Week 17 Picks (Sort of)....

So we're going into the final regular season weekend of the season. And there's a few exciting sub-plots! (And a ton of totally meaningless games...) So considering that I had a relatively non-existent work week in which to write picks, we'll just touch on a few of the more interesting aspects...

Like several teams that have their playoff seeds locked in, you can say we here at SBS are also going to play the first quarter and making sure we're healthy for the playoffs. So I'll keep this short and to the point...

The Patriots have a chance to go 16-0 at the Meadowlands this Saturday night. The Pats are locked in as the #1 AFC seed. But that hasn't stopped Belichick from playing his starters in the past. The Giants are locked into the #5 seed in the NFC and will go to Tampa Bay for the first round. The Giants are talking some smack, particularly about Brady. And for all of Coughlin's talk that he'll play his starters and try to win, I'm not sure I buy it. Hell, even if the Giants WERE trying to win, they probably couldn't. I think the Pats put up a big lead, Brady breaks Manning's single-season TD record, and we see no major injuries. For all the hype that the "Do we rest our starters?" storyline gets during the final weeks every single year, when was the last time a key player actually DID get hurt in a meaningless game that cost his team a deep run into the playoffs? I sure as hell cannot think of an example. (Which means I probably just jinxed it and it will happen this weekend.)

Speaking of resting players, we have two interesting situations for the final playoff spots in both the AFC and NFC...

In the AFC, if the Titans win on Sunday night, they're in. They play a Colts team that figures to be resting most of their starters. So it SHOULD be a gimme, right?

If the Titans somehow lose to the backup Colts, then the Browns can sneak in with a win over the Niners in Cleveland. The Browns really blew it last week by not knocking off the woeful Bengals. If they beat San Fran (and they should), they'll have to sit around and watch the Sunday Night game on NBC to see their fate. I wonder if NBC will figure out a way to get a live feed of Browns players watching the game to see their reaction?

The NFC is a very similar situation. The Redskins need to win to get in. They play the Cowboys in DC, and Dallas will likely be playing mostly backups as well, since they've locked up the #1 NFC seed. Again, the Redskins SHOULD win. But this is the NFL, so who knows.

Waiting in the wings are the Vikings. Who could have wrapped up a playoff spot by beating the Skins in Minny last weekend. They couldn't get it done. (Which I predicted correctly, by the way.) The Vikes have to win in Denver this week to stay alive. Which is a pretty tall order.

The longshot in the NFC are the Saints, who are still mathematically alive. If both the Skins and Vikings lose, and the Saints win in Chicago, they can snatch away that #6 spot. Not imposible, but improbable.

My best guess is the Skins win and are in, and somehow the Titans manage to choke it away, giving the Browns the final AFC spot.

And then next week we can talk playoffs, woohoo! One little sneak peek tidbit for Samichlaus regarding the playoffs: with the Seahawks locked in at #3 and the Packers locked in at #2, that means Seattle will visit Green Bay in round two if Seattle doesn't choke at home in the first round. (A distinct possibility of course.) Last time we saw Seattle in Green Bay for a playoff game, it was 4 years ago, and Matt Hasselbeck was bravely declaring "We'll take the ball and we're going to score!" after winning the OT coin toss. And them promptly throwing a pick six to Al Harris to lose the game. That was Hasselbeck's first ever playoff start. Seattle hasn't missed the playoffs since, and are 3-3. I can't look past the first round opponent, but I think that'd be a great game.

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Week 16 Picks (Almost Playoff Time!)

Two weeks left, and not a whole lot of drama. 7 of the 8 divisions are wrapped up. And there's only about 8 or so teams vying for the 4 wild card spots both conferences (with the Giants and Browns having to choke totally to lose 2 of those...)

Boy, I am so glad I checked the blog this morning! First off, was it me or did Dallas get every significant call last night? I had that sick feeling come over me while watching the game, you know the one? The same one I had after that Seattle - Pittsburgh Super Bowl? Thank goodness there's the national media out there to tell me I'm a paranoid lunatic....

Anyways, here we go!

Last Week:
Samichlaus: 7-8
St. Ides: 6-9

Season:
St. Ides: 57-61
Samichlaus: 46-72

PANTHERS +10.5 over Cowboys
Don't look now, but a sore thumb and Jessica Simpson are destroying the Cowboys season! The Panthers actually looked halfway decent last week against Seattle. I'll take 10 points at home, thank you very much. Cowboys 24, Panthers 23.

