RECAP - WEEK EIGHT

This Week: 5-7-2 (51-59-5)
Linebusters: 1-4 (16-23-1)
Straight Picks (w/o line): 6-8 (63-52)

You know, this week felt a lot more successful as it was happening...but then two ties and a couple comebacks ended up hurting the final tally. Pittsburgh had the Giants, but shot themselves in the foot with turnovers. Indy was playing with the Titans, but the defense got tired and the Tennessee running game started to produce, leading the Titans to 17 points in the fourth quarter. My predicting woes continue.

West Goes East, West Goes Home
Oakland Raiders @ Baltimore Ravens
Line: Ravens -7
O/U: 36
My Pick: Ravens -7. Baltimore wins 17-3.
Result: Ravens 29-10
The woes of teams from the West traveling east continue...Oakland couldn't do much of anything against the Baltimore D. How about young Joe Flacco? I thought Baltimore would win it with the rushing game, but Flacco stepped up and played very well. We'll see how consistently he can perform from here on out.

Tea, Crumpets, and a Whole Lot of Passing
San Diego Chargers @ New Orleans Saints (Wembley Stadium, London)
Line: Chargers -3
O/U: 46
My Pick: Chargers -3. San Diego gets it done across the pond in a shootout 34-24.
Result: Saints 37-32
The Saints really showed they were the better team, as with their backs against the wall they moved the ball with ease and put up a ton of points on the San Diego D. The Chargers continue to disappoint as they return home 0-2 after their long journey through Buffalo and London. Can San Diego pull it together? The AFC West is weak, and if Denver continues to stumble, the door remains open for a Chargers playoff berth.

Distance
Kansas City Chiefs @ New York Jets
Line: Jets -13
O/U: 39
My Pick: Jets -13. Favre has a big game and leads the Jets to a win 27-6.
Result: Jets 28-24
The Jets needed to crush the Chiefs to put some distance between how the two teams are perceived. Both have been beaten by the Raiders, and now the Johnson-less Chiefs, led by Tyler Thigpen, take the Jets to the brink and put up 24 points on what can now be seen as a questionable Jets D. With Miami winning games, the Jets will eventually fall to the bottom of the division, even with the golden arm of Brett Favre leading them.

I HATE MIAMI
Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins
Line: Bills -1.5
O/U: 42
Linebuster!
My Pick: Bills -1.5. Buffalo circles the wagons (what does that even mean?) 24-16.
Result: Dolphins 25-16
Stupid Miami. Buffalo didn't play its best game, especially on offense, and Miami took advantage. The Wildcat didn't work that well for them, but the long first down passes were killing the Bills. How can you keep letting them do that? Come on, Buffalo. Miami isn't that great against teams they should beat, but they've beaten the Bills and Pats, who are leading the division and are tied for the second best record in the AFC. So watch out for the Fins when it matters later in the season, as they could be a spoiler.

Now they have D?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Dallas Cowboys
Line: Cowboys -1.5
O/U: 40.5
Linebuster!
My Pick: Bucs +1.5. Tampa really is that good. 27-23.
Result: Cowboys 13-9
Of course when I choose not to start Dallas as my fantasy defense they come up big. Tampa is a solid football team, but if they can't score more than 9 points they won't beat many teams. Dallas is still a solid team, but they desperately need Romo back. The Boys wouldn't have won that game had it turned into an offensive battle.

Westbrook. Nuff Said.
Atlanta Falcons @ Philadelphia Eagles
Line: Eagles -9
O/U: 45.5
My Pick: Eagles -9. Philly comes out of the bye strong 34-20.
Result: Eagles 27-14
I thought the Eagles O would be more potent with the pass, but Brian Westbrook carried the offense and proved that he is one of the most valuable players in the league. Had the Falcons keyed on the run, McNabb would have been able to open up the passing game a bit. As it turned out, the Falcons were worried about McNabb, so Westbrook just did it all himself. With him in the game, Philly can beat anyone. That doesn't mean they will, though.

