PHILLY (4-7) -3 OER SEATTLE ()4-7) (43.5) – Well, I was all over Philly from a pure “gut” standpoint for this game for weeks, then the Eagles are imploding looking like a pretty lousy defense with their 2nd string QB who is one hammy away from being Kafka. Macklin is out. Vick is out. Rodgers-Cromartie is out. They could win tonight, but like they say “I wouldn’t bet on it!” so I’m not. I’m going to pass on this game and hope that the Seahawks deliver another blow to an NFC East team. I really don’t want the Cowboys to win the East, but it’s looking more and more like it’s going to happen thanks to the Giants lack of defense all of a sudden. Like I tweeted everywhere in the country the other night…THE NFC EAST SUCKS. PASS.

BUFFALO (5-6) -1.5 OVER TENNESSEE (6-5) (43) – This game is a must game for both teams obviously, but these two teams are going in opposite directions at this point in the season. Bills RB Fred Jackson is out for the year with a broken leg. Injuries have decimated their offensive line. Their defense can not stop the run. Tennessee, on the other hand, since getting crushed by Houston 6 weeks ago, have played well. All pro RB Chris Johnson is looking like he’s back into form. Last week he rushed for 190 yards and caught passes for another 100. Even though this game is in Buffalo, Tennessee stands a good chance of controlling the clock and moving the football enough to outscore QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and the struggling Bills offense. Since shutting out the Redskins in Toronto 5 weeks ago, The Bills have lost 5 games in a row, two of them to the Jets. I’M GOING TO PASS ONTHIS GAME BUT I DO LIKE THE TITANS RUNNING THEIR RECORD TO 7-5 AND STAYING ALIVE HERE.

CHICAGO (7-4) -7 OVER KANSAS CITY (4-7) (37.5) – The Bears are without starting QB Jay Cutler for a while and there’s even talk of picking up Donovan McNabb off waivers to fill in while he rehabs his broken thumb. However, backup QB Caleb Hanie is probably in much better shape to lead the Bears throught he next couple of weeks even though last week he struggled in Oakland with the picks. Coming home to Soldier Field against a weak Chiefs team will probably produce a much better result this week. Star RB Matt Forte seems to be slowing down a bit after carrying most of the offensive load this season. Marion Barber III should be able to step in and take some carries with his power running game. There’s also a chance that former Bears QB Kyle Orton, picked up last week from Denver, will come into the game if he doesn’t start and Tyler Palko struggles. After winning 4 games in a row, the Chiefs have now LOST 4 games in a row and are pretty much out of any chance of making the playoffs. The last 4 weeks cumulative score is 95-25. Not good. The Bears are still playing for a wild card spot in the playoffs and have a good chance to win 10 games. I’M GOING TO TAKE THE BEARS MINUS THE POINTS FOR 3 STARS HERE.

BALTIMORE (8-3) -6 ½ OVER CLEVELAND (4-7) (38) – I have the Ravens rated as a GOOD team. I have the Browns barely rated as an OK- team, even though they are at home for this contest. The Ravens are coming off a big Thanksgiving day win against the 49ers and had 9 sacks. They have had a long week of preparation with some important rest for certain injured players. LB Ray Lewis probably won’t play this week but don’t count him out. He didn’t play against the 49ers and I made the statement that he’d be just as good being a coach on the sidelines as he would in the game. He was. QB Joe Flacco is 6-0 lifetime with a 106 QB rating lifetime against the Browns. The Browns seem to be better at home and the Ravens seem to better at home also. Ray Rice should get plenty of carries against this weak defensive front 7 of the Browns. Starting LB Scott Fujita was put in the season ending IR this week. Cleveland RB Peyton Hillis finally got some real touches last week and looked good. He gives the Browns a physical presence at RB they don’t get with anyone else. Colt McCoy will be under pressure the entire game when he throws the ball. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THE GAME BECAUSE I’M STILL NOT COMPLETELY SOLD ON THE RAVENS ON THE ROAD. THIS GAME HAS A LOT OF HISTORY.

ATLANTA (7-4) – 2 ½ OVER HOUSTON (8-3) (39.5) – The Falcons have played well since their opening day debacle against the Bears. They have won 5 out of their last 6 games with their only loss being an overtime loss against the Saints. Their last three wins have come against Indy, Tennessee, and Minnesota, teams with a combined record of 8-25. The Texans are a GOOD football team and I have them rated so. The Falcons are an OK + team and even though they are starting their 3rd string QB in rookie T.J. Yates from UNC (their first QB in the NFL EVER), I don’t see how the Falcons can be favored against them. The Houston defense is number 1 in the league. Their offense has a great running attack to go along with throwing to receivers like Andre Johnson. Personally, I don’t think Atlanta is Green Bay, if you know what I mean. I don’t see ANYONE being ranked over the Texans no matter who the QB is except the Packers. The Texans have rushed for 1,669 yards so far this season with Arian Foster and Ben Tate doing most of the damage. I look for the Falcons to stack the box and make the Texans throw the ball to beat them. I look for the Falcons to mix it up but to get their star RB Michael Turner off early so it will open up Matty Ice’s passing game to Roddy White, Tonny G and company. This game is a toss up. If Atlanta can go into Houston and dominate this Texans team, then they’re much better than I thought. Also, this isn’t a dome. They’ll have the roof open and it will be loud. The Falcons DO NEED THIS GAME WORSE THAN THE TEXANS DO, SO I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME. The Texans will win the South easily. The Falcons are playing for a wild card and may need 11 wins, not 10. A win here gets them 11.

MIAMI (3-8) -3 OVER OAKLAND (7-4) (38) – You don’t usually see too many 3-8 teams favored over a 7-4 team, but I got to agree with the linesmakers in Vegas on this one. The Dolphins ARE probably as good as the Raiders. The 3 points for some reason is the home field advantage, which usually means NOTHING when you’re talking about Miami. Until the last two games, the Dolphins hadn’t won a home game in two years. Now, however, they look like a team that’s coming together. The Raiders could be without LB Rolando McClain, their leading tackler who is in some severe trouble back in Alabama and is injured anyway. The last game he didn’t play in, the opposing team had 299 yards on the ground. If Miami can run the ball it will open up Matt Moore’s passing lanes to his RB’s and WR’s. Brandon Marshall is starting to make a big difference in the Dolphins offense, having caught 59 passes for 850 yards already. The Dolphins defense is rushing the QB well and stopping the run. The longest run they’ve given up all year is 21 yards. They also get back their start PK Carpenter this week. Since losing to the Jets 7 weeks ago, Miami has outscored their opponents 144-71. That is a completely different team than started the season 0-7. Oakland is leading the AFC West with their 7-4 record. Tim Tebow and Denver is chasing them and the rest of the division is imploding. The Raiders defense gives up a league worst 5.3 yards per carry. This should help the Dolphins establish their run game to open up their passing game. It would be easy to pass on this game, BUT I’M GOING TO TAKE THE DOLPHINS MINUS THE POINTS FOR 3 STARS.

NEW ORLEANS (8-3) -9 OVER DETROIT (7-4) (53.5) – The Saints crushed my dreams of the Giants actually covering on the road this past week (which they usually do) and looked PHENOMENAL doing it. I can’t really tell how much of that was the Giants sucking or the Saints doing great, but it was probably somewhere in the middle. The Lions took off to a 5-0 record then lost Javid Best for the season and everything seemed to change. QB Matthew Stafford inured his finger and has been good and bad the last few week. Their schedule is BRUTAL. Besides having their division opponents Chicago and Green Bay to deal with, they have also played Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Denver. Now they go into the French Quarter to play New Orleans who is ON FIRE at home, and still have two road games against Green Bay and Oakland. DAMN, GLAD THAT’S NOT MY SCHEDULE! The one thing that the Lions need to be able to do is to keep from getting any more banged up than they already are. I doubt the Lions think they are going to win this game, but I can’t see them backing off much. Their starting FS Louis Delmas is out with an injury. That is a HUGE loss. CB’s Chris Houston and Brandon McDonald may BOTH be out for the game. Ndamnukung Suh had an Albert Haynesworth moment last week and is out for 2 games but has appealed. I’m pretty sure he won’t be playing this weekend anyway. This would be a good one to miss. He doesn’t play the run all that well anyway. RB Kevin Smith may also be out this week. All Drew Brees is doing is setting NFL records. He has some great receivers to work with and NOBODY has figured out how to stop TE Jimmy Graham in press or zone coverage. Darren Sproles and Maurice Colston have been super also. RB’s Kevin Ingram, Pierre Thomas, and Darren Sproles all have just over 400 yards rushing. The Saints offense is a MACHINE!!! YOU MIGHT THINK THE OVER IS A GOOD PLAY HERE THIS WEEK AND I AGREE. I ALSO LIKE THE SAINTS MINUST THE POINTS FOR 4 STARS. THE OVER IS FOR 3.

PITTSBURGH (8-3) -6 ½ OVER CINCINNATI (7-4) (42.5) – This AFC North rival game features two of the best run defenses in the league. Ben Roethlisberger is still struggling a bit with a broken finger. The Steelers struggled to beat the Tyler Palko led Chiefs 13-9 this past week. Now they have to get ready for a good (I have them rated OK+) Bengals team led by rookie Andy Dalton. The Bengals came back against the suddenly stubborn Cleveland Browns last week to win 23-20. WR A.J. Green’s knee seems to be healthy so he’s a force to deal with. TE Jermaine Gresham is proving to be a solid choice in the check downs and in the red zone. Cedric Benson is solid at RB and has 740 yards for the season. PK Mike Nugent has only missed one field goal all season long. The Bengals are going to need 3 more wins minimum to have a chance for the playoffs. The Steelers with 8 wins already, with a win this weekend will have two games coming up with the weak Browns, a game at home against the Rams, and a trip to San Francisco to lock up the playoffs. The Steelers are going to struggle running the ball against the Bengals. Therefore they’ll be looking to open up their passing game with crossing routes and stretching the field with speedster WR’s Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown. They should be able to handle that. FS Troy Palomulu may be out with a concussion and will be a game day decision. That will definitely hurt the Steelers defense especially in blitz packages. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME. TOO CLOSE TO CALL. I KIND OF LIKE THE UNDER THOUGH. I COULD SEE NEITHER TEAM SCORING OVER 20 POINTS.

