NFL 2011, Week 10 - Add Thursday Nights!!!

Week 10

Here it is! The start of Thursday Night Football the cash cow for the NFL Network which assures a groggy workforce three mornings a week, Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. Note to employers – make sure most important tasks are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.  Regarding the Ravens dramatic final seconds win Sunday night, fans can continue to celebrate right up through kickoff on Sunday, but the team had better be working as if Sunday in Seattle were the Super Bowl. The Ravens cannot afford to lay another egg after a major victory if they want some playoff action in crab town. The Pittsburgh/Cincinnati game will be hugely interesting and prove if the Bengals are for real this year. Pittsburgh pretty much looks like the Steelers of old except for their two losses to Baltimore, so what do the fellows downstream have for them?

The games:

Thursday:

Oakland @ San Diego (-7)

San Diego cannot continue to putz about and beat division foes. They still should be the top team in the AFC West but must prove it against the Raiders who stand to get stronger as Carson Palmer gets integrated into their game plan.

Sunday:

Washington @ Miami (-4)

This is a game to prove just how bad the Redskins or Dolphins truly are. A smart, conservative game plan and some heads up defense should send the quarterbackless Skins back to DC in tatters.

Jacksonville (-3) @ Indianapolis

Will the Colts play another game that they don’t mail it in this year? They are playing some of the most pathetic football seen by what should be a hurting quality team in ages. It’s impossible to pick the Colts in any game until they show some fight. Suppose they are playing for Luck and little more.

Denver @ Kansas City (-3)

Let’s bet on this game starting up the Tim Tebow jokes again. KC is recovering nicely from a tough start.

Pittsburgh (-3) @ Cincinnati

This is reality check for both teams. If the Bengals are good, this is a game to prove it. They face Pittsburgh and Baltimore in four of their last eight games and have to win two games of the four to be a true contender.

Buffalo @ Dallas (-5 ½)

Picking Dallas to win this game assumes Buffalo’s fast start was a fluke and that playing in the great palace of decadence will be too much for them. Dallas is not a good team that got off to a bad start. They are the most over-hyped team in the game. The real key to the game is Dallas’s defense playing up to par. If they do, the Cowboys win.

New Orleans @ Atlanta

The odds makers want no part of this game and that’s understandable. The Saints have floundered recently. Atlanta has been underachieving this year but is starting to pull things together. The Saints have the extra win since they have not had their bye. We’ll give Atlanta a very slight edge.

St. Louis @ Cleveland (-2 ½)

Here’s what you get when two weak teams collide. Cleveland’s a little more aggressive and has their horde of drunks cheering them on – slight edge.

Houston (-3) @ Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay shows flashes of brilliance but Houston is the stronger team. Houston has no margin for underachievement which has dogged them too often this year to pull this game out.

Tennessee @ Carolina (-3)

Carolina is making strides to once again be a successful team with young QB Cam Newton. Tennessee has lost its early season pop – slight edge to the Panthers.

Arizona @ Philadelphia

Philadelphia is one of the most frustrating teams in the game. They can and should win this game.

Detroit @ Chicago (-2 ½)

This is a great game for either team to prove they are for real. Chicago took care of Philadelphia Monday night, but if Detroit is truly a real winner, this is an important game to win on the road if they are playoff bound.

Baltimore (-6 ½) @ Seattle

It’s noisy, it’s the west coast, the Ravens must be on top of their game against this must lesser team.

New York Giants @ San Francisco (-3 ½)

Here’s another chance for Jim Harbaugh to prove his “Niners” are for real against a team they could well face in the post season.

New England @ New York Jets (-1 ½)

New England handled the Jets in their first meeting in week 5 when the Jets were in their third of a difficult road stretch. Since then, the Jets have pulled things together as the New England Patriots are looking mighty weak on defense. The Jets would appear to have the slight edge here.

Minnesota @ Green Bay (-13 ½)

Send in the clowns, this is Green Bay’s all the way. Minnesota is simply too weak to call this a great rivalry game this year.