The Final Weekend of the NFL Regular Season!

Some of these games could be interesting, but the majority probably won't amount to much, unless you like NFL pre-season games. Still, I'll be watching.

New England @ New York Giants

I expect the Giants to chicken-out and play their bums, letting the Patriots roll right over them. I wouldn't do it if I were Coughlin: his quarterback looks like crap, his defense has been suspect, and he doesn't have much time for his offense to develop consistency without one of their key guys in Jeremy Shockey. In my opinion, they need to play everyone and they need for those guys to play well. Besides, let's go nuts here and suggest they have a chance in hell of winning this game: what better way to go into the playoffs than after upsetting the 15-0 Patriots at home in the final game? No, really, is there a better way? I say no. If the Giants roll their eyes at that, they don't belong in the playoffs. They can't operate under the assumption that there's a team out there they CANNOT beat at home. Imagine, for a second, that the Giants make their way to the Super Bowl: won't real game experience against the Patriots work in their favor if they meet again? I don't know, if I'm Coughlin, I play this game to win from start to finish. If they find themselves down by a few scores in the second half, maybe they pull some guys, but I'm at least taking a shot at pulling the upset. (They're getting killed.)
Patriots over Giants by many, many points

Seattle @ Atlanta

Who'll be shocked if the Seahawks are upset in Atlanta on Sunday? Not this guy. Atlanta has more to play for than Seattle and showed some life against the Cards in week 16. Because I think the Seahawks are totally phony, I'm going to assume the Seahawks coaches think the same thing. If they have the arrogance to sit their starters or take it easy, they'll have done as much to earn the inevitable pounding they'll take in the playoffs as possible. More than any playoff team, the Seahawks have a lot to prove to NFL fans out there, this is another game where I would come out guns blazing and try to put a real hurting on the Falcons. The Seahawks need the boost.
Seahawks over Falcons, 21-13

San Francisco @ Cleveland

If the Browns have one shriveled testicle between the lot of them, they'll win this game by two scores. Seriously, if they can't get their act together long enough to flatten this doormat with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, they don't deserve to go. They need to get healthy in this game, Derek Anderson needs to show up, and by God, they need a big, big victory. They couldn't have asked for a better team to face in a must-win game: the 49ers are about as bad as NFL teams get. Go Browns!
Browns over 49ers, 27-16

New Orleans @ Chicago

The Saints could lose this game. Chicago is a proud team, a bunch of tough-guys playing in a harsh environment with nothing but pride on the line. They just shelled the Packers, and the Saints ain't the Packers. Unlike the Packers, and working in New Orleans' favor, the Saints have a lot on the line in this game. Their very slim playoff hopes hang on their ability to walk away with a huge road win in the final week. With so much riding on this game, I'm not going to pick against them, and we'll learn a WHOLE LOT about Drew Brees from his performance in this one. He stunk out the joint last Sunday, he needs a rebound.
Saints over Bears, 28-20

Cincinnati @ Miami

The Bengals will probably win. Miami stinks. It could go either way, and either way, I won't be watching, nor will I care.
Bengals over Dolphins, 41-10

Buffalo @ Philadelphia

In all honesty, this is a big game for both franchises. A win for either team gets them to .500, a respectable end to any season. Buffalo will have the all-important road-field advantage, since Philly fans are the biggest bunch of asshole morons in sports, so they could very well pull it out. Because I still think Donovan McNabb is an elite quarterback and Brian Westbrook is terrifying, I'm giving the nod to the Eagles. Yes, even though they're at a significant disadvantage playing in front of a hostile crowd in enemy territory.
Eagles over Bills, 30-17

Carolina @ Tampa Bay

C'mon, Bucs, pull your heads out of your asses and get a win. Carolina stinks, you're not so good that you can overcome consecutive losses to end the season. Put a hurting on the Panthers, in your place, and finish the season with a win.
Bucs over Panthers, 21-10

Detroit @ Green Bay

The Packers need this win, they really do. They got their balls ripped off and fed to 'em by the Bears last Sunday, they're not so good that they can go into the playoffs with that kind of momentum and get a win, even at home. Detroit is a mess, the Packers shouldn't let 'em off the mat. Go Packers!
Packers over Lions, 28-14

Jacksonville @ Houston

The Texans need it more, but the Jags are on a roll! If the Jags play their starters, they should win by a bunch. If they take it easy, the Texans will get to .500 to end the season for the first time in franchise history. Because Del Rio still hasn't convinced me he's not a moron, I think he'll take it easy and give the Texans a chance. I don't know . . . I want the Texans to win, but in the end, I can't pick against the hotter-than-hell Jaguars, even on the road.
Jaguars over Texans, 17-16

