We’re at Week 9 and with the NBA season already roaring along the NFL has decided to put forth its best games to the latter part of the season for competitive purposes and to continue to create noise for an extended season which in my mind would be beyond stupid. I agree that the preseason should be 3 games. If you think about it, most coaches use those 3 games to fill out rosters with guys they believe can make up the best possible team. Now if you need more than 3 games to both evaluate your rookies, and walk ins, then your team clearly has lost its talent to evaluate players.
Think about it, every team is allotted 53 roster spots and every team should already have about 40 of those spots filled at the minimum with players they have either drafted (normally rounds 1-3 are guaranteed roster spots unless they are colossal misfits), signed through free agency (meaning they have filled out cap space for these guys so they must be given roster spots just purely based on that) and then you have your holdovers from the previous season, unless your team is a complete monstrosity, and even then your team should still have a good majority of the roster still filled out. So to evaluate 13 other positions, coaches don’t need beyond 3 games. And why any team would put their guys in for more than 2 series in each game. Most of these guys are professionals and should be ready to go by the beginning of the season. Now is this going to stop the string of season ending injuries during the preseason? No, nothing guarantees that. Examples are everywhere that tell you that nothing can prevent the unexpected, people can get injured doing every day things. But at least the fans won’t be cheated out of seeing a transparent attempt at milking the average fan out of regular ticket prices for a game that means absolutely nothing from a competitive stand point to a team.
Now that I’m done with that, on to the picks for week 9:
Jacksonville (-7.5) over Cincinatti- Lost in the midst of this otherwise meaningless season is the fact that Marvin Lewis continues to be gainfully employed yet his teams have underachieved beyond belief. Granted their team isn’t defensively inclined, the Bungles hired Lewis originally to bolster their defensive prowess. Yet, its his offense that has been their strongest link on an otherwise weak team. That same phenomenon happened when Baltimore hired Brian Billick way back when. Sometimes those best laid plans, don’t end up being so, but the thought process can’t be denied in those situations. But what’s more about this Cincinatti team is that despite everything, they are in a better situation than they were in last year. Although they haven’t won a game, they have extricated themselves from those harmful pollutants that were destroying both the team’s image and adding extra baggage that was unnecessary and distracting to a team that had to be positively focused on nothing except football. Sometimes when you’re trying to overcome hardships you have to hit the bottom before climbing back up.
Tampa Bay (-9) over Chiefs- It might seem silly for me to take a team that barely scraped 9 points against a Dallas team clearly reeling from all their negative karma against a team like the Chiefs who saw a glimmer of hope in a Quarterback they had really not given thought to be their future. But I think Tampa quickly rebounds against a weak Chiefs team that has LJ once again out and a better pass D in Tampa should make Tyler Thigpen force errant throws and the Tampa team should be smart (unlike the Jets) and exploit one of the worse Run defenses in all the NFL and just run the ball with their power running game.
Houston (+5.5) at Minnesota- Sometimes fantasy does tell half the story. I read an article this week boasting about the virtues of a certain Mr. Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans as the best WR in the NFL right now. Not many people are going to dispute that notion and frankly they shouldn’t. But as a former owner of Mr. Johnson for many years in my fantasy teams I’ve seen his production levels gradually increase and his recognition grow because he finally has a QB that understands feeling the protection around him and being able to make quicker and more sound decisions than his predecessor Mr. Carr. As for Minny, it’s a shame that a person with the limited imagination of Brad Childress has been given Minnesota’s offensive line and Adrian Petersen because most other offensive head coaches would have found ways to get both AP and Chester Taylor the ball, early and often.
Cleveland (-2) over Baltimore- Its tough to really make a definitive statement about these Cleveland Browns who continue to parade around as a big question mark. Some times they play great, sometimes they stink and are lousy. Can Baltimore’s D make them look weak? Yes. But surprisingly playing well the last few weeks has been Cleveland’s D. Shaun Rogers has been a goldmine for that team and has negated the opposing team’s running games which puts added pressure on the corners to play their man and allows them to take risks on the football which should lead to more plays. I see Joe Flacco being harassed and the Browns to blow out the Ravens.
Buffalo (-5) vs Jets- while everyone’s declaring the Bills a massive disappointment after last week’s poor showing against the Dolphins, I disagree. I think the Bills in their first round of divisional games had a bit of a cough, choke, cough, but I don’t see them doing that again against a Jets team that seems to be as flat as a day old soda. As for the Jets, after last week, is there anyway you DON’T get Leon Washington atleast 15-20 touches? Leave it to the Jets to find a way to screw that up too.
Arizona (-3) over Rams- Granted their rise has been encouraging to those who made them a running joke in the league, the Rams having an iffy Steven Jackson and going against a Cardinals team that is playing well. I like this team to win the division and make some noise because of how deep they are in talent. Not just offensive but I like their defensive make up and if they get the right kind of coach to utilize the talent on defense on a consistent basis, this team could be a great contender.
Chicago (-12.5) over Detroit- What more can you say to defend a team that had a QB so scared that he ran out of bounds. The Bears on the other hand has been aided by good QB play thanks to the running of the no huddle offense that has enabled them to utilize Kyle Orton’s intelligence. Plus, having Matt Forte in your backfield isn’t a shabby proposition either.
Tennesee (-4) at GreenBay- Why is there so much talk about the Packers pulling the upset here against the undefeated Titans? Its tough to know really, but I do know that the Titans showed me something last Monday when they stayed within their game plan and won against a tough Colts team. Putting the final nail on the coffin of one of your most heated divisional opponents, especially a team that has owned that division for so many years, was huge for their confidence.
Miami (+3.5) over Denver- Look out for the rookie RB Ryan Torient to make a huge splash in this game but can anyone stop Joey Porter from getting to the QB, especially a QB who has had a finger dislocated and played horribly against a Patriots team they should have beat.
Atlanta (-3) over Oakland- Boy that Matt Ryan looks good.
Philly (-6.5) over Seattle- Should be an easy game for the Iggles.
Giants (-8.5) over Cowboys- Should I have any faith in Brad Johnson escaping the relentless pass rush of the Giants? No, neither should you. Expect Brooks Bollinger in the game by the 2nd quarter.
Indy (-6.5) over New England- The Colts are getting way too many players back for this to not be a coincidence. Obviously the Colts still care to beat the patriots regardless of where Tom Brady is. It’s a matter of pride for both teams who realistically can’t expect to go anywhere this season. This is both of their Super Bowls.
Pittsburgh (+2) over Washington Redskins- Without a good running game, the Redskins could be hampered further by the injury to Santana Moss who is their lone deep threat. The Steelers should make this interesting enough and besides I’m sure they had every single player on their roster try out for the long snapper duties and I’m sure they found a suitable replacement.
Last Week: 6-7
Season: 57-56
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