NFL 2012: Week 17 -- THIS IS IT

With flex scheduling, the NFL can literally save the best for last s they have done with this year's 2012 schedule moving a game between two long standing traditional rivals to the Sunday Night nationwide telecast, the winner will be the NFC East champ.  If the Redskins lose, they can still make it in if some other teams fold. Dallas must win. It will be blazing hot football action in Largo, Maryland tomorrow night.

The 2nd NFC Wild Card and the NFC East are the only playoff slots where teams participating are yet to be determined. The remaining teams in the NFC teams have been selected with some seedings at stake like. Atlanta has the #1 seed and will have home field advantage through out.

The AFC teams are decided. Most final positions are still up for grabs.

Current Playoff Standings:
AFC
(1) Houston
(2) Denver
(3) New England
(4) Baltimore
(WC-1) Indianapolis
(WC-2) Cincinnati

NFC:
(1) Atlanta
(2) Green Bay
(3) San Francisco
(4) Washington
(WC=1) Seattle
(WC-2) Minnesota 
Chicago, Dallas, and the New York Giants are in the hunt.

For more information on playoff possibilities, check:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/standings/playoffrace

Farce on the field: New York Jets in Buffalo  -- Mark Sanchez should have lost his starting job. Tim Tebow is the #2 guy (supposedly).  For some reason, Rex Ryan refuses to start Tebow despite some of the most embarrassing offensive blowouts with Sanchez recently.  Tim Tebow will be playing elsewhere next year. Want to bet Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez will be gone too.


The Games:

Baltimore @ Cincinnati (-2 1/2)
Which Ravens will show up?  If it's the team that clobbered the NY Giants, it will be a tune up for the post season.  It's time for the Ravens to show they can dominate on the road or the Bengals will win.

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta (No odds)
Atlanta will work to stay sharp without getting hurt for their #1 seed.

New York Jets @ Buffalo (-2 1/2)
Do they have to play this one?  Buffalo does play well in spurts, but the Jets on-going soap opera is no longer entertaining.  Expect major changes there next year.

Chicago (-3) @ Detroit
The Lions should continue their slide back into inconsequential as the Bears must win to keep playoff chances alive.

Jacksonville @ Tennessee (-4 1/2)
Not much to look at here other than many Jags will be gone next year. Titans win.

Houston (-8.5) @ Indianapolis
This shouldn't be a must win for Houston, but it is. Their #1 seed is at stake. Meanwhile, the Colts can only get happier should they pull the upset.

Carolina @ New Orleans (-5)
The Saints will be glad to get this year over with a win before their home team.

Philadelphia @ NY Giants (-7)
This is likely Andy Reid's last game with the Eagles and Philadelphia will begin to reshape a team that was a horrible disappointment this year. The Giants must win to keep playoff choices alive after an embarrassing loss in Baltimore.

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh (XX)
The Steelers should be glad to get this year over but must win to avoid a losing season. Meanwhile, the Browns will try to show what they hope is a brighter future having been a rather inconsequential team since their rebirth in their new stadium from 1999.

Miami @ New England (-10)
The Patriots need this win to maximize seeding possibilities and the Fish have little to show them.

Green Bay (-3) @ Minnesota
The Vikings will throw all they've got at the Packers to assure their playoff berth, but Aaron and the Pack will be ready.

Kansas City @ Denver (-16)
The Broncos and Peyton Manning are highly motivated to win to assure the highest playoff seed possible as KC ends a horrible season full of questions for 2013.

Oakland @ San Diego (no odds)
Will the Chargers show Norv Turner out in style. It's hard to say but they're better than Oakland.  It's hard to imagine Norv Turner will return nexy year, but folks must also be wondering about what's up with Phil Rivers.

Arizona @ San Francico (-16.5)
The 49er's need this one to assure their playoff spot with the surging Seahawks on their tales.

St. Louis @ Seattle (-10.5)
So how many points will the murderous Seattle offense post in this sure to be blowout?

Dallas @ Washington (-3 1/2)
The overrated Cowboys will try to steal the division crown from the upsurging Redskins, but the Tony Romo Cowboys always lose the big game. "America's Team"  -- baloney, not these Cowboy posers.

NFL 2012: Week 16: Pl-Pl-Pl-Playoffs??? Playoffs?? Did Somebody Say Playoffs???

Yes, why don't we recall the elder coach, Jim Mora's famous words as the Indianapolis Colts under his charge years ago were limping into playoff contention. While a few teams look strong and ready for January, there are others for whom it appears the game can't giveaway spots as the usually mighty Pittsburgh Steelers look all but finished while their arch rival, Ravens, are beat up so badly, they might make the playoffs but almost surely need a faith healer and some Chesapeake Bay snake oil to be strong enough for a strong run in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the defending champs, the New York Giants, have practically stumbled out of contention with an identical record to Washington and Dallas in their division.

The AFC picture could be essentially decided Sunday with perhaps some travel plans to be decided on the final day. The Ravens need a win to capture the AFC north. The Indianapolis Colts look locked in as a wild card. The winner of the Pittsburgh/Cincinnati battle will get the second wild card seed. If Cincinnati runs the table and the Ravens lose Sunday - they'll host the Ravens two weeks in a row.

Houston's looking good to have the #1 slot w/ Denver in the 2nd slot. New England's in.

The NFC, Atlanta's the likely #1 seed and Green Bay second. San Francisco, possibly Seattle will take the west while it's a game of cutthroat for the NFC East. Dallas must beat an angry New Orleans team then travel to Washington while Washington visits Philadelphia before hosting the Cowboys. The advantage appears to belong to Washington.  The Giants need to beat Baltimore and Philadelphia.

The remaining teams in the fight are Chicago and Minnesota also 8-6 teams. Thus these two teams along with the East Beasts are all fighting for one Wild Card spot since the West owns two spots.

SATURDAY NIGHT:
Atlanta (-4) @ Detroit

The game should be a tune-up for the Falcons. No injuries, just play intelligent ball against the once again bottom feeding Lions.

SUNDAY: 
New Orleans @ Dallas (-3)

Dallas in hungry and motivated but no team can blow a important game like the "Boys."  It's hard not to give them the edge, but an upset is quite possible.

Indianapolis (-6.5) @ Kansas City

The Colts march on to a visit to most likely Baltimore in the playoffs.

Buffalo @ Miami (-4.5)

Take the seafood over the beef in a meaningless game.

Washington @ Philadelphia (no odds)

Washington, damaged QB or not, should beat the Eagles who are "already gone" like the Eagles rock band once sung.

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh (-4.5)

Vegas seems a lot more certain than we do the Pitts win this one. We'd only say they're slightly favorted playing at home.

