Week 10 Recap:

Vs. W/L (7-7)
Vs. Spread (8-6)
Vs. O/U (8-6)

For the Season:

Vs W/L: 83-60-0
Vs Spread: 65-81-0
Vs. O/U: 66-64-1

Here’s where we’re at via the Spread relative to the “Sportsline Experts”:

Expert “J”: 81-62-0
Expert “H”: 79-64-0
Expert “P”: 78-65-0
Expert “S”: 71-72-0
Expert “D”: 68-75-0
Expert “R”: 67-76-0
PFN: 65-81-0

Week 10 Game Balls:

There was some pretty awful football on display last week, so the plaudits are far and few between. When the league owners sought parity, this didn’t mean that the product should have turned into the mediocre mess it has become. From one week to the next teams can swing from great to awful without rhyme or reason.

Dallas: Them Cowboys had a good time of it in the Jersey swamp on Sunday with a dominating win over the G-Men. They’ve got a lock on first place in the NFC East.

Green Bay: They simply blew the Vikes out of Lambeau 31-0. The big news was AP’s knee injury, but what was he doing in there when the game was hopelessly lost and he had been pretty much ineffective all day? Minnesota’s coach is a first class boob…

St. Louis: The Rams finally get off the schneid with a big win on the road against the ‘Aints.

Duds:
Cleveland: How did they blow a 15-point lead? That’s tough to swallow.
Kansas City: No LJ + no imagination on offense = a team going nowhere.
Tennessee: Maybe Young isn’t the real deal after all.
Ravens: Dreadful.
San Francisco: I stand corrected. They are an astoundingly awful team. Coach Walsh must be looking down at this in utter amazement.

That was last week. This is this week…let’s get out there and win this week for the Ol’ Gipper.

Week 11 Preview:
No More Bye Weeks!
This is the time of the NFL year where there are no more excuses for inconsistent play. If your team has a chance for the postseason now is the time to put it together and make a run.

Once again, injuries are a big story. Not only did Vinitieri’s missed chip shot cost Indy a win last week but the team lost Dwight Freeney for the season in a devastating loss to the defense. No one roots for an injury, not even to your team’s best rival. Indy brought in Simeon Rice to fill the hole, but there’s more than a few miles on those cleats…

At Jacksonville -2.5 San Diego 40.5

Jags had a nice win last week while the Bolts capitalized on six interceptions and a lucky break at the end to hand Indy their second consecutive loss. Castillo’s will be out of the lineup for awhile and it’ll be hard for the Chargers to plug that hole. You’d have to think that the Jags can grab something a little bigger than a Wild Card slot and they’ll be going all out. Can Rivers and LDT respond?

Projected Final Score: Jacksonville 24, San Diego 20.

At Indianapolis -14.5 Kansas City 44

This week, Freeney’s absence won’t hurt Indy all that much, as they’re stinging already. One look at the injury report reveals a pretty banged up team, that’s why it’s perplexing to see that Indy is a 2TD+ favorite even against the offensively-challenged Chiefs. Jared Allen is going to pound away at Diem or Ugoh, so Manning’s happy feet will be working overtime. Without Harrison, he’s still got enough with Clark and Addai. Can they cover?

Projected Final Score: Indianapolis 27, Kansas City 10.

At Minnesota -4.5 Oakland 35.5

Two awful teams playing out the string. How much analysis is required?

Projected Final Score: Minnesota 17, Oakland 13.

Cleveland -2.5 At Ravens 43.5

In the “what if” world, the Ravens would contend in the NFC North if they had an actual quarterback rather than a reasonable facsimile. The Browns are a young up-and-coming team who will challenge the once-legendary Raven defense. The Ravens will not be humiliated in the same way that Pittsburgh manhandled them a couple of weeks ago, but the Browns have already come a long way this year.

Projected Final Score: Cleveland 20, Ravens 17.

Pittsburgh -9.5 At NY Jets 40.5

Coach Tomlin has the Steelers aiming for the sky while the Jets are just trying to make it through Week 16. The Steelers pulled off a nice comeback win against the Browns and though the Jets had a week to lick their wounds they’re no match for Pittsburgh.

Projected Final Score: Pittsburgh 24, NY Jets 17.