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore

Pittsburgh is so much better than Baltimore. The Ravens are utter crap, one of the worst teams in football and easily one of the least likeable. Call me crazy, but isn't the third seed in the AFC playoffs up for grabs? If Pittsburgh loses and San Diego wins, doesn't that give the Chargers the third seed? Does that matter? It does to me, dammit! One thing to watch for in this game: Troy Smith, who against many odds, is suddenly looking like the guy in Baltimore. They'll probably sell him up the river or undermine him at every opportunity, but this guy is a competitor, an athlete, and a winner, and he's been the only guy with a pulse on their offense for weeks. With a few games at the end of this season and a full off-season, he could be an exciting piece for the Ravens in 2008.
Steelers over Ravens, 24-13

Dallas @ Washington

Here it is, Washington's season right here. Of the three teams with any hope of landing the final wild-card in the NFC, Washington is the only team that controls their own destiny and the only team playing at home. They're also the only team playing a division opponent with nothing to play for but the rivalry. I've been to a season-ender against Dallas at FedEx and two season-ending home games against Dallas for the Skins, both were huge for different reasons, but both had one thing in common: the stadium was absolutely NUTS. The first one was the final game at RFK, and it was crazy. The second was Darrell Green's final home game, and the fans were absolutely out of control. Every time anything good happened, the place exploded. We're talking about the NFL's largest stadium, packed to the brim with lunatic fans, against the biggest rival we know, with something huge on the line, at the end of the season. This might be the biggest regular-season finale in Skins history. What does that mean? It means the Redskins should be able to win this game on emotion alone. If they don't turn the ball over too much and make a handful of big plays, the crowd will carry them to victory, that's a promise. No way in HELL am I picking against the Skins under those circumstances.
Redskins over Cowboys, 35-10

St. Louis @ Arizona

Sorry, I blew my wad on that last one, nothing left for this turd.
Cardinals over Rams, 31-24

Minnesota @ Denver

The Vikings are a great running team, the Broncos are a terrible run defense. The Vikings should win, hopefully it won't matter.
Vikings over Broncos, 17-14

San Diego @ Oakland

Oakland showed how much fight it has left in the bloodbath against Jacksonville. San Diego is not as good as Jacksonville, but they're a shit-load better than the Raiders. Here's hoping JaMarcus Russell fares well!
Chargers over Raiders, 24-12

Kansas City @ New York Jets

Worst possible match-up. Hilarious!
Jets by a few points.

Tennessee @ Indianapolis

I do believe the Colts will sit many offensive players, but let's not forget what Indy has done to division foes this season: 5-0, 29.4 ppg, plus Indy has one of the best defenses in football. I expect the Colts to win and keep their division-mates out of the post-season. I also want the Colts to win so the Browns can get in. It's true. By the way, this is a pretty good final regular season game of the year.
Colts over Titans, 24-20

Go Skynards!

Yeesh. Choke Jobs All Around.

And let's get right to it:

Steelers over Rams, 41-24
My Pick: Steelers over Rams, 27-13

The only interesting part of this game was how the NFL Network spent all week trying to convince viewers this game had any importance at all. True, if the Steelers had lost, they'd be in danger or not reaching the playoffs in Week 17, but was there any chance they'd lose? No. Great game from Ben Roethlisberger. He'll do that from time to time.

Cowboys over Panthers, 20-13
My Pick: Cowboys over Panthers, 31-17

My God, is there even ONE NFC DIVISION WINNER THAT ISN'T BACKING IN TO THE PLAYOFFS? Seriously, this was an ugly game that ought to give Dallas fans a lot to think about. T.O. is hurt, the Dallas defense is now officially the most over-rated thing outside of the Pacific Northwest, and Romo is starting to look like a guy who is mostly the product of the talent around him. They looked like crap on Saturday, they should have won this game by several touchdowns against one of the NFC's crappier teams.

Lions over Chiefs, 25-20
My Pick: Lions over Chiefs, 28-20

There was at least one person shamelessly begging for a late field goal from the Lions: this guy. I almost nailed it! The best the Lions can hope for, at this point, is to finish their season with a little pride. They haven't been this close to .500 in a while.