St. Louis @ Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay has the edge in another game that perhaps has early draft picks at stake. HO-HUM

Tennessee @ Green Bay (-13)

Message to Packers, don't get hurt, just win.

Oakland @ Carolina (-8.5)

Awful Oakland as Carolina is looking for signs of a team that simply didn't launch this year.

New England (-14.5) @ Jacksonville

What kind of Florida vacation is this?  New England plays a scrimmage in a big empty stadium.

Minnesota @ Houston (-7.5)

Minnesota would love an unlikely upset to enhance their playoff odds by Houston still needs to win to lock down home field advantages.

New York Giants (-2.5) @ Baltimore

Yeow, two super underachievers in 2012 except Baltimore is beaten and battered. Both teams have much at stake. Our home team bias forces us to pick the Ravens.

Chicago (-6.5) @ Arizona

The Bears must win to keep in the playoff hunt which given the Cardinals' performance most of the year should mean an easy win for Chicago.

San Diego @ New York Jets (-2.5)

This game could be downright comic, but nobody will be watching it. New York fans will be watching the Giants. This was to be the 8:00 pm game but who wants to watch the two most generous teams in the game for giving away games this year. Two coaches who are almost certainly fired with Phil Rivers, the interception king, playing the Jets' 3rd string QB which essentially ends the Tebow saga in Jersey.  Why did the Jets select Tebow if they were never going to play him?  The good news is it's hard to image the Jets playing worse than their last game.

San Francisco (-1) @ Seattle

Experience gives SF a slight edge, but this one should be seen as a wide open brawl for dominance in the NFC west.  How wonderful it is that the whole NFL world gets to see what could be a superb showdown as two former great PAC 10 coaches are now going for NFL glory.

NFL 2012: Week 15 -- AFC:: 8 Playoff Spots - 9 Teams Figting; -- NFC: Four Teams Outside Looking in -- Help Wanted!

The 2012 Playoff Seedings are as follows:

AFC: 

In:
1- Houston, 11-2  (South Division) clinched berth
2- New England, 10-3 (East Division) clinched division
3- Denver 10-3 (West Division) clinched division
4- Baltimore 9-4 (North Division)
5- Indianapolis: 9-4 (Wild Card #1, South Division)
6- Pittsburgh: 7-6 (Wild Card #2, North Division)

Contender:
7- Cincinnati: 7-6 (North Division)

The cutoff is clear since the next team is the 6-7 Jets. The Jets-Jets-Jets are going NOWHERE!!!!

NFC:

In:
1- Atlanta, 11-2 (South Division) clinched division
2- San Francisco, 9-3-1T (West Division)
3- Green Bay, 9-4 (North Division)
4- New York Giants, 8-5
5- Seattle, 8-5 (Wild Card #1, West Division)
6- Chicago, 8-5 (Wild Card #2, North Division)

Contenders:
7- Washington, 7-6 (East Division)
8- Dallas, 7-6 (East Division)
9- Minneosta, 7-6 (North Division)
10- St. Louis, 6-6-1T (West Division)

Warning: There is now buzz about EXPANDING the playoffs. Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the league is looking into going to a 14 or 16 team field. EGADS, is this the NBA?  The current format works beautifully. Who needs teams with losing records becoming playoff teams?  Right now in the AFC, two wild cards have marginally winning records at 7-6 and one team outside at 7-6. That's just about right.  The balance of power has the NFC on top, thus more teams but again, no team with a losing record is a serious threat to may the post season.

The NFL is the one professional sport that appears to have the right math for its schedule. The 16 game regular season among 32 teams balances beautifully while there is clear logic behind the post season selection proccss. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!!

This Week's Games:

Thursday Night:

Cincinnati (-4) @ Philadelphia
The butt-kicking will continue in Philadelphia after a one week reprieve last week. The Bengals will knock their teeth out.  The Andy Reid era is over. Fans dream of what comes next.

Sunday:

Denver (-2.5) @ Baltimore
This game will be a key test for Peyton Manning consolidating his reign over the Denver Broncos. Already seeded in the playoffs, a win over the Ravens, one of the nattiest home fields in the NFL would show the same kind of power he showed in his prime with Indianapolis. For the Ravens, this is a MUST win to stay in the hunt for a first round bye needing at least one win to ensure the Northern Division champ.  If the Ravens play like they normally play at home, they win. If they look like the confused mess of the last two weeks, Denver will slaughter them. The situation is urgent enough for the Ravens to have ditched offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, who has been severely criticized by Ravens'fans all season. Jim Caldwell, once Peyton Manning's QB coach and head coach at Indy takes on calling the plays.

New York Giants @ Atlanta (-1.5)
The Falcons will be anxious to get back on the winning track after an embarrassing to Carolina. For Atlanta, this is a move to secure a first round bye and be in firm control of complete home field advantage. Meanwhile, the New York Giants must show dominance with Washington and Dallas a game back hunting for the division lead. Atlanta should win this one unless the Giants step up their game to a new level.

Green Bay (-3) @ Chicago
Green Bay needs this game to nail down the NFC north while Chicago could be fighting for playoff survival. Right now, the Bears don't seem to have enough game in them to handle this chalenge. Give it to Green Bay.

Washington @ Cleveland (no odds posted)
This is a tough game to pick. RG III is injured but practicing. The Redskins are fighting for a playoff spot. Cleveland has been quite impressive recently winning their last three games albeit it against a hobbled Pittsburgh, Oakland, and Kansas City. If RGIII is healthy and in good form, this one goes to the Skins.

Minnesota @ St. Louis (-3)
Both teams are fighting for a playoff berth, but St. Louis has looked stronger recently. One team stays in the playoff hunt. The other is wait for next year.

Jacksonville @ Miami (-7)
Ugh, if you like football in Florida in 2012, avoid the AFC. Miami wins, but who's paying attention?

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans (-3.5)
New Orleans season of misery continues. Gone from the playoff chase, they have one huge chip on their shoulders based on the bounty scandal punishments.

Indianapolis @ Houston (-8.5)
Houston seeks to regain form after a dreadful ass-whoopin' in New England. They should prevail at home while the Colts continue their surprise season probably not surprising enough to stage this upset.

Detroit (-6) @ Arizona
Here's a battle between the underachievers, but egads, after winning their four games including upending New England, they've been playing powder puff football ever since. Detroit, meanwhile, another 4-9 team hs once again secured its place among the mediocre and worse of the game, but they're strong enough to beat Arizona right now.

Carolina @ San Diego (-3)
Look out, here's San Diego's late season surge. Talk about "too little -too late." Okay, they beat Pittsburgh last week and could make it four in a row at the end of the season, they're playing chimps and chumps down the stretch.

