I had a chance to go to Las Vegas to attend the Symantec Vision 2008 Conference. It was quite an experience! There are lots of things to do and see in Vegas depending on your entertainment preference. I, for one, did not really enjoy myself that much. I am not a gambler and I am not for adult entertainment which are predominant across town. I did enjoy the food and the many eye-candies that the different hotels have to offer. Here are some of the pictures that I have taken while I was there.

Pictures of Las Vegas

I’ve been watching the NBA playoffs recently and I was shocked to see that San Antonio Spurs, the most team-oriented team ever built this decade, is using the Hack-a-Shaq tactic. And to make matters worst, it is being done in the middle of game while there were numerous lead-changes.

Read more …

It has been a good ride! Too bad it had to end. But thanks for the season where everyone counted you out. When everyone ranked you last in the NFC East — which you have owned for 6 out of 7 seasons. To go and play in the Divisional round of the playoffs on a close game, that was something. Eventhough I was there to see how your star QB McNabb got hurt and the call-playing was of that of a losing team, I had fun with my very first-ever time to watch a live NFL game (thanks to my wife). For now, have a good off-season. For next year, the superbowl should be a game that you will play. And that time, you will bring home the trophy!

Fly Eagles Fly!

And then there were 8. Only 8 teams left that have a chance to go all the way and win the Superbowl XL. Here’s my take.

• Washington at Seattle

Seattle Seahawks have the best record in the NFC. They have been a pretty good team for the past couple of years. But not during the playoffs. This will be a battle of the ground game. Washinton better come up with a better gameplan to score more points and to stop MVP Shaun Alexander. I will give Seattle the benefit of the doubt that they are different from last year. Seattle (+3)

• New England at Denver

How can anyone go againts the New England Patriots. What seems to be a game that they could not win, they find a way. 10-0 in the playoffs, odds are they will be 11-0. Although Denver is having a very good year, they are not the same team that won their 2 Superbowl with John Elway & Terrel Davis. Patriots (+7)

• Pittsburgh at Indianapolis

Indy will have it’s way against the Steelers. But it will not be easy. If the Steelers get the power running going, they have a chance. If not, they are doomed. Colts (-3)

• Carolina at Chicago

Battle of the defense? Well, sort of. But if Carolina can get 1 touchdown, they have the biggest chance. Chicago has to score points. If their defense has to do it, then so be it. I like the Panthers to win this one. Panthers (+7)

Wow, it’s been a while since I posted my picks! I’M BACK! Unfortunately, I don’t have as much time devoted to this thing so I’m going to make it quick. Here goes:

• Washington @ Tampa Bay

The Redskins are on a roll, winning 5 straight to get into the playoffs. They are facing a red-hot Tampa Bay Bucs who re-captured the NFC South title since their Superbowl XXXVII run. Both have strong ground game on offense and on defense. This game, IMHO, will be decided by the QB. In this, Redskins have a little bit of an edge with a veteran QB in Brunell. This will be a hard-hitting game. But I will go with the Bucs to win this one. You don’t just get the NFC South title, it is one of the toughest divisions. Bucs (+3)

• Jacksonville @ New England

The defending champs, New England Patriots, are back on the prowl. They are still the champion until someone beats them. What a cliche. They are a good football team and are capable of going all the way. They are well-coached and well-disciplined team that I always love to watch. The Jacksonville Jaguars have shown that they can win without they starting QB, Byron Leftwich. Now he’s back. But I don’t think it is a good idea to play him. If they do, that will be their undoing. Regardless, this will be the Pats game to lose. Patriots (+3)

• Carolina @ NY Giants

They key for Carolina, stop Tiki Barber! He’s the guy that could potentialy end their Superbowl hopes. A lot of people picked Carolina as Superbowl contender this year. Some even pick them to be the eventual winner. They have been inconsistent all year long. How will they hold up against the Giants? Well, Eli is in his 2nd year. Playing at home, which is he’s at his best. But this is the playoffs! Carolina will upset the Giants through their defense. Carolina (+3)

• Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati

AFC North rivalry is brewing up in Cincinnati. The Bengals are the new kids on the block. They will be going up against the Steelers who have dominated this division for the past couple of years. Is this really the passing of torch or changing of guards as what some analysts would refer to this game? In my opinion, all those doesn’t mean a thing. These are teams trying to get into the next round, and the next, and the next, and eventually the Superbowl. Two good teams who met twice and both won on the road. I favor Cincinnati, although it will be a very close game. This will be Carson Palmer’s day to prove that he is one of the best QB in the league. Bengals (+7)

What a week it has been for my Eagles team. After leading much of the game, they still managed to give the game away. Thanks to the great play-calling of their offensive coordinator and head coach. Less than 3 minutes to go, Westbrook has his running game going for him, then they pass. Fourth and long, they managed to blitz, touchdown Dallas. The only bright spot is that Eagles proved that they can play without TO. Unfortunately, they didn’t win. Oh well.

Good game to watch this week - Colts vs Bengals. Hmmm, i may have to go with the Bengals!

Here’s my track record so far:

Week 1: 4-12

Week 2: 6-10

Week 3: 10-4

Week 4: 9-5

Week 5: 8-8

Week 6: 9-5 (against the spread, 9-3-2)

Week 7: 7-7 (against the spread, 9-5)

Week 8: 9-5 (against the spread, 10-4)

Week 9: 11-4 (against the spread, 9-5)

Week 10: 9-5 (against the spread, 9-5)

Now for the picks:

Arizona at St. Louis

Rams should get Marc Bulger’s his first win since coming back from an injury. After falling to the Seahawks, Rams need something positive to carry on for next year. Rams (-3)

Carolina at Chicago

Division leaders and possibly a playoff preview in the NFC. Carolina Panthers are back in to their Superbowl form. Though inconsistent at times, they have played very good football of late. Facing a surprisingly good Bears squad, the Panthers are out to get home-field advantage. Panthers (+3)

Detroit at Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys are thanking the Eagles for keeping them in the Division title contention. They should take advantage of games like this and I think they will. Cowboys (-3)

Jacksonville at Tennessee

Remember the Titans? Seems like the only thing to remember about the Titans is their lost to the Rams in the Superbowl. Jaguars played it tough last week without their star running back. They should be able to get a win this Sunday. Jaguars (+7)

Miami at Cleveland

Miami almost had the defending champs last week. They have been playing solid and will be up against the Browns who looked good Sunday night until the second half. Dolphins (+7)

New Orleans at New England

Who said the Pats are out? They are back and should win this one, not as easy as 1-2-3 though. Pats (+3)

Oakland at Washington

The Redskins gave a game away that they should have won. Though, from the review, they should still be leading by 1! The end result is still a loss. They should win this game. Should the Giants and Cowbows lost, they will all be tied at 6-4. This will give the Eagles another chance at the Division title! See it will all work out for the Eagles. Redskins (+7)

Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants

The Eagles are without McNabb. And maybe without a win. But they are a tough team. They know that Eli Manning is a sophomore player and the Giants are not for real. Eagles (+7)

Pittsburgh at Baltimore

Ravens, where’s the D! Steelers should win this easy. Steelers (-14)

Tampa Bay at Atlanta

What a poor showing by the Falcons. Let’s face it, Vick is not the quarterback that we all think he is. Oh yes, he is fun to watch, no doubt. But QB’s are supposed to manage the game for their team. Go deep when necessary. He just doesn’t have it. Tampa’s call to get the win last Sunday was a bit shocking. They did get the cal. So good for them. Bucs (+3)

Seattle at San Francisco

Seattle is on a roll and could be the team to watch. They are really riding on Shaun Alexander’s career year. They should win easy. Seahawks (+3)

Buffalo at San Diego

JP Losman is back! You know what that means. Nothing much against the SD Chargers, one of the best teams in the AFC. Look for Tomlinson to have a big game, possibly another TD pass! Chargers (-7)

Indianapolis at Cincinnati

The game to watch this Sunday. Bengals are out to prove themselves this year. They failed their first attempt against the Steelers. I think they have matured enough to beat the Colts. Bengals (+3)

N.Y. Jets at Denver

Last time I saw the Broncos play like this is when Elway was their QB. A Superbowl run in the horizon? We’ll see. Broncos (-3)

Kansas City at Houston

Supposedly the most talented team in the league. They lost Holmes but not their depth. THis should be a walk in the park. Chiefs (-7)

Minnesota at Green Bay

Believe it or not, both teams have a legitimate chance for a playoff spot. Green Bay still can taste their lost to the Vikings a few weeks back that would have signalled the Vikings season end. Now they are both here fighting for a spot. Green Bay (+7)

Last week, most of the teams that have forcasted to win, won the game. Hence, I had another double-digit result of 11!