Colts over Texans, 38-15
My Pick: Colts over Texans, 24-21

Yikes! Indy sure knows what to do against division foes. This was pretty brutal, you know you're in bad shape when Jim Sorgi is playing in the THIRD QUARTER in a late season division contest. He was completing passes to guys I'm pretty sure I've never heard of or seen before. I wouldn't want to play the Colts right now, they aren't even healthy and they look unbeatable.

Jaguars over Raiders, 49-11
My Pick: Jaguars over Raiders, 35-7

When you pick a blow-out, you're generally disappointed, and here's why: if you think one team has no chance, you can be sure nobody else is giving them a chance either, including their opponent. Usually, that means the underdog plays with a chip on their shoulder, while the favorite takes a few minutes to figure out their opponent has a pulse. That was not the case here: the Raiders did not have a pulse. I can't remember the last non-Patriots game I picked as a blow-out but didn't get the margin high enough. The rumor is JaMarcus Russell will get his first NFL start on Sunday, but after the turd he laid in this one, I might reconsider. I'm sure he has a bright future, but he looked like flushed shit against the Jags defense.

Bears over Packers, 35-7
My Pick: Packers over Bears, 20-10

I wish I had more to say about this result, but I don't. Sometimes Brett Favre plays like an asshole, this was one of those times. Sometimes the Bears defense looks like the Bears defense of last season, like Sunday. Mostly, the Bears came out charged and ready to kick the shit out of their division leader, while the Packers came out flat and got punched in the mouth. I don't know, you can't feel too good about your team if you're swept by the division cellar-dweller.

Giants over Bills, 38-21
My Pick: Bills over Giants, 27-18

I said it would be a choke job if the Bills lost this game, and I'm sticking by that statement. Here's why: Eli Manning went 7-15 for 111 yards and 2 picks; that's about as pathetic a stat-line as you're likely to see from a starting quarterback in the NFL. He also fumbled FIVE times and lost two of them. When a road team comes in and loses four turnovers and fails to produce 120 yards in the air, you ought to win by at least, at LEAST two touchdowns. I can't believe the Bills gave up 300 rushing yards at home. That's an epic embarrassment. Trent Edwards was also crap: 9-26 for 161 with 2 scores and 3 picks. He also lost a pair of fumbles. They say this guy is their quarterback: they'd better be sure. He completed just over a third of his passes, averaged a truly disgusting 5 yards per attempt, and threw a third as many picks as he did COMPLETIONS. In a big game at home against a reeling opponent. Yuk.

Eagles over Saints, 38-23
My Pick: Saints over Eagles, 27-21

Another choke job. How bad are Eagles fans? Philly is 2-5 at home, 5-3 on the road, with wins in New Orleans, Dallas, Washington, and Minnesota, and the best effort yet at the Patriots. On the road, they average 23 points per game, at home - 19. Nice job, Eagles fans. Hey, here's a clue: you're supposed to boo the OTHER GUYS. You know you're doing your job as a fan when your players get a bigger boost from a road crowd than at home. Idiots. As for the Saints, way to go, losers. In the end, the Saints were in the driver's seat for the final wild-card: neither the Vikings nor Redskins had a tie-breaker over them and the Saints had only to win two EASY games to end the season and they were in. Now, they need a TON of help. They need both the Skins and Vikings to lose and they need a win. Good luck.

Bengals over Browns, 19-14
My Pick: Browns over Bengals, 37-24

I'm not going to rip the Browns for failing to score three touchdowns against the Bengals terrible defense. I'll go easy on Derek Anderson after he threw four interceptions, almost all of them terrible decisions. I'm going to lay off the Browns coaching staff, who failed to coach their guys to a victory in a must-win situation against a very weak Bengals team. Instead, I'm going to hold out hope that the Browns don't CRUSH their fans by losing to the goddamn 49ers on Sunday. The Browns, unbelievably, need help from the Titans to get to the post-season. How much does that suck? The Titans are playing for their season against a Colts team with nothing to play for, and if they get the win, they're in. GO COLTS! GO BROWNS! GOD DAMN IT!

Cardinals over Falcons, 30-27
My Pick: Cardinals over Falcons, 24-14

Overtime game. Somebody won.

49ers over Bucs, 21-19
My Pick: Bucs over 49ers, 21-10

Forget that Shaun Hill is now 2-0 as the starting quarterback for the 49ers. This is an inexcusable loss for the Bucs, I don't care if Gruden himself was strapped in under center. Seriously, yes, you want to be healthy and rested for the playoffs, but you also want to have a little momentum. Losing to the friggin' TERRIBLE 49ers is about the worst thing you can do for the confidence of your team and your fans. Gross. I have nothing else to say.

