NFL Week 2: Um, Will Someone Tell The: Colts, Chargers, Bengals, & Seahawks That The Pre-Season Is Over

Last week was ugly for a lot of should’ve looked better teams. Let’s hope for a better outcome this week.

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions *NFC North*

So last week I chose the Lions. What an incredibly dumb move. It not only made me look like an idiot in front of those 3 people who read my blog on a semi-regular basis (that includes me), it also got me kicked out of my Survival Football league. Thanks Detroit for really putting a damper on my season. Meanwhile Aaron Rogers (aka – guy you never would’ve heard of without Brett Favre’s indecisiveness) looked like a veteran Pro-Bowler. Lions don’t stand a chance, Green Bay by 17.

New York Giants vs. St. Louis Rams

This is a no brainer. The Rams are looking for a repeat of last season I think, and I don’t think they even have a chance to win until week 9 when they face the Cardinals. Even then, it’s only because everyone has a chance to win against the Cardinals..except the 49’ers. Eli and friends don’t even have to bring their A game to win by 14.

New Orleans Saints vs. Washington Redskins

Last week the Redskins were embarrassed on the road, this week they get to be embarrassed at home! While I don’t think New Orleans is quite a powerhouse, I don’t believe Jim Zorn is going to be putting up his first career W this week. Clinton Portis can only do so much, and that won’t be enough to top Drew Brees and friends this week. New Orleans by 7.

Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Bills beat the Seahawks and suddenly they’re playoff contenders? Doubtful. I expect the Jaguars to remind us of the Bills we’ve grown to love. And by love I mean, we’re wishing you off to Toronto so we can pretend you’re part of the CFL. The Jags are probably still angry about their loss last week. We’ll see the Jags for their home opener, when they win by 14. Is JP Losman still around? I haven’t heard him crying lately.

Tennessee Titans vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals aren’t giving up on the run, and considering how ineffective it’s been, that should be enough to send Bob Bratowski looking for a new job. Have no fear fans, he’ll still be here next year, running Chris Perry up the middle, into a block for a loss of 3. Let’s face it, Vince Young’s injury is the Bengals best chance of winning this game, especially if they stick with the run. With fingers crossed I say Cincinnati by 3.

Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs *AFC West*

The Raiders can’t win at home, what makes them think they can win on the road at Arrowhead? Damon Huard likes to play the role of the forgotten hero. He only gets to play when someone is injured to the point of near death. Then it turns out he’s not THAT bad, he’s just old..and people are tired of watching old guys play football (Warner, Favre..Testaverde don’t you even come back again!). However, even old people can beat the Raiders, Chiefs by 14.

Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers looked phenomenal against the Chargers, the Bears beat the Colts. Two things that should’ve never happened in the regular season. You know what else won’t happen in the regular season? The Panthers beating the Bears. Orton or not, the Panthers barely have what it takes to roll out of bed in the morning, much less beat the Bears. It hurts me to say this, Urlacher’s friends by 10. They’re Urlacher’s friends because the Bears are the only team in the NFL who believe offense is optional.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Minnesota Vikings

Everyone is making a huge deal about which of these teams will start 0-2. Let me make it easy for you, it’ll be Minnesota. You’ve seen Tavaris Jackson right? He’s as capable of leading this football team as I am of building an ark. So the Bears defense ate them alive and some how Kyle Orton looked mildly talented, it’s still the Colts. They’ll knock the rust off this week and win by 14.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers *NFC South*

Jeff Garcia (and his bad attitude) have been benched this week for the only quarterback Chicago should’ve kept. Meanwhile, Matt Ryan brings his team to town on a huge high after beating Detroit. Hey fellas, it was Detroit. Congratulations, you beat one of the few teams in the NFL worse than you. I think Brian Griese is perfectly capable of defeating the Falcons here, but not by much. Tampa Bay by 7.

San Francisco 49’ers vs. Seattle Seahawks *NFC West*

Regardless of how terrible they looked last week (to the Bill…ugh), the Seahawks will look like superstars this week. Why? Because they’re playing the 49’ers, who much like the Raiders, seem to be in a constant state of disarray that they nicely call “rebuilding”. With Alex Smith out and replaced by some guy you’ve never heard of, who’s been floating around the league since 2002, I predict a blow out at Qwest Field, by 28.

