First off, shout-outs to both New York teams for their big wins last week. I was impressed with how both teams dug deep and played the kind of football that they are capable of playing. Keep it up. To my fantasy football family, the bye weeks have started. Pay attention to your squad so you don’t get caught out there like I have so many times before. Make sure you start or sit the right people.
Thank God the Saints have a bye this week. They need it. Now they can go back to the lab and try to fix the problem. This is a good team that needs to find out what’s going wrong before it gets to late in the season. With Deuce McAllister out for the season, it’s time for Reggie Bush to find his inner “619” and step up. Hey, it worked for Rey Mysterio. DeAngelo Hall, you got off easy with just a fine from the team for your actions in last Sunday’s game. Chill out brother, it’s not that serious. You had a bad game, make up for in this one. You’re too good of a player to act that way and disrespect your head coach in that manner. Like I told the Jets fans last week, have some class. I was thinking about saying something about Michael Vick testing positive for marijuana but then I figured, why do that? That would have been 10-15 precious minutes of my life I wouldn’t get back. Here are my picks for Week 4:
1pm games:
Houston Texans (2-1) vs. Atlanta Falcons (0-3)
Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
Matt Schuab is coming home to the team that drafted and then traded him to the Texans. The team that traded him, the Falcons, probably wished they hadn’t. With an offensive line that’s been blocking for him very well in the first three games of the season, I see Schuab having a big game against his former team. If vengeance is a dish, best served cold, then you better grab your hoodies because it’s going to be freezing in A-T-L.
Hopefully Falcons’ head coach Bobby Petrino paid attention to what’s going on in Chicago and starts newly signed QB Byron Leftwich instead of Joey Harrington. Also the Falcons need to try and establish their running game to wear out a good Texans D-line and air it out to their receivers if they’re going to win this game.
My Pick: Texans
NY Jets (1-2) vs. Buffalo Bills (0-3)
Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY
Buffalo is banged up and there’s no indication that QB J.P. Losman will start for the Bills this game. With Losman out, rookie QB Trent Edwards will get the start. Other than the interception Edwards had in last week’s game against the Pats, he didn’t have a bad game. Look for a solid balance of run and pass from the Bills to try and wear down the Jets defense.
The Jets had a good win last week, and I expect to see that again this week. With all of the injuries to the Bills defense, the Jets will probably have a field day picking it apart. With RB Thomas Jones getting his first 100-yard rushing game for the season last week, I think he will vibe from last week’s performance and carry it over into Ralph Wilson Stadium.
My Pick: J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets
Baltimore Ravens (2-1) vs. Cleveland Browns (1-2)
Location: Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, OH
As this is being typed, there’s still no word on who’s going to start for the Ravens. If Steve McNair gets the start, the Browns need to put pressure on McNair and his injured groin and to get backup QB Kyle Boller into the game. I’m not saying they should knock him out the game, but if he misses a couple of series throughout the game, the Browns should try and capitalize on it.
The Ravens just need to do what they do best. That is, play hard nose defensive football. If the Ravens put pressure on QB Derek Anderson and stop RB Jamal Lewis from running up and down the field in his homecoming this Sunday, the Ravens will have this game won by the first half.
My Pick: Ravens
St. Louis Rams (0-3) vs. Dallas Cowboys (3-0)
Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, TX
As soon as Rams’ RB Stephen Jackson comes alive, he’s dead again. Jackson will be out of this Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. This is just another blow for a team that is already plagued by injury. The Rams will start rookie RB Brian Leonard against a good Cowboys’ defense on Sunday. Since the Rams offensive line is a little shaky, I see big numbers for the Cowboy D-line.
Tony Romo looks good, Terrell Owens looks good, Marion Barber looks good, and the Cowboys’ defense looks good. In my opinion, that’s all you need right now. Many have them as an early lock to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. We’ll see. What I do see is the Cowboys going 4-0.
My Pick: Cowboys
Chicago Bears (1-2) vs. Detroit Lions (2-1)
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Common said,”Yeah you know how we do; we do it for the people”. Well the people have spoken and Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith got his Talib Kweli on and “Listened”. Ten-year veteran QB Brian Griese will start for the demoted Rex Grossman. Damn, Griese has been in the NFL for 10 years already? Where did the time go? Coach Smith said in his press conference that Griese doesn’t have to “look over his back” while he has the starting job and that he’s safe…..for now. We’ll see how long this one last. I think the Bears’ offense will be better with Griese as the quarterback. He’ll make some better decisions and better reads than Grossman when he’ll get pressured.
WR Calvin Johnson bruised his back in the second quarter in last Sunday’s game. I think it will be a game time decision on whether or not he plays. Chicago has been bitten by the injury bug on offense and defense. If the Lions are going to strike, strike now while the iron is scorching.