Patriots over Dolphins, 28-7
My Pick: Patriots over Dolphins by a lot

I picked a blow-out and it was a blow-out. It wasn't a hideous massacre, but if you're sitting around buying the hype that the Patriots are at anything less than full strength because they only won by three touchdowns, you're a moron.

Seahawks over Ravens, 27-6
My Pick: Seahawks over Ravens, 28-16

Don't believe your eyes or ears when it comes to the Seahawks: they stink. The Ravens are just this bad. ESPN.com dared to suggest that this was the best, most complete game the Seahawks have played all season with a straight face. Holy hell, look who they were facing! The Ravens lost to the DOLPHINS. They're one of the 2 or 3 worst teams in football. If you took the 2005, 2006, and 2007 seasons, lined all 96 teams up in order from worst to first, the Ravens would STILL be in the bottom 5. This is what the Seahawks do: they beat up MISERABLE teams at home. They stink! I hate the Seahawks!

Titans over Jets, 10-6
My Pick: Titans over Jets, 20-14

Yeah, that's a playoff team. How 'bout those Titans, dragging down the quality of the AFC playoff picture with every hideous win. Still, a win is a win.

Redskins over Vikings, 32-21
My Pick: Redskins over Vikings, 35-3

I picked a blow-out, a blow-out is what you got. The final score might seduce you into thinking the Vikings were in this game, but in truth, they weren't. All the Skins had to do to win the game was run the ball enough to set up a few tosses deep and stuff the run defensively. Yeah, that sounds tough, but it really was that simple. The Vikings actually aren't a good pass defense, and as strong as their run defense has been, they were worn down by the fact that the Vikings offense couldn't stay on the field in the first half. The Skins were pretty shameless about loading the box early, and Tarvaris Jackson just couldn't make 'em pay for it. He looked like crap until the game was out of hand. The Skins made every important play early, converting third downs, getting a few timely passes in there, and seeming to come up with a stuff on every defensive third down. Adrian Peterson ain't right, by the way. He had a couple of explosive plays in there, but you can tell he can't cut with confidence and has lost some agility. He's still a terrifying back, but a healthy Adrian Peterson would have done a lot more damage in this game. The Skins control their own destiny now; they're in the playoffs with a win on Sunday.

Chargers over Broncos, 23-3
My Pick: Chargers over Broncos, 28-17

Jay Cutler gave Broncos fans a good reason to hug the toilet for a few hours on Christmas; not only did he look like crap, he looked like a friggin' baby, pouting and whining after every shitty pass in the second half. You know, for a guy who doesn't say much, he sure does have an instinct for when and how to turn vocal: when he's torpedoing his team with terrible play at the end of a lost season, he turns into Ryan Leaf and starts showing up his teammates on the field. Nice job, dick. I went from liking this kid to thinking he's a total turd in one awful blow-out. As for the Broncos, Shanahan accomplished what seemed to be his main goal for the 2007 season: driving down the market value of every back on his team at all costs. Travis Henry went from preseason hype to forgotten junk; Selvin Young had a few bright spots erased by erratic playing-time; Mike Hall keeps the end of the bench clean, etc. The Broncos have gone from a running-back factory to a running-back wasteland this season. If I were either coming out of college or a free-agent, Denver would be at the very bottom of my list of teams I'd be interested in playing for. They're so convinced of their ability to run the ball regardless of who is toting the rock, they now go out of their way to undermine individual players' success. Oh yeah, San Diego won, LT looked great for a half before riding the pine, and Norv Turner even botched the hand-off to second-string players by inserting Billy Volek about 10 minutes too early, while the game could still swing either way with a big turnover. The Broncos got that turnover on Volek's first play, when he doinked a hand-off off of Artoose Pinner's elbow, giving the Broncos the ball in the red-zone. Imagine if the Broncos were competent: they would have scored there, making it a two touchdown game with most of the second half left to play, and Turner would have had to re-insert his starters into the game. Instead, the Broncos are crap, turned the ball over, and lost.

I'm doing picks for the final weekend, even though it's pretty much impossible to know who'll play and for how long on most teams in the NFL. Still, there are three match-ups with huge playoff implications: Browns/49ers, Titans/Colts, Skins/Cowboys. Then there are two match-ups that only matter depending on the outcome of the Skins game: Saints/Bears and Vikings/Broncos. I can't believe the Skins might get in, after all the crap that's gone wrong for them this season. I'm not hoping the Cowboys rest everyone: I'm hoping they bring everything they've got into Washington on Sunday, that's the only way I want the Skins getting in.

