawks face their closest competitor in the NFC West. The 49ers gave the ‘Hawks trouble in the Bay Area last year, and this week, Seattle could be distracted by the 49ers coach wearing a suit. Why would you wear a suit in a profession when looking like a homeless guy (see Belichick, Bill) gets you more street cred?

Seattle likely won’t have Matt Hasselbeck for this one, but Seneca Wallace is proving to be a capable #2 QB in the NFL. Seattle does get Shaun Alexander back, and though he’ll likely be eased back into the action, just having him there should improve the offense. Pick: Seahawks -6 ½

Indianapolis at Dallas (Pick ‘em) – The worst kept secret in the NFL is that the Colts can’t stop the run. Dallas has a pair of running backs (Julius Jones and Marion Barber) they can ride to move the chains, control the clock and keep Peyton Manning on the sidelines. Mrs. Doubtfire (Bill Parcells) is smart enough to do that, right? Um…right? Pick: Cowboys

San Diego at Denver (-2 ½) – Is anyone surprised that Jake Plummer is wilting under the pressure of having a 1^st round pick breathing down his neck? The Broncos are 7-2 because of their defense and the chants for Jay Cutler are growing louder and louder with every sub-par performance Plummer turns in. The Chargers defense, even without Shawne Merriman, won’t make life easier on “Jake the Snake”. Pick: Chargers +2 ½

NY Giants at Jacksonville (-3 ½) – Tom Coughlin makes his 1^st trip back to Jacksonville since he coached the Jags in 2002, and he brings with him a team that has to hang on to the top spot in the NFC East despite playing without many key starters. The Jaguars wide receivers keep dropping David Garrard’s passes, so they may make things easier on the depleted Giants defense. Personally, I think the injuries are too much for the Giants to overcome, and Coughlin once again leaves Jacksonville a loser. Pick: Jaguars -3 ½

Colts Remain Undefeated

If the NFL handed out the Lombardi Trophy in November, the Indianapolis Colts would the two-time defending champs. Fortunately for the other 20 or so legitimate playoff contenders, that's not the case. But after a Sunday where the Bears lost and the Colts won, the best team in the NFL right now resides in Indianapolis.

The case can not be made for any other team at this point. In what was the two-game stretch on any teams schedule this year, the Colts went into Denver, and then into New England, and won both games. Even the biggest Colts' nay-sayer has to admit that what the Colts have done in the 8 days is impressive.

Why the Patriots lost (in order):

1. Tom Brady wasn't Tom Brady. No quarterback will look good after a 4-INT game, which is about the way Tom Brady is just like every other QB. He didn't look sharp or decisive, his throws sailed on him a bit and the Colts took advantage. Hey, it happens.

2. Bill Belichick wasn't Bill Belichick. New England runners carried the ball 22 times for 97 yards in the 1st half. That's 4.4 yards per carry. In the 2nd half, New England ran the ball 11 times for 51 yards. That's 4.6 yards per carry. So why were the runs so few and far between? New England was never trailing by a margin wide enough to abandon the running game, so why throw the ball 30+ times against a team that cannot stop the run?

Yes, the officials were lousy, but they didn't cost the Patriots the game. The only egregiously poor call was Troy Brown's taunting penalty, but that didn't hamper the Patriots at all. The officials did make up for that call when a similar penalty was called on Marvin Harrison. Trust me, Troy Brown and Marvin Harrison are not guys who ever taunt opponents. They have far too much class for something like that. Brown appeared to be flipping the ball to the ref, and it hit a Colt player in the head. It happens. Harrison was spiking the ball after (another) miraculous touchdown reception, and the ball bounced into Mike Vrabel. Again, it happens.

Mac's Game Balls

Offense: Javon Walker, Denver Broncos - After Walker's three touchdown performance in Heinz Field yesterday, it's looking more and more like the Broncos got a bargain for him.

Defense: (tie) Jason Taylor, Miami Dolphins, and Champ Bailey, Denver Broncos - Jason Taylor singlehandedly dominated the Chicago Bears offense in what could be the upset of the year, and Champ Bailey contined to be brilliant at cornerback. The difference between Bailey and 2nd best CB in the NFL gets wider and wider with each game. Any QB stoopid enough to throw to that side of the field deserves the interception.

