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We Love the Falcons, Steelers, Jets, Bengals and Raiders.

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Aaron Rodgers

Week 12 in the NFL opened on Thursday, U.S. Thanksgiving, and while I thought we might see three good football games, we saw one.

The Dallas-Miami clash came right down to the final moments and that was worth watching, but I’m afraid the other two? Well, in the end, they were indeed turkeys, mere wasted effort on a holiday Thursday.

Green Bay demolished Detroit 27-15 as Packers QB Aaron Rodgers threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns as Green Bay improved to 11-0 and have now won 17 straight games dating back to last season. Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh was once again vilified by idiot TV announcers — that’s clowns get dumber and more annoying every day — and it brought this response from one of our most loyal readers, the enlightened Fort Rouge Ted:

ndamukong suh 300x217 We Love the Falcons, Steelers, Jets, Bengals and Raiders.

Ndamukong Suh: Old time NFL Football.

“Scotty, I was talking with Pops after the games on Thursday and do you realize that not long ago, in a far-off distant land known as the United States of America, when the NFL was a real man’s league, Suh would have been made out to be an effing god. He would be on the same pedestal with Mean Joe Greene, Ray Nitschke, Dick Butkus, Teddy The Stork Hendricks, Lyle Alzado, Deacon Jones, Mad Jack Lambert and Jack The Assassin Tatum. Suh would be a superstar among the defensive warriors of the real NFL. He would be cheered as much by his hometown fans as they would have hated the opposition, all while he was decapitating quarterbacks.

“And not just Suh. What about that disgraceful roughing the passer call against Kyle Vandenbosch on Aaron Rodgers. That was embarrassingly bad. I was glad that Troy Aikman (the best in the business, by the way) said something. If that’s what my NFL has become, I don’t how much longer my passion will last.

“Then along came the liberal intellectuals, all the effing Harvard lawyers and Yale doctors, and they have changed the game to the point that it’s now made for gutless girly-men wearing skirts and playing to the cameras. Meanwhile, the TV and talk-show announcers and all the would-be intellectuals, people who have never watched NFL films from the 60s and 70s, make Suh out to be a villain to be ridiculed by the politically correct in this baby-doll league we once called the NFL. No sir, I don’t like it. I want my old NFL back.”

As an Eastern university graduate and proud liberal, it’s sometimes hard to read my friends’ criticisms of other Eastern university graduates, liberal or not (by the way he acts around people, I would guess NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is a conservative Republican), but in his own blue-collar way, Teddy might be right. Between all the announcers passing judgment and all the officials throwing more flags than I ever remember, the game is getting dull, dull, dull.

With Sunday Ticket, you can bounce back and forth among a number of games, but when you’re stuck watching one game at a time as we were on Thursday, that game can get mind-numbingly uninteresting. Too many commercials, too many ridiculously dumb statements by the colour commentators (the play-by-play guys are generally solid) and way too many flags are making today’s NFL the dullest reality show on TV.

12hnQ1.St .58 237x300 We Love the Falcons, Steelers, Jets, Bengals and Raiders.

Tony Romo

Meanwhile, back on Thursday, Tony Romo threw two touchdown passes and Dan Bailey kicked a 28-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to lead Dallas past Miami 20-19 in a decent, but not great, football game. It was actually encouraging to see Romo play the final few minutes with a little poise.

And in the Har-Bowl: Ravens coach John Harbaugh beat his brother, Niners coach Jim Harbaugh, 16-6. Niners quarterback Alex Smith was sacked nine times while Joe Flacco threw one touchdown pass as the Ravens improved to 8-3 and the Niners fell to 9-2. That game, I’m afraid, was dishwater dull.

But now it’s the weekend and that means that on Sunday afternoon, I can watch five games at once and not be bored to tears by another one of those GEICO commercials I’ve already seen 300 times. This weekend, the big games include Buffalo at the New York Jets; Chicago at Oakland; New England at Philadelphia; Denver at San Diego; and the NY Giants at New Orleans on Monday night.

By the way, on Thursday, Doc Football went 3-0 straight up and 2-1 against the spread while The Coach went 2-1 straight up and 1-2 against the spread. The Coach really did think San Francisco was for real and that Baltimore would not be as good without Ray Lewis. Sadly, for The Coach, Baltimore might be better without Ray Lewis.

As always, Doc Football writes the game-by-game justifications and The Coach reserves the right to get snarky.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Sam Bradford

Arizona Cardinals (3-7) at St. Louis Rams (2-8)
Line: Rams by 3

St. Louis QB Sam Bradford should have a good day at home as his strong arm is going to be utilized all game long against a weak Cardinals secondary. Rams should have beaten the Cardinals the last time they met, and they also should learn from their mistakes from the previous matchup. Arizona has one player, Larry Fitzgerald, and if the Rams shut him down, they’ll shut down the Cardinals. It doesn’t hurt to be at home, either.

Dr. Football: RAMS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: RAMS TO WIN AND COVER.

Buffalo Bills (5-5) at New York Jets (5-5)
Line: Jets by 9

The Jets are desperate need of a win after being “Tebowed” last week, and should get one against a tattered Buffalo team it easily handled just three weeks ago. Offensively, Buffalo has completely broken down the last five weeks and to complicate things even more for them, RB Fred Jackson will be out for this game due to a leg injury.

Dr. Football: JETS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER

The Coach: JETS TO WIN AND COVER

Josh Cribbs We Love the Falcons, Steelers, Jets, Bengals and Raiders.

Joshua Cribbs of the Browns

Cleveland Browns (4-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (6-4)

Line: Bengals by 7.5

Both teams have been involved in a lot of close games this year. The difference is the Bengals have been better at winning them. The Bengals offense is the edge in this one, especially with WR A.J. Green back on Sunday. They will keep the ball moving downfield, and keep control of the clock as the Browns defense does not have the talent to match the Bengals offense.

Dr. Football: BENGALS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER

The Coach: BENGALS TO WIN AND COVER

Houston Texans (7-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7)
Line: Texans by 3.5

Matt Schaub’s absence won’t be felt this week thanks to Texans’ shutdown defense and Jaguars’ woeful offense. Arian Foster is good enough to keep the pressure off of the other Matt (Leinart) this week, and the Texans will pick up an important win.

Dr. Football: TEXANS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: TEXANS TO WIN AND COVER

Carolina Panthers (2-8) at Indianapolis Colts (0-10)
Line: Panthers by 3.5

If the Colts are going to win at all this season, this figures to be their best chance. After all they can’t go 0-16, can they? (Coach sez: Sure they can).

Dr. Football: COLTS TO WIN

The Coach: PANTHERS TO WIN AND COVER

cj 300x204 We Love the Falcons, Steelers, Jets, Bengals and Raiders.

Chris Johnson

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) at Tennessee Titans (5-5)
Line: Titans by 3

Bucs showed some heart in last week’s loss, and the mediocre Titans represent a step down in competition to what they’ve been facing lately. This week, they face a much better defense in Tennessee and won’t get the last minute opportunity for a comeback. Offensively, the Titans are a solid team no matter who is playing quarterback.

Dr. Football: TITANS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: TITANS TO WIN AND COVER

Minnesota Vikings (2-8) at Atlanta Falcons (6-4)
Line: Falcons by 9

Vikings are 3-13 in their last 16 road games and won’t have Adrian Peterson, while Matt Ryan shouldn’t have problems shredding depleted Minnesota secondary. Ryan should have a field day against a terrible Vikings defense, and struggling rookie Christian Ponder won’t be able to keep up without his best weapon.

Dr. Football: FALCONS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: FALCONS TO WIN AND COVER

Cleveland+Browns+v+Chicago+Bears+CFwo4xh7mjOl 200x300 We Love the Falcons, Steelers, Jets, Bengals and Raiders.

The Caleb Hanie Era Starts Sunday

Chicago Bears (7-3) at Oakland Raiders (6-4)
Line: Raiders by 4.5

Caleb Hanie will get some help from Chicago’s defense and special teams, but the Bears won’t quite be able to overcome the loss of Jay Cutler who is out for 6-8 weeks with a broken thumb. Hanie has nowhere near the arm as Cutler and this is going to force the Bears to run the ball. This option isn’t bad for the Bears as they have one of the best running backs in the league this year with Matt Forte, and Oakland struggles a bit against the run. However, the Raiders do not struggle when it comes to getting pressure on the quarterback, and this will spell doom for the Bears. There probably isn’t a worse place for the Caleb Hanie Era to begin than in Oakland.

Dr. Football: RAIDERS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: RAIDERS TO WIN AND COVER

Marshawn+Lynch+Baltimore+Ravens+v+Seattle+K1y8pFnSl1tl 195x300 We Love the Falcons, Steelers, Jets, Bengals and Raiders.

Seattle's Marshawn Lynch

Washington Redskins (3-7) at Seattle Seahawks (4-6)
Line: Seahawks by 3.5

Seahawks have very quietly been playing pretty good football over the last couple of weeks, while Redskins have been playing pretty poor football considerably longer. Seattle’s defense is improving each week and this week they face Redskins QB Rex Grossman who is, for lack of a better word, a bum. Seattle’s offense will utilize RB Marshawn Lynch a lot this week and will be successful.

Dr. Football: SEAHAWKS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: SEAHAWKS TO WIN AND COVER

Tom Brady

New England Patriots (7-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (4-6)
Line: Patriots by 3

Last week’s win didn’t cure all the Eagles’ problems, and the incredibly efficient Patriots should be able to take advantage of their opponent’s sore spots.Especially the big holes on defense. Bill Belichick will find a way to confuse Vince Young and force a couple of turnovers, and that should be enough for the Pats. Frankly, in a battle between Eli Manning and Vince Young (last week), I might take Young, but in a battle between Tom Brady and Vince Young, I’ll take Brady any day.

Dr. Football: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER

Tim Tebow

Denver Broncos (5-5) at San Diego Chargers (4-6)
Line: Chargers by 6

Denver’s defense is improving each week while San Diego’s is in decline. Tim Tebow is an unexplainable 4-1, and despite his lack of throwing ability, the Broncos keep winning. This week, Tebow will need to quickly get points on the board to be successful. Denver’s defense will pressure Chargers QB Philip Rivers into limited third down conversions, and probably a turnover or two. The Tebow experiment works for yet another week. (Coach sez: The Broncos keep winning because the team has faith in its quarterback. The entire team is playing better because the players believe Tebow will win it in the end. The guy is a winner, period).

Dr. Football: BRONCOS TO WIN

The Coach: BRONCOS TO WIN

SUNDAY NIGHT

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3) at Kansas City Chiefs (4-6)
Line: Steelers by 10.5

Injury-riddled Chiefs couldn’t score on New England’s questionable defense on Monday, and will run into similar problems against the well-rested Steelers. The Steelers are more talented in every category, and this game will be over by half time.

Dr. Football: STEELERS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: STEELERS TO WIN AND COVER

MONDAY NIGHT

Darren Sproles

New York Giants (6-4) at New Orleans Saints (7-3)
Line: Saints by 7

Eli Manning returns to his hometown in the Monday nighter, to the stadium where his father, Archie, enjoyed some of his best NFL years. But with all due respect to Peyton’s little brother, the city of New Orleans currently belongs to fellow Super Bowl winning quarterback Drew Brees. The Saints are rested and incredibly explosive on their home turf, putting a Giants team that hasn’t put putting up a whole lot of points as of late in a very tough spot.

Dr. Football: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER

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Tagged money-winning nfl picks, nfl picks, NFL Picks for Week 12, nfl selections, the best picks, top picks, week 12, week 12 nfl picks

Jets to Win Thursday, Pats to Win Monday. Packers to Go 10-0 on Sunday

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

The Great Aaron Rodgers

TAMPA, Fla. — I remember when I asked Green Bay’s Jermichael Finley a couple of weeks ago if he believed his team could go 16-0 this season. Finley didn’t like the question.

“I ain’t goin’ there man, no way. I ain’t talkin’ about that stuff. I just ain’t goin’ there.”

Finley was not pleased when the Packers beat Minnesota the first time to improve to 7-0 and then was immediately asked if his team was good enough to go undefeated this season. Guess the timing was wrong. Wonder how he feels now?

To his credit, Aaron Rodgers didn’t care when I posed the question to him. He said he expected his team to get better as the season went along. He thought it was possible that the Packers could go 16-0, as long as they kept improving. He’s been quite prophetic.

The Packers look unbeatable. They look unbeatable because Rodgers is almost perfect and the rest of the team is improving. He is clearly the best quarterback in the game right now and last week threw four touchdown passes against Minnesota in a 45-7 victory. This week, the Packers get Tampa at home and this one could get very ugly.