Picks later. PEACE!

Guts vs. Brain

When I look at the list of match-ups for week 15, I find myself having a strange conflict between what I think should happen and then what my gut tells me. For instance: I'll be going on faith in the Cowboys superiority when I pick them on the road in Carolina, but I have a hunch they're looking at an upset. Same goes for New Orleans hosting the Eagles, Seattle hosting Baltimore, and San Diego hosting the Broncos. I'll probably go with the home team, the team with the better record, but in each case, I have a certain feeling. As I go through my picks, the challenge will be sticking with my brain and ignoring those hunches. But is that fun? I don't know . . .

Pittsburgh @ St. Louis

I don't think I'll have any such problems with this game. Pittsburgh has rebounded well from their losses this year, and I don't see St. Louis as the kind of team that can usher in the first losing streak of the season for the Steelers. I doubt it'll be a bloodbath, but I don't see it being real close, either.
Steelers over Rams, 27-13

Dallas @ Carolina

Here's what I know: the Cowboys have yet to lose on the road this season, and the Panthers are one of the NFL's worst home teams. Carolina will probably have Matt Moore at quarterback again, they're out of the hunt, and they stink. Dallas, on the other hand, is pretty healthy (aside from Tony Romo's thumb), has a chance to wrap up home-field throughout the NFC playoffs, and apart from that horrible home loss on Sunday, they've looked pretty great all year. But . . . BUT, they did look really awful on Sunday, whereas Carolina just got their first home win, and over an NFC playoff team, too. I don't know, this could be an upset special. Shoot. Ah, stick with the better team.
Cowboys over Panthers, 31-17

Kansas City @ Detroit

I won't be shocked either way, but the Lions are a hell of a lot more talented, plus Herm Edwards did just tell Kansas City fans to "get over it" regarding the team's seven straight losses. Hey, dickwad, you do know you're being paid to win football games, right? Like, that's your whole job, right there. Maybe "get over it" isn't the attitude you want to have about the fact that your team hasn't won in almost two months.
Lions over Chiefs, 28-20

Houston @ Indianapolis

You know what? I don't have a lot of energy right now. Sometimes you just pick the better team and walk away.
Colts over Texans, 24-21

Oakland @ Jacksonville

Jacksonville is hot, the Raiders are not.
Jaguars over Raiders, 35-7

Green Bay @ Chicago

I don't see Kyle Orton leading the Bears to a victory, even at home. Green Bay is playing for home-field throughout, they might get it!
Packers over Bears, 20-10

New York Giants @ Buffalo

Only one way to pick this game. The Giants are in full-blown collapse mode, I swear. If the Bills don't win, it'll be a choke job on their part. Look for an ugly offensive game from the Giants, who'll have one less target for Eli Manning to throw to now that Shockey is done. I can't wait until the Giants have to beat the 15-0 Patriots in the final week to get into the playoffs.
Bills over Giants, 27-18

Philadelphia @ New Orleans

I'm not going out on a limb with the Eagles, not anymore. I could have last Sunday, I would have been riding high after their upset of the Cowboys. But I've done it too many times this season and been wrong, I'm not picking them on the road against a team with playoff hopes. Plus, if the Saints win out, they put maximum pressure on the Giants to win against the Pats. On the other hand, I could be undermining an outside shot that the Skins get to the playoffs by hoping the Saints knock out the Giants. If the Skins and Saints both win out, the Saints are in, provided the Giants don't win another game. If the Skins win out, the Saints lose and the Giants lose both, the Skins are in. But, BUT, if the Skins win out they get in over the Vikings anyway. The Skins control their own destiny, how about that? Go Saints!
Saints over Eagles, 27-21

Cleveland @ Cincinnati

Could the Bengals jump up and sting the Browns on their unlikely march to the playoffs? Sure. I'm not picking the Bengals. I love the Browns, and they've been good to me. I'm stickin' with 'em.
Browns over Bengals, 37-24

Atlanta @ Arizona

Gotta go with the Cardinals. They're just better.
Cardinals over Falcons, 24-14

Tampa Bay @ San Francisco

Never pick the 49ers.
Bucs over 49ers, 21-10

Miami @ New England

Honestly, I'm picking this game this way because that's what it's going to be, a blow-out. If the streak continues, hey, I won't complain. I hope I'm wrong, I hope the Phins bite 'em.
Patriots over Dolphins by a huge, huge margin