My Pick: Lions
Oakland Raiders (1-2) vs. Miami Dolphins (0-3)
Location: Dolphin Stadium, Miami, FL
I really don’t have much to say about this game. Honestly, I really don’t care. It’s going to be a snoozer. I’d rather watch paint dry or watch grass grow than watch this game. So I’ll just say a little something to keep you reading and to be fair to the teams.
Raiders’ QB Josh McCown is out with a broken toe. So Dante Culpepper gets the nod and he’s probably going to come out with a chip on his shoulder since he was released from the Phins the end of last season. I will say this, both teams have solid RBs in Ronnie Brown and LaMont Jordan and I do think the Phins have the better defensive squad.
My Pick: Phins
Green Bay Packers (3-0) vs. Minnesota Vikings (1-2)
Location: Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN
Brett Farve will break the record on Sunday around the middle of the first quarter, everyone will rejoice, he’ll get the game ball, and then we’ll finish playing the game. Yay. The Packers look good and if they keep with their winning ways, the Nov. 29 game against the Cowboys may have some serious play-off implications. If the Packers can slow down LaDainian Tomlinson, imagine what they could do with a rookie like Adrian Peterson.
My Pick: Packers
4pm games:
Seattle Seahawks (2-1) vs. San Francisco 49ers (2-1)
Location: Monster Park, San Francisco, CA
Whichever team wins this game will have sole possession of the NFC West for the time being. The Niners defense is improving and the Seahawks defense is about the same it has been for the last few years. The Seahawks have the better receivers, but the Niners have the younger, healthier running back in Frank Gore. Shaun Alexander has a broken wrist and is wearing an air cast over it. Let’s see if that’s going to affect him when he carries the ball. I think the Niners run game gives them the win, but it will be close.
My Pick: 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) vs. Carolina Panthers (2-1)
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
There’s still no word on whether or not Jake Delhomme or if “Mr. White Gloves” David Carr will get the start this Sunday. I do feel that the Panthers have the better defense and better running back in DeShaun Foster. If I had to take my pick between the Panthers’ Steve Smith and the Bucs’ Joey Galloway, I’m going with Mr. Smith.
My Pick: Panthers
Denver Broncos (2-1) vs. Indianapolis Colts (3-0)
Location: RCA Dome, Indianapolis, IN
Is this game a possible AFC play-off preview? I don’t know, but it looks like it to me. The Colts are winning despite the fact that the defense is just barely holding up for them. Last season, the Colts defense was weak, then the play-offs hit and it was a new team. If it worked last year, why try and fix it this year?
The Broncs look solid and should win the AFC West this year. Jay Cutler is a solid quarterback and he’ll get his numbers in Sunday’s game. I feel that the running backs for both teams, Joseph Addai and Travis Henry will have big games. I just don’t think the Broncos’ secondary is ready for the Colts wide receivers.
My Pick: Colts
Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) vs. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Expect the same outcome from the Steelers this week that you got last week. The Steelers defense is very good. In four games, the Steelers have allowed 8.7 points a game. That’s sick.
The Cards subbed veteran QB Kurt Warner in the middle of the second quarter in last Sunday’s because Matt Leinart was getting rocked and just couldn’t get the job done. Cards head coach Ken Whisenhunt said Leinart is their guy of the future. Well that future is looking pretty bleak against the Steelers’ defense. Oh by the way, don’t expect any big yards from Edgerin James; the Steelers will shut that down immediately.
My Pick: Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs (1-2) vs. San Diego Chargers (1-2)
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
The Chargers will get it together in this game. I can feel it. Not really, but I had to find a way to keep you interested. I do think that the Chargers will win the game. I think they have the better team all around. Look for the Chargers offense to get out of their funk and step it up on Sunday.
My Pick: Chargers
Sunday Night Game:
Philadelphia Eagles (1-2) vs. NY Giants (1-2)
Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
The Eagles will continue to rise from the ashes of controversy like the Phoenix and put the hammer on the Giants. The G-men may have been able to pull off the win last week against the Skins, but the Eagles have too much on offense and defense for the Giants to handle. I know I showed the Giants some love in the beginning, but I’m just calling it like I see it.
My Pick: Eagles
Monday Night Game:
New England Patriots (3-0) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (1-2)
Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
It’s the Patriots. That’s all I can really say right now. I’m trying to pick out a weakness and I can’t. The Bengals look soft right now with their defensive play making. The Bengals barely beat the Ravens, they had a shoot-out with the Browns and lost, and they went back and forth with the Seahawks and lost that game also.
The only thing the Bengals are favored for in this game is whether of not they can hold the Pats under 100 points. And the odds of that are pretty slim. The Pats have too many weapons on offense and defense. Nothing against the Monday Night Football crew, but if there’s a new show you’ve been wanting to see or you want to catch up on a previous show or some reading, this game may be the game you could afford to miss. It’s going be ugly.
My Pick: Patriots
Teams with Bye weeks: Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars