Last week’s record, 7-6; for the season, 75-41
Pick of the Week, 1-1; for the season, 5-3
That was a tough week, to say the least. I must admit I was somewhat distracted by the start of the World Series, but teams like Arizona and Denver really let me down.
As for the Giants, I really didn’t like them against the Eagles, but I couldn’t bring myself to pick against them three weeks in a row. I’ll say it again: Their schedule is brutal the rest of the season and they will be hard-pressed to make the playoffs.
I split my two Picks of the Week and, as I write this, my prediction of the Yanks in six games is alive, so all is not bad. We are now at the halfway point of the regular season and there are plenty of great games to come, so let’s get on with it.
Sunday, Nov. 8
Arizona at Chicago — This is a big game, especially for the Bears. With the Vikings and Packers in the same division, Chicago cannot afford a home loss at this point in the season. As for the unpredictable Cards, they had better keep an eye on those 49ers. I’ll stick with the home-standing Bears, 27-23.
Green Bay at Tampa Bay — The Packers need to bounce back from their home loss to the Vikings and you couldn’t pick a better way to do that than by heading to Tampa. I like the Packers to rebound with a win, 23-10.
Kansas City at Jacksonville — There’s not much to say about this one except the Jags are still alive in the wild card race. That alone should be enough to energize what is a very unpredictable team. I’ll stick with the Jags, 17-13.
Miami at New England — Watching the Dolphins is like watching a good college team headed for a BCS Bowl game. Unfortunately, the Dolphins are in the NFL and have to play a well-rested Patriot team on the road. Enough said. I’ll take New England, 27-17.
Washington at Atlanta — Atlanta was impressive even though they lost to the Saints on Monday night, and they are a playoff caliber team. As for the Redskins, they’re nothing more than an afterthought, but they do play defense. With that said, I’ll stick with the Falcons, 23-13.
Baltimore at Cincinnati — There’s no doubt about it — the Ravens are good. However, the Bengals are good, too, and they are playing at home. Look for Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco (another victim of a cheap Ray Lewis hit) to connect for a big game and carry the Bengals to a 27-24 win.
Houston at Indianapolis — This is a huge game for the young Houston team. The Colts are sitting on top of the division and are headed for postseason play, while the Texans have their eyes set on a wild card berth. I’d love to take the underdog in this one, but not against the Colts at home. Colts, 30-24.
Carolina at New Orleans — The Panthers are playing better and the running game came alive against the Cards, but can they beat the Saints on the road with Jake Delhomme at quarterback? I don’t think so. The Saints are giving up more points, but they continue to score a lot and in the end they rally for a 33-23 victory.
Detroit at Seattle — The Seahawks are not too good and the same goes for the Lions. However, the Seahawks can be tough at home and that should be enough against the hapless Lions. I’ll go with Seattle as my Pick of the Week, 28-17.
San Diego at New York Giants — I’ve said all along that the Giants have a tough schedule. Combine that with a weak secondary, a so-so running game and an inconsistent Eli Manning and you have a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, they are playing the Chargers, who have their own problems. But the Chargers do have better passing and running games. In the end, I’m going with the Chargers — Rivers over Manning, 34-24.
Tennessee at San Francisco — It was nice to see the Titans win, especially with Vince Young at the helm. The 49ers continue to play tough and are not out of the playoff picture yet. That said, I’ll go with the 49ers, 20-13.
Dallas at Philadelphia — As far as I see it, one of these two teams will win the division. The Cowboys appear to be gaining momentum each week while the Eagles remain an enigma. Which Eagle team will show up? Is it the one that Oakland hammered or the one that hammered the Giants? I’ll say it’s the latter and stick with Philadelphia, 27-23.
Monday, Nov. 9
Pittsburgh at Denver — Even though the Broncos played poorly against the Ravens, you can expect a better effort at home. As for the Steelers, they can’t afford to pick up another loss at this point in the season with the Ravens and Bengals both jockeying for position in the AFC North. This should be a great game, but in the end Big Ben and the Steelers will prevail, 23-17.