Seattle (-5) @ Buffalo (in Toronto)
The NFL in the Skydome (aka Rogers Center) in what could be a permanent arrangement once 94 year old owner, Ralph Wilson, is no longer in the picture. Seattle, a team that's practically in another country, should win this international contest.

Pittsburgh (-2) @ Dallas
What a historic matchup this is, and though Dallas hardly deserves much hype in their present form is fighting for a playoff spot or perhaps even their division. However, the Steelers, suffering a weak season, are starting to regain health and are anxious to solidify their playoff chances. Slight edge to the Steelers.

Kansas City @ Oakland (=3)
Ugh, can they just flip a coin and call it a game. Vegas says Oakland (3 point advantage for the home team). We say KC. It doesn't matter.

San Francisco @ New England (-5.5)
Nationally televised games always get lots of hype and contrived story lines...POSSIBLE SUPERBOWL PREVIEW. Well, maybe...   Jim Harbaugh will need one hell of a bag of tricks to bat the New England team that flattened Houston last week.

ESPN MNF (Mostly Nothing Football)

NY Jets @ Tennessee (-1.5)
Okay it's the big market Jets, but what a ho-hum for a Monday Night game. Don't worry, the ESPN producers will come up with tons of contrived dialogue for a game that slightly favors Music City over Big City.

NFL 2012: Week 14: The Season Begins its Final Quarter

Denver (-10) @ Oakland

There’s no reason to believe Oakland hasn’t mailed in the 2012 season, while Peyton Manning consolidates his leadership of the Denver Broncos, molding them into true champs.

Baltimore @ Washington (-2 ½)

The Ravens looked awful against a depleted Pittsburgh last Sunday losing a game that was clearly in their grasp. As the injuries mount, the erratic play proves more costly. Meanwhile the Redskins are rallying behind their red hot rookie quarterback RG-III.  The Ravens need this win to continue their march to the undisputed lead in the AFC North, but now the Skins are in the hunt for an NFC berth particularly if the Giants continue to struggle.

St. Louis @ Buffalo (-3)

Hard to pick a winner here. Both teams have shown flashes of brilliance but we’ll give the Bills the edge at home.

Dallas @ Cincinnati (-3)

Dallas is feeling frisky with the Giants current slump, but Cincinnati is the stronger team.

Kansas City @ Cleveland (-6 ½)

This year can’t end soon enough for the tragedy besot Chiefs and a road trip to Ohio makes it even tougher.

Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay (-7 ½)

The season’s already over for the Eagles. They’ve given up. It’s over.

Atlanta (-3 ½) @ Carolina

The Falcons continue their assault racing to the top seed in the NFC.

New York Jets (-2 ½) @ Jacksonville

Sanchez has lost his mojo while Tebow’s nursing a broken rib. The Soap Opera known as the Jets continues but they should be strong enough to hold off the Jags.

Tennessee @ Indianapolis (-5 ½)

The surprisingly strong Colts behind rookie QB, Andrew Luck, continue their march to a wild card berth.

Chicago (-3) @ Minnesota

The Bears have to tighten up and strengthen their game to assure post season success. The Vikings provide a tough test.

San Diego @ Pittsburgh

What does it say that Vegas won’t post odds for this game?  San Diego looks like they’ve mailed it in weeks ago; while the Steelers are still seriously on the mend beating a surprisingly weak and unmotivated Ravens team in their last contest.  We’ll give the Steelers the edge.

Miami @ San Francisco (-10)

The “Niners” need a good tune-up game which the mediocre Dolphins should provide.

Arizona @ Seattle (-10 ½)

Arizona’s miseries continue as Seattle is right in the thick of the Wild Card chase.

New Orleans @ New York Giants (-5)

The Giants need to step up their intensity while New Orleans’ performance has been haphazard in recent weeks.

Detroit @ Green Bay (-7)

The Cheeseheads should celebrate the miserable lions who’ve faded back into the mire of mediocrity that has been their hallmark for decades. It appears their brief hiatus flirting with glory is over.

Houston @ New England (-3 ½)

Here’s a battle for post season dominance. The Texans win this won and they’re all but assured the 1^st seed in the playoffs.                                                                                                                                                                               

NFL 2012: Week 13: Lock Up, Lock Down, and Full Speed Ahead - the Playoff Brackets are starting to fill, and for some, it's now or never.

THURSDAY's GAME:
No Rightminded Fellow wasn't overdosed on Turkey but still experiencing some hardware problems for last week's incomplete postings.

This week, some teams are positioned to lock in to the playoffs, while the elite teams continue to keep homefield dominance a possibility. Such is the case with the Thursday night game where Atlanta is working hard to keep its #1 seed and New Orleans fights for its playoff life.

New Orleans @ Atlanta (-3 1/2)

"Don't let up, or else!"  Atlanta looks to lock up the South and should win in their house, but New Orleans will give them one hell of a fight. Any let up in intensity will cost Atlanta severely. Count on it.

SUNDAY'S GAMES:

Jacksonville @ Buffalo (-6)

Two beaten and battered teams not going anywhere compete in Buffalo. We give the Bills the slight edge.

Seattle @ Chicago (-3 1/2)

The Bears are a little beat up but should prevail at home against the pesky Seakawks.

Minnesota @ Green Bay (-8)

The Packers will be anxious to bounce back after an embarassing prime time loss against the New York Giants.

Houston (-6) @ Tennessee

Another victory en route to clinching a playoff spot and likely top seed.

Carolina (-3) @ Kansas City

If there's anything the Panthers learned in their powerful win over the hapless Philadelphia Eagles they should be able to put the hurts on the plodding Chiefs.

San Francisco (-7) @ St. Louis

The 49er's can't let a QB decision distract for their play on the field. This is an important game to smack a weak opponent.

New England (-7 1/2) @ Miami

Let's hope there's no sprinkler system mishap in Miami this week. That could cause lots of hot steam if the Patriots are up to speed. They'll almost certainly dominate at the Dolphisn struggle to keep lean playoff hopes alive.

Arizona @ New York Jets (-4.5)

Oh it's so ugly for the alternate tenants of Met Life Stadium.  The Jets are a better team in this match up if they're still psychologically of playing hard.

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore (-8)

No Ben Roethlisberger but the Ravens still have to shut down the Steelers' running game. The Steelers are in Baltimore. The crowd will be merciless. The Ravens will win.

Tampa Bay @ Denver (-8)

Denver should prevail though Tampa is fighting for its playoff possibilities.

Cincinnati (-2) @ San Diego

Does San Diego have anything left in them? These are two teams heading in different diretions right now.  If San Diego is going to put on one of its late season surges, it's probably too late for an post season or to save Norv Turner whose presence after much underachievement is hard to explain.