For the record:

Week 1: 4-12

Week 2: 6-10

Week 3: 10-4

Week 4: 9-5

Week 5: 8-8

Week 6: 9-5 (against the spread, 9-3-2)

Week 7: 7-7 (against the spread, 9-5)

Week 8: 9-5 (against the spread, 10-4)

Week 9: 11-3 (against the spread, 9-5)

Okay, the Colts have a good team this year, though, they don’t have class. Leading 40-21 with only a few minutes left in the game, the Colts lined-up for a 2-point conversion. Some may argue that the Patriots are still capable of mounting a comeback. Yes, if their defense played that night. Anyhow, this is the third time this season that they have shown such behavior.

C’mon Eagles, let’s play defense shall we. The Eagles are capable of winning, with or without TO. They did it in 3 consecutive seasons. And who would forget that he didn’t play a single playoff game on their way to the Superbowl last year. So please, don’t tell me that they need him to win!

Now to the picks:

Arizona at Detroit

Detriot Lions are in the position to get an easy win here. Lions (+7)

Baltimore at Jacksonville

Jaguars will have it tough against a good defensive team especially without their running back. Boller is back ans so are the Ravens. Ravens (+7)

Houston at Indianapolis

Pad those stats, Colts! Colts (-14)

Kansas City at Buffalo

Kudos to the Chiefs for calling the do or die play to win the game last week. They should carry that momentum against the Buffalo Bills. Chiefs (+3)

Minnesota at N.Y. Giants

The Giants have taken leadership of the NFC East and should continue to increase that lead. Though the Vikes played good last week, they are still not good enough. Giants (-7)

New England at Miami

The Patriots are the champs, you can’t count them out, not yet. Pats (-3)

San Francisco at Chicago

Who would have thought that the Bears will win their division, but they are! Bears (-3)

Denver at Oakland

Denver want to win their tough division. If they don’t collapse in the end, they have this one. Broncos (+3)

N.Y. Jets at Carolina

At home to the Jets, the Panthers are back in their superbowl form & a powerhouse in the NFC. Panthers (-3)

Green Bay at Atlanta

Okay, Vick can pass the ball. But not consistently against a good passing defense. Green Bay doesn’t have that. Look for him to practice throwing. Falcons (+3)

St. Louis at Seattle

Bulger is back! This will be an entertaining high-scoring game. But in the end, Seattle shouold win this to keep up in the NFC’s home field advantage. Seahawks (+7)

Washington at Tampa Bay

The Redskins will be facing a good defensive squad. Time to prove their worth in the NFC. Redskins (+7)

Cleveland at Pittsburgh

Should we say more? Steelers (-7)

Dallas at Philadelphia

A game that will tell many tales. Is it the end for Philly? Are the Cowboys up to the task this year? Can the Eagles win without TO? Tough to say. We’ll just have to wait & see. If the Eagles defense play the way they are rated in paper, they should be able to pick apart Bledsoe. I’m not gonna go against my Eagles team, no matter what! Eagles (+7)

What a week 7 it has been! I should admit that the only full game that I saw was the Atlanta Falcons/NY Jets game. But this is not my fault at all. This is because the TV stations here in Toronto, ON seems to filter out the football games on Sunday. I guess, this will force you to spend an extra $40 every month to get the NFL Sunday Ticket on a digital terminal. Otherwise, you have to watch the lowly Buffallo Bills every week. The worst part is the way they cut the Eagles/Chargers game within the last 4+ mins to give way to golf. Really, who cares about golf on national television! I should have seen that blocked fieldgoal attempt LIVE!

A lot of close games last week. Really good teams against each other? Hardly. Teams like the San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers (saw the way the Packers defense allowed the Vikes to get into field goal range) and the Denver Broncos all should have won the games they played but they didn’t. They brought it upon themselves by not playing the whole game. They basically gave the game away in the dying minutes of regulations.

