How bout dem Cowboys!

Great game last night between two of the top-four teams in the league and who would’ve ever thought that Aaron Rodgers could actually keep his team in the game after Favre was hurt? I certainly didn’t but was pleasantly surprised by the former first-round pick.

VIKINGS (-3.5) over Detroit

With Adrian Peterson back at least for part-time duties this week and Detroit fading down the streak, you have to like Minnesota at home.

RAMS (-3) over Falcons

This one is going to be a bad game. Gus Frerote is starting for the Rams and Joey Harrington is starting for Atlanta. You have to think this is a breakout week for Steven Jackson.

TITANS (-4) over Texans

I’m a lot more sold on Vince Young at home than I am for Matt Schaub on the road. And where the hell is the Madden curse? I know Vince hasn’t been playing very well but come on, where’s the ACL tear?!

Jets (+1) over DOLPHINS

So you’re 0-11 and a favourite? How does this happen. The Dolphins are due and could very well beat these sad Jets

REDSKINS (-5.5) over Bills

The ‘Skins have to win for Sean Taylor right? This game will be full of emotion but how will that play out? I wouldn’t put any money on this one.

Chargers (-5.5) over CHIEFS

Kansas City is a rough place for visiting teams but the Brodie Croyle-Kolby Smith combo isn’t good enough for a wager over a very “due” LDT.

Jaguars (+6.5) over COLTS

Does anybody else feel that since David Garrard’s streak without an interception is being so highly touted that he’ll without a doubt throw one on Sunday? This is one of the biggest jinxes I’ve seen in a while. Even with that said, the Colts won’t run away with this game.

Seahawks (+3) over EAGLES

A.J. Feeley working that kind of magic two weeks in a row? Yeah right. Donovan McNabb sticking around in Philly after this season? I wouldn’t put too much money on it. Did you know that Brian Westbrook has the most fantasy points out on any running-back this season? Yet, the Eagles stink. One man can’t do it all.

Niners (+3) over PANTHERS

Vinny Testaverde is questionable. Who else do the Panthers have at quarterback now? Steve Smith and his fantasy owners must be pissed about how this season has turned out in Carolina.

SAINTS (-3) over Bucs

Seeing that Jeff Garcia might play isn’t good enough for me. I need to see him in the starting line up before I’d back this mediocre division-leading Bucs team.

Browns (PK) over CARDINALS

This one is going to be a shootout; bet the over. These Browns are good and the Cardinals seem to have some bad luck as evidenced by last week’s overtime debacle.

Broncos (-3.5) over RAIDERS

Mike Shanahan exacts revenge on his former team for the billionth time!

BEARS (+1.5) over Giants

Do not kick to Devin Hester! How are teams still kicking to him? He’s got to have a kick return rating of 150 in Madden next year. Let’s hope that Rex Grossman doesn’t screw this up more than Elisha Manning will.

STEELERS (-7) over Bengals

You can hope that Ocho Cinco does his thing and scores thrice again this week but I don’t think so against Pittsburgh.

Patriots (-20.5) over RAVENS

...ugh...

Last Week: 11-4
This Season: 78-75-9

Game of the Year!

The Green Bay vs. Dallas match up tonight will be the deciding factor over home-field advantage for the NFC this season. We could very well see the winner of this game finishing 15-1 while the loser finishes 14-2. That's a) how good these two teams are and b) how bad the NFC might be.

Since I don't pick Cowboys games because any pick would be incredibly influenced by personal bias, let's just get this out of the way before some more prattling.

Packers (+6.5) at COWBOYS

When you consider both teams are sitting at 10-1 and aren't coming off of short weeks having played last Thursday for Thanksgiving games, you would think that 6.5 would be a bit high. The three real factors you have to figure in this one are:

1. Darren Woodson is questionable for the Pack. It will be really hard to contain the Cowboys potent passing game without one of the starters, especially with Patrick Crayton back tonight.

2. The Cowboys are playing in Big D. Sure they lost their only game of the season at home but that was against the cheaters and the 'Boys have looked a ton better at home than on the road.