Cleveland  (-1) @ Oakland

Here's another one of those "toilet bowl" games. These are two bad teams but Cleveland is a team capable of rising up and playing a good game on occasion. Oakland is a mess. Cleveland wins.

Philadelphia @ Dallas (-10)

The Eagles are almost certain losers.  The Cowboys could look brilliant, and here comes the Cowboys' hype again. Look at who they're playing. The Eagles could make almost any team look great at this stage of the season.

NY Giants (-2.5) @ Washington

The Giants need to keep their momentum up to work toward being a post season factor this ear.  They are not assured of anything in this game especially playing in Lanham.

NFL 2012: Week 12: Thanksgiving Picks

No high impact games today, though two of them feature hot rivalries. Here's the lowdown. Men, you don't have an excuse to run from the family for the television today. None of these games are vital for the big picture this season.

Game 1:
Houston (-3) @ Detroit
Houston could be the hottest team in the NFL this year. They'll storm into the Motor City and kick butt. What's Vegas thinking with only a field goal for the spread.

Game 2:
Washington @ Dallas (-3)
Who wouldn't love to see the Redskins stomp their arch rivals, the Cowboys?  The much over-hyped Cowboys are a field goal favorite, but we're pulling for the "uspet." The "boys" just aren't that much fun.

Game 3:
New England ( -7) @ New York Jets
Umph!  You think it's ugly around the Big Apple and Joisey with the folks still suffering and getting the run around blocks away from the Meadowland.  The Jets are about to be hit by New England like Sandy whacked Staten Island.  This could get out of hand. Who's that backup quarterback with the Jets?

NFL 2012: Week 11 -- The Big Bad Brawl and....

First, we're sorry for missing the last two weeks due to faulty equipment. That will get your head knocked off in the NFL. Speaking of which, big injuries including concussions are a part of this week's story line while the nastiest rivalry in the business is set to do battle Sunday night.

The concussions keep piling up with last week's casualties including Jay Cutler and Michael Vick.  Finally, the NFL is getting serious about protecting its players considering how many former players have suffered dreadful consequences later in life from the pounding they took -- never let the name of former Baltimore Colts' hall-of-famer, John Mackey go unnoticed for the decades long suffering he endured before his untimely death.l

The two hottest rivals, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, two of the roughest most old school teams in the business play in Pittsburgh Sunday night. The injury epidemic finds each team missing its leader with Ray Lewis out for the season after shoulder surgery and Ben Rothlesberger suffering a shoulder and rib injury. We predict the Steelers will go right at the Ravens with their running game challenging the Ravens who've not been very effective so far this year stopping the run.  The Ravens will pin their hopes on their beefed up offense with Joe Flacco in command but also needing a good run from Ray Rice to setup the air game.

The other big game of the week is also a nationally televised game, Monday night's battle with Chicago visiting San Francisco in what appears to be the battle for the second team with home field advantage and a first round bye in the playoffs as the NFC East seems to have three teams in self-destruct mode and the 4th, the Redskins, not ready for prime time yet. Suddenly, the 49ers appear well-positioned to make up for early season unexpected losses and take advantage of a Jay Cutler's status.

Here's the breakdown, game-by-game:

Miami @ Buffalo (-2.5)
Order the fish not the steak on the menu tonight.

Arizona @ Atlanta (-10)
Atlanta will be hot to shake off their first loss last week.

Green Bay (-3.5) @ Detroit
The Lions are headed back into mediocrity faster than their brief flirtation with success.

Cleveland @ Dallas (-7.5)
Nothing like a cupcake game that Dallas should win easily to get the chatter going about how "America's Team," a most undeserving distinction, is on a roll with their "great" QB leader, the matinee idol, soap opera star, Tony Romo at the helm. Dallas wins. Who cares?

Cincinnati (-3.5) @ Kansas City
Cincinnati sure looked hot against the defending champs and should beat a team that fought into overtime and lost Monday night.

New York Jets @ St. Louis (-3)
Speaking of soap operas, the Tebow haters are making noise in the New York Jets lockeroom as Mark Sanchez continues to struggle. The Jets are going nowhere and a loss to the so-so St. Louis Rams will just make it worse.

Indianapolis @ New England (-9)
Could Andrew Luck be ready for one of his first career milestones, contending with New England? Probably not, but a Colts win could certainly hasten in much power for the developing "Lick Era" but the Colts will need more than Luck to win against the ever nasty Patriots.

Philadelphia @ Washington (-3.5)
The end of the Andy Reid era appears more certain with each loss for the Eagles in 2012. He'll surely catch on somewhere else if he chooses. It's clear the Michael Vick reign can't rival Donovan McNabb's often criticized for never bringing home the post season rewards expected of them.

Tampa Bay (-1.5) @ Carolina
Cam Newton has failed miserably to live up to his first year expectations and Tampa is one team that many consider over-achievers so far this year. Without Newton returning to form, Tampa wins this game.

Jacksonville @ Houston (-15.5)
This is probably the ho-hum game of the week unless seeing one team roll over the other is what excites the fans.

New Orleans (-5) @ Oakland
Well, at least Oakland probably won't give up 55 points this week at home, but there's not much to like about the Raiders in 2012.

San Diego @ Denver (-8)
Peyton Manning continues to sharpen his grasp of the Broncos as San Diego once again proves to be competing with Dallas for the game's worst under-achievers. Does anyone think Norv Turner will survive to coach another year?  However, he's been as good as gone many times before.

Baltimore (-3.5) @ Pittsburgh
Which team is more beat up?  That's the test.  It appears the Ravens have the edge especially after a tough late win for the Steelers Monday night while the Ravens glided to score 55 points and rest some regulars late in Sunday's thumping of Oakland.

Chicago @ San Francisco (-5.5)
The 49er's should emerge as the 2nd best team in the NFC after Monday night's game. The beat up Bears will have to dominate on defense and be fortunate on offense to overcome the favorites.

NFL 2012: Week 8 -- Rest for the Weary Ravens

The "bye" segment of the season continues as Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincinnaati, and Houston get their week off. For the Ravens, losing their leader, Ray Lewis and much wear and tear on both sides of the ball the break comes none to soon.

Here's the card for this week.

Tampa Bay @ Minnesota (-6.5)
Pick Minnesota, perhaps this year's most improved team.

Carolina @ Chicago (-7.5)
Where's Cam Newton's touch this year?  The Bears should dominate.

San Diego (-3) @ Cleveland
San Diego should win, but could lose. They remain the underachievers of the AFC.

Seattle @ Detroit (-2.5)
Slight edge to the home team.  Detroit's rise from the worst team in the sport to a decent club seems to be heading back down.