Great work by the Eagles defense. Stopping Ladainian Tomlinson’s superior running game, getting the key field goal block returned for a TD and the forced-fumble to clinch the win. The only thing left to fix now is the running game and my boys are back soaring!

Here’s how I did on my weekly picks so far:

Week 1: 4-12

Week 2: 6-10

Week 3: 10-4

Week 4: 9-5

Week 5: 8-8

Week 6: 9-5 (against the spread, 9-3-2)

Week 7: 7-7 (against the spread, 9-5)

And now for this week’s pick:

Arizona at Dallas

Dallas Cowboys should bounce back from a terrible loss to the Seatlle Seahawks last Sunday. It shouldn’t be too hard for them to get the win against the Arizona Cardinals, who by the way got another win last Sunday. Seasons looking pretty good for them already Dallas Cowboys (-7)

Chicago at Detroit

Jeff Garcia did pretty good last week against the Cleveland Browns. But he will go up against a better defensive squad this week. The Chicago Bears are in need of a win to keep the lead on their weak division. Hmmm, they may be playoff bound this year. Chicago Bears (+7)

Cleveland at Houston

Here’s a chance for the Houston Texans to come up with their first win of the season. It will not be easy as it has not been easy for them anyways this year! But I think they have a major chance to go up against the Cleveland Browns. Houston (+7)

Green Bay at Cincinnati

Lots of people are doubting how good the Cincinnati Bengals team are. Although they got stumped by the Steelers last week, they are still a legitimate playoff team. Both teams are in need of this win for different purposes. The Bengals for respect, the Packers to stay alive. Cincinnati Bengals (+7)

Jacksonville at St. Louis

Coming off a bye, the Jacksonville Jaguars should be ready to face a depleted St. Louis Rams team. Jaguars (+7)

Minnesota at Carolina

Minnesota Vikings got a morale booster at the expense of the Green Bay Packers. And they should thank them more for giving them the win last week. They will be hard-pressed against the rested Carolina Panthers team. Although, the Panthers have played inconsistent football this year, it shouldn’t matter much against the more inconsistent Vikes. Panthers (+7)

Oakland at Tennessee

The Oakland Raiders are still alive! Not sure about the Tennessee Titans. Here’s a couple of teams that are just trying to get by this year. Both are in a tough division and would be hard to get a wildcard berth. For this game though, the Raiders should be able to continue to run and should win this game. Oakland Raiders (+7)

Washington at N.Y. Giants

A good divisional matchup. The N.Y Giants are starting to get confident with Eli Manning as their QB. After a winning drive last week to close the game with the Broncos, they should be in a high right now. Washinton Redskins are also red-hot. They are one of the offensive leaders so far but have lost close games. They should win in here, if you are thinking conventionally. This game is big for both and it’s anyone’s game. I will go with the Redskins on this one. Redskins (+7)

Kansas City at San Diego

The San Diego Chargers lost a heartbreaker last Sunday to the Eagles. Thanks to some conservative play-calling of their coordinators and to the stellar performance on defense of the Eagles team. They are facing a multi-faceted Kansas City Chiefs squad. Although this team seems to be incosistent at times, they seems to have the same firepower as the Chargers. The Chargers are in need of this win to stay in this year’s contention and also to make my prediction for the Superbowl be possible Chargers (+7)

Miami at New Orleans

New Orleans Saints almost had it last week. Too bad they lost one against the Rams. They have a good chance to go against the Miami Dolphins team that has so much potential. Altough this could be the breakout game that Ricky Williams need. The Miami Dolphins should use this game to keep him going. If he doesn’t perform, then he should be out! Saints (+7)

Philadelphia at Denver

This is a big game for both Denver Broncos and the Philadelphia Eagles. The defensive performance of the Eagles team last week wasn’t a fluke. I expect it to continue against a great running team, the Broncos. Broncos also need to win this game after losing last week late in the game. The Eagles should not have any problem throwing the football and defending the run at the same time. Eagles (-7)

Tampa Bay at San Francisco

Tamba Bay Bucs should run all over the Niners on this one. Bucs (+7)

Buffalo at New England

The New England Patriots are struggling. So are the Bills. It will just be tto muh for the Bills. Pats (+3)

Baltimore at Pittsburgh

Looks like a good defensive matchup. That is if the Ravens can put score on the boards. And they can’t do just that this season. This will be a walk in the park for the Steelers. Steelres (-14)

Well, another week has passed and what have we learned so far? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Teams that are supposed to win, lost. Teams that are supposed to loose, won. That’s what football is all about, any team can compete against each other if they so desire.