I can't comment on this one but if anyone cares I would have taken the Panthers and the points.

BILLS +2.5 over Giants
Giants are in a bit of trouble. Shockey is gone for the season. They should have locked up a playoff spot by now, but they haven't. Eli is inconsistent. I would LOVE to have the Giants come to Seattle in the first round. Which means Seattle stays at #3 and the Giants fall to #6. A loss here helps that along. Bills 17, Giants 13.

Agreed. Add to that the fact that the Bills are tough at home, and play tough every week. Besides, it's time for the yearly December swoon of any Coughlin coached team. I like the Bills to win outright in a low scoring game. Bills 17 Giants 10

SAINTS -3.5 over Eagles
Saints are fighting for their playoff lives. And while the Eagles have shown some fight recently, I like the Saints in this one. Saints 23, Eagles 17.

The rule of the more desperate team applies. The Saints need this game more than the Eagles, and will win easy at home. Saints 27 Eagles 13

BEARS +8.5 over Packers
If you would have told anyone that the Bears would be a 9 point underdog to the Packers in Chicago on week 16, people would have thought you were nuts. Well, here we are. Bears defense kinda blows, their offense is horrendous, and the Packers could very well still grab home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs if they pass the Cowboys in the next two weeks. Packers 20, Bears 13.

That's a lot of points but I'll take the Packers to cover. The Pack has won 16 of their last 17 in Illinois, and are looking to avenge one of their two losses. Favre always plays well in Soldier Field. The Pack will put up 30 easy, but outside of Devon Hester and Brian Urlacher, who is going to score for Chicago? Packers 31 Bears 10

Chiefs +4.5 over LIONS
Remember when the Lions were 6-2? It was only 6 weeks ago. Now they're 6-8. Where's your God now, Jon Kitna? Lions 20, Chiefs 17.

Is Kitna one of those "Thank you Jesus" guys? I had no idea! After the loss to the Cowboys it all fell apart for Detroit. I like the Chiefs as well, but I'll say they win outright. Chiefs 34 Lions 20

Texans +7.5 over COLTS
The Texans have shown some spirit lately. Oddly enough, a lot of that spark has come from backup QB Sage Rosenfels and former #1 pick Mario Williams. Who now looks like a better choice than both Reggie Bush and Vince Young. Colts 26, Texans 20.

A lot of very smart people are taking the Texans this week, but I don't see it. Colts at home usually covers and Sage Rosenfels (who gets second place in the "Most ethnic sounding name" catagory to Vinny Testaverde) ain't all that. Colts 34 Texans 17


Browns -2.5 over BENGALS
I like what the Browns have done. I have much love for their offense. Meanwhile, the Bengals suck. And there's some talk that the egos of Ocho Cinco and TJ Whosyourmama is starting to wear thin in the Cinci locker room. Browns 31, Bengals 17.

If you told me the Browns would have the better record at this stage of the season say, last September, I'd have recommended therapy. Meanwhile I agree with St. Ides's sentiment, I like what the Browns have done as well. Browns 24 Bengals 21

Raiders +12.5 over JAGUARS
The Raiders stuck in there against the Colts last week. The Jags look good, but it seems they're pretty much locked into the #5 seed, so not a whole lot to play for. Jaguars 23, Raiders 13.

That's a lot of lettuce 12.5, but I'm going to take it only because this game is at Jacksonville. The Jags may try to build a little playoff momentum so lets go Jags 34 Raider 17

Falcons +10.5 over CARDINALS
*Sniff sniff* What's that smell? Yep, it's the Stinker of the Week! Cardinals actually seemed like they might threaten for a playoff spot until they got hit hard with injuries. Oh well, that's life in the NFL. Cardinals 20, Falcons 10.

I got burned by the Falcons last week who I swore would rise up for Emmit Thomas. Wrong again. Can the Cardinals beat anyone by 10.5? Who cares. Cardinals 24 Falcons 10

Bucanneers -6.5 over NINERS
Bucs can still beat out Seattle for the #3 seed. Which may mean the difference between playing the Giants instead of the Vikings. Niners got a little lift by some rookie QB last week. But he wasn't playing the Tampa Bay D. Bucs 20, Niners 6.