Jacksonville @ Green Bay (-14.5)
A great day for the Pack to put behind their rough start. They'll look like the awesome killers in this one.

Indianapolis @ Tennessee (-3.5)
Andrew Luck lacks the experience and results to pick the Colts as the winner for this game.

New England (-7) @ St. Louis
New England - no doubts.

Miani @ the New York Jets (-.2.5)
This game could go either way. The Jets chaos will become deafening as Tebow waits on the sidelines waiting to be the next man up.

Atlanta @ Philadelphia (-2.5)
Atlanta should dominate this game. Philadelphia is simply too inconsistent.

Washington @ Pittsburgh (-5)
The Steelers must stop RGIII to win this one.

Oakland @ Kansas City (-2)
Tough to pick when two week teams collide. We'll go with the homeboys.

New York Giants (-3) @ Dallas
Who's listening?  The Cowboys are so over-rated. The Giants will rule this one.

New Orleans @ Denver (-5)
Peyton Manning on national TV. Denver should beat the rattled Saints.

San Francisco (-6.5) @ Arizona
The "Niners" strive to get their season into high gear after some early season blunders.

NFL 2012: Week 7 -- What's Up Is Down

There is no rhyme or reason to the 2012 season. Consider the AFC standings. Only two teams, the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, both at 5-1 have winning records. They are two games out in front of any competitor. As karma would have it, they meet in Houston this weekend, but they'll still be leading the pack regardless with one team having a one game advantage over the the other.

It certainly looks like that team won't be the Baltimore Ravens who have looked sloppy so far this year despite their record and their defense has not been effective against the run -- a longstanding Baltimore strength. The unthinkable happened in their squeaker of a win over Dallas last week, their leader, linebacker Ray Lewis, tore his tricep muscle and is surely out for the year as is Ladarius Webb, their top corner back with a torn ACL. The bye for week eight won't come soon enough for Baltimore -- who could conceivably just go 5-5 for the rest of the year and still make the playoffs. They still haven't faced Pittsburgh, a team that sure seems to have gotten old in a hurry.

Finally the Washington Redskins have something to brighten their future with QB Robert Griffin III. For a rookie quarterback, he's generating a lot of excitement and the Skins are getting harder to count out of any game.  

We'll give our picks for the week, but even that endeavor is way off so far. We're about 10 points down from our typical results in most years even suffering a losing week last week.

Seattle at San Fracisco (-7)

The surprise Seahawks will give the 49er's all they can handle with the Niners prevaling.

Baltimore at Houston (-6.5)

Our heart picks the Ravens, but this one goes to Houston.

Tennessee at Buffalo (-3)

Buffalo is impossible to predict but Tennessee is starting to get some firer.

Cleveland at Indianapolis (-3)

Here's a good game for Andrew Luck to gain confidence beating the miserable Browns.

Washington at New York Giants (-6.5)

Too soon for their young QB to beat the defending champs, this one is the Giants.

New Orleans (-3) at Tampa Bay

A smile in a downer season for the Saints.

Dallas (-2) at Carolina

It's time for Cam Newton to rise up and beat the 'Boys. 

Green Bay (-6) at St. Louis 

In their dramatic win over Texas, the Packers showed the fire that seemed absent all year. They'll handle St. Louis with ease.

Arizona at Minnesota (-6)

The Vikings are one of this year's pleasant surprises. They'll handle this one.

NY Jets at New England (-10.5)

The Patriots will feel like their old nasty selves versus the Jets. Will this be the game Tebow gets moved in?

Jacksonville at Oakland (-4)

Far from home, the Jags probbly don't have enough juice to beat the Raiders.

Pittsburgh (-2.5) at Cincinnati

Neither team is as good as last year, but the Steelers should handle the Bengals.

Detroit at Chicago (-5.5)

When will the Lions show up in 2012?  The Bears go this one.

NFL 2012: Week 6 - The Parody of Parity: Close Match-ups

No sport except perhaps NASCAR intervenes more to even up the playing field among competitors. In the NFL, there never could be a filthy wealthy New York Yankees overwhelming a marginally financed   Pittsburgh Pirates. Market size doesn't matter. Who wouldn't love to have the Pittsburgh Steelers fortunes. With salary caps and schedule tweaks, the NFL strives to keep things in some kind of balance, but nevertheless, there certainly are premium franchises where shrewd management and strong organization keeps winners on the field from year to year.  Certain teams are almost certain to be in the hunt when January comes around. Recent AFC history finds the Patriots, Ravens, and Steelers almost certainly in the playoffs as were the Indianapolis Colts until rebuilding time came around. In the NFC, recently the situation has been more tumultuous though certainly some organizations have been strong in recent years: Green Bay, the New York Giants, and Philadelphia.

This week almost every contest finds the odds makers going for less than a touchdown difference -- any given Sunday, the mighty can fall. Would anyone have seen the Indianapolis Colts beating the Green Bay Packers last week?  How about Arizona beating New England in week 2?

In this context, perhaps we're weaseling out on why our predictions are below our typical success rate so far this year especially against the spread!!!  Still we soldier on...

Pittsburgh (-5 1/2) @ Tennessee
The Steelers sure look like a sure bet here.

Dallas @ Baltimore (-3 1/2)
The still over rated and excessively hyped Cowboys will not walk away happy in Crab Town.

Oakland @ Atlanta (-9)
Atlanta is one of 2012's success stories. They'll prevail.

Cincinnati (-2 1/2) @ Cleveland
Cincinnati wins the first battle for Ohio in 2012. Cleveland cannot be taken for granted. They could pull the upset if the home crowd wakes up.

St. Louis @ Miami (-3 1/2)
Whoa, here's a tough call. Have to go with the fish in their own tank.

Indianapolis @ New York Jets (-3)
The Jets have been miserable so far this year but face an inexperienced but clearly enthusiastic team. On substance, we have to pick the Jets, but surprises could be in the wind.

Detroit @ Philadelphia (-5.5)
It's starting to look like Detroit's football revival was a short-lived phenomenon. They're not the guaranteed loser they had been for decades, but they're a team in turmoil and will lose to the tough Eagles.

Kansas City @ Tampa Bay (-3.5)
Toss up game. We pick the home team.

New England (-3.5) @ Seattle
Don't worry, the Patriots will prevail.

Buffalo @ Arizona (-5)
Arizona's not as good as their fast start but at home against the Bills, they'll do fine.

New York Giants @ San Francisco (-5.5)
The tables are turned this year. The Giants are struggling to look like defending champs against erhaps the team to beat in the NFC.

Minnesota @ Washington (-2.5 only one report)
Las Vegas didn't like this game and neither do we. We'll go for the home team, the Landover Maryland Redskins. (or is it Ashburn, Virginia?)