San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos *AFC West*

Someone must’ve passed along my memo to Shawne Merriman that playing football with 2% knee stability is probably a really bad idea. Also, losing to the Panthers at home is probably a really bad idea. The Chargers aren’t very consistent at the beginning of the season for some reason, and that combined with playing at Invesco Field at Mile High means I won’t be picking them this week. Denver by 10. Oh, and can someone get Phil some oxygen, he won’t be able to breath and cry at the same time.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans

Good news for fans, this game is being postponed until Monday night, which means no one will be watching this battle of mediocrity. Sorry, but neither of these teams are worth watching when they’re the only game on TV, much less when we can watch Dallas vs. Philly. Taking into consideration the aging Baltimore defense, I’ll give the Texans a win, by 3, in the final seconds of the game. Where’s Troy?

Miami Dolphins vs. Arizona Cardinals

While Battle of Mediocrity goes on in Houston, Battle of the Suck will be going on in Arizona. The Cardinals are too inconsistent to be a sure win over the Dolphins. On the flip side, this might be the Dolphins best chance for a win for several weeks. Oh, who are we kidding, Arizona by 3. It’ll be a nail biter for those 4 people who care about either of these teams.

New England Patriots vs. New York Jets *AFC East*

The Jets have never been more excited. After realizing how terrible they were last year, Eric Mangini started, “Spy Gate”. After realizing how terrible they were going to be this year, Eric Mangini put out a hit on Tom Brady. Let’s be honest, Matt Cassell is the Jets best chance at a win. Remember last year when Matt Cassell came in against the Dolphins just long enough to throw an interception and Ole’ Bill placed him right back on the bench where he belongs? Well, he’ll probably throw more interceptions tomorrow but it won’t matter, Tom Brady was injured, but the entire team didn’t die..and Favre or not, the Jets are still the Jets. New England by 7.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns *AFC North*

What? Cleveland on a Sunday Night? The dog pound will be exploding with hopes and dreams of another winning season. It’ll stop there. Between injuries and staph infections, the Browns chances of another 10-6 season are slim to none. Meanwhile, that fat kid from Findlay gets to be the lone over rated quarterback for the season now that Brady is gone. Ugh, picking the Steelers 2 weeks in the row makes me feel yucky. Steelers by 14.

Meanwhile: MRSA 1, Browns 0.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys *NFC East*

This game has been so hyped up, and for the life of my I can’t figure out why. Is it because of the fierce division rivalry? Is it because T.O. gets to play against his old team? Or are we all on pins and needles waiting for Andy Reid’s head to explode? Donovan McInjured had his one good game of the season already, and it’s only week 2. That’s what happens when you play the Rams in week 1. Antonio will have to stop helping old ladies across the street for a few hours, just long enough to send it to T.O in the end zone. Cowboys by 24, Andy Reid’s systolic blood pressure up by 50.

Baltimore, Breathe a Sigh of Relief.

Kyle-bot is out for the season.

Congrats! You’ve signed Todd Bouman….perhaps you’d be better off with a one-armed Kyle-bot.

A sign your team lacks offensive leadership: you pick two guys who are new to the team as your offensive captains. Nice job, Jets.

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, Leon Hall is now considered a defense veteran. Since when does your second season make you a veteran?

NFL Week 1: It’s the Most Wonderful Time Of The Year….

It’s that time again! Are you ready for some football? I’ve decided to revive the world of football predictions, just for your reading pleasure. Savor it, I’ll do my best to keep it up weekly, but with the arrival of my Skeletor, blogging plays second fiddle.

Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants *NFC East*
Oh come on now, like you don’t know who I’m going to pick. I know Jason Campbell is back and healthy, but didn’t the Redskins actually play better with Todd Collins at the helm last year? Let’s be honest here, I just don’t like Clinton Portis. Plus, Eli plugs Oreos, which are America’s favorite cookie. Eli and friends by 10.

Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons
Well here’s a game worth missing! While the Lions did go 4-0 in the pre-season, I feel another dismal year coming on. Meanwhile, the Falcons might as well shut down their franchise and stop embarrassing Atlanta. Putting all your eggs in the rookie Matt Ryan basket probably won’t pay off for you, Mike Smith, but do the city a favor and don’t quit midseason, wait until you get fired in January to start looking for a new job. Detroit by 17.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens *AFC North*
If I wasn’t a Bengals fan this would probably also be listed under “games worth missing”. Could either of these teams get it together? Let’s be realistic, them Ravens ain’t what they used to be. They had more fans show up to watch Michael Phelps on JumboTron than to actually watch the pre-season Ravens! The regular season Ravens won’t be any more exciting, especially not with Joe Flacco running around. Meanwhile the Bengals have pretty much let go of their entire defense for the sake of keeping a bunch of guys you’ve never heard of. This could be a good or bad thing. Thankfully, we kept Shayne Graham, Bengals by 3. </insert Ray Lewis stabbing joke here></end joke>

Seattle Seahawks vs. Buffalo Bills
The Seahawks are already beat up, and the season hasn’t even started yet. This doesn’t look good for their season. However, their in the NFC West, which does look good for their season. Meanwhile I expect the Bills to look like the typical Bills, close but no cigar. Basically, I hate the Bills and I like Matt Hasselbeck, I think he’s funny, so Seahawks by 3.