Special Teams: Phil Dawson, Cleveland Browns - Yeah, the Browns lost, but Dawson was fantastic. Dawson was 6-6 on field goals, and accounted for 19 of the Browns 25 points.

Fearless Monday Night Prediction

The Jet City forecast calls for plenty of rain and wind, so I don't expect to see Andrew Walter having a lot of success throwing deep to Randy Moss and Jerry Porter. Actually, I wouldn't see that even if it was sunny and clear.

Seahawks 35, Oakland 6

NFL Week 9 Recap

There were plenty of upsets on what was another wildly unpredictable Sunday in the NFL.

Miami 31, Chicago 13 – Once again, the Bears hopes for an undefeated season comes to an end at the hands of the Miami Dolphins. The more I think about this, the less of a shock it probably is. Chicago, particularly QB Rex Grossman, turned the ball over six times on Sunday. No team can turn the ball that many times and win (just ask Bill Cowher), and this was the second time this season that Chicago has done it. The only difference was that Miami is slightly better than Arizona, and the Bears weren’t able to get the defensive and special teams scores to overcome it.

So what does this mean for Chicago? They’re a still good team, and should still be considered the best team in the NFC. But I do think that the blueprint for attacking the formerly #1-ranked Bears offense exists, and Rex Grossman isn’t experienced enough yet to handle early adversity. That doesn’t bode well for the Bears come playoff time.

Buffalo 24, Green Bay 10 – In need of an example of a play-caller who got “too cute” for his own good? Check out this 5-play sequence by the Green Bay Packers midway through the 4^th quarter, when the Pack trailed by 7 points:

2^nd-and 10 from the Buffalo 49: Ahman Green off right guard for 9 yards.
3^rd-and 1 from the Buffalo 40: Ahman Green off left tackle for 16 yards.
1^st-and 10 from the Buffalo 24: Short pass to Donald Driver for 13 yards.
1^st-and 10 from the Buffalo 11: Noah Herron up the middle for 10 yards.
1^st-and goal from the Buffalo 1: Short pass intended for Donald Driver intercepted by Ko Simpson, who returned the ball to the Green Bay 27.

They just ran down the Buffalo Bills throats, and they throw the ball from the 1-yard line. Naturally, it’s intercepted. Buffalo scores on the shortened field, and the game was out of reach.

Jacksonville 37, Tennessee 7 – Welcome to the NFL, Vince Young. 15-36 and 3 interceptions is an expected stat line for a young QB. David Garrard is making Jack Del Rio look like a genius.

Detroit 30, Atlanta 14 – You knew that eventually Michael Vick would come back to Earth. I just didn’t think it would be against a Detroit Lions defense that was missing 75% of its starting defensive line. I’ve devoted some space to taking some shots at Lions WR Roy Williams, but with his 4^th 130+-yard receiving game of the season, the guy is a stud. Give him a top notch QB, and he’ll break records.

Baltimore 36, Cincinnati 30 – Going down 14-0 within the first 5 minutes proved to be too much for the Bengals to come back from. Did anyone see Chad Johnson do anything on Sunday? The only impact he made was complaining after the game about the way he’s being used in the offense. The only reason I feel bad for Marvin Lewis is because he seems like such a nice guy, I wish he was smarter enough to avoid compiling a team of turds.

(Baltimore has a 2-game lead on the Bengals, and today’s win makes it essentially a 3-game lead. With the way both teams are playing, the NFC North is about to have a new champ.)

Washington 22, Dallas 19 – One of the more bizarre finishes to an NFL game in recent memory. Dallas has a game-winning field goal attempt blocked, during the return, Kyle Kosier grabs hold of Sean Taylor’s facemask, and Washington’s Nick Novak (who?) ends up squeaking a 47-yard field goal inside the right upright on an un-timed down. And all anyone wants to talk about it Terrell Owens’ taunting penalty and him dropping a wide open touchdown.

New Orleans 31, Tampa Bay 14 – This is how you respond to getting your butt kicked. Drew Brees looked phenomenal, and without their most veteran WR, Devery Henderson and rookie (of the year?) Marques Colston combined for 14 catches, 234 yards and 3 touchdowns. The one concerning stat of the day was Reggie Bush. He touched the ball 15 times for just 17 yards, including 11 rushes for just 5 yards.