Green Bay @ Houston (-5.5)
The Packers face the toughest team in the AFC so far this year. The Texans have the edge.

Denver @ San Diego (-2.5)
Peyton Manning hasn't fully taken charge in Denver yet, but San Diego?  They're the ultimate under achievers. The Chargers should win, but this is another surprise in the makings.

NFL 2012: Week 5 -- First Quarter of the Season - the Road Ahead....

The 2012 season reached the end of the first quarter with the great replacement officials’ fiasco finished.  The pros were back and most of the action last week seemed much more down to earth where the game was the focus. Not that there weren’t some real freak shows like the New England Patriots visiting Buffalo and playing total inhalation football in the 2^nd half leading to a 52-28 massacre. The Chicago Bears laid the big hurt on the Dallas Cowboys on national TV Monday night that one would think any pretense of calling Tony Romo an elite quarterback or the ‘Boys a top team is totally absurd. They are not a top tier team and haven’t been since the days of of Michael Irvan, Emit Smith, and Troy Aikman. The big surprise has to be Arizona undefeated so far. That Atlanta and Houston have no losses shouldn’t be a big surprise especially considering their competition so far. New Orleans at 0-4 shows just how much the punishment for the bounty scandal runs deep. They are a team in disarray.

Week 5 Picks:

Thursday night:

Arizona (-1 ½) @ St Louis

Arizona will enjoy a 5-0 start after stomping over a team that’s still on the drawing board not the field of play.

Sunday:

Baltimore (-5) @ Kansas City

It’s time for the Ravens to kick up their defense effort and show they are still one of the league’s best units with a convincing defeat against the Chiefs.

Miami @ Cincinnati (-4 ½)

Cincinnati will continue in good shape as the Dolphins struggle to find any cohesiveness on either side of the ball.

Green Bay (-7) @ Indianapolis

More education for Andrew Luck who will see how a truly great NFL quarterback picks apart his team’s defense and scores a big win.

Tennessee @ Minnesota (-5 ½)

Minnesota can continue to improve from how much they’ve suffered from the Favre flirtation forward.

Atlanta (-3) @ Washington

No fun in Landover Sunday, the Dirty Birds will win convincingly and have the Redskins wondering what hit them.

Cleveland @ NY Giants (-10)

The 2/2 Giants will look much more like defending champs playing the winless Browns; however, the Browns should not be taken as pushovers.

Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh (-3 ½)

The Battle for Pennsylvania finds two teams with lots of fight but lots of questions. A Philadelphia win will reveal father time has gone to work on the Steelers – not the killers they had been for most of the past decade.

Seattle @ Carolina (-3)

A great opportunity for Cam Newton to show his sophomore jinx is over. It’s time for Seattle to start falling back into the scrap heap where they normally reside.

Chicago (-4) @ Jacksonville

Hot off their dominating defeat of Dallas, the Bears can enjoy a short Florida vacation slapping around the hapless Jaguars.

Denver @ New England (-7)

The early days of the Peyton Manning era has not created one tough butt kicking team yet and New England is not the place for that quality to emerge.

Buffalo @ San Francisco (-9 ½)

San Francisco might not be far enough away for the Bills to escape the slaughter heaped upon them at home last week. Now they go to San Francisco to get thrown of the bridge. It could be another ugly defeat.

San Diego @ New Orleans (-3)

The chronic underachievers against the team in the doghouse – slight edge to San Diego.

Monday Night:

Houston (- 7 ½) @ NY Jets

The Jets are going down hard. At what point will Tim Tebow come into the game?

NFL 2012: Week 4 -- No More Horsing Around: The Zebras Return

Thank god the real zebras are back tonight in Baltimore’s game hosting Cleveland tonight. The spray painted jack-asses proved to be an insufferable embarrassment for the whole nation to see in the botched call costing Green Bay the win they earned but in Baltimore, fans also saw a touchdown voided that would have them at 3-0 were it not for incompetent officiating. The number of calls overturned by replays told the story of total incompetence.  Thus ends a huge sham in the history of the NFL – not as bad as replacement players – but equally as misguided.

Cleveland @ Baltimore (-13)

The Baltimore Ravens will have to put in one heck of a good showing to beat the point spread on tonight’s game having had so little time to turn around from Sunday night’s dramatic showing. The Browns are still a terrible team, but no team can ever be taken for granted.

Carolina @ Atlanta (-7 ½)

Could this be the breakthrough season Atlanta QB, Matt Ryan has been looking for? Atlanta is the obvious favorite as Cam Newton needs to shake off some signs of the sophomore jinx.

New England (-3 ½) @ Buffalo

New England must be frisky as hell looking for a win giving they are 1-2 and though the camera showed they lost on a last second field goal, they dominated the Ravens and still lost after their embarrassing loss in week 2. New England SHOULD win this one, but Buffalo is often strong early in the season and cannot be ignored.

Minnesota @ Detroit (-5)

Only one Vegas odds maker weighed in on this contest. We should think Detroit should be the clear favorite; however, there’s something wobbly about Detroit’s performance so far. They are subject to a long history of failure which only winning can put in the past.

San Diego @ Kansas City (-1)

Norv Turner teams are notorious underachievers and that trait will likely do them in on an away field in this contest.

Seattle (-2 ½) @ St. Louis

St. Louis’s young talent hasn’t gelled yet. Seattle’s feeling “groovy” after being given a gift by the inept replacement officials.

San Francisco (-4) @ NY Jets

The 49ers haven’t gotten into top gear yet. Facing a sloppy and injured Jets team should be the right remedy for setting the tone for the rest of the season.

Tennessee @ Houston (-12)

This is the year Houston should show all they have arrived as one of the AFC’s current top teams. To do so, they must obliterate weak division rival, Tennessee.

Miami @ Arizona (-6 ½)

Arizona is one of the surprise teams so far this year and the hapless Dolphins are unlikely to stop them.

Cincinnati (-2) @ Jacksonville

Cincinnati gains an exhibition tune-up to secure an easy win and stay at the Ravens throats for now.

Oakland @ Denver (-6)

Is this the week the real Peyton Manning shows up?  Denver wins regardless.

New Orleans @ Green Bay (-7 ½)

Who wouldn’t hate to face Green Bay this week after being robbed at the last second for all the nation to see on Monday Night Football. It’s hard to believe in week four there could be a must win game for any team, but for the Cheese Disease, this is.

Washington @ Tampa Bay (-3)

The RGIII era hasn’t gotten rolling yet in DC. Tampa’s got the slight edge this weekend.

NY Giants @ Philadelphia (-2 ½)

This is a game that will have a direct bearing on the future in January. As a division rivalry game, the Giants, defending champs off to a mediocre start, will not want to see the Eagles put much more distance between them. Still, the Eagles, as sloppy as they can be appear to have the brute strength to win this one.

