NFL Week 17 Predictions

This is it.  Just one week to go, and there's still so much to be determined.  Seven teams are still fighting for the three remaining playoff spots (AFC West and NFC East divison champions and the last AFC wild card spot), and seven more teams are already on their way to the postseason but are still playing for better seeding.  Who will step up, and who will crumble under the pressure? 

It's been a heck of a ride this season, and there's been plenty of surprises along the way.  It turns out I haven't been quite as good at predicting the results of games this season as I thought I would be, but I still did a pretty decent job - I've gotten 154 right to 86 wrong (11-5 last week), for a score of 64.2 %.  Not bad for my first full season, doncha think? 

And now, without further ado, my picks for the final week of the season: 

Lions over Packers

• With the NFC's top seed locked up and no perfect season to play for, the injury-riddled Packers will probably take it easy this week.  The Lions have already clinched their first playoff appearance in over a decade, but still need a win or a loss by the Falcons to take the fifth seed and avoid a trip to New Orleans or San Francisco in the first round.  

Titans over Texans

• It's interesting how Houston, which is locked in as the AFC's third seed, could have somewhat of a role in determining which team they will face in first round of the playoffs.  Tennessee needs a win for a playoff appearance to even be a possibility.  The Texans, who blew a lead to the Colts on a last-minute touchdown last week for their second loss in a row, must decide whether they need to rest their players or try to build momentum heading into the playoffs.  

Jaguars over Colts

• What kind of Gatorade have the Colts been drinking lately?  Can you believe they've actually won two in a row?  If I didn't know any better, and hadn't seen them lose their first thirteen games of the season, I'd say Indy was just as much of a playoff contender as anyone.  Regardless, MJD and the Jags will give them a fresh taste of reality - and with it, the top draft pick - this week.  

Dolphins over Jets

• Tough break for the 'Fins last week against New England, but at least they looked like they still had some fight in them.  The same can't be said for the Jets, who have just looked pitiful the last few weeks.  

Bears over Vikings

• It's been a disappointing season for Chicago, but they'll end it on a good note against the Vikes, who will once again be without Adrian Peterson.  Though I gotta say, Joe Webb might merit some consideration for a starting quarterback position with another team next season, if not in Minnesota.  

Patriots over Bills

• Where these two teams are at now is a far cry from what we saw the last time these two teams met.  Though if the Bills play anything like they did against Denver last week, it could make for a very interesting playoff situation as far as the Pats are concerned.  

Panthers over Saints

• This one's pretty tough to call, since we don't know if the Saints will start Drew Brees at quarterback or rest him for a likely playoff game next week.  If the Saints' 2009 season is any indication, I'd say Brees probably won't be playing on Sunday.  On the other side, Cam Newton has given Panthers fans a lot to look forward to next season, having already broken Peyton Manning's rookie record for passing yardage.  How about that... we might see a battle of two record holders... or not.  We'll see... 

Eagles over Redskins

• Typical Rex Grossman - shows some flashes of brilliance, then just goes right back to losing.  The Eagles could've been contenders with the way they've been playing lately, but it's just too little too late for them.  

49ers over Rams

• Niners clinch a first-round bye.  Nothing to see here, people.  Movin' on...

Seahawks over Cardinals

• Seven wins won't get you the NFC West this year.  But this should still be an interesting game to watch, as both of these teams have been on a roll lately.  I can't believe Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch didn't make the Pro Bowl with the season he's having. 

Falcons over Buccaneers 

• Like the Lions, Atlanta is also locked into a wild-card spot and is only playing for position.  I don't think that will help Tampa any.  

Ravens over Bengals

• A battle of two teams that are about evenly matched on both sides of the ball, with a lot at stake for both sides.  Baltimore can clinch the AFC North with a win, while a Bengals victory would give them the last wild-card spot in the AFC.  The Ravens have struggled in Cincy the last few years, but when there's been playoff implications involved, they've gotten down to business.  Expect nothing different from them on Sunday, though the Bengals will no doubt make this a game worth watching - even if you're a Steelers fan just catching glimpses of it during commercial breaks.  

Steelers over Browns

• There's talk that Big Ben might be back under center for the Black and Gold on Sunday.  I'm still not sure if that's a good idea, but if he can practice without too much trouble, I guess he can play, though they should give him time to heal while they still have it.  There's no guarantee that Baltimore will give them the division and the first-round bye that comes with it.  As far as the game goes, all the Steelers need to do is run the ball, and they'll be fine.  

Chiefs over Broncos

• Losing to the Patriots, I can understand.  But losing to the Bills?  Looks like the magic may have finally run out for Tim Tebow and the Broncos, and it'll take a lot more than prayer to beat the Chiefs' stingy defense.  

Raiders over Chargers

• The Chargers are a hard team to figure out.  You look at the way they dispatched Baltimore, and then you look at the way they got shredded by the Lions, and you're not sure what kind of team you're going to see this Sunday.  Other than in rushing offense, San Diego has the advantage over Oakland both offensively and defensively, but then you look at the Raiders' success on special teams - an area that's still a trouble spot for the Chargers - and you change your mind.  I think this one's going to be a matter of who wants it more, and from what I saw from both teams last week, I have to give this one to Oakland.  

Giants over Cowboys

• Give Tony Romo credit for the job he's done this season, but there's only so much you can do with all those injuries - especially his bruised hand from last week.  Eli Manning leads yet another fourth-quarter surge to give the G-Men the win and the NFC East crown.  

As an added bonus, here's my predictions for how the playoffs would turn out given my picks for this week:

AFC Wild Card: Bengals over Texans, Steelers over Raiders
NFC Wild Card: Saints over Falcons, Lions over Giants
AFC Divisional: Bengals over Patriots, Ravens over Steelers
NFC Divisional: Packers over Lions, 49ers over Saints
AFC Championship: Ravens over Bengals
NFC Championship: 49ers over Packers
Superbowl XLVI: Ravens over 49ers

Stay frosty, y'all, and have a happy and safe New Year!  Remember, know your limits, wear your seat belt, and don't drink and drive! 

*<B-)_@

NFL Week 16 Predictions

Isn't the end of the world not supposed to happen until next December?  Because it sure seemed like it came a year early this past week.  The Packers lost for the first time this season; the Colts finally won one; the Ravens, Steelers, and Texans all laid an egg; and Tim Tebow and the Broncos were finally brought down to earth.  What sort of surprises are in store for this Christmas weekend? 


As I've said before, I usually avoid posting my picks early in the week, but I'm making an exception this week for two reasons.  First, since Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, all of the afternoon games will be played on Saturday.  Secondly, my girlfriend is coming up to visit for the weekend, so I'm getting my predictions done early so I have the entire weekend to spend with her.  So here goes...


Last week: 10-6
Season to date: 143-81 (63.8 %)


Texans over Colts

•  Things should return to the status quo this week. 
  

Ravens over Browns

• You can't really blame the Ravens for their loss at San Diego last week.  The Chargers have a strong history of winning games in December.  The Browns, sadly, don't. 
  

Broncos over Bills

•  The Bills don't have a prayer, and no amount of Tebowing will help, as the Broncos bounce back from a rare home loss to New England. 
  

Panthers over Buccaneers

•  The Panthers continued to surprise last week with an upset win over the Texans.  Tampa just continued to implode. 
  

Bengals over Cardinals

• Arizona's been on a roll lately with John Skelton leading the way, but I don't think they'll be able to handle the cold weather of Cincinnati, not to mention the Bengals' defense.  
  

Chiefs over Raiders

• Chalk another one up to the Chiefs' defense. 
  

Patriots over Dolphins

•  With Matt Moore now at quarterback instead of Chad Henne, the Dolphins will make this a closer game than they had against the Pats in Week 1, but I don't think they'll have enough to outgun New England's offense. 
  

Giants over Jets

• Which New York team will lay the bigger egg on Saturday?  
  

Steelers over Rams

• Pittsburgh blew a golden opportunity to overtake Baltimore for the division lead thanks to Ben Roethlisberger's four turnovers.  If I were Mike Tomlin, I'd sit Roethlisberger for the next two weeks.  I highly doubt Baltimore will slip up again, which means the Steelers will most likely have to play in the first round, so they should give Big Ben some time to rest while they still can so he's healthy for the playoffs.  Besides, they've only got St. Louis and Cleveland left on the schedule, and they're facing the NFL's worst run defense this week, so it shouldn't matter who's starting at quarterback.  Just a thought...
  

Jaguars over Titans

•  With a loss to the previously winless Colts last week, the Titans are fading fast. 
  

Redskins over Vikings

•  The 'Skins looked like they did at the start of the season last week against the Giants.  Rex Grossman torches the Viking's non-existent secondary this Saturday.  (Gee, never thought I'd be saying that!) 
  

Lions over Chargers

• It's kinda hard to bet against San Diego after the way they handled the Ravens last Sunday, and they usually play really well in December, but let's see how they deal with playing on the road against a team that's been playoff-starved for the last decade.  
  

Eagles over Cowboys

• Hard to believe, but the Eagles still have a pretty good shot at the playoffs, and they're playing like their hungry.  Dallas finds a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory once again.  
  

49ers over Seahawks

• The NFC West is full of surprises.  Seattle has won three in a row and still has a long shot at a wild card spot, but the Niners have just been playing lights-out on defense.  I've got a feeling it's gonna be a Harbaugh Superbowl this year.  
  

Packers over Bears

•  So much for a perfect season.  No matter, the Packers will bounce back and clinch home-field advantage against the injury-depleted Bears. 
  

Saints over Falcons

• The Falcons have the better defense, but you can bet Saints QB Drew Brees will be fired up for this one, with a chance to break Dan Marino's passing record  with a week to spare.  He needs just a little over 300 yards.  

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Stay frosty, y'all! 

B-)  

Check Me Out!

