NFL Picks - Week 5

In My Humble Opinion
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Cincinnati Bengals @ Indianapolis Colts 1:00 p.m. ET (Colts by 13½)
This could be a dangerous game. The Benglas finally get a weak defense to play against, remember a time when this happened last year and Dillon set and NFL record? Indy’s defense however is improved, especially against the run. But its still bottom half in the league. On the flip side, the Bengals are a little more banged up than Indy, and Cincy doesn’t look like they’ll stop Indy much either. I’m gonna guess that the Colts will get their act together offensively and continue the trend by blowing out the Cincinatti Bearcats. Indy wins and covers.

Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers 1:00 p.m. ET (Panthers by 3½)
An overrated team playing and underrated team. You’d think they’d meet in the middle, but I’m not wagering on a tie. Carolina will really stifle the Cards running game this week, and Plummer just hasn’t show that he’s capable of winning games consistently on his own, it won’t get easier with guys like Rucker and Peppers on his back. Then again the Cards have found ways to keep games close, and the Panthers have been depending on a lot of big defensive plays to win. This could go either way and it might boil down to one play making the difference, for that reason I’m probably not going to make it a OMNI pick, but for the record I say the Pussycats win and cover

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons 1:00 p.m. ET (Bucs by 1½)
Warren Sapp is gonna get really annoyed playing against Vick. He doesn’t like to have to chase guys out into the flats, not that he won’t. Wonder if the whole Dunn situation will benefit him or the defense. They should know each others moves pretty well. I’m gonna guess it leans towards the defense. Tampa Bay beat Cincy 35-7, Atlanta beat them 30-3. Doesn’t get much more square than that. Pittman won’t be able to run much, but Johnson will probably pass fairly well. Vick won’t have much success against the speed Tampa brings, and they don’t have the receivers to scare and loosen up the Bucs secondary. I’m gonna go with the road team to win and cover.

Oakland Raiders @ Buffalo Bills 1:00 p.m. ET (Oaktown by 3)
Tough game for me here, I’ve got Bledsoe and Brown on my fantasy team, and my opponent has Gannon and Garner. I’ve got a hunch that the Bills won’t blow them out, so I’m gonna have to hope that I’m lucky and Brown catches all of Gannons TDs. What a stressful situation, I hope they show this game since the Bears are on Monday night. Anyways, I think that both offenses will sizzle, and I think there’s a lot to be said for home field advantage in Buffalo. Bledsoe just keeps getting better each week too, but then again so has Gannon and the Raiders O. Could combine for a 100 points this week. Wild guess, Bills win and cover.

Washington Redskins @ Tennessee Titans 1:00 p.m. ET (Titans by 5½)
The Titans will probably get clicking again here. Nothing’s gone well for Spurrier so far, though I don’t think Tennessee will cause the same problems other teams have. With that loose zone Tennessee is playing, Matthews/Weurffel might actually be able to move the ball. I expect this to be a surprisingly high scoring game, with both RBs having solid performances. Titans win, ‘Skins cover.

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins 1:00 p.m. ET (Phins by 3)
This is looking like one of those weeks, no games that I really feel good about. It seems like teams are finding ways to run on the Pats, and at the moment Ricky Williams might be the scariest of them all, though there are quite a few who look nasty. I can’t see the Pats being able to get as pass happy on the Miami secondary either. Could be a long day for the Pats. ‘Phins win and cover this week at home.

New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys 1:00 p.m. ET (Pick 'Em)
I can’t understand how the Cowboys have turned things around. Granted they haven’t exactly dominated in these wins against teams who were more bark than bite. I haven’t had a chance to sit and watch them since the first week, but they certainly haven’t done anything spectacular. They won’t be able to beat the Giants at this methodical cautious game plan, the Giants have epitomized that MO the last few years. Giants win going away.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ New Orleans Saints 1:00 p.m. ET (Saints by 3)
I think the Saints play into Pittsburgh’s strength here, Brooks doesn’t have the experience or skills to pick them apart passing like Brady or Gannon did. However, they’ve got plenty of weapons and shouldn’t have too much trouble scoring. Maddox is starting, but he’s doing it on the road against a decent defense. New Orleans will win and cover this week after being embarrassed last week.