Chicago @ Dallas (-3 ½)

Every time Dallas wins, and they’ll win this one, the ESPN crew cranks up the band playing love songs to “America’s team” as if they are truly one of the sport’s top teams. What does the Tony Roma era Cowboys have to show for themselves? If they make the playoffs, they never go deep and that’s what can be expected this year.

NFL 2013: Week 3 -- Where are the Real Zebras???

Week two proved a horrible revelation for the NFL brass who locked out the real officials in favor of replacements: these guys aren't real zebras, they're jack asses spray painted to look like zebras. Did anyone see the Ravens be robbed of a touchdown and hence a victory by a blown call? What offensive interference? This guys are hacks, amateurs playing in a pro league.

NY Giants @ Carolina (-2)

Cam Newton must be pretty special in his 3rd game in his second sason with his team a two point favorite to win at home, but we'll buck the Vegas crowd and pick the Giants. They are the defending champs aren't they? 

St. Louis @ Chicago (-7.5)
St. Louis still has a long way to go before it's ready to take on established teams like the Bears. This one belongs to Chicago.

Buffalo (-3) @ Cleveland
The loser of this game will be the real mistake the lake (Erie that is) and Buffalo is not the mistake.

Tampa Bay @ Dallas (-7.5)
The members of the sports media that loves to crow about the Cowboys will have plenty to celebrate

NY Jets (-2.5) @ Miami
The Rex Ryan Road Show hits South Florida, and while the Jets are more bluster than game, they'll put this one in the win column.

San Francisco (-7) @ Minnesota
The 49er's are well on their way to being the new elite team in the NFL but beating up on the Vikings can hardly be seen as more than a tune up unless the fake zebras do something to mess the game up.

Kansas City @ New Orleans (-9)
Here's one that the scandal-ridden Saints should win.

Cincinnati @ Washington (-3)
Who can predict the Bengals. Last year, they were a playoff contender, but two years in a row?  Washington just might pull this one out. Vegas thinks so.

Detroit (-3.5) @ Tennessee
Not much of a contest here. The Lions win.

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis (-3)
Hello win #1 for Andrew Luck for the Colts.

Philadelphia (-3.5) @ Arizona
Arizona's riding high after their upset of New England, while the Eagles know they were given one gratis by the scab officials. Still they're good enough to handle the Cardinals for sure.

Atlanta @ San Diego (-3)
Two teams known for under achieving meet, but it's too soon for San Diego's typical mid season dive and the Chargers win.

Houston (-2) @ Denver
Peyton who?  This one's Houstons.

Pittsburgh (-4) @ Oakland
Still not a good game to get a read on what the Steelers have left. They'll smash Oakland.

New England @ Baltimore (-3)
Two angry teams face off in this one. New England lost to a most inferior opponent last week whilel the Ravens were robed by scabs.  This one belongs to Crab Town.

Green Bay (-3.5) @ Seattle
Here's a game that should help the Packers get over their early season jitters. Cheese is tastier than over priced coffee. We'll go for the cheese over the latte on Sunday.

NFL 2012: Week 2 -- What Experts?

With so many programs covering the NFL in exhaustive detail, football fans have access to the most amazing information about each team, every game, and all the players, should one want to know what the backup cornerback on the Seattle Seahawks has on his iPod, to a member of the Redskins' disdain for Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, to just about every last detail imaginable. Between databases, websites, and blogs, it's all there; however, what the talking heads can't do is predict the future, and are surprisingly sloppy in sizing up teams' strengths and who the real powerhouse teams are.

Last year, they were drunk on the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys were a miserable team last year and it showed. So this year, the New York Giants might have made some believers they are the team to beat, not the Cowboys, but "America's Team," an insulting media coinage for every American who has a favorite team that doesn't have a blue star on its helmets. Still, the Cowboys were in the spotlight. Thus the season's opening night became the "we knew it all along" upset when Dallas beat the New York Giants in the season's opening game.

Despite having come as close as a dropped pass for a trip to the Super Bowl or possibly a missed field goal to move into overtime to move on, the Baltimore Ravens have been given perhaps just obliging respect in all the preseason hoopla, but nothing like the magic of a nationally televised game to turn that around. For some reason, they seem to like the Cincinnati Bengals but have overrated them frequently in the past. Some were boasting the Bengals would pull the upset and the Ravens were getting old. The Ravens went right to work but the game was close until midway into the 3rd quarter and then the Baltimore Bruisers went into hyper drive and despite Joe Flacco's new offense looking very strong through out the game, it was Ed Reed's interception for a touchdown that made it clear, the Ravens are a true (if not the) AFC powerhouse. This week on ESPN and the NFL network, not only were the Ravens saluted as perhaps the team to beat, Joe Flacco was enshrined as one of the NFL's truly elite quarterbacks as if we knew it all along.

Okay, this column loves the Ravens. We're from Baltimore, Hon, but we can certainly come up with about ten teams that look quite impressive and a few that are real duds, but talking of possible championships, who the true dominant team could be or if Joe Flacco's time has arrived, the big hairy uni-brow will become a new fashion item is a little crazy. If the Ravens are so great, then why is Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles favored to beat Ravens albeit not surprising the homefield bonus, a 2 1/2 point advantage.

This is the week the NFL's newest innovation becomes evident, year long Thursday night football. It's a good thing this hometwon's baseball team plays a rare weekday afternoon game. Starting Thursday night football after the World Series in the past few seasons was pretty cool, but could the great game of pro-football reach an over saturation point?  Perhaps that depends on the strength of the pennant races.

Didn't the baseball cutout seem especially ancient in the second Monday night game with San Diego visiting Oakland? There are, at least in the near future, some NFL teams playing in stadiums that once hosted baseball (San Francisco, San Diego, Minneapolis) but Oakland is the only team left where teams don't each have their own stadium for each sport unless one wants to include Toronto that hosts one Buffalo game and the CFL Hey, it's another land up there.

The season starts to settle into gear, and surely much will be made of the teams that wind up at 2-0 and and 0-2 especially since ESPN already ran a segment on which 0-1 teams are already finished? Yes, they're that desperate for chit-chat.

Follow our picks and see for yourself, who we expect to be 2-0 and 0-2. We'll let you know if we think any are significant as there are some teams who we really don't think could go deep without a life preserver.

Green Bay didn't look too hot in their opener against a growing strong 49ers to for the Thursday night game, but for what improvement Chicago has made, stick with Green Bay. Here's the whole schedule and our esteemed picks.

Chicago @ Green Bay (-6)
   Green Bay should win comfortably.