I like the Bucs too, in fact they're my sleeper team in the playoffs. The Niners at home might get a few points, but I stll think the Bucs win by a TD. Bucs 24 Niners 13

Dolphins +21.5 over PATRIOTS
I'm not giving any more huge 20-point spreads any more this season. Not when the Pats game is so dependent on the long ball, the temperature is dropping, and there's a threat of snow every weekend. Pats 27, Fins 9.

This game isn't any different than last weeks game. Pats win, but not by 22. Pats 24 Dolphins 7

TITANS -8.5 over Jets
Titans are still alive! (Not much more to add here other than the Jets blow.) Titans 27, Jets 16.

I will add one comment: the Jets need a QB who has at least as strong an arm as St. Ides, and it ain't Chad Pennington. When Chad was a bit younger he had just enough of an arm to get by, but not anymore. I saw a good part of that Pats game and thought "this guy is a joke". Titans 24 Jets 10

Ravens +8.5 over SEAHAWKS
After last week's debacle against the Panthers and a rookie QB, the Seahawks get to face another rookie QB in former Heisman winner Troy Smith. Let's just say it only takes one horrible week to destroy any confidence I had in this team. Seahawks 24, Ravens 20.

I feel you pain brother. After watching the Panthers last night I couldn't help but wonder what the living fuck was wrong with Seattle last week? However, I'm going the other way. I like Seattle by 10. Seattle 34 Ravens 17

Redskins +6.5 over VIKINGS
This line is WAY too high. The Vikings have gotten back in the playoff hunt against crappy teams. The Redskins are not a crappy team. And with a win, I believe the Skins jump the Vikes for the final NFC Wild Card spot. YOu've got to believe there's a lot of emotion and unity on Washington right now given the whole Sean Taylor tragedy. I'll take the Skins to win fairly easily. Redskins 23, Vikings 10.

I like the Skins too. I'm not convinced they can win this game outright, but St. Ides is correct: the Skins are playing at an emotional fever pitch. I hope they can win... I like that team. Vikings 27 Redskins 24

Broncos +8.5 over CHARGERS
You would have thunk this game might mean something with regards to the AFC West division title. Or at least a wild card berth for one of the teams. It doesn't. Chargers 31, Broncos 24.

San Diego has played good football lately, I think. The truth is I really haven't followed either of these teams all that close, well except for the occasional shot of LT having a little hissy fit. That stuff torques me off. I'll take the Chargers: Chargers 31 Broncos 20

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Thoughts On The Juice! (No, not OJ...)

Okay, so the steroid report came out and highlighted the names of several current and former players as users. The big names? Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada, Barry Bonds (big surprise there), Andy Pettitte, Gary Sheffield, and Eric Gagne. I think most people will accept the findings in the report and believe that the people named did take steroids. Although the evidence from one name to another does vary to some degree. For example, some of the players left actual paper trails - cashed checks, receipts, etc. While others were fingered by verbal testimony of a single person. It was pretty detailed and convincing verbal testimony (ie, "I injected Roger Clemens in the butt with steroids cause he asked me to."), but the difference should be noted. Especially since if this were an actual trial, the word of a single person probably wouldn't be nearly enough to convict a person.

Anyways, differences in just how convincing the evidence is on a case-by-case basis, lets look at a few different things...

First of all, I know and you know that there are TONS of other players out there who used steroids who are NOT named in the report. The Player's Association totally hand-cuffed the investigation by telling the players not to cooperate at all. Only one player cooperated (Jason Giambi) and that was because the moron pretty much had admitted he used steroids, and the commissioner threatened to suspend him if he didn't answer their questions. That means the only sources they had were trainers and suppliers... Who were only squealing if they had already been busted themselves and could save their own ass.

Someone called into the Mike and the Mad Dog the other day and claimed to know one of the big-name trainer guys who was supplying information for the report. He basically said that the guy never would have named names if he hadn't been ratted out first. The way the caller explained it (and it sounded legitimate - it almost sounded like Mike and Russo had spoken to this guy before, cause they didn't question him one bit), he said that one of the players got busted by the Feds for possession and ratted out the trainer as the supplier. Once the trainer was ratted out, he was like "Eff this. If these bastards ratted me out, I'm not going to protect them," and proceeded to name names. That sort of odd "Who's willing to rat out who" merry-go-round seems to have been the source for most of the names.

Which leads me back to my first point - there's a ton of people out there who realize that you don't rat people out, no matter what the legal consequences may be. (Hell, the BALCO guy spent several months in prison because he refused to testify against Bonds.) For the dozen or so recognizable names in the report because some people decided to sing like a canary, there are dozens more who haven't been exposed because people have refused to rat them out.

