Fantasy-Football-First

Archive for September, 2009

The polls for this week’s Point Spread Picks are now open below. Please make your selections below and check out our POINT SPREAD PICKS page for the consensus and picks by our very own John Charles later in the week. John Charles went 12-4 last week against the spread but the consensus of our Readers went a very impressive 13-3. For the season John Charles is 30-18 and our Readers are 31-17.

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Week 4 is the first week of Bye Weeks. As a football fan I hate it this early in the season but as a fantasy fan I love it. Bye weeks in fantasy reward team owners who have the most team depth. It punishes the guys who have been carrying only one quarterback and tight end while stockpiling quality running backs. Bye weeks force owners to make move and I love moves.

This week we have the usual assortment of injuries to deal with but also some benchings. Throw in four teams on a bye and we have some work to do this week.

The following is a list of players that we feel have fantasy value and should be owned. They are not always starters. Our player rankings come out on Wednesday. These are players you might want to consider picking up for depth, help during a bye week or to keep them off your opponent’s roster.

Quarterbacks

• Mark Sanchez:  He’s healthy and not in danger of being benched which puts him at least in the top 20.  The Jets are opening up the playbook for him more and more and his numbers are improving. 
• Kyle Boller:  Boller actually provided a bit of a spark coming in for the injured Marc Bulger.  Boller has a stronger arm than Bulger and the Rams figure to be behind a lot. 
• Chad Henne:  Any starting quarterback bears mentioning and we will see what Henne has.  A bit of a gamble on him this early but if you are desperate he’s available. 

Running Backs

• Glen Coffee:  Reports are that Frank Gore is out 2-3 weeks which means Coffee becomes the starter.  Rookie running backs are hard to predict but we know he’ll get the touches.  Probably the top pick up of the week.
• Fred Taylor:  Taylor should see his touches increase and is establishing himself as the top running back in New England.  It looked to me that Laurence Maroney got hurt Sunday and that should only help Taylor.
• LeSean McCoy:  Filling in for the injured Brian Westbrook, McCoy looked good.  I could see him getting the majority of the carries even when Westbrook is healthy.
• Jamaal Charles:  Larry Johnson just isn’t working and the future is with Jamaal Charles ( no relation me, John Charles).  Kansas City is 0-3 and just a matter of time before they hand over the keys to Charles.
• Marshawn Lynch:  His suspension is over and no one is talking about him.  Yes, Fred Jackson has done a very good job but somehow Lynch will have to get involved. 

Wide Receiver

• Pierre Garcon:  I am only putting him on this list because every other web site in the world will have him on their waiver wire advice list this week.  But you know the truth in that we have mentioned him for the past 2 weeks in this column.  Must start every week now.  Star in the making.
• Kevin Walter:  Many passed on him on Draft Day or cut him early because on the hamstring injury.  He’s came back this week in a big way.  Grab him.
• Mike Wallace:  Wallace caught 7 passes so that should tell us that he is a vital part of Pittsburgh’s offense.  He has the speed to be a game breaker.

Bye Weeks for Atlanta, Philadelphia, Arizona, Carolina

Player Rankings will be up on Wednesday.

Contender or Pretender? 

That’s the question you should be asking yourself about your fantasy team this week.  In the NFL, the storyline for the week was all the teams with their backs against the wall.  History shows us that nearly 80% of all 3-0 teams end up making the playoffs while less than 2% of 0-3 teams do.  That’s good news for the Jets while the Titans are pretty much done. 

From a fantasy prospective it is that much harder to make up ground and make the playoffs.  Most seasons are 13 games so a 0-3 start can be devastating.  But not impossible. 

Since we are virtually a quarter through the fantasy regular season, this is the week we need to look at our team objectively.  Are you lucking out from winning low scoring games or do you have a team that’s better than your record shows?

To tell whether I have a good team or not at this point in the season I look at the total points scored in the league.  If I am in the top half in points I know I have a good team.  If I am in the bottom half, it’s time to figure out your game plan as status quo very rarely gets it done.