Baltimore @ Philadelphia (2.5)
      Ravens madness takes the short ride up I-95 to Philadelphia and should make a shambles of Michael Vick's dog and pony show. Vick doesn't train horses does he?

Kansas City @ Buffalo (-3)
     Some say Buffalo is much improved. At very least, they play well early in the season then choke. Give them the edge at home against a team that must reassert itself.

Cleveland @ Cincinnati (-7)
    Home cooking and the Cleveland Browns should help the Bengals recover from their ass-whipping at the hands of the Ravens.

Minnesota (-1) @ Indianapolis 
   It's too early for Andrew Luck to be the Colts lucky charm, but that day is coming.

New Orleans (-2.5) @ Carolina 
   The bounty scandal and its toll will give Cam Newton a chance to take the home field edge against the team that lost to the Washington Redskins in week 1.

Houston (-7.5) @ Jacksonville
   Houston is a team on the rise with 2012 supposed to be the year they are capable of advancing in January. Beating Jacksonville is one task that will lead them there.

Oakland (-2.5) @ Miami
    Here are two teams that must prove themselves to regain respectability. Carson Palmer still hasn't proven himself for real in Oakland, but this should be a chance to do so in beating Miami.

Arizona @ New England (-13.5)
    Hey, it's way too soon to start engraving New England on the Lombardi trophy, but they' ll look like champs in week 2. Just don't swallow the hype too soon.

Tampa Bay @ New Giants (7.5)
     The defending champs will put their first week loss behind them with a tune up game for their home opener.

Washington (-3) @ St. Louis
     The Redskins will be 2-0 after week two. Woo-woo!!!

Dallas (-3) @ Seattle
    The Cowboys will be a 2-0 team too. America's team on the roll -- no matter how weak their opponent is the hype machine will be singing.

New York Jets @ Pittsburgh (-6)
    The great QB debate, Sanchez/Tebow -- blah-blah-blah and a few scoops of Rex Ryan bluster. The Jets need to win this game to prove anything and the Steelers might not be all they've been in the past, but they'll beat the Jets in this one.

Tennessee @ San Diego (-6)
    It's early in the season and a weak opponent, no talk of firing Norv Turner, yet.

Detroit @ San Francisco (-6.5)
    Imagine this, Detroit and San Francisco in PRIME TIME when a couple years ago, some would have just assumed to pretend they're invisible. Detroit is a good team, but San Francisco is becoming  one of the game's best teams and will prevail.

Denver @ Atlanta (-3)
   Peyton Manning in an orange jersey returns to the country where he once dominated the SEC in college. Denver should exceed Atlanta, a team that over the last couple years has to be considered a team that has yet to live up to expectations.

NFL 2012: Week 1 -- Changes, Replacements, and the Same Old Stuff

The first week of the 2012 NFL season opens with some fascinating changes, some contentious issues, and a lot more of the usual good stuff that will have us locked in front of our televisions for the next 22 weeks when the next Super Bowl Champ will be chosen.

Contention: the season opens with replacement officials. The NFL and the zebras have long been deadlocked largely on pension issues. In the meantime, regardless of how effective or ineffective the stand-in's are, they will draw blame for disputed calls, taking too much time, mass confusion, and whatever else doesn't lend itself to a standard story line.

More contention: eyes will be on the New York Jets who missed the playoffs last year for the first time since Rex Ryan took the helm as head coach. Who will be their quarterback, Mark Sanchez, who many felt failed miserably last year versus America's wholesome sweetheart while many debate his true NFL quarterback talent, Tim Tebow. Every quarterback move regardless of which fellow is under center will be under the microscope.

The new: the Indianapolis Colts will be rebuilding from the Payton Manning era as the #1 draft pick, Andrew Luck, takes over a squad with a new head coach and changing faces playing. Meanwhile, the Washington Redskins, who've accomplished little but blips of excitement since the when Joe Gibbs retired from his first tenure as coach for NASCAR in the early 90's, Robert Griffin III.

The big change, of course, is the change of address for Peyton Manning, in contention with Tom Brady of New England for the best quarterback of his era, moving on to Denver after missing the 2011 season due to a chronic neck injury. The Broncos will go as far as their new field general takes them.

The same old good stuff:  The New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans will fight to reign over the AFC while Cincinnati will attempt to win in two consecutive seasons in a row, a feat that escapes them, showing they are truly a team on the move upward. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers, starting to look battered and bruised in 2011, will attempt to revert to their dominant ways despite all indications they might be starting to crack. The situation remains the same in San Diego. Msot believe Norv Turner is in a do-or-die fight for his job leading a team of perennial underachievers.

The same old stuff: Hype surrounds the Dallas Cowboys particularly at ESPN, who at times seem intoxicated with Dallas Kool Aid, are getting their usual hype, but they are not a good team and facing a tough schedule might unravel to the point of no return. The New York Giants look to defend their title while Green Bay under Aaron Rodgers can never be ruled out, but keep an eye on San Francisco, who will surprise no one in their second year for Jim Harbaugh. The Philadelphia Eagles might be at a nexus having to improve or the end of the Andy Reid era could be at hand. The Atlanta Falcons still haven't had their breakthrough season with QB Matt Ryan. Recent NFC South powerhouse, New Orleans will be rocked with suspensions resulting from their bounty ring. The Detroit Lions will look to start putting some distance between their growing success as a respectable franchise and their long history as a losing outfit.

Here are our picks for Week One. Last year, we were successful 65% of the time. You can count on us for at least two out of three picks in your office pool far better than the Swami and the rest of the ESPN nutcases.

VISITOR						HOME						PICK
Dallas				)		NY Giants		(	-3.5	)		NY Giants
Indianapolis		(		)		Chicago		(	-9.5	)		Chicago
Atlanta		(	-3	)		Kansas City		(		)		Atlanta
Philadelphia		(	-8.5	)		Cleveland		(		)		Philadelphia
Washington		(		)		New Orleans		(	-7	)		New Orleans
St. Louis		(		)		Detroit		(	-7	)		Detroit
New England		(	-5.5	)		Tennessee		(		)		New England
Jacksonville		(		)		Minnesota		(	-4	)		Minnesota
Buffalo		(		)		NY Jets		(	-3	)		Buffalo
Miami		(		)		Houston		(	-11.5	)		Miami
Seattle		(	-2.5	)		Arizona		(		)		Seattle
San Francisco		(		)		Green Bay		(	-5	)		Green Bay
Carolina		(	-2.5	)		Tampa Bay		(		)		Carolina
Pittsburgh		(		)		Denver		(	-2	)		Denver
Cincinnati		(		)		Baltimore		(	-6	)		Baltimore
San Diego		(	NA	)		Oakland		(	NA	)		San Diego