NFL Week 16 Recap

Well sports fans, I hope this post finds you healthy, happy and hopefully not still sitting on Santa's lap. (If he didn't give you that Matchbox car by now, you're just not getting it.) I hope everyone had (or is having) a great holiday season, and also managed to sneak in some NFL, NBA or college bowl games in between opening up presents and acquiring food baby twins with the family.

Playoff football is almost upon us, and for the most part, the playoff teams have been decided. Most teams now are only play for pride or trying to get a higher seed. Indianapolis...hell, I don't even know what they're doing. Its almost like they pledged as a team to suck this season to get Andrew Luck, but no one told Dan Orlovsky that when they picked him up midway through the season.

So wait...I'm supposed to TRY and throw a pick in the red zone?

Lions fans may remember Dan Orlovsky from the dark days of Lions football, for his famous running out of the end zone safety which pretty much wrapped up the Lions 0-16 season in one fell swoop.  If you haven't ever seen that, watch this. I mean, this team is on the cusp of acquiring the first pick of the draft, and most likely Andrew Luck. No team has ever had a better reason to suck, and all of the sudden, the Colts are gonna screw it up by going on a win streak to end the season. This has got to be the worst season to be a Colts fan, ever.

In other news, congratulations to Saints QB Drew Brees, who broke the NFL record for single season passing yards in last nights win. The record, set by Dan Marino in 1984, was 5,084 yards, and on his final pass of the night, Brees hit 5,087 yards on the season, with one game left to play this season.

With the culmination of the NFL season and college bowl season, as well as the start of the NBA season, my ability to cover all of these on the blog will be inconsistent at best. More than likely, I'll try to focus on some of the college bowl games over the final NFL games, and once both of those seasons are over, will be covering basketball almost exclusively, both college and NBA. Please keep reading and giving me feedback, either one is always appreciated!


UPDATE:  As pointed out to me by a commentor, I did not give the Detroit Lions their deserved dues for making the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Having grown up in Michigan, I have always hoped for the success of the Lions and now that they have finally worked their way to a successful season it is obvious they have much to be proud about. No doubt the team will face tough match ups in the postseason, but they have come a long way and, if they stay healthy and keep a calm head, they have a great chance to beat any team they meet in the playoffs. This is team who wanted to succeed not only for their own personal benefits, but for that of their hometown, a place many in America think of as a "dying" city. I wish the Lions the best of luck in the playoffs.

NBA Update: Preseason Impressions and Acquisitions

Since my last post concerning the NBA, the flurry of trades, re-signing and free agent pickups has continued. In addition to the obvious winners (Clippers, Mavericks, Knicks), many teams have taken advantage of new rules and a jam packed free agent market to augment their rosters. In  fact, I'd say its great for the NBA, as the very nature of the league seems to be shifting. The reigning champions have shaken up their roster, along with several of the perennial power teams like the Lakers, Celtics and the Knicks.

After seeing several of these new look teams in action, It seems to me that the Clippers could be serious contenders in the West, as well as the Heat and the Knicks in the East. Without Phil Jackson at the helm and with Kobe Bryant's health in serious decline, coupled with the loss of important sixth man Lamar Odom, the Lakers seem all too vulnerable this season and could have relinquished their status as the best team in L.A. The Heat, I believe, will benefit from a reduced media following and significantly less scrutiny as they look  to build on the success of last season. Adding depth on the front line has been the most significant need for Miami, and with newcomer Eddy Curry they may have found that missing piece.

And last but not least, the Knicks. The Knicks added a very solid piece to their team by signing free agent center Tyson Chandler, and in doing so removed a pivotal piece from the championship Mavericks. They also attained great point guard depth by signing Baron Davis and Mike Bibby to add to their great core of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire.

A few other quick notes:

Boston did well this offseason. They traded away Glen "Big Baby" Davis for Brandon Bass, a cheaper (and better) player, as well as acquired a lot of great depth throughout their roster. Losing Jeff Green for the season was unfortunate, but as is always the case, someone will step up.

As a Pistons fan, this team continues to befuddle me and give me more and more reasons to not watch them anymore. SG Richard Hamilton is the latest and one of the last players from that 2004 championship team to leave Detroit, with Tayshaun Prince being the last. I'll never know what the front office saw wrong from that team, but several awful years later and I'm wishing to be back in the old days.


There are still a lot of free agents to sign around the league, as well as a few possible trades that could affect this season in a big way. Make sure you keep checking back for the latest news and my take on where each trade or signing leaves the team that made it.

Week 15 NFL Predictions

Chances are, if you read this or other sports blogs, you may be at least a casual fan of sports, and possibly the NFL. If that is the case, then you may be familiar with the recent, widespread rule changes that have hit the teams and players hard.( You see what I did there? Hit? Yeah. Bad.I Know.) League commissioner Roger Goodell has an idea in his head of what he would like to see the NFL become. His ideas....are not popular. In today's article, I though I'd give his job a try, make some hypothetical changes of my own. First, lets start with the way the game is broadcast to us fans..

Step 1: Change the announcers
There's a trend in the league that you become a player, play your career, retire, then you either coach for a while and then do broadcasting, or you go open up some other business venture, usually involving  a car wash, strip club or Ponzi scheme. Most NFL broadcasters today are former players or coaches, and alot of times I hear people say "ugh, I wish these announcers would stop talking about their old careers. No one cares." Prayer answered, my friend. If he were still with us, I think Billy Mays would have been a great announcer.
"The running back cuts to the outside, hit HARD at the sideline and Ooh!, he's got a nasty stain on that knee there. A nice dose of Oxi-Clean would get that right out!".

I can't make your kid popular, but I can make him clean!

Boom. Football commentary on the spot, and you also figured out how to get that ketchup stain out of little Jimmy's nice Ralph Lauren cardigan.

Step 2. Change the Vendors
Ok, well the first step here is actually to make the games cheaper to attend. Two tickets to the Lions game and I've paid enough for my entire family to see Cats! on Broadway. Ridiculous. Next, we have the food. $6.00 hot dog, $4.00 chips and cheese, $3.50 for a bag of Skittles. Get rid of all that, and lets get in there a Taco Bell, a Popeye's, Subway and a Mr. You's Chinese food. And lets get the same prices that they normally sell food at. Boom.


Step 3.Change the way players get rewarded.
Nowadays, when players leave the field, they normally head over to the oxygen tanks for a couple long breaths of pure oxygen bliss, whether they did a good job or a bad job on the field. I'm thinking you send the guys who screw up over to a CO2 tank instead. Nothing says "don't fumble the ball on the goal line again" like not being able to breath. Ehh, who am I kidding, that's just a joke. But honestly, no one would take a job where they had to tell those 350 pound lineman that they get the CO2 tank instead. Nothing says medical bills like....well, you get the picture.


Well, there's probably a lot more things that I'd change, but those are a few of the important ones. Now onto the recap of last weeks predictions and the new picks for this week.