Why do stores have so many checkout counters but only two or three of them open at a time?  I was at Wal-Mart this afternoon to finish up my Christmas shopping, and I still had to wait in line because only about half of the more than twenty checkout aisles had a cashier working at them.  You'd think that, it being so close to Christmas and lots of people rushing to finish their last-minute shopping, they'd have more cashiers manning the counters. 

I see this at pretty much every store I go to, and some places are worse than others.  For instance, when I go to Bi-Lo to do my grocery shopping, there's usually only two or three checkout counters open (is it because I usually do my shopping in the evening?), at least one of which is the express lane, which I usually can't use because I have more than 15 items in my cart.  The other lane usually has a backlog of more customers who also had too many groceries to use the express lane, so I end up waiting in line for quite a while - which is partly why I ride my bike instead of taking the bus anymore. Granted, I could just go to one of those self-checkout machines, but those things are annoying as hell to use.  They don't give me enough space to bag my items, and when I try to put one of the bags in my cart, it starts yelling at me to put the items back, prompting me to cry out in exasperation, "STOP YELLING AT ME!"  (Protip: Find the "Mute" button before you start checking out.) 

But back to my original topic - why do stores even bother installing that many checkout counters if they're just gonna leave half of them empty?  Not only does it create backlogs at the registers, but it also means extra work for the customer because they have to try to spot an open register within the labyrinth of empty aisles they've created and traverse halfway across the store to actually find one (never mind trying to determine which aisle you can get through quickest, because they're usually spread so far apart).  Do they just not have enough people to work all the registers?  If that's the case, I don't know why places like Bi-Lo don't want to give me a job, unless they can't afford to, in which case, why did they even install all those extra aisles in the first place?  It's yet another enigma the world may never really understand...

Hope those of y'all out there in Reader Land get all your last-minute Christmas shopping done in plenty of time for the holidays without any hassles.  Stay frosty, y'all (though at this time of year, not literally!) 

B-)

NFL Week 15 Predictions

I'll be quick with my Thursday Night pick, since I'm currently sitting in the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport after having been up all night packing for my trip home, and I'd like to try to catch a few winks before my flight.

Falcons over Jaguars

• The Jags have the better defense overall, but Atlanta excels at stopping the run (they're fifth in the league), which is about the only thing Jacksonville's got going for them on offense.  Which means that if Maurice Jones-Drew can't get anywhere, it'll be up to Blaine Gabbert to carry the Jags.  But a dome is no place for a visiting rookie quarterback, so I'm giving the Falcons this one.  On a side note, this will be Atlanta head coach Mike Smith's first game against his former team, where he was the defensive coordinator for five seasons.  

The rest of my picks for this week will be on their way once I've arrived in Pennsylvania.  Til then, stay frosty, y'all!

B-)
______
UPDATE, 12/17/11: Well, I made it to Pennsylvania in one piece, albeit rather exhausted.  Now that I'm well-rested, it's time to make my picks for the weekend.  Last week, I was 12-4, which puts me at 133-75 (63.9 %) for the season. 

Cowboys over Buccaneers

• The Cowboys are still in the thick of the playoff race; they've just had a few unfortunate bounces this season.  The Bucs, however, have just been flat all season. 

Dolphins over Bills

• "A young Don Shula"?  Sounds a little far-fetched to me.  Next thing you know, the Dolphins will be asking for Dan Marino to come back!  I kid, of course.  Getting serious again - Chan Gailey could be the next coach to go if the Bills don't get their act together fast, which I doubt they will this week, even against a Dolphins team that's probably starting J.P. Losman at quarterback.  The Dolphins have been stellar at stopping the run this season, which will force the Bills to rely on Ryan Fitzpatrick's arm to win the game.  No matter who you're picking, this one ain't gonna be pretty.  

Seahawks over Bears
Texans over Panthers

• Who is this T.J. Yates?  

Titans over Colts
Packers over Chiefs

• I'm eating my words about the Chiefs keeping Todd Haley for another season after he was fired on Monday.  It's funny how there's been talk of Bill Cowher being a candidate for the Dolphins' head coaching job, because I think he'd find a better fit in Kansas City, where they've already got an established quarterback and running back (albeit currently out with injuries) and a not-too-shabby defense.  But any speculation that Cowher would even return to coaching at all is just that - speculation.  Meanwhile, on the other sideline... How are the Packers giving up the second-most yards per game in the league, yet still managing to stay undefeated?  Sure, it helps to have an offense that scores the most points per game, but that's not the real reason Green Bay is so good.  The Packers also lead the league in takeaways with 32 (27 interceptions, 5 fumble recoveries).  

Saints over Vikings

• Drew Brees needs just 250 yards a game to break Dan Marino's passing yardage record.  That shouldn't be a problem for a quarterback who's regularly had 300-yard games this season, and facing a secondary like Minnesota's certainly helps.  The Vikes might get some good news this week with the possible return of Adrian Peterson.  

Giants over Redskins

• I'm tempted to pick Washington after the way they held their own against the Patriots, but Eli Manning and the Giants' offense have been one of the best in the league during the fourth quarter, and the Redskins have had to shuffle players around on their offensive line.  

Bengals over Rams

• It's been a tough stretch for the Bengals lately, but there's no reason for them to lose to a team as pitiful as the Rams.  

Lions over Raiders

• Both of these teams have been falling apart down the stretch.  The Lions get a little help this week with the return of Ndamukong Suh. 

Cardinals over Browns

• I'm not sure what the worse problem for the Browns will be: Colt McCoy's concussion, or the heap of trouble that the coaching staff could be in for the way they handled it last week. 

Broncos over Patriots

• This will be the biggest test of the season for Denver.  If their running game can keep doing its thing and pile up yards on the ground, the Broncos can keep Tom Brady off the field and give themselves a pretty good chance to win.  The Patriots have won in Denver only twice in the last forty years.  

Eagles over Jets

• The Jets have won three in a row and currently hold the last playoff spot in the AFC, but I've got the feeling that the Eagles will catch them off guard this week, as they have been wont to do this season.  Philly is 8-0 all-time against the Jets.  

Ravens over Chargers

• San Diego's won two in a row, but both of those wins were against crappy teams.  They haven't faced a defense like Baltimore's. 

49ers over Steelers

• With LB James Harrison suspended and Ben Roethlisberger nursing a sprained ankle, Pittsburgh's chances are not looking good.  At any rate, expect a low-scoring game, as these two teams are giving up the fewest points per game in the league. 

Stay frosty, y'all!  B-)

NFL Week 14 Predictions

As the weather turns colder (though less noticeably so here in South Carolina), the playoff picture is starting to come into focus.  Last week, the Packers and the 49ers became the first two teams to clinch a spot in the postseason, and four more teams could have a playoff berth locked down at the end of the day on Sunday.  So let's get right to it.

Last Week: 12-4
Season: 121-71 (63.0 %)

Steelers over Browns

• Last week's 35-7 rout of the Bengals was just the kind of game that Steelers fans needed to restore their faith in Pittsburgh's ability to play dominant football for a full sixty minutes.  Despite Cleveland's pitiful 4-8 record, Big Ben will have his hands full tonight, as the Browns boast the NFL's top passing defense.  The Steelers' pass defense is a close second, which means this game will be won or lost on the ground.  Rashard Mendenhall found the end zone twice against Cinci's stingy defense, while Peyton Hillis has been hampered by injuries most of this season, not to mention Pittsburgh gives up about 55 less rushing yards per game.  Advantage Steelers.  

More to come.  Stay frosty, y'all!  B-)
______
UPDATE, 12/11/11:  And now for the rest of the weekend:

Ravens over Colts

• Let's see, Dan Orlovsky against Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs... This one's like bringing a plastic spoon to a laser gun fight.  Though if the Colts are ever going to win a game this season, now would be the perfect time to do it.   (That's just the Pittsburgh fan in me talking.)  

Falcons over Panthers

• The Falcons sputtered last week against the Texans and their third-string quarterback.  They'll redeem themselves this week, though that's not to say Cam Newton won't give them a fight.  

Bengals over Texans

• The Bengals have struggled in recent weeks, but they should regain their hold on a playoff spot with a win over a Houston team that's missing its top two quarterbacks and WR Andre Johnson.  

Lions over Vikings

• It's fortunate for Detroit that the second half of Ndamukong Suh's two-game suspension comes against the Vikings, who will most likely be without RB Adrian Peterson once again.  QB Christian Ponder is also questionable for Sunday's game.  It just keeps getting worse for Minnesota.  

Jaguars over Buccaneers

• Maurice Jones-Drew should have plenty of room to run against Tampa Bay's lackluster defense. 

Dolphins over Eagles

• How's this for a reversal of fortunes?  The Eagles are floundering, while the Dolphins have been on fire lately.  Mike Vick will be back for Philly on Sunday, and who knows, maybe we'll catch another rare sighting of Reggie Bush too.  

Chiefs over Jets

• The Chiefs might not make the playoffs this year, but at least their defense will help Todd Haley to keep his job for another season.  Just wait until Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry comes back next year, then they'll really be something fierce!  

Saints over Titans

• I kept flip-flopping on this pick until I finally decided to just go with my first guess and pick the Saints.  Sure, their defense isn't that great, but they're much better at stopping the run than the pass, which works in their favor considering that Tennessee should be relying more and more on its running game now that RB Chris Johnson is starting to look like his old self again.  And it's pretty hard to pick against the top offense in the league and a quarterback who's on pace to break Dan Marino's single-season yardage record.  

Patriots over Redskins
49ers over Cardinals
Broncos over Bears

• The Bears might be able to slow down Denver's running game, but they've got absolutely nothing going for them on offense with Caleb Hanie at quarterback and RB Matt Forte likely done for the season.  

Packers over Raiders

• The Packer's hopes of a perfect season came as close as they've ever been to being dashed to pieces last Sunday against the Giants, but they still came out with the W.  They've got it a little easier this week against the Raiders' defense.  For Oakland to pull off the upset, their offense will need to chip away at Green Bay's defense in order to keep Aaron Rodgers off the field as much as possible.  