It'll be interesting to see if more arrests, busts, paper trails, investigations or whatever will eventually reveal some more names. Because we know they're out there.

So now my next question.. how does this effect the Hall of Fame status of these players? I think it's pretty safe to assume that anybody who knows anything about sports would say Bonds and Clemens have had Hall of Fame careers. Tejada and Pettitte are probably borderline, but leaning more on the outside looking in at this point I think. But what about former players Rafael Palmeiro and Mark McGwire? (Palmeiro's name appears in the report. McGwire's does not.)

Some moron writer who actually has a Hall of Fame vote called in to Mike and the Mad Dog yesterday. He said that he'd still vote for Clemens and Bonds, but wouldn't vote for McGwire and Palmeiro. His explanation wasn't that he thought McGwire and Palmeiro weren't worthy based on their careers. But he said that McGwire and Palmeiro "needed the steroids more" than Clemens and Bonds. What the hell does that mean? That makes no sense. That's like he's almost trying to measure just what kind of impact the steroids had for each player, which is completely impossible. There's no way in hell you can say that McGwire hit all those home runs because of the steroids, but Bonds would have done it even without them. I can't believe he didn't get reamed for saying that. The fact of the matter is that if a baseball player used steroids, they cheated. Period. Case closed. You cannot measure how much the steroids helped them. You cannot say it helped one person more than another. That's ludicrous.

So now, what does baseball do? While the Mitchell guy recommended no punishment be taken against those named in the report, Selig said that'll be decided by him on a case-by-case basis. I don't see him suspending anybody based on this. The bottom line is that there are no failed drug tests. (Of course, that's mostly because drug tests weren't given during the period in question.) What will the Hall of Fame voters do? They punished McGwire last year by not voting him in, though there was some speculation it was just to prove a point, and he'd get in the following year. If they take the hard stance and not vote in anybody that's been linked to steroids, does that mean Bonds and Clemens never get in? Well, then what happens if someone gets in... let’s say Sammy Sosa, just to pick a random player who should get in... What happens if Sammy Sosa makes it to Cooperstown, and then 5 years later, another drug company gets raided and busted, and suddenly the feds have a stack of papers linking Sosa to steroids. Can they boot someone out of the Hall of Fame who are already in? Has that ever happened? And if not, then how can you possibly still keep Bonds and Clemens out?

The fact of the matter is we don't truly know who used steroids and who didn't. The whole era has been tainted. It needs to be recorded as such. Individual players who got unlucky enough to have their trainers snitch on them shouldn't be singled out as the only guilty parties. And, like it or not, the Hall of Fame voters need to treat everyone the same - either they all get in, or they all stay out.

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Week 13 Picks! (Steroid free) (now with extra carbohydrates!)

We're into the home stretch! And the holiday season! Which means lots of food and booze, and hopefully a slow enough work environment that you'll be seeing weekly picks from here through the Pro Bowl. No promises though. (I also plan on writing a little something about the baseball steroids thing, but figured the picks were more important right now.)

With 3 weeks left, 5 of the 12 playoff spots have been clinched. Tampa Bay is looking pretty good for the NFC South. The Giants are looking pretty good for the 1st NFC Wild Card spot. The Jaguars look pretty set as an AFC Wild Card. The Steelers have a 1 game lead and the tie-breaker over the Browns for the AFC North. And the Chargers would have to totally collapse to lose the AFC West. So really, there's not a whole lot of spots left up for grabs. It's more like 10 of the 12 spots are decided. Though the spots that ARE available have a lot of teams in the hunt.

OK, we're back. OJ is under arrest, Vick is in prison, and the Packers have clinched the NFC Central. Sorry I've got to rush through these but I do have a few things to take care of...

Last Time:
St. Ides: 9-7
Samichlaus: 8-8

Overall:
St. Ides: 51-52
Samichlaus: 39-64

Bengals -8.5 over NINERS
The Bengals are showing a little bit of life. While the Niners are not. There's some bad stuff going on in San Fran, with Alex Smith accusing Mike Nolan of ruining his career and trying to undermine his rep with teammates by questioning his toughness not playing through (what's been proven to be a pretty serious) injury. At this point in the season, I think it's safe to throw the "take the home dogs" strategy out the window. In the pool me and my dad are in, we're both near the bottom of the pack with a pedestrian 29-41 record. (Though my dad has been trying to lose on purpose lately.. for the last place booby prize.. and I've still been trying to win...) Anyways, Niners blow. Bengals 27, Niners 16.