Here is what else Sunday taught us:

• Is there any  team better right now than the Baltimore Ravens?  Look for them to make a statement this week in New England that they are Super Bowl contenders.  Another big game fantasy wise for Willis McGahee who has to be the biggest surprise thus far.
• Pierre Thomas is back.  I was high on him all preseason and it looks like he is recovered from that knee injury.  Unfortunately he sat on my as well as many others bench.  Not next week.
• Has Fred Taylor emerged as the # 1 running back in New England?  Pick him up or make a deal for him next week.  Trade for him next week after the Baltimore game.
• The top pick up of the week is Glen Coffee.  Due to Frank Gore’s injury he becomes a starting running back.  If you need a running back you need to pick him up and if your team is desperate for a win feel free to bid your max.
• 15 minutes before kickoff, I announce on Twitter who I think is going to have the best day fantasy wise.  Last week I was right on with Chris Johnson ( 46 points ).  This week I picked Maurice Jones-Drew ( 33 points ).  Not to shabby.
• Do you think New England is kicking themselves right now for their decision to get rid of Greg Lewis and go with the terrible Joey Galloway?  Greg Lewis caught the Brett Favre touchdown yesterday while Joey Galloway would have a hard time catching a cold in New England.
• I guess I need to start believing the Cincinnati Bengals are for real.  They are one fluke play from being 3-0.  Parity.

Your Week 3 fantasy All Star team:

QB – Peyton Manning

RB – Maurice Jones-Drew, Pierre Thomas

WR – Santana Moss, Desean Jackson

TE- Vernon Davis

K- Steven Gostowski

D- Baltimore

If you had drafted that team, it would have been good for 185 points this week.  You would have taken MJD in the first round, Pierre Thomas or Peyton Manning as your 2-3rd round picks and then filled in thereafter.  You somebody has that team, unfortunately not me.

Here is this weeks line up on Fantasy-Football-First

Tuesday:  Point Spread Picks Poll, Waiver Wire Pick Ups

Wednesday:  Week 2 Player Rankings, 10:30pm EST Fantasy Football Podcast

Thursday:  Survivor Pool Rankings

Friday:  Point Spread Picks

This is the first week of bye weeks as well as a lot of injury information to sort through so keep checking in with us throughout the week.

Record Last Week:  9-7

Season to Date:  18-14

Readers Last Week:  10-6

Season to Date:  18-14

If you read this column last week, you may recall I commented that it had been raining in the greater Atlanta area for 5 days.  As it turned out, it rained for 3 more and I am sure you have seen the result on the news.  What would be the odds that a landlocked city, coming out of a 3 year drought and  not near any major water source, would experience deadly flooding?  A million to one perhaps.

Last week I complained about my wife’s car hydroplane and a leaky roof  yet this week I am fortunate that was the extent of what we experienced.  Puts things in perspective.

The good thing about a rainy Sunday last week was the wife not sighing at the sight of me camped out on the couch for 10 hours watching games.  Another good thing is putting up a respectable 9-7 record for the 2nd week in a row.

But what about the readers of this web site?  Wow.  The consensus put up a very impressive 10-6 and pulled even with me for the season at 18-14.  Week 3 is always an interesting week.  You have some teams at 0-2 with their “backs against the wall” ( hello Tennessee ) and some others at 2-0 that lucked out with an easy schedule ( hello Minnesota).

Below are my Point Spread Picks for Week 3.  You can also see them all together on the Point Spread Picks page above.  You can participate in the Points Spread Picks interactive poll by clicking here.  The consensus picks of the readers will be posted to the Point Spread Picks page Sunday morning.

Let’s do this.

Tennessee at NY Jets ( -2.5)

The first of many tough calls this week.  Tennessee is better than 0-2 and I am not sold  on the Jets at 2-0.  The Jets shut down the Patriots last week in impressive fashion.  Tennessee has lost two games by a combined 6 points.  I keep going back and forth on this game and the readers poll for this game is just about 50-50.  I am going for the team that needs it more over a team that could have a letdown after a big win last week.  Take Tennessee.

Jacksonville at Houston (-4)

Another game with an 0-2 team that is better than their record shows.  0-2 Jacksonville travels to Houston in what figures to be a high scoring game with little defense.  Maurice Jones-Drew is going to have a field day against this defense.  I am going to take the points and go with another “back against the wall” team.  Take Jacksonville.

