Football Friday: Week 5

Editors' note: Every week, these two idiots will play a Pick 'Em NFL game. The object is for each editor to pick four seemingly even NFL matchups from the upcoming weekend, challenging the other pick to the winners. A running record will be tallied. Feel free to play along at home. Leave comments with your own picks if you want to go on the record.

Standings (Last week in parenthesis)
Ian 8-4 (3-1)
Saj 6-6 (1-3)

11:05 AM
S: So I had a rough week last week, no matter. Here are your four:

Kansas City at Arizona (4:05pm Sunday)
Dallas at Philadelphia (4:15pm Sunday)
Pittsburgh at San Diego (8:15pm Sunday)
Baltimore at Denver (8:30pm Monday)

Aside: Who wins in a street fight, Terrell Owens or Donovan McNabb? I say TO.


11:22 AM
I: Owens wins hands down. He's an incredible physical specimen. Let's open that up to the whole league, though. Who would in a one on one street fight tournament? I say the leading candidates are T.O., Ray Lewis, and of course, Drew Bledsoe.

Do you realize you didn't give me any 1:00 games? I don't know if that has any significance, but you did it. What's more, you handed me both nationally televised games, meaning they're each between two good teams. You bastard. All I know is, I'm going to do nearly the exact opposite to you. That way, my guys know exactly what they have to do at 4:05 in order to overcome the odds.

Here are your games:
St. Louis at Green Bay (Sunday 1:00)
Washington at NY Giants (Sunday 1:00)
Tampa Bay at New Orleans (Sunday 1:00)
Oakland at San Fransisco (Sunday 4:05)

11:50am

SAN FRANCISCO
Starting me off with the Battle of the Bay are you? What's the over/under on how many people care about what happened in San Francisco this week? If I lived in Northern California and this was the game I was saddled with on Sunday afternoon I would want very much to punch something. Frank Gore has a big game. I like him, he smells nice.

ST. LOUIS
Cake. The Rams looked very good on offense against the Lions last week and Stephen Jackson is one of my favorite players, and that's only because he's on my fantasy team. Not cold enough yet in Lambeau to make a difference. Favre gunslings his way to another good game, but the defense lets him down.

WASHINGTON
I want to pick the Giants, I really do. They have loads of talent but they just haven't put together a convincing game yet this season on either side of the ball. Where has the running game been? And that defense? Meanwhile, the Redskins did a number on Jacksonville last week and Mark Brunell is on to his way to bringing sexy back (JT joke).

NEW ORLEANS
Commandment 11: Thou shalt not rely on Bruce Gradkowski to lead your offense.


12:55 PM

Man, this is why you're good. I tried to trap you into that New Orleans pick, thinking they topped out at 3-0 and Tampa would come through this weekend. But I forgot about who their quarterback was. Nice job.

Onto the picks. I am not comfortable with only a 2 game lead on you, even if I have accomplished it in only three weeks.

Game 1: Kansas City @ Arizona: I see a big time shootout here. I see Matt Leinart's career starting off with a lot of points on the board. I see very few punts. I see Larry Johnson approaching 200 APY. Most of all, I see Kansas City winning because they have a semblence of a defense...something I cannot say for the Cardinals. Pick: Kansas City

Game 2: Dallas @ Philadelphia: You jerk. This is just like the Pats last weekend. My head vs. my heart. All signs point Philadelphia, including winning percentage, homefield, and a team pissed off at T.O. It's too bad the anti-T.O. (Donte Stallworth) probably won't play. Dallas is a very good football team, but so is Phily. The fact that it's T.O. traveling to Philadelphia for the first time since his departure is significant. This crowd is going to be raucous. Phily is only one of a handful of teams that can play D, O, and coach as well as the Cowboys. Homefield is the difference in this tight NFC East battle. Dallas wins the rematch at their place later in the season. For now, they'll have to settle for a 2-2 record with road losses to two tough teams. Pick: Philadelphia

Game 3: Pittsburgh @ San Diego: Pittsburgh has yet to look anything like the team that dominated in Week 1 and won the Superbowl last year. It is a tough task for them to fly across the country and play a talented San Diego team that is furious from last week's loss in Baltimore. I think the Steelers are in the midst of a slump that will cost them the opportunity to defend their championship in this season's playoffs. Pick: San Diego

Game 4: Baltimore @ Denver: Visiting teams don't win in Denver lately...not at all last season. Baltimore has really lucked out the last couple weeks, with last minute wins in Cleveland and hosting San Diego. The Broncos in Denver is a much tougher task than either of those games. With Baltimore's questionable offense, it will be difficult to open up a lead on Denver, and Denver only plays poorly when behind by more than a score. The Broncos are an excellent team when in the lead, meaning a comeback win for Baltimore is not likely. This week, the Ravens fall from the unbeatens. The Broncos win this smashmouth game, beginning a stretch where they are a foolishly trendy pick to come out of the AFC. Pick: Denver