Tampa Bay -2.5 At Atlanta 36

The Lost v. The Clueless: Gosh, this is an awful matchup though things could be worse. Imagine if you were forced to actually wager cash money on the outcome. I have no idea who will win this game. To save needless wear and tear on the body, maybe the team captains could meet at midfield and draw straws.

Projected Final Score: Tampa Bay 17, Atlanta 14.

At Cincinnati -2.5 Arizona 48.5

If Arizona were playing this one at home I’d have no hesitation picking them to win. On the road they’re a fair-to-poor bunch, so much so that even the Bungles have a chance to win sans Ocho Stinko in the lineup.

Projected Final Score: Cincinnati 24, Arizona 20.

At Philadelphia -9.5 Miami 40.5

Can this be the week the Dolphins get off the schneid? No. Beck will experience the warmth and good humour found only in the City of Brotherly Love.

Projected Final Score: Philadelphia 24, Miami 14.

New England -15.5 At Buffalo 46.5

Sunday night in November…in Buffalo: that ought to be a sweet scene if ever there was. It’s fantastic that the fans of Western New York and the Niagara Region get their second national game of the year. The Bills’ fans are as loyal and passionate as any in the NFL. With the winds whipping off the Lake it ought to feel like 20 below. Lynch may not be available for this one which will hurt the Bills offensively but the defense will have no issue with the weather conditions. Every time New England has been given such a gaudy spread this year they’ve covered. Most of the time, I haven’t agreed with the forecast and chalked up yet another “L” in the column. What the Patriots are doing this year borders on the historic, but there remains a lot of football to be played. The Bills may have talent issues but no one questions their heart or determination. They aren’t intimidated by the Patriots for a second. Can they pull the upset? They came darn close when Dallas came to town.

Projected Final Score: New England 27, Buffalo 13.

At Dallas -10.5 Washington 47

It’s only fitting that Rivalry Week in College Football spills over into Sunday when Cowboys-Skins square off in Big D. Gone are the days of Allen v. Landry, though Coach Gibbs remains a living legend. It’s just too bad that none of his current players can carry the torch. Last week’s loss in Philly (a game they woulda-coulda-shoulda won) was the death knell for Washington while Dallas dispatched the G-Men in short order. The only rivalry in this game is over the laundry not the competition.

Projected Final Score: Dallas 34, Washington 17

At Houston -1 New Orleans 48

After last week, most sane minds would figure that the Saints have given up the ghost and packed it in for this year. There’s still time and enough talent for New Orleans to go on a run and make things interesting in the NFC. There’s no reason why they can’t make the short hop to Houston and play a consistent 60-minutes of kick ass football. C’mon guys, it’s practically a home game!

Projected Final Score: New Orleans 24, Houston 23

At Green Bay -9.5 Carolina 37.5

How do the Pack continue to pull off wins week after week? They have to be one of the best stories of the year. This week, the Panthers come in and Vinny T is going to get a run for his money. How old is Vinny, anyhow? 57? 47? Levity aside, what he’s doing is pretty amazing as well. More power to him.

Projected Final Score: Green Bay 24, Carolina 16.

NY Giants -2.5 At Detroit 49

The G-Men got a big dose of humble pie at home last week that basically thwarted any hopes they had for an NFC East title. Nevertheless they’re still in the thick of the playoff hunt against the surprising Lions. As impressive as Kitna can be, I’m still not sold on him as a top-echelon quarterback. Then again, Eli doesn’t exactly inspire a whole lotta confidence, either. Despite last week’s debacle, the Giants’ D is going to be the story on Sunday.

Projected Final Score: NY Giants 23, Detroit 20.

St. Louis -2.5 At San Francisco 40.5

How bad a matchup is this? 1-8 at 2-7? How is it that the team with only one win is favored? Mind boggling, isn’t it? The schedule makers ought to hang their heads in shame…

Projected Final Score: St. Louis 20, San Francisco 17.

At Seattle -4.5 Chicago 38

Last Monday Seattle defeated a virtually non-existent opponent in one of the sorriest MNF games ever foisted on the public. This week, they re-enact last year’s NFC Championship at Soldier Field. Last year, both teams were very good. This year, they stink. Wonderboy Rex is back at the controls so we can expect yet another uninspiring afternoon of football from Da Bears. Do we have to pick a winner here? OK…

Projected Final Score: Seattle 20, Chicago 17.