Kansas City at Philadelphia (-9.5)

A banged up Eagles team at home taking on a messed up Chiefs team who hasn’t figured out that you should name your 60 million dollar quarterback the starter.  If Kevin Kolb hadn’t played so well last week I would be tempted to take the points but he did and therefore I am going to push the 9.5.  Take Philadelphia.

Cleveland at Baltimore ( -13.5 )

I mentioned in Week 1 that Baltimore has been averaging near 30 points a game since Week 7 of last season.  Surprising considering they are known for their defense.  This season the scoring has continued as they have scored 69 points in two games.  Cleveland is 0-2 and their backs are not against the wall.  Watching Eric Mangini stand on the sidelines getting his you know what kicked is worth the price of admission alone.  I am already giddy about the potential Week 11 match up of a 0-9 Browns team at a 0-9 Lions.  We could call it the Toilet Bowl.  Take Baltimore.

NY Giants at Tampa Bay (+7)

I try very hard to take the points for a home team.  In this case I can’t do it as the Giants are rolling passing the ball and Tampa Bay can’t defend the pass.  Take NY Giants.

Washington at Detroit ( -6.5)

Normally fans of teams playing the Lions are fired up.  Nothing to worry about and a chance to see your backups in action.  Not this week.  The folks inside the Beltway are sweating bullets as the Lions are a trendy pick to win this game outright.  If the Redskins lose, you could see a new head coach and quarterback next week.  I think that gives them just enough motivation to win this game and a late Matt Stafford interception to cover the spread.  Take Washington.

Green Bay at St. Louis ( +6.5)

No reason to believe Green Bay doesn’t win big against a Rams team with injuries on the offensive line who can’t score.  Take Green Bay.

San Francisco at Minnesota (-7)

It’s your game of the week on FOX !  One of these two teams will emerge 3-0.  That’s what happens when 2-0 teams play each other according to John Madden.  Minnesota has played the two easiest teams in the NFL while San Francisco has played two tough opponents.  I’ll take the 7 points in a game that looks to focus on the run and  be low scoring.  Take San Francisco.

Atlanta at New England ( -4 )

Another very tough game to call.  Based on the first 2 games of the season, you would have to give the edge to Atlanta at every position.  A must win for New England as they know if they lose this game they could be looking at 1-3 after next weeks game against Baltimore.  This is the game to avoid picking but I have to pick every game so I will take the more desperate team at home.  Take New England.

Chicago at Seattle ( -2.5 )

The health of Matt Hasselbeck swings this game to Chicago’s favor.  Take the points.  Take Chicago.

New Orleans at Buffalo ( -5.5)

Buffalo has allowed 332 yards passing this season against an average Tom Brady and Byron Leftwich.  What do you think Drew Brees is going to do Sunday?  This is the most confusing line of the week.  New Orleans should be a double digit favorite.  Back the Brinks truck up on this game.  Take New Orleans.

Miami at San Diego (-5.5)

I have watched and admired Bill Parcells for as long as I can remember.  I can’t believe he is allowing the Dolphins to run this Wildcat offense.  It just baffles my mind.  NFL Network needs to rerun last Monday night’s game with a laugh track.  We always say the prevent defense prevents you from winning.  I am starting to think Miami’s wildcat offense is a prevent offense.  Take San Diego.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati (+4.5)

Pittsburgh’s has no running game so I would be inclined to take the points with the home team.  However, the Bengals are the Bengals for a reason.  I don’t see the Steelers losing two in a row.  Take Pittsburgh.

Denver at Oakland ( -1)

Denver has been surprisingly strong against the run and Oakland can’t pass so I’ll take the Broncos in another game I would shy away from if I had the choice.  Take Denver.

Indianapolis at Arizona ( -2.5)

Peyton Manning scores so fast it hurts his defense that can’t catch a breath.  This game figures to be a shootout and I view both teams as even.  I just like Arizona at home a little more than Indianapolis on the road for the second week in a row.  Take Arizona.

Carolina at Dallas (-8.5).