Last week:
Committed Fan: 11-5
ESPN: 14-2

Running Score
Committed Fan: 135-69
ESPN: 146-58


Atlanta vs. Jacksonville
ESPN: Atlanta
Committed Fan: Atlanta


Miami vs. Buffalo
ESPN Pick: Buffalo
Committed Fan: Miami

Indianapolis vs. Tennessee
ESPN Pick: Tennessee
Committed Fan Pick: Tennessee

Green Bay vs. Kansas City
ESPN Pick:Green Bay
Committed Fan Pick: Green Bay

Cincinnati vs. St. Louis
ESPN Pick: Cincinnati
Committed Fan Pick: Cincinnati

New Orleans vs. Minnesota
ESPN Pick: New Orleans
Committed Fan Pick: New Orleans

Washington vs. New York Giants
ESPN Pick: New York
Committed Fan Pick: New York 

 Carolina vs. Houston
 ESPN Pick: Houston
 Committed Fan Pick: Carolina

 Detroit vs. Oakland

 ESPN Pick: Detroit
 Committed Fan Pick: Detroit

Denver vs. New England

ESPN Pick: New England
Committed Fan Pick: New England

Philadelphia vs. New York Jets
ESPN Pick: Philadelphia
Committed Fan Pick: New York Jets

Arizona vs. Cleveland

ESPN Pick: Arizona
Committed Fan Pick: Arizona

Baltimore vs. San Diego
ESPN Pick: Baltimore
Committed Fan Pick: Baltimore

San Francisco vs. Pittsburgh
ESPN Pick: San Francisco
Committed Fan Pick: San Francisco

Seattle vs. Chicago
ESPN Pick: Seattle
Committed Fan Pick: Chicago

Dallas vs. Tampa Bay
ESPN Pick: Dallas
Committed Fan Pick: Dallas


Awful Decision of the Week: Buccaneers WR Preston Parker attempted to field a punt deep inside his own territory with his team leading 14-0. Upon catching the ball, he was nailed by RB Montell Owens and fumbled. The ball was scooped up by a Jags player and returned for a touchdown. The Jaguars then scored 41 straight points to run away with the victory.

Player of the Week: Cardinals QB John Skelton, who, after being benched by the team last week, responded to Kevin Kolb being knocked out of the game in a big way, throwing for 282 yards and 3 touchdowns en route to leading the Cardinals to an unlikely big win over San Francisco.

The New NBA: Trades, Analysis and Progress

I've always applauded a team that was never too comfortable in the off-season. It seems to me that if you're opponent is out getting better in that time, there's something you could be doing to get better as well. Its been just a few shorts days since the NBA lockout was settled and the first business day of the NBA season began, and already a flurry of activity has taken place around the league. So, to recap, here's a few of the big trades that have taken place around the league and their effect on the upcoming season.

The Tyson Chandler deal:
Free agent center Tyson Chandler was one of the more coveted free agents this week, and the Knicks have won the rights to his services, in exchange for sending center Ronny Turiaf to Washington and trading guard Andy Rautins to Dallas. Some other small considerations were sent to Washington and New York as well. I really think this trade makes New York a whole lot better, with Chandler being a strong defensive and rebounding presence alongside Amare Stoudemire, who is a known scorer and a sub par rebounder. Along with small forward Carmelo Anthony, this team can go either large up front or smaller, with Amare playing the center and Anthony player power forward. It gives the Knicks great versatility and with Dwight Howard potentially leaving to go out west,  a great shot to win the East.



Jeff Green, Brandon Bass in Boston
The Celtics made a few minor (but important) moves this week, trading Glen "Big Baby" Davis away for Brandon Bass, a tougher, hard working player who is a lethal shooter. They then re-signed Jeff Green, a versatile scorer who can play small forward or power forward while also stepping out to hit the three ball. Davis could score, but so can Bass and Green, and I think by signing Bass the team upgraded their toughness while taking away a vital bench player from a rival in the East.

Bulls interested in Hamilton, Howard
The Chicago Bulls remain one of the NBA's most aggressive teams, following up last summer's free agent frenzy with some enterprising ideas this winter. The team could look to sign soon to be ex-Piston Richard Hamilton, a veteran scorer with championship experience, while also hoping to be in the running for Magic center Dwight Howard, by far the most coveted big man in the market this week. Securing Howard would make the Bulls a big force in the east almost immediately, but just getting Hamilton wouldn't be too shabby either.


While these are the moves that have been made so far, they will not be the only ones, and I predict we will see some very interesting deals start to materialize for the likes of Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Keep checking back to the Committed Fan for more info as it becomes available!

Week 14 NFL Predictions

Good Morning football fans!

Before I start off today, I'd like to apologize for the lack of a post on Tuesday. I seem to have stumbled into one of the busier times of the year and well, honestly, other things took priority. In any case, here I am, and since you're reading this, there you are, so let's get on with it. If you don't know the drill by now, every week in this column, I compare and predict NFL game predictions with ESPN. So far, the running score is as follows:

ESPN: 132-56
Committed Fan: 124-64


And now:

Tampa Bay vs. Jacksonville
ESPN: Jacksonville
Committed Fan: Jacksonville

Houston vs. Cincinnati
ESPN: Houston
Committed Fan: Houston

Minnesota vs. Detroit
ESPN: Detroit
Committed Fan: Detroit

New Orleans vs. Tennessee
ESPN Pick: New Orleans
Committed Fan: New Orleans

Philadelphia vs. Miami
ESPN Pick: Philadelphia
Committed Fan: Miami

New York (Jets) vs. Kansas City
ESPN: New York Jets
Committed Fan: New York Jets

New England vs. Washington
ESPN: New England
Committed Fan: New England

Carolina vs. Atlanta
ESPN: Atlanta
Committed Fan: Carolina

Baltimore vs. Indianapolis
ESPN: Baltimore
Committed Fan: Baltimore

San Francisco vs. Arizona
ESPN: San Francisco
Committed Fan: San Francisco

Oakland vs. Green Bay
ESPN: Green Bay
Committed Fan: Green Bay

Buffalo vs. San Diego
ESPN: San Diego
Committed Fan: Buffalo

New York (Giants) vs. Dallas
ESPN: Dallas
Committed Fan: New York

Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland
ESPN: Pittsburgh
Committed Fan: Pittsburgh

Seattle vs. St. Louis
ESPN: Seattle
Committed Fan: Seattle

Chicago vs. Denver
ESPN: Denver
Committed Fan: Chicago




Awful Decision of the Week: Vikings QB Christian Ponder throws a costly pick inside his own 50 yard line, setting the Broncos up with perfect field position to win the game with a field goal, completing a Viking meltdown of epic proportion.

Player of the Week: Titans RB Chris Johnson, who has essentially be a non factor this entire season, decided to make an appearance on Sunday, rushing for 153 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries, helping Tennessee beat the slumping Bills.



In the Huddle: This week's topic is the alarming and growing trend of fighting in the NFL. Lately, it has become more of an issue, with players stretching the boundaries to see how far they can get without being flagged- or worse.  Yes, seemingly since the now infamous Jim Schwartz-Jim Harbaugh hand shaking incident, players around the league have been going outside the boundaries of fair and ethical play on an alarming basis. Detroit itself has been plagued by a rash of stupid, careless physicality that has seen one of their starters suspended by the league and possibly a few others benched by the coach. Now, I understand the notion of not getting pushed around or intimidated, to show the league you can hit with the best of them and that you aren't going to just lay down. Really, I do, and I'm totally for  Detroit and any other team trying to do just that. However, there is a right and a wrong way to do that.  In this day and age, when the league seeks to help reduce injuries to its players, it is way too soft on fighting. Once guys start taking cheap shots after the play, then the injuries will start to pile up. To stop the fighting from escalating into a bigger problem, the NFL needs to take a stronger stance on fighting now, and suspend and fine every player who throws a punch, pushes a referee, takes a cheap shot after the play or in any way tries to injure another player in any non football way. Football is a physical sport, and thats how its always been meant to be played, but there is no place for fighting in the NFL. Period. Grown men should learn to handle their emotions and their bodies better, or they have no business playing football.

Week 13 Predictions

Hello sports fans. Its that time of the week again where I predict the results of this weeks games and keep a running count of how well my predictions match up with those made by ESPN. Only this week, I've decided to make a change that allows me to get through this post quicker and also cuts right to the chase. I will no longer post score predictions for these games, only the winner that I project and the winner that ESPN projects. I do this because of the near impossibility of trying to guess a game score, something that I liken to guessing a woman's age (which is never a good idea, because you'll always be wrong, and there's no real way to win there anyways).  Also, instead of offering an explanation as to why either team will win, a generic offering that bares a striking similarity to a holiday fruitcake that gets re-gifted, I'm going to try and spice up the post in other ways. So, without further ado, enjoy.

