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-)
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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-)
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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-)
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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?