Football Friday: Week 4

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 5-3 (2-2)
Saj 5-3 (3-1)


12:47 PM
I: A lot of tough games this week, I think. Here's your four to pick:

New Orleans at Carolina (Sun 1:00)
Minnesota at Buffalo (Sun 1:00)
San Diego at Baltimore (Sun 1:00)
Seattle at Chicago (Sun 8:30)


1:14 PM
S: Cake. And yours:

New England at Cincinnati (Sun 4:15)
San Francisco at Kansas City (Sun 1:00)
Miami at Houston (Sun 1:00)
Arizona at Atlanta (Sun 1:00)

Go to it.

1:34 PM

Come on, did you have to give me the Pats? I thought we had an unspoken gentlemen's agreement to leave them out of this. I guess I read you wrong.

Game 1: San Fransisco @ Kansas City: Wait, what? This is my survivor pool game of the week. LJ is licking his chops. Trent Green can sit this one with no fear. Not even Herman Edwards can blow this one at Arrowhead. Pick: Kansas City.

Game 2: Miami @ Houston: Now this is tough. Miami stinks. They just stink so bad, like I said they would, and like you said they wouldn't. The problem is, Houston stinks worse. I can't imagine anyone in that organization is glad they went with Mario Williams over Reggie Bush. It's a laughing stock system. They'd have been a fringe .500 team with Carr, Bush, and Moulds. Making this pick harder still is that the slightly worse team is playing at home. In the end, I just think Houston will find it too difficult to score, and Culpepper will have his best game of the year against a below average defensive unit. Then there will be a week of "Miami's turning it around" just because they beat Tennessee and Houston. They're still a joke, and their quarterback is the main reason why. But they should win in Week 4. Pick: Miami

Game 3: Arizona @ Atlanta: Another questionable decision on your part. Atlanta is the far superior team and they're playing at home. Arizona, with a wealth of talent in James, Boldin, and Fitzgerald, is already in a quarterback controversy and now has to go on the road into a noisy dome with a rookie quarterback more then likely seeing time. Look for 250 rushing yards from the Falcons, a changing of the guard at the Cardinal quarterback position, and a two score victory from the home team. Pick: Atlanta

Game 4: New England @ Cincinatti: You, sir, are a jerk for making me pick this game. My head says Cincy. My heart says Cincy. The experts will say Cincy. The fans will say Cincy. But I'm saying the Pats, and here's why: Tom Brady. His body language has become the story that won't die in New England and ESPN. It's incredible to see how much this has been scrutinized. I'm sure he's heard it, and I'm sure he's ticked off. I look for Brady's best game of the year. Three hundred yards WILL be passed. And look for Chad Jackson to pull a Chad Johnson. Pick: New England (Yes, I'm a homer.)

5:34 PM
Since I'm at work I gotta make this quick so I can't tell you how wrong you are. But I do think you're right about the Patriots this week. The running game will be back on track against a defense where five out of eleven starters are wearing those house arrest ankle bracelets.

CAROLINA - Close to 11 million households watched the Saints beat the Falcons in New Orleans last Monday. It was the highest rated show ever on ESPN, the Saints cheerleaders were smoking hot, and Tony Kornheiser giggled like a school girl when Joe Theismann said he saw something come out of a referee's pants. Mix in some sideline Avery Johnson and a dash of Harry Connick Jr. (Sidenote: who buys Harry Connick Jr. records? Does anyone) and you've got the feel good story of the last week and a half. The Saints played inspired football, I will give them that, but how often do you see your team block a punt AND a field goal? A lot of things fell in the Saints favor. A LOT. I'm not gonna get all Grassy Knoll on you, but now the Bayou Boys are going into Carolina against a Panthers team that not only should be 2-1, but also a Panthers team that has Steve Smith back. Speaking of terrible people, how about all the shots of Tom Benson smiling in the owner's box? Terrible.

MINNESOTA - Almost pulled one out against Chicago. Playing in Buffalo while it's still kinda warm out. Chester Taylor has been MONEY. And the Vikings just signed Drew Henson. While nothing makes me happier than seeing Drew Henson fail at everything he does, by the time the playoffs come around the Vikings will be playing in them with Henson as their starting quarterback. And yes that is wild, ridiculous, baseless speculation.