Running Score:
ESPN: 119-53
Committed Fan: 113-59


Chicago vs. Kansas City
ESPN: Chicago
Committed Fan: Chicago


Tampa Bay vs. Carolina
ESPN Pick: Tampa Bay
Committed Fan : Carolina

Buffalo vs. Tennessee
ESPN: Tennessee
Committed Fan: Tennessee

Oakland vs. Miami
ESPN: Miami
Committed Fan: Oakland

Denver vs. Minnesota
ESPN: Denver
Committed Fan Pick: Minnesota

Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh
ESPN: Pittsburgh
Committed Fan: Pittsburgh

New England vs. Indianapolis
ESPN: New England
Committed Fan: New England

New York Jets vs. Washington
ESPN: New York 
Committed Fan Pick: New York Jets

Houston vs. Atlanta
ESPN Pick: Atlanta
Committed Fan Pick: Houston

Baltimore vs. Cleveland
ESPN Pick: Baltimore
Committed Fan: Baltimore

Green Bay vs. New York Giants
ESPN: Green Bay
Committed Fan: Green Bay

Dallas vs. Arizona
ESPN:Dallas
Committed Fan: Dallas

San Francisco vs. St.Louis
ESPN: San Francisco
Committed Fan: San Francisco

San Diego vs. Jacksonville
ESPN: San Diego
Committed Fan: Jacksonville

Philadelphia vs. Seattle
ESPN: Seattle
Committed Fan: Philadelphia

New Orleans vs. Detroit
ESPN: New Orleans
Committed Fan: New Orleans



Awful Decision of the Week: A tie, between Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh curb stomping a downed Green Bay Packer or Bills WR Stevie Johnson mimicing a Plaxico Burress self inflicted gunshot wound to the leg before flying a "jet" and crashing it into the ground as part of an elaborate touchdown celebration.

Player of the Week: Drew Brees, quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, after completing 24 of 38 passes for 363 yards and 4 touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown, as he turned a game against the Giants into a rout.



In the Huddle: In this section, I'll pick an issue that is being openly discussed or something that has struck me personally as worth discussing. In this post, I will speak about NFL coaches and the revolving door that is head coaching in the league.


Jack Del Rio was fired this week, ending his tenure as coach of the Jaguars in a short, merciless maneuver. Del Rio is one of only two men to ever coach the Jaguars, and had led them to just a few games under .500 (69-73) during his tenure. What I don't understand is not why Del Rio was fired, but why he ran the team the way he did this season, knowing full well his job rested on winning. Team owner  Wayne Weaver told Del Rio at the start of the season that if the team missed the playoffs this season, he was done. Why then, knowing his job rested precariously on this season, did Del Rio cut his talented (albeit inconsistent) starter David Garrard just days before the season began and then turn the reigns over to career backup Luke McCown? Why, after that call did not work out in Del Rio's favor, did he then decide to go with an untested rookie QB Blaine Gabbert? Gabbert has been awful as a starter for the Jags, but has been given the run of the team week in and week out.  Del Rio definitely earned his firing, and it seems that it was time, because he was losing it if he thought either one of those guys could save his job.

We still have a few more weeks to go in the season, and there are several coaches that are still on the hot seat, such as Jim Caldwell in Indianapolis and Steve Spanguolo in St. Louis. Lets just hope those two have the common sense to try and save their jobs, and have the common sense not to give Ryan Leaf or Eric Couch a call.

Week 12 Observations: The Ethics of Leading with your Head.

"If you've got nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all."


I remember this phrase dominating my childhood years. I remember there were a lot of times that I can remember that I did not follow this rule. I remember my classmate Richard always seemed to be good at making me not follow this rule. I mean, say what you want, but the kid actually tried erasing my name off of my homework and turning it in as his. Like I needed any help failing math. Honestly, if I hadn't said anything to Richard, I'd probably still be wallowing in recesses and playing dodgeball during gym class. Wait, that sounds wonderful......Can I do that?

I'm trying to find something redeeming about Tebow, I really am. In college, I wasn't a huge fan of him , but you'd be wrong to say I hated him, either. In the NFL, however, Tebow has rubbed me the wrong way simply because of the credit he receives for rather mundane tasks.  No one has ever been so famous with such a dismal statistical impact on the NFL. He is gaining fame because his team is on a five game winning streak, and If you asked most people, they would probably say it's because Tim Tebow has been a great quarterback during that span. WRONG. During the Broncos improbable, albeit impressive win streak, Tebow has been a better runningback than quarterback. His throwing accuracy and power are poor for even a backup in this league, and he consistently misses open receivers all over the field. If you want to hail his performance as a running back as of late, go ahead, I won't stop you. You can even chide me here and say that none of this matters because he's a winner, thats fine too. I'm not trying to deny that the kid is 5-1 as a starter, but I'll tell you, I don't think it will last. During the reign of Tebow, he has led the team to an average of 17 points per contest, which is probably about the middle of the pack in the league. During that same span, the defense has held opponents to a very low 15 points per game, which has played an enormous  role in the team's second wind. The main weakness of the Broncos option attack is its inability to score a whole lot of points. So, as long as Timmy wants to continue his win streak and get on the front page of ESPN each week for handing the ball off on the final drive, he had better be buying his defense dinner as well.


I remember playing a lot of games in grade school. Dodgeball was far and away my favorite. Kickball....had its moments too. Dodgeball, yes dodgeball was THE game growing up. Simple concept, tag all members of the opposing team with the ball before they did the same to you. Not a whole lot of rules. The only rule dodgeball DID have was that you could not hit someone in the face. I don't think there was any other real rules of protection, you could literally nail you classmates with a shot to the rectum, ball sack or kidneys and it was all okay. Little Tommy is in the bathroom peeing blood, while you got a gold star for the day.

What is this, amateur hour?

Now consider this. In today's NFL, you are realistically limited, as a defensive player, to hit less of any player's body than you are in elementary school dodgeball. In a league where the average player makes several hundred thousand a year, every single hit on the 1)Head, 2) Shoulder pads, 3) knee cap, 4) lower leg or 5) neck will earn you an automatic fine of at least $5,000. Now that may not seem like a lot, but after taxes and other living expenses, most NFL players can't readily pay a $5,000 fine every time they take the field. However, these players are asked to provide an exciting, authentic product for fans, while simultaneously taking extra precautions not to hit a player anywhere where he might sustain an injury. The very definition of a hard hit is now changing, as defensive players have to adjust their play style or risk losing all of their money throughout the course of a season. In a game where a quarterback can pass for 400 yards in a game and still lose, it  has become apparent that quarterbacks are  almost too protected, and can easily light up any secondary. So here we run into the dilemna. Many players, current and former, are up in arms over the league going "soft", and to an extent, I'm inclined to agree with them. Every NFL player is now briefed of the dangers of prolonged hits to the head and its effect on memory loss. Furthermore, these men are raised through a football culture which stresses these issues as well. With that in mind, every NFL player knowingly and willingly accepts the possible dangers and takes the field anyways. By creating these rules to help protect players, the NFL has lost sight of the truth; football is and always will be an intensely physical sport, and people will always get hurt playing it. However, as long as they know and accept the risks, it should be their choice on how they choose to play the game, not Roger Goodell's. 