Dallas appears to be an every other week team.  If that’s true then this is their week on the upside.  Take Dallas.

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J.C.

I am a reality show / trash tv junkie. It makes for interesting dinner conversation with my wife. While she discusses what vegetables are growing in our garden, I change the subject to talk about how Russell is the most outrageous Survivor contestant ever and how I was happy that Jordan won on Big Brother. To use a sports cliche, we aren’t always on the “same page”.

Apparently being on the same page is important in sports. Watching the Patriots-Jets game last week the announcers informed us that Tom Brady and Randy Moss were not on the same page. Not good. We all saw Peyton Manning hit Dallas Clark with an 80 yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game Monday night. Afterwards, a reporter asked Manning about the play and  said that he and Clark were on the same page. Very good.

A big part of my research for this fantasy football web site, other than watching all the games, is reading information posted on the major corporate sports web sites that I would love to work for someday. It’s no secret what I read, the links are on the right. What amazes me is how many fantasy football experts are not on the same page. One has Chris Johnson as a Start this week, another has him as a Sit. One website that starts with the letter E has multiple experts and they don’t even agree with each other most of the time.

What’s a fantasy football owner to do with these tough lineup decisions?

Everyone has their own system or favorite trusted source. I read them all, form my own opinion, post them here for all to see.

My Start Em / Sit Em column consists of players that are on the bubble. These are your match up starters. You don’t need anyone to tell you to start your Studs. These are the tough calls of the week. 

Quarterback

Start Em: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, David Garrard, Jason Campbell, Kevin Kolb

Sit Em: Matt Cassel, Brett Favre, Carson Palmer, Mark Sanchez, Chad Pennington

Running Back

Start Em: Fred Jackson, Darren Sproles, Felix Jones, Ryan Grant, Steve Slaton

Sit Em: Larry Johnson, Cedric Benson, Brian Westbrook, Willie Parker, Marion Barber

Wide Reciever

Start Em: Santana Moss, Pierre Garcon, Mario Manningham, Mike Sims-Walker, Derrick Mason

Sit Em: Wes Welker, Nate Burleson, Justin Gage, Eddie Royal, Muhsin Muhammad

Tight End

Start Em: Chris Cooley, Jeremy Shockey, Owen Daniels, Vernon Davis, Kellen Winslow

Sit Em: Zach Miller, Heath Miller, Ben Watson, Bo Scaife, Greg Olsen

I do take lineup questions. If you want a 2nd opinion on a tough call you can email me on the CONTACT page above or on twitter at www.twitter.com/FantasyF.

You can listen to our Wednesday night podcast in which we discussed waiver wire picks, lineup decisions and a fantasy preview for each game this upcoming weekend by clicking on the RADIO page above. Our next podcast is Sunday morning at 10:30am for injury updates and point spread picks.

NOTE – Week 3 Player Rankings are now up on the START / SIT page.

The Cincinnati Bengals are the team that is causing the most heartache in Survivor Pools.  They lost in Week 1 which knocked some people out and then won in Week 2 which knocked a lot of people out.  Forgive me if I stay away from the Pittsburgh / Cincinnati game this week.

There have been some major scares.  New England in Week 1 and Washington in Week 2.  Anything can happen in the National Football League.  Here are the teams that I think are the safest picks this week in your Survivor Elimination Pools.

1. Baltimore
2. Philadelphia
3. Washington
4. Dallas
5. Green Bay
6. Minnesota
7. NY Giants
8. San Diego
9. Pittsburgh
10. New Orleans
11. NY Jets
12. Houston
13. Chicago
14. Indianapolis
15. Oakland
16. New England
17. Atlanta
18. Denver
19. Arizona
20. Seattle
21. Jacksonville
22. Tennessee
23. Buffalo
24. Cincinnati
25. Miami
26. Tampa Bay
27. San Francisco
28. St. Louis
29. Carolina
30. Detroit
31. Kansas City
32. Cleveland

Good Luck, this is a very challenging week. 

The polls for this week’s Point Spread Picks are now open below. Please make your selections below and check out our POINT SPREAD PICKS page for the consensus and picks by our very own John Charles later in the week.  Our Readers and John Charles are both 18-14 on the season.

