Week 7 Review/Week 8 Preview:

For the Week/Season:
v. W/L: (6-7)/(53-51)
v. ATS: (9-4)/(49-53-2)
v. Aggregate:(6-7)/(58-46)

ATS v. The Loyal Opposition:
ESPN Bill Simmons 54-46-5
FOXSports Peter Schrager 54-50
CBS-Brinson 54-47-3
CBS-Judge 53-48-3
Walter Football 52-49-3
CHFF: 52-48-0
USA Pete O’Brien 49-50-5
Postcards From Nowhere: 49-53-2
CSNNE Rich Levine 50-49-4
CBS-Katzowitz 48-53-3
CBS-Richard 46-55-3
CBS-Prisco 43-58-3

Weekly v. W/L v. PFT, ESPN NFL Experts & USA Today Analysts:

PFT-Rosenthal 69-35
Mortensen (ESPN) 66-38
Nate Davis (USAT) 66-38
PFT-Florio 65-39

Schlereth (ESPN) 64-40
Pete O'Brien (USAT) 62-42
CHFF: 62-41-0
Accuscore (ESPN) 62-42
Golic (ESPN) 62-42
Pick 'em (ESPN) 62-42
Gary Mihoces (USAT) 61-43
Jim Corbett (USAT) 60-44
Sean Leahy (USAT) 59-45
Jon Saraceno (USAT) 57-47
Schefter (ESPN) 56-48
Wickersham (ESPN) 55-49
Hoge (ESPN) 55-49
Jarrett Bell (USAT) 54-50
Tom Pedulla (USAT) 53-51
Postcards From Nowhere: 53-51
Allen (ESPN) 50-54

Week 7 Notes:

It was encouraging to see that the threats of heavy fines and suspensions for intentional head shots appeared to have helped certain players change their miscreant ways as there were no such incidents in Week 7…Congratulations to the Oakland Raiders for setting a franchise record for most points in a game as the annihilated Denver 59-14. And who said the AFL Wild West was dead? The Donkeys have some real issues on the defensive side of the ball and if the slide continues, McDaniels’ tenure as head coach may be briefer than anticipated…Colt McCoy and the Browns also had a big road upset against the Saints, who appear to be in full hangover mode.

San Francisco
(At London) -1 Denver 41.5

After this dreadful matchup, maybe the Brits will never invite the NFL back. What a great way to showcase the sport to an international audience: The ‘Niners are coming off a brutal road loss to an 0-5 team while the Broncos surrendered eight touchdowns and a field goal to Oakland. And the NFL actually thinks that actual people will actually tune in/pay for this? Some of us will be “too ill to attend”. Look at it this way, things cannot get any worse for the Broncos as that was a FUBAR Deluxe. It was one of those rare exchanges in sport where one team is 100% bad and the other is 100% good. How often do events like that occur? Too few to go looking for positives when there are none. McDaniels would be better off by throwing the game film out with the trash and moving on. Perhaps a transcontinental journey is just the right medicine for a team that doesn’t know which end is up.

The Broncos can’t run the ball and, even if they could, would have a difficult time moving the chains against a tough run defense like the 49’ers. But San Francisco’s pass D is an abomination which may work to Orton’s advantage. Alex Smith is out, the Coach has no confidence in David Carr, so Troy Smith will get the snaps this week at Wembley. T. Smith provides the ‘Niners’ offense with significantly more mobility than the first and second stringers. The question is whether he can operate the offense and incorporate his unique skills on such short notice. Perhaps Troy Smith proves to be a revelation and turns around the 49’ers’ miserable season. Maybe it’ll happen. On the other sideline is a proven quarterback who says it won’t.

Projected Final Score: Denver 23, San Francisco 20

At Dallas -6.5 Jacksonville 44.5

…speaking of brutal, a Cowboys-Jags match isn’t exactly “must see tv”, either. Now that Romo is out for the next 6-8 weeks with a broken collarbone, that “well-oiled” offensive juggernaut is bound to hit a few bumps with Jon Kitna under the controls. That’s bad enough, but the Cowboys’ defense was dog-ugly on Monday night against the G-Men. Who suggested that Son of Bum was some sort of defensive guru? The Cowboys are now 1-5 and, barring some sort of miracle, will be playing out the string. Still, the Jags are a badly-coached operation on both sides of the ball. The Jags’ offense is pedestrian yet Jones-Drew may have some success against the Cowboys’ mediocre run defense but Jacksonville’s pass defense is so poor that “Dandy Don” could come out of his 42-year retirement and still pass for 300 yards.