Fantasy Outlook

Marion Barber, RB Bears (14% owned): Barber makes the list again because I like what I saw from him on Sunday. He had 10 carries to Matt Forte's 12, and while he won't be involved in the passing game going forward, the Bears have to run to support Caleb Hanie and Barber has the best chance to find the endzone when they do. 

Caleb Hanie, QB Bears ( .09% owned): Speaking of Hanie, he wasn't that bad on Sunday, and in the next two weeks he gets an okay matchup with the Chiefs and then a good matchup against the Broncos. You certainly could do worse. 

Harry Douglas, WR Falcons (1.4% owned): Douglas has been the Falcons wideout on the rise for the past few weeks, and with Julio Jones missing time provides a sneaky play because of his open field evasiveness and speed. He won't fill up the stat sheet, but he's worth a look in most deeper leagues. 

Scott Chandler, TE Bills (27.7% owned): Woohoo, Ryan Fitzpatrick was on his A-game Sunday, against none other than the vaunted secondary of the Jets. We had a Scott Chandler sighting, to the tune of 6 catches for 50 yards, as the elusive fantasy dance continues with the tight end. Its tough to rely on Chandler, especially if you started him week 4. Or 5, or 6, or week 9. Yes, he has hurt us all, but we all give ex-girlfriends, religion and snuggies an extra shot, so why not Chandler too? Oh, and also, the Titans give up the 6th most points to opposing tight ends. Enjoy. 

Greg Little, WR Browns (11.1%owned): Little has worked his way into fantasy relevance and has emerged as Colt McCoy's favorite target. Little has two subpar matchups ahead of him, in the Steeler's and Ravens, but both have allowed 7 touchdowns this year to wideouts, so theres a decent chance they give one up to Little. Later on down the road, Little gets Arizona and their soft pass defense. 

Week 12 Predictions

Well, Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

I'm gonna keep it short today, just gonna hit some predictions for this weeks games.

Tampa Bay vs. Tennessee
ESPN Pick: Tampa Bay 21 Tennessee 17
Committed Fan Pick: Tennessee 17 Tampa Bay 15

Matt Hasselbeck has been a lot of things in his career, but a wimp was never one of those things. I look for him to play through the pain and lead the Titans past the Bucs.


Minnesota vs. Atlanta
ESPN Pick: Minnesota 28 Atlanta 17
Committed Fan Pick: Atlanta 27 Minnesota 24

Christian Ponder is doing all the right things in Minnesota, but in the end, Matt Ryan and his dynamic receivers will prove to be too much for the Vikings to handle.


Cleveland vs. Cincinnati
ESPN Pick: Cincinnati 23 Cleveland 17
Committed Fan Pick: Cincinnati 28 Cleveland 17

In a battle of young quarterbacks, Andy Dalton will step up and lead his team to victory, as he has done all season.

\
Carolina vs. Indianapolis
ESPN Pick: Carolina 24 Indianapolis 14
Committed Fan Pick: Carolina 24 Indianapolis 14


Arizona vs. St. Louis
ESPN Pick: Arizona 20 St. Louis 19
Committed Fan Pick: St. Louis 21 Arizona 20
Arizona still has some skill players that could give St. Louis a run for their money, but their QB situation looks eerily similar to last year, when the team struggled tremendously.

Buffalo vs. New York Jets
ESPN Pick: Buffalo 17 New York 21
Committed Fan Pick: New York 24 Buffalo 14

Look for Buffalo to continue their awful slide from glory as they drop another game.


Houston vs. Jacksonville
ESPN Pick: Houston 21 Jacksonville 17
Committed Fan Pick: Houston 24 Jacksonville 14

Houston has greatly improved its image in the league this year, as it is no longer an easy win for better teams. I don't expect Jacksonville to cause a big problem for them.


Seattle vs. Washington
ESPN Pick: Seattle 20 Washington 17
Committed Fan Pick: Seattle 23 Washington 17


Chicago vs. Oakland
ESPN Pick: Chicago 14 Oakland 23
Committed Fan Pick: Chicago 23 Oakland 21

Alright, I may be a little bit biased here, but I have seen great things out of the Bears this year and I don't buy it that the loss of Cutler ruins this team. I just don't. They will have to work harder, but they can still win.


New England vs. Philadelphia
ESPN Pick: New England 20 Philadelphia 17
Committed Fan Pick:  New England 24 Philadelphia 17

Tom Brady and Co. showed last week that people are still wrong to vote against them. They have an elite passing game and can put 30 points on anybody at any time.


Denver vs. San Diego
ESPN Pick: Denver 24 San Diego 21
Committed Fan Pick: Denver 17 San Diego 14

Its the Tim Tebow effect. Its all over the news, this kid is 4-1 as a starter and has turned a lot of heads. If he continues this success, he may start to get even more attention.


Pittsburgh vs. Kansas City
ESPN Pick: Pittsburgh 27 Kansas City 10
Committed Fan Pick: Pittsburgh 24 Kansas City 14


Green Bay vs. Detroit
ESPN Pick: Green Bay 28 Detroit 27
Committed Fan Pick: Detroit 28 Green Bay 24

On Thanksgiving Day, I believe Detroit will come to play, and they will end the Packer's unbeaten season in spectacular fashion.


Miami vs. Dallas
ESPN Pick: Miami 21 Dallas 26
Committed Fan Pick: Miami 24 Dallas 26

Red Hot Miami will pose quite a challenge for this Dallas team, which looks great one week but comes out flat the next. 

San Francisco vs. Baltimore
ESPN Pick: San Francisco 17 Baltimore 14
Committed Fan Pick: San Francisco 20 Baltimore 17

You have to love whats at stake in this game. Two brothers, both head coaches and both with top tier teams, facing off on the day most fit for family time together. It should be a great game, but I see San Francisco getting it done today.


New Orleans vs. New York Giants
ESPN Pick: New Orleans 24 New York Giants 20
Committed Fan Pick: New Orleans 31 New York 21

Drew Brees has been spectacular this season, as he always is. The Saints flourish with their potent offense, and this game looks to be no different.

NFL Week 11 Observations

Desperation, my friends, is a stinky cologne.


Around this time of year, and at this point of the NFL season, we have started to see a whole lot of desperate ploys by teams so far, which might prompt you to think that desperation is a sports thing. How wrong you are. Desperation is everywhere, at times defining who we are and how we behave. Desperation is buying every woman between 21 and 85 a drink at the bar, or ignoring expiration dates on your organic milk, or using horse tranquilizers as a sleep aid. That, my friends, is desperation.

I can literally smell us missing the playoffs.

This NFL season was born out of the desperation of players, fans, owners coaches and league executives  themselves, as we nearly missed the opportunity to have the season. Now, as the season starts to wind down, injuries and ineptitude have forced smart teams to do dumb things. Like start a different running back every week, or replace John Skelton with Richard Bartel, or sign Albert Haynesworth. This isn't Gridiron Gang. Xzibit doesn't currently run any of the NFL teams, so I'd expect better from teams at this point. NFL rosters are hardly exclusive, but c'mon people, lets at least try to be selective.

Wait, we won all that shit for nothing?

Ok kind of a weird occurrence here. Think back to the last time you heard from a Colts player or coach outside of a game this year. I can't say I have at all. Its like the Colts have recluded into a self exile state, from which they only emerge each week to vomit up around 160 yards of total offense and 3 points a week, before returning again. This is like North Korea in the 60's man. Come to think of it, this is like North Korea since like 1920.  I don't know if it comes from management or from the coaching staff, but if I didn't know better, I'd say the Colts are doing their best to lay low. I don't know why, and I don't know when it'll be broken, but it certainly seems like the Colts are hiding something. 