3. The Cowboys have played more quality opponents to get to 10-1. The only team with a winning record that the Pack has faced were the Lions last week and they're sliding.

Still, anything is possible when Brett Favre steps on the field, especially this year. But then again, you can say the same thing about this uber-potent Cowboys offence. Again, it must be said: This should be the game of the year.

R.I.P. Sean Taylor

Tragically, after being shot in the leg late Monday night, Sean Taylor died in hospital yesterday. Taylor, 24, known for having been linked to questionable conduct off the field and hard-hitting play on it, had been at shot in his Florida house after an apparent home-invasion. The bullet that hit Taylor in the leg severed an artery and caused him to loss a significant amount of blood. He had flat-lined twice before finally giving out.

I'll remember him most for pestering me in Madden twice a season with the Redskins, virtually taking away half the field and causing a few too many fumbles when my running-back makes it through the first two levels to him.

Taylor, who has an 18-month old daughter, will be missed by all both on and off the field.

In comparably brighter news...

Apparently Simeon Rice wasn't the answer to Indy's question of "who will replace Dwight Freeney?" Rice, who was brought in after being released by Tampa and Freeney was lost for the season, has been released again. If it's not horribly apparent that you've lost a step or two after being released the first time in a season, you should damn well know it after the second cutting. Might be time to hit the gym and get a little bigger, tougher, faster and stronger for Rice or starting thinking about hanging up his cleats and looking for a coaching or broadcasting gig.

While not everyone in America will be able to watch the Game of Year-calibre match up of the Cowboys and Packers tomorrow night, every one in Canada with TSN will be able to watch it. While the game is on the NFL network in the States, Canadians get to watch it without having to fork over the ridiculous price that the Network is demanding for it's programing. TSN, the Canadian affiliate of ESPN, gets to broadcast a game that ESPN doesn't? How is this making sense? All games, especially ones of this calibre and in prime time. should be broadcast on network television that's accessible to the masses. But then again, this is the NFL we're talking about; the best run sports league in North America if not the world. Who am I to question their business?

As for who will win the big match up? Come back tomorrow.

What the muck?

I'll tell you this much: had I known that the weather and conditions in Pittsburgh would've been as bad as they were, I would never have picked them to cover a 16-point spread. But that's what you get for selecting games days in advance.

An amazing thing did happen though, the game went deep into the fourth quarter scoreless. Thanks largely in part to both team's kickers not being able to get attempts anywhere near the uprights or even end-zone for that matter. How two professional teams can fail to get even close to each other's ends is spectacular. It took until 20 seconds remained in the fourth when Jeff Reed managed to put a short field goal through to give the Steelers a 3-0 victory. I'll be in awe over that score line for at least a week.

Last night's game was outstandingly quick as well. With both teams running the ball, getting sacked and completing a lot of short passes, the first half took roughly an hour while the second wasn't much longer. I was lamenting having to wait for the game to end after it was delayed by the "dangerous weather" but it ended at a remarkably early time.

And how about Ricky Williams' return? In his first game back from a 19-month suspension he didn't play too badly, especially considering the conditions. Yeah, sure he played in the CFL last year for the Toronto Argonauts, but we all know that doesn't count as football. He gained 15 yards on six carries but lost a fumble in the awfully muddy conditions before leaving the game with a shoulder injury.

This week: 11-4-0
This season: 78-75-9

Cowards!

So where was running up the score and saying “F you!” to the league last night? When Brady got down on his knee to run the clock and end the game it was more symbolic than any Patriots fan will realize and hey, they nearly lost at home to AJ Feeley and an under-.500 Eagles team. As for those Eagles, if McNabb isn’t 100% next week, I’d go with starting Feeley again.

How disappointed is Eli Manning right now? Playing against the Vikings at home with his big brother Peyton watching, Elisha tosses an astounding four interceptions into the waiting hands of Minnesota defenders.

Kicking to Devin Hester is a bad idea. Why any team would kick the ball to him is beyond reason after his two big returns against Denver yesterday.