Day after day the selection of Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers is looking like a huge mistake. Did anyone other than me notice how good Rodgers looked against the Cowboys? Anyway, I like the Bengals, but 8.5 is a lot to give so I'm taking the Niners and the points. Bengals 24 Niners 21

SAINTS -3.5 over Cardinals
Wow, this game actually has playoff ramnifications. Both teams are in the hunt for the final NFC Wild Card spot. The Saints are getting just a little hot and had a big win over the Falcons on Monday night. The Cardinals got absolutely dominated by Seattle with the NFC West at stake. To be fair, the Cardinals have been hit by injuries pretty badly, especially in their secondary. Which means Drew Brees and company should have a field day. Oh, and wouldn't it be somewhat ironic if the Saints go on a nice winning streak here and make the playoffs without Reggie Bush? Saints 31, Cardinals 20.

Yes it would. Reggie Bush is a good running back, but he's no Samkon Gado. I like the Saints to win easy... Saints 34 Cardinals 17

Seahawks -7.5 over PANTHERS
To answer Anonymous's recent question, it's Hasselbeck lately. He's looked awesome since Seattle has gone to a pass-happy attack, mostly due to an ineffective running game behind a shaking run-blocking offensive line. Hasselbeck has been making all the right decisions, has made the throws he's had to, and has been outsmarting opposing defenses by audibling very well at the line. (Including an interesting matchup against Urlacher a few weeks ago where both were exchanging audibles... I have to say, Hasselbeck came out ahead on most of those plays.) Another reason to like Hasselbeck is his personality. He's a pretty funny guy from all accounts, doesn't take himself too seriously, yet commands respect and inspires his teammates in the huddle when it matters. Here's a good clip that captures his personality perfectly. (And he talks about his days in Green Bay, so that's a reason for Samichlaus to actually watch it.)

Anyways, while Hasselbeck gets the offense going (and if he doesn't make the Pro Bowl, it'll be a travesty), the defense has been stepping up. This past weekend, underrated CB Marcus Trufant had 3 picks. The week before, Lofa Tatupu had 3. And free agent acquisition Patrick Kerney leads the league in sacks. Yes, you read that right. A Seahawk leads the league in sacks. The run defense has been solid, the pass defense has been even better. Thanks largely in part due to new assistant head coach/secondary coach Jim Mora and having two veteran safeties who know not to get beat deep. If Seattle doesn't scare the living bajeezus out of the other NFC playoff teams, they should. This team is two plays away from being 11-2. And as poorly as they played the first half of the season, is as good as they're playing now.

Okay, so I'm rambling a bit now.. As for this game... Seattle sometimes struggles getting started in 1pm games, but the Panthers offense is bad enough that it shouldn't matter. They shut down Steve Smith in the playoffs a few years ago when they had a decent QB and a running game. With neither of those going for them now, he'll have little impact. Seahawks 23, Panthers 10.

That's a great clip! There's one out there where he talks about getting drafted by Green Bay and how excited he was to go and play with Brett Favre. He ends it by saying something like "... so I figured it was time to take the poster of him hanging on my wall down". If I can find it, I'll post it. Meanwhile, what you said. Seattle 27 Panthers 13

Falcons +11.5 over BUCANNEERS
With playoff positioning at stake and a chance to wrap up the NFC South, the Bucs laid an egg last week against the Texans. Jeff Garcia has sat out two games with back problems, so that's not good. The Falcons pretty much stink, and now their head coach jumped ship before even finishing his first year. Star CB DeAngelo Hall was caught telling NO coach Sean Payton he wants to play for him DURING last week's game. Atlanta is pretty much in shambles. Which means take the points, cause nothing makes sense in the NFL. Bucs 23, Falcons 14.