TAMPA BAY (4-7) -3 OVER CAROLINA (3-8)(47) – Two teams going nowhere this year but with some talent square off to see who can actually win a ball game. The Panthers held on to beat the winless Colts last week after losing three games in a row. After winning 4 of 5 early in the season, they’ve lost 5 in a row. The Bucs have a decent running attack featuring RB LeGarette Blount. The Bucs receivers don’t offer much of a chance for QB Josh Freeman, a kid with a lot of talent. Defensively, the Bucs are just as bad. They’ve given up a 92.4 QB rating and opposing QB’s have thrown 19 TD’s. Their defensive front 7 is giving up 4.8 yards per carry and 13 TD’s. Their schedule has been tough but is getting ready starting this week to get much easier. They finish with Carolina, at Jacksonville, Dallas, at Carolina, and a schedule ending game with the Falcons which may be needed or not needed by Atlanta. The Carolina Panthers, led by outstanding rookie Cam Newton have struggled as of late. Newton’s QB rating has dropped to 81.1. He’s not the slam dunk for ROY that everyone thought he was earlier this season. Their corps of running backs does a good job and averages 5.1 yards per carry. Newton has 10 RUSHING TD’S HIMSELF! All pro WR Steve Smith continues to dominate opposing CB’s with 59 catches and 1,060 yards for the season. He’s caught 5 TD’s. I’M GOING TO PASS ONTHIS GAME BECAUSE THESE TWO TEAMS ARE TOO CLOSE TO CALL FOR ME. NOT WITH JUST 3 POINTS.

WASHINGTON (4-7) +3 OVER JETS (6-5)(39.5) – I may be at this game just because I’d love to say hi to Rex (Ryan not Grossman) and see just how bad they are. I have a feeling that this might be the last season we see Jet’s QB Mark Sanchez leading the Jets offense. This guy isn’t very good and lacks the arm to throw the ball downfield. Having said that, he’s having a better year than he’s had so far in his career and if Rex likes him, he’ll probably stick around. The Jets came back last week to beat a floundering Buffalo team 28-24 at home. After losing 6 in a row, the Skins flew cross country to play the Seahawks in the rain and beat them 23-17. The Seahawks looked MUCH better last night in defeating the Eagles. Rookie RB Roy Helu ran for 103 yards on 23 carries last week for the Skins. With just 356 yards total for the season, Helu is the Skins’ leading rusher. They got Santana Moss back after an injury last week and that helped the entire offense stretch the field. TE Fred Davis is STILL the Skins’ leading receiver Jabaar Gaffney has done a good job and is quickly becoming one of Grossman’s favorite targets. This is a MUST game for the Jets for sure. Supposedly, LaDanian Tomlinson is back this week and could make a big difference especially on 3rd down. Shonn Greene is the Jets’ leading rusher with 651 yards. They are a far cry from the team they’ve been in the past. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME BUT MIGHT CHANGE MY MIND IF I GET SOME INFORMATION I’M WAITING ON. THIS GAME COULD GO EITHER WAY. THE JETS AREN’T THAT GOOD AND NEITHER ARE THE REDSKINS.

NEW ENGLAND (8-3) -20 OVER INDY (0-11)(48.5) – My first guy instinct was this would be the biggest line I ever saw out of Vegas. I was right. However, in my opinion, the line isn’t large enough. This IS a team that lost to New Orleans 62-7 earlier this season. My instinct tells me that New England won’t do much to slow down the game when they can throw the ball at will on a Colts defense that is HORRIBLE consistently. The Colts will try to run the ball against a constantly changing defense of New England but I’ve noticed lately that Belichick’s defense is improving. I don’t see Indy scoring more than 21-24 points. If they’re going to be competitive with the Pats, they’ll need to score over 35 points in my opinion. I don’t see that happening. I see the final score, even if the Pats take their foot off the accelerator and pull Brady after 2 ½ or 3 quarters, scoring about 45 points. The final of this game will be 45-17 or worse. Law Firm has rushed for 585 yards and scored 7 TD’s. Wes Welker has 82 receptions and already has amassed 1143 yards and 8 TD’s. Rob Gronkowski has 11 TD’s and 864 yards. I don’t see Jim Caldwell losing his job like his defensive coordinator just did, before the end of the season, but anything can happen here. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Colts are going 0-16 this season. I’M GOING TO TAKE THE PATS MINUS THE 20 FOR 5 STARS. TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.

MINNESOTA (2-9) -1 ½ OVER DENVER (6-5)(45.5) – The Vikings have lost 3 in a row but those 3 losses are to three very good teams, Green Bay, Oakland, and Atlanta. Now they take on Denver and Tim Tebow at home. Former Florida State QB Christian Ponder used to play against Tim Tebow in college when Tim was at the University of Florida. He was drafted earlier in the draft than Tebow but none of that means anything when the two meet this weekend in Minnesota. Adrian Peterson is probably out for the game on Sunday. Toby Gerhart played in his place this past Sunday. Minnesota’s Percy Harvin has been doing more for the Vikings than usual. He has caught 51 passes for a 10.9 average AND has rushed 33 times for 235 yards. The Vikings have virtually NO pass defense, but the Broncos are a running team with Tebow at the helm. What will they do? I really don’t care what they do, but I’m sure that Tebow and the Broncos will continue their winning ways and cover this point spread. Two weeks ago the Vikings lost to the Raiders at home. This Denver team is every bit as good if not better. I’M GOING TO PLAY DENVER FOR 3 STARS PLUS THE POINTS.

DALLAS (7-4) -4 ½ OVER ARIZONA (4-7) (45.5) – The Cowboys are coming off 4 wins in a row and if they get their 5th consecutive win this weekend, it would be their first since 2007. I like Arizona here and have for some time as they’ve played well with John Skelton at QB. They’ve won 3 out of their last 4 games. But a couple of things are bothering me. Forget that I have Dallas rated as an OK + team. They are, but they’re also in the NFC East, a weak division this year. Kevin Kolb is supposed to get the start this weekend for Arizona. He hasn’t done that well in the past so far this year but he’s probably better than Skelton. Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray has been awesome so far at RB. Tony Romo has a 19-2 record in November and a 7-10 record in December. The Cowboys also have an extra three days of rest after playing on Thanksgiving Day. I’d love to see the Cardinals beat the Cowboys but this one is too close to call. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THE GAME.

GREEN BAY (11-0) -6 ½ AT GIANTS (6-5)(52) – In my opinion, the Packers are going to go undefeated this year. Traveling to New York to play the Giants after beating Detroit on Thanksgiving Day shouldn’t pose much of a problem. The Giants lost this past week 49-24 in New Orleans and looked like they HAD NO DEFENSE. I don’t expect them to fare any better against a Packer team with better weapons than Drew Brees had. The Giants running game has all but gone away. Since Ahmad Bradshaw was injured, the Giants have moved the ball almost exclusively through the air. Now with some of his receivers injured, Eli Manning is doing all he can, but it’s not enough. The Packers have gone 11-0 for the first time in franchise history. With the additional rest the Packers got after playing on Thanksgiving Day, they should be healed up on the offensive line and running back. The Giants are playing on a short week after their Monday night game. Tom Coughlin is 4-3 after playing a Monday night game. I’M GOING TO TAKE THE PACKERS MINUST THE POINTS AND THE OVER FOR 4 STARS.

SAN FRANCISCO (9-2) -13 ½ OVER ST. LOUIS (2-9)(38 ½) – This game absolutely looks like a trap to me. Coming off a big loss in Baltimore to his brother, Jim Harbaugh needs to get his team back to its winning ways and score some points in the process. I really don’t see how the Rams have any chance against a much tougher team like the 49ers but 13 ½ points is a lot of points. The 49ers still haven’t given up a rushing touchdown all season long and the Rams only have 4 rushing touchdowns themselves. They Rams give up a HUGE 5.1 yards per carry and the 49er rushing attack cold have a big day. The offensive line for the Rams has been reshuffled to the point of having guys playing places they’ve never played before. Steve Spagnuolo is in his 3rd season in the league and his record so far is 10-33, not exactly what the owners are looking for. Even though I think it’s a great spot for the 49ers with the extra rest, I’m going to PASS ON THIS GAME AT THIS TIME.

JACKSONVILLE (3-8) +3 OVER SAN DIEGO (4-7)(39) – This past week Head Coach Jack Del Rio was fired in Jacksonville and if the Chargers lose this game, Norv Turner may follow suit. This may be one of the WORST Monday night games of the season. Both teams are struggling. Both teams are going nowhere. I’m going to pass on the game right now because I could really care less who wins this game and both teams are so bad at times, I really don’t think I have an opinion that would be accurate. PASS ON THIS STUPID MONDAY NIGHT GAME.

WE ARE AWARE THAT THE STREAM WAS DOWN DURING THE LIVE SHOW THIS WEEK. WE HAVE BEEN ASSURED THAT THIS WILL BE FIXED BEFORE NEXT WEEK’S SHOW.

