San Francisco +4 1/2 at The Mighty Detroit Lions Football Machine: In just a few short weeks, Jim Harbaugh has healed the 49ers of all the psychic damage kOOk coach Mike Singletary inflicted on them in the last two-and-a-half seasons. The 49ers have been transformed into an old school NFL badass, with a power run game and an unbreakable run defense. The 49ers are as tough, disciplined and precise as their new head coach. One area where they do not quite reflect Harbaugh, though, is in his cockiness. Conversely, The Mighty Detroit Lions Football Machine, a little more advanced than the 49ers, do reflect the edginess and chip-on-his-shoulder mentality of head coach Jim Schwartz. . .this is the *intangible* edge the Lions have in this match-up of up-and-coming teams. Should be the most interesting battle of the week, and I wouldn't be surprised if the two head coaches, with their massive egos, exchange unpleasantries after the game (remember how Harbaugh cowed USC's Pete Carroll? He'll find a tougher adversary in the often temporarily insane Jim Schwartz). Detroit.
St. Louis +14 at Green Bay: This is the NFL version of Indiana vs Wisconsin. I see no possible way the moribund Rams, this season's biggest flop, can cover. Even if Aaron Rodgers is injured on the first play, back-up QB Matt Flynn can still score enough to rout the pathetic Ram offense, which averages a measly 12 points a game. Green Bay.
Carolina +4 at Atlanta: Do-or-die for the Falcons. Will the Falcons' season end this quickly? Carolina reminds me of last year's Lions, before they went on their season-ending 4 game winning streak, week after week they play better teams nearly even for 60 minutes, before finding a way to lose. One of these weeks they will break through. Carolina has a terrible run defense. This is the week the Falcons have to run the ball 40 times, and forget they drafted Julio Jones. Run, run, and run again. . .and keep Newton off the field. If the Falcons try to win on the right arm of Matt Ryan, they'll fall to the cellar in the NFC South. Mike Smith is too good of a coach to let that happen. Atlanta.
Buffalo +3 at New York Giants: The Giants played shitty last week. . .they got carved up by Tavaris Jackson!!! Something must be wrong in New York. The Bills are better, plain and simple. Buffalo.
Philadelphia at Washington +2. The Redskins, 3 - 1, are at home against a 1 - 4 team, and are the underdog! Last chance for the Eagles. Even as it is, they've got a tough road to get back in the playoff hunt, lose this one, and it's all over. The Redskins defense has been very good, while the Eagles offense is a flash in the pan. I pick the Eagles every week, thinking sooner-or-later they'll get the kinks worked out. I'm done with them. They have the stink of a loser on them, after last week's fiasco in Buffalo. Rex Grossman beats Michael Vick. Washington.
Houston +8 at Baltimore: Houston is a schizophrenic team. . .and Baltimore isn't much more stable, due to Joe Flacco every 3 or 4 weeks passing like Bobby Douglass. But the Ravens win enough to make the playoffs every year, while Houston always comes up short. Schaub always seem to wet himself playing against the tough defenses. Even though Houston beat Pittsburgh this year, it was mainly due to Foster running over the Steelers, Schaub threw for only 140 yards. Houston might be able to cover, if Flacco has one of his crap games, but I see no way they can win outright. Baltimore.
Dallas +7 at New England. The Brokeback Mountain Cowboys have had two weeks to stew over their Titanic sinking against The Mighty Detroit Lions Football Machine. How will the Cowpokes respond? I think they get trampled. Tom Brady's shadow has more substance than Tony Romo. New England.
New Orleans at Tampa Bay +4: I suppose this is a *big game* in the NFC South, but Tampa got destroyed by the 49ers last week, and I am always surprised whenever they win any game. New Orleans is clearly the better team, although they need to stop pretending Mark Ingram is an elite running back. He's a ham-and-egger, a plowhorse that can't really plow, so I guess he's really just a horse, one of those fancily painted Carousel horses, with his first round draft pick decoration. The Saints are better off going with Thomas and Sproles. New Orleans.
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