Chargers over Bills
Giants over Cowboys

• The G-Men put up quite a fight against the undefeated Packers last week.  I like their chances in Big D on Sunday night.  And speaking of D, this game features the two teams in the NFC with the most sacks, so if you're a fan of hard-hitting, smash-mouth football, this is definitely the one to watch.  

Seahawks over Rams

• The 'Hawks have had a pretty disappointing season, but they've managed to pull some upset wins out of their butts every once in a while.  RB Marshawn Lynch has been a beast for Seattle this season, and he should put up some big numbers against a banged-up St. Louis team that's dead last in run defense.  It's anyone's guess who'll be starting at quarterback for the Rams on Monday night. 

Stay frosty, y'all! 

B-)

NFL Week 13 Predictions

December means crunch time for a lot of people.  For college students, it means cramming for late-semester tests and final exams.  For many families, it means lots of frantic preparation and shopping for Christmas.  And for NFL teams, its do or die as the fight for the playoffs nears its exciting conclusion.  By this point, it's easy to see who most of the contenders and pretenders are.  Which teams will step up their game this week and make their case for a place in the postseason?

Thanksgiving weekend turned out to be a pretty good weekend for me, and not just because I got to spend a lot of time with my girlfriend and her family and take a trip to Asheville.  Last week was without a doubt my best week this season when it came to predicting the games, as I went an impressive 14-2 (2-1 on Thanksgiving Day, 13-1 the rest of the week) to bring me to 109-67 (61.9 %) on the season.  Like I've been doing the last few weeks, I'm just going to post my pick for Thursday's game tonight and get the rest later in the week.

Eagles over Seahawks

• Both of these teams have been pretty disappointing this season, though Philadelphia undoubtedly more so because of all the talented players on defense that they signed.  But given the state of Seattle's offense - 30th in the league - not even an Eagles team that's been under-performing on defense, will once again be without starting QB Michael Vick, and had to bench star WR DeSean Jackson last week for his lackadaisical performance, should have any problems coming out of this one with a win.  Vince Young may well have been Philly's best acquisition this season.  

Stay tuned for Sunday's and Monday's picks, and stay frosty, y'all!

B-)
_______
UPDATE, 12/04/11: I would have had this up sooner, but there was a power outage in Clemson this evening that couldn't have happened at a more inopportune time - during the ACC Championship Game!  At least my Tigers won, though I would've liked to have been able to see all the action.  Movin' on...

Titans over Bills

• Tennessee's got a pretty good opportunity this week to gain some ground on Houston for the AFC South title against a Buffalo team that's lost four in a row.  

Chiefs over Bears

• Is it just me, or are there a lot more starting quarterbacks getting sidelined this season?  Regardless, the offense in this game is not going to be pretty with Tyler Palko (or perhaps Kyle Orton starting against his former team) and Caleb Hanie running the show for each side.  I'm going with Kansas City because their defense looked pretty darn good last week against Pittsburgh and kept them in the game til the very end.  

Falcons over Texans

• Houston's down to its third-string quarterback, rookie T.J. Yates.  They'll need a mighty big performance from RB Arian Foster to pull this one off.  

Raiders over Dolphins

•  The 'Fins may not have gotten the win over Dallas last week, but they certainly hung in there.  I'm still picking the Raiders to win this one, but I gotta say that with Matt Moore leading the charge, Miami could really do some damage in the near future. 

Broncos over Vikings

•  With Vikes RB Adrian Peterson again questionable, the only thing that'll be "All Day" in the Metrodome will be Tebowmania. 

Patriots over Colts

• I really don't get all this talk of the Colts trading Peyton Manning.  He should be healthy again next season, and I'm pretty sure he's still another good year or two left in him.  I'm trying to imagine what it would have been like if the Penguins had traded Sidney Crosby after he was out for almost a year... 

Steelers over Bengals

• The word in the street is that both SS Troy Polamalu and LB LaMarr Woodley will be playing on Sunday.  The Steelers will need both of them against a Bengals team that's only one game behind them.  On an unrelated note, I didn't know Pacman Jones was still playing in the NFL. 

Panthers over Buccaneers

• The Bucs have lost five in a row, and QB Josh Freeman is ailing.  I like Carolina's chances here. 

Jets over Redskins

• Rex Grossman had a rare flash of brilliance for the 'Skins last week.  I wouldn't count on a repeat performance this week against the Jets, who haven't exactly been the picture of consistency, either.  

Ravens over Browns

• Baltimore's got more firepower on offense, but Cleveland's top-ranked pass defense could make this game closer that it might seem.  

Cowboys over Cardinals

• Kevin Kolb's back at QB for the Cards.  Not that it'll help them much... 

Packers over Giants

• Is there any stopping Aaron Rodgers and the Pack?  I could see the G-men pulling off the upset.  Then again, that's what I said about Detroit last week.  

49ers over Rams

• With Rams QB Sam Bradford questionable - and St. Louis struggling anyway - the Niners will finally clinch the NFC West this week.  

Saints over Lions

• With DT Ndamukong Suh serving a two-game suspension, the Lions don't stand much of a chance against the Saints' offensive juggernaut.  It's a shame that one player's stupidity could very well cost his team a playoff spot, because Detroit started the season so well.  

Chargers over Jaguars

• Jack Del Rio became the first coaching casualty of the season last week.  Norv Turner might be next, but I'm pretty sure he'll live to coach another week after this match.  Remember when Monday Night games used to be interesting? 

NFL Week 12 Predictions

With most of the leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner safely digested (hopefully!), we can now turn our attention to the rest of this week's NFL games.  I went 9-5 last week and 2-1 on Thanksgiving Day, which puts me at 97-66 (59.5 %) this season so far. 

Falcons over Vikings
Bengals over Browns
Panthers over Colts

•  Not even a bad defense can doom Carolina's chances of winning this week.  Cam Newton should make short work of a Colts defense that has given up more points than any other team in the league this season. 

Texans over Jaguars

• The race for the AFC South got a little more interesting this week after Texans QB Matt Schaub went down for the season with a foot injury, leaving Houston's playoff hopes in the hands of Matt Leinart.  The good news for the Texans is that not only will WR Andre Johnson be returning, but their top-ranked defense will be up against the league's worst offense. 

Jets over Bills

•  Both of these teams have faltered lately, but the Jets have already shown that they can bounce back from a slump.  This game could very well make or break the once-promising Bills' playoff chances. 

Cardinals over Rams
Titans over Buccaneers
Raiders over Bears

• With QB Jay Cutler done for the season with a thumb injury, the Bears won't be able to match the Raiders' offense.  Oakland's running game has been absolutely phenomenal this season. 

Seahawks over Redskins
Patriots over Eagles
Broncos over Chargers

• With the Chargers faltering, and the Chiefs plagued by yet another season-ending injury, the Broncos just might be the dark-horse candidate to edge out Oakland for the AFC West title.  Maybe Tim Tebow was just the shot in the arm that Denver needed.  

Steelers over Chiefs

• The Chiefs just can't catch a break, can they?  Not only have they lost RB Jamaal Charles and S Eric Berry, but now they'll have to ride out the rest of this catastrophe of a season without QB Matt Cassell.  It's now up to Tyler Palko to restore hope to the Kansas City faithful - a daunting task against the Steelers' second-ranked defense.  Then again, with the way Pittsburgh has been playing the last few years, I wouldn't be surprised if the Chiefs pulled off an upset. 

Saints over Giants

• The Giants have been surprisingly inconsistent this season, and they'll be without RB Ahmad Bradshaw and possibly WR Mario Manningham on Monday night.  That doesn't bode well when you're facing the league's top offense in New Orleans. 

Halftime Hullabaloo in Detroit

A few weeks ago, all hell broke loose in Detroit when the NFL announced that Nickelback would be performing during halftime of the Lions' Thanksgiving Day game.  There was even a petition started on Change.org by a University of Michigan student to get a different act for the halftime show.  I'd just like to say... Really?  For one thing, that website was intended to be used for legitimate humanitarian purposes, not for something as trivial as who's performing at a halftime show.  More importantly, I'm more than a little miffed about all the bitching from the people of Detroit, because Nickelback happens to be my favorite band, and I'm really looking forward to seeing them perform on Thursday afternoon. 

I haven't seen this much hatred for a musical group since my classmates in middle school taunted me mercilessly because I listened to N*Sync (see "Boy Bands", 29 May 2010), and frankly, I don't understand why.  I know that a lot of their music is about partying, sex, and drugs, but isn't all that and much worse things the main theme of the entire hip-hop genre these days?  Moreover, most of Nickelback's more popular songs, such as "If Everyone Cared" and their newest single "When We Stand Together", are not only absent these kind of adult topics, but are actually pretty meaningful and thought-provoking if you actually listen to the lyrics.  My favorite song has been "Gotta Be Somebody" (which I currently have as my ringtone), because (until recently), it was a song that I could relate to as someone who'd been single all his life.  A lot of people just don't like their style of music, to which I say, hey, that's your opinion.  Different people have different tastes in music, and I respect that, but that's no reason to protest the halftime performance of a football game.  I mean, did anyone in Dallas start a petition to stop the Jonas Brothers (who, in my opinion - and I'm sure a lot of people will back me up on this - sound more like the Jonas Sisters) from performing during the Cowboys' Thanksgiving game in 2008?  No.  So why the big deal now? 

I'm aware of Detroit's rich music history, and I can somewhat understand the desire to have someone local perform at the halftime show, rather than a band from Canada.  But again, look at the halftime performers for the Dallas games in recent years.  Neither Carrie Underwood (Oklahoma), the Jonas Brothers (New Jersey), nor Daughtry (North Carolina) are from Texas, but no one had a problem with any of them performing at halftime.  Not to mention that the Goo Goo Dolls, who performed at Detroit's halftime show in 2007, are from Buffalo, but no one was up in arms then.  So why all the fuss now?  If Detroit really wanted to promote their local music, why did they have the Rolling Stones (who are not even from the U.S., and, at a combined age of over 250, are way too old to be dancing around on stage anyway) perform during halftime of Superbowl XL?  My point is, it's not going to kill the people of Detroit to have an outside artist performing during their Thanksgiving game. 