GREEN BAY (10-0) -6 ½ AT DETROIT (7-3)(5 ½) – This is going to be one of the best Thanksgiving Day games in Detroit in some time.  At least it means something for the Lions for a change.  Green Bay has won 16 games in a row dating back to last season and a Super Bowl victory.  Detroit started off 5-0 this season only to go 2-3 in its past 5 games.  The Packers are a better team than the Lions for sure, but how much better in Detroit remains to be seen.  Both teams are almost mirror images of each other offensively. Neither team really relies on the run too much and both give up more yardage on the ground than they make themselves.  The Packers are deeper personnel wise and have Aaron Rodgers.  Even though Matt Stafford is a good QB, he’s still young and makes mistakes.   He’s been picked off 10 times this season.  He has an injured finger that is supposedly getting better.  He threw 5 TD passes last week against Carolina, bringing the Lions back from a 24-3 deficit.  The Lions lost to San Francisco and Atlanta at home this season, which proves that their home field advantage there isn’t much of one.  The Packers are better than both of those teams.  Indoors, Aaron Rodgers’ numbers are unbelievable, something like a 125 QB rating when it’s 72 degrees and no wind.  I’M TAKING THE PACKERS MINUS THE POINTS AND THE OVER FOR 4 STARS EACH.  Everyone in the country is probably on the same numbers, but I don’t care.  If Detroit is going to keep it close (and last weekend they scored 49 points), they’ll have to score at least 31 points in this game.  I don’t see Detroit slowing the Packers offense down unless Rodgers gets hurt.  Green Bay has played better at home than on the road, but the road doesn’t seem to cause them many problems.  CALL 1-800-466-4748 for an updated evaluation of the game after 8 a.m. on THANKSGIVING!

DALLAS (6-4) – 7 OVER MIAMI (3-7)(44) – I HAVE THE COWBOYS RATED AT OK ++.  I HAVE THE DOLPHINS RATED AT OK.  The Cowboys are sitting at the top of the NFC East after their 3^rd straight win over the Washington Redskins last week in overtime.  We lost on the Cowboys ATS but they didn’t play all that well and the Redskins blew a couple of chances to win the game outright.  This is a perfect opportunity for the Boys to blow a home game against a team that really isn’t all that bad.  However, Tony Romo, Jason Witten, DeMarco Murray, and Dez Bryant probably won’t let that happen.  However, when you take a look at the number of points that Miami’s defense has given up the last 5 games (18, 20, 3, 9, and 8) you have to say that it’s impressive.  Dallas scored 27 points against a decent Skins defense last week, but barely beat a team that Miami handled at home the week before.  Reggie Bush should be good on the Dallas turf and Miami’s defense should be able to keep the game close.  I’M GOING TO PASS ON THE GAME AT THIS TIME.  CALL 1-800-466-4748 FOR MY RELEASE ON THANKSGIVING AFTER 11 A.M.

BALTIMORE (7-3) – 3 OVER SAN FRANCISCO (9-1)(39) – For the first time in the history of the NFL, two teams with head coaches that are BROTHERS will face off in a game.  Not only are the two head coaches brothers, but their father was a college head coach and scout in the NFL also.  It doesn’t get any better than this for a proud mom and dad who will be in attendance in Baltimore tomorrow night.  After moving to the 49ers from Stanford University, Jim Harbaugh has proven to be exactly what San Francisco has needed to turn around their franchise.  Their defense has played exceptionally well.  Alex Smith, who some believed would never be a good NFL quarterback, is doing a great job at the helm of this offense, which runs more than they pass.  The 49ers have covered the spread all but two games this season.  They are a FORCE.  Frank Gore is a bit knicked up with a sore knee and ankle, but they have an exceptional backup RB in Kendall Hunter.  Vernon Davis is one of the top TE’s in the league.  Michael Crabtree is improving slowly and Alex Smith seems comfortable throwing to any number of different receivers on his team, including offensive linemen.  The Ravens have been inconsistent, but their defense is solid.  Ray Lewis sat out last game but did a great job of coaching from the sidelines against the Bengals.  Ray Rice is averaging 4.2 yards per carry but needs more touches for sure.  He is also their leading receiver.  Joe Flacco has struggled at times this season and it looks like Anquan Boldin is slowed by an injury.  TE Ed Dickson out of Oregon is a solid receiver at TD and becoming a favorite of Flacco’s.  The 49ers have looked at times like world beaters and really haven’t played a bad game yet this season.  I HAVE A THEORY AND HERE IT IS!!  Look, these guys are brothers and neither one of them wants to lose, but the one brother who CAN’T AFFORD ANOTHER LOSS           is John Harbaugh and his Ravens.  The 49ers have all but wrapped off the NFC West and their playoff berth already.  The 49ers are on a short week (so are the Ravens) and even if they have the better of the two teams, I feel that the advantage on Bird Day is with the home team Ravens.  They are 5-0 at home and the least amount of points they’ve scored is 29 in those 5 wins.  The 49ers are UNDEFEATED on the road but something has to give. I look for them to lose their second  game of the season  against the Ravens in Baltimore.   I’M GOING TO TAKE THE RAVENS MINUST THE 3 POINTS TO WIN AND COVER AT A GAME THAT I WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE.  I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING MY TURKEY DAY NIGHT WITH THE HARBAUGH FAMILY AND MAKE THAT JUST ONE MORE GREAT SPORTING EVENT I’VE BEEN AT IN MY LIFE.  3 STARS NOTHING BIG. Gonna be a big time DEFENSIVE PLAY SO HAVE FUN WITH THE UNDER TOO.  I don’t see either defense giving up much scoring in this one.

ATLANTA (6-4) – 9½ OVER MINNESOTA (2-8) (44) – The Falcons have won 4 of their last 5 games with the only loss coming at home in OT against the Saints WHEN I WAS ON THEM!  Anyway, this is a game the Falcons absolutely have to have to keep any hopes alive they will be in the playoffs this season.  Minny just lost Adrian Peterson for a while so they won’t be able to run the ball as effectively as usual.  Toby Gerhart will replace him and should do fine, but he isn’t A.P.  The Vikings are in heavy duty rebuild mode and with young Christian Ponder it looks like they already have their QB.  That means that with their first pick they’ll get an excellent football player to add to their roster next year.  This year, there is a chance they will not win one more game this season.  The Falcons are not that much better than the Vikings this year, but their record is and they have improved over the last several games.  I’m GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME.

CINCINNATI (6-4) -7 ½ OVER CLEVELAND (4-6) (37 ½) – Two teams going in opposite directions.  Cleveland is lucky to have won 4 games this year.  Cincinnati is probably better thant heir 6-4 record.  Andy Dalton is doing a good job at QB his rookie year in Cincy and the Browns’ Colt McCoy is looking OK in his second year.  The Browns have struggled with their offense all year long.  The Bengals offense is pretty solid and beat the Browns opening day in Cleveland 27-17.  They’ve played the Ravens and the Steelers tough lately.  I doubt the Browns will be able to put up enough of a fight to stay close to the Bengals.  The Bengals did lose their best defensive player, CB Leon Hall a couple of weeks ago for the season.  The Browns really don’t have much of a passing game.  They might get Peyton Hillis back this week in the offensive backfield.  I have the Bengals rated OK+ and the Browns rated OK–.  I’M GOING TO TAKE THE BENGALS MINUS THE POINTS FOR 4 STARS OVER  THE BROWNS FOR 3 STARS.

CAROLINA (2-8) -3 ½ OVER INDIANAPOLIS (0-10) (46 ½) – There are a few handicappers and “experts” picking the Colts to win their first game of the year here at home against the Panthers.  I don’t personally see it myself, but hey, you’d think they’ve got to win sometime right?  NOT! This Colts defense is SO  bad I don’t have them winning ONE game this season and winning the Andrew Luck Bowl drawing.  Cam Newton has had a very good rookie year so far but as of late, he’s been wearing down and throwing some picks.  He has 12 TD’s and 14 interceptions so far this season.  Colts QB Curtis Painter is struggling this season and only has a 67.4 QB rating.  Newton is at 80.  The Colts have given up 1,000 yards more than they have rushed and passed for.  The Panthers should be able to move the ball up and down the field against this non-defense of the Colts.  I don’t see the Colts being able to score with them.  I’M PASSING ON THE GAME BUT TAKING THE OVER 46½  POINTS FOR 4 STARS.  THERE WILL BE SOME POINTS SCORED HERE INDOORS.

HOUSTON (7-3) -6 ½ OVER JACKSONVILLE (3-7) (37) – Houston’s Matt Schaub is lost for the season and former Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart will finally get the opportunity to see if he can successfully QB an NFL team.  What a team and what a year to get a chance to do that this would be.  With Peyton Manning out indefinitely for the Indianapolis Colts, the Houston Texans are in the driver’s seat of the AFC South with a 7-3 record.  Their schedule offers them a chance at 12 wins and a division title.  Coming off an extra week to prepare after Schaub’s injury, Leinart should be ready to play.  With Arian Foster and Ben Tate running the football and getting back Andre Johnson to go along with an already good group of receivers, everything is in place to continue to dominate the South.  The Texans have won 4 games in a row with one of the wins being against this same Jaguar team three weeks ago.  The MVP so far in the AFC as far as I’m concerned isn’t a player.  It’s Wade Phillips, the defensive coordinator who came from losing his head coaching job in Dallas to go back to his roots coaching the defense.  Head Coach Jack Del Rio of Jacksonville is looking like he might lose his job soon if he doesn’t get anything going with the Jaguars.  He still has Maurice Jones-Drew but rookie QB Blaine Gabbert has struggled with his weak pass receivers and offense.  I look for the Texans to come out scoring in bunches against a good Jacksonville defense that has been decimated as of late with injuries.  TAKE THE TEXANS MINUS THE POINTS FOR 3 STARS.

JETS (5-5) -9 ½ OVE BUFFALO (5-5) (42) – Two teams that looked early like they might both be in the playoffs now both look like they will struggle to even have a chance to get there.  I have the Jets rated OK and the Bills rated OK and guess what?  They’re both 5-5 which is OK.  The Jets are coming off two straight loses to the Patriots and the Tim Tebow’s of Denver.  The Bills have lost 3 in a row to the Jets, Dallas, and Miami by a combined score of 106-26.  That is pretty piss poor.  The Jets have an opportunity with their schedule to still make the playoffs.  The Bills, after losing this game, not so much.  After signing a big contract, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is struggling and now has lost his biggest offensive weapon in Fred Jackson to a broken leg.  The Bills will have their 3^rd center in 3 weeks this week when Kraig Urbick, usually their right guard, starts there.  The Jets have a much better defense than the Bills.  I look for the Jets to easily win by 10 points to defeat the Bills and knock them out of any chance for the playoffs.  I’M TAKING THE JETS MINUS THE POINTS FOR 3 STARS.