The Falcons are in a state of turmoil, and the question is do they rise to the occasion and play for interim head coach Emmit Thomas? I'm going with yes. The Bucs will win, but in a close game. Bucs 24 Falcons 21

BROWNS -5.5 over Bills
Look! Another game that means something late in the season between two teams that have sucked a lot lately! I'm impressed with how resilient the Bills have been, especially since they've had some serious injuries and can't decide on a starting QB. But I've been even more impressed with the Browns and Dereck Anderson, who I think I even made a joke about in one of our first picks columns this season. Well, he's looked awesome. And now the Browns might find themselves in the same tricky situation the Chargers did a few years ago - a lower drafted QB actually playing well for them with a top draft pick QB with high expectations (and a phat contract) sitting on the bench. So far, it looks like the Chargers might have made the wrong move by letting Brees get away and keeping Rivers. Now the Browns have to figure out what to do between Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. Good luck! (Oh, and former Wolverine Braylon Edwards has had a Pro Bowl caliber year as well.) Browns 27, Bills 20.

I think they trade Quinn to Miami for a second round pick. Unless Miami plans on choosing a QB... who's the hot QB in the draft this year anyways? Sunday's game time weather: Snow and Wind. So the question is, who can run the ball better? I'll take the Bills and Marshawn Lynch for the upset. Bills 17 Browns 10

PATRIOTS -23.5 over Jets
I think the spread is even higher now, but that's what it's listed as in my pool, which is what I usually pull these spreads from. The Revenge Bowl! Now accusations are flying back and forth that the Jets might have been caught videotaping the Pats signals last year. It's all pretty ridiculous. I'm not even going to spend time on the whole revenge thing cause you can read about it on every other website. I'll just say this is going to be ugly, and the after-game handshake should be interesting. Patriots 52, Jets 16.

I really think the Jets pride will keep this game closer than people think. But if St. Ides is right, look for Mangenius to sucker punch Belichick on the way out. Pats 37 Jets 20

Ravens -3.5 over DOLPHINS
Shouldn't the spread by higher than this? An 0-13 team against a team that almost knocked off the Pats? Yes, the Ravens got spanked last week by the Colts, but the Dolphins offense isn't exactly as explosive. And Kyle Boller actually looked like an NFL QB a couple weeks ago. I don't see the Fins winning this year... Ravens 20, Fins 10.

The great John Beck experiment is over in Miami. This team has no coach, no front office, and no players of any worth. No wonder my father in law hates the holidays. Ravens 27 Dolphins 10

CHIEFS +3.5 over Titans
Titans may have choked away their playoff hopes by blowing a decent lead against the Chargers last week and losing in OT. Chiefs aren't that bad, but Herm Edwards still blows as a coach. They're still kinda tough at home though, and Vince Young hasn't been very good for most of this year. I'm still not entirely sure how the Titans have won as many games as they have. Decent running game and defense I guess... Chiefs 20, Titans 17.

Hell, I can't figure out how the Packers have won so many games this year. Chiefs are getting 3.5... hmm, I don't know. I'm going with Tennesee. Just cause I can. Tennesee 30 Chiefs 20

Jaguars +3.5 over STEELERS
I actually think the Jaguars are a decent team. Took them awhile to convince me, but call me convinced. The Steelers are decent too. These teams could very well meet in the first round of the playoffs. I'll take the points. Steelers 23, Jags 20.

Steelers at home... they're going to get at least 3 points off of ref calls. That leaves a half a point to cover, and I just don't think it's a problem. Steelers 24 Jags 17

RAMS +9.5 over Packers
The Packers are due for a letdown game or two, right? Especially since they are pretty much locked into the #2 seed. They're 1 game behind the Cowboys for #1 (but lose the head-to-head tie-breaker, so it's really like 2 games). And 2 games ahead of Seattle (but would lose the conference record tie-breaker, so yeah, it's 2 games). Favre doesn't really have a great history in domes, and the Rams can still be frisky at times. I expect the Packers to pretty much win easily, but a doodoo time TD could keep the Rams within 10. Packers 30, Rams 24.

I agree with this analysis completely. I will say that the Packers looked real good against the Raiders, better than I expected. The D was flying all over the field, and nearly pitched a shutout. If the Packers have this game put away early, look for the second string to come in and finish. Meanwhile, Mark Bulger returns to the Rams just to make it interesting. Packers 34 Rams 27

Colts -10.5 over RAIDERS
Okay, I take back what I said towards the beginning of the season about the Raiders surprising people. They're still pretty bad. If the Colts dismantled the Ravens so easily, I'll lay the points. Colts 31, Raiders 13.