For Real?
St. Louis Rams @ New England Patriots
Line: Pats -7
O/U: 43.5
My Pick: Pats -7. New England will show up. 31-17.
Result: Pats 23-16
Are the Haslett-led Rams for real? Two wins in a row, and then they hang with the Patriots at Foxboro? Can a coaching change really change the entire complexion of a football team, without having to change any of the on-field personnel? We'll see as the season moves forward, but I wouldn't bet against Haslett getting 6 wins, which I believe is the incentive in his contract that would get him either the full-time job in St. Louis or a whole bunch of money.

Zona 0-3 in East, 4-0 everywhere else!
Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers
Line: Panthers -4
O/U: 43.5
My Pick: Panthers -4. The Panthers send Arizona back to the desert unhappy. 23-17.
Result: Panthers 27-23
Arizona is a solid football team, but they can't win in the eastern time zone. They'll likely make the playoffs, as their division is pretty terrible, but are they a super bowl team? The road to the super bowl will undoubtedly run through the NFC East, which will most likely mean a game on the east coast again!

What are the Redskins?
Washington Redskins @ Detroit Lions
Line: Redskins -7.5
O/U: 42
Linebuster!
My Pick: Redskins -7.5. The Skins pile it on. Finally. 27-9.
Result: Redskins 25-17
Washington has beaten the Cowboys and Eagles on the road, but has lost to the Rams, stayed close with the Browns, and "barely" beaten the Lions. Detroit is so bad that 8 points is "barely". So what are the Skins? Where will they fall amongst the NFL's elite teams? We will have to wait and see, as this year's NFL is just too unpredictable to figure anything out.

Jags a Playoff Team?
Cleveland Browns @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Line: Jaguars -7
O/U: 42
My Pick: Browns +7. Jacksonville still wins 24-20.
Result: Browns 23-17
I called the Browns staying close, but I didn't think they'd win. Now the Jags are reeling. Will they be able to come back and make the playoffs? With the Titans playing so well, Jacksonville can only hope for a wild card spot, but the Bills or Pats will likely get one of them, and the other may be claimed by the Colts, assuming they decide to pull their heads out of their asses. So Jacksonville will have to start winning, or there may not be room for them in January.

Ok, Ok, I give up
New York Giants @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Line: Steelers -2.5
O/U: 42.5
Linebuster!
My Pick: Steelers -2.5. The Black and Gold stomps Big Blue 27-21.
Result: Giants 21-14
I held on calling the Giants overrated for as long as I could..they're still a little overrated by some, as I don't believe they are "the best" team in the league. But they're close. My issue with the G-men was what I perceived to be a very beat up, different D-line from last season. Without Osi and Strahan, I thought they'd have trouble. But they haven't. The Giants O-line is one of the best out there. New York is for real.

New Coach, Same Problems
Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers
Line: 49ers -5
O/U: 41
My Pick: 49ers -5. Sorry Seattle, but the turmoil continues. San Fran 30-17.
Result: Seahawks 34-13
This one really surprised me, but I guess that when Holmgren faces a must-win, he gets the most out of his players. I like what Singletary brings to the head coaching position, but he didn't have his team playing its best football, and they were crushed. Without consistency from either of these teams, Arizona's run to end the longest playoff drought in the NFL looks promising.

Three in a Row!
Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans
Line: Texans -9.5
O/U: 44.5
My Pick: Houston -9.5. The league's #5 offense (I know, right?) gets it done 27-13.
Result: Texans 35-6
My bad. I thought Fitzpatrick would get the Bengals in the endzone once, or I would have said 6 instead of 13. The Bengals O with Fitzpatrick is awfully predictable. Houston has won three in a row, but they are not an elite team. Their newfound confidence will go a long way for them, and I expect them to beat a few decent teams now that their run of 3 weak games in a row is over.

Undefeated?
Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans
Line: Titans -4
O/U: 41
Linebuster!
My Pick: Colts +4. It's Indy's time to step up. They're desperate. 27-23.
Result: Titans 31-21
At 7-0, and with a win over the desperate Colts under their belt, the undefeated conversation will start to begin. Can the Titans pull it off? Do they have enough offense? The Colts are in trouble, and really need to get their s++t together if they have designs on being a playoff contender.