ST. LOUIS (2-8) -2 ½ OVER ARIZONA (3-7) (39 ½) – Seriously, who cares?  The famous announcing crew of Sam Rosen and Chad Pennington should tell you all you need to know about this game.  If anyone is caught playing this game for any reason, they should have their head examined.  QB Kevin Kolb may get the start on Sunday after being cleared to work out this week.  He will be a game time decisions as far as I know.  These two teams went into overtime three weeks ago and the Cardinals won 19-13.  Look for the Rams to ride the strong back of RB Steven Jackson and the limited receiving corps of QB Sam Bradford.  The Rams offensive line situation, however, is desperate having lost Roger Saffold and his replacement Mark LeVoir.  They were already thin.  Future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald is probably wondering when he’ll play in a game that actually means something.   I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME BETWEEN TWO TEAMS GOING ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE ANYTIME SOON. PASS.

TENNESSEE (5-5) -3 OVER TAMPA BAY (4-6) (43) – Both of these teams need a win pretty much to have ANY chance of making the playoffs this season.  My odds give them both 0 chance of making the playoffs.  After winning 4 of their first 6 games, the Bucs have lost 4 in a row facing Chicago, New Orleans, Houston, and Green Bay.  They step down in class facing the Titans and are just a 3 point favorite.  Last week against the Packers, the Bucs had a good outing.  LeGarrette Blount ran the ball well and QB Josh Freeman had a career day.  It wasn’t enough to beat the 11-0 Green Bay Packers however.  The Titans have been up and down all season long.  The only team of any real quality that the Titans have beaten was the Baltimore Ravens the second week of the season.  All 5 losses have come against quality teams.  Tampa doesn’t fall into that category.  Matt Hasselbeck will get the start on Sunday after injuring his elbow last week and rookie Jake Locker finished the game.   I’M GOING TO PASS ON THE GAME FOR SURE.  IT’S A TOSS UP.

OAKLAND (6-4) -3 OVER CHICAGO (7-3) (43 ½) – After losing two in a row at home against Kansas City and Denver, the Raiders went on the road and won two game against San Diego and Minnesota to bring their record to the AFC West lead at 6-4.  Carson Palmer is improving each week and the Raiders look to get back Darren McFadden possibly this week for a few carries.  Michael Bush has done an excellent job in his absence.  Jacoby Ford is OUT for the week at WR.  On the other side of the ball, Chicago’s starting QB Jay Cutler is out with a broken thumb.  Backup Caleb Hanie will be ready and do a good job in his absence.  The Bears should not miss a beat.  Darrius Heyward-Bey is questionable but should play for Oakland.  The Bears have won 5 games in a row.  Both teams will attack the other teams defense with the running game first.  I expect Oakland to load 8 men in the box and force Hanie to throw the ball to beat them.  I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME.

SEATTLE (4-6) – 3 OVER SKINS (3-7)(37 ½) – Even my contacts in Seattle close to the team say that they wouldn’t be surprised if Washington came in and beat the Seahawks on Sunday.  For that to be true, I’d have to ask the question, “How in the hell did the Seahawks beat the Ravens then?” The Seahawks best players are on the defensive side of the ball.  Their front seven are as good as anyone’s in the league.  Unfortunately for them, their offense blows pretty bad.  Marshawn Lynch is a legitimate baller, but even with his talent, he’s just averaging 3.8 yards per carry for this weak offense.  Their QB Tavaris Jackson struggles and has thrown only 7 TD’s and 11 picks.  The Seahawks are going to stop what little run the Skins have and force Rex Grossman to beat them.  Grossman’s numbers are similar to Jackson’s. 8 TD’s and 12 picks.  Grossman should get Santana Moss back this week after injuring his wrist earlier this season.  He’ll need him to stretch the field for his offense to be successful.  This is the Skins’ 11^th game of the season and their two healthy running backs, Roy Helu and Ryan Torain, have just 248 and 192 yards respectively.  That’s unbelievable.  The offensive line has been decimated by injuries so far this season.  I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME BECAUSE IT COULD GO EITHER WAY.  I DON’T SEE THE SKINS WINNING THIS GAME BUT I DON’T REALLY SEE MUCH BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BALL.

NEW ENGLAND (7-3) -3 ½ OVER PHILADELPHIA (4-6) (50.5) – This could be one of the best games of the day here.  New England travels into Philly to take on an Eagle team that has been a mystery all season long.  Michael Vick is injured and last week his backup Vince Young led the Eagles to a 17-10 win in New York in a HUGE division game.  Even though Philly has most of their weapons for this game, Jeremy Macklin is a game time decision and Michael Vick is questionable but I’m not sure he’ll get the start quite yet.  OT King Dunlap is out for the Eagles with a concussion.  Tom Brady and New England’s offense will not have such an easy time of it against this talented defensive backfield of the Eagles.  The Pats are also playing a bunch of young inexperienced defenders against a pretty good offense.  If Vince Young starts for Philly, I see Belichick forcing him to throw the ball.  New England will have to stop LeSean McCoy to have any chance of doing that.  If Vick starts, he’ll be less than 100% and I’d look for the Pats to attack him and upset his rhythm in the pocket.  Brady has been more prone to turnovers this season and the Eagles defensive line has put lots of pressure on opposing QB’s.  IF VICK STARTS, I LIKE THE OVER 50.5 POINTS FOR 4 STARS.  IF YOUNG STARTS, I LIKE THE PATS WINNING AND COVERING THE 3 ½ POINT SPREAD.

SAN DIEGO (4-6) -5 ½ OVER DENVER (5-5)(45.5) – The Broncos have won 4 out of their last 5 since Tim Tebow took over the reigns as the Broncos QB.  Sure he’s only completing 44.8% of his passes and misses wide open receivers from time to time, but he’s WINNING, and he’s fun to watch and when he takes off and runs NOBODY really wants to tackle him.  Kyle Orton was picked up on waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs this week so Brady Quinn is now the backup to Tebow.  The Chargers will have both Ryan Matthews and Mike Tolbert healthy this weekend for the game.  Phillip Rivers has been struggling and Norv Turner can’t figure out what to do.  Both the Broncos and the Chargers have had problems keeping opposing teams from throwing the ball on them.  Since Tebow has taken over at QB for the Broncos, they have gone almost strictly to the running game with some passes mixed in.  Rivers has thrown 17 picks already this season.  Marcus McNeil is out for San Diego.  So is WR Malcolm Floyd.  G Luis Vasquez is doubtful.  San Diego has struggled on defense since losing to the Jets a month ago.  Injuries aren’t making things better.  The Broncos, on the other hand, are pretty healthy.  Their defense has stepped up and played well the last few weeks.   There is something going on in Denver and Tim Tebow is making believers out of everyone.  Add to that Norv and his struggling Chargers and I don’t see them stopping the Tebow Train.  San Diego beat the Broncos earlier this season in Denver. I’m looking for the Broncos to return the favor on Sunday.  I’M TAKING THE BRONCOS PLUS THE POINTS FOR 3 STARS IN THIS GAME.

PITTSBURGH (7-3) -10.5 OVER KANSAS CITY (4-6)(40) – Even though the Chiefs acquired Kyle Orton this past week on waivers and he’ll eventually start in K.C., Tyler Palko will probably get his second straight start at QB for the Chiefs.  The Steelers behind broken fingered Ben Roethelisberger will probably not have much of a problem with the Chiefs who have surrounded four wins in a row mid season with seven losses.  Miami beat the Chiefs three weeks ago 31-3.  The Steelers aren’t going to be any easier.  The Chiefs especially have had a tough time with pass protection all year long and facing the blitz schemes of the Steelers will present some serious problems for Palko and the offense.  The Steelers are banged up and Big Ben does have a broken thumb but the Steelers should leave K.C. after Sunday with a win.  I’M GOING TO PASS ON THE GAME COMPLETELY.

MONDAY NIGHT GAME

NEW YORK GIANTS (6-4) +7 OVER NEW ORLEANS (7-3) (51) – The Giants have lost two games in a row in San Francisco and last week at home against Philly.  They played a good game against the 49ers and had a chance to upset them.  Last week, they got nothing out of any parts of their team.  They faced backup QB Vince Young and ended up losing 17-10.  They can’t afford to go into New Orleans this week and do anything but be victorious or their season might be over sooner than later.  The Giants, as most of you know, are usually road warriors. They are an excellent traveling team.  The Saints are coming off a bye week and are healthy.  Eli Manning grew up in New Orleans and will have quite a few fans there and the Giants should have a healthy group of receivers ready for the game.  The Saints defense under Gregg Williams has been a good defense usually but this season they’ve struggled especially against the run.  The problem this week is Ahmad Bradshaw is still out.  Brandon Jacobs and the offensive line had their problems last week with the running game.  Now Will Beatty is out for quite a while having surgery this past week.  LB Michael Boley will miss another game this week with an injury.  If the Giants can protect Eli and get some decent runs out of Brandon Jacobs, then the Giants should be able to take advantage of their good receiving corps of Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks, and Jake Ballard. This is a doe or die game for the Giants.  Not so much for the Saints.  I’M GOING TO TAKE THE 7 POINTS AND PLAY THE GIANTS AND PLAY OVER 51 POINTS FOR 5 STARS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL MATCHUPS WEEK 11

DENVER (4-5) +6 OVER JETS (5-4) (41)

The Jets are coming off a horrible showing against the Pats on an extremely short week traveling to Denver in what turns out to be a MUST game for both teams. Since Tim Tebow has taken over the Broncos, they’ve gone 3-1. They are ONE game back in the standings in the West where an 8-8 record might get you to the playoffs. The Jets cost me and my service BIG this past week and I’m not really sure how good they are. LaDanian Tomlinson is OUT for the game this week and Mark Sanchez isn’t showing too much although he’s improved steadily since starting his rookie year and we still can’t forget that they Jets have been to TWO straight AFC championship games. The Broncos are getting more familiar with having Tebow in the lineup and when they run (they ran 55 times last game) they keep their defense off the field. Willis McGahee will be a game time decision at RB but Lance Ball proved to be just what the doctor ordered coming in and playing with Omar Moreno out also. Should something happen to Ball, it could be slim pickings for the Broncos to find a running back to take pressure off Tebow. I should leave this game alone but I’m not going to. EVERYONE in the country (90%) are betting on the Jets. I don’t see it. I don’t think they are that good. I also think that Tebow is much better than they think he is. Will their defense and their blitz schemes be successful. Probably some. But not all of the time. Tebow can make you pay when you mess up. He can run and can be a punishing type of runner at times. The pass rush for the Broncos is pretty good. The short week means more than you think, especially when you have to travel and that kills another half of a day. TAKE THE BRONCOS AND TEBOW TO COVER THE SPREAD AND IF THEY WIN THE GAME, THE NFL WILL FIND ANOTHER EXCUSE WHY THEY WON. IT COULDN’T BE BECAUSE TEBOW IS ANY GOOD. THE LEAGUE WILL MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THAT. ASSHOLES.

