Nfl
 

Looks like their may be a genuine lack of parity this year, something the NFL has always strived for.
There are some genuinely awful teams out there, more than I can ever remember.
Tennesee- just tragic, Fisher will lose his job but will probably be thrilled. Vince Lombardi couldn't get that team to win a game.

Jets- They may go a long time between wins as the Titans aren't on their schedule again.

Raiders- absolutely awful, they have nothing going for them at all.

Redkins- simply don't have the personnel to get anything done.

Miami- Another team that all the great coaching in the world won't help.

Tampa Bay- has scored 3 points in 2 games. Gonna be a long year down there.

Lions- same old same old, just awful.

Packers- just awful, defense is like a leaky dam.

Thats 8 teams that can be defined already after two weeks as tragic. Can't recall feeling with such strong conviction that 8 teams were completely hopeless after just two weeks of the season.

Divisonal breakdown, the cream of the crop:
AFC East- Pats may not be as strong as the dynasty Pats but play incredibly well coached and disciplined football and have a cupcake schedule this year. Sure to win their division with a great record.

AFC North- Cincy is just flat out great. Not great at anything and very good at everything. Put a circle around them as division winners. Baltimore looks like a wild card team.

AFC South- Indy looks as strong or stronger than they did last year before being distracted by the death of Dungy's son before the playoffs. Look Super Bowl bound. Jacksonville plays stellar Defense. Look to be the other wildcard team.

AFC West- Before the days of huge paychecks for first round draft choices teams used to keep a qb on the sidelines for two years to learn the system and be truly ready for the job when they get it. I can name 10 qb's no longer in the NFL who might be stars or starters had they not been thrown to the wolves in their first years. Rivers was quite lucky to have been groomed properly and he looks very good. The defense is stellar and LT is still LT. Divison winner in a cakewalk.

NFC North- Eagles just got hurt badly by losing Kearse for the season. Dallas has a cupcake schedule and should be battling the Giants for divisonal honors. Giants have the most brutal schedule in the NFL but look to be very good, even if their coach isn't. Dallas and the Giants go to the postseason.

NFC North- Bears are good, and play a ridiculously easy schedule. They should finish with the nest record in the NFC. Vikings may be good enough to get the other wildcard.

NFC South- Atlanta seems to have stepped up the defense. They should in the division rather easily.

NFC West- Seattle, who else?

i doubt Fisher will lose his job because of this, he is the best coach in the league IMO, but has just got dealt a crappy hand, has some bad attitude players also (Chris Brown). I will tell you this, if he were to get fired, whatever team he goes to will be a playoff team in two years.

Don't give up on the redskins until they have a healthy clinton portis. Gibbs has a huge penchant for running the football and with betts playing(not even close to being portis) its hampering the game plan. I'm not saying they are going to the playoffs but it would not surprise me at all if they went 8-8

Healthy Portis will not help them with Brunell playing scared like he is. They may lose @ Houston this week. They need to get thier sh1t together. Havn't seen the spreads for this week, but it's looking ugly.

Carolina at Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m.
Chicago at Minnesota 1:00 p.m.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh 1:00 p.m.
Green Bay at Detroit 1:00 p.m.
Jacksonville at Indianapolis 1:00 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo 1:00 p.m.
Tennessee at Miami 1:00 p.m.
Washington at Houston 1:00 p.m.
Baltimore at Cleveland 4:05 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at Seattle 4:15 p.m.
Philadelphia at San Francisco 4:15 p.m.
St. Louis at Arizona 4:15 p.m.
Denver at New England 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Sep. 25
Atlanta at New Orleans

I'll post my guesses right now and then look at vegasinsider.com and getthe real spreads in my next post.
Carolina 3
Chicago 1 1/2
Pittsburgh 1
Detroit 3 1/2
Indy 7 1/2
Buffalo 4
Miami 6
Houston 1
Baltimore 4 1/2
Seattle 4 1/2
Philly 3 1/2
Zona 3
New England 5
Atlanta 3

Here are the lines at Vegasinsider.com as of right now

Carolina 3
Chicago 3
Pittsburgh no line posted yet
Detroit 6 1/2
Indy no line posted yet
Buffalo 6
Miami 11
Washington 4
Baltimore 7
Seattle 4
Philly 6
Zona 4 1/2
New England 6 1/2
Atlanta 3

I do this each week as a mental exercise. I'm in a year long pool at a restaurant/bar here and you have to pick every game agaisnt the spread. In cases where I am way off on the line with my guess I always take the team in my pool that is getting way more points than I thought. Im 18-14 so far this year against the spread in my pool.
Based on my guesses, I automatically have to take San Francisco, Green Bay, Tennesee, Houston and Cleveland. Other games I missed by two points or less and just have to choose a side.

MIke - at first glance Atlanta looks good this week

Yeah, Atlanta looks good too. Saints are getting better, but road wins against Browns and Packers? I also like Miami, I know 11 is a lot, but Tenn has NOTHING. Enjoy your first win Dolphins. I may even go with the Ravens again, and hell, while I'm at it... DAHH BEARS. I'll take a guess at these games and see how I do.

Bears 24-10
Dolphins 30-13
Ravens 27-6
Falcons 24-17

I'll probably take 3 of these and 2 college for another 20 spot. I think I may do a teaser with these 4, I dunno. I'll be checking injury reports and such, so this may be subject to change.

I'm far from an expert on football. I never bet sports and only participate in a yearly pik em all each week pool down at a restaurant here.

Clinton portis will help brunell and if you can't realize that then you shouldn't be betting football. Redskins have zero running game right now so the onus is on brunell to win football games. Thats not going to happen. Teams are blitzing like hell and playing the pass, they dont have to respect the run or play action. Talk about making defense easy. With clinton back and healthy that offense will look much much better.

Come on,Dixie dude, I like this Oracle guy, but he did nothing here but re-state the obvious.

Plus he has picked Notre Dame to cover each of the last three weeks.
They have covered once, were all out to squeeze by a so-so G Tech and were pummelled by a lowly rated Michigan team.

I like his racing opinions much better.

Hey Oracle--are you going Hollywood with Mr.Pletcher?
Those tracks and running style may well ruin a lot of nice horseflesh.

But they are very lenient about drugs out there.

one year not soooooo loooonnnnggg ago a team won the super bowl and started their season 0-4

I guess you are putting the Texans as beyond hopeless. Can someone explain to me why David Carr is not dead yet?

Thats what impresses me so much about him. He never complains. Most people would be going absolute ape-sh*t. He just stands back there and gets hit again and again and again. Props for keeping on coming back.

I know he is married but hope he does not have kids. I have to watch that poor guy get killed almost every week until they switch to a new game because the Texans are so far beaten. So at least I dont have to watch him die.

Dixie Porter. What a suck up. And then Bold B. sucks up to him. Want a job? Yes boss, I need a job. Spare us.

Do you really need a job?

I do!!!!!!!!

Anybody have any vibes for this weekend's games college or pro?

slot - i will post 5 college games today

and nfl picks tomorrow

Here's what HOFF thinks looks good this week:

BEARS -3 / JETS +5.5 / RAVENS -6.5 / GIANTS +3.5 / PATRIOTS -7