Miami (0-4) @ Houston (2-2)
All right, so apparently I over-valued the Dolphins. That defense appears to be essentially non-existent, which is probably one of the reasons why the Dolphins have star defensive end Jason Taylor on the trading block. In addition, the Texans decided to come out flat against Atlanta – making both of these teams ‘pick-offenders’ by losing their respective games instead of winning them as I told them they were supposed to do. Hopefully they will listen better this week – to punish them I should probably pick this as a tie, but that would not be the greatest of ideas if we are trying for perfection here. This Trent Green experiment that Miami is attempting does not appear to be working – after four games Green has a 60.4% completion rating with five touchdowns and seven interceptions and an 0-4 record as Miami’s starter. Rookie return man Ted Ginn is averaging 21.9 yards a kick-off return and 7 yards a pop on punt returns. There is no way I would have drafted him at ninth overall, but then again they do not pay me to make those calls. They probably should, but they do not. At any rate – Houston wins at home.
Jacksonville (2-1) @ Kansas City (2-2)Well, the Jaguars are back from their bye. Their fans may be rejoicing, but I, the prognosticator, am not exactly pleased to be seeing the Jaguars come up on my matchup sheet again. As my readers know, the Jaguars are in a probationary period with me. I said last week that either the Chiefs or the Chargers’ offenses would come to life. I was right, but it was not the offense that I wanted to come to life. Rookie receiver Dwayne Bowe hauled in eight receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers last week and appears to be becoming a major part of the Chiefs’ offensive assault. However, this should surprise no one – after all, Tony Gonzalez worked out so well with the Chiefs, why would they not try to find Tony Gonzalez Part Two? Since the Chiefs seem to be up & coming now, I will surf the wave and pick them to win.
Cleveland (2-2) @ New England (4-0)The Browns pulled off another upset last week, knocking off the Baltimore Ravens 27-13. Derek Anderson has thrown 9 touchdowns on the season, but has only played three games at this point. Had he started over Charlie Frye in week one, I wonder if the result of that game would have been different. His counterpart on the other side of the field, Tom Brady, has 13. Brady is actually on track to break Peyton Manning’s single season touchdown record of 49 – Brady is on track to record 52. Isn’t it amazing what happens when you pair a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback with star receivers? Running back Sammy Morris is actually out-performing Laurence Maroney in the rushing department – both backs have carried the ball 54 times, but Morris has 16 more yards and three more touchdowns. The points this team has been putting up are just insane – 38 every week before playing Cincinnati, and then 34 against Cincinnati. The Cleveland defense will have a hard time slowing down the Patriots, that is certain. Speaking of the Pats, their defense receives a boost this week with the return of safety Rodney Harrison from his league-mandated four game suspension. How does that saying go? The rich get richer? The Patriots have to be careful not to be caught in a trap game this week, but they are too focused to have that happen. Patriots win this week.
CAROLINA (2-2) @ NEW ORLEANS (0-3)
The Panthers offense collapsed last week under the guidance of back-up quarterback David Carr, mustering only a touchdown in the closing seconds of the game. David Carr looked to spark the offense early in the game with a huge leap for a first down, but all it did was serve as the Panthers lone offensive highlight in the first 59 minutes of play. Carr will be getting his second consecutive start this week and hopefully he and his receivers will have better timing. Star receiver Steve Smith needs to take it upon himself to make things happen, as do running backs DeAngelo Williams and DeShaun Foster. Defensively, the team is struggling. Ranked 21st against the run and 20th against the pass, 23rd overall, there is a distinct drop-off from last year’s 7th overall defense. The biggest issue is really collapsing in the first half. By the time the defense rebounds in the second half, the team is already in a deficit and the offense has even more pressure on itself to perform. Last year’s NFC South winner, the New Orleans Saints, have not looked up-to-snuff yet as the team is 0-3. They have had little-to-no running game, with both Deuce McAlister and Reggie Bush having less than 30 carries. Quarterback Drew Brees has struggled; primarily due to an offensive line that is, well, offensive, as they have forgotten how to pass-protect. Perhaps the Panthers are just what the doctor ordered, as the Cats have had trouble generating a pass rush on defense. The afore-mentioned McAlister was injured against the Titans and will miss the rest of the season, leaving the bulk of the rushing duties to second-year phenom Reggie Bush. As the Saints have had trouble gelling offensively, and the Panthers have had trouble on defense, this game should prove to be at least a temporary cure for one of the two. The Saints’ defense has also been porous, allowing rushing yards and passing yards galore. At any rate, this could be an ugly game, but a win is a win and I predict Carolina to win.