SAN DIEGO - A seriously confident Charger defense coming off a bye-week against an anemic Ravens offense. I see Baltimore scoring nine points on three Stover field goals, no picks for McNair but a terrible completion percentage for less than 200 yards passing. Rested LT and company show the overrated Ravens defense what they've been missing: namely a worthy opponent on the other side of the ball. Philip Rivers attempts five passes, completes four of them (two for touchdowns), and has a quarterback rating of infinity.

SEATTLE - I really don't want the Seahawks to win this game but they do anyway (primarily out of spite for me). Deion Branch may not be a true number one wide receiver but his addition gives Seattle the deepest group of receivers in football. Branch, Jackson, Burleson, and Engram are all solid targets for Hasselbeck. I'm not sold on Burleson or Engram as top two receivers, but at three and four behind Branch and Jackson, I would take them in a heartbeat. Not to mention the big target of tight end Jeremy Stevens (yes, the guy who dropped those passes in the Super Bowl, he can hold onto them in the regular season apparently) across the middle of the field. Much is being made of the injury to Shaun Alexander, but what has he done this year anyway? Maurice Morris will be serviceable enough to keep the talented Bears defense honest. This game will be a real test for Rex Grossman and that Chicago offense. Rexy with less than a full season's worth of starts against the reigning NFC Champions on a Sunday night? No thank you, I'll take baldy and his ugly uniformed teammates.

NFL: Week 3 Recap

7:20 AM
I: There is no best team in football. I am convinced of this. Every team has a gaping hole, save a few...but those few (Dallas, Jacksonville, Atlanta) already have a loss. Perhaps the only elite team left standing is Seattle, but they have Alexander out indefinitely. Running backs can't come back quickly or effectively from a broken foot. We may have to start talking Cincinatti (Cincinatti!) as the best team in football. Indy will be at the top of most people's list, but their running game and defense are major concerns of mine. And we can talk the major concern that is the New England Patriots in a bit. Do you have a Top 5 Power Rankings?

1:40pm
S: I think I think (sorry Peter King) that my Top 5 Power Rankings look strikingly similar to ESPN's with the exception of one team. In particular order: Colts, Seahawks, Bengals, Bears, Jaguars.

Apologies to the Chargers and the Ravens, two still undefeated teams, but the Jaguars have beaten the Cowboys and the Steelers and hung with the Colts (despite an unbelievable inability to put the ball in the endzone after controlling the clock for all but six minutes in the first half.) The difference in the game was an Indianapolis punt return for a touchdown, a Peyton Manning rushing (!) touchdown off a brilliant fake to Addai on the goalline, and a couple of Scobee doinks. Of course there are no excuses for the lack of offensive production from the Jaguars so far this season but they have yet to turn in an embarassing game against three strong opponents.

To recap:
1. Colts
2. Seahawks
3. Bengals
4. Bears
5. Jaguars

This is based on what has happened, not what will happen (SEE ALSO: Seattle dropping after not having Alexander in Chicago this upcoming Sunday). Thoughts?


2:22 PM
See, when determining top teams, I like to look at holes on the squad...holes of which an opposing team can take advantage. I think the Bengals are the only team without any. Even their lack of experience has dissappeared because of their playoff experience from last year. The Bears are next, because Rex Grossman has finally shown flashes of being an NFL quarterback, and that defense is superb. The Colts come in third, remembering that any team that goes into Indy this year will be beaten. On the road however, they can be taken down by several teams. Seattle will not be a top 3 team until Shaun Alexander comes back (IF he comes back). The running game is just too important for that club. And then I have the Jaguars, too. I think any team going into Indy is the toughest matchup in football right now. Dallas and Pittsburgh are good teams and the Jaguars soundly beat the both of them.

1. Bengals
2. Bears
3. Colts
4. Seahawks
5. Jaguars

(Same teams as you...I swear I had this ranking before you posted.)

How about some dissapointing teams? Namely the Pats, Giants, and Steelers. Who of those teams has the best chance to not only right the ship, but make noise in the playoffs?