Kansas City 31, St. Louis 14 – Didn’t I tell you that the Rams would have a hard time with Larry Johnson? 27 carries, 172 yards and a touchdown for LJ, but even that couldn’t out-produce his counterpart, Steven Jackson, who only had 86 yards on the ground, but thanks to solid coverage by the Chiefs secondary, amassed 133 yards on a career-high 13 receptions. That’s 219 total yards of offense for Jackson. Still, the Rams are showing their true colors on defense. They couldn’t get pressure on Damon Huard, couldn’t stop Johnson, and when they don’t force turnovers, they’ll give up 30 points a game.

NY Giants 14, Houston 10 – It wasn’t at all pretty, but the Giants just keep getting the job done. Tiki Barber cracked the century mark on just 17 carries, and the Giants did just enough without two key players (Plaxico Burress and Michael Strahan, who missed the 2^nd half with an injury).

San Francisco 9, Minnesota 3 – When Brad Childress reviews the tape from today’s loss to the 49ers, he’s going to know exactly what unit let him down: The wide receivers. Whether it was dropped passes by Troy Williamson, or the illegal block in the back by Travis Taylor (which negated a beautiful 65-yard catch-and-run for a score by Chester Taylor), this unit has been consistently awful this year. It’s no wonder Koren Robinson was expected to lead this unit.

San Diego 32, Cleveland 25 – Ok, the Chargers absolutely have to make the powder-blue uniforms permanent. The only thing more pleasurable to watch (on a football field, anyways) than those uniforms is LaDainian Tomlinson running in them. Just hand him the MVP trophy right now.

Denver 31, Pittsburgh 20 – Big Ben has played in 7 games, and has a 1:2 TD-to-Interception ratio. Is his QB rating since last year’s AFC Championship a negative number?? This game was never so out of reach that Pittsburgh needed to abandon the run, but they did so anyways. 19 runs against 58 passes is not Steelers football.

I’ll add the recap for the Sunday night game, hand out game balls and toss out a useless MNF prediction on Monday.

LT Must Have Snapped More Than Theismann's Leg

I've never been a fan of "Joe Theismann - NFL Analyst". Surely Theismann is a nice enough guy, but he always seems woefully unprepared. PFT (a misguided, though sometimes pretty hilarious outlet) refers to Theismann as "Joey Sunshine". Why? Because Theismann tends to call the game like he's seeing it for the first time. Once a player does one thing right, that player is headed for Canton.

Listening to Theismann the last few years on ESPN's Sunday night broadcasts was painful, and it was disappointing when ESPN decided to stick with him when they purchased the rights to Monday Night Football.

Don't believe me? Let's take a look at what Theismann says about this week's premier match-ups over at ESPN.com:

How much are the Patriots in the heads of the Colts? What type of reaction will kicker Adam Vinateri receive from the crowd? Will the Patriots utilize a lot of 3-4 like they have in the past against the Colts or will they switch it up a bit?

The Patriots are in the heads of the Colts? Were they in there when the Colts went into Foxborough last season? On a Sunday night (which Theismann called), the Colts beat the Patriots 40-21. Also, most teams do not run a 3-4 alignment, which is partly responsible for why it's so effective. Teams that don't see it frequently struggle to adjust to it. If the Patriots go away from it, Peyton Manning won't have nearly as hard a time reading the defense.

This is the first must-win game of the new Joe Gibbs era in Washington.

Really? What about the two playoff games the Redskins played in last year? Were those not "must-win" games?

This should be a humdinger of a game with a lot of scoring. I anticipate a 38-35 final score, with two teams that can run and pass very well and that have strong offensive identities. The only thing that could stop this from being a shootout is Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. He has done a fine job this season of instilling a toughness and a belief that every player on his defense can make a big play.

Here are some numbers on this "tough" Rams defense under Jim Haslett:

23rd-ranked scoring defense.
27th-ranked in total defense.
27th-ranked run defense.
21st-ranked pass defense.
30th-ranked defense on 3rd downs. Opponents are converting nearly 48% of their 3rd downs against St. Louis.
The defense only has 14 QB sacks, or 2.0 per game.