It’s Week 11 in the NFL and the Texans, Colts, Saints and Steelers have the byes this week. There are 14 games and the unbeaten Packers are about to go to 10-0.

And I guarantee that The Doc and The Coach will improve, as well.

Last week the Doc was 7-9 (87-59) straight up and 6-10 (76-70) against the spread. The Coach went 8-8 (95-51) straight up and 7-9 (77-69) against the spread.

This week, as always, the Doc writes our rationalizations and I just make snide remarks when necessary.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Mark+Sanchez+New+England+Patriots+v+New+York+61xFxVWdJ3fl 200x300 Jets to Win Thursday, Pats to Win Monday. Packers to Go 10 0 on Sunday

The Jets Mark Sanchez

New York Jets (5-4) at Denver Broncos (4-5)
Line: Jets by 6

Both teams have been up and down all season long, although Denver has surprisingly won two in a row. The Jets still must be stinging from their failure to defend their home turf against the New England Patriots, and now they have to head across the country to face the Broncos. One thing has been established in Denver: Tim Tebow is not a passer as he threw only eight times in last week’s win against K.C. The Jets defense is better than the Chiefs so Tebow won’t find much room to manoeuvre, and if he tries to throw the Jets secondary is one of the best in the league (Coach sez: I expect the Jets to win and cover, but if it will make Merrill Hoge’s head explode on ESPN, I’d love to see Tim Tebow go to 4-1 as the Broncos quarterback).

Dr. Football: JETS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: JETS TO WIN AND COVER.

Buffalo Bills (5-4) at Miami Dolphins (2-7)

Line: Dolphins by 2.5

The Dolphins are now riding a two game winning streak which seemed impossible after seven weeks of the season, while the Bills are riding a two game losing streak which has brought them crashing back to earth in a hurry. Dolphins QB Matt Moore and WR Brandon Marshall have started to connect, and RB Reggie Bush seems to have found himself again. Look for the Fish to pick up the home win.

Dr. Football: DOLPHINS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: BILLS TO WIN.

Joe+Flacco+Arizona+Cardinals+v+Baltimore+Ravens+3NVwUY EOQwl 200x300 Jets to Win Thursday, Pats to Win Monday. Packers to Go 10 0 on Sunday

The Ravens Joe Flacco

Cincinnati Bengals (6-3) at Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
Line: Ravens by 7

Who would of thought that after playing nine games each, the Ravens and the Bengals are tied for second place in the AFC North? The Ravens offense is quite possibly the most inconsistent offense in the NFL, and the majority of the blame goes to QB Joe Flacco. The Bengals defense has proven to be able to get to opposing quarterbacks, and this could be a long day for Flacco. Look for the Ravens defense to pull it off here as the motivation is huge; if the Ravens win, they move straight into 1st place thanks to their tiebreaker edge over the Steelers. (Coach sez: I’m taking the Ravens, but relying on the Ravens defense these days is nebulous. It appears as if they have all become one step too slow all at once.)

Dr. Football: RAVENS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER

The Coach: RAVENS TO WIN AND COVER.

Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6) at Cleveland Browns (3-6)
Line: Jaguars by 1

Neither the Jaguars nor the Browns are very good teams. But the best player in this one is Maurice Jones Drew. Look for him to have a big game in Cleveland and pile up a lot of yards and a few touchdowns to lead the Jaguars in a road win.

Dr Football: JAGUARS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: BROWNS TO WIN.

Carson+Palmer+Oakland+Raiders+v+San+Diego+2UBUtpVVtjMl 215x300 Jets to Win Thursday, Pats to Win Monday. Packers to Go 10 0 on Sunday

The Raiders Carson Palmer

Oakland Raiders (5-4) at Minnesota Vikings (2-7)
Line: Raiders by 1

The Vikings continue to look terrible week in and week out, and guys like Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen don’t feel like they’re getting any help. The Raiders are trying to make a push and maintain their divisional lead, and if Carson Palmer (who looked way more comfortable wearing silver and black last week against the Chargers) has another strong outing, the Raiders should have no problem in the Dome. (Coach sez: If the Vikings give Adrian Peterson the football, they win. If they don’t, they lose. I’m going to guess — hope? — that they will give Peterson the football.)

Dr. Football: RAIDERS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: VIKINGS TO WIN.

Carolina Panthers (2-7) at Detroit Lions (6-3)
Line: Lions by 7

The Lions are heavy favourites over the inconsistent Panthers, but don’t forget that Detroit is 1-3 in its last four games after starting 5-0. So they have been stumbling lately, but the Panthers are just what they need to get back on their winning ways.

Dr. Football: LIONS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: LIONS TO WIN AND COVER

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) at Green Bay Packers (9-0)
Line: Packers by 14

As much as I hate to say this, the undefeated Packers are the class of the NFL right now. The once hot Buccaneers have lost three in a row, and four of five, to fall to 4-5 on the season. The Buccaneers are coming off a big blowout loss, and I can’t see them putting anything together in Green Bay.

Dr. Football: PACKERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: PACKERS TO WIN AND COVER.

Tony+Romo+Buffalo+Bills+v+Dallas+Cowboys+zSolNyyOT ql Jets to Win Thursday, Pats to Win Monday. Packers to Go 10 0 on Sunday

The Cowboys Tony Romo

Dallas Cowboys (5-4) at Washington Redskins (3-6)
Line: Cowboys by 7.5

The Cowboys have fought their way back into the playoff picture and are just one game behind the Giants now, and a win would keep the pressure on as the Giants prepare for their hardest stretch of the year. It doesn’t matter who will behind center for the Redskins, they both stink. Tony Romo is on fire now, and he’ll beat the ‘Skins on the road.

Dr. Football: COWBOYS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: COWBOYS TO WIN AND COVER.

Alex+Smith+Cleveland+Browns+v+San+Francisco+N 8xQyPzJ 1l 202x300 Jets to Win Thursday, Pats to Win Monday. Packers to Go 10 0 on Sunday

The Niners Alex Smith

Arizona Cardinals (3-6) at San Francisco 49ers (8-1)
Line: 49ers by 9.5

Earlier in the season the Cardinals looked like a dead team walking, but then they win two games in a row and they build up some momentum…and this week will put them back in the graveyard. The 49ers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL, and even with the fact that Frank Gore, who injured his knee and ankle in last week’s victory over the Giants, could be limited this Sunday, the 49ers will still run wild at home.

Dr. Football: 49ers TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: 49ers TO WIN AND COVER.

Seattle Seahawks (3-6) at St. Louis Rams (2-7)
Line: Rams by 2

Not many will be tuning into watch this one. The Rams will have Stephen Jackson healthy, and Seattle is horrible on the road. The less said about this dud the better.

Dr. Football: RAMS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: RAMS TO WIN AND COVER.

Tennessee Titans (5-4) at Atlanta Falcons (5-4)
Line: Falcons by 6

The Falcons, who couldn’t get the job done need to win if they want to stay in the thick of the wild card race. Dubious play calling will do that. Meanwhile, the Titans are sitting at 5-4, and are fighting for their own playoff spot, and now have Chris Johnson back at full steam. He’ll have a good game, but it won’t be enough.

Dr. Football: FALCONS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER

The Coach: FALCONS TO WIN AND COVER

Israel+Idonije+Divisional+Playoffs+Seattle+1wtkJpz46IPl 200x300 Jets to Win Thursday, Pats to Win Monday. Packers to Go 10 0 on Sunday

The Bears Israel Idonije

San Diego Chargers (4-5) at Chicago Bears (6-3)
Line: Bears by 3.5

The Bears are on a hot streak right now, winners of four straight, including a convincing win last week over the Lions. This week they host the completely lost Chargers, who just couldn’t come up with any kind of a plan last week when Marcus McNeill went down. Philip Rivers plays well when he is the underdog, but I believe the Bears defense will prove too tough. One of the reasons for that re-born Bears defense is the improved play of Brandon’s favorite son, Israel Idonije. The Manitoban has been exceptional this season and is truly worthy of being called one of the “Monsters of the Midway.” He is slowly becoming one of the great Bears defensive players and Manitoba sports fans should be proud.

Dr. Football: BEARS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: BEARS TO WIN AND COVER

SUNDAY NIGHT

Philadelphia Eagles (3-6) at New York Giants (6-3)
Line: Giants by 5

The Eagles “dream into nightmare” season continues at Giants Stadium. With Michael Vick doubtful as well. Let’s face it, even if he does play what kind of a performance will you get out of a man with broken ribs? The Giants have been looking very good of late, beating New England and playing the 49ers tough on the road. The Eagles are no match.

Dr. Football: GIANTS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: GIANTS TO WIN AND COVER.

MONDAY NIGHT

Danny+Woodhead+Dallas+Cowboys+v+New+England+IBxeUFHUW62l 208x300 Jets to Win Thursday, Pats to Win Monday. Packers to Go 10 0 on Sunday

The Pats Danny Woodhead

Kansas City Chiefs (4-5) at New England Patriots (6-3)
Line: Patriots by 14.5

Good grief. Tom Brady completely destroyed the Jets like he was a man possessed. What will he do against the Chiefs on Monday night? Yikes. The Chiefs are a remarkably disappointing team and that’s why Monday night’s game could get very ugly. I wonder which TV executive thought this was going to be a good football game, a game worthy of Monday Night Football. It’s amazing what’s happened to MNF over the years. Sunday Night Football has stolen the mantle of great games and MNF is a shell of its former self. (Coach sez: He’ll use Danny Woodhead and Wes Welker, the two best undersized players in pro football.)

Dr. Football: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER.

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Tagged money-making nfl picks, nfl picks, picks for week 11, sensational nfl picks, the best nfl picks, week 11 nfl picks

Teams With Challenges At Home in Week 10: Bucs and a Dozen others…

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

TAMPA, Fla. — We’re in beautiful Tampa, Fla., this week for a matchup between the 6-3 Houston Texans and the 4-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs are one of about a dozen teams — Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Dallas Carolina, Miami, Atlanta, San Francisco and the New York Jets — that play home games this week and will not have an easy time against opponents they all believe, or did believe at one time, that they could beat (we didn’t include Seattle in that list because they’re going to get pasted at home by Baltimore).

interior Teams With Challenges At Home in Week 10: Bucs and a Dozen others...

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.

This is a battle of two teams going in different directions. The Texans have won three straight while Tampa has lost two in a row. Maybe that’s the reason that prompted the Bucs into claiming bad boy Albert Haynesworth off waivers from New England today. If Haynesworth reports and attends practice on Thursday, he’ll start on Sunday and Bucs coach Raheem Morris says he has no problem with the club’s decision to sign a guy who couldn’t cut it in Washington and New England after seven great seasons in Tennessee. Haynesworth will play the position he played with the Titans — Gap 1 D Tackle in a 4-3 — and Morris hopes that will help Haynesworth become engaged again.

One can always hope.

Game time is 1 p.m. EST on Sunday and it should be a much better game than advertised — in a week full of games that will be better than they look.

It’s Week 10 in the NFL and all 32 teams will play this week. There are no byes. And there is also a Thursday night game as the Oakland Raiders play the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.

Tim Tebow

Then, on Sunday, the big games include Denver (read: Tim Tebow) at Kansas City (read: the official team of the ESPN Tebow Haters Club this week) ; Buffalo at Dallas; Pittsburgh at Cincinnati; Detroit at Chicago and New England at the Jets. Monday night, the Minnesota Vikings meet the undefeated 8-0 Green Bay Packers. We fully expect Green bay to go to 9-0.

Meanwhile, NFL games continued to be hairline close last weekend, as the final seven games of Week 9 were all decided in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. Then again, that’s really nothing new this season.

Through nine weeks of the 2011 campaign, 66.2 percent of games played (86 of 130) have been within seven points in the fourth quarter. That’s tied for the fourth-most in any season in NFL history through Week 9. The most ever? Eighty-nine in 2004.

Frankly, if you look at the number of games in which Doc and The Coach disagree, you’ll get a pretty good feel for how close things will be this week.

Last week the Doc went 9-5 (80-50) straight up and 9-5 (70-60) against the spread while The Coach went 7-7 (87-43) straight up and 7-7 (70-60) against the spread.

This week, The Doc writes our previews and rationalizations. The Coach reserves the right to answer when he disagrees. Which, this week, is often.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Oakland Raiders (4-4) at San Diego Chargers (4-4)
Line: Chargers by 7

U.S. Thanksgiving comes a couple of weeks early as the first Thursday night game of the season is a big AFC West match up. Both teams are struggling right now, and the division is up for grabs. Wasn’t Carson Palmer supposed to be an upgrade in Oakland? Norv Turner’s club is taking steps backwards but they do have home field advantage and a high scoring offense, so that should give them the edge in this one.

