WEEK 10 NFL MATCHUPS

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NEW ENGLAND -12 OVER BUFFALO (52.5) – Rematch of a big Pats come from behind victory earlier this season. The Pats put up a 50 burger on the Bills beating them 52-28 in Buffalo. Buffalo can’t stop anyone from scoring it seems. The Pats are starting to get it into gear with their offense. Steven Ridley gives them a guy that can get 100 yards each week. Tom Brady gets back Aaron Hernandez to go along with his group of good receivers. If the weather is nice, I like the OVER here but I like the Pats also. Teasing the Pats down to -2 is a real threat here also. They are at home so they’ll probably cheat anyway. TAKE THE PATS MINUS THE POINTS AND THE OVER FOR 4 STARS.
DETROIT -2.5 AT MINNESOTA (46) – Detroit has won 3 out of their last 4 games and now goes to Minnesota for a big time pay back game against a big division foe. Detroit RB Mikel Leshoure has looked good running the football and is helping to give time for Matthew Stafford to throw the football. Stafford has been anything but great so far this season. Vikings RB Adrian Peterson leads the league in rushing with 957 yards averaging 5.7 yards a carry. Pretty amazing considering he’s coming off complete constructive knee surgery from last season. Vikings WR Percy Harvin is out for the game this Sunday. Christian Ponder has struggled as of late. With Harvin out that’s not going to help him find his way. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME JUST BECAUSE IT’S TOO CLOSE TO CALL. Detroit should win the ballgame, though.
BALTIMORE -7.5 OVER OAKLAND (42.5) – The Ravens come off a division win at Cleveland last week and now take on a Raiders team that is coming off a home loss to Tampa Bay. The Ravens might be 6-2 but these are not the Ravens of the past that we are used to seeing. Ladarius Webb and Ray Lewis are done for the season. Even though T-Sizzle is back in the huddle for the defense, he is probably about 60%. The Ravens average less than 27 minutes in time of possession per game. Even though Ray Rice is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and has scored 6 TD’s, Flacco is throwing the ball almost 70% of the time. Cam Cameron needs to run the ball more. The Ravens are 4-0 at home and Flacco plays much better there. I’M GOING TO TAKE THE RAVENS MINUS THE POINTS FOR 4 STARS.
MIAMI -6 OVER TENNESSEE (44) – The Dolphins gave up a record setting 433 passing yards by Andrew Luck last week in Indy. That was by far the most passing yards Miami has given up all year long. This week they take on a Titan ballclub that has some problems. The entire team is on notice after Bud Adams went publish with a “put up or shut up” declaration last week after the game. They players have said they’ll answer with better play for their HC Mike Munchak. They face a Miami team that is much better than their 4-4 record. Even though I’d love to take Miami, the better team here, I’m going to pass. I can’t imagine that Jake Locker after sitting a month will be ready for a Dolphin defense that can make some plays. However, the 6 points will make me avoid this one. PASS.
ATLANTA -2.5 OVER NEW ORLEANS (52.5) – These two teams are far apart talent wise and post season wise. New Orleans lost at home to a rookie QB in his first NFL game and haven’t really recovered nor had the personnel to do so. THE SAINTS ARE THE FIRST TEAM SINCE 1950 TO GIVE UP 400 YARDS PLUS 8 GAMES IN A ROW! Since then, however, the Saints have beaten Philly and San Diego at home. Except for their first 3 games (all losses), their schedule has gotten tougher. Today they go against the only undefeated team in the league. Atlanta’s offense and defense has performed well all season long. They’ve looked vulnerable at times but somehow have managed to come out on top each time. Make no mistake about it, today is the Saints playoff game. Atlanta is as big a division opponent as they play each year and if they lose this game they will go to 3-6, pretty much done. Drew Brees has been Drew Brees most of the season and is starting to get some run support from Thomas, Ingram, and Ivory. Brees’s record against the Falcons is 10-2. Darren Sproles is out again with a broken hand this week, which might not be a bad thing. The Saints have won 3 out of their last 4 games. They beat Tampa Bay IN TAMPA which isn’t an easy thing to do. However, a trip to Denver and Peyton Manning ended with a 20 point loss. New Orleans will test the Falcons defense more than any other team besides Denver they’ve played this season. This veteran team seems to be very comfortable on the road this season winning by an average of 15 points this season there. Michael Turner should be well rested and will carry the ball at least 20 times this game against a Saints team giving up 5.3 yards per carry on the ground. I’M GOING TO TAKE THE FALCONS AND THE OVER HERE FOR 5 STARS. WTH??
DENVER -4 OVER CAROLIINA (47) – Denver looks headed for the postseason behind Peyton Manning and a pretty good defense. Carolina comes off of a big win on the road against Washington after they fired their GM a couple of weeks ago. The Broncos have won 4 out of their last 5 game, with a loss coming against New England where nobody wins anyway. Two road wins in San Diego and Cincinnati says they’ll be ready for this game in Charlotte against a very moody Cam Newton. The Panthers MUST run the football effectively to give Newton time to throw the ball downfield. Steve Smith caught his first TD pass of the season last week. The Panthers have been in every game but one this season. If the Panthers lose this game they go to 2-7 which would pretty much eliminate them from the postseason. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THE GAME EVEN THOUGH I’M PRETTY CONFIDENT PEYTON MANNING WILL LEAD THIS DENVER TEAM TO THEIR 6TH WIN OF THE SEASON.