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If you want to have a great fantasy football week you need to play my team.  In Week 1 my team scored 90 points which was good for 3rd highest in a 12 team league and yet I still lost.   In Week 2 I put up 93 points, finished 2nd in points and lost. 

Luckily my league uses a BCS type formula for its standings where Won-Loss record counts for 1/3, total points for the season counts for 1/3 and average team rank for a week is 1/3.  As a result, my 0-2 team is in 4th place in a 12 team league. 

While other teams somehow get wins running a Princeton style offense scoring in the 50′s, I lose shootouts in the 90′s.  No need to panic.  I know my team is good and will rise to the top eventually.  The question you need to ask yourself is whether or not your team is good.  Forget won-loss records for now.  Is your team in the top half of your league in points?  If so, don’t feel pressed to make moves just stick to your plan.  If not, you need to get some help.

Below are a list of players available in most leagues that may be able to help you.  I am not saying these are must starts.  They may be able to help you if you are short handed at a position.

Quarterbacks

• David Garrard :  If he is available in your league please get him.  Just find a way to make it happen.  His team isn’t pretty but they have a nice schedule coming up.  Trust me.
• Kevin Kolb :  I know I said to avoid him last week but if you need someone this week in an emergency situation, he might be able to help.
• Seneca Wallace:  We don’t know the status of Matt Hasselbeck for this week but seeing the way he looked leaving the field, you should pick up this insurance policy.

Running Backs

• Willis McGahee:  McGahee is 4th in fantasy points through 2 weeks.  Even if you never start him, pick him up to at least keep him from the rest of your league.
• Correll Buckhalter:  Getting some carries in Denver.  If desperate, take a chance on him.
• Felix Jones:  Marion Barber pulled up lame Sunday night.  Not sure the extent but Jones should see an increased workload.

Wide Receivers

• Pierre Garcon:  We had Garcon on last weeks list.  After scoring touchdown to win Monday night game he will be owned in all leagues this week.  That guy is fast and should be a must start this week.
• Julian Edelman:  We are so proud of Edelman whom we named a 7th round Super Sleeper back in May.  Brady threw him the ball and he played well.  Even with Wes Welker coming back I could see Edelman sticking as a 3rd wide receiver ahead of the terrible looking Joey Galloway.
• Mario Manningham:  Week 2 leading wide receiver will be a popular pickup.

Other wide receivers to consider:  Mike Sims-Walker, Johnny Knox, Chris Henry.

Complete player rankings for Week 3 will be out Wednesday.

There are two different type of fantasy football owners.  Owner #1 plays virtually the same lineup every week.  He’ll mix it up  only if there is an injury or a bye week.  Owner # 2 constantly changes his lineup, picks up and releases players frequently, worries about his lineup decisions and is constantly second guessing themselves.

So which one are you?

Owner # 1 sticks with their players even when they have a bad week while Owner # 2 will look to bench that player and start the latest Sleeper of the Week.  Owner # 1 probably sleeps better at night while Owner # 2 stays up trying to figure out how his team still lost even though all the major websites told him his players would have monster weeks.

The problem is we draft players based on how we feel they will perform over a SEASON and then judge and rank them based on how we feel they will perform that WEEK.   Week 2 reminded us of that very important lesson. 

Matt Schaub was the top quarterback of the week yet many had him on the bench because he looked so poorly in week 1.  Same thing with Carson Palmer.  Instead owners started players like Brett Favre because many websites said he would have a monster week and got burned.  This week most players performed like they projected to do in the preseason.  Things were as normal as they could be.  If you made the wrong lineup decisions this week, ask yourself if you over analyzed the decisions.  Stick with your starters.