Dr Football: CHARGERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: CHARGERS TO WIN AND COVER

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Mike+Wallace+Pittsburgh+Steelers+v+Arizona+hEHGW8xHJ0Nl 204x300 Teams With Challenges At Home in Week 10: Bucs and a Dozen others...

(17) Mike Wallace of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)
Line: Steelers by 3

The Steelers are coming off a home loss to the Ravens, and will hopefully (for them, at least) take the road to redemption against the Cincinnati Bengals, who look pretty smart right now after drafting Andy Dalton and trading away Carson Palmer. The Bengals are are sitting pretty with a 6-2 record, but haven’t really played anyone that will contend for a title in January. This week, they do. Lately, the 6-3 Steelers have not and probably will not lose back to back divisional games, and the smart money this week says they’ll make a statement against the upstart Bengals. Watch for Pittsburgh to do more offensively than they have the past two weeks against a Cincinnati defense that really isn’t as good as the numbers might suggest.

Dr. Football: STEELERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: STEELERS TO WIN AND COVER

Denver Broncos (3-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (4-4)
Line: Chiefs by 3

The only team in the AFC West that won last week was the Broncos, and suddenly they are just one game behind the rest of the pack. Kansas City is coming off a humiliating loss at home to the winless Dolphins, and won’t let it happen again. (Coach sez: They won’t? Sure they will. And they’ll lose because of Tim Tebow. Whenever Tim Tebow plays well, Merrill Hoge has to go on ESPN radio and TV and make up some kind of excuse for the fact he’s a complete buffoon. Tebow might not look like the type of player Hoge believes should be an NFL quarterback, but there is one thing he does — he wins. He’s 2-1 at the helm of the sad-sack Broncos and he’ll win again on Sunday — just to make Merrill Hoge look like a buffoon again).

Dr. Football: CHIEFS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: BRONCOS TO WIN AND COVER

Maurice Jones-Drew

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6) at Indianapolis Colts (0-9)
Line: Jaguars by 3

When a team goes on the road with a 2-6 record and is a three-point favorite against a divisional rival, you know the home team must be terrible. Everyone wants the Colts on the schedule this season. But maybe Indy’s due? Jags quarterback Blaine Gabbert is terrible, and the Colts have to win sometime don’t they? This game is not for the faint of heart. Of course, it’s not for people who expect a lot of passing. (Coach sez: Maurice Jones-Drew will rush for 150 yards and three touchdowns)

Dr. Football: COLTS TO WIN.

The Coach: JAGUARS TO WIN AND COVER.

Buffalo Bills (5-3) at Dallas Cowboys (4-4)
Line: Cowboys by 5.5

Buffalo may give them more of a challenge than the Seahawks did last week, but I still think Tony Romo and the rest of the Cowboys will win their first game against an AFC opponent this season. This game won’t have the magic of Super Bowls XXVII or XXVII, but it will have the same outcome of those two games, just a bit closer.

Dr. Football: COWBOYS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: COWBOYS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

josh freeman credits mark dominik for bringing in e2 80 98high character guys e2 80 99 believes bucs need a week to be ready for season 300x243 Teams With Challenges At Home in Week 10: Bucs and a Dozen others...

Josh Freeman of the Bucs

Houston Texans (6-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4)
Line: Texans by 3

The Texans are riding a lot of momentum right now and have a divisional championship firmly in their sights, but visiting Tampa Bay isn’t an easy task. This is also a must-win for the Buccaneers, who now sit in 3rd place in their division and need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Bucs offense has to come up with a game plan for third downs after going 2 of 12 in the loss to the Saints which won’t happen this week as the Texans have the NFL’s No.1 ranked defense.

Dr. Football: TEXANS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: BUCCANEERS TO WIN.

cam newton 228x300 Teams With Challenges At Home in Week 10: Bucs and a Dozen others...

Cool Cat Cam Newton

Tennessee Titans (4-4) at Carolina Panthers (2-6)
Line: Panthers by 3

Cam Newton has played well above expectations this season for the favoured Panthers, and this is a winnable game for them. But they won’t. Chris Johnson is just to get into form, and he Titans are a way better team no matter what the odds makers say. just may be.

Dr. Football: TITANS TO WIN

The Coach: PANTHERS TO WIN AND COVER.

Washington Redskins (3-5) at Miami Dolphins (1-7)
Line: Dolphins by 4

The Dolphins finally have their first win of the season, so maybe it’s time to put back to back wins, and the Redskins are the perfect opponent for that. Washington has been terrible recently; when you don’t have a QB in this NFL, you don’t have a chance. The Redskins are also a banged up bunch and won’t put up much of a fight in this one.

Dr. Football: DOLPHINS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: DOLPHINS TO WIN AND COVER

New Orleans Saints (6-3) at Atlanta Falcons (5-3)
Line: Saints by 1

Both teams are coming off wins last week. The Falcons will be looking for their fourth-straight victory. The Saints (aside from the Colts game) aren’t as dominant as in years past, and the Falcons are pretty hot right now. A great NFC South division battle in “Hot Lanta”! Both teams play better in a Dome, but the Falcons play a lot better at home so I’ll take them in what should be a close game.

Dr. Football: FALCONS TO WIN.

The Coach: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER

Colt+Mccoy+Cleveland+Browns+v+Houston+Texans+64Ch0Kq2EPVl 196x300 Teams With Challenges At Home in Week 10: Bucs and a Dozen others...

Colt McCoy of the Browns

St. Louis Rams (1-7) at Cleveland Browns (3-5)
Line: Browns by 2.5

The Rams are one of the worst teams in the league, and their sole win on the season was at home and they go outside of their nice comfy building to travel to Cleveland. The Browns don’t have much going on this season either and it’s a wonder how they’ve won three games so far. Take the banged up Browns to pick up the easy win at home.

Dr. Football: BROWNS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: BROWNS TO WIN AND COVER

Arizona Cardinals (2-6) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-5)
Line: Eagles by 14

Arizona is coming off an overtime win against the Rams but that game was hard to watch. The Eagles will be playing with one less day of rest following their Monday night game against the Bears and playing at home, they should get the easy win, but two touchdowns is a stretch for almost any game. Philly will still win, but the Cardinals will keep it close.

Dr. Football: EAGLES TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: EAGLES TO WIN AND COVER.

Baltimore Ravens (6-2) at Seattle Seahawks (2-6)
Line: Ravens by 6.5

The Ravens are favorites by nearly a touchdown on the road against the struggling Seahawks. The Seahawks are a better team at home, but their real hope has to be that the Ravens suffer a letdown after the big win over the Steelers on the road. I can’t see that happening.

Dr. Football: RAVENS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: RAVENS TO WIN AND COVER.

Titus+Young+Chicago+Bears+v+Detroit+Lions+rdEgIzy9g0Ml 203x300 Teams With Challenges At Home in Week 10: Bucs and a Dozen others...

Titus Young and Jahvid Best of the Lions

Detroit Lions (6-2) at Chicago Bears (5-3)
Line: Bears by 3

Bears have won three in a row and are playing good ball and are in the playoff mix and will be looking to even the score from their 24-13 loss to Detroit back on Oct. 10. The Lions were rolling before their bye week and have had an extra week to come up with a plan for their ferocious defense to rattle Jay Cutler. I think this will be a long night for Cutler.

Dr. Football: LIONS TO WIN.

The Coach: LIONS TO WIN.

New York Giants (6-2) at San Francisco 49ers (7-1)
Line: 49ers by 3.5

49ers and Giants both in first place? What year are we in? That sounds like a headline from the 1980′s. The 49ers are on a roll, winners of six straight, and sit at 7-1. The next nearest teams are Seattle and Arizona both at 2-6. If they can beat the Giants this week, the 49ers are almost guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. The Giants have won three in a row including knocking off the Patriots at home, and are looking to maintain their lead over the Cowboys and Eagles in the NFC East. This should be a great game.

Dr. Football: GIANTS TO WIN.

The Coach: 49ers TO WIN AND COVER.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Mark Sanchez

New England Patriots (5-3) at New York Jets (5-3)
Line: Jets by 2

Both teams have identical records and whoever wins this game will be in sole possession of the AFC East. The Jets have won three in a row, and the Patriots are trying to avoid losing three in a row. This is a must-win for New England. They usually do very well in those situations. But I thought that they wouldn’t lose two in a row at either. And there is this little thing about them having the 32^nd ranked defense…

Dr. Football: PATRIOTS TO WIN

The Coach: JETS TO WIN AND COVER

MONDAY NIGHT

Greg+Jennings+Green+Bay+Packers+v+Atlanta+9 R WpuJSEml 200x300 Teams With Challenges At Home in Week 10: Bucs and a Dozen others...

Greg Jennings Celebrates Another TD Pass from Aaron Rodgers

Minnesota Vikings (2-6) at Green Bay Packers (8-0)
Line: Packers by 13.5

Conventional wisdom would only wonder whether or not the Packers would cover the spread. The Vikings relaxed last week while The Packers won a shoot out over the Chargers. All season long we have watched Aaron Rodgers carve up opponent’s secondary’s and this game probably won’t be an exception. I do think the Vikings will “bring it” but they just don’t have enough to win.

Dr. Football: PACKERS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: PACKERS TO WIN AND COVER

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It’s the Packers-Chargers. Can Green Bay Go To 8-0?

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Aaron Rodgers

The Green Bay Packers get to take another step toward football immortality this week. Can the Pack go 8-0? That’s the million dollar question.

Green Bay had the bye last week and remained the National Football League’s only unbeaten team at 7-0. Of course, the Pack is also trying to become the third defending Super Bowl championship team to start the next season 8-0. It’s amazing but the 1990 San Francisco 49ers and the 1998 Denver Broncos both won the Super Bowl and went on to win its first eight games.

Of course, if you include the final two games of last season, the playoffs, the Super Bowl and the first seven games this year, the Packers have already set a franchise record with 13 consecutive wins.

The reason for the Packers success is obvious: The Packers have the best offensive line in football and, as a result, Aaron Rodgers leads the NFL with a 125.7 passer’s rating and has become the first QB in NFL history to start a season with seven consecutive wins and 110-plus rating. He has already passed for 2,372 yards and 20 touchdowns and is the first quarterback in NFL history with 2,300-plus passing yards and 20 TDs in a team’s first seven games of the season.

“He definitely gives us an edge,” said Green Bay wide receiver Greg Jennings two weeks ago in Minneapolis. “He expects us to perform and we expect him to perform.”

Philip Rivers

This week, however, the Packers face a Chargers team that is 3-0 at Qualcomm Stadium this year while QB Philip Rivers is averaging 320.7 passing yards per game at home. The Chargers enter Week 9 in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC West. This will be Green Bay’s toughest test of the season.

This will definitely be the game of the week.

Last week the Doc was 9-4 (71-45) straight up and 8-5 (61-55) against the spread. The Coach went 10-3 (80-36) straight up and 10-3 (63-53) against the spread. The Coach is having a great year, don’t you think?

Doc will write our game previews once again and The Coach will reserve the right to disagree.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Atlanta Falcons (4-3) at Indianapolis Colts (0-8)
Line: Falcons by 7

Don’t expect any excitement from this game unless you are a fan of the Falcons. Atlanta seems to be finally hitting its stride, and this week they get Julio Jones back. The Colts, no matter which quarterback they start, don’t have a hope. Unless of course, Manning puts his uniform on. This will be another step toward the opportunity to draft Andrew Luck.

Dr. Football: FALCONS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: FALCONS TO WIN AND COVER.

Drew Brees

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) at New Orleans Saints (5-3)
Line: Saints by 8

New Orleans shockingly was upset last week by the Rams and have already lost this season to the Bucs. At some point in time, however, reality is going to set in and the Saints are going to explode as they did two weeks ago against Indianapolis. The Bucs have underachieved this season, yet are still 4-3. This should be close and hard fought and should go down right to the end. There is nothing wrong with Bucs QB Josh Freeman. However, if it’s close, I’ll take Drew Brees.

Dr. Football: SAINTS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER.

Cleveland Browns (3-4) at Houston Texans (5-3)
Line: Texans by 11

The Texans are another team in the underachiever category, but last week did a great job against the Jaguars defense. This week they shouldn’t have a problem running the ball, especially with RB Arian Foster who seems to be back to his old self. Defensively, the Texans are stronger and I don’t think Cleveland will put up many points on the board.

Dr. Football: TEXANS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: TEXANS TO WIN AND COVER.

New+York+Jets+v+Buffalo+Bills+JZubwKQii2Sl 221x300 Its the Packers Chargers. Can Green Bay Go To 8 0?

Ryan Fitzpatrick

New York Jets (4-3) at Buffalo Bills (5-2)
Line: Bills by 1.5

Tough choice here as the key match-up is the Bills ”Throw it to anyone and everyone” offense vs. the Jets dominant defense, especially in the secondary. Ryan Fitzpatrick has had a great year so far for the Bills, but will face a defensive secondary that is ranked seventh in the league. The Jets are hot and cold offensively. One week QB Mark Sanchez looks good, the next week you wonder who he’s throwing to. This week, he’ll play a Bills defense that gives up over 250 passing yards per game, so he should have a big game (Coach sez: Freddie Jackson and Ryan Fitzpatrick are the two best football players nobody knows. I love Buffalo at home).

Dr. Football: JETS TO WIN.

The Coach: BILLS TO WIN AND COVER.

Miami Dolphins (0-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (4-3)
Line: Chiefs by 4

Kansas City has proven to us that they can win without RB Jamaal Charles. They are on a four game winning streak, and after this week, should extend that to five. Chiefs QB Matt Cassel is proving to be as resilient as they come, getting the ball down field when necessary. This week, the Chiefs defense is going to have a big day as they will hold the Dolphins to only a running game.

Dr. Football: CHIEFS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: CHIEFS TO WIN AND COVER.

Frank Gore

San Francisco 49ers (6-1) at Washington Redskins (3-4)
Line: 49ers by 3.5

San Francisco’s running game, specifically Frank Gore, will dominate against a Washington defense that struggles against the run. Fact is, the 49ers are a legitimate Super Bowl threat and are as well-coached as anyone in football. And after Gore’s remarkable week last week, it’s hard to imagine that a Washington team that got shut out last week has the jam to bounce back and win — even at home. The Redskins offence will be contained by the 49ers defense, as well.

Dr. Football: 49ers TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: 49ers TO WIN AND COVER

Dez Bryant

Seattle Seahawks (2-5) at Dallas Cowboys (3-4)
Line: Cowboys by 11.5

Seattle is terrible. Their only hope this week is using RB Marshawn Lynch, but the Cowboys are ranked seventh versus the rush. Dallas has been inconsistent all year, but Tony Romo and his receivers should be able to rebound in this one. Unlike last week against the Eagles, Romo won’t constantly be harassed in the pocket, as Seattle’s Chris Clemons is the only ‘Hawk who can consistently get through to the quarterback. Young children should be cautioned. This game might involve unnecessary violence and coarse language.

Dr. Football: COWBOYS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: COWBOYS TO WIN AND COVER

Denver Broncos (2-5) at Oakland Raiders (4-3)
Line: Raiders by 8

QB Carson Palmer and WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh have been reunited and are now wearing silver and black. The Raiders will need their pass game as RB Darren McFadden, who had a bye week to rest his foot, did not practice Tuesday. Even without McFadden, Oakland’s defense will prevail over a increasingly disappointing Tim Tebow. (Coach sez, despite ESPN’s ranting and wailing, I still think the biggest problem in Denver is the offensive line, not Tim Tebow. And iof the coaching staff decides to go back to Kyle Orton, it know the Broncos will never win).

Dr. Football: RAIDERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: RAIDERS TO WIN AND COVER

Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) at Tennessee Titans (4-3)
Line: Titans by 3

Very impressed with Cincinnati beating Seattle on the road last week and they should make it two in a row as Tennessee’s defense is ranked 27th against the run, and the Bengals get Cedric Benson back. Nuff said.

Dr. Football: BENGALS TO WIN.

The Coach: TITANS TO WIN AND COVER

Larry Fitzgerald

St. Louis Rams (1-6) at Arizona Cardinals (1-6)
Line: Cardinals by 1.5

Who isn’t still in shock over the Rams upset win last week against the Saints? Perhaps they should invite the World Series Champs to join them on the road too. This week the Rams will look to WR Brandon Lloyd to make big plays against a very weak Arizona pass defense. Since QB Kevin Kolb is banged up (he might not start) look for the Cardinals to use a lot of RB Beanie Wells as the Rams are awful against the run. However, the Cardinals also have Larry Fitzgerald and when you have a player with his level of talent, there is no reason to believe you can’t win. If the Cards use Fitzgerald properly, they should be able to do what the Saints couldn’t do last week against the Rams.

Dr. Football: CARDINALS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: CARDINALS TO WIN AND COVER

New York Giants (5-2) at New England Patriots (5-2)
Line: Patriots by 9

It’s a rematch of the Super Bowl XL11! Don’t look for David Tyree to catch the winning pass in this one with his helmet, and not just because Tyree is stocking shelves somewhere these days. Tom Brady coming off a loss is hard to pick against, but if anyone picks against the Patriots it’s because of the defense. The Giants have torched defenses this year through the air and are ranked 4th in the NFL in passing yards per game, and the New England secondary hasn’t been able to stop anyone ranking last in pass defense. Tom Brady will find a way to outgun Eli Manning and the Giants.

Dr. Football: PATRIOTS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER

Green Bay Packers (7-0) at San Diego Chargers (4-3)
Line: Packers by 5.5

The Chargers are coming off an emotionally draining loss in Kansas City, Philip Rivers is way off track, and until he gets back on, this team will continue to lose. Green Bay is coming off the bye so everyone should be rested and healthy, especially Aaron Rodgers’ arm. Sure, some may argue that San Diego’s defense is ranked fourth against the pass, but really look who they have played and won.

Dr. Football: PACKERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: PACKERS TO WIN AND COVER

SUNDAY NIGHT

Ray+Lewis+Baltimore+Ravens+v+St+Louis+Rams+U4c5EmF6OQ8l 200x300 Its the Packers Chargers. Can Green Bay Go To 8 0?

The Ravens Ray Lewis

Baltimore Ravens (5-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
Line: Steelers by 3

When these two teams play it’s always a slobberknocker. However, the Baltimore defense has not been as good as most people expected. In fact, this might be the year that Ray Lewis, Ed Reed et. al. get a step too slow. A lot has changed since these two teams met in Week 1, and Pittsburgh has been salivating for this re-match after Baltimore demolished them. Nobody played better than Ben Roethlisberger did last week and if he’s got his confidence back, look out. Meanwhile, the Steelers are number one in pass defense and Joe Flacco is only completing 53.8% of his passes…and Pittsburgh is at home. Steelers exact revenge.

Dr. Football: STEELERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: STEELERS TO WIN AND COVER

MONDAY NIGHT

LeSean McCoy

Chicago Bears (4-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-4)
Line: Eagles by 7.5

FINALLY a Monday nighter worth watching! The Eagles need to win this one to stay in the playoff picture; and if they play like they did last week, a win should be no problem. The Bears defense is struggling; they are ranked 28th against the pass and 12th against the run. Eagles QB Michael Vick should take complete advantage of this. Defensively, the Eagles aren’t great stopping the run, so the Bears RB Matt Forte will get a lot of touches, but not enough to out-score Philly at home.

Dr. Football: EAGLES TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: EAGLES TO WIN AND COVER.

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Washington and Buffalo in Toronto. Pats and Steelers to the Death.

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Have you Tebowed yet?

It’s another strange week in the NFL. The Buffalo Bills play a “home” game in Toronto, “Tebowing” becomes the new craze and the Indianapolis Colts, a team that had a legitimate chance to go 16-0 a few years ago, could actually go 0-16 this year.

It’s Week 8 in the old National Football League. This week, the Falcons, Bears, Packers, Jets, Raiders and Buccaneers have the byes. Among the big games, Minnesota is at Carolina (it’s big because it’s Cam Newton against Christian Ponder); Detroit is at Denver (it’s bigbecause it’s Matt Stafford against Tim Tebow); New England plays at Pittsburgh (it’s big because it is); Washington plays Buffalo in Toronto (it’s big because it’s in Toronto); Dallas is at Philadelphia (it’s big because it’s Romo vs. Vick) on Sunday night and San Diego plays at Kansas City on Monday Night Football (it’s big because it’s Monday Night Football).

By the way, have you participated in a little “Tebowing” yet. For the uninitiated, a young New York fan named Jared Kleinstein, said he “was mesmerized by Tebow’s peaceful demeanor kneeling on the turf amid all the chaos going on around him.” He launched a website where fans could submit photos of themselves Tebowing: getting down on a knee and praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different. Apparently, it’s catching on.

I think Dr. Football should probably do it. Not the Tebowing part, but the actual praying part. Last week, The Doc was 7-6 both straight up and against the spread, so he’s now 62-41 straight up this season and 53-50 against the spread.

Meanwhile The Coach went 8-5 straight up (70-33) and 7-6 against the spread (53-50).

This week, Doc Football writes our rationalizations. The Coach reserves the right to disagree.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Cincinnati+Bengals+v+Indianapolis+Colts+g9UW4RX1wYal 210x300 Washington and Buffalo in Toronto. Pats and Steelers to the Death.

Curtis Painter of the Colts

Indianapolis Colts (0-7) at Tennessee Titans (3-3)
Line: Titans by 8.5.

The Colts took a pretty good beating last Sunday in New Orleans and probably can’t play any worse. Colts QB Curtis Painter will have more time to get the ball downfield as Tennessee’s defense is nowhere near as talented as the Saints defense. However, the Titans resurging Matt Hasselbeck — at least he was “resurging” until he got hammered by Houston last week — will put more points on the board. We’re looking at two teams that aren’t that good, but Tennessee is just a little less bad that the Clots… I mean the Colts.

Dr. Football: TITANS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: TITANS TO WIN AND COVER.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) at Houston Texans (4-3)
Line: Texans by 9.5

The Jags defense put on quite the clinic on Monday night against the Ravens…where did that come from? Houston put up 41 points last week, but probably won’t to do that again this week. Jacksonville’s weakness is their offense, and that is going to be the key in this game as this time Houston’s defense will dominate. The Texans will be able to work underneath against the Jaguars’ defense; something the Ravens were not able to do by using tight end Owen Daniels and running back Arian Foster as their key receivers.

Dr. Football: TEXANS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: TEXANS TO WIN AND COVER.

Jared Allen

Minnesota Vikings (1-6) at Carolina Panthers (2-5)
Line: Panthers by 3

An interesting matchup because of the two rookie QBs. Last week, Christian Ponder provided an immediate spark for the Vikings, something Cam Newton has done all season for the Panthers. The difference maker in this one is Ponder’s teammates; Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen. Peterson should rumble for a huge day against the Panthers’ run defense while Allen should pad his sack total against Newton, who was dropped four times against the Redskins last week.

Dr. Football: VIKINGS TO WIN.

The Coach: VIKINGS TO WIN.

New Orleans Saints (5-2) at St. Louis Rams (0-6)
Line: Saints by 13.5

The Rams are in danger of being as embarrassed as the Colts were last Sunday as their defense is worse than the Colts. The Saints scored 62 points last week, which is more than St. Louis has all season. The Saints will completely dominate offensively and defensively. The Rams don’t have much of a chance at even scoring a point in this game. This will be a blow-out.

Dr. Football: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER.

Kevin+Kolb+Arizona+Cardinals+v+Minnesota+Vikings+N2u6DHsvgahl 180x300 Washington and Buffalo in Toronto. Pats and Steelers to the Death.

Kevin Kolb of the Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals (1-5) at Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
Line: Ravens by 12.5

The question after last week’s Monday nighter was what happened to the Ravens offense? Their defense did their job almost perfectly and you could see the frustration on Ray Lewis’ face each time the offense failed to produce anything. This week Joe Flacco and company face a weak Cardinal defense and should have no problem moving the ball down field. “Should”. As usual, Baltimore’s defense will show up and control this game.

Dr. Football: RAVENS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: RAVENS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

Miami Dolphins (0-6) at New York Giants (4-2)
Line: Giants by 9.5

Miami stinks. The Giants defense will have no problem keeping the Dolphins out of the end-zone as this is exactly why the Dolphins have no wins – their offense is a mess. The Dolphins were struck down by Tim Tebow last week to stay winless, and now they face a more experienced passer (and former Super Bowl MVP ) in Eli Manning, who will make the Dolphins defense look silly.

Dr. Football: GIANTS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: GIANTS TO WIN AND COVER.

Fred+Jackson+Philadelphia+Eagles+v+Buffalo+hZkvm6Wn7o1l 252x300 Washington and Buffalo in Toronto. Pats and Steelers to the Death.

Freddie Jackson of the Toronto Bills

Washington Redskins (3-3) at Toronto Bills (4-2)
Line: Bills by 6

The Redskins’ defense struggled against a strong quarterback-receiver connection last week (Cam Newton-Steve Smith), and it will have similar trouble with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Stevie Johnson. If the Bills protect QB Ryan Fitzpatrick often enough, they will have no problem winning this game. If they don’t, they will need to rely on their defense, and that should be no problem with Tim Hightower and Santana Moss out for the Redskins.

