Week 3 NFL picks (part 1)

So, after two weeks I'm currently 14-18 pick wise. There's a good chance this week to shift those numbers into the positive and we'll start by looking at the 1:00 pm kick offs: Titans @ Giants -- Even with the benching of Vince Young in the last game, I'm still sticking with the Titans to be a force in the AFC. At the same time I'm looking at the Giants and wondering if my pick for them as the division winners in the NFC East was perhaps ill advised. They came out against the Colts ready to stuff the pass and they still failed to do that! Given as well the quality of the Titans D and I have to go with a Titans win here. Bengals @ Panthers -- I'm high on the Bengals this season. I think they have a lot of good pieces in a lot of good places. I'm low on the Panthers. I just think the Panthers have that look of being a team that is trying to rediscover who they are and who they want to be. I think in this game they'll find themselves as losers. Bengals win. Steelers @ Buccaneers -- I'm struggling with this one. The Steelers D has been all kinds of impressive so far this year. Sadly they're now down to possibly their 53rd string QB on offense. Which begs the question; can the Bucs' offense generate just enough to overcome the Steelers O. Neither team is going to score highly but who can just get that little extra? The Buccaneers will be expecting their rookie QB to face the full fury of Dick LeBeau's zone blitz. The Steelers will probably lean on the run to hide the fact that Charlie Batch has had little work with the starters on offense. It's a tough ask, but I'm going with the Steelers. I can just see them getting a pick 6 or some other defensive play that seals the game. Bills @ Patriots -- I've learned, I've learned. I really have. Don't trust the Bills to do anything except go 0-16. Patriots win. Browns @ Ravens -- Much has been made of the Browns defense this year. I believe they rank number 10 or so overall. It's at this point that I should point out that they've played the Buc's and the Chiefs. So I'll be taking the Ravens then. 49ers @ Chiefs -- Do I have to choose a winner? I do. Ah well, let's find that lucky coin again.... ok, so no coin. Well, the 49ers kept the Saints down to less than 25 points which is a mighty achievement in itself and they looked much better on offense. The Chiefs are the Chiefs. They've been bright early on in the season, but I'm not sure they've really found the formula for sustained success. I'm taking the 49ers. Cowboys @ Texans -- I have spent all week fretting over this pick. The way I view it is this; the Cowboys D is strong but so is the Texans O. The Texans D is weak, but the Cowboys O struggles to score points and finish drives. So which gives first? Will the Cowboys pass rush and coverage hold the Texans to a manageable score? And even then can the Cowboys O catch up? Or will they take advantage of the Texans porous D and find the endzone multiple times, storming off into the lead as their defense constricts the Texans? I really can't decide. Both outcomes seem just as likely at this stage. In the end though I guess I have to fall on one side of the tracks or the other, and this time I'm going to take the Texans. Just. Lions @ Vikings -- Given the fact I really like Brett Favre as a player and I really like seeing old players prove that the gap between them and the youngsters isn't as big as some TV stations would make out, I'm surprisingly happy to see Favre and the Vikings do so badly. Maybe it's because I got sick of the whole "retirement" thing or maybe just because I think Brad Childress is an a**. Either way I'm smiling. And I think Jim Schwartz and his Lions might be smiling after Sunday as well. The Vikings just look bad right now. Really bad. Not that the Lions D is light years ahead, but their offense certainly is, and the combo of Kyle Vanden Bosch and Ndamukong Suh will give Favre and Peterson trouble all day. I'm going Lions. Falcons @ Saints -- The Vikings and the 49ers both have relatively good defenses, or at least they did last year. That still doesn't stop me worrying about the amount of points the Saints are not scoring. In a similar vein both the Vikings and the 49ers have struggled offensively. This combination has led to the Saints keeping things tight. I think against the Falcons the dream of a repeat (you can't imagine the number of times I've heard people saying "two-peat". You mean just a plain repeat right?) will start to crumble. I doubt the Falcons will be as prolific as they were last week, but they can pull this out of the bag. Falcons win. And there you have it. Tomorrow I'll be back to round up the remainder of the weekends games and then hopefully on Sunday my picks will surge to success. Hopefully..... Have a great day everyone.