New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins *AFC East*
Time for Chad Pennington to show his old team what he’s made of! Listen Chad, they’ve already seen it, that’s why you’re in Miami now. Old Brett, the magical unicorn, will have to prove it was worth coming out of his 6 month retirement for this. While he’ll spend this week looking spectacular, he’ll be playing against the Dolphins. Bill Parcels can try all he wants to turn them into the Cowboys, but they’re still the Dolphins. Jets by 7.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots
Tom Brady is healthy to play! Uh, ok. Why is this news, as if anyone thought for 2 seconds he wouldn’t? Like Bill would let Matt Cassel play in a real situation. Kansas City might as well just stay home. I mean, I understand it was pre-season, but to get shut out by the Dolphins is not acceptable. EVER. Patriots by 28.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints *NFC South*
An evenly matched game, this is probably worth checking in on at the very least. Things look good for our Cajun friends, as Deuce McAllister is back, and they’ve picked up Jeremy Shockey, so barring any bad attitude from him, the Saints should march over the Buccaneers who’ve lost Cadillac Williams for at least 6 weeks and have no quarterbacks worth looking at. Saints by 7.

St. Louis Rams vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Look! A game the Eagles can win! Apparently McNabb thinks “this is the year.” The year for what? Same old song and dance my friend, Westbrook won’t be taking you to the football promised land. You’ll be lucky if he takes you to a Wawa! Meanwhile, to back up Mark Bulger the Rams picked up Trent Green? He’s about 1 concussion away from dead. Eagles by 10.

Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
It pains me to admit the Steelers will win this, it really does. I don’t think the Texans defense will be putting any pressure on that Fat Kid from Findlay. Meanwhile, the Steelers might eat Matt Schaub alive. Steelers by 14.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans *AFC South*
This is a game worth seeing. Really, I’m being honest. While the Colts will still be tops in their league, these are two teams that are fairly evenly matched. I bet at least one of them gets a wild card into the play-offs. I do foresee the Jaguars edging out the Titans this time, by 3.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Cleveland Browns
Here’s a boring match up I’ll probably have to watch. While I hate the Cowboys, and Tony Romo (or as I refer to him as, “the Choke”), I hate the Browns even more. This will be game to prove what a fluke last season was for the Browns. Cowboys by 20.

Carolina Panthers vs. San Diego Chargers
The Panthers ought to just go the way of the Falcons. They look terrible, especially in the AFC South. Meanwhile who knows what the Chargers will do in the early parts of the season. Philip Rivers is a cry baby, and Shawne Merriman is apparently an idiot. Who decides to play football when 50% of the ligaments in their knee are torn. Enjoy that instability. While the Panthers are terrible and the Chargers will win, I won’t be impressed. San Diego by 10.

Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49’ers *NFC West*
What is this? Suck Bowl Sunday? Kurt Warner will be polishing up his best walker this week while Matt Leinhart sits around and laments the career that could’ve been. What kind of league is this where old guys get to play while Matt Leinhart, Brady Quinn and Troy Smith pace the sidelines? The same kind of league where the 49’ers are terrible every year…Cards by 10.

Chicago Bears vs. Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl rematch, minus the Rex. Instead, we get the Kyle. It’ll be just as bad, yawn. Brian Urlacher is going to have an aneurysm this season. This is probably going to be a blow out. Peyton and friends will scoff at the Bears (like the rest of us) and then run down the field. Kyle, Rex..get your clipboards out and take notes on what a talented quarterback looks like. Colts by 20.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers *NFC North*
This would be much more exciting if the Fav-Ray had gone to Minnesota. Instead it becomes a game about two teams no one cares about. Are they still retiring Favre’s jersey? Will he be there? That’s what’s MORE interesting about this game. In the end, Green Bay by 3. Only because the Vikings are that unimpressive.

Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders *AFC West*
This is my Monday Night Football? Wow, what a horrible way to start the season. Supposedly the Raiders could show signs of improvement. That requires what, putting 11 guys on the field? Honestly, anything would be an improvement. Jay Cutler won’t have any trouble leading his team in this game. Broncos by 7.