Dr. Football: BILLS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: BILLS TO WIN AND COVER.

Detroit Lions (5-2) at Denver Broncos (2-4)
Line: Lions by 3

Detroit could be without QB Matthew Stafford this week due to an ankle sprain (although I am told he looked good Thursday practicing with a boot on).Regardless of whether it’s Matthew Stafford, Shaun Hill or Drew Stanton as Detroit’s quarterback, the Broncos’ pass defense can’t stop Calvin Johnson. Denver is putting their faith into QB Tim Tebow, and I’m not sold on him yet. He might spend all afternoon running from Ndamukong Suh, who will be in seek-and-destroy mode. The Lions defense may allow some rushing yards, but will be dominate against the pass.

Dr. Football: LIONS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: LIONS TO WIN AND COVER.

Tom Brady

New England Patriots (5-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
Line: Patriots by 3

As with every season, the Patriots best defense is their offense eating away at the clock. This will be the key to this game. The Steelers defense is allowing over 100 rush yards per game, and New England has a trio of great running backs to dominate this game. Ben Roethlisberger comes into the game sizzling, and for the Steelers to have a shot at beating Brady they must let him loose. The Patriots don’t have the cornerbacks to handle all three of the Steelers young speedsters; Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders. This should make for a fun, high-scoring game, but you can’t go against a Bill Belichick-coached team coming off a bye. This will be the Game of the Week.

Dr. Football: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER.

Cleveland Browns (3-3) at San Francisco 49ers (5-1)
Line: 49ers by 8.5

Cleveland’s defense just cannot seem to get it together against the run, so my guess is that the 49ers game plan is going to be use Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter a lot. This has the makings of a game-long defensive struggle, but with Michael Crabtree and former Brown Braylon Edwards expected to return, expect the 49ers to run away with this one (you see what I did there…”run away”).

Dr. Football: 49ers TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: 49ers TO WIN AND COVER.

Andy Dalton

Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) at Seattle Seahawks (2-4)
Line: Bengals by 3

Seattle has too many offensive questions; who will it be at QB? Charlie Whitehurst or Tavaris Jackson? Is Marshawn Lynch healthy enough to play? The Bengals have a real opportunity to put this game away early. QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J. Green are firing on all cylinders and while the Seahawk defense is talented, they won’t be able to stop this duo. And Cedric Benson’s suspension gives Cincy more pop in the running game with replacement Bernard Scott.

Dr. Football: BENGALS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: BENGALS TO WIN AND COVER.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Dallas Cowboys (3-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-4)
Line: Eagles by 3.5

Defensively, Dallas is ranked in the top three against the run. This is going to make for an interesting match-up against Eagles QB Michael Vick, and RB LeSean McCoy. The Eagles under Andy Reid are 12-0 in the week after a bye and they just started to figure things out before their week off, especially on defense. But Philly’s offensive line has struggled all season to protect Vick, and this week it’s going to be no different. The game will be close, but the Cowboys offense will prevail both on the pass and the run (The Coach sez: Romo will be pressured, will panic and will go fetal).

Dr. Football: COWBOYS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: EAGLES TO WIN.

MONDAY NIGHT

Mike+Tolbert+San+Diego+Chargers+v+New+York+JmuHiWtPk9Xl 239x300 Washington and Buffalo in Toronto. Pats and Steelers to the Death.

Mike Tolbert of the Super Chargers

San Diego Chargers (4-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (3-3)
Line: Chargers by 3.5.

Forget about trick-or-treating, Arrowhead Stadium is hosting a MNF battle for first in the AFC West! I think this is the game where Philip Rivers will finally stand up. Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates might be banged up, but their size will be a big advantage in this one. Rivers will also expect consistent support from Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert in the running game. Kansas City started off horribly this season, but has improved week to week. QB Matt Cassel has played well, proving that without RB Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs can contend. The stadium will be rocking, but the Chargers will take the fans out of it early.

Dr. Football: CHARGERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: CHARGERS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

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Tagged best nfl picks, nfl choices, nfl picks, the picks of the week, week 8 picks, winning nfl picks

The Packers Will Still Be Unbeaten on Monday

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Green Bay's Clay Matthews

MINNEAPOLIS — While the Minnesota Vikings get set to start Christian Ponder at quarterback, the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers just keep rolling along.

The Packers have beaten New Orleans (42-34), Carolina (30-23), Chicago (27-17), Denver (49-23), Atlanta (25-14) and St. Louis (24-3) so far this season. They beat Carolina, Chicago and Atlanta on the road. If you take a close look at their schedule, there is a legitimate chance the Pack could run the table.

After this week’s gimme against the Vikings, they go to San Diego (tough one), play the Vikings at home, get Tampa at home, go to Detroit (San Francisco put an end to the “Myth of the Lions”), go to the Giants, play Oakland at Lambeau, go to Kansas City, get the Bears at home and then finish with Detroit at home. If this team continues to play as well as it has in its first six games, there is no reason to believe that 16-0 is an impossibility.

Of course, Aaron Rodgers must stay healthy. That goes without saying.

Meanwhile The Coach and Dr. Football are NOT going to go 16-0 any time soon. There always seems to be some team(s) that beats us up. Last week, The Doc was 7-6 straight up (55-35 on the season) and 5-8 against the spread (46-44 YTD). Meanwhile The Coach went 8-5 straight up (62-28) and 5-8 against the spread (46-44).

Once again this week, Dr. Football writes up our excuses while the Coach reserves the right to criticize.

Oh, and by the way, despite what the Doc says, take the Packers by a bunch.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Cam+Newton+Carolina+Panthers+v+Arizona+Cardinals+B0SNQjwu htl 210x300 The Packers Will Still Be Unbeaten on Monday

Carolina's Cam Newton

Washington Redskins (3-2) at Carolina Panthers (1-5)
Line: Panthers by 2.5

If the Panthers could stop the run, then they would be able to top the Skins. The loss of Jon Beason and Thomas Davis a few weeks back has made the Panthers susceptible to the run, and the Redskins will take advantage of that. Cam Newton should be able to have a solid game against the Redskins defense; just not good enough to win. (The Coach sez: Cam Newton will throw for 450 yards and four touchdowns).

Dr. Football: REDSKINS TO WIN.

The Coach: PANTHERS TO WIN AND COVER.

San Diego Chargers (4-1) at New York Jets (3-3)
Line: Chargers by 2

Any team that comes off of a bye week usually comes out strong against whatever team they are playing. It doesn’t help that the Jets are playing on a short week after playing the Dolphins in a snoozer on Monday Night. The Jets desperately needs a win against a top team, and defeating the Chargers would accomplish that, however, the Chargers are a hot team with a solid offense that can run the ball and pass it, and all of that spells trouble for the New York Jets. (The Coach sez, the Chargers will wilt in the cooler weather).

Dr. Football: CHARGERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: JETS TO WIN.

Jay+Cutler+Chicago+Bears+v+New+Orleans+Saints+ty8YNsD4CDal 300x200 The Packers Will Still Be Unbeaten on Monday

Chicago's Jay Cutler

Chicago Bears (3-3) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2)
Line: Bears by 1.5.

Tampa Bay’s only two losses have come at the hands of the only two teams in the NFC whose success thus far is more surprising than theirs: the Lions and 49ers. Two out of their four wins have been against the worst teams in the league; the Vikings and Colts. But their other two wins were over divisional rivalsSaints and Falcons. If you beat teams in your division on a consistent basis you will make the playoffs. Josh Freeman should also be able to dissect the Bears secondary which has been struggling as of late. The Bears have benched their best defensive back, Chris Harris, and even now they are attempting to trade him. The Bears in order to win must protect Cutler, which has proved incredibly difficult and thus it seems impossible for this team to do so.

Dr. Football: BUCS TO WIN.

The Coach: BUCS TO WIN.

Seattle Seahawks (2-3) at Cleveland Browns (2-3)
Line: Browns by 3

Seahawks pulled huge upset in New York two weeks ago, upending the heavily favoured Giants. Don’t expect lightning to strike twice. While the Browns don’t exactly instil fear in the hearts of anyone, the Seahawks are down their starting quarterback and it doesn’t seem likely that Charlie Whitehurst could come into Cleveland and win in his first start of the season. The Browns have a decent enough quarterback and a solid defense while they also have the benefit of playing at home.

Dr. Football: BROWNS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: BROWNS TO WIN AND COVER.

Matt+Hasselbeck+Tennessee+Titans+v+Pittsburgh+Z INYKpEajVl 300x235 The Packers Will Still Be Unbeaten on Monday

Tennessee's Matt Hasselbeck

Houston Texans (3-3) at Tennessee Titans (3-2)
Line: Titans by 3

The Texans played great during the first half against the Ravens, but came apart in the second. With all the injuries that they have suffered, it seems likely that will continue to happen. The Titans get the benefit of preparing an extra week to face the Texans and playing in their backyard. Chris Johnson is too good of a runner to be held to an average of three yards per carry and with an extra week to work with his blockers, we him to have a breakout game. The Titans passing attack has been impressive under Matt Hasselbeck and looks to continue upon the success that they have had in airing it out.

Dr. Football: TITANS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: TITANS TO WIN AND COVER.

Denver Broncos (1-4) at Miami Dolphins (0-5)
Line: Dolphins by 1.5

What time is it? Tebow time. It’s what every Broncos fan wants. Tebow will also be playing in familiar territory as he gets to play in Miami for his first start of the season. He is also benefiting from being able to practice with the starters for an extra week with the Broncos being on the bye week. The thing Tebow will have to do in this game to win is to keep his emotions in check. It’ll be an emotionally homecoming of sorts for him, but if he has his wits about him and plays his game then his team should come out with the win.

Dr. Football: BRONCOS TO WIN.

The Coach: BRONCOS TO WIN.

Brandon+Pettigrew+Chicago+Bears+v+Detroit+BzexGDEMeKPl 300x233 The Packers Will Still Be Unbeaten on Monday

Matt Stafford to Brandon Pettigrew

Atlanta Falcons (3-3) at Detroit Lions (5-1)
Line: Lions by 3.5

The Lions will be fired up as they look to bounce back from last week’s loss to the 49ers. They will have a hard time against the Falcons as they seem to be back on track offensively, but not so much defensivley. The money they spent on Ray Edwards has not helped their pass rush and the injury to John Abraham has not helped. The pressure the Lions are able to get with their defensive line will also be a nightmare for the struggling Falcons offensive line.

Dr. Football: LIONS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: LIONS TO WIN AND COVER.

Kansas City Chiefs (2-3) at Oakland Raiders (4-2)
Line: Raiders by 4.5

The Raiders are playing great football in this very emotional season. It doesn’t seem likely that they will slow down against the banged up Chiefs, even though these divisional games are sometimes hard to predict. The Raiders will look to run the ball down the Chiefs throats and put up some early points forcing Matt Cassel to look deep to want to play catch up, which will lead to him throwing some interceptions.

Dr. Football: RAIDERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: RAIDERS TO WIN AND COVER.

Larry+Fitzgerald+Arizona+Cardinals+Training+NIUrq30dscRl 300x210 The Packers Will Still Be Unbeaten on Monday

The great Larry Fitzgerald at Practice.

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) at Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
Line: Steelers by 4

The Steelers could be missing Troy Polamalu for this game, but even without him they should be able to smoke the Cardinals. The Cardinals with Kevin Kolb have not looked sharp week to week, while the Steelers have seem to be a better team since that week one loss. Kolb has been putting up decent numbers but has been put in long third down situations far too often, and that is the recipe for failure against a team like the Steelers.

Dr. Football: STEELERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: STEELERS TO WIN AND COVER.

Dez+Bryant+Washington+Redskins+v+Dallas+Cowboys+BbjO35x6jYsl 300x200 The Packers Will Still Be Unbeaten on Monday

The Cowboys Dez Bryant

St. Louis Rams (0-4) at Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
Line: Cowboys by 12.5

The Cowboys played in New England surprisingly well last week, and considering how the Rams have struggled this season the Cowboys should get the easy win here. The Rams have struggled to get a consistent pass rush against opposing teams, and have not been able to make consistent plays on the offensive side of the ball. The Rams offensive line also has not done a good job in protecting Sam Bradford, which will be a huge problem against the Cowboys.

Dr. Football: COWBOYS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: COWBOYS TO WIN AND COVER.