Questions:

-- Can the New York Giants generate pressure from their front four? Against Indianapolis they set their D-line out specifically to rush the passer and they did a pretty poor job of it. If their defense continues to leak as many points as it does, the Giants will continue to struggle. -- Can Jimmy Clausen fix the Panthers? At a guess, I would say no. I think you have to give Matt Moore more (no pun intended) time to settle in as the starting QB. I see no value in yanking him from the field now unless Clausen is a quarterbacking beast in disguise, which is unlikely. -- How long can the Steelers D hold on for this team? Regardless of their QB situation, the Steelers offense really looks bad right now. Can they truly rely on defense to carry the day for the rest of the season? What happens if there are a couple of breakdowns during a game and they find themselves trailing by 14? -- Can the Buffalo offense truly get any worse? No. -- Can the Baltimore offense improve? They'd better hope so. The Ravens - for all their weapons - really do stink it up right now on offense. Like the Steelers they can't expect to ride their defense forever. -- Is Kansas City really that good? They beat the Chargers in week one and the Browns in week two. But how will they fare in the meat of their season against tougher opposition? Have the Chiefs truly turned a corner with their new coordinators? -- Can the Dallas O match their D? See the Baltimore and Pittsburgh questions for a similar story. The Cowboys piled on the hurt against Chicago, but they just couldn't capitalise. Their O-line looks terrible. -- Could Minnesota finish bottom of the NFC North? The Bears have looked... ok. The Lions offense looks good. The Packers are looking like we all thought they would. But the Vikings just look abject right now. Favre looks frail at times, his receivers are struggling to get open and Adrian Peterson is still too anxious to the hole. -- When will the Saints offense get going? They look a shadow of their former selves right now. Inconsistent is the word I'm looking for. And now with the loss of Reggie Bush things just got a fraction more difficult. What has happened to easily the most prolific offense in the last two seasons? -- Have Washington really come back from the dead? After a terrible season last year, have the Redskins truly found a new offensive leader in McNabb or is this just a lucky/surprising start before they sink back into familiar failure? -- Who is David Garrard? In week one he was Pro Bowl. In week two he was Bikini Bowl. So which was the aberration and which was an indication of what's to come from Garrard this season? Upon the answer to this question rides many of Jacksonvilles hopes. -- Is it truly possible that the Colts offense has improved since last year? How do you do that? How do you take something that good and make it better? -- Was benching Jason Campbell truly worthwhile? Having traded for Campbell and essentially said "this guy will save our franchise" what message does it send to the Raiders team now that Campbell has not just been pulled from a game but benched for the next one. I'm a Gradkowski fan but surely this isn't a good for the franchise the way it's being handled. -- Why can't I think of anything to write about either the Seahawks or the Chargers? Are they really that boring right now? -- How good is Mark Sanchez? Against an excellent Ravens defense he collapsed like a riverboat made of paper. Against a mediocre Patriots defense he looked pretty good. See the David Garrard comment for a similar take. -- How long can Jay Cutler avoid self-destructing? It's going to happen at some point. You just know it is. Tomorrow, 1:00 pm kickoff picks!! Till then, Have a great day everyone.