A Series of Stupid

This story brought to you by Kentucky, specifically Covington, and once you read the dumbness you’ll have no problems believing it. In Kentucky, where education pays, a man walks into a bank and hands the teller a note asking for money. Well, apparently penmanship does NOT pay in the Bluegrass state, as the teller couldn’t read the man’s scrawl. She had to ask him what the note said, so then he was on camera asking for money. No wait, the dumbness gets better. Then the man’s sister is in the parking lot in the getaway car. Now the employees have all had a good long stare at the license plate number. So, when police found her hitchhiking on I-75 after the car broke down (I’m imagining a rusty old Oldsmobile for some reason) they easily picked her up and found her brother in Covington. Oh Kentucky, keep breeding, it makes me feel better about myself.

What’s more dumb? Two guys in South Carolina managed to blow up their own car thanks to their addiction to huffing. Perhaps I should say their addiction to dumb. Let’s see: two cans of compressed air? Check. Cigarettes? Check. Lighter? Check. Which of these things should NOT belong. After a fun 10 minutes of huffing, one genius went to light a cigarette, the compressed air ignited and poof! There went the car. Both men are still alive (according to the news) and have unhappy, second degree reminders of their brilliance.

Now for some football dumbness. Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh still can’t decide who his starting quarterback should be. Unless Troy Smith is dead, what is there to think about? I remain largely unimpressed by Joe Flacco, and Kyle-bot should’ve been traded three seasons ago. Currently the bot is “nursing a serious shoulder injury” according to NFL.com. By serious shoulder injury do they mean, “he sucks”. Meanwhile Troy has tonsillitis. You don’t need tonsils to throw a football! Why don’t you just bring back McNair?

All About Quarterbacks

Perhaps I am the football Miss Cleo afterall! Or perhaps Eric Mangini has been reading my blog? While doubtful, Brett Favre is now a New York Jet and Chad Pennington was briefly out of a job. That is until the Dolphins realized that the only thing worse than one completely embarrassing season was two. Good work Miami, if your goal was to keep your team as far away from the end zone as possible, Chad is an excellent choice!

Speaking of really stupid quarterback choices, what is wrong with Pittsburgh? I mean, besides that it is Pittsburgh. With Charlie Batch injured, they felt the need to sign a new back up for that fat kid from Findlay. So they chose…Byron Leftwich? They could’ve had Daunte Culpepper, who admittedly has gone downhill in the last few seasons, at least he can move without breaking his ankle. Even Atlanta didn’t want Byron Leftwich? Lame Pittsburgh, way lame.

Did you hear in Baltimore they played Michael Phelps final race after the Ravens pre-season game vs the Vikings? Well of course they did. Ravens fans don’t have anything else to cheer for! It’s pretty sad when you’re at a football game and something on TV is much more exciting. The media is bashing Troy Smith by the way, about an apparently lack luster performance. It was on par with Kyle Boller. I thought Kyle-bot’s experience was supposed to lead them to the promised land? Trust me on this, go with Troy Smith and forget Kyle ever happened.

And about those Olympics, what’s going on in gymnastics scoring? In what planet is it ok for someone to have two terrible landings and win a gold medal?

Headline Reads: Ridiculous

“Man Pays Wife’s $25,000 Bond In Cash”

This headline seemed so stupid I had to read the accompanying article. A woman being charged with running a national prostitution ring had her husband post her bail in $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 dollar bills. This is almost as bad as posting your bail in change. Yong Williams of Cheviot was arrested in Covington (naturally) on charges of driving prostitutes across state lines and laundering her pimp earnings. You know, because just laundering money isn’t bad enough. Her husband listed sources of money as family and friends, I suppose all of those clients who support you could be considered friends? However, the icing on the cake to this story comes from John Doe No. 20, an out of state minister. He complains that the female who performed a paid for sex act on him talked on her cell phone the entire time. He says, “I don’t expect them to be interested, but they could pretend.” Better yet John Doe No. 20, you could be a minister who doesn’t pay for sex. I hope he at least took off the W.W.J.D. bracelet for this, because I’m pretty sure Jesus wouldn’t pay for sex.

“Dispute Over Planned Parenthood In Westwood”

Ok, this new Planned Parenthood is scheduled to open about 2 miles from another Planned Parenthood. Parents aren’t protesting the OLD Planned Parenthood, just the new one because it will be a negative influence on the kids in the neighborhood. Apparently just being in Westwood isn’t a bad enough influence on the kids? As a former resident of this upstanding community *insert laugh here* I get to say these things.