New York Jets (1-3) @ New York Giants (2-2)The Jets have been a disappointment so far on the season – after securing a wildcard berth last year they appeared to be on their way up, but they have not been able to get it together on both sides of the ball, with an inconsistent offense and defense. Meanwhile, the Giants are coming off an NFL record-tying 12-sack performance on the Philadelphia Eagles. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora recorded 6 of those 12 sacks – beating left tackle Winston Justice repeatedly. As Deion Sanders said, Justice will wake up in the middle of the night screaming “Osi! Osi!” every once in awhile. This is because it is a lot harder to wake up screaming “Umenyiora! Umenyiora!” At any rate, after a defensive performance that hot, one of two things is bound to happen. Either they come out flat against the Jets, or they are fired up and come on out and do it again. I say the latter. Giants win this week, improving to 3-2.
Seattle (3-1) @ Pittsburgh (3-1)Currently atop their respective divisions, the Seahawks and Steelers look poised for playoff runs this year. Pittsburgh suffered their first loss of the season last week, as their former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, who is now the head coach for Arizona, was able to defeat Mike Tomlin’s squad with his two quarterback system, piloted by the young Matt Leinart and the veteran Kurt Warner. I have no clue how long this system will work, but former UNC head coach John Bunting tried it last year with Cam Sexton and Joe Dailey, and it did not work. Granted, Warner and Leinart have much more talent, but still. Typically, switching quarterbacks messes with an offense’s chemistry, particularly with receivers and the timing of passes. Seattle’s offense has dropped off a little bit from last year, but as Shaun Alexander’s cracked wrist heals, the offense should pick up some steam. These two teams have not met since the infamous Super Bowl XL. Said Super Bowl is notorious for several bad officiating calls, but the Steelers still won the game. If this game were in Seattle, I would probably pick the Seahawks to win, but on the road against a Steelers team coming off a loss, I will go with the Steelers to win this week. Sorry to any readers I may have from Seahawkblue.com.
Arizona (2-2) @ St. Louis (0-4)Veteran journeyman quarterback Gus Frerotte is now starting indefinitely for the St. Louis Rams as incumbent star quarterback Marc Bulger is out with broken ribs. Tackle Adam Goldberg tore his MCL, putting him out for at least four weeks. Running back Steven Jackson is still out. The defensive unit is on its heels. What do the Rams have left? They seem to be a perfect upset game candidate this week, but I cannot bring myself to do that. The Cardinals have knocked off both the Seahawks and the Steelers, two teams with a combined two losses – the aforementioned losses to the Cardinals. Naturally, there is always a certain amount of trepidation from Rams fans whenever quarterback Kurt Warner comes into town to play against them, and as Kurt has looked good in relief of Leinart the past few weeks, there may be even more trepidation this time around. I was, and still am, a Warner fan. Cardinals win on the road this week.
Detroit (3-1) @ Washington (2-1)The Lions are in second place in the NFC North, a game behind the undefeated Green Bay Packers. They do not have much of a running attack, but with the receivers they have and Mike Martz as offensive coordinator, they have not needed one. Last time the Redskins played, they collapsed against the Giants, allowing the Giants to win. Running back Clinton Portis is once again suffering from different injuries, but has still managed 227 yards rushing and three touchdowns in three games. As my readers know, I am monitoring Lions’ QB Jon Kitna’s prediction of 10 wins this season – so far, he is 30% of the way there. It is a little hard to pick the Lions to beat the Redskins, particularly since Joe Gibbs has never lost to them, but I will pick Detroit to win anyway.
Atlanta (1-3) @ Tennessee (2-1)The Falcons managed to win for the first time last week against the Houston Texans – yet another pick of mine that went wrong last week. Apparently, Panthers Defensive Coordinator Mike Trgovac was giving the Titans ‘helpful’ tips on how to slow down Joey Harrington’s passing game. Tennessee has had a very strong triple-pronged rushing attack, spearheaded by running backs Chris Brown and Lendale White coupled with quarterback Vince Young. Young has also improved his passing abilities, and is continuing to mold his professional football fate. I have never been much of a fan of him, but that may be more because of the fact Mack Brown was his college coach. In the end, the Titans should be able to find running room against Atlanta, and that will be the reason they win this week.