Week 2 NFL picks

Thursday night is pick 'em night, at least as far as the 1:00 pm kick offs are concerned: Bills @ Packers -- As odd as this may sound, I actually had to have a think about this one. The gut reaction is to just say "Packers" and move on. But the Packers have lost RB Ryan Grant, a key component of their offense last year. And this is a Bills D that can match up with some of the best against the pass. The question then is this; can the Bills offense generate enough yards and points against a very good Packers D to off set any shortcomings in their defense. And you know, I just can't let go of this nagging feeling that everything has changed for the Packers. Their offensive make up has been altered and that eventually has a spill over effect on their D. Ultimately I had the same nagging feeling about the Chiefs/Chargers game last week, so against my better judgement I'm going to take the hit and say Bills win. Dolphins @ Vikings -- I've learnt my lesson, I think, with regards to the Vikings. They love Brett Favre. Brett Favre loves Brett Favre. They seem to have gone very cold on Adrian Peterson. As much as I am very suspicious of the Dolphins offense, I'm backing them to get it done. Dolphins win. Chiefs @ Browns -- Chances are that Jake Delhomme might not play. That's a good thing for the Browns. That means Seneca Wallace steps in and runs a more efficient Browns offense. The Chiefs will still be the Chiefs, which means a struggle at times to cover receivers and a lack lustre pass offense. Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles still offer a big threat, but I just get that feeling that the Browns will have more in the tank. Browns win. Bears @ Cowboys -- I. Do Not. Trust. The Cowboys. Offense. It's that simple. I'm not exactly raving about the Bears either, but I have serious questions about the Cowboys tackle combo of Doug Free and Alex Barron. Not that the Bears O-line inspires effusive confidence either. I don't know what it is about this week, but the games seem to be quite hard to pick. I remember last year being much more clean cut. Hmmm, I'm going to have to back the Bears. And that's just about as damning an indictment of the Cowboys as you can get. Cardinals @ Falcons -- Ohh this is ugly! The Falcons against the Cardinals is not a game I would relish sitting down and watching. Personally I'm inclined to say that Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson will once again have a great game.... and not get the accolades he deserves come the seasons end. I just don't see the Falcons posing the threat I would have expected out of them coming into this season. They've been incredibly flat offensively throughout the pre-season and into week 1, though their defense has luckily tightened down and kept them in games. Not this Sunday though. Cardinals win. Buccaneers @ Panthers -- The Panthers are a tricky team to call in this game. With Matt Moore likely to sit after suffering a concussion in week one, that means Jimmy Clausen is handed the reins for week two. That throws up two potential scenarios; a) the Panthers come out throwing and Clausen self destructs against an improved Bucs' defense, or b) they hide the rookie behind their rushing attack and pound a Bucs' D that even now still appears to struggle against the run. My money is on the Panthers doing the safe thing and running this one out. Please Carolina, don't let me down. Panthers win. Eagles @ Lions -- Eagles win. Next. Ravens @ Bengals -- Ahh crap. How do I pick this one? Truth is I like both teams equally. I like the Ravens O. I like the Bengals O. I like the Bengals D. I like the Ravens D. I like everyboDy. But I think I like the Bengals a little more. This was tough as nails to pick and ultimately it came down to the corner back position. With Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall I feel the Bengals have a little more to offer back there than the Ravens do. That said the Ravens front seven is probably better so it all kind of adds up. Ah hell, I'm sticking with the Bengals. Steelers @ Titans -- Another toughie. The Steelers run defense is very good. Their front seven is one of the best in the league at putting the stopper on opposition running backs without the need of safety help. But then the Titans D is proving quite mean itself. Dennis Dixon will be scrambling for his life most of the game given the match up of the Steelers O-line against the Titans pass rush. I think this one will be settled by offense, and the Titans just have more to offer in that department. Titans win. Let the disaster begin!! I'm not entirely happy with the Bills over the Packers, the Bears over the Vikings or the Browns over the Chiefs, but that's life. Some times when you sit down and look at things, everything seems to suggest one team over another. But football is a very fickle game. It's prone to wild swings in unexpected ways. I'm sure I was among the minority in picking the Chiefs over the Chargers, but at times you can just see match ups that might be favourable. The biggest problem - at least from my perspective - is trying to guess how coaches will game plan for the coming opponent and what kind of run/pass balance they will go with. This was aptly demonstrated by the Panthers last year. Trying to get into the mind of John Fox was like a 5 year old trying to get into a strip club. That just adds to the already difficult job of comparing match ups, etc. Anyway, enough complaining. I'm off out to grab a beer and I'll be back tomorrow to share my picks for the rest of the weekends games. Till then, Have a great day everyone.

Week 1 NFL picks (part 3?)

