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Cleveland at Cincinnati. 

One of these teams will have their losing streak broken in this NFC North divisional game.  They share the division with Baltimore and Pittsburg, so one could predict that this game won’t much matter when it comes down to the play-offs. However, this season has been anything but predictable.  The Bengals are favored to win this one.  Uh, why were we so excited about Cleveland pre-season again?  It’s a toss-up which team needs this win more.  The Browns go into a bye next week, while the Bengals go to Dallas to meet the seemingly unstoppable Cowboys.

My take; Bengals finally get their win – Cincinnati by 4.

 
Minnesota at Tennessee. 

I really want the Vikings to win this one; however, my reasoning is entirely due to my Indianapolis bias.  Who do I think is going to win?  The last time these teams met was 2004 and the Vikings have 5 out of 6 winning streak against the Titans.  However, I’m not waiving my blue and white victory flag yet. Tennessee has had the best opening since 1999 and have never gone 4-0.  This game is going to be a low scoring defensive clash of the Titans….and Vikings.  

My bet; Minnesota my 2.

Atlanta at Carolina. 

The Panthers host the Falcons in this NFC South divisional game.  The teams have the same record; however, Carolina’s 2-1 arguably is more impressive than Atlanta’s 2-1.  Regardless, this game will come down to which team is hungrier for the win.  I have yet to see a lot of hunger coming from Carolina.  They fell ass-backwards into their opening 2-0 record, but when they faced the winless, and desperate, Vikings last week they crumbled.  Atlanta has had two wins at home against 2 much weaker teams.  

I’m taking Carolina on this one.  I think the Delhomme/Smith connection will be back on par aided by Atlanta’s poor road record with their rookie QB.  Panthers by 4.

Texans at Jacksonville. 

Again because of my Indy bias, I want Houston to win.  However, it is going to take a miracle against the frustrated Jags. With this being the first year since 2002 that the Colts haven’t had that 1st place seat locked up, there must be a sense by all four AFC South teams that it’s up for grabs.  Even though Tennessee holds the top spot in this division by 2 games the season is long yet.

Despite my hopes, I’m betting on Jacksonville to win by 3.

Redskins at Cowboys.  Yet another divisional game sees the 2-1 Redskins hosting the 3-0 Cowboys.  The NFC East division is arguably the strongest in the league at the moment.  Washington will be hoping to move from a tie for 2nd place to…well, a tie for 2nd place.  They share their 2-1 record with the Philadelphia Eagles, while the Cowboys share their 3-0 with the NY giants.  Since the Giants have a bye this week a definitive leader in the division cannot be determined on Sunday.  However, the ties may be broken this week.  If the Eagles win their battle with the Bears on Sunday night and the Cowboys beat out the Redskins their ranks will be 2, 1 (tied with NY), and 3 respectively.  Got all of that?  This early in the season play-off seeds and home advantages aren’t being determined yet, but in this very strong division all four teams should looking ahead to win every game they can.

My bet: Dallas is not being ousted this week; Cowboys by at least 7.

The story of Week 3 is which teams will break their losing streak and which teams will fall deeper in the hole.  Five unexpected teams face an 0-2 start; the Cleveland Browns, the San Diego Chargers, the Minnesota Vikings, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Seattle Seahawks.  

Which one of these teams most needs to get their first win?  I think it is a toss up between the Seahawks and the Vikings.  The Vikings face the surprise success story that is the Carolina Panthers.  The Panthers are high on life right now.  They also will have star receiver Steve Smith back from a 2-game suspension for punching a teammate. Minnesota is favored to win this game with their home-field advantage and formidable defense.  However, I’m not completely sold as we all saw that crumble in their face off with the Colts last week.

My bet; the Panthers streak is over.  Minnesota by 4.

The Hawks have a lot at stake tomorrow.  If they lose they go into a bye with an 0-3 start and come back in Week 5 to face the Giants.  That is a really undesirable situation for Seattle to be in, but I think it somewhat unlikely.  The Rams seem so beaten down, I’m not sure if they will muster the strength to mount a Seattle upset.

My prediction; Seattle by a landslide.

Meanwhile, the Jags are going to see a golden opportunity in their face-off with the beleaguered Colts.  It’s a divisional game, and if Jacksonville hopes to make a serious bid for the play-offs they need this win.  Will they be able to pull it off?  Well, history is not in their favor.  The Colts have never had a 1-2 start with Peyton Manning in the captain’s seat.  And the boys in blue have won five out the last six meet-ups with Jacksonville.  The present is also not so good for the Jags, who have their own offensive line injuries to worry about.