Baltimore @ Seattle

Both teams stink. The 2007 Seahawks are the 2006 Ravens, in that next year they'll be in the toilet after having done nothing in the playoffs. Screw this game.
Seahawks over Ravens, 28-16

New York Jets @ Tennessee

Tennessee is better and is technically alive in the playoff hunt. Plus they're at home.
Titans over Jets, 20-14

Washington @ Minnesota

Here's the thing: all year long I've picked the Redskins, with two exceptions: I did not pick them against the Patriots, and I did not pick them last Sunday. In games where I've picked them, they're an even .500. In games where I did not pick them, they're an even .500. So there's no trend I can fall back on to improve their chances of upsetting the Vikings. Here's what I know: it will be very difficult for the Skins to stop the Vikings offense. Not because Tarvaris Jackson will be able to pass the ball much, but because the Skins have only a decent rush defense, they just lost Rocky McIntosh for the season, and the Vikings are the NFL's best rushing team. There have been a number of times this season where the Vikings have failed to establish the ground game, but nearly all those instances involved Brad Childress inexplicably going away from it. Incidentally, Tarvaris Jackson was not playing in any of those games. I think Childress knows that in order for his young QB to be successful, the Vikings have to establish the running game first, and especially against a defense that has given fits to all but one or two quarterbacks this season, I expect him to pound the ball. If he does that, and they are successful, the chances of the Skins pulling this one off are very slim. On the other side of the ball, the Skins will obviously try to establish the ground game, that's what they do. Of late, their offensive line has done a pretty outstanding job in both running and passing situations. Todd Collins is not the sort of quarterback that will toss balls into the teeth of the defense or take a lot of chances. I expec this game to move at light speed, with both teams pounding the football and dinking and dunking, trying to put together long drives and control the clock. The team that a) wins the time of possession, b) limits big plays, and c) wins the turnover battle will win the game. Time of possession will come down to third down completions, I expect the Skins to do a better job in their passing game, so I'll give them the nod there. Neither team has been real prone to giving up big plays, but the Vikings have shown the ability to create more big plays, both in the running game and in the passing game. On the other hand, there was a big stretch of the season where the Vikings were a bad pass defense, so this one might be a push. Because they've been playing better pass defense of late, I expect the Vikings to win the big-play battle. The final determining factor is this: the team that wins the turnover battle wins the game. Adrian Peterson has been fumble prone, Tarvaris Jackson has more interceptions than touchdowns on the year, including three picks last Sunday. Todd Collins, on the other hand, has not turned the ball over in his two starts and one of the only things we know about Collins is that he's pretty conservative with the ball and makes good decisions. Portis has had fumble problems in the past, Ladell Betts has had fumble problems in the past, even Santana Moss has had fumble problems. This one is too close to call. Because I can't stand picking against the Skins, even on the road in Minnesota . . . wait . . . in Minnesota . . . hmmmmmm . . . when was the last time Joe Gibbs coached a team in Minnesota . . . was that the Super Bowl? The Super Bowl he won over the Bills? The one my mom went to? Yeah, the Vikings are dead meat.
Redskins over Vikings, 35-3 That's right, bitches. A blow-out.

Denver @ San Diego

I could see Denver winning this game. It could happen. If Norv Turner is smart, he'll give the ball to LT as often as possible early in the game and get a huge lead. Why? Two things we know about the Broncos: they kinda stink on the road and they don't play well from behind.
Chargers over Broncos, 28-17

Sorry I didn't have more to say with these picks. I thought I would, but I ran out of gas. Go Skynards!

Taking Care of Business.

So, it turned out this weekend was all about whether or not teams could take care of business. Sometimes that meant a playoff hopeful gritting out a tough win at home, other times a veteran team going on the road to dispatch a lesser foe, but in almost all games, there was a theme of one team needing the win more than another, and that team either stepping up and getting the win or showing their true colors and folding under pressure. The Packers took care of business; the Giants did not. All in all, I thought it was a pretty fascinating weekend of football.