ATLANTA (5-4) -6 OVER TENNESSEE (5-4)(44)

Lost a close one last week between Atlanta and New Orleans in overtime. I loved Atlanta there, but Julio Jones went down in that game and the Falcon defense didn’t make enough plays to keep Drew Brees and the Saints form beating them again. Chris Johnson of the Titans has finally got his running game going after an extremely slow start. This game should be a close one and I’m going to pass on it just because neither team has shown me enough this season to trust them in a big game. PASS.

MIAMI (2-7) -2 OVER BUFFALO (5-4)(44)

The Bills are definitely the better team still here, but the Dolphins have won two in a row and the Bills are going the wrong direction. The Bills offensive line is beat up and they are making constant changes to the starters there. Ryan Fitzpatrick, fresh off signing a big new contract, is beat up also and hasn’t been as effective as of late. Fred Jackson is still running off great yardage and most of the offensive playmakers are healthy. Miami is getting some good production out of Reggie Bush and Matt Moore is finding All Pro WR Brandon Marshall regularly. Marshall had 19 catches against Buffalo in his two games against them last season. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME BECAUSE THE BUFFALO OFFENSE JUST DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE EARLIER THIS SEASON.

BALTIMORE (6-3) -7 OVER CINCINNATI (6-3) (40½)

Normally I’d say that the Ravens at home minus the 7 is a pretty good bet but Ray Lewis may not dress for the first time in a very long time. My gut tells me that this up and down team won’t be the same without him on the field and it may bother them. The Cincinnati defense is solid but they will have to deal with the loss of their best defensive back Leon Hall for the season and A.J. Green for another week probably. It doesn’t mean they can’t play well, but these two players are great players. With Ray Lewis out for the game, he’ll be on the sidelines at home coaching his boys up. Right now, the majority of the money is on Cincinnati because of Lewis’ absence. Personally, I like the Ravens in this spot. The Ravens are coming off a bad road loss against the surprising Seattle Seahawks. I don’t think the Ravens, with or without Ray Lewis, will have any trouble getting up for this game. TAKE THE RAVENS MINUS THE POINTS FOR A SMALL 3 STAR PLAY.

CLEVELAND (3-6) -1 OVER JACKSONVILLE (3-6)(34)

This game will not be very exciting to watch unless your children are playing in it. Probably a shitty announcing team (Steve Tasker and Bill Macatee), check, but still an NFL Sunday game for us to break down. Cleveland is literally much worse than their 3-6 record. In his first year at the helm, Montario Hardesty is probably going to play this week at RB, but he won’t be 100%. Peyton Hillis is out. I don’t see the lackluster, punchless offense of the Browns doing anything against the tough defense of Jacksonville. This game could be first one to 10 points wins. Even though rookie QB Blaine Gabbert is only completing 47.9% of his passes, the Jags have won 2 of their last 3 games. Maurice Jones-Drew is a legitimate Pro Bowler and gives defenses fits. Except for an early season 32-3 loss to the Jets, the Jags have played pretty well on the road, barely losing to the Steelers and Houston, then beating the Colts by two touchdowns last week in Indy. Colt McCoy is a better QB than Gabbert, but I’m not sure the Browns will be able to stop Jones-Drew. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THE GAME. IT’S JUST TWO TERRIBLE OFFENSE AND I CAN’T STAND TO WATCH. PASS.
DETROIT (6-3) -7 OVER CAROLINA (2-7)(47½) – Funny that this game is a 7 point spread with the Detroit Lions at home in their dome against a Carolina team that all of a sudden is struggling after losing at home to Tennessee 30-3 last week. I feel that the Panthers are starting to lose their desire and focus as the season wears on. Detroit, has lost 3 out of their last 4 games against three pretty good teams, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Chicago. The Panthers, however, don’t have nearly as much going on as those three teams. I almost feel the Lions will have a 7 point advantage just playing at home at Ford Field. This game is absolutely a must win for the Lions if they are going to have any chance at all of making the playoffs this season. Both teams should be able to run the football. With the Packers game on Thanksgiving day waiting for the Lions after this game, they better take care of business in Detroit. Normally, I’d take the Lions here, but Matthew Stafford has a bad finger and last week some of his passes looked horrible. I’ve got to pass on this one. Detroit should win this one fairly easily, but there are better games to play. PASS.
GREEN BAY (9-0) – 14 OVER TAMPA BAY (4-5) (49½) – Green Bay has an offense nobody can stop right now. Their defense is solid but the complaint I hear about the Packers is that their defense might not be good enough to repeat as Super Bowl Champs. BS!! They are first in the league in points scored with 320 in 9 games. That’s almost 35 points per game. When you are scoring that much, you also give the ball back to the team you’re playing by kicking the ball off more than most teams. Aaron Rodgers is a MONSTER QB. There isn’t anything he can’t do on a football field. James Starks and Ryan Grant give him enough running game to keep opposing defenses honest when they think about rushing the passer. When they do blitz, Rodgers makes them pay. I have the Bucs ranked an OK—team. I have the Packers ranked as a VERY GOOD team. Last week the Bucs lost 37-9 at HOME to the Texans. Green Bay will have just as much success offensively as the Texans did. The Bucs are having some problems with their defensive line so they signed Albert Haynesworth this week. I find that amazing. The guy is a cancer in the clubhouse. The Bucs have just 13 sacks in 9 games. That’s not good enough. When the Packers spread the field to throw, no pressure means big yardage. Packers CRUSH. I’M GOING TO TAKE THE PACKERS MINUS THE 14 POINTS FOR 4 STARS. TAKE THE OVER FOR 3 STARS.

MIAMI (2-7) -2 OVER BUFFALO (5-4)(43)

This is a pretty strange line here. Buffalo, for the majority of this season, has played like one of the best teams in the league. After playing the Redskins and “catching” whatever the hell they had, they have lost two games in a row by a combined score of 71-18. Injuries have made them revamp their offensive line and I made the observation after the Redskins game that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick looked like he was hurt to me. The Bills should be able to move the football against the Dolphins, but after starting 0-7, the Dolphins have straightened things out and have won the last two. Granted, the two teams they beat by a combined score of 51-12 are the Chiefs and the Redskins, but two win it was. This is a BIG game for the Bills because if they lose this game, with their schedule coming up, they probably won’t make the playoffs. The Bills lost Eric Wood last week for the season to a knee injury and they already had a third string tackle playing left tackle. Reggie Bush will provide some offense running and catching the ball out of the backfield and Matt Moore should be able to find Brandon Marshall for some key first downs. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME.

MINNESOTA (2-7) -1 OVER OAKLAND (5-4) (45 ½)

Carson Palmer is getting better each week. Oakland is holding on to first place in the AFC West by a thread. This is a game the Raiders need to win. An 8-8 record may win in the West this season so each potential win is important. I like what Christian Ponder is doing with the Vikings at QB his rookie season and I like the pressure that Jarred Allen is bringing with his pass rush and 13.5 sacks. The question here is who can stop the running game first. Oakland should be able to run the football and that should offset the pressure brought by the Minnesota front line. Oakland brings good pressure also but they’ll have their hands full with Adrian Peterson from the start of the game. He IS the toughest guy to tackle in the league. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME EVEN THOUGH OAKLAND IS THE BETTER TEAM HERE.

DALLAS (5-4) -7 AT WASHINGTON (3-6) (41.5)

This rivalry is not what it used to be. Bad feelings by old time season ticket holders in Washington towards the ownership are starting to take command here in Washington. Mike and Kyle Shanahan look like a youth league coach and his kid trying to help. It’s probably not going to work. For 12 years the Redskins have floundered in mediocrity or worse. Now the Skins are a 7 point underdog to a team that earlier this season they should have beaten. Rex Grossman gets the start again this week after leading the Skins in a 20-9 loss in Miami last week. The Skins have NO offense. Their line has been decimated by injuries. The Cowboys won’t have to worry about the Skins throwing the ball against them. If they can stop the Skins running game with Roy Helu or Ryan Torain, they should be able to shut down the offense of the Redskins completely. Last week the Cowboys crushed a Buffalo team 44-7 that shutout the Redskins two weeks ago 23-0. This could get ugly early. In their last 7 games, the Skins have averaged just over 12 points per game. That isn’t going to get it done against a Cowboy team with QB Tony Romo and playmakers like DeMarco Murray, Mark Witten, and Dez Bryant. The Cowboys could score early and often. Look for the Redskins defense to keep them in the game for a while, only to grow tired of being on the field all the time and eventually getting beat by at least two touchdowns. There will be as many Cowboys fans at this game than Redskins fans…unfortunately. They come out of the woodwork when they’re winning. When they’re losing you can’t FIND a Cowboy fan. TAKE DALLAS HERE MINUS THE POINTS FOR WHATEVER YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE. I’M PLAYING THEM FOR 5 STARS.