TAMPA BAY -3 OVER SAN DIEGO (47) – San Diego is 5-0 against the Bucs in Tampa. However, the Bucs have scored 28 plus points four games in a row for the first time EVER! Rookie HC Greg Schiano has these guys in Tampa believing! They’re drinking the kool aid! They’re not playing much defense but they never take their foot off the pedal either. When two 4-4 teams meet at the halfway point of a season, it’s a big game. San Diego really hasn’t beaten ANYONE so far this season. Neither have the Bucs except Minnesota on the road two weeks ago. They come home after two big road wins and play a reeling Chargers team. If the Chargers don’t make the playoffs, say goodbye to Norv Turner and possibly his GM also. THIS COULD BE A VERY HIGH SCORING GAME IF THE WEATHER IS GOOD. TAKE THE BUCS AND THE TOTAL FOR 4 STARS.
GIANTS -4 OVER CINCINNATI (49) – Benglas WR A.J. Green has been talking plenty of smack this week about the Giants secondary. He’s caught a TD in 7 games in a row, but still, shut up! Second year QB Andy Dalton has had problems throwing the ball down the field this season. After winning 4 in a row and 6 out of 7 games, the Giants look vulnerable again. Last season just about this time the Giants went on a 4 game bender. They came back to, well, win the Super Bowl but I don’t think Coughlin and company want to see the losses again. The HOME TEAM HAS WON THIS GAME EVERY TIME THEY’VE PLAYED EACH OTHER. I look for things to change today because personally, I don’t think Cincinnati is any good. However, even though the G-men are on the road where they are usually spectacular, I don’t think they’re playing well and Eli looks like the storm put him into a funk. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THE GAME.
SEATTLE -6 OVER JETS (38.5) – If you like the Jets at all here, play them. 6 points is a lot of points for a team in desperate need of a win. This marks the first time that Mark Sanchez EVER faces Pete Carroll his old coach from USC. The Jets are being outscored in EVERY quarter. This game is easy for me however to handicap. Too much defense for the Seahawks and too little offense for the Jets. Don’t see them doing much in Seattle where the Hawks are 4-0. Rookie QB Russell Wilson gives the Seahawks something different and exciting to draw from. RB Marshawn Lynch has rushed for 881 yards and a 4.7 yard average. The Jets can’t stop the run and this week their top tackler is out of the game. In my opinion, the Jet are getting a couple of extra points here and I’M GOING TO PASS ON THE GAME.
DALLAS -2.5 AT PHILLY (44.5) – This line has moved dramatically to the Cowboys side. They ARE the better team here and they ARE on the road where their fans and their patterns usually have them playing well there. Eagles QB Mike Vick is being assaulted on a regular basis in the pocket. His offensive line is depleted and horrible right now. The Cowboys, even though their defense has some holes in it because of injury, should bring enough pressure to give Vick problems. The Eagles have gone 6 weeks without a win. This division rivalry should get them excited enough to play hard, but will playing hard bring them a win? I doubt it. This is probably the worst record that these two teams have played each other in their recent history. Last season the Cowboys were SWEPT by the Eagles. The Cowboys have lost 4 out of their last 5 games this season. The Cowboys schedule has been BRUTAL! The only good news here is that SOMEONE HAS TO WIN! I’M GOING TO TAKE THE OVER HERE FOR 3 STARS. I’M ALSO TAKING DALLAS BECAUSE I PREFER THEM ON THE ROAD.
SAN FRANCISCO -12.5 OVER ST. LOUIS (38.5) – I still think the 49ers have the best team in the NFC. Coming off a bye week, I don’t see the NIners slowing down here. They were pounding the ball with their power running game before the bye week and they’ll be pounding the ball today. St. Louis is coming off a trip to England (where they got their asses kicked) and a bye week. Danny Amendola should get the start at WR for the Rams. The Rams schedule has been BRUTAL so far this season and playing the Niners on the road isn’t going to be easy. The Niners also haven’t lost at home to an NFC West opponent since 2008. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME. TOO MANY POINTS.
CHICAGO -1.5 OVER HOUSTON (39.5) – This game could obviously, but not IMO, be a Super Bowl Preview this season. The Bears have been playing extremely well, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Bears have 7 defensive touchdowns so far this season. Jay Cutler has settled down (for now) and seems to be directing his offense properly. This is Chicago’s best start since 2006. The Texans haven’t allowed a rushing TD in 11 games dating back to last season. The Bears have the best turnover ratio in the league. Too teams rated GOOD in BHS ratings. Sit back and enjoy. The game could go either way. Houston more consistent. The Bears defense more intimidating. PASS.