So to all those folks in Detroit who don't want to see Nickelback perform at halftime this Thanksgiving, I offer these four words:  F@#$%in' deal with it!  If you don't want to hear them, you can just change the channel (or better yet, turn off your TV and enjoy some quality time with loved ones) if you're watching at home; or, if you're at the stadium, use that time to go to the restrooms or the concession stands.  Or maybe even - gasp! - just watch the show, and who knows?  You might actually like one of Nickelback's songs if you give them a chance.  At any rate, the people of Detroit should, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, just be thankful they even get to host a Thanksgiving Day game at all, because with the way the Lions have been playing the last ten years, they don't really deserve to have one! 

Okay, I'm done ranting.  Now I can actually enjoy my Thanksgiving.  In spite of all the hardship I've been through this year, I've got a lot to be thankful for - my health, my family, my friends, my amazing girlfriend, and all of y'all out there in Reader Land who take the time to read my blog.  Have a happy Thanksgiving, and as always, stay frosty, y'all! 

B-)

NFL Week 12 Predictions (Special Thanksgiving Edition)

When you think of Thanksgiving, three words that begin with the letter "F" come to mind: food, family, and of course, FOOTBALL!!!  And this Thanksgiving Day, we've actually got some games that are capable of keeping us out of our inevitable food-induced comas, which makes it a little harder for me to make my predictions, but I'll try my best.  So here goes:

Lions over Packers

• For the first time in over a decade, the Lions are in legitimate contention for the playoffs on Thanksgiving Day.  What makes this game even more exciting is that the undefeated Packers are coming to town.  Both of these teams are very good offensively, but Green Bay's pass defense is second-to-last in the league, which could make for a field day for Matthew Stafford and the Lions.  Call me crazy, but I think I just might smell an upset in the works... 

Cowboys over Dolphins

• Both of these teams are riding a three-game winning streak, though Miami's might be a little more impressive because they were 0-7 before that.  QB Matt Moore has done a phenomenal job these last few weeks, and the Dolphins have been playing lights-out on defense, having gone three straight games without giving up a touchdown.  However, all three of those wins have come against teams that are bordering on the mediocre (Kansas City, Washington, and Buffalo), so it remains to be seen if the 'Fins really have improved on defense.  Tony Romo has put up some pretty good numbers for the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, but the Dolphins are 5-1 when playing on Turkey Day.  It was a tough decision, but I'm picking Dallas on the strength of their schedule - they're the only team to have beat the 49ers this season, and they've held their own against some of the tougher teams like New England and Detroit.  

Ravens over 49ers

• As if the other two games weren't tough enough to predict, this Battle of the Brothers Harbaugh had me pondering for quite some time.  If you analyze the offense-versus-defense matchups, the teams balance each other out.  Baltimore has the better passing offense and passing defense, while San Francisco has the better running game and the league's top run defense - not that any of those have been lacking for either side, though.  The Ravens have more sacks, while the Niners have more takeaways.  Ravens LB Ray Lewis is questionable for the game, but Baltimore still held its own without him against the Bengals last week.  In the end, I have to go with John and the Ravens over Jim and the 49ers on account of both experience and home-field advantage.  

Enjoy the games and the food, and have a happy Thanksgiving!  Stay frosty, y'all! 

B-)

NFL Week 11 Predictions

Last week, I was 9-7 with my predictions, bringing me to 86-60 (58.9 %) overall.  Onto this week:

Jets over Broncos

• Denver's strength has been its running game, which is a surprising second in the league.  But with both Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno hurt, the Broncos won't have much of a chance against New York's defense.  

Ravens over Bengals

• Baltimore has a habit of playing down to the level its competition this season.  Which means they should be just fine against Cincinnati, which lost CB Leon Hall for the season and will probably be without WR A.J. Green for a few weeks.  

Jaguars over Browns

• Interesting Fact: Four of the top six defenses are in the AFC North.  The other two - Houston and Jacksonville - are from the AFC South.  What this means is that this will likely be a low-scoring game between two teams whose offenses are in the league's bottom three.  The Jags have the advantage, though, because they have a decent rushing offense behind Maurice Jones-Drew, while Cleveland's run defense is 30th in the NFL.  

Lions over Panthers

• The Lions had better get their act together soon, or their fairy-tale start to the season could have a not-so-happy ending.  Fortunately for them, they've got Carolina this week. 

Packers over Buccaneers

• I doubt the Pack will go undefeated this season, with the schedule they've got for the second half.  But I'm pretty sure they can handle the inconsistent Bucs this week.  The real test will come next Thursday at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day.  

Bills over Dolphins

• What happened to the Bills?  They started off so well, but they've been stumbling lately.  Though the bigger surprise might be the Dolphins winning two in a row.  This one may not be as one-sided as it might seem. 

Raiders over Vikings

• The Raiders are only one game ahead of all of the other three teams in the AFC West, but they have a chance to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division in a game that will feature a lot of running.  

Cowboys over Redskins

• All of a sudden, the 'Boys are back in the thick of things, while the 'Skins are watching yet another season circle the drain. 

49ers over Cardinals

• I'm calling it right now - Jim Harbaugh for Coach of the Year.  

Rams over Seahawks

• Neither of these teams have been much to write home about this season, though the 'Hawks are coming off of an upset win over Baltimore.  My gut tells me to pick the Rams for some odd reason, so that's what I'm gonna do.  

Falcons over Titans

• If Chris Johnson can keep playing like he did last week, the Titans have a pretty good chance to make the playoffs.  Then again, it was against the Panthers.  I don't see that happening this week against the Falcons, who have one of the league's better run defenses and a more consistent offense.  

Bears over Chargers 

• Chicago's been a pleasant surprise these last few weeks, especially after beating Detroit.  The Chargers, on the other hand, have been rather disappointing.  Bears kick returner Devin Hester must be looking at San Diego's special teams with the same facial expressions I have when I see a plate full of freshly cooked bacon. 

Giants over Eagles

• Is it just me, or is NBC biased towards the NFC East?  Because how else are we getting so many Sunday Night games with NFC East teams?  Also, how God-awful do you have to be to lose to Arizona? 

Patriots over Chiefs

• The Pats have rebounded from their two-game losing streak, while the Chiefs have gone back to losing again.  Another Monday Night no-contest.  Ho-hum...

NFL Week 10 Predictions

Normally, I don't like to make my picks this early in the week, since there's still plenty of time for late developments like player injuries that can affect the outcome of a game.  But since Thursday Night Football is starting up this week, I have to at least get my prediction for that game posted.  Which I would have done earlier this evening, until I got distracted following the news about the scandal at Penn State and the firing of Joe Paterno.  So here's what I'm gonna do: I'll post my prediction for Thursday's game tonight, then add on to this post later in the week once I have more time and energy.  My loyal readers will just have to trust me that I'm not changing my predictions after the fact.

A quick recap on the standings: Last week, I went a pitiful 7-7 with my predictions.  Or, to be a little more accurate, 7-5 with the predictions I posted, because I somehow forgot to post predictions for the Falcons-Colts and Broncos-Raiders games for some odd reason.  So for the sake of maintaining the integrity of this venture, I'll count those two as incorrect predictions, because to count them as ties would just seem kind of odd.  Which means that I'm now 77-53 (59.2 %) in my predictions so far this season.

And now, onto Thursday night's pick:

Chargers over Raiders

• Let's face it, neither of these teams' offenses are picture-perfect.  Chargers QB Phillip Rivers leads the league in turnovers, and Carson Palmer has struggled since being thrown into Oakland's starting job two weeks ago.  San Diego has been playing better defense, while Oakland's has struggled this season.  That makes it a tough task for the Raiders' offense, which will be without the services of RB Darren McFadden.  The Raiders beat the Chargers without him last year, but that was back when they still had a decent defense. 

Tune in later this week for the rest of my picks.  Til then, stay frosty, y'all!

B-)
______
UPDATE, 11/12: As promised, here's my picks for the rest of the weekend.  I'm not going into all the details tonight because I haven't been feeling too well this evening and badly need some sleep.  Though if you are curious about why I picked a certain team, you can always leave a comment and I'll try to respond with my rationale tomorrow evening.

Saints over Falcons
Titans over Panthers
Steelers over Bengals
Rams over Browns
Bills over Cowboys
Colts over Jaguars
Broncos over Chiefs
Dolphins over Redskins
Eagles over Cardinals
Texans over Buccaneers
Ravens over Seahawks
Lions over Bears
49ers over Giants
Jets over Patriots
Packers over Vikings

Stay frosty, y'all!

B-)

NFL Week 9 Predictions

The NFL certainly delivered last week like it always does on Halloween weekend.  There were definitely some thrilling games, like the winless Rams getting an upset win over the Saints and the Steelers toppling Tom Brady and the Patriots.  We also saw a lot of things that were just plain scary, like the Eagles' defense coming back from the dead to rip apart the Cowboys and the Ravens coming back from 21 points down to beat the Cardinals.  And here's something else that's shocking: I only missed two picks last weekend (11-2), bringing my season record to 70-46 (60.3 %).  There's a lot more excitement in store at the midpoint of the season, so let's get right to it.

Bills over Jets

• Wait... Buffalo's leading the AFC East?  This is why I love the NFL.  Anywho, I'm picking the Bills, since their offense has a little more punch than the Jets' does.  Should be a good show, regardless. 

Texans over Browns

• There's talk that WR Andre Johnson might be back for the Texans.  Not like they'll need him this week...

Chiefs over Dolphins

• Just a few weeks ago, the Chiefs looked ready to send Todd Haley packing.  Gotta give him a lot of credit for the job he's done to get Kansas City back on track.  Maybe Tony Sparano could learn a thing or two from him this Sunday. 

Cowboys over Seahawks

• Tony Romo is his own worst enemy, but with the way the Seahawks are going, even a botched hold on a field goal attempt shouldn't ruin the Cowboys' chances of winning too much. 

49ers over Redskins

• I remember some experts saying at the beginning of the season that the lockout could have a negative impact on rookie head coaches because they didn't have as much time for their teams to learn their systems.  Guess Jim Harbaugh never got the memo. 

Saints over Buccaneers

•  That was a pretty epic display of mediocrity last week by a New Orleans office that piled 62 points on the Colts just the week before.  But the Saints should rebound against a Bucs team that's struggling to find its identity, with RB LeGarrette Blount battling an MCL injury and no real big-play wide receivers. 

Bengals over Titans

• The AFC North race has gotten a little more crowded this season thanks to the Bengals' defense.  The Titans, meanwhile, don't look as tough as they did a few weeks ago.  Where's Chris Johnson when they need him? 

Patriots over Giants

• It's pretty tough to call this rematch of Superbowl XLII.  Eli Manning's kind of flown under the radar this season, but he's actually got the third highest passer rating in the league, trailing only Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and his opponent this week, Tom Brady.  Also working in New York's favor is the fact that four of the last five Superbowl rematches were won by the same team that won the Superbowl, with the lone exception being the Bears beating the Superbowl XLI champion Colts in 2008.   New England's pass defense has been struggling this season, none more so than last week at Pittsburgh, but they're pretty good at rebounding from defeat.  Since 2006, not counting playoff games, New England is 16-2 coming off a loss, and 19-3 if you include the playoffs.  

Packers over Chargers

• These were the two teams I picked to play in the Superbowl, but so far, only the Packers have lived up to my expectations.  The Chargers have gone downhill with back-to-back losses to the Jets and the resurgent Chiefs. 

Rams over Cardinals

• Both these teams shocked the world last week.  The Rams pulled off a stunning upset over New Orleans, while Arizona let a 21-point lead slip away.  Only one of these one-win teams looks like it's finally got its act together. 

Ravens over Steelers

• Given the Ravens' struggles the last two weeks - losing to the Jags and having to come back from 21 down against the Cardinals - and the way the Pittsburgh handled the Patriots last week, I'd probably be picking the Steelers to win this rematch in all other circumstances.  But with three of Pittsburgh's four starting linebackers (James Harrison, James Farrior, and Lamar Woodley) not expected to play this weekend... well, let's just say I don't like those odds. 

Eagles over Bears

• Philly's defense may not necessarily be the "Dream Team" everyone was calling it at the beginning of the season, but they certainly delivered against Dallas last week.  The Bears have been hanging in there this season, but can their defense handle the speed of DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy? 

Point-Counterpoint: What Makes a Fair-Weather Fan?

So my plan for this evening was to post the pictures from my church's Trunk-or-Treat party last Sunday on my Facebook page.  But once again, I made the stupid mistake of looking through my News Feed before I even started, just for a cursory glance at what my "friends" were up to.  That's when I stumbled upon the following video that was posted by a "friend" of mine who happens to be a Baltimore Ravens fan:

What the guy in the video - who goes by the moniker "Goob" - is trying to prove is that most Pittsburgh Steelers fans are fair-weather fans.  Quite frankly, I'm more than a little insulted by the implication, especially because the interviews in this video that "Goob" conducts with Steelers fans in three bars at NC State prove absolutely nothing.  Therefore, at the risk of sounding like a complete dumb@$$, allow me break things down, one argument at a time, in a little segment I'd like to call "Point-Counterpoint." 

Point: Most of the fans interviewed have never been to a Steelers game, or have even been to Pittsburgh for that matter, and that makes them fair-weather fans.  
Counterpoint:  1) Have you ever considered that, with the economy the way it is, most fans who live far away maybe can't afford to spend their hard-earned money on frivolities such as game tickets and airfare?  2) There are also such things as work and school that also make flying to Pittsburgh and back less of a priority.  3) It can be pretty hard to get tickets when your stadium is nearly filled to capacity every week.  4) It's not our fault if the networks where we live choose not to show the Steelers games.  Before you suggest buying NFL Ticket or something like that, see number (1). 

Point: There's so many Steelers fans who live far away from Pittsburgh, so they clearly just picked the team that was winning at the moment.  
Counterpoint:  Not every Steelers fan who's from outside the Pittsburgh area is a fan by conversion.  Many of these fans were, or are descendants of, workers who were displaced from Pittsburgh when businesses closed and jobs were cut (especially in the steel and coal industries), had to move elsewhere to find work, and brought their sports allegiances with them wherever they went.  That's why the Steeler Nation is everywhere, even outside the U.S.  These fans still stuck with their team even through the lean years. 

Point: Most of the fans interviewed did not seem to be very knowledgeable about the Steelers, so we can automatically assume they're just fair-weather fans.  
Counterpoint: No matter where you go, or what you ask about, I guarantee you're gonna find at least one dummy who can't answer even the most basic trivia questions about the given subject.  Just watch any episode of The Tonight Show when they do  "JayWalking."  For example, there was that one woman who was a history major at Carnegie Mellon, and didn't know who Betsy Ross was.  But I digress.  My point is, I betcha I could go into a Ravens bar and ask random people questions about their team that they couldn't answer.  I grew up a Steelers fan because that's how my parents (who are both from western Pennsylvania, my dad having grown up just a few miles from the 'Burgh) raised me, and there was a lot about the Steelers that I didn't know until I was in high school or college.  And about that guy who went to the game at Three Rivers and referred to their current stadium as "the new Heinz Field" - by "new", he clearly meant "currently in use", not "just opened this season".  He was trying to distinguish the current stadium from the since-demolished previous stadium; he just didn't couldn't find the right choice of words - an innocent mistake that I'm sure happens to everyone.  A simple instance of cerebral flatulence like that does not necessarily make him a fair-weather fan. 

Point: The Steelers fans interviewed said they hate watching their team lose, and criticized Pittsburgh's inconsistent performance this season.  Ergo, they're all fair-weather fans. 
Counterpoint: Of course we hate it when the Steelers lose!  Last time I checked, I don't think there was a fan of any sports team who could say he enjoyed watching his team lose, unless he was pulling a Pete Rose.  There's nothing wrong with expecting a consistent performance from your team from game to game, or constructively criticizing the mistakes that your team makes.  After all, no one's perfect.  There's always room for improvement.  None of the people interviewed said that they were renouncing their allegiance to Pittsburgh if they lost, which is what a fair-weather fan really is. 

• Rebuttal: But Mike, you switched from being a Pirates fan to a Rays fan.  That sounds pretty fair-weather to me!  
• Mike's Rebuttal: Let me clarify something.  The reason I stopped being a die-hard Pirates fan was not because they haven't had a winning season in 19 years.  It was because I was fed up with the way the team was being run, particularly with the fact that every time a good player emerged on their team, he would be traded away within a few years for a bunch of minor league so-called "prospects" who never lived up to their potential.  I picked the Rays because, when I'm not rooting for my own teams, I almost always root for the underdogs, hoping that they can overcome their perennial mediocrity and provide that "Cinderella story" kind of inspiration to others.  I also found the Rays an interesting team to follow.  If my sole intention had been to be a fan of a winning team, doncha think I'd have become a Yankees or Phillies fan instead?  And besides, I still support the Pirates and would like to see them win; the only difference now is that I no longer feel guilty about laughing at them when they inevitably fall apart in the middle of the season.  [Am I seriously debating with myself just now?]  

Closing Argument:
I'm not saying that there are no fair-weather fans in Steeler Nation (since my name's not Mike-moud Paul-medinejad).  But as a lifelong Steelers fan who was born and raised outside of the Steel City, I resent the stereotypes that "Goob" insinuates in his little "documentary" about most of us Pittsburgh fans being merely "fair-weather fans."  The arguments made in the above video have little basis in logic whatsoever, because they do not fit the definition of a fair-weather fan, which is a fan who supports a team only when it is highly successful, and renounces said allegiance when that team is not as successful as one would like it to be. 

I, of course, welcome any and all friendly debate on this topic, and encourage those of y'all out there in Reader Land who may disagree with my arguments to comment on my post; all I ask is that you please do so in a respectful and civilized manner. 

Stay frosty, y'all!  And GO STEELERS! 

B-)

NFL Week 8 Predictions

I love NFL football on Halloween weekend.  Besides seeing all the interesting and creative costumes that the fans wear (like that guy dressed as Bill Cowher at the Steelers-Patriots game in '04), it also makes the dramatic upsets even more thrilling.  Anything can happen, no matter how freaky it might seem. 

And last week was pretty ghastly for me prediction-wise.  I went a pitiful 6-7, which puts me at 59-44 (57.3 %) on the season.  What sorts of thrills, chills, and horrors are we in for this Halloween?  (Hopefully nothing as horrifying as Clemson's performance against Georgia Tech on Saturday night.  GAAAH!) 

Giants over Dolphins

• I kinda feel bad for Tony Sparano.  It's hard to do your job when the folks who hired you basically told you that they had no confidence in you at all heading into the season.  Didn't the Raiders do sort of the same thing to Lane Kiffin back in '09?  On the other side, the Giants have been one of the more puzzling teams this season.  One week they're kicking butt; the next, they don't show up at all.  This week, though, it won't matter which Giants team we see this week, because the winless Miami Dolphins are in town.  

Texans over Jaguars

• Just when I thought Houston had packed it in after dropping two in a row, they went and dumped a family-sized carton of butt-whoop on the Titans.  No reason they won't do the same to the Jags, even without Andre Johnson.  

Titans over Colts

• Only one word can describe the Colts' 62-7 loss to New Orleans last week: ouch!  

Panthers over Vikings

• Battle of the Rookie QB's, Round Three: Cam Newton vs. Christian Ponder.  

Saints over Rams

• New Orleans gets a treat this Halloween by facing two winless teams back-to-back.  The Rams will need a lot of tricks to stop a high-powered Saints offense that scored 62 last week.  

Ravens over Cardinals

• Arizona's going to have a tough enough time fighting jet lag, let alone one of the league's best defenses. 

Lions over Broncos

• The scare that Matthew Stafford's injury last week gave Detroit was a week too early for Halloween.  Fortunately for them, Stafford looks like he'll be ready to go on Sunday, and the Lions should get back on track against Denver. 

Bills over Redskins
Steelers over Patriots

• Tom Brady has had his way with the Steelers these last few seasons.  This time, though, Pittsburgh will be prepared with the league's second-best pass defense.  Not saying New England's a pushover, though.  These next two weeks will show us exactly what kind of team the Steelers are (they've got a rematch with Baltimore next week).   Should be a good show. 

49ers over Browns
Bengals over Seahawks
Eagles over Cowboys
Chiefs over Chargers

• Looks like the Chiefs have finally found their groove, having won three in a row without two of their key players, RB Jamaal Charles and S Eric Berry.  The Chargers have yet to show that they can beat legitimate teams after falling to the Jets last week.  The momentum looks to be in KC's favor.  

Have a happy Halloween, and be safe trick-or-treating.  Oh, and for those of you readers in Clemson, especially those of y'all looking for a safe place for your kids to trick-or-treat, come to the Trunk-or-Treat at St. Andrew's Catholic Church this Sunday evening from 4 to 8.  I'll be there dressed as Troy Polamalu (my girlfriend's idea!), so stop by and say hi. 

Stay frosty, y'all!  And GO STEELERS!

B-)

NFL Week 7 Predictions

We've reached the point in the season where the contenders (and the pretenders) have started to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.  There were a couple of surprises last week, but I think I fared well for the most part, going 9-4 to put me at 53-37 (58.9 %) on the season.  There's a lot of excitement in store for this weekend, including a game in London, two Superbowl rematches, a battle for divisional supremacy, and L.T. facing his former team.  So buckle up, sports fans, 'cause heeeere we goooo! 

Dolphins over Broncos

• Denver traded away its best receiver, Brandon Lloyd, to the Rams last week.  Not exactly the vote of confidence Tim Tebow needed... 

Chargers over Jets 

• The big story here is that Jets RB LaDanian Tomlinson will be facing his former team for the first time, though I don't see him being the big-play guy that he was back in his prime.  The Jets snapped their three-game losing streak last week, but it was against the winless Dolphins, so the jury's still out on whether or not they're back to top form.  San Diego's gotten to 4-1 on the strength of its defense, which should be just enough to give them the edge.  

Titans over Texans

• The Texans seem to have taken their foot off the gas lately.  The Titans rebound from their blowout loss to Pittsburgh to take this game and the AFC South lead.  

Lions over Falcons

• They're no longer undefeated, but the Lions - and Jim Schwarz - will be fired up enough to beat Atlanta.  

Panthers over Redskins

• After a couple of good weeks, Rex Grossman is back to his under-achieving self, and it's now John Beck's turn at the helm.  Meanwhile, the Panthers are looking pretty comfortable with Cam Newton.  

Buccaneers over Bears

• In medieval times, bear-baiting was a popular form of entertainment in London.  The surging Bucs should give modern-day London a similar show this weekend.  

Browns over Seahawks
Steelers over Cardinals

• I've lost count of how many former Steelers players / personnel are now working in Arizona - Ken Whisenhunt, Russ Grimm, Joey Porter, and Clark Haggans, just to name a few.  I'm still picking Pittsburgh to win this rematch of Superbowl XLIII, but after their underwhelming second-half performance against Jacksonville last week, I gotta say that I've got a bad feeling about this.  At least they won't need Santonio Holmes to win the game for them, because Mike Wallace is also capable of making those diving touchdown catches, like this one against the Packers.

Raiders over Chiefs

• Al Davis may have passed on, but for the Raiders, his message lives on: "Just win, baby!"  And win the Raiders - led by new quarterback Carson Palmer - will against the hapless Chiefs.  

Packers over Vikings
Cowboys over Rams

• For once, you can't blame last week's loss on Tony Romo.  Interestingly enough, the World Series will also feature a St. Louis team coming to Arlington on Sunday.  

Saints over Colts

• This one's going to look nothing like Superbowl XLIV without Peyton Manning. 

Ravens over Jaguars

• Blaine Gabbert is certainly getting a trial by fire, having to face three of the league's best defenses in three straight weeks.  Baltimore will be less than sympathetic. 

NFL Week 6 Predictions

After doing pretty well with my picks the last few weeks, I took a step back last week, going 7-6 (44-33, 57.1% on the season).  Several of the games I got wrong were ones that I'd originally predicted the other way but changed my mind about.  Guess I need to stop second-guessing myself, and maybe I should just not read too closely into all the stats. 

I'm running late on this week's picks because I've been spending all week preparing for the Math GRE, and I've also been battling a cold.  (I'm not even in school anymore, and I'm still getting sick around midterm break, like clockwork!)  Ergo, I have neither the time nor the energy to write an analysis for each game, so this week, I'm just going to list my predictions: 

Falcons over Panthers
Bengals over Colts
Lions over 49ers
Packers over Rams
Bills over Giants
Steelers over Jaguars
Redskins over Eagles
Ravens over Texans
Raiders over Browns
Patriots over Cowboys
Saints over Buccaneers
Bears over Vikings
Jets over Dolphins

Stay frosty, y'all! 

B-)

NFL Week 5 Predictions

It's been kind of a rough week for me.  Last weekend started out all right, with the Rays shutting out the Rangers 9-0 in Game 1 of the ALDS and Clemson walloping Virginia Tech to move up to # 8 in the BCS rankings (which won't mean much, anyway, unless we actually get to play for the national title).  But then it all went downhill from there, with the Steelers choking against the Texans, and the Rays suddenly deciding that they were done playing baseball after Game 1.  So much for a magical season...

Predictions-wise, I fared a little better.  Got off to a rough start with the first set of games, but somehow I ended up going 10-6, which puts me at 37-27 (57.8 %) on the season.  I've got a little more time this week, and hopefully a little more energy, and a few less picks to make since the bye weeks are starting this week, so here goes: 

Titans over Steelers

• Tennessee's defense has been lights-out so far this season, and RB Chris Johnson is starting to look like his old self again.  That's bad news for a Steelers team that gave up over 150 yards to Arian Foster last week and is now without LB James Harrison.  There's still hope for the people of Pittsburgh, though, because hockey season is finally here, and the Penguins got off to a good start Thursday night.  

Texans over Raiders

• Houston's victory over the Steelers last week came at a price: WR Andre Johnson injured his hamstring and is expected to be out for at least a few weeks.  But there's no reason for them to hit the panic button just yet, as they'll be playing the Nnamdi-less Jokeland defense this week.   I'm not knocking the Raiders' offense, though, as they've been putting up some pretty good numbers this season.  

Colts over Chiefs

• Give Indy credit - they're trying; they just don't have much to work with without Peyton Manning.  Kansas City should give them as good of an opportunity as any to finally get a win.  

Bengals over Jaguars

• Don't look now, but the Bengals haven't been doing half-bad this season.  They've now got the number one defense in the league, which doesn't bode well for a lackluster Jacksonville offense.  

Giants over Seahawks

• I'll be honest - I was a bit worried about the Giants a couple weeks ago.  They've certainly proven me wrong!  

Cardinals over Vikings 

• Donovan McNabb is not the answer at quarterback for the Vikes.  Maybe it's time to give Christian Ponder a ponder (James Lipton beard on).  

Saints over Panthers

• Expect another big performance from Cam Newton in this shootout, but don't expect Carolina to come away with the win.  

Bills over Eagles

• Tough loss for Buffalo last week, but they should rebound against a struggling Eagles defense.  At least the folks in Philly also have hockey season to look forward to.  

49ers over Buccaneers

• A game that looked like a snoozer just a few weeks ago has now gotten interesting with both teams at 3-1 and leading their respective divisions.  This one's a tough call, but my gut tells me the Niners will surprise once again.  

Jets over Patriots

• I originally had this one picked to go the other way, given the Jets' struggles in their last two games, and 'cause it's Tom Brady and everything.  But New England's defense is just plain awful, and the return of Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold should help the Jets keep Mark Sanchez from getting too banged up.  

Chargers over Broncos

• Denver's another place where there's been calls for a change at QB.  Meanwhile, San Diego's managed to get things done even without TE Antonio Gates.  Then again, they've had to deal with injuries to LaDanian Tomlinson the last few years and still looked hardly any worse for wear, so why am I not surprised?  

Packers over Falcons

• Yet another playoff rematch for the Packers, who show no signs of slowing down.  Atlanta will make it a game, but they've still got a long way to go after it took them nearly everything they had just to come out of Seattle with a win last week.  

Lions over Bears

• No lead is safe against Detroit, who overcame yet another 20+-point deficit to beat the Cowboys last week.  These Lions are for real.  This game should be a good test for them.  Plus, we'll get our first look at what DT Nick Fairley, the Lions' first-round pick this year, can do.  Can you believe Detroit hasn't played a Monday Night game in over ten years? 

NFL Week 4 Predictions

I'm a little later than usual with my predictions this week, because I just couldn't help but revel in the moment after my Rays pulled off the greatest comeback in baseball history on Wednesday night.  I turned the game off in the sixth when they were down 7-0, thinking the season was as good as gone, and went on CBS's website to get caught up on Hawaii Five-O.  I went back on the Rays' site afterward to see the final score, and to my surprise, it's tied 7-7 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, and Dan Johnson - of all people! - has just hit a game-tying home run.  So I'm flipping back and forth on Gameday between the Rays-Yankees and Red Sox-Orioles games, and I see Baltimore come back from a 3-2 deficit in the bottom of the ninth with two outs to win it 4-3, thanks to a bobbled catch by none other than former Rays outfielder Carl Crawford (karma's a bitch, ain't it?)  And then, a few minutes later, Evan Longoria hits his second home run of the night to win the game for Tampa in the 12th, capping off the Rays' unprecedented comeback from nine games back at the start of September to knock off Boston for the AL Wild Card.  I couldn't really celebrate the moment exactly when it happened, because I was on the phone with my girlfriend, who had called me just a minute earlier, but when she asked me how my day was going, I was able to tell her, "It just got a lot better!"  Needless to say, I was too numb with euphoria to write anything, so I had to put off Part 2 of my Twitter rant for another day, so that's why I'm running behind with my picks this week.

Whew!  Didn't intend to ramble for that long.  Onto my predictions.  Last week I went 9-7, which puts me at 27-21 (56.3 %) on the season. 

Bills over Bengals

• After seeing them come back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Patriots, I'm officially impressed with the job Buffalo has done so far.  It's easy to see the change in this team's attitude - they never quit, even when the game gets tough.  

Titans over Browns

• Playing against Cleveland's defense just might be the shot in the arm that Chris Johnson needs.  Then again, the Titans haven't done too badly without him so far.  

Texans over Steelers

• Pittsburgh's running game looked pretty lackluster last week, and its defense struggled to contain Joseph Addai.  Can they really expect to fare any better against Arian Foster? 

Lions over Cowboys

• We all expected the Lions to have a breakout season, but few of us expected them to be undefeated so far.  The Cowboys, though, look like they're just barely hanging on. 

Eagles over 49ers

• I think it's time to stop calling Philly's defense the "Dream Team."  Luckily for them, their opponent this week doesn't have much on offense to challenge them.  

Panthers over Bears

• Cam Newton's stats were a lot more down to earth against the Jags last week, but more importantly, his team finally got the win.  Chicago's defense hasn't looked too good these last few weeks, and their offensive line took a big hit with rookie Gabe Carimi's injury, leaving them pretty vulnerable to a Panthers team that's starting to look pretty hungry. 

Rams over Redskins

• All the stats tell me to pick Washington, in spite of their struggles against Dallas on Monday night.  Call me crazy, but I think St. Louis just might be hungry enough to finally get a win this Sunday. 

Saints over Jaguars
Vikings over Chiefs
Giants over Cardinals

• Big Blue surprised me last week with a win over Philadelphia.  Guess they're not as banged up as I thought they were... 

Seahawks over Falcons

• Atlanta just hasn't been playing like it's capable of playing, and struggles on the road.  Not a good sign when you're going into one of the toughest stadiums in the league to play in.  

Packers over Broncos
Patriots over Raiders
Chargers over Dolphins
Ravens over Jets
Buccaneers over Colts

If You Can't Tweet 'Em... (Part 2)

In my last post, I hypothesized that Facebook is slowly turning into Twitter, but I never really explained why, other than ranting about people putting hashtags in their Facebook statuses.  It's much more than just that, especially given all the changes that Facebook has made recently.

First, there's the new feature where Facebook users can "subscribe" to other users, which basically means they can see what said users are posting without having to be friends with them.  You can subscribe to your friends, coworkers, celebrities, or even random strangers you've never met before, and follow along with everything that goes on in their lives.  Hel-LOOO?  Isn't this exactly what Twitter is for?

The other big change they've made is the ticker in the upper-right corner of the News Feed.  With this little doohickey, every little thing that each of your friends does on Facebook is displayed in real time for you to see.  Every status they write, every person they friend, every page they like, and every comment they write - even to someone who isn't one of your friends.  That's right.  Every.  Freakin'.  Thing.  This is the part of the new Facebook that bothers me the most.  If I really wanted to know everything each one of my 800+ "friends" was doing, I'd get a Twitter account.  Not to mention that the scroll bar on the ticker is way too impossibly narrow for one with even the most steady of hands and 20/10 vision to manipulate using a standard computer mouse, let alone the touchpad or TrackPoint on a laptop. 

But what really rolls my twelve-sided dice about these new changes to Facebook is that I no longer have any control whatsoever over who sees my every move and what they can or can't see.  That means that every time I write a comment on someone else's status or photo, all of my "friends" can not only read what I wrote, but they can also see the original post by said someone.  And the worst part is, where I once could limit the visibility of my posts to just my friends, or restrict it even further than that, I no longer have control over these privacy settings.  Instead, I have to cross my fingers and hope that each of my "friends" will take 10-15 seconds of their precious time to scroll down to my name, hover over it with their mouse, wait for the info box to appear, hover over the "Subscribed" button, wait for the menu to pop up, and uncheck "Comments and Likes."  Yeah, it's only 10-15 seconds, but when you consider that I have, as I mentioned earlier, over 800 "friends" on Facebook - which is actually kinda low compared to a lot of my colleagues - that means it would take, if my calculations are correct, well over two hours to do this for my entire friend list, which robs me of all motivation to even start such a herculean task with even a few of my "friends."  And if I lack the will to do that for my "friends," what makes me so sure they'd be willing to do the same for me without me having to twist their arm a little?  Statistics is not my strong suit as a mathematician (that job falls to my good friends and fellow bloggers Jonathon and Jonathan), but I can tell y'all for sure that I don't like those odds. 

Were it not for the fact that being able to post on Facebook helps me keep in touch with my friends a lot more easily and has gotten me out of a few minor jams (like finding people to help me move stuff into my new apartment, or helping me recover a paycheck that fell out of my coat pocket on the way home), I would seriously consider deactivating my Facebook account.  I don't know about everyone else, but I for one am getting sick and tired of all these changes that Facebook keeps making, when all we wanted in the first place was a "Dislike" button.  The way I see it, Mark Zuckerberg (I'm resisting the temptation to make an obscene rhyming pun on his last name here) just realized how much competition he's getting from Twitter, so he decided to turn Facebook into a fancier version of Twitter to appease all the Twitterites.  In other words, to repeat the old adage that I concluded my last post with, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. 

But seriously, Zuck, grow a friggin' spine and stop selling out to The Man.  Or at least have the courtesy to give us a little more advance notice before you start messing with our accounts.  I mean, you don't just randomly overhaul someone's car, computer, or house without telling them first and convincing them that what you're doing will actually make things better for them.  So why would you do the same thing to the Facebook accounts of millions of people you don't even know? 

Okay, I'm done ranting... at least until the next major overhaul of Facebook happens.  As a final note, I humbly ask everyone who reads this and is friends with me on Facebook to please do me a favor and take just 15 seconds to unsubscribe from my "Comments and Likes."  (I outlined the steps a few paragraphs earlier.)  I'll do the same for all of you, even if it's only a few friends at a time. 

Stay frosty, y'all! 

B-)

If You Can't Tweet 'Em... (Part 1)

Okay, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who's completely pissed off about this new look that Facebook has.  Just when I'm finally getting used to the last big change they made, they go and revamp it completely, just to mess with me.  And last night, I saw on MSNBC.com that they're gonna make yet another big change pretty soon, turning the Wall into something called a Timeline or some other shitake mushroom like that.  It hasn't happened to my profile yet, but from what I saw from the preview, I'm not too impressed.

The harsh reality is, Facebook is slowly turning into Twitter, and I don't like it one bit.  I do not have a Twitter, and I never will, because I really don't need to know what Katy Perry ate for breakfast this morning or every other little insignificant thing that's going on in everyone's life, and I already waste enough time on Facebook as it is.  It was already annoying enough when Twitter crept into my Facebook news feed.  I was okay with people linking their Twitter posts to their Facebooks, but then it evolved (or should I say degenerated?) to the point where people were typing their Facebook statuses in Twitter format, plaguing my eyes with hashtags throughout their posts.  Every time I see one of those random phrases with a # in front of it - especially in the middle of a sentence - it makes me want to reach through my wireless router and beat the offending poster about the head and torso, all the while screaming, "THIS AIN'T F**KIN' TWITTER, YOU F**KIN' MORON!"  People who put hashtags in their statuses should be crucified on a cross that's shaped like one of those #'s.  (*Bonus points to anyone who knows what the grammatical name for the pound sign is.) 

Okay, so maybe I'm being a little overdramaculous (in the words of Dubya).  But still, it makes it hard to read when you have a #randompunctuationmark with a #bunchofwordsstrungtogether in the middle of a sentence like that.  #andthoserandomwordstringsafterwardlikethisarealsoannoying.  See what I mean?  That's why, a few weeks ago, I decided to strike back at the Tweeters (Twitterers?  Not sure what they're called...) who constantly pollute my Facebook by inserting random hashtags throughout my Facebook status.  The next level will be to hashtag random, insignificant words like "#the", "#and", "#etc".  I'm not sure if it'll actually set anything off on Twitter, but I'm pretty sure at the very least it'll annoy the hell out of those hashtagging bastards.  It almost sounds like I'm caving in, but I see it as more like striking back at them with their own weapons.  Like they say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

I've barely even scratched the surface of my main argument - that Facebook is slowly turning into Twitter - but I don't feel like writing a really long post that I might not finish tonight (my attention span has been getting shorter and shorter these days), and I should give all of y'all out there in Reader Land some time to digest this first rant.  I promise, I'll finish things up soon, if not tonight or tomorrow.  Till then, #stayfrostyyall!

B-)

NFL Week 3 Predictions

Ok, first of all, I think I need to come up with a better title for these posts, since I've noticed that my sports-related posts aren't getting as many views as the rest of my posts have been.  Maybe if I have a more epic title for this series, people might be more inclined to take a gander at them.  (Or not.)  I'm open to any and all suggestions. 

Anywhoooo, I fared much better last week than I did the first week, going 11-5 to bring my overall record to 18-14 so far.  Here's the rundown of this week's games: 

Patriots over Bills

• Buffalo's off to a good start so far, but I'm not ready to have them beating New England just yet.  The Pats looked pretty sharp against San Diego last week, while the Bills just barely eked out a win over the Raiders.  Give Buffalo credit, though, they never say die. 