Green Bay Packers (6-0) at Minnesota Vikings (1-5)
Line: Packers by 8

The Packers are the best team in the NFL right now and continue to embarrass teams week after week. The Vikings have struggled to move the ball on offense, and they have struggled to stop offenses on the other side of the ball. Christian Ponder will get the start for the Vikings this week despite Donovan McNabb coming off his best outing as a Viking in that blowout loss to the Bears. However, Leslie Frazier had to make this move. Ponder is mobile, so he will be able to avoid being sacked whereas McNabb had no chance behind the team’s horrible offensive line. Vikings will put up a fight, but they don’t have enough.

Dr. Football: PACKERS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: PACKERS TO WIN AND COVER.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Drew Brees

Indianapolis Colts (0-6) at New Orleans Saints (4-2)
Line: Saints by 14

I really think they should revise the Sunday Night schedule for the season. The Colts seem to be televised almost every week and it’s like watching reruns. Painter has done a decent job since stepping into the role of starting quarterback but the team still lacks leadership. The Saints will come out firing after last week’s divisional loss to the Buccaneers.

Dr. Football: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER.

MONDAY NIGHT

Blaine+Gabbert+Jacksonville+Jaguars+v+Carolina+oi0GTBelqpyl 185x300 The Packers Will Still Be Unbeaten on Monday

The Jags' Blaine Gabbert

Baltimore Ravens (4-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)
Line: Ravens by 7

The Jaguars showed some grit against the Steelers last week as they never gave up, but it still obvious that they struggle to score points. Rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert (pictured left) will get better as his freshman season continues but he will have trouble against the Ravens defense. Heck, great quarterbacks often struggle against the Ravens defense. The Jags defense, meanwhile, will keep them in games, but the offense will not win them any. The Ravens offense looks better each week, and the defense is obviously just as good as it’s always has been. It’s impossible not to pick the Ravens. (Coach sez: This just in: Ed Reed is a great football player).

Dr. Football: RAVENS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: RAVENS TO WIN AND COVER.

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Week 6: Lions and Packers Stay Undefeated

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Calvin (Megatron) Johnson

As my pal Fort Rouge Ted pointed out this week, scientists have been studying Calvin (Megatron) Johnson of the Detroit Lions.

Apparently, when you look closely at his height, vertical jump, wingspan, size of arms and hands etc., a group of experts on physiology and biomechanics have determined that Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has a target comparable to the size of your average two-car garage.

Or, for you old school types, the broad side of a barn.

So it has been scientifically determined that Stafford can, indeed, hit the broad side of a barn.

Michael Vick, Jay Cutler, Kyle Orton and Donovan McNabb? The scientists still aren’t sure.

They aren’t sure about Doc Football these days, either. He’s a brilliant guy who has been somewhat confused by the old NFL this season. Last week The Doc was 9-4 straight up and is 48-29 on the season. He was 8-5 against the spread, and is 41-36 to date.

Meanwhile, The Coach was 8-5 straight up (54-23 on the season) and 7-6 against the spread (40-37). The hunt continues.

This week, the Doc writes our rationalizations. The Coach reserves the right to argue.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

aaron rodgers 223x300 Week 6: Lions and Packers Stay Undefeated

Aaron Rodgers: Pick him 'till he loses

St. Louis Rams (0-4) at Green Bay Packers (5-0)

Line: Packers by 14.5

Come on. Do I need to explain how the Packers are gonna kill the Rams? At home yet. Do I? Really? OK, how about this? Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, A.J. Hawk, Clay Matthews. That enough? There’s more. OK, enough then. You continue to pick the defending Super Bowl until such time as someone actually beats them. Even if the spread is 14.5 points.

Dr. Football: PACKERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: PACKERS TO WIN AND COVER.

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)

Line: Steelers by 12

The Jaguars offense, with the exception of Maurice Jones-Drew, is horrible. Consider this fact; they have scored only one touchdown in the second half of their five games so far this season. Pittsburgh’s defense is going to be the key here; they’ll force three and outs and a bunch of turnovers. Big Ben is not at his best so far, but he’ll put up enough points to pull this one off.

Dr. Football: STEELERS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: STEELERS TO WIN AND COVER.

Santana Moss

Philadelphia Eagles (1-4) at Washington Redskins (3-1)

Line: Eagles by 1.5

It’s fun to watch the Eagles lose week after week because the hype was so loud surrounding the “dream turned into nightmare” team. The O-Line is not able to protect Michael Vick and it’s taking a toll on the entire offense. The Redskins are going to blitz often, creating havoc with the Eagle offense. Philly’s defense ain’t much better this year, and even ol’ Rex Grossman will have no problem put points on the board.

Dr. Football: REDSKINS TO WIN.

The Coach: REDSKINS TO WIN.

San Francisco 49ers (4-1) at Detroit Lions (5-0)
Line: Lions by 4

Detroit’s defense is going to dominate this game. The 49ers who laid a whoppin’ on the Bucs last week, might get in the red zone a couple of times, but the Lions defense will outlast the offense just as they have in their last five games. Watch for RB Jahvid Best to have a career game in front of the hometown crowd.

Dr. Football: LIONS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: LIONS TO WIN AND COVER.

Atlanta+Falcons+Training+Camp+WFnsj9oqbwzl 216x300 Week 6: Lions and Packers Stay Undefeated

Michael Turner

Carolina Panthers (1-4) at Atlanta Falcons (2-3)
Line: Falcons by 4

A lot of people smell an upset in the making, but I can’t see that happening. The Panthers rookie QB Cam Newton is having a great season so far and the team seems to be keeping up with the good teams and will put together a few more wins this season that’s for sure. The Falcons don’t look sharp. Their defense gave up 25 straight points on Sunday night against the Packers, and their offense didn’t answer at all. Atlanta is a better team, and they won’t make the same mistakes they did last week.

Dr. Football: FALCONS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: FALCONS TO WIN AND COVER.

Indianapolis Colts (0-5) at Cincinnati Bengals (3-2)
Line: Bengals by 7

Indy’s replacement for Peyton Manning, Curtis Painter, looked better last week. He seemed calm and is settling in with the offense. Look for the Colts defense to blitz a lot and Bengals QB Andy Dalton won’t be able to handle the pressure. The Colts defense will be the key to this game as they’ll pull off the upset on the road.

Dr. Football COLTS TO WIN.

The Coach: BENGALS TO WIN AND COVER.

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Buffalo Bills (4-1) at New York Giants (3-2)
Line: Giants by 3

The Giants have to be embarrassed in their loss to the Seahawks last week. This week they face a focused Bills team that is moving forward. Regardless of which version of Eli Manning shows up, the Bills will be prepared. The Giants will struggle to pass and run the ball. The battle of New York will be won by the boys from Buffalo.

Dr. Football: BILLS TO WIN.

The Coach: BILLS TO WIN.

Houston Texans (3-2) at Baltimore Ravens (3-1)

Line: Ravens by 7.5

This should be the game of the week. Houston is coming off a tough loss at home and the Ravens had a bye and will be seeking to get back on the winning track. It comes down to quarterbacks, and as much as I like the Texans Matt Schaub, Joe Flacco’s experience will prevail in a close one.

Dr. Football: RAVENS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: RAVENS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

Dallas Cowboys (2-2) at New England Patriots (4-1)
Line: Patriots by 6.5

New England is going to own this game. They are a much better team than the Cowboys on both sides of the ball. Tom Brady is a machine and he will expose the Cowboy’s defense. This one will be a blowout.

Dr. Football: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER.

Darren McFadden

Cleveland Browns (2-2) at Oakland Raiders (3-2)
Line: Raiders by 6.5

After a big emotional road win for the Raiders last week, the momentum should continue at home. They are playing tough both offensively and defensively. A message for Browns QB Colt McCoy; Oakland is not a fun place to play in.

Dr. Football: RAIDERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: RAIDERS TO WIN AND COVER.

New Orleans Saints (4-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
Line: Saints by 4

After last week’s “shitting of the bed” in San Francisco, the Bucs season is about to get real bad. The Saints defense will stopping the run and pass. All Drew Brees has to do is show up.

Dr. Football: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Adrian Peterson

Minnesota Vikings (1-4) at Chicago Bears (2-3)
Line: Bears by 3

Adrian Peterson was on fire last week for the Vikings with three touchdowns in the first quarter alone. Perhaps the Vikings should consider a new game plan; keep the ball out of Donovan McNabb’s hands. Defensively, the Vikings front line will get to Bears Jay Cutler knocking him off his game.

Dr. Football: VIKINGS TO WIN.

The Coach: VIKINGS TO WIN.

MONDAY NIGHT

Miami Dolphins (0-4) at New York Jets (2-3)
Line: Jets by 7

The Jets are home after losing three consecutive road games. The Dolphins are coming off a bye without a win in their first four games. Is there any doubt the MNF on ESPN gets the lousy games?. Matt Moore is Chad Henne…or is Chad Henne Matt Moore? Doesn’t matter. Both are bums.

Dr. Football: JETS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: JETS TO WIN AND COVER.

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Week 5: Vikings! This Time for Sure.

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Ndamukong Suh chases down Donovan McNabb.

We have certainly been consistent. Both Doc and I have stood by the Minnesota Vikings for most of the first four weeks of the season. Doc picked against them in Week 1 and I picked against them in Week 4, but we still believe.

We still believe that any team with Adrian Peterson at runningback can win football games. We still believe that Donovan McNabb has one last season left in him. We still believe that a defense that includes Jared Allen and Chad Greenway has to be successful on some level.

That’s why both of us are going back out on that limb and taking the Vikes to beat Arizona — handily at Mall of America Field this weekend. Call us crazy, but even if we don’t like the Vikes all that much, we like them more than the Cardinals.

Last week The Doc was 11-5 straight up and 9-7 against the spread. He is now 39-25 on the year on straight bets and 33-31 vs. the spread. The Coach was also 11-5 straight up and 9-7 against the spread. That leaves me 46-18 on straight wagers and 33-31 against the spread.

This week, Doc writes, The Coach argues…

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Kansas City Chiefs (1-3) at Indianapolis Colts (0-4)
Line: Colts by 2.

The Colts seem to be improving each week and their defense is going to be the difference in this game. As long as the offense can put a few points on the board, the Colts defense will do their part in stopping the Chiefs.

Dr. Football: COLTS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: COLTS TO WIN AND COVER.

Adrian Peterson

Arizona Cardinals (1-3) at Minnesota Vikings (0-4)
Line: Vikings by 2.5.

Minnesota is going to rely completely on RB Adrian Peterson to win this game, especially since Arizona’s run defense is less than mediocre. This will be Donovan McNabb’s last chance. If he doesn’t win this week, he’ll get a clipboard and the best seat in the house to watch Christian Ponder.

Dr. Football: VIKINGS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: VIKINGS TO WIN AND COVER.

New Orleans Saints (3-1) at Carolina Panthers (1-3)
Line: Saints by 6.5.

Carolina has definitely stepped up their game and is at least able to complete this year. QB Cam Newton may eventually be able to lead the team into the playoffs but week they are going to be out-played in every aspect. The Panthers run defense was routed last week, and this week should be no different. In addition, New Orleans will exploit their defensive secondary and will be able to put a lot of points on the board (Coach sez, “Upset of the week. Newton is for real.”).

Dr. Football: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: PANTHERS TO WIN.

New+England+Patriots+v+Buffalo+Bills+BAn6x5x3meZl 263x300 Week 5: Vikings! This Time for Sure.

Buffalo RB Fred Jackson

Philadelphia Eagles (1-3) at Buffalo Bills (3-1)
Line: Eagles by 2.5.

Philly’s “dream team” prediction is turning into more of a nightmare this season. The Eagles offensive line is not allowing the team to put enough points on the board and is hanging Michael Vick out to dry on almost every play. Another problem” Why sign a corner as good as Nnamdi Asomugha and play him is a zone?C’mon man. The Bills story book season continues here because the Bills are a legitimately good team.

Dr. Football: BILLS TO WIN.

The Coach: BILLS TO WIN.

Oakland Raiders (2-2) at Houston Texans (3-1)
Line: Texans by 5.5.

Will Oakland’s RB Darren McFadden be able to run against the dominant Texan defense? If they don’t they’re doomed as their passing game is inconsistent and Houston will control that. Houston’s run game, featuring Arian Foster, will be in full speed and they’ll run all over the Raiders.

Dr. Football: TEXANS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: TEXANS TO WIN AND COVER.

Matt+Hasselbeck+Tennessee+Titans+v+Cleveland+O24Y rsqC02l 200x300 Week 5: Vikings! This Time for Sure.

Titans QB Matt Hasselbeck

Tennessee Titans (3-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)
Line: Steelers by 3.5.

Pittsburgh may be without Big Ben and RB Rashard Mendenhall, and if this is the case, they’re toast. Tennessee’s defensive line will dominate this game, putting pressure on the Steelers QB and run game. This will create mistakes and turnovers. Matt Hasselbeck should shine as a result when the offence is on the field (Coach sez: “Steelers aren’t done yet.”).