Fantasy Outlook

Marion Barber, RB Bears: Jay Cutler hurt his thumb on Sunday, and  he'll be out for the next six weeks. Obviously, you drop Cutler over that span, if you were even holding on to him in the first place. And how about you use that roster spot on Barber. Head coach Lovie Smith said the team will be relying heavily on the run game now, as Caleb Hanie will not be as good at QB as Cutler. Matt Forte stands to get the bulk of the carries, as always, but Barber has touchdowns in 4 of his last 5 games and could be in line for some serious work in the next few games. 

Jabar Gaffney, WR Redskins: Had a real nice game Sunday (10 targets, 7 grabs for 115 yards and a TD) and let me give it to you straight here. Gaffney is a decent fantasy option with Rex Grossman at quarterback. If Captain Checkdown John Beck takes over, Gaffney won't produce. However, Rex has a strnger arm and looks downfield more often, which helps Gaffney's value. 

Christian Ponder, QB Vikings: By standard ESPN scoring, Ponder had a respectable 17 fantasy points on Sunday, which could have been higher if not for 3 interceptions. What I like most, however, is the rushing ability. Ponder was the teams leading rusher, and his mobility gives him a way to rack up potential value quickly. Not as good of a matchup against Atlanta this weekend, but not a bad one. The Falcons are giving up 15 points a game to quarterbacks this year. 

Chris Ogbonnoya, RB Browns: Not a good matchup this week per se, but this game is notoriously a shootout and Ogbonnoya posts value both as a runner and a receiver. He won't light up your fantasy sheet but he could make a nifty play this week. 

Equal Exchange

A list of guys I'd drop if you own them, followed by a list of guys I'd pick up if you don't. 

 Drop List: QB Jay Cutler, RB Jackie Battle, any Bears wideout, any Ram not named Jackson or Lloyd, FB John Kuhn, WR James Jones, WR Preston Parker, RB Maurice Morris.

Add List:  RB Kevin Smith, RB Roy Helu, RB DeAngelo Williams, QB Christian Ponder, QB Andy Dalton, WR Damian Williams, WR Riley Cooper. 

Week 11 NFL Predictions

I've mentioned in a previous column how much I dislike pie. I won't touch it. I've never had some awful experience with it, never been chased by a giant carnivorous pie in a dream or anything like that, its just a simple matter of taste and consistency. Unfortunately, with each passing week, it has become increasingly more obvious that, if I do not make up some serious ground, I'm gonna be eating some humble pie, courtesy of Scouts Inc., ESPN. As of now, ESPN holds a 4 point lead over me, 98-48 to my 94-52. However, I am a man who is bound and determined to not let this happen, and I have gotten quite a bit more aggressive with my pick set this week. If, however, ESPN does best me at the end of the regular season, I will choke down a piece of pie as punishment. As my readers, I'll even let you have input on which type of pie is especially awful and best suited for said event, just in case I lose. If you have a pie flavor idea, leave some input in the comments section.

As for my tools of victory, read them and weep:


Tampa Bay vs. Green Bay
ESPN Pick: Green Bay 35 Tampa Bay 14
Committed Fan Pick: Green Bay 28 Tampa Bay 13

Cleveland vs. Jacksonville
ESPN Pick: Jacksonville 17 Cleveland 20
Committed Fan Pick: Jacksonville 23 Cleveland 21

I was witness to the offensive woes that these teams suffered last week and let me say, this game will not be very exciting.

Detroit vs. Carolina
ESPN Pick: Detroit 27 Carolina 17
Committed Fan Pick: Detroit 28 Carolina 21

Buffalo vs. Miami
ESPN Pick: Buffalo 24 Miami 23
Committed Fan Pick: Buffalo 24 Miami 20

Miami, coming off its first two wins of the season, and incidentally its first win streak, gets the slumping Bills and their offensive woes.

Minnesota vs. Oakland
ESPN Pick: Oakland 21 Minnesota 24
Committed Fan Pick: Oakland 24 Minnesota 21

Dallas vs. Washington
ESPN Pick: Dallas 26 Washington 20
Committed Fan Pick: Dallas 28 Washington 17

Baltimore vs. Cincinnati
ESPN Pick: Baltimore 23 Cincinnati 20
Committed Fan Pick: Cincinnati 24 Baltimore 17

St. Louis vs. Seattle
ESPN Pick: St. Louis 20 Seattle 17
Committed Fan Pick: Seattle 21 St. Louis 17

San Francisco vs. Arizona
ESPN Pick: San Francisco 28 Arizona 17
Committed Fan Pick: San Francisco 17 Arizona 7

The 49er's continue to impress me week in and week out, and I can't say I expect Arizona to be very difficult for them.

Atlanta vs. Tennessee
ESPN Pick: Atlanta 28 Tennessee 20
Committed Fan Pick: Atlanta 31 Tennessee 17

New York Giants vs. Philadelphia
ESPN Pick: New York 27 Philadelphia 23
Committed Fan Pick: New York 24 Philadelphia 21

New York Jets vs. Denver
ESPN Pick: Denver 17 New York 14
Committed Fan Pick: New York 21 Denver 17

Tim Tebow finally found a system that seems to work for him. However, the offense had to be custom formed, just for him. I think all the Tebow supporters need to realize, the wonder-boy ain't so wonderful.

New England vs. Kansas City
ESPN Pick: New England 31 Kansas City 10
Committed Fan Pick: New England 34  Kansas City 13

Patriots>Jets   Jets>Chiefs  Patriots>>Chiefs

San Diego vs. Chicago
ESPN Pick: Chicago 27 San Diego 14
Committed Fan Pick: Chicago 31 San Diego 28

Week 10 NFL Observations

The world can be a ruthless place. 


I mean, just look at Bambi. Bambi, for those of you who don't know, is a baby deer that lives in a forest. One day, while the youngster and his mother are going crazy over some sweet new patch of grass, BANG! No more Bambi's mom. I mean, thats tough. Luckily for Bambi, Disney just recently okayed the production of a sequel, Bambi: Vengeance is Fawntastic and I have heard Michael Bay will be directing it. Yeah, get excited. Okay so Bambi is kinda like the Indianapolis Colts. Starting out the season, they had pretty high hopes of being Super Bowls contenders, with a happy team and a healthy Peyton Manning. Then, Peyton goes down with a hurt neck, and suddenly the Colts are nothing more than a frightened fawn in the woods, and I guess that makes the Dolphins Thumper, the dumb little rabbit friend. Okay so back to the awesome patch of grass, we'll call that Andrew Luck, the top rated QB prospect out of Stanford, whom the Colts are in a race for (and winning easily) by dropping every one of their games so far. Well this grass, the first grass of spring and a good sign of things to come, could end up just being crabgrass, no one will know for sure until we see this grass put on an NFL uniform and hit a receiver on a hot route consistently. 

Arm strength and Football IQ in the same package, aww yeah!

So as you can maybe tell, I disagree entirely with the notion of deliberately throwing the remainder of your season just to pick up a top prospect QB who has never played an NFL snap. The Colts are in a desperate spot at QB, with Manning near 36 years old and with his health starting to suffer, and Curtis Painter is clearly not the answer at signal caller. Yes, the Colts need Andrew Luck. Or Matt Barkely. Or Kellen Moore. However, this is NOT the way to do it. I saw a Colts team yesterday that was so bad, I can't help but feel like its on purpose. Frankly, its disgusting and humiliating to watch. 

Overall, this week provided us with a lot of good football, and as playoff races start to reach their peak,   more good football promises to be on the radar, and I promise the Committed Fan will be there with you to the end. Because, you know, thats commitment. Lets take a look at 3 teams that really impressed me this weekend and 3 teams that did not. 