“Expect These NFL Teams To Miss The Playoffs Again”

The boys at Yahoo! Sports have come up with a mind-blowing list of teams that they think will miss the playoffs this coming season. This list includes: New York Jets, Cleveland Brown, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals. Who compiled this list, a 5 year old?! Was someone at the water cooler like, “Hey guys, I’ve got an idea…let’s predict that the 5 worst teams in the NFL won’t make the playoffs”. DUMB. Picking no brainer teams isn’t very edgy, this list is as ridiculous as picking the Falcons vs. Ravens for next years Super Bowl match up. Lame, Yahoo!, lame.

Some Early Football News…Too Entertaining To Resist

Nearly all 85 players at the Baltimore Ravens mini-camp were involved in a brawl over pretty much nothing. Apparently someone was tackled, and then people started throwing punches. However, the guy throwing punches (initially) was not the guy who was tackled. At least this is what I can gather from the NFL.com article. I should probably just go ahead and blame this on old Brian too. If no one else, can we at least blame Cam Cameron? With a name (and record) that bad, he probably starts controversy to divert attention.

This nugget is sweet. Christ Henry wants to go play in Dallas. You know, the same Dallas that acquired Pacman Jones. Please Jesus, let this dream come true! Can you imagine? T.O. would be in a corner somewhere CRYING while Pacman and Henry were being arrested..daily. Chris stopped punching people in the face long enough to mention that he would also like to go play in New Orleans, but this isn’t funny as they have nothing to lose…besides 16 games. I’m glad that Chris has taken time to dream big during his house arrest. It’s worth noting here that Dallas has not shown any interest in Chris, perhaps its the hair?

Cincinnati continues its quest for the dumb. Shaun Alexander wants to come to Cincinnati, but why should they bother? When you already have 4 running backs, why acquire another? It’s not as if Cincinnati needs to replenish it’s linebackers or anything..not with the  laughable potential of Odell returning. Don’t you think the Bengals should take notes from the Reds? Don’t you remember the last time this town brought a hometown boy back from Seattle? Disaster. The best thing Shaun Alexander has to look forward to in this town is injured reserve.

Finally, the biggest jokes come from the Chicago Bears. GM Jerry Angelo calls Cedric Benson’s arrest, “not good for business”. You know, because Rex is. Oh wait, Kyle Orton is going to trump Rexie this year and obtain the starting position. Yes, also good for business. Why doesn’t Lovie just let Brian Urlacher throw? I mean, at least the dismal QB performances would make sense then.

By the way, did you hear Jay Cutler has diabetes? It’s the reason he was so terrible last season. Apparently it is very difficult to throw a football when one is in a diabetic coma.

PS – Congratulations to J.P. Losman, (who’s whining has rivaled Chad Johnson’s) not only does your entire team hate you but you’re STILL not being traded.

Baseball Talk…You Love It.

Headline reads: “Reds GM Krivsky Out, Former Cards GM Jocketty In

How many GM’s and coaches does this team need to go through before they realize there are bigger problems? The better question is, when does the rest of the team get released?

Remember When….

Remember when the Bengals released Chris Henry after his like…fortieth arrest and no one cared?

The better headline yesterday was “Man shot in rear end in West End”. Seriously. It was actually funnier than “Chris Henry loses job while in jail.” The even BETTER story was that earlier this week several of the Bengals players were kicked out of “Bang” nightclub (there’s a nightclub called Bang? why?). Apparently a security officer at the club called for backup saying “We’ve got some Bengals in here, Chris Henry, Chad Johnson and them”. Let it be known, Chad was NOT in da club. Which is really funny, considering if he was there, you would know. This security officer is probably the sharpest guy at Bang. Apparently players were lifting up women’s skirts and hanging from a chandelier in the back room (subsequently ruining the ceiling). I’m glad the Bengals are taking notes on classy behavior from the Vikings…..

Which Of These Things Doesn’t Belong

“New Orleans defensive end Charles Grant was stabbed in the neck, and a pregnant woman was shot and killed early Sunday in an altercation at a nightclub in southwest Georgia.”

Ok, I would expect to find an offseason football player in a night club. Heck, in Cincinnati you would expect to find them in a night club 12 hours before game time! However, what on earth was a pregnant lady doing at a night club?! Keep this one in mind kids, stay in school and don’t go to night clubs when you’re pregnant. They’re full of smoke and people with guns..and knives.

In other news, how ’bout them Giants?! Lawrence Tynes is somewhere thanking the heavens that it didn’t come down to a game winning field goal. Tom Brady is somewhere CRYING.