Dr. Football: TITANS TO WIN.

The Coach: STEELERS TO WIN AND COVER.

Andy+Dalton+Buffalo+Bills+v+Cincinnati+Bengals+um0p0oi82YXl 200x300 Week 5: Vikings! This Time for Sure.

Cincinnati's Andy Dalton

Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)
Line: Jaguars by 2.5.

Cincinnati’s offense has really seemed to come together in the last few weeks and with QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J. Green completely in sync they’ll have success against a weak Jaguar secondary (Coach sez: “This will be Blaine Gabbert’s week to shine.”).

Dr. Football: BENGALS TO WIN.

The Coach: JAGUARS TO WIN AND COVER.

Seattle Seahawks (1-3) at New York Giants (3-1)
Line: Giants by 9.5.

This game is a complete mismatch. The Giants are better all around. Seattle has one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, and Peyton’s healthy brother is going take complete advantage of it.

Dr. Football: GIANTS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: GIANTS TO WIN AND COVER.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) at San Francisco 49ers (3-1)
Line: 49ers by 2.5.

The key match-up in this game is San Francisco’s Vernon Davis vs. Tampa Bay’s secondary. The Bucs don’t have the talent to cover him. However, the Bucs defensive line is strong against a weak 49er offensive line. The 49ers will have Frank Gore back this week and have home field advantage to grind out a win.

Dr. Football: 49ERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: 49ERS TO WIN AND COVER.

New York Jets (2-2) at New England Patriots (3-1)
Line: Patriots by 9.

Tom Brady is going to attack the Jets defensive secondary over and over, and he’s going to put up some huge numbers here. The Jets offensive line hasn’t been able to keep QB Mark Sanchez off his butt, and that ain’t gonna change against the Patriots.

Dr. Football: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER.

ryan mathews1 216x300 Week 5: Vikings! This Time for Sure.

San Diego RB Ryan Mathews

San Diego Chargers (3-1) at Denver Broncos (1-3)
Line: Chargers by 4.

The Chargers defense will own this game as the Bronco offense is struggling big time. Philip Rivers hasn’t been playing that well, but it won’t matter when you’re playing a weak team, and the Broncos are a weak team. And, to top it off, Broncos QB Kyle Orton is a loser. Expect San Diego runningbacks Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert to run forever.

Dr. Football: CHARGERS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: CHARGERS TO WIN AND COVER.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Green Bay Packers (4-0) at Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
Line: Packers by 5.5.

Atlanta in one word? INCONSISTENT. This week won’t be any different, especially on offense. Defensively, the Falcons match-up with the Packers, however, Green Bay’s offense lead by QB Aaron Rodgers who scored six touchdowns last week is on fire. The Packer defense is ranked number two against the rush, and the Falcons will be no match.

Dr. Football: PACKERS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: PACKERS TO WIN AND COVER.

MONDAY NIGHT

calvin johnson 218x300 Week 5: Vikings! This Time for Sure.

Detroit's All-Pro WR Calvin Johnson

Chicago Bears (2-2) at Detroit Lions (4-0)
Line: Lions by 5.

Lions QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson are dominating defenses, and this week won’t be any different, especially after watching Cam Newton expose the Bears secondary last week. It also won’t hurt that young Titus Young and Brandon Pettigrew are starting to dominate, as well. Meanwhile, the Lions defense is emerging as one of the best in the game.

Dr. Football: LIONS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: LIONS TO WIN AND COVER.

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This Week we like the Lions, Rams and Vikings. It’s Upset Week.

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

To suggest there have been a few upsets this season would be understating the obvious.Take last week as a for instance. The Bills came from 21 down to beat New England. Minnesota had a 20-0 lead at halftime and lost 26-23 in overtime to Detroit. Seattle beat Arizona 13-10, Tampa knocked off Atlanta 16-13 and the New York Giants went into Philadelphia and whipped the Eagles 29-16.

New+York+Jets+v+Buffalo+Bills+JZubwKQii2Sl1 221x300 This Week we like the Lions, Rams and Vikings. Its Upset Week.

Buffalo Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

Because of all these upsets, poor Doc Football had, as the say in Foxboro, Mass., a wicked-bad week. In fact, by his own admission, “The Doc shit the bed and went 9-7 and is 28-20 on the year; against the spread I was 7-9 and 24-24 YTD.”

Which is why, for the first time in the history of the River City Sports Blog’s weekly NFL picks, the Coach is the leader after three weeks. Last week, The Coach went 10-6 straight up (35-13 on the season) and a Matt Millen-like 5-11 (24-24) against the spread, but The Coach still leads straight up and that’s all that matters. As Denise Richards uttered in the motion picture cult classic Drop Dead Gorgeous, “I’m a winner and Jesus loves winner.”

In the meantime, here’s something to think about this week: Three teams, including the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers, have perfect 3-0 records through Week 3. The Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions, whose records also remain unblemished this year and trying to become the fifth and sixth teams since the 12-team playoff format was adopted in 1990 to open a season 4-0 after opening the previous season 0-4.

Three of the four teams to accomplish the feat qualified for the playoffs, with two reaching the Divisional Playoffs. Can the Lions and Bills pull it off this week. I kind of think they might. Let’s look more closely at Week 4 with the Doc writing our justifications:

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Matthew+Stafford+Detroit+Lions+v+Minnesota+Z 1NSqILMKjl 186x300 This Week we like the Lions, Rams and Vikings. Its Upset Week.

Lions QB Matthew Stafford

Detroit Lions (3-0) at Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
Line: Cowboys by 1

The Coach’s team is for real. The Lions offense has found their star in the newly toughened up Matthew Stafford and receivers such as Brandon Pettigrew and Calvin Johnson. Their defense is being lead by Ndamukong Suh and Stephen Tulloch. That’s a sweet combination for success…finally. The Cowboys are struggling a bit, barely winning late in games. Dallas QB Tony Romo has really shown some grit by playing with broken ribs and a punctured lung, but the Lions are going to dominate this game. They just have too much offensive firepower, too much defensive swagger (where have we heard that before) and two terrific special teams units. Detroit is simply better.

Dr. Football LIONS to win.

The Coach: LIONS to win

New Orleans Saints (2-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)
Line: Saints by 6.5

Blaine Gabbert will spend a lot of time on the turf while Drew Brees will spend a lot of time celebrating in the end zone. No contest.

Dr. Football: SAINTS to win and cover.

The Coach: SAINTS to win and cover.

San Francisco 49ers (2-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)
Line: Eagles by 8

Michael Vick is expected to play. The Eagles need him to play. They need a win especially at home or the fans may riot as they are now questioning Vick’s heart. The 49ers defense has been stopping the run, their offense has been creating key opportunities, and their special teams have made some huge plays. This will be a close won.

Dr. Football: EAGLES to win but not cover.

The Coach: EAGLES to win and cover.

Washington Redskins (2-1) at St. Louis Rams (0-3)
Line: Rams by 1.

Sam+Bradford+St+Louis+Rams+v+Jacksonville+jzN l oImbBl This Week we like the Lions, Rams and Vikings. Its Upset Week.

The Rams Sam Bradford

No one is sure what has happened to the Rams this year, but QB Sam Bradford is not playing up to his expectations at all. His receivers aren’t great, but that is no different than last year, so what gives? Nothing will give against the Redskins defense. They will be able to stop the Rams passing game and win on the road.

Dr. Football: REDSKINS TO WIN.

The Coach: RAMS to win and cover.

Tennessee Titans (2-1) at Cleveland Browns (2-1)
Line: Browns by 1

Cleveland pulled it off with less than a minute to go last week, without Peyton Hillis. This week, Hillis is back in the line up but it will be against a Titan defense that restricted Ray Rice and the Ravens to just 45 rushing yards in Week 2. Titans QB Matt Hasselbeck has been effective for the Titans, however, Kenny Britt is hurt and out for the season. The Browns secondary will own the Britt-less Titans. Go with the home team.

Dr. Football: BROWNS to win and cover (duh).

The Coach: BROWNS to win and cover.

Buffalo Bills (3-0) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-2)
Line: Bills by 3

Beating New England last week proved the Bills are for real. The offense has shown over the last two weeks the ability to come back from huge deficits. The Bills defense is making the right plays at the right times, giving their offense the opportunity to put points on the board. The Bengals defense will wear down, and be unable to stop Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Dr. Football: BILLS to win and cover.

The Coach: BILLS to win and cover.

Adrian+Peterson+Minnesota+Vikings+v+San+Diego+yMkUYRoyQBkl 300x210 This Week we like the Lions, Rams and Vikings. Its Upset Week.

Note to Vikings: Give Adrian Peterson the football.

Minnesota Vikings (0-3) at Kansas City Chiefs (0-3)
Line: Vikings by 1.5

The Chiefs almost pulled off an upset last week in San Diego, and that was extremely unexpected, but QB Matt Cassel reminded everyone why they were 0-2. The Vikings have lost all three of their games after leading by double-digits at halftime. The Vikings have proven that safe play-calling in the second half will get you nowhere, but 0-3. A lot of people think that since KC were able to keep up with the Chargers last week that they will prevail at home…I don’t share that thought.

Dr. Football: VIKINGS to win and cover.

The Coach: VIKINGS to win and cover.

F3Is7O cam newton carolina panthers1 259x300 This Week we like the Lions, Rams and Vikings. Its Upset Week.

The Panthers Cam Newton

Carolina Panthers (1-2) at Chicago Bears (1-2)
Line: Bears by 6.5

The Panthers and Cam Newton are coming off a much needed win last week, but their prize is that they have to face the Bears. Chicago’s defense isn’t going to let them do much. Chicago’s offense, specifically QB Jay Cutler, hasn’t exactly been stellar the last two weeks, and this week will be a bit of a break as Carolina’s defense isn’t awful, but they are young and struggling a bit. The Bears offense will put up more points as Cutler will utilize the run and pass effectively. Bears defense will find away to school Cam Newton.

Dr. Football: BEARS to win and cover.

The Coach: BEARS to win and not cover.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) at Houston Texans (2-1)
Line: Texans by 4

The Steelers may have snuck out a win last week against a weak Colts team, but they shouldn’t celebrate too much. Their offensive line is going to be exploited this week as the Texans do more damage that the Colts did. Houston’s offense is going to dominate this game on the ground and in the air.

Dr. Football: TEXANS to win and cover..

The Coach: TEXANS to win but not cover.

Atlanta Falcons (1-2) at Seattle Seahawks (1-2)
Line: Falcons by 4.5

How are the preseason Super Bowl favorites 1-2? Matt Ryan hasn’t had the hot start he wanted for the Falcons, but he will get his team back on the right track against the pitiful Seattle Seahawks, home field advantage or not. Look for Ryan to lean on the ground game with Michael Turner and jump out to an early lead and quiet the usually boisterous crowd.

Dr. Football: FALCONS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: FALCONS to win and cover.

Eli Pumped 219x300 This Week we like the Lions, Rams and Vikings. Its Upset Week.

The Giants Eli Manning

New York Giants (2-1) at Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
Line: Giants by 1

If ever the Cardinals and Kevin Kolb had a reason to smile coming off a big loss, it’s the idea that Larry Fitzgerald will match up against an injury depleted Giants secondary. Though the Arizona Cardinals are at home, Kolb must look deep into his old Eagles playbooks to help his offense attack the Giants before Eli Manning can find a rhythm (Coach sez: Manning is the best quarterback in the NFL over the past six quarters. As a result the Giants are playing way over their collective little heads. It’s hard not to like that).

Dr. Football: CARDINALS to win.

The Coach: GIANTS to win and cover.

Miami Dolphins (0-3) at San Diego Chargers (2-1)
Line: Chargers by 7

I don’t think Miami is really 0-3 bad. But after this one, I do think they’ll be 0-4 bad. Chargers and Rivers have not looked very good; their wins have come against winless teams. Miami’s defense is tough and will rattle Philip Rivers, but they won’t win.

Dr. Football: CHARGERS to win but not cover.

The Coach: CHARGERS to win but not cover.

Denver Broncos (1-2) at Green Bay Packers (3-0)
Line: Packers by 13

The Packers look like the class of the NFC. The Broncos? They look like they are failing class. Horrible mismatch.

Dr. Football: PACKERS to win and cover.

The Coach: PACKERS to win and cover.

New England Patriots (2-1) at Oakland Raiders (2-1)
Line: Patriots by 4

Great matchup, and a great chance for the Pats to be 2-2 with a two game losing streak. Darren McFadden may be the NFL’s best player right now. New England is coming off a tough loss last week and will be looking for a win, and that’s it. The Raiders defense will contend for a while, but will eventually be worn down as their offense won’t keep be on the field long enough. Brady will rebound from last week’s debacle.