And let's get right to it:

Texans over Broncos, 31-13
My Pick: Texans over Broncos, 28-21

Could I have been a little closer? Yeah, sure, but I still feel like I nailed it. The Texans played a great game from beginning to end, and the Broncos, while competent, just aren't real good on the road and are even worse when behind. I think the corner duo on Denver is highly, HIGHLY over-rated; in fact, I thought Champ Bailey was highly over-rated when he was a Redskin too. He was eaten alive by Andre Johnson on multiple occasions, and Sage Rosenfels found Ken Walter and Owen Daniels all over the field too. Dre Bly had a pick: GREAT! But the ball landed right in his lap. The fact is, the few times I've seen the Broncos play this season, I've seen receivers and quarterbacks move up and down the field throwing the ball, including Brett Favre torching the Denver secondary and now Rosenfels. Here's the thing: I don't believe in the shut-down corner, I think it's one of the big myths of professional football. Deion Sanders was the last shut-down corner, the only one I can remember that actually closed his guy out on a consistent basis. People talk about Champ Bailey not giving up touchdowns: woopty-doo! Did you know Mike McKenzie gave up his first touchdown of the season in the Saints game against Atlanta? How valuable has that statistic been for the Saints? Let's see: they're the 30th ranked pass defense in football! Here's my point: I don't see Dre Bly and Champ Bailey shutting guys down, I see them getting burned. If the Broncos didn't have one of the worst rush defenses in football, their overpaid corners would be getting exposed nightly. Is it a coincidence that the Broncos and Raiders are ranked in the top 10 in pass defense, and in the bottom 5 in rush defense? Are the Raiders corners right up there with the "elite" guys in Denver? Apparently so.

49ers over Bengals, 20-13
My Pick: Bengals over 49ers, 38-16

This is how bad the Bengals are. Really. It's not one part of their team, it's the whole team, and it starts with the utter lack of leadership among the players. You know, this is just one of those games you don't lose when you're finally healthy, when you're playing for pride and the right to insist you're better than your record, and you're trying to finish your season with a little momentum and scrape your way out of the AFC cellar. Not when you've got some of the NFL's biggest stars and most prolific players on your offense. Not when Shaun Hill is starting for a 49ers team that hasn't even been competitive in the majority of their games this season. This Bengals team plays like they just don't know how to win. I've watched them this season, and I won't say they don't want to win, just that they don't know how. They don't know how to be on the same page, give a consistent, strong effort, do the little things, stay focused and intense, and just win a football game. They only know one formula for success, and that's by putting 45 points on the board and hoping the other team can't match 'em. I'd pick pretty much any team in the NFL to beat them if they could hold the Bengals under 28 points, and not because their defense is that bad, but because when they fail to put up huge numbers, they start pressing, they bicker, they turn selfish and frustrated, and they start making stupid mistakes that kill them. There's no way the 49ers have a good enough defense to hold the Bengals to 13 points, but when the Bengals aren't clicking early, they implode. As for San Francisco, they've won 2 of 4, their best stretch of football since week 2. That's pretty pathetic, but since .500 football is about the best the 49ers can do right now, it's nice to see them have this "success" at the end of the season, it'll be something to build on next year.

Jaguars over Steelers, 29-22
My Pick: Jaguars over Steelers, 20-17

I knew it! Nobody, NOBODY wants to play the Jaguars. They don't turn the ball over, their defense is outstanding, they run the ball extremely well, and they kill a lot of clock with their offense. They're built for playoff football, cold-weather playoff football where if you can put a few scoring drives together and play stout defense, you can beat anybody. And, AND they just went into Pittsburgh and got the first win for a visitor all season. They needed this win, sure, but the Steelers REALLY needed this win. The Steelers finish out with a tougher schedule than the Browns, who have now drawn into a half-tie with Pittsburgh atop the AFC North. I call it a "half-tie" because the Steelers swept the season series with the Browns and hold the critical tie-breaker. The Steelers finish up with two winnable road games, in St. Louis and in Baltimore, but this team has been wild on the road and an AFC North road game is never a sure thing. Cleveland, on the other hand, goes to Cincinnati and then hosts the 49ers. The Bengals are bottoming out and a home game against the Niners with the division on the line is a nice way to finish up. The Steelers are a team that REALLY failed to take care of business, not just this week, but in several of their losses this season. They're not very consistent, are they? What do you depend on in their offense? Ben Roethlisberger has had a great season, but he's not always able to move the ball and he'll pull a "Favre" and kill his team. Willie Parker is a great runner, but he sometime takes 25 carries and disappears with them. On the road in the playoffs, I'd have a hard time picking them, even in Cleveland, but especially in Indy, at New England, in Jacksonville, or even in San Diego. I don't know, I felt a lot better about this team a month ago.