ST. LOUIS (2-7) -3 OVER SEATTLE (3-6) (39)

Here’s another horrible game with two teams going nowhere, but the Seahawks DID BEAT the Baltimore Ravens at home last week. They have also traveled cross country to play the Giants and beat them a few weeks ago. They don’t have much offense but they do have a good defense. Neither team can seem to protect their QB very well. The Rams have won two out of their last three games and have looked much better since RB Steven Jackson has gotten healthy. He is a BEAST and can definitely control the clock and score. However, even though they’re at home in their dome, I’M GONG TO PASS ON THIS GAME BECAUSE IT’S JUST TOO CLOSE TO CALL. The betting public agrees with me.

SAN FRANCISCO (8-1) -10 OVER ARIZONA (3-6) (40.5)

Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers have proven already this season to the league that they are for real. Had they not lost the second week to Dallas in overtime, they would be undefeated right now. They have beaten the likes of Cincinnati, Philly, Detroit, and the Giants. They return to the Bay this week to take on an Arizona team that after winning opening day, then losing 6 in a row, have won their last two with last week’s win being IN PHILLY as a huge underdog. They have another chance this week with their backup QB John Skelton probably starting to overcome a double digit underdog line. I can’t imagine San Francisco no coming out and running the ball hard and playing the kind of defense that’s gotten them to where they are right now in this game. 49er RB Frank Gore has a slightly injured knee and ankle but will get some playing time. Kendall Hunter can fill in fine. Arizona has to find some way to get the ball to their playmaker WR Larry Fitzgerald. RB Beanie Wells has looked good so far this season and should get the start. He’s been playing with a sore hamstring for several games. Arizona WR Early Doucet has been a good option for both Kolb and Skelton this season. I’m going to PASS ON THIS GAME EVEN THOUGH I LIKE THE RE 49ERS.

CHICAGO (6-3) -3 ½ OVER SAN DIEGO (4-5) (45)

The Bears have won 5 out of their last 6 games and 4 in a row. They are 5-0 at home this season. The offensive line has worked out most of its problems and looked great last week in their big win against Detroit. Jay Cutler looks confident and secure back in the pocket throwing the ball now. Matt Forte is still getting more touches than anyone in the league and that is working out for the Bears. In 9 games he has rushed for 869 yards and caught 42 passes for another 439. He’s having an MVP season. Now of all things, offensive coordinator Mike Martz is running almost as much as he’s throwing. Who woulda thunk it? The Bears have great special teams and Devin Hester is a monster returning kicks. On the other side of the ball, the Chargers (as anyone who knows me knows) are not very good. They are not very well coached and unless the Bears just come out flat, they should win easily. The Chargers may have as many as three starting offensive linemen out for the game. Phillip Rivers will have a tough time throwing against the Bears swarming defense. Rivers has 19 turnovers. He and the offense are struggling. I don’t see enough weapons for the Chargers to be able to score with the Bears. Last week in a game against the Raiders, the Chargers gave up 254 total yards to backup running back Michael Bush. Forte will have a big day. His running should set up Cutler’s passes to his other WR’s. I’M GOING TO TAKE THE BEARS MINUS THE POINTS FOR 4 STARS. A LATE DAY HEDGE WITH THE OVER 45 POINTS MY BE A GOOD CALL. I’LL DELIBERATE AND LET YOU KNOW.

GIANTS (6-3) – 5 ½ OVER PHILLY (3-6) (45.5)

These two teams could just as easily be tied for the lead in the NFC East, but Philly has struggled trying to find the chemistry of all the new players on their team and injuries now to QB Michael Vick may send Vince Young to his first start of the season. He has two broken ribs and there’s a good chance he won’t start. The Giants, as all of you know, don’t play nearly as well at home as they do on the road. Last week they almost pulled off a win in San Francisco but lost a close game. After Philly their schedule doesn’t get any easier so they better get a win here this week. LeShaun McCoy is a monster RB for the Eagles. He has rushed for 906 yards and a 5.5 yard average. Vick himself has over 500 yards rushing and he’s a QB! Eli Manning and the Giants have an excellent passing game and Eli may be having the best season of his career. This game could come down to the last possession of the game. That’s how evenly matched these two teams are. Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw is OUT again this week. That means that Brandon Jacobs gets the call again this week to carry most of the load. This may be the best game of the day to watch. If Vick starts, I like the EAGLES FOR A SMALL PLAY, IF VICK DOESN’T START, I’LL PASS ON THE GAME.

MONDAY NIGHT GAME

NEW ENGLAND (6-3) -15 OVER KANSAS CITY (4-5) (46.5)

It should be a beautiful chilly night in Foxboro Monday night for the Pats to welcome back one of their own, QB Matt Cassel, who took over for an injured Tom Brady a few years ago to lead the Pats into the playoffs. Cassel has played well in K.C. but it hasn’t been the same. The Chiefs are still in the race in the AFC West and will be for a few more games. If they play on doing something this season, they’ll need to win games like this. Because of a multitude of injuries to some of the better Chiefs players including their starting RB, Jackie Battle and Dexter McCluster have filled in and done a good job at the position. After winning 4 games in a row, K.C. has lost two at home to Miami and Denver, two teams who have struggled most of the season. Now they travel to one of the toughest places to play in the league and the Pats need a win also, which won’t make it any easier. Brady struggled at times with interceptions but has a QB rating over 100. Wes Welker has caught 73 passes already and surpassed the 1,000 yard mark already. TE Rob Gronkowski has had a phenomenal year so far also catching 52 passes for 709 yards. He creates matchup NIGHTMARES for the opposing defenses. I LOVE THE PATS HERE AND AM GOING TO GIVE THE BIG NUMBER FOR 3 STARS AND TAKE THE OVER FOR 5 STARS.

Plays for Week 10

NEW ORLEANS (6-3) -1 AT ATLANTA (5-3) (50)

This is another very close game to call here and a very competitive game here in the NFC South division. In my opinion, these are two teams who have both looked very good at times this season and at times looked like they were struggling. New Orleans was on many people’s short list of playoff contenders when the season starts (as was Atlanta) only to look to me like they are struggling to keep the other team’s offense off the field right now. The Atlanta Falcons, after beating a team on national TV, the Philadelphia Eagles, when Mike Vick was knocked out of the game, didn’t look all that good early in the season. After that game, the Falcons have made some changes to their offense and offensive line to get Michael Turner much more involved in the offense. The Saints have had some changes, injuries, and even a retirement affect their offensive line and their running game. The Saints throw the ball over 65% of the time, mostly in the short passing game. RB Mark Ingram has been injured off and on this season and the Saints have had to make changes to their offense and throw a lot of passes to RB Darren Sproles (the league’s leading receiver) and Pierre Thomas, who have both done a great job so far this season. This game is an absolute flip of the coin here. Atlanta is at home and in the past, the Saints have usually been a good road team. However, this year, they Saints are 1-3 on the road, even having lost to a not very good Rams team by 10 two weeks ago. Drew Brees is a GREAT QB. He will keep the Saints close but I feel that the SAINTS DEFENSE is probably their biggest problem right now. The Saints have given up a 5.3 yard average on the ground this year and 14 TD’s and only picked off 4 passes. This is not a typical Gregg Williams defense. Injuries and personnel have changed this defense considerably. I look for the Falcons this weekend at home to run Michael Turner and use the strong receiving corps of Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White and a HEALTHY JULIO JONES to get the lead and stay there against the suddenly struggling Saints. I HAVE THE SAINTS RATED AS AN OK+ TEAM AND THE FALCONS THE SAME. IM PLAYING THE FALCONS MINUS THE POINT HERE. There is a possibility that this game could go over since it’s played indoors, but if the Falcons keep the Saints defense on the field for over 30 minutes with their running game, it could keep the score down. The Falcons defense has played very well as of late. TAKE THE FALCONS FOR 4 STARS.

CAROLINA (2-6) -3½ OVER TENNESSEE (4-4) (46½)

ANOTHER CLOSE GAME here with the Cam Newton led Carolina Panthers coming off a bye week taking on the Titans of Tennessee with Matt Hasselbeck. Besides beating up on a TERRIBLE Colts team two weeks ago, the Titans have not looked good at all. Last week, however, Chris Johnson looked a lot like the C.J. of old. His yards per carry average climbed up to 3.0 which might not sound like much, but believe me, he looked much better. This was against a good Cincinnati defense but they ended up losing the game to a better team. On the Panthers side of the ball, Cam Newton has been nothing but phenonmenal to watch so far this season. With an extra week to prepare for the Titans defense, I look for Newton, Steve Smith, and the Panthers offense to put some points on the board against a not so good Titans defense. The Titans will definitely come out running the football against a Carolina defense that can’t stop the run, ranking 29th in rushing defense. The Panthers should be able to run AND throw against the Titans. I’M TAKING THE PANTHERS HERE IN A VERY CLOSE GAME TO COVER THE POINTSPREAD. There is a good chance I’ll release the OVER 46 points in this game also for 3 or 4 stars. I doubt either team will play too much defense, but I see the Panthers at home being able to outscore the Titans with many more weapons on offense. Matt Hasselbeck doesn’t have the receivers that Cam does and if the Panthers shut down C.J., it could be over early. I HAVE BOTH TEAMS RATED OK-. No surprise there. Like I said, a very close matchup. GO PANTHERS!! TAKE THE PANTHERS MINUST THE POINTS FOR 3 STARS.

