A Week for Comeuppances

NFL Picks is something I don’t ordinarily do but after checking out the Friday NFL coverage in the local newspapers, I’m going to start. Pathetic coverage really, and it’s Friday, when you’d ordinarily expect to read some good articles, or at least the odds and the picks.

But no, once again, nothing good is happening in print media. So you’ll find my picks below, but I will have some things to say about the Jets especially and the rapidly-concluding baseball season following my picks.

NFL Matchups

Giants -9 @ KC Hard to imagine the G-Men not letting down after the easy win vs. TB. Are the Bucs better than Kansas City? Not bloody likely…but still, Giants by 9 is the spread – the home crowd should put KC in contention at least……………… KC

Jets @ New Orleans – 7 – The Jets just keep coming…they’ll shut down the Saints running game but will get victimized by a short passing game, I see Reggie Bush having a big game and a Jets come-uppance is in the offing……. Saints

Bengals -6 @ Cleveland – I like the Bengals big here, Cincinnati defense will dominate…..Mangini struggles will continue….Browns just out of it… Bengals

Lions @ Bears -9 ½ – Lions looked really passable vs Skins, they’ll be close vs Bears
That’s the effect a real QB can have……………………………… Lions

Oakland @ Houston -9 – The silver and black are just awful, they’ll continue being awful, that big lunk of a quarterback just can’t throw ……………………… ..Houston

Seattle @ Colts -10 ½ - Seattle will surprise here, they’re just not that bad overall, neither is Seneca Wallace………………………………………………………………. .Seattle

TB @ Skins -7 ½ - Skins will be fortunate to win never mind cover….. TB

Titans -3 @ Jags – this will be a war….Titans will win the war in a game nobody watches, a shame really but there it is…………………………………………… Titans

Ravens @ Pats -2 – another come-uppance game, Pats at home and feeling kinda insulted, can’t blame them really…… PATS

Bills -1 ½ @ Miami – I like Bills big here….Lynch back, Fish without Pennington, T.O. may catch a few balls or more……………………………………………………… .Bills

Rams @ Niners -10 – I like the Niners but not by ten, come on, this is a Mike Singletary team……………………………………………………………………………… …Rams

Cowboys -3 @ Broncos – things happen for a reason, Broncos record no mistake,can the Boyz stop anyone – Wade Phillips just not coming across here…. Broncos

Chargers @ Steelers -6 – Steelers minus anything is a joke lately…………. Chargers

Packers @ Vikings -3 – Packers haven’t shown much yet…………………… Vikings

First Bye week – Arizona, Eagles, Atlanta, Carolina

Despite the paltry width of the local Sports section, I’m psyched for the weekend. I might for the first time this season be able to sit back, have some chips or popcorn, maybe even drink some beer, and just enjoy the games at home. Thank God for the Redzone…TV commercials will not dominate my Sunday, not anymore.

Of course the Jets game is definitely the bigger New York game. The Giants play the year after year bad Kansas City Chiefs while the Jets have to butt heads with a real live team, the best team in the NFL right now, lowly Aints no more.

The biggest difference between this year’s version of the Chiefs is the coach….no Herm Edwards. Then there’s a new quarterback and a bit of a better defense too. Taking those advantages and a rabid KC crowd too, the G-Men could definitely have some troubles.

Eli is due for a clunker, Jacobs just isn’t that scary and Ahmad Bradshaw is hurt. They may ultimately prevail but it won’t be easy. They’ll be missing that safety Phillips for sure. And I think the Giants linebackers can be had.

As scary as the Jets can be for opposing offenses, the Saints ain’t just anybody. Drew Brees just doesn’t make that many mistakes, he’s got some formidable weapons in Reggie Bush, Colston and Jeremy Shockey, there’s a running game too, and they just seem to be able to win any way they want to.

In Buffalo last week, for example, they won easily, using just their running game for the most part. Before last week, they were ripping defenses with their awesome passing game. It was almost as if they were just practicing against the Bills, who, by the way, have a pretty good run defense.

The Jets will blitz and Brees will find Bush again and again. You’ll likely see a lot of screens and draw plays, anything to neutralize that fearsome rush. The Jets will get Pace back too but it may not help that much. Brees will be anxious to minimize that pressure right away and we saw what the Titans were able to do through the air when the Jets just rush three or four.

Not that Ryan’s bullies won’t be partially successful but they won’t be able to stop all of the weapons that that black and gold team brings to the table. The Jets’ve been running at the mouth too, especially that obnoxious Scott. His “How dare you?” speech left me particularly cold. I know I’d go out of my way to punch him in the mouth and my guess is that the Saints will too.

In baseball, it’s all about the Twins, two full games behind the Tigers with just three games left to play. And they can’t control the Tigers who close out vs the White Sox. A lot of things have to go their way. They won’t. But that doesn’t mean Joe Mauer may not win the AL MVP. He surely deserves it.

I know the Yanks fans will say it should be Teixeira but they’d be wrong. He’s good but only one player in the American League brought a mediocre team to the last week of the season still in contention for the playoffs. The Yanks would win without Teixeira, the Yanks are loaded.

The NL MVP is less clear-cut but Pujols will probably get it. I can only lament that it won’t be a guy named Beltran.