Continuing the preview of this weekends games, it's time to look at the final 6, starting with: Cardinals @ Rams -- Tricky, simply because neither of these teams is the team they were last season. If that makes any sense at all. Both have undergone an over haul at the QB position, which is good for the Rams and bad for the Cardinals. Arizona lost Kurt Warner to the allure of TV football punditry and gardening, while the Rams finally made a move at the QB spot and brought in highly rated Sam Bradford. For the Cardinals it was also a watershed moment in a way when they released Matt Leinart. With the Raiders high profile release of JaMarcus Russell also coming this season, it seems like teams are taking advantage of the uncapped year to dump their wasters and begin rebuilding for the new decade. Unfortunately for Arizona they're rebuilding with Derek Anderson. There's been a lot of talk about things he's done in the past with the Browns etc, but let's get it straight; Anderson had trouble fighting off Brady Quinn in Cleveland. Ok, Brady Quinn. Any optimism held out by Cardinals fans may evaporate rather rapidly this season. Arizona's best shot is the RB combo of Tim Hightower and Chris "Beanie" Wells being able to draw some attention away from the passing game. Difficult, considering Larry Fitzgerald is still out there. The Rams have more reason to smile. Sam Bradford has been good so far, albeit in the pre-season. Their defense has finally started to produce some sacks. Albeit in the pre-season. Even their receivers have stepped up their game a notch. Albeit, in the pre-season. Arizona presents the first test for a team and a city that has a noticeable bounce back in it's step. Albeit, in the pre-season. I'm going to go on a limb here and take the positive attitude and renewed enthusiasm of the Rams for a win. Did I really just take the Rams over the Cardinals? Packers @ Eagles -- The Packers are perfectly set, like the Jets and the Ravens, for the most amazing of downfalls. Everywhere you turn, the Packers are being pushed as the number one pick for the Super Bowl, a sure fire choice that cant possibly fail. Personally I have them down for the NFC North, but a lot can change between now and February. Not tonight though. I like Kevin Kolb, but I worry it's going to be more of the same for the Eagles. More bad challenges, more bad play calls. A stark inability to score once in the red zone etc. The Eagles really need their defense to come alive for them this year. More pressure and more picks, trying to ease the load on an offense that can best be described as 'inconsistent'. The Packers are poised to unleash their offensive and defensive fury, but as with all highly hyped teams (re: the Dallas Cowboys) the trouble is pushing past the hype and actually getting it done on the field. Week 1 I think they do. Packers win. 49ers @ Seahawks -- The revolving door in Seattle has barely finished spinning when someone else walks in and someone else leaves. It's getting almost ridiculous. And having thrown away their leading receiver from last year in a bid to start a youth movement, I think Seattle is actually looking a lot weaker than people think. With Matt Hasselbeck at QB and Seneca Wallace gone to Cleveland you also know they're just one injury away from it all going down the pan. The 49ers meanwhile have just chucked a new contract at Vernon Davis and are preparing for a season that could see them finally return to the playoffs. Certainly with the division the way it is now, this might be their best shot. Their defense was up there among the best last year for generating sacks and offensively Alex Smith will be settling in to another season with Jimmy Raye as his offensive coordinator. Smith has shown he can he can make the full range of passes now and tight end Vernon Davis lead the league last year in regular season TD catches. Given the balance of the two sides, I'm going to have to side with very own 49ers. Cowboys @ Redskins -- Adam Schein of FOXSports has tipped the Redskins to go 10-6 this season. I would be surprised if they even manage the reverse of that at 6-10. Seriously? The Redskins? This is a team that thought it was on top of the world in the off season. They landed one of the biggest coaching 'names' out there in Mike Shanahan, then scooped up Donovan McNabb to QB the team. Since then they've completely mishandled the situation with their premier defensive tackle (if you don't agree talent wise, then at least in salary). And the saga continues even to this day with almost daily talk regarding whether Haynesworth will work with the number twos or whether he'll be starting etc. The mood coming from Redskins camp seems to be very much unbalanced. Some of the players have spoken out against Haynesworth, some just seem to want it all resolved and to get