CHICAGO (5-3) -3 OVER DETROIT (6-2) (43½)

What a surprise…another close game here in the NFL this week. What a great lineup they’re at putting in front of the NFL fans this week. The BEARS seem to have made a big step up with their offensive line in the past several weeks and worked out their problems protecting QB Jay Cutler. This past week in Philadelphia, the Bears DID NOT ALLOW ONE SACK of Cutler. To me, that is unbelievably impressive. The Eagles have some pass rushers, blitzed on several occasions, and not once was Cutler sacked. Matt Forte fumbled three times in the game (very non-Forte like) and they still won the game AND Forte in the second half had a great game as usual for the Bears. The Lions are coming off a BYE week and should be ready for this game. Matt Stafford is having a great season so far throwing the football and leading this Lion offense. Calving Johnson is having a MONSTER YEAR at WR with 11 TD’s already at the halfway point. Their only two losses so far have come in close games against the almost undefeated 49ers and an improving Atlanta Falcons team three weeks ago. The Lions offensive line has to worry about a healthy Julius Peppers and the defensive line of Chicago getting to Stafford. If Detroit can keep Stafford off his backside, they have a chance to win this game. If not, it could be a long night for Stafford and the Lions. The Bears give up an average of 5.2 yards per carry on the ground as do the Lions. Unfortunately, the Lions don’t have a feature back to take advantage of that. The Bears have Forte. The Bears linebacking corps lead by Brian Urlacher is superb. They play the pass better than most. What a great game to watch but I’m going to PASS on this game because the Bears look better than they have all season long right now AND the LIONS, who I HAVE RATED AS A GOOD TEAM, are coming off a bye week. I HAVE THE BEARS RATED AS AN OK TEAM but they are at home and improving as we speak. I AM RELEASING THE OVER 43½ POINTS FOR 3 STARS HOWEVER. Scratch! No Play! Too much wind!

CINCINNATI (6-2) +4 OVER PITTSBURGH (6-3) (43)

This is going to be a physical, tough game for both teams. After their bye week, the Bengals have come through with TWO ROAD WINS IN A ROW, setting up this matchup against the Steelers at home this weekend. Bengals rookie QB Andy Dalton has been everything that the Bengals had hoped he would and proven himself already to his teammates and fans to be a leader. I HAVE CINCY RATED AS AN OK++ TEAM, ALMOST A GOOD TEAM AND THE STEELERS ARE RATED OK+. The Bengals have won 5 games in a row after losing a close one to an excellent 49ers team. Rookie A.J. Green is having a great year so far for the Bengals and is Dalton’s favorite target. Cedrick Benson is healthy and back after a one game suspension. The Bengals have a very balanced offense this year. Give Marvin Lewis all the credit n the world. I’ve been one of his biggest critics in the past, but he’s doing a superb job this year. The Steelers, who have been playing well, are coming off two emotional, tough, physical games against the Pats and the Ravens. It’s going to be tough for them to get up for this game as high as they were last week again, in my opinion. The Bengals defense is a very good group. They are extremely tough against the run especially. If the Bengals can stay away from turnovers (so far this year the Steelers are NOT forcing any turnovers) they can control the ball and keep the Steelers offense off the field and win this game. Talk about no respect, the Bengals who are at home and have a slightly BETTER team than the Steelers, in my opinion, are 3 POINT UNDERDOGS IN VEGAS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT THE STEELERS. I’M TAKING THE BENGALS PLUS THE POINTS AS THE HOME DOG TO NOT ONLY COVER BUT WIN THE GAME OUTRIGHT! 3 STAR PLAY ON THE BENGALS. GO BENGALS!!

CLEVELAND (3-5) +3 OVER ST. LOUIS (1-7) (37)

Talk about a piece of crap game here! Both of these teams are horrible, but somehow the Browns have won 3 games this season. They are averaging 3.1 yards per carry. Their two best running backs are OUT. Colt McCoy is like 24 years old and he walks like a 60 year old man because he’s been beat up so badly because his offensive line can’t protect him. They virtually have no weapons on offense. The Rams, on a good note, actually won a game two weeks ago when they beat the New Orleans Saints by 10 points, then came back last week and traveled to Arizona and had chances to win but lost in overtime to the lousy Cardinals on a 99 yard punt return. I’m not going to waste a whole lot of time talking about this game, but even though it’s two lousy teams, it should be a good game. RB Steven Jackson of St. Louis is healthy and looking absolutely like the old Steven Jackson. The problem the Rams have is that they really have nobody to throw the ball to on offense. St. Louis has played a very tough schedule this year losing to the likes of Philly, the Giants, the Ravens, Green Bay, and Dallas. I feel that these are two teams going in opposite directions. I’M TAKING THE RAMS IN A SMALL PLAY TO COVER THE SPREAD HERE AND WIN THEIR SECOND GAME OF THE SEASON. THE BROWNS ARE SIMPLY HORRIBLE.

DALLAS (4-4) -5 ½ OVER BUFFALO (5-3) (40½)

Here’s another VERY CLOSE GAME TO CALL THIS WEEK! I love it when there are games that could go either way. I’ve loved the Bills all season long and after shutting out a piece of crap Washington Redskins team, the Bills FINALLY took a week off, looked pretty bad, and lost. I really think the difference in the team was the health of Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was hurt worse than everybody knew against the Redskins. He should be healthy this week and the Bills ARE a better team than the Cowboys. I’ve talked a lot about how the Cowboys playing at home really isn’t much of an advantage because of the nature of the stadium and how it’s built and set up for entertainment. Also, Chan Gailey is going home to Dallas where he was a head coach and an assistant. I HAVE BUFFALO RATED AS AN OK++ TEAM. I HAVE THE COWBOYS RATED AS AN OK+ TEAM. The Bills start a three week road trip here in Dallas. This is a game they really needto win. The Bills have lost three of their four games on the road. Three decent teams that the Bills have beaten are New England, Oakland, and Philly. The Cowboys, on the other hand, haven’t really beaten anyone except the 49ers (their only loss) Other Cowboys wins have been against Washington, St. Louis, and Seattle. Not a very impressive resume. Both teams have almost IDENTICAL offensive numbers. It can be argued that the Cowboys have a better defense but I’m not sold on it. The Bills are starting a third team left tackle for this game and he matches up with DeMarcus Ware. That could be FATAL for Fitzpatrick and the Bills offense. However, they can keep Ware in check with screen passes and draw plays and running right at him. I’VE BEEN BIG ON THE BILLS ALL SEASON LONG BUT THIS GAME IS JUST TOO TOUGH TO CALL AND THE BILLS SEEM TO BE STRUGGLING A BIT ON OFFENSE FOR THE FIRST TIME ALL YEAR. PASS.

JACKSONVILLE (2-6) -3 OVER INDIANAPOLIS (0-9) (39)

The Jaguars have played a very tough schedule, but they’re not a very good team. However, in my opinion, they are improving and getting much better work out of their rookie QB Blaine Gabbert, who is just managing games for the most part. They have an all pro RB in Maurice Jones-Drew and nobody really stops him. The Colts couldn’t stop me on defense and I’m 57 years old. The Colts may have the WORST team in the history of the NFL as we know it. I PREDICTED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO THAT THIS GAME WOULD BE THE ONLY GAME THE COLTS WON ALL SEASON LONG. THEY ARE SO BAD I’M CHANGING MY MINE. The point spread speaks loudly of my opinion. HOWEVER, a better Jacksonville team who has played Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Houston all very tough, and actually BEAT THE RAVENS, should win the game outright and cover. Indy couldn’t come within 30 points of the Ravens, let alone beat them. I’M TAKING THE JAGUARS, Jack Del Rio, their rookie QB, and their defense, which is very tough, to not only WIN THE GAME BUT TO COVER THE POINTSPREAD FOR 5 STARS. I HAVE THE JAGS RATED AS AN OK—TEAM AND THE COLTS AS A SS TEAM (SUPER SUCK) Sorry Colts. I’m just saying that because it’s true. Besides, they are winning the SUCK FOR LUCK sweepstakes and a win would throw a monkey in the wrench. I’M TAKING JACKSONVILLE FOR 3 STARS.

KANSAS CITY (4-4) -3 OVER DENVER (3-5) (45½)

Here’s ANOTHER VERY CLOSE GAME TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND!! Hey, just when we thought that the Chiefs had turned everything around with their team and had won 3 games in a row, they play a winless Miami Dolphins team at home and get beat 31-3 last weekend. I’M TOTALLY CONFUSED ABOUT THIS TEAM! Chiefs QB Matt Cassel is still struggling with the offense. He has two decent RB’s to hand the ball off too and throw to out of the backfield. Their defense last week didn’t show up either. Now they play their 3rd game in a row at home this weekend against TIM TEBOW and the Denver Broncos. The Broncos went into Oakland last week and beat a good division opponent. The Broncos rushed (with Tebow’s help) for almost 300 yards. The Broncos are turning everything around and in my opinion and it’s because of Tebow. He just breathes life into a football game. Now they take on what looks to be a not so good Chiefs team and defense and I’m guessing the Broncos will not only play a good game but probably WIN. Do I want to stake my reputation on it? I’ll let you know this Sunday at 11 on BRUCE HALL’S SECOND OPINION. Right now, I’m not sure. I DON’T GUESS….EVER!

MIAMI (1-7) -4 OVER SKINS (3-5) (45½)

The Dolphins won a game finally last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, who looked horrible, but take nothing away from this Miami performance. They played great and have played great at times all season long. They have been so close to winning on three or four occasions so far this season, but they would not be stopped last week. Dolphin QB Matt Moore was 17-23 last week for 300 yards and did more than manage the game. Reggie Bush finally looked like the kind of back the Dolphins thought they signed this year. The get rookie sensation Daniel Thomas back from injury this week and that should give them all the weapons they need to move the football against a Redskins defense that may not be as good as advertised earlier this year. Brandon Marshall is a very good WR. He may be doubled at times and that should open up other receivers in the Dolphin offense. No matter what, THE REDSKINS OFFENSE SUCKS, ABSOLUTELY SUCKS. In their last 5 games the Skins are averaging just over 10 points per game. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE, and with John Beck at QB for the unforeseen future, I don’t see any way it’s going to improve. The Dolphins secondary is suspect at best and if the Skins can’t move the ball against this Dolphin team, then they probably won’t win another game this season. I HAPPEN TO LIKE THE DOLPHINS IN THIS SITUATION HERE AT HOME AGAINST A STRUGGLING REDSKINS TEAM. This should be a close game for a while, but if the Dolphins can move the football, and they should be able to do just that, I see them pulling away at the end and beating the Skins. The Redskins offense is completely wearing out their decent defensive squad. TAKE THE DOLPHINS MINUS THE POINTS FOR 4 STARS. WARNING!!! IF REX GROSSMAN STARTS, SCRATCH!