My bet; Colts by 2.

Elsewhere in league, the Browns face the Ravens in Baltimore.  The Ravens are coming off a surprising bye week courtesy of Hurricane Ike.  This is another divisional game with a fair amount at stake for both teams.

My take;  Ravens by 4.

The game I am the most excited to see this week is the Monday Night match up between the Chargers and Jets.  San Diego has had victory in their sights for the past two weeks, only to see it slipped (or ripped) away at the last moment.  If I was of the Bolt-persuasion I would have an attitude of complete befuddlement and be hungrier than ever for a win.  It won’t be a piece of cake, however, with the Jets coming off a loss to New England and LT with a bum toe.  Brett Farve has an incredible record against San Diego (though obviously not as a Jet) and he is no stranger to the high profile of the Monday Night Lights. Either way it all adds up to great football!!

My prediction;  SD will get their win, but not by much.

Grit and determination was the name of the game at the Metrodome today.  Held scoreless in the first half for the first time since 2000, Indianapolis clawed their way back from a 15 point deficit to win 18-15.  Peyton Manning continued to look uncomfortable this week, throwing two interceptions and ending up with a 72.62 passer rating.  The Colts frustrations continued when a missed chip shot by Adam Vinatieri was the outcome of a beautiful opportunity provided by an interception by Dwight Freeney.  With 6 minutes left on the clock you could almost hear Manning thinking “I am mad as Hell, and I’m not gonna take it anymore!!” The boys in blue fought back with a TD plus a 2 point conversion to tie the game at 15 all.  With 8 seconds left in the game Vinatieri got a chance to redeem himself with a 47-yd field goal to put away the win.

This game came down to sheer force of will on the part of Peyton Manning.  However, credit must be paid to Dwight Freeney, and the rest of the Colts defense, who held the Vikings to field goals and made it possible for Peyton to pull his very inexperienced offense up by the bootstraps.  Props to Peyton; reminding us of why he is a future Hall-of-Famer (and my little champion dog’s namesake).  Incidentally, keep your eye on WR Anthony Gonzalez, whose fancy footwork and refusal to drop the ball pulled Indy’s fat out of the fire today more than a couple of times. 

“Brady who?” was the question of the day in the Meadowlands.  The Patriots soundly defeated the NY Jets 19 to 10 with a respectable offensive performance and a defense that locked up Brett Farve and forced Jets errors.  No question that this New England team will look different without Tom Brady, however I don’t believe they are losing there seat to the Bills anytime soon. 

The shake-ups in the AFC continued in Denver today with San Diego going 0-2.  The Chargers were down by two touchdowns going into the 3^rd quarter.  They rallied, scoring 21 points in the second half, only to have the win elude them.  The Broncos score a TD and with 29 seconds left in the game bringing the score to 38-37, Chargers.  Bronco’s Mike Shanahan makes the gutsy call to line up for the 2 points rather than go into OT and comes away with the win. 

Controversy surrounds this Denver win due to a confusing call late in the 4^th quarter.  Trailing 38-31, the Broncos were knocking at San Diego’s door on 3^rd and goal when Jay Cutler lost the ball and Charger’s LB Tim Dobbins recovered it.  However, because the ball hit the ground while Cutler’s hand was moving forward, Ed Hochuli ruled it as an incomplete pass, and thus put the kibosh on Charger hopes for a turn-over.  Hochuli has since admitted that he blew this call, but I’m sure that is little consolation to Bolts fans. The Chargers return to SD to face the Jets next Monday night.

Elsewhere in the league the Carolina Panthers, who delivered the Chargers their first loss last week, edged out the Chicago Bears in a game rife with penalties and kooky plays by special teams.  Buffalo continued to look like contenders with an impressive win over Jacksonville.  The NY Giants crushed the Rams, much to Head Coach Scott Linehan’s chagrin. And the Tennessee Titans go 2-0 for the first time since 1999, while the Seattle Seahawks go 0-2 for the first time since 2002. 

There are several things to keep your eye on this week.  I picked the four games that I think are the most interesting and previewed them below.

CHI @ CAR

            Surprise wins on the road by these two teams, against two AFC titans, make this an interesting match up to watch.  A combination of steady pressure from the Bears defense and nerves of steel from Kyle Orton resulted in a surprising Colts upset at home.  In San Diego, the Panthers faced the Chargers.  With 2 seconds left in the game Carolina’s Jake Delhomme connected with tight end Dante Rosario for 14 yards, and a TD, to win 26 to 24 (with the PAT). 