San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos 4:05 p.m. ET (Broncos by 5)
I think this spread is ridiculous. Granted the Broncos are at home, and they are better than they showed Monday night, but the Chargers are not pretenders. I’d have placed this game as a Pick ’Em. The Chargers will give the Broncos a little trouble on offense, and Griese still seems to be playing like a guy who almost got benched. Luckily for him he’s gotten a lot of breaks in those wins. The Broncos D was looking solid, but somehow they got eaten up on third down by the Ravens of all teams. Bad karma continues and SD wins the upset.

Kansas City Chiefs @ New York Jets 4:05 p.m. ET (Chefs by 3)
Why is this only a 3 point spread? What have the Jets done to make people think they can slow down the Chiefs offense? Pennington starting. I’m not even going to talk about this. Chiefs win in another blowout.

St. Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49Ers 4:15 p.m. ET (49ers by 7)
Hmm, I’m gonna avoid this game. Two words, Ewing Theory. Anything could happen here. The 49ers have been unimpressive, but they are always tough at home. The Rams should be pissed off, and could possibly find some life here. Nothing objectively points to a Rams upset, but something in my gut tells me this would be a dangerous game to pick. I’m gonna hedge my bets and say the 49ers win, but the Rams cover and show some signs of life.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Jacksonville Jaguars 4:15 p.m. ET (Iggles by 3)
For some reason I’m just not sold on the Eagles. They have been dominating for the most part, but I just am not convinced McNabb can win every game on his own offensively. If the Eagles defense lets down against a good Jax offense, they could be in trouble. Plus the fact that it’s a road game makes it even less juicy. But, if everyone plays their best game, the Eagles run away with it. Jax doesn’t have the talent on defense to control McNabb, and the Eagles should be able to control Jax’s big three. Eagles win and cover, but its a lot of “ifs”.

Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns 8:30 p.m. ET (Brownies by 7)
I guess the odds makers weren’t convinced by the Ravens performance either. Too many fluke plays to take much from that win. Why are they in primetime again? Everyone knew they were gonna be ugly this season due to salary cap. Just goes to show how retarded the NFL brass can be, they’ll never learn. Even Madden can’t save uninteresting bad games in the ratings. Nevertheless, 7 points is a lot against a team like Baltimore, and a similar defense in Pittsburgh stifled the Browns offense. The Browns will find a way at home, but the Ravens cover.

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears 9:00 p.m. ET (Bears by 1½)
Only one thing is important about this game. I’ll be there! Right on the 50 yard line, in the upper deck. Great seats, trust me. The added thrill is that its my alma maters stadium, double bonus! Now, who do I think is gonna win? Well, I could never ever ever pick the Pack in this match up, but it could be ugly. Both defenses have problems, but at last the Bears are injury related, not just plain sucking. The Farve/Miller match up seems awfully lopsided, and the A-Train/Green match up is basically a push. I’m going to guess that Shoop finally sees the writing on the wall, and opens up the offense. Last season they won in spite of the offense, not because of the “ball-control” theory. Most of the close games they’ve had the last 20 weeks, shouldn’t have been. I expect the Bears wide outs to have big games, and Miller airs it out. Favre will try too, but the GB WRs aren’t good enough to take advantage of our dinged up secondary. The Bears will exorcize a few demons, and win and cover in a squeaker.

Omni picks will be coming in the next day or two.

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Good luck against the Pack! That should he a very fun game. I just hope your trip back to Chicago is a happy one.

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The Ravens WILL NOT win in the Browns house !!!

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Ten bucks says the Vikings won’t lose this weekend.

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I’m guessing Minnesota has a bye this week for Rysdad to be so confident. Do Minnesota and Cincinnati play each other this year?

Fantasy Football Question: We have two mediocre QBs on a really bad fantasy team. Should we start Rodney Peete against Arizona at home or Jamie Martin against San Francisco on the road? All razzing and responses welcome.

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All right, here goes.

Two unbeaten teams. Three winless teams.

Detroit, Minnesota, Seattle, and Houston have byes.

ABC finally has the marquee Monday Night game a lot of people have been whining about for ages.

I’m ready. :smiley:

Bandwagon picks. (This weeks’ theme: Please Let There Be Some Justice In This World)

1. Chargers
As promised last week, knocking off the suddenly overhyped Patriots (god, it feels weird just writing that…) puts them on top. And nothing against the Broncos, but I still think they deserve a little karmic payback for leaving John Elway for dead for so many years.

2. Browns
Oh, man, who could not root for the Browns in THIS matchup? As if dealing with a seemingly endless string of bizarre unlucky flukes wasn’t bad enough…and yes, I remember that poor guard who now has permanent eye damage because of a ref’s astonishing carelessness…they’ve had to watch the team Art Modell stole from Cleveland win the Super Bowl because no one figured out how to go deep on their “crushing” defense. Good lord, does the scum really rise to the top? Here’s hoping this game turns out differently.

3. 49ers
That razzafrakkin furshlugginer fargbarging Ewing Theory again. It never ends. If the still-capable 49ers can’t beat a depleted, dispirited, shell-of-their-Super-Bowl-incarnation Rams unit, I will be sick (and I’d gladly bet my entire checking account on that).

4. Steelers
Is there anything more depressing than watching the franchise player completely go into the tank for absolutely no reason? First Ryan Leaf somehow develops the maturity, social grace, and, oh yeah, quarterbacking skills of a 5-year-old, then Randy Moss goes from unstoppable defense-terrifying megastar to self-centered useless lump of flesh and an endless nightmare for his team in what seems like nanoseconds, and now Kordell Stewart has forgotten the important principle of throwing to the guys with the same uniforms as the one he’s wearing. To think that Emmitt Smith’s getting so much heat for still playing…at least he’s still putting up decent numbers, and at least his greatness lasted for several seasons, not a few games, and at least it’s a slow burn, not a Mach 30 nosedive. I’d have to lose my soul to not root for a big win for Tommy Maddox. Just because he’s not Kordell Stewart.

As for the Saints: Okay, fun’s fun, but let’s see how you do against the meat of the schedule.

5. Bears
Hey, I’m backing up a fellow Doper! Yep, that’s me, always the team player. Actually, I just want them to make an example of the Packers and show them that, as good as Brett Favre is, they can’t just ride him game after game. And yes, I know I got on the Bears’ case for their fluky wins before, but that’s definitely a thing of the past. Now I’m rooting for a solid, unquestionable win. (Bandwagons are a beautiful thing, aren’t they?)

I was leaning toward either the Bengals (really), but they’re beyond hope at this point. I also considered the Cardinals and Panthers, but just couldn’t decide on one. And while Chris Berman comparing Joey Harrington to Padraig Harrington was, I admit, pretty cool, I’m nowhere near sold on the Lions.

Bandwagon standings:
Chargers - 10
49ers, Eagles - 7
Saints - 5
Browns, Rams, Vikings - 4
Cardinals, Dolphins, Panthers - 3
Patriots, Raiders, Steelers - 2
Bills, Packers, Buccaneers, Bears - 1

Okay, that’s all from me. Anyone who wishes to blast me for my ripping of Leaf, Moss, or Stewart may do so now. Don’t everyone get up at once. :slight_smile:

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Woohoo!!! The Vikings won’t lose this week!

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I’m not entirely convinced the Lions won’t somehow bank a loss.

Happy

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Why, oh why do I continue to hope and pray that the Jets will return some of the love I pour out to them? They’re like a fundamentalist in a bikini, they look real good, but they never it give up. And just like a woman, I hate to bet against my favorite team. But they really suck. Oh well.

Why, oh why can’t the Giants score? They don’t need to score that much. 1 touchdown in 7 trips into the red zone. Com’on guys-- is 20% too much to hope for?

I’ve got no love for the Pats, but sheesh-- what do these guys have to do to get a little respect? Win 12 straight while losing only one? Win the Superbowl? I hope the beat the crap out of Miami-- would it make a difference if they did?

I like the Rams. I like the Rams mostly because of Wamer. Warner has not played well-- the Rams have not played well. He won’t be playing Sunday-- well or otherwise. I guess I’ll see if I like the Rams without Warner.

You guys are scary in your dedication. I don’t know enough about all the other teams 'cause I just don’t have the dedication; I hope you don’t mind me crashing your party here. Especially since the real bet in my house will be how long I can stand to watch the Jets before I put the Yanks on.

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It’s nice to see you in here, Biggirl. It’s not a closed party and we could definitely use a fresh perspective every now and then. That said, I think your best bet will be the Yankees game. But who knows, maybe Pennington will be all that and a bag of chips. I’ve been really killed by NY teams in Fantasy Football this year (they’re not producing for me) so I don’t have any love for them right now.

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My picks for this week:

Cincinnati at Indianapolis (Colts by 13.5)
I just can’t see the Bengals winning, they looked pathetic in person last week, their team is in disarray, third starting QB in three weeks. But I just don’t like big spreads, especially when Tony Dungy is the favored coach.
Colts 24-13

San Diego at Denver (Broncos by 4.5)
The Broncos have to be embarassed. I didn’t see the whole game, but I did see that one series that was started by a Ray Lewis interception, then there was a deep pass to Todd Heap that was reviewed and then Heap caught a TD in the endzone. A couple of points on this (I am NOT a Broncos fan): 1) Lewis knocked the receiver to the ground before he intercepted the ball. It should have been a penalty on the Ravens. 2) Heap’s catch was not a catch, the ball bounced off the ground. They had the correct angle on this but only showed it once, but Madden and Michaels were both so busy putting Todd Heap in their mouth that they didn’t pay attention to the replays. A different angle showed that the ball wasn’t secure on the play, as well. 3) Heap’s TD catches were sweet. Ok, those points have almost nothing to do with this game, just wanted to bring them up. If the Broncos are as good as everyone thought they were, they will bring it on this weekend to show everyone. Plus the Chargers are due for a letdown. Ray Rhodes will figure out a way to corral Tomlinson.
Broncos 21-17

Oakland at Buffalo (Raiders by 3)
Oakland has problems when they play at Buffalo. I just have a feeling that the Bills are going to win this, if Travis Henry can hold onto the ball.
Bills 31-28

Pittsburgh at New Orleans (Saints by 3)
Isn’t Tommy Maddux closing for the Braves? The only reason the Steelers will stay in this game, and they will, is that the Saints receivers are beset by injuries.
Saints 21-14

Baltimore at Cleveland (Browns by 7)
Browns by 7? They could barely beat a sloppy Pittsburgh team last week. I really don’t like Tim Couch, he just seems nervous in the pocket. If Couch struggles and Davis brings in Holcomb then they could win. Or if the Ravens are just overconfident after slamming the Broncos. Otherwise look for Lewis to shut down Cleveland’s RBs and Couch to make too many mistakes.
Ravens 14-10

Tampa Bay at Atlanta (Bucs by 1.5)
I’m always nervous when my Bucs play against double threats. McNabb kills them everytime. So did Culpepper when he used to run. Heck, even Charlie Batch had their number. Vick will be just enough to drive them crazy, and Warrick Dunn will put the icing on the cake.
Falcons 27 - 21

New York Giants at Dallas (Pick’em)
I don’t even want to pick this game. Don’t like either team, their Fantasy players are giving me fits, etc. Dallas should win by all rights, but I have an itchy feeling about the Giants in this one. Gotta stick with the first instinct.
Boys 14 - 7

Kansas City at New York Jets (Chiefs by 3)
Just three? One of the highest scoring teams in the league against one of the most moribund offenses? And the Jets defense has been abyssmal. The Bookies outside of New York are going to take a bath on this one if “Hanging” Chad Pennington doesn’t mature awfully quickly.

New England at Miami (Fins by 3)
I think New England’s pride brings them back in this one. They’ve struggled against the run, but R. Williams doesn’t have the slashing cutback style that Tomlinson and Holmes do. Don’t get me wrong, he’ll still have some success but I think the Pats D will score at least one TD on a pick.
Patriots 28-24

Arizona at Carolina (Panthers by 3.5)
Okay, so the Panthers still haven’t beaten anybody tough, but they should have won or tied at the end last week in Green Bay. They are missing Muhsin Muhammed again, while the Cardinals don’t have any RBs that are healthy and D. Boston is still a bit banged up.
Panthers 20-17

Washington at Tennessee (Oilers by 5.5)
The Titans secondary is reeling. If Mr. Wuerffel or Mr. Ramsey or Mr. Matthews or Mr. Ed or whoever is Spurrier’s QB this week can do something, it will probably be too much. I also have a hunch that Stephen Davis will have a big day.
Redskins 27-14