PHILLY (3-5) -14 OVER ARIZONA (2-6) (46 ½)

Everyone’s writing off the Eagles at 3-5. Personally, I called it and said it EVERYWHERE at the start of this season that the NFC East could be possibly won with an 8-8 record. As a matter of fact, I said that ALL 4 TEAMS COULD END UP 8-8. Well, I’m taking that back because the Redskins are so bad they won’t win 6 games, maybe not even 5 games. However, the Giants, Cowboys, and Eagles are all about the same in their own ways. All three of these teams can beat the other teams. I like the Giants in the East but Philly has some weapons nobody can compare to. Arizona on the other hand, the opponent here of the Eagles, seems to be going the wrong direction here. Until last week’s overtime victory over the Rams at home, they had lost 6 games in a row. Not much has changed and the Rams, in case you had forgotten, has only won one game all season long. After losing on Monday night and on a short week, I see the Eagles coming out and going after the Cardinals with all they’ve got. Andy will have them ready. John Skelton, who looked better than Kevin Kolb has ever looked this season, will get the start again for the Cardinals. He is not a bad QB at all. After 8 games, All Pro WR Larry Fitzgerald has only caught 38 passes. Getting double and triple teamed makes other targets available, but until the Cardinals figure out how to play better defense (until last week they gave up over 30 points per game 4 weeks in a row). I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME BECAUSE I JUST CAN’T GIVE 14 AT HOME WITH THE EAGLES. PASS.

HOUSTON (6-3) -3 AT TAMPA BAY (4-4) (44 ½)

HERE’S ANOTHER GAME THAT SHOULD BE A TIGHT, WELL PLAYED CONTEST! I keep pointing it out because I don’t remember the last time there were any more toss-up games in one weekend as this coming weekend. The Texans have a very formidable offense with two very good running backs in Arian Foster and Ben Tate. They are rushing for almost 150 yards per game. Matt Schaub has thrown 13TD’s and only 6 pics so far in 9 games. With Wade Phillips at the helm of their defense, which has gone from almost last in the league to first, this Texans team has improved greatly this season. Their record of 6-3 really doesn’t reflect how good this team is, in my opinion. Tampa Bay, on the other side of the ball, is struggling this year. Their schedule has been a tough one so far and they have beaten Atlanta and New Orleans at home so far this season. HOWEVER, I feel that this week at home against this Texans team, they just won’t have the weapons to score enough points to beat the Texans this weekend. Don’t get me wrong. The Bucs have an excellent QB in Josh Freeman. The problem that the Bucs have, with the exception of RB LeGarrette Blount, they really don’t have any playmakers with Freeman. Freeman may be their BEST PLAYMAKER. The Bucs are giving up almost 5 yards a pop against the run. The Texans have a much better pass defense than the Bucs. I’M GOING TO TAKE THE TEXANS MINUS THE POINTS ON THE ROAD TO BEAT THE BUCS AND COVER THE SPREAD.

BALTIMORE (6-2) -6½ OVER SEATTLE (2-6) (41)

Everyone in the country is on the Ravens here. That’s not a good thing in my opinion. I’m a big fan personally of the Ravens and their organization but they are coming off a HUGE win against the Steelers in Heinz Field and I find it hard to believe that traveling cross country and playing a pretty lousy Seahawk team (that is capable of winning, by the way) isn’t going to be a good situation for me or anyone I know to take the Ravens giving up a touchdown here. You never know who’s going to show up on the Seahawks. After traveling cross country and beating a good Giants team, the Seahawks have lost three games in a row. I don’t see them winning the game here, but I do see the possibility of them keeping it close against a possibly flat Ravens team. I could be wrong here (I’ve been wrong before) but I’m PASSING ON THE GAME BECAUSE IT’S JUST NOT A GOOD SPOT FOR THE RAVENS. I may change my mind but I doubt it.

SAN FRANCISCO (7-1) -3½ OVER GIANTS (43½)

I’m becoming a 49er fan. Hey, several years ago when the 49ers were going to Super Bowl’s with those GREAT teams of the 80’s and 90’s, I was a big fan. Since then, not so much because they really didn’t have much going on right there. Now with a new coach, Jim Harbaugh, and an old school running attack and offense (which I love by the way), they are proving that they are for real. They could EASILY be undefeated this year, but let’s not get too excited. Even though they’re a LOCK to win the NFC West, the other teams in the West are not very good. However, this weekend the 49ers take on a pretty good Giants team with goals and aspirations of their own this season. This Giants team looks SO MUCH like the one that beat the Pats in the Super Bowl a few years ago that it is scary. Eli Manning, without having to look over his shoulder at his older brother dominating this year, is having a phenomenal year. He is proving his is the guy he tried to tell us he was before the season started. The Giants are struggling with their running game surprisingly, but their offensive line has changed somewhat personnel wise. Defensively the Giants can RUSH THE PASSER BIG TIME! This team puts so much pressure on the opposing offensive lines and QB’s that it seems the opposing offenses spend most of the game trying to make changes to protect. Brandon Jacobs last week had a great game. I was down on him. Maybe he heard my show (couldn’t have) but somehow he was extremely motivated. They hope to get Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks back on the offense this week. If they do, and they probably will, the 49ers defensive back have their hands full. ANYONE CAN WIN THIS GAME. I’d love to take the 49ers, who will bang Frank Gore into the line for 25 carries or so, and throw to him out of the backfield, and try to stretch the field with Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. However, if the Giants pass rush comes, they’ll be keeping Gore in the backfield to block on passing plays. The best way for the 49ers to combat the pass rush is to RUN THE FOOTBALL, and guess what? They will. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME BECAUSE LIKE SO MANY OF THE GAMES THIS WEEKEND, EITHER TEAM CAN WIN THE GAME!

JETS (5-3) -1½ OVER NEW ENGLAND (5-3) (47½)

HERE’S ANOTHER TOSS UP! WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND! Anyway, here’s a playoff game. New England has Super Bowl wins this past decade. The Jets have been to two straight AFC championship games. MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT. THIS IS A PLAYOFF GAME!! It doesn’t get any better than this. The Pats started out as 2 ½ point favorites and quickly the Jets became the betting favorite. The public isn’t always stupid. Just usually. Anyone could see that this Pats team just isn’t the same team they’ve been in the past and it’s not just their defense that isn’t as good. It’s their offense too. They really don’t have a burner at WR that can stretch the field that they’ve had in the past. Last week against the Giants in Foxboro, the Pats could have won, but mistakes and just the bad luck of scoring too soon helped to beat them. Now, the next week they have to take on Rex Ryan and the Jets. This isn’t going to be pretty. You probably won’t get a better value ever than the Jets almost EVEN at home. Last week, normally I’d have been all over the Jets against the Bills because I had a feeling that Fitzpatrick wasn’t 100% and if you’re QB isn’t 100% against a Rex Ryan defense, you’re in trouble. I even took the Bills because they have been the better team all season long. The Bills had their worst game of the season last week and Fitzpatrick wasn’t a factor. This week, the Jets are still not getting enough respect AND the Pats are probably getting too much respect still in Vegas. The Jets won’t get a better opportunity to beat the Pats than this weekend minus the 1½. If the Pats lose this week to the Jets, it will be their 3rd loss in a row. I can’t even remember the last time the Pats lost 3 in a row. LaDanian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene seem to be running downhill right now. Mark Sanchez is improving He has only thrown 7 picks all season long and is getting more comfortable with Plaxico Burress. Tom Brady has looked bothered to say the least going back and throwing for the Pats. Injuries haven’t helped, but I think that the Jets will take away the pass for the most part and make the Pats run the football. They’ll even have a tough time doing that. TAKE THE JETS MINUS THE SMALL POINTSPREAD FOR 4 STARS. THE MORE I LOOK AT THIS GAME, THE MORE I LIKE IT. ONLY A SANCHEZ MELTDOWN WILL COST THEM THIS GAME.

GREEN BAY (8-0) -13 OVER MINNESOTA (2-6) (51)

Finally a game that shouldn’t be close, but will it be a blowout? Maybe not. Last time these two got together, it was Christian Ponder’s second start and he kept the Vikings close with a 33-27 loss at home. They just wouldn’t quit. The Vikings have weapons despite their 2-6 record. They probably have a HOF RB in Adrian Peterson. He is, in my opinion, the best running back in the league. He has 9 TD’s and is averaging just under 5 yards per carry. Percy Harvin is healthy and is leading the team with 31 receptions but no touchdowns yet. Percy is also carrying the ball out of the backfield. Toby Gerhart needs more touches because he’s averaging 5.9 yards per carry. I HAVE THE VIKINGS RATED AS AN OK TEAM DESPITE THEIR 2-6 RECORD. TOUGH DIVISION. On the Packers side of the ball, what can you say? They haven’t lost since early December last year!! Aaron Rodgers is breaking all kinds of QB and offensive records. He is completing over 72% of his passes and his QB rating is 127. UNREAL! He throws regularly to 7 or 8 different receivers. James Starks has replaced Ryan Grant as the starter at RB. He’s averaging 4.6 yards per carry. The only thing that scares me here for the Packers is that the Vikings showed no fear the last time they played. 13 POINTS IS WAY TOO MANY POINTS TO GIVE IN A DIVISION RIVALRY LIKE THIS. BESIDES, THE PACK SEEMS TO BE CRUISING(who can blame them?) LATELY SO I’M PASSING ON THE GAME!!

SUMMARY OF PICKS

ATLANTA -1 OVER NEW ORLEANS 4
OVER 43 ½ CHICAGO-DETROIT 3
CINCINNATI +3 OVER PITTSBURGH 3
ST. LOUIS +3 OVER CLEVELAND 3
UNDER 36 CLEVELAND-ST.LOUIS 3
JACKSONVILLE -3 OVER INDY 3
MIAMI -4 OVER REDSKINS 4
HOUSTON -3 OVER TAMPA BAY 3
JETS -1½ OVER NEW ENGLAND 3
OVER 47½ JETS-NEW ENGLAND 4
OVER 51 MINNESOTA-GREEN BAY 3
SAN FRANCISCO -3 ½ OVER GIANTS 3