Panthers over Jaguars

• Another excellent performance by Cam Newton last week.  It's just too bad Carolina's defense sucks.  It's about time Newton got a win, and the Jags seem to be the team to get one from after the stinker they put up against the Jets last week.  

Bengals over 49ers

• Neither of these teams seem like much to brag about, but Cincy's at least got some semblance of having its act together.  The Niners, meanwhile, blew a ten-point lead to Dallas, and are still lacking on defense.  

Browns over Dolphins

• I'm not quite ready to say the Browns are the real deal just yet, as it was only a Peyton Manning-less Colts team that they beat last week, but given Miami's struggles on both sides of the ball, especially on defense, I think Cleveland has the edge here. 

Lions over Vikings

• Detroit looks like it's headed in the right direction after slaughtering Kansas City.  The Vikes just look like they're lost, even with Adrian Peterson, who shouldn't expect to gain much yardage against Ndamukong Suh and the Lions' D-line.  

Texans over Saints

• This one's gonna be a shootout, I'll tell ya that much.  But for some strange reason, I think Houston's defense looks a little better than New Orleans' does.  

Eagles over Giants

• Michael Vick's injured again... what else is new?  The Eagles' so-called "Dream Team" defense didn't really look the part last week at Atlanta, but they should be able to handle a banged-up Giants team whose quarterback is highly prone to throwing picks.  

Titans over Broncos

• The Titans somehow managed to tame the Ravens last week.  CJ2K should just be starting to get back into form by this Sunday.  

Jets over Raiders

• Oakland's still got some issues to work out on defense... the Jets obviously don't after trouncing Jacksonville.  

Chargers over Chiefs

• Losing S Eric Berry for the season was bad enough for the Chiefs, but now they'll have to go the rest of the season without Pro Bowl RB Jamaal Charles.  The Chargers haven't been playing like the team I predicted to win the Superbowl - they looked pretty sad last week against the Patriots - but they shouldn't have a problem with Kansas City.  

Ravens over Rams

• I'm still trying to figure out how the Ravens managed to lay an egg against Tennessee last week, but their hard-hitting defense should be able to handle St. Louis' offense.  

Packers over Bears

• I'm starting to get a little worried about Green Bay's defense after seeing them give up over 400 yards to Cam Newton and the Panthers last week, but their offense should be enough for them to win this NFC Championship rematch.  The once-fearsome Bears D looked anything but at New Orleans last week.  

Cardinals over Seahawks

• What's the difference between Kevin Kolb and Tarvaris Jackson?  One of them actually gives his team a chance to win games.  

Buccaneers over Falcons

• I almost called this one the other way, until I remembered what a friend of mine told me two weeks ago: that Atlanta's a much different team on the road.  This game is an excellent opportunity for either of these two contenders for the NFC South title to assert itself early on.  

Steelers over Colts

• Shutting out the Seahawks for the second straight game was just what the doctor ordered for Pittsburgh after the debacle in Baltimore.  Not sure if the doctor could prescribe anything for the Colts' woes, though.  This would have been a much more exciting matchup if Peyton Manning was playing.  Now it's just a game that would make me downright ashamed of my team if they lost.  

Redskins over Cowboys

• With Tony Romo's status in question, and Dallas' defense still with a lot of questions, the surging Skins have this one in the bag.  Though I gotta say, Romo is one tough cookie, playing with a punctured lung like that last week.  

Stay frosty, y'all!  And GO CLEMSON!

B-)

I Am Troy Davis

I normally refrain from writing about political topics on my blog because of the controversy I know it generates, but tonight something happened that troubles me deeply, and this is all I can think about right now.

This evening, Troy Anthony Davis was executed by the state of Georgia for the 1989 murder of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail.  Those of you who haven't been following the news lately will probably just say, "Big deal, so another murderer died.  Good riddance!"  However, this is a big deal - a very big deal, indeed - when you look at the circumstances surrounding the case.  There was no physical evidence to link Troy Davis to the crime.  Instead, he was convicted solely on eyewitness testimony, but seven of the nine witnesses against him later recanted their testimony, and an eighth witness was suggested by several of the other seven as the real murderer.

I'm gonna come right out and say that I oppose the death penalty in all circumstances.  I won't go into all the details of why I oppose it, as that's not the point I'm trying to make here tonight.  I can't even say for sure whether Troy Davis was really innocent or guilty, and my heart goes out to the family of Officer MacPhail.  But whether you support the death penalty or not, the death sentence should never have been an option when the case against Davis was as flimsy as this.  The legal principle behind the death penalty is that it should only be used when the accused can be proven guilty beyond all reasonable doubt.  Seven eyewitnesses changing their stories and a lack of physical evidence seems like pretty reasonable doubt to me.  And yet Georgia's state clemency board and the courts on every level of government, from the state court to the U.S. Supreme Court, saw fit to ignore that doubt and allow the state to kill a man who, for all we know, could very well have been innocent.  

What happened tonight in Georgia was more than just a miscarriage of justice.   

What happened tonight was a deliberate abortion of justice in the womb. 

One of campaign slogans used by the thousands of protesters in the weeks, days, and hours leading up to each of the four execution dates that Troy Davis faced consisted of four simple words: "I am Troy Davis."  I never really understood what they meant by that, but in the aftermath of his execution, I'm finally beginning to understand.  Davis' case should serve as a wake-up call to America and the entire world - maybe not necessarily to abolish the death penalty, but just to look more closely at where justice is lacking.  One man in Georgia may have lost his battle for justice tonight, but the fight for justice in the world is far from over.  The moral obligation to work and pray for justice in the world now rests upon the shoulders of each one of us.  In each one of us lies the power to fix the injustices that happen in our world, be it in our own government, in our own country, or beyond our borders.

Troy Davis may be dead, but his quest for truth and justice lives on in each one of us.  We all have a never-ending struggle to make right the wrongs of the world.  That is why I can say, in unison with those hundreds of thousands of men and women who fought for the life of a man on Georgia's death row...

I am Troy Davis.

You are Troy Davis.

We are all Troy Davis. 

NFL Week 2 Predictions

Last week was not my week. And I'm not just saying that because of the shameful performance at Baltimore by those impostors in black and gold. I'm saying it because I went a pitiful 7-9 with my predictions. Hopefully, I can do better this week. So here goes...

Bills over Raiders

• Even disregarding that record-tying 63-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland looked pretty good in its 23-20 win over the Broncos on Monday night. The Raiders went undefeated against AFC West opponents last year, but will need major improvement against opponents outside the division if they want to make the playoffs this year. Their first big test comes this Sunday against a Bills team that put up 41 points against Kansas City and held them to a single touchdown.

Packers over Panthers

• Cam Newton looked pretty darn impressive in his NFL debut last week, but I'm not ready to say that he's the real deal just yet, as it was against Arizona. If he can beat the Packers, I just might start to change my mind.

Lions over Chiefs

• Losing safety Eric Berry for the season only makes things worse for Kansas City after their humiliating loss to Buffalo last week. Having to face a suddenly rejuvenated Detroit team is not the salve that Todd Haley was looking for.

Browns over Colts

• Come on, the Colts can't be that bad without Peyton Manning, can they? Well, when you manage only a single touchdown against what was the worst pass defense in the NFL last season, all bets are off.

Buccaneers over Vikings

• A big test for a young Bucs defense against Adrian Peterson. The rest of the Vikings still need to get their act together.

Bears over Saints

• The Bears took care of business against Atlanta last week, and this week they face another tough NFC South opponent in New Orleans. This one was tough to decide, because the Saints have a powerful offense and will have the home crowd on their side, but I'm not entirely sold on their defense after watching them spot Green Bay 42 last week.

Jets over Jaguars

• Luke McCown and the Jags eked out a win over the Titans last week. They won't be so lucky against Darelle Revis and the Gang Green defense.

Steelers over Seahawks

• Seahawks fans are still bitching about the officiating in Superbowl XL, and interestingly, the same ref from that game (Bill Leavy) will be working the second rematch of that game this week. For the Steelers, though, that's the least of their worries after getting completely annihilated by the Ravens last week. To say they looked bad in all aspects of the game would be a hideous understatement. If they can't get things done against Seattle this week, then there's reason to be concerned.

Ravens over Titans

• Kinda hard not to pick Baltimore after what they did to the Steelers last week.

Redskins over Cardinals

• Rex Grossman looked pretty good against the Giants last week. Could this be the start of a major turnaround in Washington?

Cowboys over 49ers

• Dallas put up a good fight against the Jets last week, but once again, Tony Romo cost his team the game. Meanwhile, the Niners came out of nowhere to crush the Seahawks, thanks to two touchdowns on special teams by Ted Ginn, Jr. Neither side looks too good on defense, but the Cowboys at least have some playmakers on offense, while San Francisco's offense still needs to find its groove.

Broncos over Bengals

• Quite a few experts have been raving about Cincy's defense. They'll get challenged this week as they face last year's leader in receiving yardage, Brandon Lloyd. The Bengals haven't won at Mile High since 1975.

Texans over Dolphins

• Even if Arian Foster doesn't play, the Texans' offense should have no trouble with Miami, especially with the Dolphins' home-field disadvantage as of late. Not to mention Miami's defense got absolutely manhandled by the Patriots on Monday night.

Chargers over Patriots

• A possible preview of the AFC Championship Game, with two of the league's best offenses. I'm going with San Diego on the strength of their defense. And who knows, hopefully Nick Novak will be a major improvement over Nate Kaeding in the kicking game.

Eagles over Falcons

• The big story on Sunday night will be Michael Vick's return to Atlanta. It'll be interesting to see how the Falcons fans receive their former quarterback. This should be a very good matchup both offensively and defensively, but after the Falcons' abysmal performance in Chicago last week, I'm leaning a little more towards Philly for this one.

Rams over Giants

• The Giants are battling injuries on defense, and the Rams are battling injuries to several of their key offensive players. Given Eli Manning's penchant for miscues, St. Louis will get the win, but it's not gonna be pretty.

Stay frosty, y'all! B-)