WEEK 9 NFL MATCHUPS

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DENVER -4 AT CINCINATTI (48) – The Bengals seem to be getting worse and worse as the season plays on.  The Bengals face Peyton Manning who has a lifetime record of 7-0 vs. them.  They’ve lost three in a row and mix a bye week in there. Peyton is the first QB to throw for 3 TD’s and 300 yards four games in a row since Steve Young in 1998.  Bengals pass defense is giving up a 67% completion rate and that’s an AVERAGE. Now they face maybe the best QB in NFL history who is just getting warmed up with his new team. Manning has a 109 QB rating so far this season.  He has thrown 17 TD’s and only 4 picks and they were in the same game against Atlanta early in the season.   Denver in the past 11 games in the Eastern Time Zone is 1-10.  I don’t think that Manning will have much of a problem here in Cincinnati.  Denver is the better team here and even though Cincinnati needs the game more, I don’t see it happening here.  A.J. Green has caught 7 TD passes so far from Andy Dalton but he doesn’t have much more on his side of the ball.  Their last two home games the Bengals have lost to Miami and Pittsburgh.  After losing to Atlanta and Houston, the Broncos have beaten Oakland, San Diego, and New Orleans, losing in New England also.  I’M GOING TO PLAY THE OVER HERE BUT I LIKE THE BRONCOS A LITTLE BIT.  OVER FOR 4 STARS. DENVER FOR 3 STARS.

GREEN BAY OVER ARIZONA (44.5) – The Packers host the reeling Arizona Cardinals Sunday at Lambeau Field in what could be a blowout but I know better.  First of all, everyone was on the Pack yesterday when they got blocked a punt and scored to win by a non-cover of 24-15 against Jacksonville.  So if you think I’m gonna lay 10 against a much better team like Arizona, you’re wrong.  I’m pretty sure that my early thoughts about the Packers were correct. They’re not that good this season. They still have Aaron Rodgers but they have no running back or real running game as they’ve had in past seasons.  They’ve lost to San Francisco, Seattle, and Indy. INDY!  Normally, I’d love these guys in this spot against a team traveling cross country and struggling with 4 losses in a row, but they’re just not the dynamo they’ve been in recent years.  They should be able to put a lot of pressure on Cards QB John Skelton, who isn’t nearly as elusive in the pocket as injured Kevin Kolb.  Rookie RT Bobby Massie has struggled trying to deal with ANY pash rush and the Cards have given up a league high 39 sacks already.  I still am not convinced the Packers will score enough points to cover the spread here.  Arizona has a excellent defense, the most points they’ve given up is 24 twice this season.  I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME.