For the record, here are my week-by-week results

Week 1: 4-12

Week 2: 6-10

Week 3: 10-4

Week 4: 9-5

Week 5: 8-8

Week 6: 9-5 (against the spread, 9-3-2)

So much hype has been given to the Indiana Colts defense. But if you have seen how they play in the Monday Night game against the St. Louis Rams, you will notice how disoriented they were and never got a single sack until Marc Bulger got hurt. Not to blame the officials, but, I think the Rams defense got demoralize after the Umpire reverse the call for Colts fumble in their 1 yard line. By the way, that was the start of the Colts comeback. Also, I didn’t particularly like what the Colts did in the closing seconds of the 2nd quarter. Less than a minute left in the quarter in their own teritory, they managed to run 3 plays, use all their timeouts in trying to get a score. Well it backfired on them when the Rams called a timeout with only 2 seconds left in the game. Other “professional teams” would have run one play and if it didn’t work, let the clock run to end the half. Well, there’s the class of the Colts team!

Kudos to Shaun Alexander & LaDainian Tomlinson for their performances last week.

There are a lot of interesting games this week: Eagles/Chargers, Steelers/Bengals, Cowboys/Seahawks and Broncos/Giants. This are all very important games for the top teams especially for Eagles, Cowboys and the Giants which are on the same division that are very close in their standings. Not to mention the Redskins are playing the lowly Niners this Sunday also.

Now for the picks:

Detroit at Cleveland

Detriot Lions play for 2 consecutive weeks have been pretty impressive. They should be able to win this game against a Cleveland Browns non-producing offense. Lions (+14)

Green Bay at Minnesota

After piling up the points 2 weeks ago, the Green Bay Packers are back with a confidence that they can still win games and that Favre can still make it happen. However, they will be facing a Minnesota Vikings team that are in deep turmoil and in a need of a win. Who will show up this week? The Packers had a bye week and the Vikings had a horrible one. The Packers should have an advantage for this game. Packers (+7)

Indianapolis at Houston

The Indianapolis Colts are on a roll and can get their 7th win this season against a winningless Houston Texans team. This might be something that the Colts defense get some high praises from supposedly expert analysts. Colts (-14)

Kansas City at Miami

The Kansas City Chiefs won a big game last week against the Redskins. They should be able to continue doing that against the Miami Dolphins team. The Dolphins should find a way to get their running game going especially now that their starting QB got hurt. It will be too tough for them to do that. Chiefs (+7)

New Orleans at St. Louis

Marc Bulger night not play this week for the St. Louis Rams and this will prove pivotal. Their backup QB has only played 2 professional games and it was evident on the Monday Night game that he is not up to the task. The New Orleans Saints should be able to get a win this time. Saints (+7)

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati

Who will cover 85 this weekend? The question really is, Is Ben 100% healthy? The answer is no. It will be tough for the Bengals, who are playing solid, to do what they do. This will be a test for them, are they for real? Can they beat their division rival? I like the Bengals in this game. They will be motivated to prove their legitimacy. It will be hard to stop the Steelers multi-faceted game but the Bengals will prevail. Bengals (+3)

San Diego at Philadelphia

For me, this is the SuperBowl XL right here! People can say what they will against my Philadelphia Eagles team, but I believe, they are still the team to beat in the NFC. They are not as dominating as last year but the mark of a true champion is how they overcome their deficiencies. The Eagles will show that this week against, arguably, the best team in the AFC - San Diego Chargers. They may not have the standing to show for, but I will stick by it, they will be the AFC Champions! However, after the Eagles bye-week, they are well-prepared for the Chargers. And they better be. The Eagles should be able to fix their somewhat, lackluster defense who has given up too many yards in both the ground and in the air. It will be tough for both teams, but I will never ever betray my team by picking against them. Eagles (-4)

San Francisco at Washington

Here’s a chance for the Washington Redskins to get the standing close in their Division which includes the Eagles, Cowboys & Giants, all playing tough games this week. They should be able to get a win against the SF 49ers easily. Just got the news that this is moved to Friday — not that it matters Redskins (-14)