St. Louis at San Francisco (49ers by 7)
Can Jamie Martin be Kurt Warner? Even without anyone to block for him? Can Marshall Faulk be Marshall Faulk? I think the Rams woes will continue, especially with San Fran coming off the bye. Plus this is the REAL grudge match, Terrell.
49ers 30 - 21

Philadelphia at Jacksonville (Eagles by 3)
Every logical bit of me says the Eagles win this. So why I am I picking the Jags? Well, Fred Taylor and crew are still healthy. And even though the Eagles look invincible don’t forget that they lost to the Titans. Remember the Titans.
Jaguars 25-18

Green Bay at Chicago (Bears by 1.5)
The pack has been winning with smoke n mirrors. Terry Glenn is still hurting. Javon Walker is hurting. Ahman Green is hurting. Bubba Franks is hurting. The Chicago defense is hurting. But Anthony Thomas gets his fullback back.
Bears 21-20

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I know it’s highly unlikely, virtually impossible, but, the way things have been going, I have feeling the Vikings will find a way to lose this week.

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biggirl - Hey, nice to meet you. Don’t worry about catching any flack from me for crashing…I’m just glad to have somone else here who isn’t going to bother actually predicting the final scores of NFL games. :slight_smile:

Re. the Patriots, I think the whole respect thing has gotten totally overblown. Personally, I think they’re pretty good most years (they probably were the 2nd best team in the league in the '86-87 season…you know, the one where William freaking Perry punched one in on them in the Super Bowl), they just never were world champion caliber. For most champs, you can point to one or more factors that clearly made them stood out. The Patriots benefitted from a lot of lucky breaks and, overall, never really gave the bookies a reason to favor them. Nonetheless, a championship is a championship, and they deserve props for that. The beef I have now is that the whining about how they don’t any respect is now drowning out any and all actual disrespect for the team…all without them actually gaining any respect.

That said, this isn’t a new thing, and the Patriots are hardly the worse case. Let’s not forget that a scant three seasons ago, the Giants were endlessly blasted hither and yon for being the worst divison champ, the worst 12-4 team, the worst this, the worst that, blah blah blah. What made this especially puzzling was that they absolutely owned the NFC. In fact, in the conference championships, they utterly demolished the Vikings, unquestionably the second best team in the conference. If the real problem was a weak conference (and in retrospect, it probably was), the Giants may have been a tad underserving, but it was still ridiculous to single them out.

Personally, I’m just plain tired of the whole issue, and I think NFL fans, as a whole, would be a whole lot better off just watching the damn games rather than qualifying every damn snap and play and fluke and break and turn to death. But that’s just me.

Re. the Ewing Theory…my big, BIG beef with this (which, I’ll admit, is sometimes spot-on) is the idea that a team can lose a star player and just shrug it off like nothing. Anyone who’s actually managed the personnel for a team can tell you that this is not the case. Sure, the Lions BRIEFLY improved after losing Barry Sanders…that’s because the whole Lions staff didn’t have a freaking clue on how to use him or build an offense around him (if someone like Jimmy Johnson or Bill Parcells was in charge, Sanders DESTROYS the career rushing record), and losing one of the best running backs in the history of the sport actually put them on more familiar territory. It’s come back to haunt them, as any reasonably informed fan could’ve predicted. Now, as for Kurt Warner, he’s struggled through an injury, so sitting him for a while may actually benefit the Rams…in the short run. But there’s no way that they remain a playoff contender, let alone a Super Bowl one, if he goes for good. I’m just praying for a big loss sometime to really drive that point home.

And dedication? Heck, it’s only the national sport (yes, yes, baseball’s the national pastime, but football is definitely the national sport). This is nothing, really…you oughta hear some of the stuff on those call-in radio shows.

Anyway, thanks for jumping in. And rest assured that, in many cases, your guess is as good as hours. (You think I’m kidding, right? I wish I were kidding.)

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Sorry for the lateness of my picks guys. Hey Biggirl welcome ot the party! Sorry your New Jersey teams suck…oops I meant New York :D.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Indianapolis Colts
This is the one time, I’d have figured on a 20 point spread. Trust me on this…the Bungles will be blown out. Indy’s coming off a bye; the Bengals are looking to start their third QB of the season. All in all in smells like a good day for Manning and crew. Indy wins and covers…easily.

Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers
I still haven’t seen the Cards play the game I know they’re capable of playing. I still can’t figure out how the Panthers are doing what they’re doing. I’ve heard good things about their defense, but still, I don’t trust the Panthers yet. That spread seems reasonable, but I don’t like reasonable. Cards upset.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons 1:00 p.m. ET (Bucs by 1½)
I really hope I get to see this game. I have yet to see Atlanta this season to see if Vick lives up to his reputation. Still my heart says Bucs all the way in this one. Bucs to win and cover.

Oakland Raiders @ Buffalo Bills 1:00 p.m. ET (Oaktown by 3)
I’m wondering if my paper has a misprint, because the Bills show as favored by three. At home I’d probably pick the Raiders to go 4-0, but against the Bill in Buffalo, well I’m taking the home team. I predict a high scoring game on this one may 31-27, and I think the weakness will be the rookie at corner for the Raiders. Bills win.

Redskins @ Tennessee Titans 1:00 p.m. ET (Titans by 5½)

I’ll take that Fun’N Gun offense against these Titans. The only way I see Tennessee having a chance is if Eddie George has a good game; and even then I don’t see much of one. Redskins upset.

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins 1:00 p.m. ET (Phins by 3)

I think this’ll be a snorer. Miami should run all over the Pats. Dolphins win and over.

New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys 1:00 p.m. ET (Pick 'Em)

The Cowboys have to be feeling great after that victory over the Rams. The Giants by contrast look lost. Still I don’t see the Boys pulling this one off. Giants win.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ New Orleans Saints 1:00 p.m. ET (Saints by 3)
I guess we won’t have Kordell Stewart to kick around anymore unless Cower decides at the last moment to start him. Maybe he’ll get his ass in gear after Maddox saved the game last week. Or maybe Cower won’t take the chance. I doubt it matters either way. Brooks and crew win and cover.

San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos 4:05 p.m. ET (Broncos by 5)
I saw the Chargers game last week, and I still don’t know what to make of this team. They played competently but not spectacularly. I’ll take the Broncos to win, but the Chargers will cover.

Kansas City Chiefs @ New York Jets 4:05 p.m. ET (Chiefs by 3)

I have to agree that spread is a laugher. Chiefs win and cover.

St. Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49Ers 4:15 p.m. ET (49ers by 7)

The Niners are viewing this as if the Rams were 4-0, not 0-4. If for no other reason, I’d take the Niners here. Second issue: Terrell Owens. The man wants to win, and I’m getting a little tired of everyone taking him to task for it. Rice used to blow-up too, and the Niners kept going. Oh one last thing, don’t be too surprised to see Barlow taking more of the carries and Hearst lining up as a receiver more. If I can see the advantages surely the coaching staff has been thinking it too. Niners win and cover.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Jacksonville Jaguars 4:15 p.m. ET (Iggles by 3)
I was really tempted to pick this as one of my upset specials, but I just can’t see the Jaguars containing McNabb. Eagles win and cover.

Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns 8:30 p.m. ET (Brownies by 7)
I’m not gonna waist bandwidth on this one. Browns win, Browns cover.

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears 9:00 p.m. ET (Bears by 1½)

Green Bay is looking really beatable these days, but you just can’t count out the Favre factor. Couple it with it being a Monday night game and the smells Green Bay all the way. Packers upset the Bears. Push.

15

So far, I’ve got one 11-3 week, and three .500 weeks (8-8, 8-8, 7-7). But I’m still game to embarrass myself further.

Straight up: Bears, Broncs, Browns, Chiefs, Colts, Cowboys, Eagles, Falcs, 49ers, Panthers, Pats, Raiders, Redskins, Saints.

Omni: Chargers, Chiefs, Eagles, Redskins, Saints.

16

Sorry for my absence of late, its been a busy extended weekend in my little world. I’ll be back with my official revised spreads and any needed alteration, plus OMNI picks in a moment. First a few comments in response to you guys’ posts.

Shibbs, if those are your two choices “really bad” might be the understatement of the year. Lets try “utterly putreid” on for size.