MIAMI -2 AT INDY (43) – This game could go either way. I like both of these teams. Both of their arrows are pointing up!  Andrew Luck is on schedule to throw for over 4,000 yard this season.  The Dolphins are the better team here.  I have the Colts, even though they have 4 wins so far, rated an OK—team!  I have the Dolphins rated OK+!  The Dolphins defense is MUCH better here.  Except for a 30-10 season opener at Houston, the Dolphins have been in every game this season, having won their last three in a row and lost two games before that in overtime.  New HC Joe Philbin has to be pleased.  Donald Brown came back last week from a knee injury and rushed for 80 yards on 14 carries.  That allowed the Colts to take the Titans into overtime and win last week.  Defensively, the Colts aren’t even close.  The defense is giving up 4.8 yards per carry and a 103.4 QB rating.  This should allow a conservative Miami offense to have some success.  They scored 30 points at the Jets last week.  The Colts are undefeated at home however.  I’M GOING TO PASS ON THE GAME EVEN THOUGH I LOVE THE DOLPHINS PLAY THIS SEASON.T

BALTIMORE -3.5 AT CLEVELAND (42) – The Ravens have beaten the Browns 9 games in a row.  They also have a 10 game winning streak against the AFC North.  However, the Ravens defense is just a shadow of previous years, being ranked 28th in the league right now.  These two teams are not as much different right now as you might think.  The Ravens have struggled with their defense having given up 1,000 yards rushing already this season.  They’ve lost starting CB Ladarrius Webb and Ray Lewis for the season.  They barely held on to beat the Browns at home earlier this season.  After a rough start, the Browns have won two home games in a row against Cincy and San Diego.  Both teams trail in time of possession for the season averaging just over 26 minutes of offense per game.  Coming off an embarrassing 30 point loss to the Texans then their bye week, the Ravens probably got a little healthier but better have worked on how to stop the run.  If the Browns can run the football with rookie RB Trent Richardson, they can keep this close and possibly win the game.  Also, Ravens QB Joe Flacco continues to struggle on the road compared to at home….this game is on the road.  I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME THOUGH I THINK CLEVELAND MIGHT PULL OUT A WIN.

HOUSTON -10 OVER BUFFALO (48) – The Bills, normally much better at home than on the road, have won 2 games this season as road warriors.  They defeated Cleveland and Arizona two weeks ago.  However, this Texans offense will create some problems for the Bills that neither of those two teams could.  The Bills have the WORST run defense in the league.  They are also giving up a 93 point QB rating.  Texans QB Matt Schaub is having a good year averaging a 93 point QB rating of his own and Arian Foster even though he’s only averaged 3.9 yards per carry, has rushed for 659 yards and 9 TD’s.  The Texans should be able to exploit the Bills defense and score some points today.  The Bills are coming off of a devastating loss to Tennessee in the final minute just before their bye week. I remember. I had the Bills as my “straight cash homey” play of the day.  They Bills, however, have a pretty good offensive threat of their own in starting RB C.J. Spiller, who is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, the most by any NFL back since Jim Brown in 1970 with at least 70 carries.  I’M GOING TO TAKE THE TEXANS MINUS THE POINTS HERE FOR 4 STARS AND TAKE THE OVER ALSO FOR 3 STARS.