the best players out there on the field. It's the perfect time for Dallas to strike their first blow in the NFC East. And let's not forget, Dallas still has one of the best collections of talented football players in the league. They have a pro bowl QB, a pro bowl TE, a pro bowl WR, a pro bowl tackle and linebackers, some pro bowl secondary players. It's just nuts how good of a team the Cowboys actually are. On paper. The trouble is bringing it all together. Which I see them doing tonight in Washington. Cowboys win. Ravens @ Jets -- The Jets have been the subject of more media attention than I can ever remember being directed at one team. And on such a grand stage it's only fitting that the main actors fall flat on their face for our amusement. The Jets have lost pass rush specialist Calvin Pace. Their offense is still a mess, after dumping one of the best backs in football right now. Sanchez is still young and looks a little shaky at times. Braylon Edwards still hasn't learnt to take his hands away from his face mask on deep balls. Santonio Holmes starts on a suspension. The Ravens on the other hand are missing Ed Reed but have more than able back ups for him. Their special teams unit is well fitted and the rest of their defense is strong. They've added two great receivers in the off season and still have a butt kicking run game. I just can't look past the Ravens for this one. Chargers @ Chiefs -- It's been a week of suspicious picks, one that I will potentially look back on with much regret. It is only right then, that I end on another suspicious call. I'm taking the Chiefs. Honestly, I think throughout pre-season we didn't see the best the Chiefs had to offer. Thomas Jones barely played a few downs. By comparison I think the Chargers have gone all out to make their pre-season a good one and dispel rumours that without Marcus McNeil at LT and Vincent Jackson at WR they will fail. And they failed. Scary as it might sound, I'm looking at the Chiefs secondary and although I'm not falling over with sheer admiration for them, I do see potential and I see Eric Berry having a good game. I'm confident in the rushing attack of Jones and Jamaal Charles and I think Chris Chambers and Dwayne Bowe are not receiving the credit they deserve. The question is whether Romeo Crennel can knock this defense into shape, especially the shape needed to take on the Chargers high flying offense. I'm going to take a leap of faith with Kansas and say yes, yes they can. Chiefs win. I'll be back later, at some point to recap the games. I should point out here that I've just grabbed a new job with new hours, so I'm not sure how all this is going to fit together yet and it might take a week or two to settle into a comfortable routine. I'll do my best to keep things flowing smoothly. Have a great day everyone.

Pre-season week 4 preivew (part 2)

-- We start with an article from ProFootballTalk.com that warns that attendance at NFL games is expected to fall this year (check it out.... Chris figured out hyperlinks!!). There are all kinds of reasons why this is so, but none can be more prevalent than the NFLs blackout policy. You have to remember that these attendance figures are league wide averages. The Steelers have no problems selling tickets (the waiting list for season tickets is measured in decades). The Jets, Giants, Redskins, Cowboys etc have no problem selling tickets. The problem areas are places like Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Detroit and Cleveland. Partly that would suggest that on-field performance has a strong correlation with ticket sales and that would be true for almost any team sport around the world. But TV blackouts do not help. If you want people to get involved in something - like a football team - then you need exposure. You need local fans to watch the games and get interested in the team. The last thing you need is to deprive people of the ability to watch their hometown side. I think the adage "out of sight, out of mind" comes to the forefront here. -- Next up it's Pat Kirwan, Senior Analyst for NFL.com. Pat used to write good articles. Pat used to write interesting articles. Pat used to be all about the game. But as I've stated before Pat is increasingly treading the road of just pushing whatever the NFL wants pushed. His latest article is a case in point. Pat begins by talking about the hit Kyle Orton took while trying to tackle James Harrison. He makes a point of starting the tale with "In a meaningless third pre-season game..." right out of the Chairman Mao book of propaganda (Get the feeling the NFL is trying to convince you that pre-season games are worthless?). He then continues with "Orton escaped serious injury, but could have also been blown up by a blocker before Harrison had gotten to him." He could have been hit by a falling