Lets see what else we learned:

• There were 7 100 yard rushers this week up from 5 in week 1.  6 of the 7 were drafted in the first 2 rounds of most drafts with the only exception being Fred Jackson.  That’s why we draft running backs early and often in fantasy football.  They are the most consistent and predictable scorers.
• There were also 7 100 yard wide receivers this week but only 2 would be considered top 10 based on fantasy football drafts.  3 of the top 10, Mario Manningham, Steve Smith ( of the Giants ) and Mike Sims-Walker probably weren’t drafted in most leagues.  Another example of why we don’t draft wide receivers early.
• The New Orleans passing game looks scary.  I want to see how they perform against the Jets next week to see if they are for real and could threaten several records.
• Brett Favre was projected by many, including me, to have a monster week against Detroit.  He didn’t and I don’t see any easier match ups on his schedule so I would cut him loose at this point.
• Who was that guy catching all those passes for New England?  Julian Edelman is his name and we first told you about him back on May 7th when we listed him as one of 3 Super Sleepers.  You can read that article from May 7th by clicking here.
• 15 minutes before kickoff Sunday, I wrote on Twitter that  someone was going to have a big day in the 1pm games.  That player?  Chris Johnson.  He ended up with 46 fantasy points.  You can follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Our fantasy all star team for Week 2:

QB – Matt Schaub

RB – Chris Johnson, Frank Gore

WR – Andre Johnson, Marques Colston

TE – Kellen Winslow

K- Rian Lindell

D – Arizona

If you had that team you would have put up a whopping 208 points.  It would be very unlikely as I can’t imagine being able to get Chris Johnson, Frank Gore and Andre Johnson with your first 3 picks. 

This weeks Line Up on Fantasy-Football-First:

Tuesday- Waiver Wire Pick Ups / Point Spread Picks Poll

Wednesday- Player Rankings / 10:30pm Podcast

Thursday – Start Em / Sit Em and Survivor Pool Rankings

Friday – Point Spread Picks

You can email us any fantasy football questions or comments through the CONTACT page at the top of the screen.

Record Last Week : 9-7
Season To Date : 9-7

Readers Last Week : 8-8
Season To Date : 8-8

It started raining here in North Georgia 5 days ago. I love the rain, in fact Seattle would be an ideal place for me to live, but enough is enough and it’s enough. The problem started 3 days ago when my wife called saying she lost control over the car in a downpour and hit a curb. I took the car into the shop to get it “checked out” and they informed me about all the things wrong to the extent of 900 dollars. Ugh.

Then last night I am sitting on the couch watching a very entertaining episode of Survivor when a little drop hit me. I looked up and down came another. I started freaking out. Not because of the leaky roof, but because that means I am going to have to deal with roofers this week. Roofing companies advertise on Craigslist hiring sales people with “no experience necessary” to make thousands per week. I wonder where all those thousands come from? Homeowners with leaky roofs.

A mechanic and a roofer in the same week sends me to my “Am I getting screwed?” limit . I need a nice relaxing weekend to unwind and get back to normal. We need to build on a respectable 9-7 first week and take it up a notch.

Below are my Point Spread Picks for Week 2. You can also find them on the Point Spread page above. You can participate in our Readers Pick Poll by clicking here. The consensus picks will be posted to the Point Spread page Sunday morning.

Lets do this.

Oakland at Kansas City (-3.5 )

Both teams played well in losing efforts last week against strong teams. The Raiders play Kansas City tough and beat them twice last year. The addition of Richard Seymour is going to help especially early on in the season. Darren McFadden looked good and I liked Oakland’s play calling last week. These two play close games and I’ll take the points. Take Oakland.

Houston at Tennessee ( -6.5 )

Both teams enter the contest 0-1 and as John Madden would say that means one of the teams will be 0-2 at the end of the game. With 10 days to prepare for their home opener I don’t see that team being Tennessee.  Houston’s offense played so poorly last week that the spread doesn’t scare me. Take Tennessee.

New England at NY Jets (+3.5)

I hate nothing more than teams with rookie head coaches and rookie quarterbacks who run their mouths. The Jets are perfecting that this week and some people are buying into it as the spread has dropped 2 points in the last 3 days. The Patriots trap game was last week playing the Bills at home still hurting from the loss of Richard Seymour. This week the Patriots are back to being the Patriots and that means they beat the Jets big. Take New England.

Cincinnati at Green Bay ( -9 )

This has trap written all over it. Cincinnati is improved defensively this year and were upset in shocking fashion last week. Green Bay is coming off an emotional win at home and looking to build on that momentum. Some teams are just lucky and some just aren’t. Some teams are good and some still aren’t. Cincinnati hasn’t played in Green Bay since 1995 and although I would love to get 9 points, I am not going to hang my hat on the Bengals in Green Bay. Take Green Bay.