WASHINGTON -3 OVER CAROLINA (48) – Both teams are still searching for their identity as a team.  The Washington Redskins offense has been stellar at times this seasosn.  The Panthers not so much.  Robert Griffin has been maybe the most exciting thing to happen to the league in a while.  Cam Newton’s sophomore season, definitely slumping.  His attitude isn’t much better as he’s thrown members of his team under the bus regularly at press conferences.  Last week in Pittsburgh the Redskins receivers had a case of the drops as RG3’s receivers couldn’t find the handle repeatedly on throws they should have caught.  Last week D’Angelo Hall was ejected from a game for arguing with officials.  MLB London Fletcher has been struggling with injuries and may be playing his last season.  Both teams’ defenses have been struggling at times especially defending the pass.  I look for a hard fought, high scoring game here in D.C. on Sunday.  Both teams need a win on Sunday or they can start preparing for the draft next season.  The Redskins will need to stop what running game the Panthers bring out as quickly as possible to have a chance to win.  Cam Newton will not be successful running OR passing if the Skins can stop the run.  The Skins are a better team this season.  I LIKE THE REDSKINS HERE.  All Pro WR Steve Smith has NOT CAUGHT A TOUCHDOWN ALL YEAR LONG!!  TAKE THE REDSKINS MINUS THE POINTS FOR 3 STARS.

DETROIT -5.5 OVER JACKSONVILLE (43) – The Jaguars have been outscored 95-20 and are 0-3 in their lst 3 home games this season.  They are arguably the worst team in the league this season.  Following their bye week, the Lions are 2-1 with two big wins against Philly (on the road) and Seattle last week at home.  The Lions must continue to win and improve to make the playoffs this season in the NFC North.  Lions S Louis Delmas is out for the game with a knee injury.  WR Calvin Johnson, or Megatron as he’s known to some, may only play on third downs today because of an injury.  #2 WR Nate Burleson is out for the season.  Last week Titus Young stepped up and had a monster game for the Lions.  RB Michael Leshoure has rushed for almost 400 yards in 4 games.  The Jags defense is OK but nothing spectacular. If the Lions lose here, their season is basically over.   I LIKE DETROIT HERE FOR 3 STARS.

CHICAGO -3.5 AT TENNESSEE (43.5) – The Titans are a much better football team at home so far this season.  Last week they lost to Indy at home in OT.  Two weeks before that they beat a decent Pittsburgh team 26-23.  Three weeks before that they beat the Lions in OT 44-41.  This week one of the toughest defenses comes to town.  RB Chris Johnson is back on track, averaging 4.5 yards per carry after starting the season horrifically.  Matt Hasselbeck has a higher QB rating than Jay Cutler.  The teams stats to this point don’t even compare however.  The Titans have a SUCK BHS rating.  The Bears a GOOD rating.  After losing to Green Bay in the second game of the season, the Bears have won 5 in a row, even though the last two games have been close.  Their last two games on the road vs. Dallas and Jacksonville were won by a combined score of 75-21.  This game is screaming TRAP but I might have to take the Bears anyway.  RB’s Matt Forte and Michael Bush have run the ball well.  Bears WR Brandon Marshall has caught 50 passes already this season.  He should have some fun against a not so good pass defense of Jacksonville.  I’M GOING TO TAKE THE BEARS HERE MINUS THE POINTS FOR 3 STARS.

SEATTLE -4 OVER MINNESOTA (38.5) – I’ve loved this game for a couple of weeks.  Everything looks good for the Seahawks here.  They’re at home where they’re undefeated, having beaten Dallas, Green Bay, and New England.  Minnesota is probably not as good as any of those teams.  The Vikings are cooling off after a hot start, having lost to Tampa Bay by 19 points last weekend at home, their first home loss of the season.  However, Percy Harvin has 60 receptions so far this season. RB Adrian Peterson has 775 yards rushing so far this season.   The Vikings are having problems protecting QB Christian Ponder.  Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch has been as good as anyone this year running and controlling the ball for his offense.  He has 787 yards rushing and is averaging 4.8 yards per carry.  Rookie QB Russell Wilson is playing much better at home than he is on the road.  I HAVE TO GO WITH THE SEAHAWKS HERE MINUS THE POINTS FOR 5 STARS  (STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY)