LaDainian Tomlinson hit the 10k mark in his 106th game to make him the fourth fastest running-back to get that many yards, tying him with Emmitt Smith. If LDT can stay healthy and keep getting his touches, it's very feasible that he could retire as the all-time rushing king.

Ocho Cinco was back to his normal self in more ways than one yesterday. He caught 12 passes for over 100 yards and scored three touchdowns. He also celebrated in his old fashion as well, taking over a television camera on the sideline and having some fun. It’s good to see old C.J. back.

The Bay Area teams snapped some nasty streaks yesterday. The Niners won for the first time in nine tries while across the Golden Gate Bridge, Oakland defeated an AFC West division rival to end a 13-game streak. The Niners defeated the Cardinals in a back-and-forth game that went to overtime. The Raiders took down the Chiefs who were sans Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes. K.C. did get a surprisingly good effort of rookie Kolby Smith but ultimately fell short.

And, in tragic news, Redskins star safety Sean Taylor was shot late in the night. Reports are that he was shot in the leg and the bullet severed a major artery. He is currently in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Florida. Taylor is a great player and a hard-hitting key to Washington’s defence, he will be missed on the field but here’s to hoping for a full recovery.

This week: 11-2-0 with Pittsburgh (-16) tonight
This season: 78-73-9 (Woohoo! Over .500!)

The rest of the week 12 picks

After going 2-0 on Thanksgiving Thursday, I'm looking forward to getting gutted on the rest of my picks for week 12. How about that optimism eh?

BEARS (-1.5) over Broncos

Who's running the ball for these Broncos? That concerns me more than who's throwing the ball for the Bears. Go Sexy Rexy!

Titans (-1.5) over BENGALS

This should be a close one. My guess is that it'll be settled by a Bironas field goal.

JAGUARS (-8) over Bills

I'd be more confident about taking the Bills if they were at home. But in Florida against this deceptive Jaguars team, not a chance. Jacksonville will be fired up trying to keep pace with Indy who's already won this week.

Raiders (+5.5) over CHIEFS

In my fantasy league at work the rule is that you can only make four moves all season. I got a good laugh at the expense of the guy who picked up Priest Holmes a week after he retired.

BROWNS (-3) over Texans

There's a very real chance that Derek Anderson could make the Pro Bowl. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are shoo-ins while Anderson and Ben Roethlisberger should be battling it out for that third spot on the roster.

Seahawks (-3) over RAMS

Those two Rams wins were against softies. Don't expect them to keep up their streak this week against the Seahawks.

Vikings (+7) over GIANTS

With or without Adrian Peterson the Vikings can run the ball. Chester Taylor is good enough for 100 yards and a TD if AP sits this one out. Either way, the Vikes should cover against this Giants team that's slowly falling to earth.

Saints (-3) over PANTHERS

How sad is David Carr right now? The Panthers have definitively said that 43-year old Vinny Testaverde is their number one guy ahead of him. So much for starting anew after leaving Houston.

BUCS (-3) over Redskins

The Redskins looked good last week against the Cowboys and could've possibly won if they had decided to cover Terrell Owens. But that does not mean they will do the same this week in Tampa Bay.

Niners (+10.5) over CARDINALS

I like the Cardinals and I like Kurt Warner, but I wouldn't bet on them covering this week. You almost have to feel that the Niners are due.

Ravens (+9.5) over CHARGERS

Kyle Boller starting for Baltimore makes this a better bet in my mind. Both teams have not lived up to expectations so far but it is possible they can turn it around and make the playoffs. Also, did we all see Shawne Merriman get jacked by Maurice Jones-Drew last week? You have to feel bad for the big man after that one.

PATRIOTS (-22) over Eagles

You can't really bet against the jerks, especially with Donovan McNabb doubtful and Jay Feeley starting.

STEELERS (-16) over Dolphins

Look for Fast Willie Parker to have a huge game. Then Najeh Davenport possibly coming in to steal some goal-line touchdowns.

Last week: 9-4-1
So far this week: 2-0-0
So far this season: 69-71-9