satellite Pat. I'm not sure I like the sound of where this one is going. He goes on to talk about Phillip Rivers who "might" have hurt himself when he made a TD saving tackle on Cowboys safety Barry Church. He didn't, and in fact his tackling form should put the Cowboys secondary to shame. And he didn't miss the chance to emphasise "... again, in a meaningless game." (Hint, hint, pre-season games are bad. You will believe us!!). He then concludes the segment by suggesting that unless quarterbacks are forced by rule to stop making tackles, then they will continue to try and make tackles to save interception/fumble returns for touchdowns. His final words are "It's time to take them out of the equation for their own good." This, for me, was shocking to read. I can understand when laws are passed, rules created etc, in order to stop someone from endangering others. I have never, ever, agreed that people should be prevented from doing things for "their own good". That's the first act of a dictatorship. And is Pat Kirwan seriously suggesting that we should prevent quarterbacks from making tackles because they might be injured? What else are they supposed to do? Idly stand by and just let a defender return the turnover for a TD? And surely this is the job of the coaches. Surely if they want their quarterbacks to try and make the play then that's up to them. If they don't want them hurt, tell them not to make the tackle! Kirwan is providing the absolute, perfect example of some of the sheer 'idea-bile' that is generated by the NFL sometimes. Only in the modern NFL could someone even consider the possibility of forcing a player, by rule, to not make tackles. All Kirwans article needs now is a section that kisses Peyton Mannings a** over the new rule regarding umpire placement and..... Yeah. He got that in too. Christ sake. Enough. Time to turn back to proper Football talk, by finishing up the last 8 pre-season games: Denver @ Vikings: Sage Rosenfels. Tavaris Jackson. Joe Webb. It's time to stand up and be counted. One of these three is likely leaving this roster before the season begins. Sage has performed the best but may still get the chop as some media types have suggested that Childress is holding onto Jackson just to prove he was right about him all along. Webb on the surface appears to be the odd one out, but as a rookie he has youth on his side and has shown flashes of potential already. The Broncos have their own battle at quarterback to resolve. Orton will finally step aside after a very good pre-season and leave it to Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow to fight for his back up job. Tebow has the edge in shirt sales. He has the edge in media attraction. But absolutely the most important, he has the edge on the field. So far... From my rookie watch list we've spoken about Tebow and DeMaryius Thomas is supposedly still nursing an injury which now leaves RB Toby Gerhart and DE Everson Griffen of the Vikings and Corners Syd'Quan Thompson and Perrish Cox of the Broncos. Shine on boys. Packers @ Chiefs: Remember Graham Harrell? Quarterback for the Texas Tech Red Raiders? Well he's finally going to get a solid crack of the whip in the NFL, albeit in what Pat Kirwan might call a "Meaningless pre-season game" (Tell that to Harrell on the eve of possibly one of the biggest games of his life). On defense, with Al Harris now injured (again) it's likely that Tramon Williams will be kept out of harms way so the Packers secondary backups will also be out for a feeding frenzy on Thursday. Chiefs QB Tyler Palko might get a shot, but I'm guessing Brodie Croyle will take most of the snaps to prepare him for a season behind Matt Cassel. Just looking briefly at my rookie watch list I didn't realise how many Chiefs players were on there! McCluster might play a little but will probably be rested for the most part, as will Safety Eric Berry. That leaves G Jon Asamoah, CB Javier Arenas and S Kendrick Lewis for me to keep an eye on. Dolphins @ Cowboys: Fans watching this one could be in for a hell of a game. Both teams have tentatively suggested they may leave some of their starters in. Well, Coach Sparano wasn't quite so subtle about it. On second thoughts though, the reason both teams may keep their starters in is precisely because they've played so badly in the recent pre-season games. The stupid thing about Miami is that some of their starters have done well. QB Chad Henne has definitely shown improvement from last year. CB Vontae Davis has probably been their best player so far. WR Brandon Marshall is fitting in and TE Anthony Fasano has come along as a receiving threat. They're just lacking something, that final product perhaps. For Dolphins QB Pat White this could be the last chance saloon to prove that he's come along as passer and is not just a gimmick addition. This will be important to watch not only for Dolphins fans but for all of us. If White is cut, the media will jump on this like a pack of ravenous wolves. It will hurt the chances of all future quarterbacks who are considered as runners (even guys like Tebow and McCoy) as the finger pointing begins and the "remember Pat White" stories begin to emerge. As for the Cowboys. Who cares, it's the Cowboys. They'll play well all year then nose dive in the play offs. Consider that a prediction. As for the rookie watch list, we've got two linebackers; Koa Misi and Micah Johnson. Misi may or may not get some good playing time, but Johnson surely will. I'm rooting for you guys. Saints @ Titans: I was dismayed to find out that rookie QB Sean Canfield from my watch list has been cut by the Saints, though given the showing of their other back ups, it's understandable. Fingers crossed that he will land somewhere else on a practice squad and earn his way back into the league. The Saints in general look pretty set for the season ahead. Their secondary has been the only slightly vulnerable looking spot, but I'm guessing that corners Tracy Porter & Jabari Greer will be rested, making a useful comparison after this game difficult. For the Titans the back up running back battle continues, with LaGarrette Blount definitely having the edge. For my watch list there's just one player, LB Rennie Curran who has done well so far. Buccaneers @ Texans: My expectation is that QB Josh Johnson will get another game under his belt, though we might see something of the rookie Jevan Snead. Arrelious Benn and Michael Spurlock will be two receivers worth keeping an eye out for against a sometimes shaky Texan secondary. Defensively I have my eye on LB Dekoda Watson and DT Brian Price from the watch list. I said the Texans secondary was shaky, but I've said that before about the Texans. Like the Panthers though they insist on proving me wrong at every turn, playing like the Lions when I say they're on the up and playing like the Colts when I compare them to the Lions. I hope the Texans lose. Badly. In embarrassing fashion. Chargers @ 49ers: The Chargers D still hasn't learnt to rush the passer consistently so they might be quite happy to travel to Candlestick Park to play the 49ers. San Francisco's line isn't exactly notorious for it's granite like stability and neither David Carr nor Nate Davis are being heralded lately for their quick release. Chargers LB Donald Butler is on the rookie watch list. For the 49ers this might finally be the chance to get a good look at safety Taylor Mays (watch list) as well as the ongoing battle at the Linebacker spot that could see either Manny Lawson or Parys Haralson ultimately get cut. I'm also all eyes open for FB Brit Miller. C'mon Brit! Seahawks @ Raiders: The Charlie Whitehurst saga continues, god help us. Hopefully for Seahawks fans he'll have a better showing this time around. I'm watching the secondary though, looking out for S Kam Chancellor who should see some extended action for a change. The Raiders roster depth meanwhile is a little uncertain so it's still difficult to predict who will be on the field and who will be on the sideline. I imagine Darrius Heyward-Bey will be sent out for another run and we may even get a good look at combine speedster Jacoby Ford (who also showed very good hands at the combine). At QB it's likely that Gradkowski will be kept out of harms way, meaning the Kyle Boller and Colt Brennan will likely share time. Redskins @ Cardinals: With Leinart on the trade block, it all falls to Derek Anderson to go out and just prove to his team that he can at least be a confident, competent leader. Chances are that rookie QB John Skelton will also get a chance to play. Looking at the watch list you'll notice that Charles Scott has been traded to Arizona and is projected to play as a Fullback. Given that his tough running style and sheer power were the things that intrigued me about him, I can see the transition to FB being a relatively easy one for him. DT Dan Williams and LB Daryl Washington are also watch listers for the Cardinals. The Redskins have some tough choices to make at Running Back. They now have five potential backs and they're not all going to make the final roster. Given that Portis will probably lead the way and that the Redskins will want to invest in a bit of youth, chances are that either Larry Johnson or Willie Parker is set for the chop. My guess is that Parker will go, which is a shame. I'll be expecting someone to pick Parker up for a bargain contract in the near future. That then is that. 16 "meaningless" games accounted for and ready to be played. I'll be back tomorrow to recap them all at some point, probably segmenting them a little based on their respective kick off times. Till then, Have a great day everyone.

...... the first 6 games are done and so far I'm 6-0 in my picks

So, Week 7 of the NFL, the first 6 games are done and so far I'm 6-0 in my picks. Not bad. But the real tests are yet to come in the next few hours. So let's break down those first few games: Packers: 31 @ Browns: 3 -- Jeez, what did you expect? Rodgers went 15/20 passing for 246yds and 3 TD's. On the opposite side Derek Anderson racked up a meager 12/29, for 99yds. 0 TD's. Probably bigger for the Packers was Ryan Grant getting 147 yds and a TD off 27 carries. That's what Green Bay needs more of to stop people locking down their pass game. Realistically I didn't think Browns would even get into this game and other than taking the lead with a FG, they didn't. 49'ers: 21 @ Texans: 24 -- I took Houston on the principle that they have an offense and the 49'ers don't. At least they didn't. Houston raced ahead and it never really looked liked San Francisco would get back in it. Then bugger me if they didn't roll out the secret weapon; Alex Smith. I backed Smith in the pre-season to get the job but I pretty much knew it was gonna be given to Shaun Hill based on his record last season. Now Smith was given another chance, and he took it with both hands. 15/22 206 yds, 3 TD's. Good production from Vernon Davis, Josh Morgan and at last we get to see Crabtree take to the field. And he did ok for his first game. Promising signs. As a 49'ers fan I'm pleased with what I saw, but disappointed with the loss. As a budding pundit, I'm glad I called it right. Chargers: 37 @ Chiefs: 7 -- Yeah, there's a reason I took the Chargers in this. 'Cos even a busted and under producing Tomlinson is better than a healthy Larry Johnson. Philip Rivers topped Matt Cassel as well. Blowout. The Chiefs woes continue. At least they have one win on the board this season, 'Cos they weren't leaving this game with one... Colts: 42 @ Rams: 6 -- Hahahahahahahahaha!!! Oh dear. I'm tellin' ya, losing is one thing. But to go down 42-6 when your RB (Steven Jackson) puts up 134yds on 23 carries, that's gotta hurt. But the Colts have the only weapon that ever matters; Peyton Manning. "The Sheriff" went 23/34, 235yds and 3 TD's. Tack on two more in the run game and a pick 6, and you have yourself a rout. Can anyone stop the Colts? Yes. I'm not quite sure who yet, or even how.... Patriots: 35 @ Buccaneers: 7 -- We finally got a look at the 'Bucs' new QB Josh Freeman. Shame that by that point it was all done and the Patriots had thoroughly stamped their authority over the game. I can't imagine Bill Belichick will be happy with all the penalties though (10-66yds). Still, Brady lit up the board throwing 23/32 for 308yds and 3 TD, although he wont be happy throwing 2 INT's. Someone who will be happy is Wes Welker, who had 10 catches for 107yds and a TD. Vikings: 17 @ Steelers: 27 -- Wow. Even though I picked the Steelers I wasn't 100% by any means. For the most part the game stayed tight, until Keyaron Fox picked off Brett Favre and took it back for 6. Yeah, I know. Who the f%$k is Keyaron Fox? Well the 27 year old out of Georgia Tech may have just become the most famous guy in Pittsburgh, at least this weekend. But the biggest surprise is looking at the Vikings stats. Adrian Peterson; 18 carries, for 69 yds? 1 TD? And what about Favre? 34/51 (yeah 51!) for 334 yds and ..... 0 TD's? How? How do you throw the ball 51 times for over 334 yds (though the two kinda go together) and not score at least once? What's more bizarre is looking at the Steelers rushing stats. Normally you might expect a team to have 6 different pass receivers in a game. But 6 different rushers? I guess as Jesse Ventura used to say "If it works, do it...." So 6 0f 6. Well it's now 9:00pm GMT, most of the afternoon games are into the 2nd quarter now so I might as well have a quick look at my picks and see what's happening: Great, Buffalo are beating Carolina. Nice to see the Panthers have ignored my advice and decided to let Delhomme pass just as much as they rush (Give the damn ball to Williams & Stewart!!!!). Oh surprise, he's already thrown one pick....... Jets are pummeling Raiders, good......... Bengals have already put three TD's on the board through Carson Palmer, with no response.............. Falcons are leading the Cowboys 7-3. Damn it Dallas, RUN THE BALL!!! .............. and the one I'm most surprised about. Saints 3, Dolphins 17. Yeah baby, that picks looking good at the minute! Brees is 4/10 with a pick thrown in for good measure. Make that 4/11. Ricky Williams looking good with 4 carries, 70 yds and 2 TD's already. Oh and uh, make that Drew Brees, 4/12.... with 2 Picks!!! That leaves the Dolphins now 3 & 1 on the Saints 10. My pick is looking pretty damn inspired right now. But that said, if the 49'ers game earlier proved anything, it's that the games not over till the final whistle blows. And with the Saints offense, that can be a long time!! But then again, the Dolphins just scored again. 24-3.