Tampa Bay (3-1) @ Indianapolis (4-0)Well, the Buccaneers prevailed over Carolina last week, but lost starting tailback Carnell Williams and starting left tackle Luke Petitgout for the season. The Panthers need the Buccaneers to lose in order to remain in contention for the divisional title. Even though the Bucs are beat up, though, they will still bring as much fight as they can to Indy. Speaking of Indy, the Colts are rolling at 4-0 thus far on the season. A moment of consternation occurred for Indy last week as superstar receiver Marvin Harrison injured his knee. If he cannot go or is limited this week, look for rookie wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez to step into Harrison’s spot. Gonzalez has looked like a veteran to date, making tough catches in traffic and providing a spark when needed. This would be a prime game to choose as an upset game, but I certainly do not want to give the Bucs a victory this week. Colts win it to improve to 5-0.
WEEKLY UPSET GAME: San Diego (1-3) @ Denver (2-2)Do not even bother to ask me why I keep backing the Chargers. Maybe it is because we were spoiled on them last year, when they had coaching continuity. Maybe it is because I feel a little partial to Philip Rivers. Maybe it is because LaDainian Tomlinson is one of the classiest players in the NFL. Maybe it is because I have friends who are from San Diego. I do like Denver, and I do like Jay Cutler. Nevertheless, this week is not their week to shine. Running back Travis Henry of the Broncos faces a possible league-mandated suspension for substance abuse. This would be a blow to the Broncos’ rushing game if it happens, but the Broncos know how to run the ball no matter who is at running back. In the end, somehow the Chargers find a way to win this game and keep themselves and their season semi-alive.
Baltimore @ San FranciscoThe Ravens defense has been a little suspect recently, but gets to face a blast from the past this week in quarterback Trent Dilfer, who helped lead the Ravens to a victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. San Fran’s franchise quarterback Alex Smith was injured last week and could miss up to a month. The veteran Dilfer will start in his place. Since San Francisco’s offense is the worst in the NFL, this will prove very interesting. Their defense will likely be able to slow the Ravens offense, but with their offensive woes, the Ravens D should be able to provide a win for Baltimore. Ravens win it on the road, trying to reclaim some of their dignity after being manhandled by the Browns.
Sunday Night Football: Chicago @ Green BayBrett Favre IS DA MAN! Favre now is the all-time leader in passing touchdowns in NFL history, and will continue to add to what is now his own record. Who knows how far he will go? Hopefully, the Packers will be able to take home one more Lombardi trophy for Favre. That is assuming, of course, that the Panthers will be unable to do that for Jake Delhomme. Brian Griese did well in moving the chains and scoring points for Chicago, but still showed proneness to turnovers as Rex Grossman did. Personally, right now I believe that is due to ‘rust’ from very little playing time over the past year or two. However, I wonder how long before Kyle Orton gets another chance? I will keep riding the Packers’ gravy train, as I pick the Packers to advance to 5-0.
Monday Night Football: Dallas @ BuffaloRookie quarterback Trent Edwards played well in his first career NFL start, leading the Bills to a 17-14 victory over the Jets last week. He has a tougher assignment this week – preparing to attempt to defeat the surging Cowboys, who have started off the season on fire. One-time backup to Drew Bledsoe, quarterback Tony Romo is now showing off his athleticism week in & week out as something more than a holder on kicking plays. His recovery of the botched snap last week that he turned into a first down run was just one example of his skills, or perhaps luck. I am not a Dallas fan, nor am I a Romo fan, but I have to give him kudos for not giving up on that play. He certainly deserved the 15-yard touchdown run he got later on in that drive. I considered making this game my upset game, but I do not think that the Bills will play quite well enough to win this game. I do think that it will be closer than a lot of people give the Bills credit for, though. Cowboys win it.
Last week I went 6-8 (only the second time in history NAPC! has had a losing record) and am 35-27 overall.
By Robert “RingLeader” Gilbert [Comments will be taken in the PantherCoalition Forums.]