Dr. Football: PATRIOTS to win and cover.

The Coach: PATRIOTS to win and cover.

SUNDAY NIGHT

ray rice This Week we like the Lions, Rams and Vikings. Its Upset Week.

The Ravens Ray Rice

New York Jets (2-1) at Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Line: Ravens by 3

The Jet’s were beat up physically last week against the Raiders and didn’t win despite Mark Sanchez throwing for 369 yards. All Sanchez got was a broken nose. The Jets ineffective running game is a big problem, tied mostly to their lousy offensive line. That is an advantage for the Ravens. Joe Flacco has been let loose, and he’s been very good. The Ravens rebounded nicely from that nightmare in Nashville and should have little trouble at home.

Dr. Football: RAVENS TO WIN AND COVER.

The Coach: RAVENS to win and cover.

MONDAY NIGHT

Indianapolis Colts (1-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
Line: Buccaneers by 10

Kerry Collins Colts This Week we like the Lions, Rams and Vikings. Its Upset Week.

Kerry Collins is slow to get up. No kidding.

The Colts season is over before it ever began. Nice of ol’ Peyton to sign that big $100,000,000 deal then call in sick. The Colts put up a good fight on Sunday night against the Steelers, but QB Kerry Collins had his bell rung, and his back-up Curtis Painter is horrible. The Bucs are coming off a big win against the Falcons and this momentum will carry them on MNF.

Dr. Football: BUCCANEERS to win and cover.

The Coach: BUCCANEERS to win and cover.

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Tagged NFL, nfl picks, nfl picks week 4, nfl selections, nfl winners, top nfl picks, week 4 nfl picks

Coach Loves the Bengals, Browns and Panthers. That’s Why Coach is Winning.

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Scott Taylor| 1 Comment

OK, I’m not going to blow my own horn. At least, not too loudly. For the first time in our long history of handicapping battles, I have remained ahead of Dr. Football for two consecutive weeks for the first time.

I know, that might not be anything to brag about, but I’ll give the ol’ horn one little toot. After two weeks, The Coach is 23-9 (12-4 last week) straight up and 19-13 (10-6 last week) against the spread. Meanwhile, the Doc is 19-13 straight up (11-5 last week) and 17-15 (10-6 last week) against the spread.

As we prepare to enter Week 3, it would appear most teams are playing according to form and that’s rare, especially early in the season. However, to be fair to Doc Football, our numbers are already better than usual and the fact is, no one should be struggling with their picks at this point. In fact, in Sport Select’s “Pools” lottery last week, there were 13 winners across the country who picked all 16 NFL games correctly.

So here we go. It’s Week 3. Dr. Football writes our justifications. I will, on occasion, argue:

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Andy+Dalton+Cincinnati+Bengals+v+Denver+Broncos+muye0MlOcE3l1 196x300 Coach Loves the Bengals, Browns and Panthers. Thats Why Coach is Winning.

Bengals Rookie QB Andy Dalton

San Francisco 49ers (1-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)
Line: Bengals by 2.5.

The Bengals are an improved club and probably have the Vegas line because 1) They’re at home and 2) They couldn’t beat the Cowboys with a crippled QB. But they won’t win. The San Francisco defense is fast and aggressive on the front seven. The Bengals offensive line is showing improvement along with rookie QB Andy Dalton, but they are not yet ready to handle a defense like San Francisco’s. While some may believe that the experience of 49ers QB Alex Smith should be an advantage over Dalton, it’s the defense that will win it for the 49ers on the road. It’s a re-match of Super Bowl XXIII, but there will be no Icky Shuffle (The Coach disagrees).

Dr. Football: 49ers to win.

The Coach: BENGALS to win and cover

New England Patriots (2-0) at Buffalo Bills (2-0)
Line: Patriots by 8.5.

We have a pair of 2-0 teams but that’s where the similarity ends. Brady might be unstoppable. Remember, the Bills were lucky to beat the Raiders at home. This week, the Bills will get killed.

Dr. Football: PATRIOTS to win and cover.

The Coach: PATRIOTS to win and cover.

Drew Brees

Houston Texans (2-0) at New Orleans Saints (1-1)
Line: Saints by 4.

The Saints looked impressive last week in their home win over the Bears, but the Texans showed in their win in Miami that the changes made by new defensive coordinator Wade Philips are working and the Texans defense is getting much better. Second year Texan running back Ben Tate is living up to expectations with two 100-yard rushing games to start the season and the combination of QB Matt Schaub and wide receiver Andre Johnson is a force to be reckoned with. The Saints still lack some run-stopping defense, and with the Texans potential for shutting down quarterback Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense, this one could be very interesting.

Dr. Football: SAINTS to win but not cover.

The Coach: SAINTS to win and cover.

New York Giants (1-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)
Line: No Line

It’s simple. If Michael Vick plays, the Eagles win. If Michael Vick doesn’t play, the Giants win. The Coach’s insiders tell him Vick will play, but the Eagles might be better than the Giants even with Mike Kafka at quarterback.

Dr. Football: EAGLES to cover if Vick plays, GIANTS to win if Vick doesn’t play.

The Coach: EAGLES, regardless.

Miami Dolphins (0-2) at Cleveland Browns (1-1)
Line: Browns by 2.5.

Colt+Mccoy+Green+Bay+Packers+v+Cleveland+Browns+nCXqF33Q sgl Coach Loves the Bengals, Browns and Panthers. Thats Why Coach is Winning.

Cleveland's Colt McCoy

The Dolphins have lost 11 of 12 at home, so they welcome the trip away from Miami. I believe that the Dolphins are a better team that their record indicates and are a better road team. Browns are terrible (Doc thinks the Browns are terrible. Has he not watched Miami?).

Dr. Football: DOLPHINS to win.

The Coach: BROWNS to win and cover.

Denver Broncos (1-1) at Tennessee Titans (1-1)
Line: Titans by 7.

Two teams that bounced back from Week 1 losses face off in Tennessee. If ever home field would be the advantage, it’s in this one. Broncos despite getting a win last week are not a good club. Every time Kyle Orton gets a win, you have to wonder how it happened. Meanwhile, the Titans beat the Ravens. Who you gonna go with?

Dr. Football: TITANS to win and cover.

The Coach: TITANS to win and cover.

CalvinJohnsonTD 205x300 Coach Loves the Bengals, Browns and Panthers. Thats Why Coach is Winning.

The Lions' Calvin Johnson

Detroit Lions (2-0) at Minnesota Vikings (0-2)
Line: Lions by 3.5.

The Vikings can’t score, the O-Line can’t block and the coaching staff seems lost. The Lions offense have been on fire through two games, but they haven’t really been tested yet. The Vikings will provide a much tougher test, especially with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kevin Williams returning from suspension. With Williams, Jared Allen and Brian Robison hungry for their first win, Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson might have trouble scoring at will for the first time this year. I think this is the game the Vikes put it together (The Coach disagrees. The Lions are trying begin this season at 3-0 after starting 0-3 last season. They will succeed).

Dr. Football: VIKINGS to win.

The Coach: LIONS to win and cover.

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) at Carolina Panthers (0-2)
Line: Panthers by 3.5.

The two 1995 expansion teams face off, but 16 years later, the Panthers finally have what they believe is a legitimate star quarterback. Despite the fact that they are 1-1, the Jaguars are a pretty good team and I believe they have enough to beat the Panthers. Rookie quarterback Cam Newton has thrown for almost 900 combined yards in his first two NFL starts. The Panthers are still 0-2 thanks to a horrible defense. That defense does not look to get any better before facing the Jaguars this week (The Coach does not believe Blaine Gabbert can beat Cam Newton).

Dr. Football: JAGUARS to win.

The Coach: PANTHERS to win and cover.

ce9a48f8690e2443c8faf0945845326a 257x300 Coach Loves the Bengals, Browns and Panthers. Thats Why Coach is Winning.

Phillip Rivers

Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) at San Diego Chargers (1-1)
Line: Chargers by 14.5.

There will be a lot of pride on the line for the Chiefs this week after losing their first two games by a combined score of 89-10. Will they respond? Not a chance. The Chargers just have way too much offence with Phillips Rivers and Antonio Gates and Mike Tolbert etc. etc. San Diego will send the Chiefs to their third straight embarrassing loss (Note: This game will include violence and coarse language, viewer discretion is advised. The outcome will not be fit for young children and some seniors).

Dr. Football: CHARGERS to win and cover.

The Coach: CHARGERS to win and cover.

New York Jets (2-0) at Oakland Raiders (1-1)
Line: Jets by 3.5.

As much as I’m not sold on the Jets as a good 2-0 team, the Raiders lost last week against the Bills. The Raiders are a one song juke box and that song is titled Darren McFadden. Can the Jets focus on the Raiders with the Ravens and Patriots on the horizon? I think they can (The Coach is going out on a limb).

Dr. Football JETS to win but not cover.

The Coach: RAIDERS to win.

Baltimore Ravens (1-1) at St. Louis Rams (0-2)
Line: Ravens by 3.5.

The Ravens took a big step backwards Sunday against the Titans, but they get a beat up Rams squad that is missing the killer instinct that good teams have Baltimore’s defense will be angry after getting clobbered last week against the Titans. Ravens bounce back big (Coach sez, Ravens don’t have enough offence to bounce back big.).

Dr. Football: RAVENS to win and cover.

The Coach: RAMS to win.

Tampa+Bay+Buccaneers+v+Miami+Dolphins+EH0eX5f1Orql 204x300 Coach Loves the Bengals, Browns and Panthers. Thats Why Coach is Winning.

Tampa's Josh Freeman

Atlanta Falcons (1-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)
Line: Buccaneers by 1.5.

The Bucs are the favourite? Really? Tampa Bay had its problems against a poor Minnesota football team for their only win of the season. The Falcons just beat the Philadelphia Eagles and look ready to slam down the upset on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Tampa does have some tools and they tend to play well in their own building. Still, as much as we all like Josh Freeman, I’d rather have big Matt Ryan handing to Michael Turner any day. Oh yeah, and the Atlanta defense doesn’t have Michael Vick to deal with this week. It’s hard not to like the Falcons, even on the road.

Dr. Football: FALCONS to win.

The Coach: FALCONS to win.

Arizona Cardinals (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (0-2)
Line: Cardinals by 3.5.

Is there any division in any sport that is bad as the NFC west? The Seahawks have looked horrible during their past two games, but they haven’t played at home. They’re a much different team at CenturyLink Field, which despite having the worst name of any stadium, provides one of the premier home-field advantages in the NFL (the only way the Seahawks win this week is if the football gods decide that Seattle will not go 0-16). .

Dr. Football: SEAHAWKS to win.

The Coach: CARDINALS to win and cover.

Green Bay Packers (2-0) at Chicago Bears (1-1)
Line: Packers by 3.5.

israel idonije Coach Loves the Bengals, Browns and Panthers. Thats Why Coach is Winning.

Israel Idonije had a great game for the Bears last week.

There is something magic that happens when these two teams meet, and this Sunday won’t be an exception. The Bears were awful in New Orleans, and if they play the same way, they won’t stand a chance against Green Bay. But they won’t. The Bears always rise to the challenge at home. Aaron Rogers always seems top have the Bears number however, so the Bears won’t have the success they had at home two weeks ago against the Falcons.

Dr. Football: PACKERS to win but not cover.

The Coach: PACKERS to win and cover.

SUNDAY NIGHT (There was a brief shining moment when this was a great Sunday night matchup.)

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) at Indianapolis Colts (0-2)
Line: Steelers by 10.

See my analysis of the Eagles game. Substitute Peyton Manning’s name for Michael Vick’s. What would have been an interesting game before the season should now be a laugher. Not for the faint of heart.

Dr. Football: STEELERS to win and cover…big!

The Coach: STEELERS to win and cover.

MONDAY NIGHT

jesse holley dallas cowboys Coach Loves the Bengals, Browns and Panthers. Thats Why Coach is Winning.

Jesse Holley, one of last week's Cowboy stars.

Washington Redskins (2-0) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Line: No Line.

Dallas is one banged up club. Tony Romo came out of the medical room and despite playing with a couple of broken ribs and a punctured lunch led a team without Miles Austin-Jones and Felix Jones. The good news is that Dez Bryant is expected back. Rex Grossman is a fraud who will be exposed on Monday night.

Dr. Football: COWBOYS to win and cover whatever the spread is.

The Coach: COWBOYS to win and cover.

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Tagged best nfl picks, nfl picks, nfl picks week 3, top nfl picks, week 3 NFL, week 3 nfl picks, week 3 nfl sport select

Tag Archives: nfl picks

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