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The Ultimate Source for your Ph.D. in Pigskin |
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The Big One....Well, Sort of.... Normally, I list the games by time slot, but I made an exception today for obvious reasons. Below, you will see a more detailed analysis of the big game in Indy on Sunday. Picks appear in bold. New England (-4.5) at Indianapolis When making picks, I look at each game from several different angles, or multiple "what-if" situations if you will, and I couldn't find many that pointed to an Indianapolis win. The only positional battle that works in the Colts' favor is at running back, with every other facet of the game tilted slightly or decidedly toward New England. The biggest factor in this game will be who gets more pressure on the quarterback. Historically, Bill Belichick finds ways to shake Peyton Manning, and with his new toy, the versatile Adalius Thomas (who has the speed to cover a tight end and the strength to overpower a left tackle), look for him to move him around a lot. Also, because of Thomas, Mike Vrabel has been able to move to his more natural outside linebacker position. Lastly, Rodney Harrison didn't play in either game against the Colts last season. Because of these changes, I think the Pats are just that much better than the Colts, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this rivalry revert back to what it used to be - very one-sided for the Patriots. Washington (-3.5) at New York Jets J-E-T-S, suck, suck, suck!!! Seriously, the Redskins will take out their frustrations from last week's blowout loss to the Patriots on Eric Mangini's hapless squad. Green Bay (+2) at Kansas City When it comes down to it, I just can't see the Chiefs mounting enough of a running game against the Packers to pull it out. Arizona at Tampa Bay (-3.5) This is a difficult game for several reasons, but most importantly, I'm not sure that Kurt Warner is healthy enough to be playing games right now. Carolina at Tennessee (-4) Once again, Vince Young gets the better of David Carr. San Francisco (+3.5) at Atlanta I don't think the 49ers will win this game, but I think their defense will keep it close enough. Jacksonville (+3.5) at New Orleans This line surprises me because I don't see the Saints' defense stopping the two-headed running game monster that is Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor. I'll take it, though. Denver at Detroit (-3) Too much Lions' passing...too little Broncos' pass rush Cincinnati (-1) at Buffalo It looks more and more like Rudi Johnson will be back this week. With that, the Bengals will have more than enough weapons to beat up on an injured Bills' defense. San Diego (-7) at Minnesota A matchup of the two best running backs in the league - LT versus AD. I love Peterson's running style, but Tomlinson is surrounded by much more talent. Also, Minnesota's terrible quarterback situation (Tarvaris Jackson will be the starter this week) plays right into the hands of the Shawne Merriman and the rest of the Chargers' aggressive defense. Seattle at Cleveland (-1) This should tell you how bad things have become in Seattle, and how prosperous everything's looking in Cleveland Houston (+3) at Oakland Houston's revamped defense will carry the team. Look for Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye to get three sacks between the two of them. Dallas (-3) at Philadelphia Usually, Philly has a big advantage at home in prime time games, but it's not enough this time. Baltimore at Pittsburgh (-8.5) I realize that this is a supposed "rivalry game" and the Ravens destroyed the Steelers in both contests last year, but to me, nine points isn't near enough. Last Weeks Record: 11-2-0 Overall Record: 62-47-7 |