Yes, Haslett has improved the defense. But after a year where the Rams ranked 30th in total defense, and rarely created turnovers, do not be confused. This is still a below-average unit.

Unless you're Joe Theismann.
The Rams have just 14 QB sacks this year.

Mac's Picks - Week 9

Last Friday night saw some stormy weather up here in the Northeast. Heavy rains, 50-mph winds and even some thunder and lightning caused the power to go out overnight. When I woke up Saturday morning and went to check the ol’ e-mail, the computer wouldn’t turn on.

Denial quickly set it, so I made some coffee and gave that outlet a little more time to catch up to the rest of the fully-powered house. Twenty minutes later, it still wouldn’t turn on. So I tried a few more outlets to no avail. So I swapped out the power cable, and tried it again…and again…and again. Still, the computer wouldn’t turn on.

It’s amazing how lost I felt without access to that computer and all its high-speed glory. Being relegated to the work-issued laptop and a dial-up connection felt like I was back in the stone age of the internet where I’d be checking scores on Prodigy. Not good times.

Speaking of bad times, how about that 5-9 record I had last week? Efforts like that compel me to put up the disclaimer that this column, and these picks, are “For Entertainment Purposes Only”. I’m not a gambler, and picking these games against the spread is just my masochistic way of ensuring that I won’t be successful.

Last Week: 5-9
2006 Season: 47-63-4

Atlanta (-5 ½) at Detroit – The skeptic in me is wondering how long Michael Vick can keep up this “I’m a real NFL QB” routine. The wise-ass in me is wondering if Valtrex should be on the NFL’s list of performance-enhancing substances. Pick: Falcons -5 ½

Cincinnati at Baltimore (-3) – Of all the guys on the Baltimore Ravens defense, Chad Johnson decided to call out Ray Lewis? Isn’t this reminiscent of the “Bad Idea Jeans” commercial from Saturday Night Live?

Normally I wear protection, but then I thought, “When am I gonna make it back to Haiti?”

I thought about it, and even though it's over, I'm going to tell my wife about the affair.

You’d have to incredibly tough, or incredibly stupid, to call out someone like Ray Lewis. Pick: Ravens -3

Dallas (-3) at Washington – Mark Brunell is ailing, which means Jason Campbell could be quarterbacking this team before Sunday is over. The Redskins may also be without their best offensive weapon, Santana Moss. You just know that Bledsoe is wondering why he didn’t get breaks like this when he was the starting quarterback. Pick: Cowboys -3

Green Bay at Buffalo (-3 ½) – I’m not sure if anyone’s noticed, but Brett Favre is playing pretty well and the Packers are winning football games. Buffalo, is not. Pick: Packers +3 ½

Houston at NY Giants (-13) – The more I see from Gary Kubiak, the more I like. Pulling David Carr, the NFL’s 6^th-ranked passer, to prove a point, is something Dom Capers would never dream of doing. Kubiak recognized that his team needed a spark, and while it didn’t pan out, it was much better than what the Texans got from their previous head coach. In situations like that, Capers would be staring off into space.

Ever since the Giants were embarrassed by the Seahawks in Week 3, they’ve played extremely well. The Giants have also been fortunate to catch teams at opportune times. Washington is terrible and they got the Falcons before Vick’s latest “flare up”. Then they got the Cowboys when Parcells was itching to pull Bledsoe and last week, they got a rookie QB attempting 48 passes in 40-mph winds. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Pick: Giants -13

Kansas City at St. Louis (-2 ½) – Missouri is a key battleground state, so two days before the election, the NFL schedule-makers are sending the Chiefs (red) into St. Louis to play the Rams (blue).

The way I see it, Larry Johnson is coming off a 181-yard, 4-touchdown game against Seattle, and the Rams defense was just gashed for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns by LaDainian Tomlinson. It’s strength against weakness, and as well as Marc Bulger and Torry Holt are playing right now, I don’t think it’ll be enough to stop what Johnson is going to do the Rams defense. Pick: Chiefs +2 ½

Miami at Chicago (-13 ½) – The Chicago Bears are the best team in the NFL. They’ve got the defense, they’ve got the offense, and at the rate they’re going, they’ll have home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs clinched by Thanksgiving.