Projected Final Score: Dallas 23, Jacksonville 17

At Detroit -2 Washington 44

Why are the Lions favored here? This is the third year in a row that Washington plays in Detroit. Sure, the Lions coming off a bye and a hard-fought Week 6 loss to the Giants. Matthew Stafford is also returning to the lineup and that counts for something. But the Redskins beat Chicago on the road last week. It appears as if Shanahan didn’t have to wait long to find Portis’ replacement as Ryan Torain has performed admirably in Portis’ absence. After seven weeks, the ‘Skins are next-to-last in total defense despite DeAngelo Hall and LaRon Landry playing outstanding ball. The Lions’ defense isn’t much better. Both offenses are comparable, and that’s without Stafford. The wild card for Sunday is Albert Haynesworth. Last week, he showed up motivated and played like the force for whom the Redskins paid untold millions.

Projected Final Score: Detroit 23, Washington 20

At NY Jets -6 Green Bay 42.5

The Packers put themselves back in the NFC North driver’s seat after their (lucky) Sunday night win over the Vikes. As a reward they get a trip to the Meadowlands for what should be a really tough showdown. They’re getting back two more key defensive players (Al Harris and Atari Bigby) and that will be a big help. The Jets are coming off a bye and a win here against a quality opponent sets them up in good stead going forward. If the Jets’ running game has success moving the chains and the clock, that’ll keep Rodgers on the sidelines. The Jets also have an advantage in the defensive line as the Pack’s patchwork O-Line can be had and probably will be by an opportunistic defense.

Projected Final Score: NY Jets 27, Green Bay 20

At St. Louis -3 Carolina 37

OK, so the Panthers won their game and Matt Moore cemented his starter’s job (until the next meltdown) with a big second half last week. Now they hit the road wondering if there will be a repeat this week. Pr’olly not. The Rams have to be steamed with themselves after snatching defeat from the jaws of victory last week in Tampa and Coach Spagnuolo is cracking the whip on his young charges this week. The Rams pass rushers have done well in recent weeks and the Panthers’ O-Line remains seriously deficient without Jeff Otah. Moore could have some success through the air, but only if his blockers afford him the time. He’d have better luck handing off to Williams and Stewart as the Rams’ run D is not very good.
If anyone speculated that the Rams would’ve passed the 49’ers as a better team by Week 7, most folks would’ve suggested that they need their heads examined. Guess what? The Rams (right now) are a better team with a brighter future.

Projected Final Score: St. Louis 27, Carolina 21

At Cincinnati -2.5 Miami 43.5

Do you know what time it is in the Queen City? It’s time to (go) or get off the pot. The T.Ochostinko show hasn’t done at all well in the ratings or on the field. The Bungles played badly in the first half in Atlanta last week only to make a game of it at the end. It’s always too little, too late with the Bengals, of one of the NFL’s longest running themes. The Dolphins ought to be furious over the way that Big Ben’s fumble was handled by the officiating crew last week. What’s the purpose of having instant replay if it’s not used properly (covering views from all angles). It sure appeared from the ol’ nekkid aah that Big Ben coughed up the ball prior to crossing the goal line but there was no camera view showing his front. The Dolphins ought to be angrier than a bees’ nest coming into this game. A loss this week would put them in a rough spot going forward in the AFC East.

Projected Final Score: Miami 24, Cincinnati 21

At Kansas City -7.5 Buffalo 44.5

A lot of folks look at the Bills and laugh. There will be at least one week (yes, this year) when the Bills make the pundits eat their words. A team that has quit doesn’t travel to a playoff contender and take them to overtime. That was a very special performance and the Bills’ players can hold their heads high. But they probably left everything they had on the field at M&T last week and it’ll be nearly impossible for an already-discouraged team to recover from a heartbreaking loss. The Chiefs pounded Jacksonville 42-20 last week as they continue their improbable roll atop the AFC West. Matt Cassel need only mix in the occasional swing pass with a heavy dose of Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles since the Bills’ pass D is pretty good. The only weakness for the Chiefs here is their pass D. Fitzpatrick may be able to generate yards through the air, and as we well know, there’s no quit in a Harvard Man. Illegitimum Non Carborundum.