Dallas at Seattle

This is a game that the Cowboys have to win if they want the respect of the leauge that they are a team to be reckon with. They will be going up against a red-hot Seattle Seahawks team led by the running of Shaun Alexander. The Cowboys have played very good defense but still have lots of things to fix. The Seahawks have had good season over the past years only to fold in the playoffs. Well, it is not the playoffs yet, so they will win this game. Seahawks (+3)

Baltimore at Chicago

Battle of the D! Hardly, this will be decided by their offense. Whoever can score, will win. Duh! Of course, you might say. Well, it’s very hard for this team to get scores on the board, hence, the comment. Anyhow, I think the Ravens will get the W this time. Ravens (+7)

Buffalo at Oakland

I have been very skeptical about the decision of the Buffalo Bills to give the starting QB job to JP Losman in the beginning of the season. And this proved to be the very reason why the Bills are struggling again to get into the playoffs. The Oakland Raiders have a problem of their own. Now that Moss got hurt, the Raiders are basically the same team last year which did not go anywhere. I will go with the Bills. Bills (+7)

Denver at N.Y. Giants

People are raving about the Denver Broncos and how they are 5-1 right now and leading their division by 2 games. This is another game that they should win if they want to be treated as an elite team. The Giants almost had the win against the Sunday but their offense was not the same as they have on the previous weeks. They should bounce back strong to get in contention in their division (how many times do i have to mention this!). But, the Broncos will prevail and will be 6-1. Broncos (+7)

Tennessee at Arizona

The Tennesse Titans should make it a rule: once leading in the game, try not to loose it! How many times this season this happenned. Titans leading and after a turnover, the opponent turns the game around. C’mon, it’s the Arizona Cardinals. They should be able to do it only in Mexico! Titans (+3)

N.Y. Jets at Atlanta

The Atlanta Falcons team were happy that Mike Vick is back. Unfortunately for NY Jets, they don’t have Chad. They do have a Curtis Martin. But it is not enough to win games with just running especially if your against a team that can put up score in the board. You’re just hurting yourself by letting the time tick down. And this has been the story for the Jets team. No air attack. They will be up against the best running team right now. Can they counter that with their defense? I don’t think so. Atlanta (+7)

We are on Week 6 of this young season. There were a lot of surprises last week, no wonder, I only got 7 out of 14 games correctly! The most surpising to me is how both NY Jets & Buffallo Bills got their wins. It was good to see these teams show some character. It was also good to see New England Patriots to be back on track, eventhough their defense almost gave the game away to the Atlanta Falcons. Oh yeah, the Colts are the only remaining unbeaten team this season. Yes, I admit that they are a good playoff-caliber team. They have to prove that they can win on pressure games especially in the playoffs before I can say that they are a great team, though. Anyhow, I will leave the rest of these analysis to the pros and stick to what this post is: picks!

Oh yeah, before I begin my weekly picks, I would just like to say how disappointed I was with the TSN crew for cancelling the Monday Night Pre-Game Show to give way to the Leafs game which they managed to give away, thanks to their stellar shootout performance. I don’t think anybody from the Leafs team had ever scored even 1 out of the 3 games they were involved in a shootout. Ok, here are my picks:

Atlanta at New Orleans

Regardless of whether Vick will play or not, the New Orleans Saints have their work cut out for them due to the loss of RB Duece McAllister. They will become a one-dimensional team and will make it easier for the Atlanta Falcons defense to bounce back after their lost week. Atlanta (+3)

Carolina at Detroit

Detriot Lions seems to be finally getting in to their groove. After almost winning the game 2 weeks ago, they came back last week to prove that they have a potent offense. Maybe, almost half their yardage came from penalties against a suppossedly good defensive squad of Baltimore Ravens. Carolina Panthers won a close one against a non-playoff contender again. They can’t seem to be consistent this year. It’s a tough choice, I will go with the Phanters to win this one close. Panthers (+3)

Cincinnati at Tennessee

Now the 4-1 Cincinnti Bengals have something to prove after losing the Sunday night game against a good Jacksonville Jaguars team. Can they bounce back from that lost and show the leaugue that they are for real. I think so, Tennesse is just not playing consistently right now. Bengals (+7)