Minnesota at Detroit ( -10 )

I have spent more time researching this pick than any other. Detroit plays Minnesota tough at home in recent years. I don’t like double digit point spreads favoring the road team in the NFL. I don’t like double digit point spreads in division contests. All my theory’s suggest taking the points with Detroit except one and that’s the common sense theory. Take Minnesota.

New Orleans at Philadelphia ( -0.5 )

O.k.  New Orleans, lets see what you got. I know you dropped 6 td’s on the Lions and it could have been 8. I know Philadelphia has quarterback issues. I’ll ride the # 1 QB in the NFL against one that may not be on the team in 3 weeks. Take New Orleans.

Carolina at Atlanta ( -4 )

Atlanta showed me something last week in beating Miami. Carolina showed me something else last week in losing to Philadelphia. I expect both teams to show me something this week. How’s that for Madden-like analysis? Take Atlanta.

St. Louis at Washington ( -10 )

Washington is my Survivor Pool pick this week. With that said, I am nervous as can be about this game. This is the point spread game to avoid but if you must, and I must, Take Washington.

Arizona at Jacksonville ( -3.5 )

An interesting game as I normally don’t like West Coast teams going East for a 1pm start. Both teams are 0-1 and the loser will be a surprising 0-2. It’s going to be hot and sticky but both teams are used to the heat. I think it’s an evenly matched game and that means I take the points. Take Arizona.

Seattle at San Francisco ( -1.5 )

Shhh. Seattle is good. Don’t tell anyone and lets quietly cash in until Vegas and the rest of the public figures it out. No way should they be the underdog in this one. I’ll take the 1 1/2 and back the Brinks truck up. Take Seattle.

Tampa Bay at Buffalo ( -4.5 )

Why would Buffalo not throw to Terrell Owens more than once in the 1st half Monday night? If for no other reason than to send a message to the secondary that it’s going to be a tough night for them. Haven’t the Buffalo coaches been watching the T.O. Show in which T.O. reminds us that T.O. is the most dominating player in football?  Buffalo gains some confidence from the Patriots game and runs wild on Tampa Bay. Take Buffalo.

Cleveland at Denver ( -3 )

Driving to the mechanic the other day I set the over/under on the repair bill for my wife’s car at $ 400.00. I took the over, she took the under. It was $900.00 . Never have I been so depressed to get a pick right. Kinda like this game. Take Denver.

Baltimore at San Diego ( -3.5 )

How you feeling L.T. fantasy football owners ? L.T. is like running into an ex girlfriend at your favorite bar.  After a few drinks you are talking and think everything could be great again like it was in the beginning.  A few weeks later you are reminded why everyone told you to stay away and now you need to find a new bar. Stay classy San Diego while I take the points. Take Baltimore.

Pittsburgh at Chicago ( + 3)

I am very concerned about Pittsburgh’s lack of a running game. If you want to throw 50 times a game then I’ll take my chances with a defense that I think will rise to the occasion despite losing its leader. I am very curious to see how many terrible towels make it into Soldier Field. Pittsburgh fans always amaze me with their road turnout. Take Chicago.

NY Giants at Dallas ( -3 )

Have you heard that they have a big new scoreboard in Dallas that hangs so low the punters hit it or did you just come out of a coma? I am placing the over/under on scoreboard mentions by the NBC team at 73. I am expecting full team coverage. I want them to talk to Jerry Jones, NFL officials, the referees, the punters, the fans and each other about it the whole broadcast. I can’t get enough scoreboard coverage. I want to know its height, weight, dimensions, cup size. Come on NBC, I know you have it in you. I’ll take the over on the scoreboard mentions, somehow a game will be played despite it and Dallas rolls in the home opener. Take Dallas.

Indianapolis at Miami ( + 3 )

Indianapolis didn’t play that well in Week 1. Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne got their numbers but the rest of the team looked flat. Tough game to call but I am going with the upset and take Miami to win outright. Take Miami.

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JC