OAKLAND -1.5 OVER TAMPA BAY (47) – After their bye week the Raiders are 2-1 with their only loss being a last minute lost to the undefeated Atlanta Falcons.  Earlier this season the Raider beat the Steelers.  The Bucs are coming off some games that showed they are improving also.  They have been in EVERY GAME so far this season.  I don’t see the Raiders scoring enough early to win easily.  This game will come down to the final quarter and the team making the least amount of mistakes will probably win the game.  The Raiders have won two in a row in the Black Hole.  The Bucs travel cross country for the first time this year.  The Bucs are the better team here but anything can happen.  With records of 3-4 both teams need this game in the worst way to stay competitive for the playoffs.  I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS GAME. IT COULD VERY WELL COME DOWN TO THE LAST PLAY, EVEN THOUGH LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THE BUCS ARE THE BETTER TEAM RIGHT NOW.

GIANTS -3 OVER PITTSBURGH (44.5) – I’m sorry.  The Giants don’t get any respect at all.  The Steelers are NOT the Steelers of old, even though they seem to be righting their ship as we speak.  And nobody knows better than me that the Giants are ROAD WARRIORS and don’t play as well at home for some reason.  This is the point last season when the Giants went into a 4 game slide to go to 6-6 before their great Super Bowl Run.  The Steelers have lost in Denver, lost in Tennessee,  and lost in Oakland.  I almost can’t believe that this line is just 3 points.  I’M TAKING THE GIANTS MINUS THE 3 POINTS FOR 4 STARS. I CAN’T TAKE THE LACK OF RESPECT FOR THE 2012 SUPER BOWL CHAMPS ANYMORE.

ATLANTA -3.5 OVER DALLAS (47.5) – Here’s another ridiculous line. I HAVE THE COWBOYS RATED AN OK- TEAM AND THE FALCONS NUMBER ONE IN THE LEAGUE AND A GOOD TEAM.  I HAVE TO TAKE THE FALCONS JUST BECAUSE THE NUMBER ONE TEAM IN THE LEAGUE HERE GETS NO RESPECT.  Not only do the Falcons only give up 3 ½ points here, but the majority of the betting in VEGAS is ON THE COWBOYS.  Cowboys QB Tony Romo is a turnover machine.  Falcons QB Matt Ryan is 29-4 at home. End of story.  TAKE THE FALCONS MINUS THE POINTS FOR 4 STARS.  It’s a perfect storm for the Falcons here.

BRUCE HALL SPORTS NFL POWER RANKINGS – AFTER WEEK 7

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  1. ATLANTA FALCONS – 6-0 but getting ready IMO of going down in Philly this weekend.
  2. HOUSTON TEXANS – Crushed Road Ravens minus some defense. Big time rebound after GB.
  3. NEW YORK GIANTS – RG3 and Skins take them to the brink. Eli brings them back again.
  4. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS – Injured Smith and great defense lead them to victory last week.
  5. CHICAGO BEARS – Cutler banged up in Monday nite victory. Defense awesome. GB ahead.
  6. NEW ENGLAND PATS – Pretty much outplayed by the Jets. Still come out with a big victory.
  7. DENVER BRONCOS – Bye week should only make them tougher. Offense getting used to PM.
  8. GREEN BAY PACKERS – Pack win 2nd in a row on the road. Beat decent Rams team 30-20.
  9. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES – I’m picking Eagles to end the Falcons streak this weekend off bye week
  10. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS – Defense and Lynch keep them in every game they play. Play weak Lions.
  11. BALTIMORE RAVENS – Ass whipping they took last week a sign of things to come. T-Sizzle back!
  12. ARIZONA CARDINALS – We’ll see how good Cards are as Niners come to town. Skelton starts.
  13. MIAMI DOLPHINS – Doesn’t get any easier for Jets. Miami coming off two wins and a bye week.
  14. PITTSBURGH STEELERS – Ben won again in Ohio LW. Now RG3 and Skins come to town. D down.
  15. WASHINGTON REDSKINS – A minute from victory in Meadowlands. Now travel to Big Ben.
  16. DALLAS COWBOYS – Boys cover in Carolina. Still struggling on offense. Great spot for G-men.
  17. NEW YORK JETS – Played well enough to bet Pats but came up short. Better not look past Miami.
  18. TAMPA BAY BUCS – Huge win Thursday nite in Minny. Team just getting better and better.
  19. MINNESOTA VIKINGS – Losing steam fast. Ponder struggling. Defense on the field too much.
  20. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS – Lose a shootout and give Saints, Brees first win of the season. Still OK.
  21. ST. LOUIS RAMS – Beat a good Zona team. Now 3-2 and line up some good teams.  Fish the diff.
  22. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS – Brees, Saints come through in Tampa. Travel to Denver, Manning TW.
  23. INDY COLTS – Luck, Colts tough at home. 3-3 says it all. Tough game in Tennessee this week.
  24. CINCINNATI BENGALS – They never win in October. Good think this is a bye week. Have no heart
  25. DETROIT LIONS – Lions getting worse.Schwartz needs a good handshake. Seahawks are ready!
  26. TENNESSEE TITANS – Offense getting better.  Defense still a question mark.  High scoring game
  27. BUFFALO BILLS – Gave up 4th and 9 TD LW to lose. Pretty horrible to watch. Bye week good now
  28. CAROLINA PANTHERS – Lose off bye week. More Cam Newton soap opera meltown. Changes?
  29. CLEVELAND BROWNS – Chargers come to town. Should be a good game. Good spot for Browns.
  30. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – If they lose to Raiders at home, someone should get fired. Horrible team.
  31. OAKLAND RAIDERS – Great spot for the Raiders. Chiefs hurting. Quinn starting. KC done.
  32. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS –MJD done for the year probably. Defense horrible. Gabbert down.

