NFLFan's Journal: NFL Week 13

The Fan's Six Pack:
1.) I watched some, not a lot, of the Sunday night game. The little bit that I did catch reminded me why the Saints have not given up on Aaron Brooks-- he has a big arm. The problem with Brooks is that he makes some of the stupidest mistakes and decisions. The guy has been a starter in this league for awhile now and what has he won? To be direct, I think the problem is that he is just stupid; Brooks scored very low on the Wonderlic, an IQ-like test. I am not saying that someone has be a genius to play football or quarterback; what I am saying is that the Saints have given Brooks a chance for too long and that it is time for the Saints to move on. Potential is a dangerous thing in sports. It seems if you are under 30 and have a strong throwing arm then employment is promised in baseball or football if you want it regardless whether or not you can actually play.

2.) What a lousy game Tom Brady had against the Chiefs. When things are going good for Brady I am almost convinced that he will never again throw a clean interception but then he has a game like he did against the Chiefs. Brady seems to average at least two really bad games a year. I know a lot of people prefer Brady to Peyton Manning but Manning does not seem to struggle as often and his struggles are usually not as severe as Brady's. About now is when someone retorts with the fact that Brady has three rings while Manning has yet to even play in a Super Bowl. Brady and the Patriots may have won three championships but it is important to see how they did it-- a large part of those championships belong to a defense that while not statistically great, probably because they usually were on the field too much, was able to keep the Patriots in close games and compensate for a sometimes weak offense. Look at the years during which the Patriots did not have a good defense, 2002 and this year, and there was a greater responsibility placed on Brady-- in 2002 they went 9-7 and did not make the playoffs and now this year they are 6-5 but still likely to make the playoffs because they are in the weakest division in the AFC if not the NFL. In years past, Manning and the Colts have not had a defense to fall back on but they usually post a winning percentage better than .5556. Manning was able to take a Colts team with a lackluster defense to the AFC Championship game but do you really expect Brady to be able to do the same with the Patriot team he has now? Advantage Manning.

3.) What a week for close games: Panthers-Bills, Chargers-Redskins, Broncos-Cowboys, Bears-Buccaneers, Giants-Seahawks, and Rams-Texans. I really like how the Chargers and Seahawks won by putting the ball into the hands of their best player. I like the character that the Panthers show by coming from behind. I like the way the Bears were able to hang on and end the game with a sack. I like how the Rams let their quarterback, who no one knew, win the game.

4.) When I heard that Byron Leftwich broke his ankle, I thought the Chargers and Chiefs were given new life. But then I looked at Jacksonville's schedule and was reminded again how easy their schedule is. The Jaguars are almost guaranteed the top wild card spot which is a real shame because they do not deserve it.

5.) Matt Millen should be fired. I understand the Lions were not very good when he took over and that they have gotten better talent-wise but he does not seem to have a real plan and seems to lack a clear vision for the future. The guy has been a joke as a GM by circumventing NFL hiring procedures, inappropriately calling out his players, and just not drafting well. A lot of people think/feel that Millen was pressured into those first round picks, and maybe he was, but the guy is the GM and needs to put his foot down sometime. Wide receiver is a very dangerous position to be drafting in the first round. Of the wide receivers playing today, I can only justify 3 of them being drafted in the first round: Randy Moss, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison. Wide receiver is a an over-glorified position.

6.) Seems Michael Irvin was caught with a crack pipe late last week. The guy is atrocious as a football analyst but I have come to accept him as a television/football personality. I hope his story pans out and if it does not then I hope he gets help.

The Picks:
Last week I went 13-3. Overall, I am 113-65 (.635).

Sunday, Dec. 4
Atlanta at Carolina 1:00 p.m.
I like the Panthers. Michael Vick is said to own the Panthers but Falcon are too beat up on defense. Both teams are flawed and both have lost games that they should have won on paper.