The Raiders are a joke. If the Pack can win by 31 at home, the Colts win by at least 20 on the road. Colts 31 Raiders 10


Lions +10.5 over CHARGERS
Even after choking away that game against the Cowboys, the Lions are still right in the thick of the hunt for the final NFC playoff spot. There's some trouble brewing in SD with Tomlison giving Phillip Rivers the cold shoulder last week on the sidelines while he was playing poorly. It would have been interesting to see how that developed had the Chargers not come back to win. I wouldn't be surprised to see them lose outright this week. So I'll happily take 10 points. Lions 26, Chargers 24.

I just have to say this: Tomlinson is a big wussy. I love his story, and how he made it to the NFL, but he reminds me of a guy that used to play for the Mets named Greg Jefferies. Grow the fuck up, will you? Another million dollar talent with a five cent emotional makeup. I like the Lions and the points. Chargers 34 Lions 27

Eagles +10.5 over COWBOYS
Ugh. I'm so disgusted by the Cowboys and the Romo love-fest I can't even comment on this game. Eagles 26, Cowboys 24.

Me too... but boy, that Romo is something huh? tee hee hee. The Eagles will keep it real close... Cowboys 27 Eagles 24


Redskins +4.5 over GIANTS
Does Eli Manning really scare any team going into the playoffs? I didn't think so. The Skins are still alive for the final Wild Card spot as well. Redskins 23, Giants 20.

Apply the rule of the more desperate team, and the Redskins win. The game means more to them. Eli might not scare anybody, but I'll bet Jason Campbell has nightmares about Osi Umenyiora... Skins 24 Giants 21

Bears +9.5 over VIKINGS
Just as everybody is sucking Adrian Peterson's peepee almost as much as Tony Romo's, he has 14 carries for 3 yards (a whopping 0.2 yards per carry) against the Niners last week. Of course, Chester Taylor ripped off an 84-yard TD run and the Niners suck enough that the Vikings still won and currently hold the #6 seed in the NFC if the season ended today. Whether or not the Vikes (who are pretty much one-dimensional on both sides of the ball) scare anybody going into the playoffs is debatable, but I'm thinking they'll stumble and not make it. The Bears get a big chance to play spoiler here, and their defense still has enough pride to get amped up to stop Peterson. Bears 20, Vikes 12.

I absloutely agree. The Bears will win this game by virtue of defense and special teams. I see a low scoring loss for the Vikes, who will not make the playoffs. Bears 20 Vikes 10 (Samichlaus LOVES the under @ 43)

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Blizzards and Blogging

First of all, to my dear friend Anonymous who never fails to take full advantage of St. Ides and my policy of not editing user comments, we unequivically do not suck. True, our predictions are often times a bit off and yes we do lapse in our committment to this blog from time to time, but we absolutely do not suck. I poke, and St. Ides licks like a rabid lizard. And second of all, you mentioned that your sister attended Union College. Her name isn't Brianna is it? Because I swear to the good Christ if I banged your sister in '93 I'm never going to live this down.



There's a blizzard in Albany today, but I was lucky enough to catch the last flight out... to Cincinnati. So I figure this is a good time to blog about some of the things that have transpired over the last several weeks. And it has nothing to do with the fact that Anonymous called us out. No no no.

The Packers lost to the Cowboys on a Thursday night game, and make no mistake about it, the better team won. The Packers were undiciplined and unruly, played with a poor game plan, were beaten on both sides of the ball, and lost by 10. It should have been a lot worse, except for the brilliant play of Aaron Rogers who brought the Packers within one before their defense completed its self distruction. This was by far their worst game of the year... and they only lost by 10. To paraphrase Jim Carrey in "Dumb and Dumber" I'm telling you there is a chance.

The Patriots continue to roll over the league, and I have to say I actually took pleasure in their victory over the Steelers. Now, I don't think I'm alone in the sentement here but there's a team that's used to getting all the big calls. The Pats gave 'em and old fashioned ass whoopin', and a well deserved one at that. I don't even want to venture a guess as to what they're going to do to the Jets this weekend. One last thought: I saw the Ravens game. The Ravens played their asses off, and lost fair and square. Sometimes the better team just wins.

Seattle is in the playoffs. St. Ides? Are you out there?

Les Miles isn't going to coach Michigan next year... is he?

The steroid report came out today, and as I expected the New York Yankees are a bunch of juiced up losers. Roger Clemens and Andy Pettit should come as no surprise to anyone who follows the game. Both these guys had careers on the downswing and suddenly both these guys rediscovered 5 mph on their fastballs. Coincidence? My advice to them is get a Bowflex like Brett Favre did... come to think of it, he looks a bit sprity this season...

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