 

 

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS DÉJÀ VU

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It’s no secret that I’m a big San Francisco Giants fan. Having played Little League ball with Giants manager Bruce Bochy and staying in touch after seeing him playing minor league ball one day back in 1980, I’ve pulled for every team he’s been with since.  He managed the San Diego Padres for 13 years and I was there sitting in great seats watching him play in Atlanta, then New York in 1999 when they upset the Braves, only to lose in the World Series in four games to the loaded New York Yankees.  That season the Padres payroll was around 35 million. The Yankees spent 200 million.  Still, it was exciting as hell to watch and Boch made all of that possible for a small-time baseball guy like me.

Then, 5 years ago, after his team won the NL West Division only to get bounced early from the playoffs in San Diego, he asked then Vice President of Operations Sandy Alderson, who had just arrived in San Diego, for an extension.  Alderson, who I don’t care for much anyway because he’s a “Moneyballer”, an executive that doesn’t put that much emphasis on managing and more on studying numbers, flat turned Bochy down.  I remember talking to him on the phone the day after that happened and he was pretty upset.  He had one year existing on his contract with the Padres but wanted to extend the contract as soon as possible to make sure he had some future considerations without waiting till the next season started.  Bochy then did a very smart thing.  He asked the cocky Alderson for permission to talk to other teams.  The cocky Alderson complied. 48 hours later there was a press conference in San Francisco. The Giants Brian Sabean, who had been on the hot seat for a while there, filled his vacant manager’s spot in San Francisco with Bochy, the player’s manager, to come in and take care of a sensitive situation. They had just finished a disappointing year and also had a cancer in the clubhouse by the name of Barry Bonds.  The deal was, and I’m speculating just a bit here because Boch never told me this,  was Bonds would be there one year and then leave. That would have been my deal for sure.  Boch put up with the distractions, the clubhouse with no leadership, where their one great player was all about himself and his records and his pursuit of the home run record, and did the best he could to rebuild the team and the clubhouse the way he wanted.

Fast forward to 2010 when the Giants had a roster full of youth, pitching, and free agents like Cody Ross and Mike Fontenot and Aubrey Huff.  Their pitching was second to none in the National League. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Johnny Sanchez, and Barry Zito were tough. The Giants won the division on the last day of the season with a 1-0 win over San Diego, who at one time had a 10 game lead in the West.  The winning run that last game was scored by Johnny Sanchez, a Giants pitcher who isn’t a Giant anymore, but when he was teamed with Dave Righetti, had some of the most outstanding numbers in baseball each year. This team in 2010 did not hit the ball particularly well and averaged only 4.2 runs per game.  In early August, in addition to some weekly numbers I would send Boch, I calculated how many games the Giants needed to win in EACH series till the end of the season.  I told him that he would need to win 92 games to beat the Padres.  The 1-0 nothing game over the Padres on the last day of the regular season was their 92nd win!  The fact was that the Giants were doing just what they needed to do to get to the playoffs.