DKW, I’m a little baffled by your “Bandwagon standings” tally, what’s the methodology for this again? Maybe I missed it in past weeks, just curious how you’re scoring these.

Biggirl, welcome aboard! Glad to have you, hope you stick along for the ride and really learn how to develop an unhealthy obsession about a non-sexual ritual. That of course saying that sexual obsessions are routine amonst us here…Anna Kournikova anyone? And can I say how refreshing it is to hear a woman using both the frustration of a hottie in a bikini not putting out as well as meaningful football statistics in a post?

Ohh, and I suppose that whole Yankees line of discussion is moot, huh? [sub]struggles to contain the giggles[/sub]

Shibbs, I really like your analysis this week. Not that I so much agree with ya, just that its a good read, kinda like Maxim.

I completely agree with you on both these points. I’ve been getting annoyed with the announcers lately this year. They’ve had alot of instances in games I’ve seen where they basically decided their “proper result” of a replay on the first angle shown, which I’ve found completely inconclusive either way. Then they babble endlessly about how obvious it is, when it clearly isn’t. Just my little bitch.

I also noticed you only picked 3 favorites to cover and 6 outright upsets, quite bold I must say.

DKW, I figured I might as well dig this column up. Ewing Theory I’m not sure I agree with your interpretation of the Ewing Theory. I don’t there’s any implication that a team just “shrugs off the loss of the star”. Its somewhat more subtle than that, and I think that opinion has been reinforced in subsequent SG coulmns. Basically its important to say that the definaition says it must be a player who recieved a “inordinate” amount of attention and praise, perhaps he’s over-rated or simply a poor fit for the team talentwise or personality wise. And then the defination says that the team then “inexplicably” pulls it together and catches lightning in a bottle in cinderella fashion. Your assertion that the Rams won’t be successful in the long-term, and that the Lions weren’t, I think overlooks the essense of th Ewing Theory in that its a short term logic and statistic defying power.

Stuffy, I’m curious just how you predict the game will be a push with a 1½ point spread, sounds like one of the great-old SNL Super Fans skits…“Ditka’ll find a way”

Be back soon for more.

17

Damnit…“utterly putrid”

18

Current Thursday spreads for my Pick 5:

Sunday Games
Arizona at Carolina 12:00pm, Carolina -3.5
Cincinnati at Indianapolis 12:00pm, Indianapolis -13.5
New England at Miami 12:00pm, Miami -3.0
N.Y. Giants at Dallas 12:00pm, Dallas -0.0
Oakland at Buffalo 12:00pm, Oakland -3.0
Pittsburgh at New Orleans 12:00pm, New Orleans -3.0
Tampa Bay at Atlanta 12:00pm, Tampa Bay -1.5
Washington at Tennessee 12:00pm, Tennessee -5.5
Kansas City at N.Y. Jets 3:05pm, Kansas City -3.0
San Diego at Denver 3:05pm, Denver -5.0
Philadelphia at Jacksonville 3:15pm, Philadelphia -3.0
St. Louis at San Francisco 3:15pm, San Francisco -7.0
Baltimore at Cleveland 7:30pm, Cleveland -7.0

Monday Night Football
Green Bay at Chicago 8:00pm, Chicago -1.5

No changes to be made. Still mulling my OMNI picks.

So far I’ve decided on Kansas City, New Orleans and San Diego, need to muster up 2 more.

19

Man, is that ever a sig line waiting to be claimed!

I don’t know a whole lot about most of the teams either; I play because it’s fun, even if I suck. Welcome to the party. :slight_smile:

Unless you’ve taped the Yanks, I’m guessing it may be awhile. :smiley:

20

Omni: We’re just really bad so far. We’re working on utterly putrid. BTW, I forgot to thank you for switching back to Eastern timezones. And thanks for the back-handed compliment on the analysis. I need to think up something like that for your 1040 Dip moves last round. (If Biggirl thinks were dedicated about football she should see the Diplomacy thread and how big my e-mail outbox was before I cleaned it up recently!)

RTFirefly are the Yankees eliminated already or is this just prognostication? I saw that the D’backs are out. Now I have to go check a sports site somewhere. Who am I supposed to root against in the post-season now? Are the Braves still in?