            My take: Chicago will edge out the Panthers by 4, with special teams’ Devin Hester playing a big role. 

IND @ MIN

            I mention this game only because of my love of Blue and I got to holla at my boys.  There is no way the Colts go 0-2 this week.  The Vikings had a good showing against the GB Packers last Monday night.  However, I believe that was fueled by the long term rivalry between those teams, and Minnesota will not stand up to what will surely be a thoroughly fired up (if beaten up) Indianapolis.

            My take: Indy by a TD.  

NYJ @ NE

            The Patriots face the NY Jets at the Meadowlands in their first game without Tom Brady.  The history between these two teams would point for a Patriot blow out (Pats have won 9 out the last 10 match ups).  The Pats have something to prove, i.e. that they are not simply Brady’s Bunch and should, most certainly, not be counted out.  Matt Cassel showed remarkable calm in the face of an unthinkable scenario for the team and their fans.  But let’s not forget that Brett Farve also has a lot on his shoulders, with his reputation and a new franchise on the line.

            My take: NE by 10.  It pains me to say that, because, God knows, I have no love for the Patriots.  However, playing at home with a huge chip on their shoulder adds up to a Pats victory in my book.

PHI @ DAL

            Looking ahead to what will likely be a high-scoring match up on Monday night; we have two teams with showings last week which fall into varying degrees of excellence.  In terms of stats, the Cowboys and the Eagles are pretty evenly matched.  During week 1 both quarterbacks were blitzed more than ten times, in the face of which, each of them connected with a receiver for more than 200 yards.  Philly outruns Dallas on TD returns and field goals, but Dallas is the winningest Monday night team of all time.  What does all of this mean?  Well, it will be an exciting game between one team that is hitting their stride and another who is fighting their way back into the game.

            My take: Dallas by a field goal.

So unless you have been living underwater for the last five days, you are probably aware that the story of the week in the NFL is Tom Brady’s season ending knee injury.  It is a very unfortunate accident for the Patriots and their fans.  And while there has been noise that it was a dirty play and should be followed with an investigation, it truly was nothing more than a very unfortunate accident.

While the Brady story was the biggest, it certainly wasn’t the only thing in the league that just didn’t seem right.  We saw Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning looking decidedly uncomfortable in the pocket, the San Diego Chargers upset at home, Seattle trounced by Buffalo, and the Cowboys paying for having their way with the Browns with stitches to their star QB’s chin.

Let me spend a minute on the Colts situation.  Arguably the whole league was shaken up to see an untouchable like Brady taken down in the first fifteen minutes of the game, however, that alone cannot explain the bizarre Colts showing.  The Colts were beat up coming into the season, with Manning recovering from knee surgery and Jeff Saturday out with a knee injury sustained during the pre-season.  On top of that they lost two more key players during the course of the game; Dallas Clark to, yet another, knee injury and Joseph Addai with a blow to the head.  Whether it was the injuries, opening night jitters, the pall cast over the game by the Brady injury, or some combination of all of the above, two denied challenges by Tony Dungy, Manning’s burning of time-outs to avoid delay of games, and a key fumble by Marvin Harrison resulting in a Bears TD return resulted in a disappointing loss for the Colts in the opening season game.

Despite all of that weirdness, everything was amiss last week.  Elsewhere in the league we saw the NY Giants looking like the underdog champs they are, Brett Farve rocking his debut with the NY Jets, and the Eagles’ Donavon McNabb reminding us why is a five time Pro Bowl QB selection.

In the coming weeks we will undoubtedly see how these issues develop and I’ll be here to offer my humble commentary.

Once upon a time there was a lovely young student.
She was known as a “girly-girl” and always quite prudent.

She liked poetry, fashion, and French cinema,

she no knowledge of play book schema.

Then one day our heroine met a man,

who was, like most, a pigskin fan.

Football was now on the radio and television,

until she decided she must make a decision.

“Alas,” she said, “can’t we watch Titanic?”

“But no, my love, for SportsCenter tonight is gigantic!”

And so it went on for weeks and week.

He said “No time for Dancing With The Stars,

I must watch Brady, Romo, and Farve!”

So our heroine decided she must join them to beat them.

and so she took up the study of The Season.

She focused and toiled and became quite embroiled.

She learned penalties, yardage, positions, and teams,

onside kicks, pump fakes, roughing, and screens.

And then one day the heroine realized -

it was the NFL, and not her boyfriend, she idealized!

The heroine felt her horizons expanding,

and so she left him for her love of the Mannings.