Fast forward to the 2010 Playoffs where they were matched up  and had to beat the only team in the league with pitching that could compare to theirs.  They beat the Braves with some great pitching and timely hitting and a hot free agent outfielder named Cody Ross.  Then they had one more team to beat to go to the Series and ended up beating the Phillies in 6 games.  I was at the 6th game in Philly when Juan Uribe “fisted” a ball into the right field stands and almost got my butt kicked in one of the stadium bathrooms because I was wearing a Uribe jersey!  I actually left that game at the end of the 7th inning because it was getting late and I had to do my radio show the next morning in Columbia, Maryland. I also didn’t want to get my butt kicked.   I pulled over on Route 95 and celebrated when the final out was made to send them to the Series about 30 miles south of the stadium.  Hell, I might have been in Delaware by then. Either way, it felt pretty damn good.

My next stop was going to be Arlington/Dallas, Texas where the heavily favored Texas Rangers would play games 3, 4, and 5 if needed against the Giants.  I stayed close to the stadium but hung out with Boch and his family and friends in the Ritz Carlton with the team and their biggest fans the entire time.  It was great.  I gave Boch a ride to the ballpark every day (he likes to drive in a regular car instead of the team bus) because he gets there so early.  The rest is history. I told him to tell the guys that they weren’t going back to San Francisco and he was thinking the same way.  They won it all the night of the 5th game and finally a great baseball player, coach, and manager had his ring.

This year is a bit like Déjà Vu to me.  It’s a similar story.  The only difference was the Giants were close or in the lead of the division the entire season.  The Rockies had no pitching and a lot of injuries.  The Padres were pretty bad all season long because of their youth movement, and the Dodgers NEVER played the way they were expected the entire season.  The Dodgers were sold for 2.15 million dollars earlier this season.  Then a blockbuster trade was made which led all the so called “experts” to proclaim that it was just a matter of time till the Los Angeles Dodgers ousted the Giants and won the NL West division.  That never materialzed.  The Dodgers had no chemistry, no real coaching in my opinion, and a group of highly paid players who weren’t well…. playing.  To be fair, they had some big injuries during the season too.  The Giants, on the other hand, added a couple of not so well known players who did more than was expected of them.  Marco Scutaro, who I’ve always loved because of his incredibly w/k ratio numbers, was exactly what the Giants needed.  For the first time in years, the Giants hitters were getting on base and scoring more runs.  Their pitching was not as good as in previous years, but was still good enough to win enough games to win the division.  They wrapped up the West with almost two weeks left in the season.

Fast forward to present.  Here we are again.  I was getting tweets, texts, and calls from all kinds of people last night.  I’m so superstitious ( I still coach baseball) that I wore the same pair of sweat pants three days in a row, sent Boch similar texts each day, and never went to see a game in San Francisco because I’ve never seen them play at home. I had his jersey draped over one of my chairs. (When I wore it one game they lost) I went hatless and will continue to do so until they lose (if they lose).  I have his Sue Burns memorial jersey hung on a door handle in the TV room.  I de-jinxed all the beat writers for the Giants constantly on twitter and even texts to me refused to talk about “what if”.  Hey, baseball is a game without a clock. Like Yogi says, “It ain’t over till it’s over!” He’s right.  Now I plan for hopefully another Déjà vu moment.  I’m booked to get into Detroit on Friday, see my buddy Boch, his family, and his players, then hopefully drive him to the ballpark every day, put nothing but positive thoughts in his head, and make sure he gets enough sleep. (He needs his sleep) That’s my job, and hopefully when it’s all said and done, the San Francisco Giants and their great manager, coaches, team and fans, will be celebrating again after their 4th win of the series……….