Impressive

San Francisco 49er's: 8-1, undefeated in regulation this season, and coming off a big win over the Giants?  Find me a spot on the bandwagon! The 49er's are playing very tough defense and have gelled offensively behind Alex Smith's best season of his career. While he isn't throwing for a ton of yards, he has an 11-3 TD-INT ratio and seems to be doing all the right things to help his team win. 

Chicago Bears: Bad play by the Lions aside, the Bears played very well Sunday night, in earning their 4th straight win. They've done it by being dangerous on defense, offense AND special teams. 

Cincinnati Bengals:  One of the few teams who will ever be in the impressive column even when they lost, the Bengals played the Steeler's very tough this weekend, and while they couldn't pull out the win, the future is very bright. QB Andy Dalton looked quite good under pressure, which is something that abounds in this division. 

Unimpressive

Indianapolis Colts: See above, Bambi.

Denver Broncos: You know Tim Tebow is an awful quarterback when they switched to an option offense midseason, just so he isn't throwing as much as he is running. And still , we saw the Awful Armslinger once again, finishing 2 for 8 for 69 yards and a TD. They got the win, but it was not at all impressive. 

Minnesota Vikings:  A Pro Bowl running back and several Pro Bowl defensive players on a team where the only drawback is a rookie QB and they only put up 7 points. In a division game? C'mon man, that is garbage. 

Fantasy Pickups for Week 11 

Anthony Fasano, TE Dolphins:  Okay, so he hasn't been lighting it up with targets recently, but he has 3 touchdown grabs in his last 4 games, and he gets the Bills this week, who give up the 10th most fantasy points to tight ends. A sneaky pickup at a position where it can get thin pretty quick. 

Laurent Robinson, WR Cowboys: Miles Austin appears to be out for a significant period for time, and Robinson is the guy who gets to be the milk cow in his place. Strangely owned in only 13% of leagues, so if he is there in yours, he could be a nice find at wideout. 

Harry Douglas, WR Falcons: Douglas hasn't really produced n his NFL career, but he has flourished this season in Atlanta. He has breakaway speed and the trust of the Falcons, as they went to him in pivotal moments down the stretch. 

Donald Brown, RB Colts: Finally seems to have wrested away the starters job, with which he could be a worthwhile add for his pass catching abilities and his carries, but he could always give up the job to Delone Carter, so be careful. 

Kendall Hunter, RB 49er's:  I don't know why Frank Gore was ineffective this weekend, and I don't know why you'd bench Gore if you were the 49er's, but if they do, Hunter is the guy. Even if they don't, he remains an excellent handcuff.

Equal Exchange

A list of guys I'd drop If you own them, followed by a list of guys I'd pick up if you don't. 

Drop List: QB Matt Cassel (*), QB Matt Schaub(*), RB Delone Carter, WR Chad Ochocinco, WR Michael Jenkins,  WR Johnny Knox, WR Hines Ward, RB Kregg Lumpkin, WR Kevin Walter, WR Devery Henderson, WR Davone Bess.

Add List: WR Damian Williams, WR Leonard Hankerson, WR Nate Burleson, RB Chris Ogbonnoya,  RB Lance Ball, RB Kevin Smith, TE Jake Ballard, WR Andre Roberts. 

Week 10 NFL Predictions

What kind of person are you?

One important question people might ask you in an attempt to gauge your personality is whether you are a glass half full type of person or a glass half empty. The difference between these two is apparently seeing the positive end of the situation or the negative end. Frankly, either way you're gonna need either a refill or some smaller glasses. For example, I could look at my pick set score of 10-3 and ESPN's of 9-4 and be upset about it. I could look at it and grumble about how I only gained one game on them for the year. Or I could welcome the narrowing of the gap, however small the movement. For the year so far, ESPN has a slight lead on me, 88-42 over 83-47.

I'd like to take this opportunity to respond to some of the comments that my reader's have left on my blog. Unfortunately, I do not have any recent comments on my blog. So, since I'm a glass half full kind of guy, I figure'd I'd take comments from other stories and respond to them, just so as to not feel left out.

rAwesome2406

Give Paterno a break; maybe he didn't know what was happening. Have you seen those glasses he wears? I'm surprise he can see anything.

CF: Well, I'm not personally aware of his prescription, but I have heard that they double as welding shields, football pad chestplates and bulletproof vests, so you might have a point there.

headhunter54

This is stupid, honestly if Roger Goodell had it his way, every NFL player would wear a thong, wearing pink jerseys, & playing "touch" football....smh...

CF: Well first off, they already have that league, its called the Lingerie Football League and yes, unfortunately they hit harder than the NFL does these days. Honestly though, even Goodell doesn't want to see those linemen in thongs.

Foot E 37 minutes ago Report Abuse

Boring! Yawn Yawn! All these flicks are boring. Even the actors, The albino down-syndrome vampire (patinson) talks like he's falling asleep. Lautner's balls haven't even dropped yet! I mean come on! His voice sounds like he's in the 3rd grade....A 3rd grader that's juiced up. And Stewert, Sorry girl but there's just something about you that's not likeable. Unless these people plan on being vampires or warewolves the rest their lives, I think these movies have set this generation back. It's not even a good love story like every tween or mother says they are.. ok im done hating now. bye bye and hope to never hear about these movies again.

CF: Hmmm. Well I have dissected all of your complex language and I have a few questions of my own. Is Spelling a priority in your life? You mentioned 3rd grade, but there's not a whole lot of an indication that it went well for you. Did you fail 3rd grade? Possibly because you were too busy "hating"?  Could I interest you in a ticket to the final Twilight movie? 




Alright, enough of that. Whew, maybe its a good thing I don't get comments on my blog. Just Kidding. Honestly though, its really tough that I can't hug each and every one of you, i mean, I just love people, and when I think of how many people I can't hug I just..I can't...sorry,  I'm getting so emotional. Heres the predictions:

Houston vs. Tampa Bay
ESPN Pick: Houston 27 Tampa Bay 21
Committed Fan Pick: Houston 28 Tampa Bay 14

Its no secret that Tampa Bay has been a big disappointment this year, while Houston has been on fire this season. I'm expecting this won't go well for the Bucs.

New Orleans vs. Atlanta
ESPN Pick: Atlanta 24 New Orleans 23
Committed Fan Pick: New Orleans 27 Atlanta 24

Its never a safe bet to go against Drew Brees and his Saints, especially after their dominating win over the Bucs last week.

Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh
ESPN Pick: Cincinnati 24 Pittsburgh 14
Committed Fan Pick: Pittsburgh 24 Cincinnati 17

Andy Dalton will rule this division one day, but this year, it is Big Ben's Steeler's who will control the division, and it starts with this game.

St. Louis vs. Cleveland
ESPN Pick: St. Louis 23 Cleveland 20
Committed Fan Pick: St. Louis 21 Cleveland 16

Nothing too exciting here, as neither team has proved anything more than middling status this year. Colt McCoy seems to be filling the position in Cleveland quite well these days.

Dallas vs. Buffalo
ESPN Pick: Dallas 24 Buffalo 20
Committed Fan Pick: Buffalo 28 Dallas 21

Buffalo desperately needs to score some points and pick up  a win this week after last week's drubbing. All is not lost for Buffalo, if they can string some more key wins together.

Jacksonville vs. Indianapolis
ESPN Pick: Jacksonville 24 Indianapolis 20
Committed Fan Pick: Jacksonville 21 Indianapolis 17

Yawn. With only two victories and 15 losses between them, these two teams last any of the qualities that make a game exciting. Blackout. Blackout. Blackout.


Kansas City vs. Denver
ESPN Pick: Kansas City 24 Denver 19
Committed Fan Pick: Denver 24 Kansas City 16

Tim Tebow is not a good passer. He's nod even a quarterback who can run. He is  running back who can occasionally throw. However, he seems to be able to win by doing that, so we'll see if he can hold onto his job.


Washington vs. Miami
ESPN Pick: Washington 20 Miami 24
Committed Fan Pick: Washington 18 Miami 21

Miami looked good against the Chiefs last week and played the Giants extremely well the week before that. Matt Moore is definately more talented than people give him credit for.


Philadelphia vs. Arizona
ESPN Pick: Philadelphia 30 Arizona 10
Committed Fan Pick: Philadelphia 27 Arizona 13

That awkward moment when Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie picks off John Skelton and takes it to the house. Alright not gonna happen, but it'd be cool if it did.


Carolina vs. Tennessee
ESPN Pick: Carolina 24 Tennessee 20
Committed Fan Pick: Carolina 21 Tennessee 20

Both of these teams are just missing one piece of the puzzle. If they find out what that piece is, they could end up being quite decent.


Baltimore vs. Seattle
ESPN Pick: Baltimore 17 Seattle 10
Committed Fan Pick: Baltimore 21 Seattle 13

Even with the game in Seattle, I'm gonna predict a bit more offense than ESPN. Ray Rice may have trouble finding open space, so we may see more of an untested Raven's passing attack.


San Francisco vs. New York (Giants)
ESPN Pick: San Francisco 17 New York 14
Committed Fan Pick: San Francisco 21 New York 14

This game is crucial for San Francisco to prove that they belong in discussion about the leagues best teams. A big win here against a tough Giant's squad will get them the respect they deserve.


New England vs. New York (Jets)
ESPN Pick: New England 24 New York 23
Committed Fan Pick: New York 24 New England 23

I don't predict a sweep here. I think the Jets will come out fired up and ready to play, and I have just seen way too much to not like about the Patriots defense this year.


San Diego vs. Oakland
ESPN Pick: San Diego 27 Oakland 19
Committed Fan Pick: San Diego 24 Oakland 21

The Charger's showed last week that they can put up some serious points in a hurry. If Oakland establishes a strong running game, this may turn into a shootout, which benefits San Diego.


Green Bay vs. Minnesota
ESPN Pick: Green Bay 31 Minnesota 14
Committed Fan Pick: Green Bay 27 Minnesota 14

The Packers have not yet lost this season, and I doubt it happens this week against the struggling Viking's.


Detroit vs Chicago
ESPN Pick: Chicago 21 Detroit 20
Committed Fan Pick: Chicago 24 Detroit 20

Once again, no sweep here, as the Bears will  be looking to get revenge for the loss the first time these teams met.

Week 9 Observations

Humans have a problem.

I mean, not like a literal, need a solution, car going off a cliff sort of problem. I mean that when it comes to communication in this day and age, we live and die by the phrase less is more. I mean, can you believe the kids these days? As if we needed a shorter way to tell the world we were laughing, they answered the call. In fact, those young whippersnappers have a whole slew of confusing and downright puzzling abbreviations. Gone are the days of courting a girl, you know, asking her dad to call on her, taking her out on walks with her parents right behind you guys the whole time. Yeah no. These days, a simple " Dayumm girl, can I have yo numba?" seems to do the trick at your local Wayside dance club.

Wayside Central: Building strong relationships since 1956

No one talks about their problems anymore. I mean, its so much easier to give someone the cold shoulder until they read your facebook status about disliking them, and tell them that way. I mean, lets be real, less conflict is a victory for ALL involved. In a world dominated by facebook and that Twatter crap, simple intrapersonal communication has gone the way of the Clapper.

It's so easy! And it turns on all my lights! ROFL!

You're probably reading this right now while thoroughly engaged in something else, like another riveting episode of Gossip Girl or listening to some old vinyl record on your "turntable", and you're probably telling me in some pretentious fashion that " harumph! this has nothing to do with sports at all LOL." Well you are wrong my friend, because I tell you that this trend has been rooting itself in sports since before you were born. Football huddles are notorious for their negative effect on communication in society. A group of 11 men, who you know gotta have some issue they need to talk out, but instead try to group up and have an entire conversation in like five words. I mean, as a man who has an emotional side, I gotta say, my heart burns on this one. The football field does not need to be a place where you have to just like, turn off who you are inside. Let it out. Chances are the guy with his hands by your butt every play might listen to your inner self. I always kinda thought it'd be better if a huddle went a little something like this instead: 

Tom Brady: Alright guys, we're gonna flip Tango Juice K-Roll Slam 49, hot route to the end zone. Ready, on 3! 

Teammate #1:  Hey Tom, have you been alright buddy? I noticed Gisele has got you growing out your hair again. How are things at home?

Brady: Hey man lets just do this play, I want trips bunch receivers on my right side....

Teammate#2: Yo Tom, listen to the man, what is going on with you? You're all in a funk, looking like that Bieber kid. 

Brady: I can't do it man, she just puts so much pressure on me to have beautiful hair and that damn Garnier Fructisse gets so expensive! I'm done man! *sobs deeply*

Teammate #3: C'mon guys, group hug. We're gonna talk this out man, the Jets can wait! 

Boom, success. 

Did I lose you there? Hello? Damn, well if you fell asleep and are re-joining us, here's a brief synopsis of what you missed.

We also went over some of this as well....

Wow, and then there was one. The Suck for Luck campaign took a turn for the dramatic on Sunday, as the Dolphins put a whoopin' on the lowly Chiefs to nab their first win of the season under beleagured coach Tony Sparano. Theoretically, that leaves the winless Colts in a great spot to potentially nab QB Andrew Luck with the first spot in the draft. All they need to do is lose the rest of their games, which they should. Because they're awful.

Overall, I'd say it was a pretty entertaining slate of games this week, as we had some really good, well fought football games. We even had a good MNF game, which had been lacking so far this season. At this point in the season, there are several teams who have really impressed me with their play to this point.

1. Green Bay Packers- Honestly, this team is so good, I'm fairly certain they have a good shot at running the table and finishing undefeated. Move over Tom and Peyton, Aaron Rodgers is the new standard of excellence.
2. San Francisco 49ers- I mean, this team looked like a cellar dweller in the making this postseason, but the 7-1 Niner's are starting to pull some serious weight.
3. Cincinnati Bengals- Another preseason pick for a cellar dweller, rookie QB Andy Dalton has this team running smooth as a whistle and they are riding a 5 game win streak as they enter a tough second half schedule.
4. Detroit Lions- The Lions have shattered the reputation of a pushover team in Detroit, steamrolling opponents with a relentless defense and a strong aerial attack. When the Lions are on their game, they might be the best team in the league.


Fantasy Outlook


WR Brandon Lloyd, Rams: If Lloyd got dropped in your league while he was in Denver, make sure you pick him up. He's a suitable No.2 receiver going forward or a great No.3 guy if you can get him. He's the real deal is St. Louis, and when Sam Bradford returns it'll get even better.

RB Roy Helu, Redskins: As I said in my preseason article, Helu has always been just an injury to Tim Hightower away from stepping up in a big way and producing. After a team high 17 receiving targets and 10 carries (Ryan Torain had 1 and 1, respectively), Helu appears to have finally secured the starting spot. Of course, Mike Shanahan is his coach, so as always, proceed with caution.

WR Early Doucet, Cardinals: Not the worst bye week fill in at wideout, and the guy to own in the Cardinals passing game besides Fitzy.

RB Marion Barber, Bears: He's no Matt Forte. He can't run or catch like Forte, but he also doesn't get stuffed at the line of scrimmage like Forte. When the Bears get in the red zone, trust the Bears to trust Barber for the short yardage work. And with a touchdown in 4 of the last 5 games, he has more rushing TD than Forte, Maurice Jones-Drew and Ryan Matthews, just to name a few.

RB Reggie Bush: Either Reggie Bush reads my blog or he watched his old game tape from USC, because he has been back with a vengeance recently, rushing for 195 yards in the past two games, along with 7 receptions over the same span. Ride the wave, as long as the waves ridin'. If you can get a spot, that is.


Equal Exchange
A list of guys I'd drop if you own them followed by a list of guys I'd pick up if you don't.

Drop List: WR Chad Ochocinco, RB Stevan Ridley, WR Deion Branch, RB Kregg Lumpkin, WR Devery Henderson, RB Chris Ogbonnoya, WR Kevin Walter, QB Matt Cassel, WR Donald Jones, WR Donald Driver, FB John Kuhn.

Add List: WR Jordy Nelson, WR Victor Cruz, TE Jake Ballard, RB Donald Brown, WR Jacoby Ford, WR Eddie Royal, QB Colt McCoy, QB Andy Dalton, TE Jared Cook, WR Damian Williams.

Week 9 NFL Predictions

Uncertainty. It is everywhere, it surrounds us in our daily lives in an almost constant battle. We have uncertainty at work, uncertainty at home, uncertainty with our kids, with our friends, uncertainty at the bar.

"Upon further review, she does want your number. 10 

fist pumps from the spot of the receiver, first date."

Sometimes, uncertainty comes in the form of a set of predictions you make every week, when you go up against a bunch of high tech, fancy prediction machines at a major sports network and try to predict what they can't. Except that they can. Really well. So well, in fact, that they sometimes go 11-2 on weeks where I only manage an 8-5 pick set, and so that slender lead they had over me has no blossomed into a full out canyon of prediction vastness, and I have a heck of a climb ahead of me. So here they are, week 9 predictions, coming at ya!


Tampa Bay vs. New Orleans
ESPN Pick: New Orleans 27 Tampa Bay 17
Committed Fan Pick: New Orleans 31 Tampa Bay 24

Last week, Drew Brees and the Saints struggled very badly against the lowly Rams. Having already lost to Tampa once this year, look for the Saints to put on a dominating performance to forget about last week's crushing loss.


Buffalo vs. New York Jets
ESPN Pick: New York 24 Buffalo 23 
Committed Fan Pick: Buffalo 24 New York 21

If you ask me which team is the best in this division, I'd say Buffalo. Its surprising that this team is even in contention this year, but I'm loving it, and so are the fans in Buffalo. The Jets have been from dominant and its tough to guess which Jets squad will show up for this game.


Dallas vs. Seattle
ESPN Pick: Dallas 27 Seattle 13
Committed Fan Pick: Dallas 21 Seattle 9

Dallas was awful last week against the Eagles. Plain and simple. What we do know is that the Seahawks are NOT the Eagles, so the cowboys should quickly take care of business this week.


Atlanta vs. Indianapolis
ESPN Pick: Atlanta 34 Indianapolis 17
Committed Fan Pick: Atlanta 28 Indianapolis 14

The Colts are really quite awful this season. When Peyton went down for the season, we expected a drop off, but this is worse than we thought. I really doubt that Atlanta needs to throw a pass in this game, so Matt 48 Attempts per Game Ryan may have to tone it down a bit but hey, it might get him a win.


Miami vs. Kansas City
ESPN Pick: Kansas City 23 Miami 17
Committed Fan Pick: Miami 21 Kansas City 17

Oh gosh. I decide on an upset pick of the week and its the Dolphins of all people. I'm literally predicting the underdog's underdog will win this game. Matt Moore isn't the 2nd coming of Jesus, but he's honestly not too bad.


San Francisco vs. Washington
ESPN Pick: San Francisco 21 Washington 20
Committed Fan Pick:  San Francisco 24 Washington 17

Washington has really struggled since starting the year out 3-0 in regulation, but have since dropped 3 straight games. This week, they get the tough crew of Jim Harbaugh in town, hungry for a win. In a must win for both teams, San Francisco makes the plays when it counts and comes away with the W.


Houston vs. Cleveland
ESPN Pick: Houston 30 Cleveland 10
Committed Fan Pick: Houston 31 Cleveland 14

Look, the Texans are tough. They have so many different ways to hurt you, and such a good defense, I don't see much of a chance here for the Browns.


Cincinnati vs. Tennessee
ESPN Pick: Cincinnati 20 Tennessee 14
Committed Fan Pick: Cincinnati 17 Tennessee 20

Alright Chris Johnson, I'll give you ONE MORE chance to prove something to em this season. In a tough game against the Bengals, with Johnson rise to the challenge? Bengals are one of the better young teams in the league, but they have alot of weaknesses.


Oakland vs. Denver
ESPN Pick: Oakland 28 Denver 17
Committed Fan Pick: Oakland 31 Denver 17

The Tim Tebow experiment ends badly, with a blowout loss to the Raiders. Oakland has too strong of a run game for the Broncos to handle.

New England vs. New York Giants
ESPN Pick: New England 30 New York 23
Committed Fan Pick: New England 31 New York 24

The Patriots don't like to lose. They especially don't like to lose twice in a row. Expect Tom Brady to have a strong game to overcome the team's defensive struggles. If he doesn't they will suffer.


Arizona vs. St. Louis
ESPN Pick: Arizona 24 St. Louis 21
Committed Fan Pick: Arizona 17 St. Louis 12

Not exactly a premier matchup here, as both teams have had significant struggles. Fresh off a win against New Orleans, the Rams will not be able to continue the win streak after a big day from Larry Fitzgerald.


Green Bay vs. San Diego
ESPN Pick: Green Bay 27 San Diego 14
Committed Fan Pick: Green Bay 28 San Diego 21

With every passing week, this Green Bay teams gets better and better, and seems to be intent on running the table and going undefeated. This week they get the inconsistent and issue laden Chargers.


Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh
ESPN Pick: Pittsburgh 21 Baltimore 20
Committed Fan Pick: Baltimore 20 Pittsburgh 17

Week 1 showed us alot of things about both of these teams. But This is week 9, and a lot has changed. It doesn't get much better than Sunday night football, Steeler's and the Ravens. Couple in the sweet chance for revenge and you've got yourself a good game.


Chicago vs. Philadelphia
ESPN Pick: Philadelphia 24 Chicago 14
Committed Fan Pick: Chicago 21 Philadelphia 17

Both of these teams have had their fair share of inconsistencies this season. Neither has performed up to their potential this season, or their hype, for that matter. However, every week is different, and there is always a chance to make a statement. Look for a close game, and Chicago as the winner.



Fantasy Pickups for Week 9


Jared Cook TE, Titans: While Cook has not yet had a truly breakout game this season, he has the tools, the talent and the trust from his quarterback to make things happen. The Bengals defend the Tight End well, but they have not been truly tested by one like Cook can do.

Carson Palmer QB, Raiders: Disregard his first action of the year, as he had not had enough time to learn the playbook and was thrown in to an awful situation. Given the time, and a strong effort from the run game, Palmer has an easy job and could produce enough fantasy points for a bye week fill in.

Javon Ringer, RB, Titans: Chris Johnson is on a short leash. They are going to start him, because you have to, and you do too, fantasy owners. However Johnson has been one tremendous bust this year, and Ringer has outperformed him on multiple occasions this season. If Johnson struggles early, Ringer could get some important carries.

Jake Ballard, TE, Giants: With their hands full dealing with the Giants receivers, New England may leave Ballard relatively open, and he has the speed and hands to hurt them if they do. Ballard seems to have made Giants fans forget  Kevin Boss before they even missed him.

Michael Bush, RB Raiders: Bush has got to be the most talented back up RB in the league, as he could most likely be a starter on many teams in this league. It is looking like Darren McFadden will not play this week, so Bush is definitely one of the top free agent pick ups this week has to offer.