Buffalo at Miami 1:00 p.m.
I like the Dolphins.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh 1:00 p.m.
I like the Steelers. All my reasoning tells me to go with the Bengals but my gut tells me something different. The Steelers are not playing well, their offensive line is struggling along with their run game which they have abandoned too quickly in recent weeks. This is also a short week for the Steelers and Roethlisber seems to have an achy thumb. I must be crazy.

Dallas at N.Y. Giants 1:00 p.m.
I like the Giants. Two good football teams that have played some bad games and had lost some tough games. If the Giants are playing well then it will be really tough for the Cowboys to win.

Green Bay at Chicago 1:00 p.m.
I like the Bears. Right about now is probably a good time for a little hiccup from the Bears but the Packers have hurt me too many times this year for me to pick them.

Houston at Baltimore 1:00 p.m.
I like the Ravens. Besides Brian Billick's job, I have no idea what the Ravens are playing for. Jamal Lewis finally had a 100 yard day but it was on 29 carries! According to the broadcasters of the Ravens-Bengals game, Lewis thinks he needs more than 20 carries a game to be affective! Houston showed some life last week against the Rams but they collapsed late. Maybe they should have some sort of halftime promotion to attract fans-- how about Newlyweds- Nick & Jessica DVD demolition?

Jacksonville at Cleveland 1:00 p.m.
I like the Jaguars. Cleveland sucks, is that good enough?

Minnesota at Detroit 1:00 p.m.
I like the Vikings. The Vikings seem to have new life while I do not know what the Lions have.

Tampa Bay at New Orleans (Baton Rouge, LA) 1:00 p.m.
I like the Buccaneers. I just cannot pick the Saints.

Tennessee at Indianapolis 1:00 p.m.
I like the Colts. The Colts roll another week. Watch McNair get beat up.

Arizona at San Francisco 4:05 p.m.
I like the Cardinals. Get to watch Alex Smith pretend to be an NFL quarterback again. Think he has asked Mike Nolan to run that Urban Meyer spread offense yet? Maybe the guy will pan out but was he really worth the top pick in the draft.

Washington at St. Louis 4:05 p.m.
I like the Redskins. Well the Redskins seem to be sinking and the Rams have shown life and a taste for the dramatic so I of course I am picking the 'Skins. Did I mention it is at St. Louis. This pick is really tough to justify, so I won't.

Denver at Kansas City 4:15 p.m.
I like the Broncos. The Chiefs are a lot better against the run than they get credit for but they cannot stop the Broncos. Plummer might not be making those silly plays anymore but he is becoming restless because he feels he is not making plays. Could be a game the Chiefs steal, especially since it is at Arrowhead and the Broncos have a reputation for fading in the second-half of the season.

N.Y. Jets at New England 4:15 p.m.
I like the Patriots. Okay, I hate the Patriots but they are playing the Jets. How can anybody pick the Jets right now? The Jets are just a decent team that is too beat up right now. How often does Brady have back-to-back bad games?

Oakland at San Diego 8:30 p.m.
I like the Chargers. I want to pick the Raiders because I just do not trust the Chargers but it is in San Diego so I am rolling with the Chargers.

Monday, Dec. 5
Seattle at Philadelphia
I like the Seahawks. The Eagles are done. Wonder what all those silly Philly fans are going to say if the Eagles do not make the playoffs next year-- a real possibility with the Cowboys and Giants on the rise. Don't you feel sorry for those poor Philly fans who were punished by going to the NFC Championship game for 3 straight years and losing before they finally won last year and then lost to another vulnerable Patriots team. How "soft" did Shaun Alexander look last week?

pretty spot on

[Em Emalb]

I agree with most of what you said here.

You seem to be doing well in the picks category. You have any cash riding on any of these games?

Re:pretty spot on

[NFLFan]

No, no money. Just always wondered how I would do picking games and so I decided to start writing journal entries about it because I was too lazy to follow through for a whole season on previous attempts.