Twenty-one years ago, the Miami Dolphins ended the Chicago Bears hopes of an undefeated season on Monday Night Football. Can the same thing happen this year? For starters, this game will be played on a Sunday. Secondly, Joey Harrington will never be confused with Dan Marino. And that’s all I have to say about that. Pick: Bears -13 ½

New Orleans (-1) at Tampa Bay – Has anyone figured what the thinking was behind Jon Gruden’s play-calling last week? In a windy Giants Stadium, Gruden has a rookie quarterback attempt 48 passes. His workhorse running back? A career-low 8 carries. It wasn’t like the Bucs were being blown out and had to throw to get back into it, Chucky just abandoned the idea altogether.

Keeping the Saints out of a tailspin after last week’s loss will be the first in-season coaching challenge in Sean Payton’s career. Pick: Saints -1

Tennessee at Jacksonville (-9 ½) – I can’t quite figure out the Jags. One week, they look horrendous and lose to the Houston Texans by 20 points. The next week, they change QBs and go into Philadelphia and hold the Eagles to 6 points. I’m not sold on David Garrard to leave this many points on the table. Pick: Titans +9 ½

Minnesota (-5) at San Francisco – Joe Theismann began last Monday night’s game praising Brad Johnson’s ability to manage the game, how he makes the right decisions and doesn’t turn the ball over. Naturally, Johnson tossed a trio of interceptions and was benched before the night was over.

Still, this is the 49ers we’re talking about here. Even after being embarrassed last week, and traveling on a short week, the Vikings should be able to handle the 49ers. Pick: Vikings -5

(It’s been mentioned a few times this week, but if the NFL has no problem with Bill Belichick dressing like he’s got the lead role in a transvestite rendition of “Flashdance”, why can’t Mike Nolan wear a suit on the sidelines?)

Cleveland at San Diego (-12 ½) – I don’t care if the “lights are out” on Shawne Merriman for the next four weeks, the Chargers are stacked defensively, are playing at home, and can throw a pair of quality running backs at a team that can’t stop the run. Pick: Chargers -12 ½

(Speaking of the Browns, they were very lucky to get a win in regulation last week. Take a look at this video, and explain to me how Baker wouldn’t have come down in-bounds. Why wouldn’t the officials even review this play?)

Denver at Pittsburgh (-2 ½) – The defense is playing very well, but with Big Ben doing his best Tommy Maddox impersonation, the Steelers don’t appear to be heading back to the post-season in 2006. I guess it’s true what they say about Bill Cowher: When expectations on his team are high, they come up short. Pick: Broncos +2 ½

Indianapolis at New England (-2 ½) – Monday night’s win over the Vikings was vintage Bill Belichick. The Patriots knew that the Vikings are good against the run, so they came out with a bunch of 4 and 5-wide receiver sets, throw the ball every down and make no attempt to be balanced. That resulted in a 4-TD game for Tom Brady in a 31-7 Patriots win.

This week, I’d be shocked if the Patriots even bother to pass the ball. Not because Indianapolis has a ball-hawking secondary (they don’t), but because everyone has been running on the Colts this year and New England has Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney.

Personally, I can see Belichick doing just that, but I can’t pick the Patriots this week. Indianapolis can score pretty quickly, against any defense, even on the road. Pick: Colts +2 ½

Oakland at Seattle (-7 ½) – Growing up a Seahawks fan, there was nothing I hated more than the Los Angeles Raiders. Every year, I’d get the Pro Football Handbook, a pocket-sized book that had rosters, stats, etc…and when Todd Christensen was on the cover, the thought of having to see #46 on the Raiders every time I opened that book was too much for me. So I ripped it off on the car ride home. I was 7.

The Seahawks will be playing without Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander, but the passing game appears to be in capable hands with Seneca Wallace running the show. The ground game is still struggling, though, and that’s a concern. It’s not as big a concern as the Seahawks defensive woes. Seattle entered the season with one of the most talented and deep defensive units. Thus far, with only a few injuries (Marcus Tubbs, DD Lewis), this unit has struggled mightily. Facing an inept Raiders offense could be just what this team needs to get their confidence back. Pick: Seahawks -7 ½