Projected Final Score: Kansas City 27, Buffalo 23

At San Diego -3.5 Tennessee 44

The Chargers are 2-5 for all the reasons why we saw last week against the Patriots. Between the stupid, unaware and undisciplined plays that led to points and the “normal” turnovers it’s astounding that the game came down to a missed field goal. This will be a tough test for the Titans (gotta love that alliteration) as they travel cross country after a big second half win over Philly. Are they a better team than San Diego? It depends on whether the Chargers take their stupid pills prior to kickoff. The Chargers did put forth a smart, well-played fourth quarter last week and maybe that was the impetus for them to start their usual October roll. The Titans have won on the road this year, but this is a cross-country trip against a 3-4 defense against which they struggle.

Projected Final Score: San Diego 24, Tennessee 20

At Arizona -3 Tampa Bay 40

Welcome to the 2010 Hazardous Waste Bowl. Those in attendance will be required to wear hermetically-sealed garb and booties as a precaution. Along the way to another inept road loss, the Cards lost Max Hall with a concussion and dubiously handed the keys back over to Derek Anderson, who quickly led them…nowhere. The Bucs had a nice comeback home win last week against the Rams as Josh Freeman is showing that he’s well on his way to a very good career. But this is still a long road trip against a team that still plays well at home and genuinely believes they’ll retain their NFC West title.

Projected Final Score: Arizona 23, Tampa Bay 20

At Oakland -2 Seattle 42

The Mighty 3-4 Raiders return to the Mausoleum on the heels of a franchise-best offensive performance and are sniffing playoffs in the AFC West. The Seahawks are coming off a nice home win and may have dismissed the notion that they can’t win on the road after their upset win over the Bears two weeks ago. Oakland has not won consecutive games in two years. “On Paper”, Seattle is supposed to be a better team but Russell Okung went out again with a dreaded high ankle sprain and he’s done a great job of protecting Hasselbeck’s blind side. The Raiders’ pass D will definitely be keying on Okung’s replacement.

Projected Final Score: Oakland 24, Seattle 21

At New England -5 Minnesota 42.5

Don’t get overly smitten with New England’s 5-1 start. That defense (while improving) can be had. They were very fortunate to leave San Diego with a win as they capitalized on a litany of mistakes but had to rely on a missed last-second field goal by Kris Brown in order to win. Brady didn’t have a vintage game so he’ll need to step up against a much tougher defense this week. There won’t be much to be gained on the ground with the Williams Wall and Jared Allen will give Matt Light a real run for his money. Much will probably be made in the media this week about Randy Moss’ return to Foxboro, but he’s hardly been much of a threat since rejoining the Vikes.

The Vikings got robbed in Lambeau last week thanks to bad officiating. Favre was the OG and sometimes it was successful and other times not. It’ll take much more than two foot fractures to stay off the field, so look for him to test the Patriots’ secondary early and often. If he throws touchdowns he’ll jump up and down like a little girl. If he doesn’t, he’ll limp around like an old horse one hop away from the glue factory. AP will get his share of carries and the Pats’ run D needs to focus on limiting his success much as they did controlling Ray Rice a couple of weeks ago. Even though Minnesota’s coach made a few ill-timed Spy Gate remarks, the Pats don’t have the horses on defense to give the Vikes a real whipping. The Pats will need to control the clock and hope for a couple of timely bad throws by the OG if they’re going to win.

Projected Final Score: New England 27, Minnesota 24

At New Orleans PK Pittsburgh 43.5

The Saints lost at home to the lowly Browns last week. If that’s not Exhibit “A” of what constitutes a hangover season, then we’re dumbfounded, Your Honor. There’s still a lot of football yet to be played and the Saints remain within striking distance of the playoffs and will be getting Bush and Thomas back shortly. So, now’s not the time for full-blown panic for Saints’ fans. They are a very good team. The Steelers keep rolling on and it was good to see Harrison tackling opponents hard and clean last week. Pittsburgh lucked their way out of Miami with a win though it was hardly a dominating performance, due in large part to a tough Dolphin defense and the oppressive South Florida heat and humidity. This week all they have to deal with is a lot of noise. Coach Tomlin’s crew knows how to win in any environment.

Projected Final Score: Pittsburgh 24, New Orleans 23