Cleveland at Baltimore

Cleveland Browns got their first win of the season against what analyst calls a very good defense squad last week. Now they are facing a suppossedly good defensive squad, Baltimore Ravens. In some way, the Browns will be facing the same squad in consecutive weeks: Good Defense, Bad Offense. It could be the same result. ButI doubt it, I’m sure the Ravens will sort it out for this week. Ravens (+7)

Jacksonville at Pittsburgh

The Jacksonville Jaguars have shown how good they can be at times. the Pittsburgh Steelers have shown that they are capable of grinding it out in the ground. After getting impresive wins last week, both teams will be looking into extending that winning streak. The Jaguars has a very good run-defense so this might limit the production of Bettis & Parker. But getting drawn too much to the run might open up the game for Hines Ward. If Roethlisberger does not play because of his knee injury, then Jaguars have a very good chance of winning this game even against a good Steelers defense. Jaguars (+7)

Miami at Tampa Bay

Ricky Williams is back! Does it matter? It does a lot, especially for a team like Miami whose been not so good in their pass offense. He should remove some pressure off the QB. Although the Tanpa Bay Bucs knows this, they may be in for a big surprise in their secondary with a dose of play-action-pass. The Bucs also have a good chance if Cadillac Williams will play. From the previous posts, I mentioned the watch for Willie Parker & Cadillac Williams as the new breed of running backs: where are they now? Anyhow, it might surprise you, I’m taking Miami. (+7)

Minnesota at Chicago

The Minnesota Vikes, as my friend Sonny calls them nowadays, the Yikes. Well, they pretty much done for the season. So I’m giving the Chicago Bears the advantage here especially with their stellar defense. Bears (+3)

N.Y. Giants at Dallas

Intereseting game for the Dallas cowboys defense. Can they stop the red-hot N.Y Giants QB, Eli (brother of Peyton) Manning from getting 4TDs this week. They probably can. After beating the Eagles by a huge margin in every aspect of the game last week, the Cowboys are pretty confident they can play against big passing teams. But can they play the run? We will see about that on Sunday? As much as I hate it, Giants (+3)

Washington at Kansas City

The Washinton Redskins gained a lot of yardage last week against the Broncos but still failed to get the win. Thanks to their run-defense collapse, which usually is one of the best. They are up against a Kansas City Chiefs team coming off a bye-week and a demoralizing loss to the Eagles 2 weeks back. The Chiefs should have sorted out what went wrong and should figure out a way to stop the Redskins. However, I think the Redskins is a tough team even on the road & will pound it out on the ground until they see the holes in the Chiefs secondary. Just like what the Eagles did to them last week & what the other teams did to them last year. Redskins (+7)

New England at Denver

This will show what is the real deal with both teams. The Denver Broncos have won 3 straight & the New England Patriots have win-loss-win-loss-win streak. It will be a tough game for the Pats defense especially with the superb running game of the Broncos. However, the Pats have always come in prepared for something big. Can they prove they are stillt the team to beat? This is the week we will find out. Patriots (+3)

N.Y. Jets at Buffalo

Two teams struggling to get things going. The Buffalo Bills are staying with Holcomb, and they should. Although the NY Jets looks like the Dallas Cowboys from last year, but a little better, thanks to Curtis Martin. The Jets are going to have a slight advantage on this one. Jets (+7)

San Diego at Oakland

San Diego Chargers lost a game to the Steelers last week which they had a chance of winning. The Oakland Raiders are not the team that they should be on offense & their defense is just not strong. San Diego will bounce back, and they should. They have been loosing very close games to top opponents and this may prove to be a deciding factor comes playoff times. Chargers (+7)

Houston at Seattle

Can the Texans get their first win. It may very well be. If you look at Seattle Seahawks’ performance against loosing team, they are unpleasant. This may be the surprise of the week so I’m going with the Texans. Houston (+14)

St. Louis at Indianapolis

Let’s be honest here. St. Louis will try to score a lot of points. Marc Bulger will keep on throwing deep, that is if he can get it fast enough to stay away from the Indiana Colts linemen. If he commits a turnover, the Colts will make sure that they capitalize on it. The key for the Rams, no turnover! I will pick the Colts just because they have a better overall game. Colts (-7)