Bucs over Falcons, 37-3
My Pick: Bucs over Falcons, 21-10

Somewhere in Arkansas, while his neighbor has sex with a cow outside his window, Bobby Petrino is laughing his ass off about this one. There were probably quite a few Falcons players talking a good one about how Petrino was bad for the team, bad for chemistry, and the team was better off without him. All true. Then the all important moment came when they had to either a) give a real effort in a football game for 90 minutes, or b) mail it in and make plans for their winter vacations, and the decision was, apparently, pretty fuckin' easy. Look, I know Atlanta's players have had to deal with a lot this season, but this kind of effort is really disturbing. They went into Tampa Bay and didn't give two shits about winning the game, that's the only way you can go down 27-3 in the first half to a division foe. As for Petrino, the only slim hope in hell he has of ever coming back to the NFL, even 15 years from now, is for Atlanta to look significantly worse without him than they did with him. The Bucs were a team the REALLY took care of business on Sunday, grabbing the lead early and running away with it, big time. In their pursuit of the NFC South crown, they took even this game seriously and never gave Atlanta a chance to play spoiler. Good for them. Now that they've taken their division, it's time to start resting some guys. This team is Karen Carpenter thin, across the board, and more than any other team in the NFL, they cannot afford any more significant injuries headed into the playoffs. They finish up at San Francisco and then hosting the Panthers: they'll want to win at least one of those games, but not at the expense of another big injury to a key guy. If they can wrap up the win in San Francisco, they'll probably start pulling guys and then play the practice squad at home against Carolina. I'd expect another big, aggressive start next weekend for the Bucs, in an attempt to put the Niners away early.

Panthers over Seahawks, 13-10
My Pick: Seahawks over Panthers, 31-13

Ha ha, those fraudulent Seahawks. There was no taking care of business in this one. The Panthers took down a team with no guts that never gives a consistent effort. Seriously, how awful is this Seattle team? They'd better hope the Bucs overtake them, otherwise they're gonna get humiliated in the opening round of the playoffs by the Vikings. All that BS about the Seahawks building great momentum for the post-season goes out the window. Have a little pride, Seahawks! Don't they care that they look like the laughing stock of all playoff teams? Seriously, of ALL playoff teams, they look like the softest, crappiest bunch, coming out of the weakest, worst division in football, and they can't even go on the road and take down a woeful Panthers team that hadn't won at home all year and started their NFL record 4th quarterback of the season, an undrafted rookie. I can't STAND the Seahawks, for the last 3-4 years they've been sitting atop that laughing-stock of an NFL division, padding their way to 9+ wins without even a shred of a chance of winning it all, with a roster full of over-hyped, overpaid pretty boys. Yuk. Yuk yuk yuk. As for the Panthers, way to play spoiler! When you don't have much left to play for except pride, hell, at least you played with pride. There are a lot of questions to be answered in Carolina in the off-season, it's a shame that very few of them can even be addressed as this season winds down. I think we all know Moore isn't the future of this team, but even more than that, is there a unit on this team that isn't a question mark? The receivers are consistently enigmatic, all parts of the defense are underperforming, the quarterback spot has been up-and-down for years, and the committee at tailback isn't exactly dominant. Still, for embarrassing the crappy Seahawks, they've got a fan-for-a-week in this guy.

Packers over Rams, 33-14
My Pick: Packers over Rams, 30-10

There you go, a professional team with home-field in the playoffs on the line stepping up and doing the job. I LOVE the Packers, and not only because I almost nailed the final score in this game. They have a great chance to snag the top seed in the NFC, and that'll make them one of the toughest outs in the final twelve, because no team wants to try to win a road playoff game in Lambeau, not even the great-but-slipping Cowboys. They go to Chicago next and then finish up at home against the Lions, in a game that could very well earn them the top seed. As for the Rams, you're supposed to score more than 14 points when your runningback erupts for 170 total yards and a touchdown, especially when you have one of the highest paid quarterbacks in football. I mean, the Rams did what they were supposed to do in this game, which was suck and lose, so I won't give them too much crap, but it's hard to know what to make of this team, or what to expect of them next year. On paper, they have their back, their quarterback, their top wide-out, and an assortment of other pieces, but as we've seen this season, none of those guys are able to lift the team above mediocrity if they sustain a few injuries. If they stay healthy next season, I guess they could finish anywhere in the pecking order of their division, but let's remember, it is the NFC West.

Dolphins over Ravens, 22-16
My Pick: Ravens over Dolphins, 14-13

I said this: "I want so badly to pick the Dolphins in this game. Forget their schedule up to this point, this is the best chance they've had all year to win a game. The Ravens are SUCH pretenders, SUCH phony, lousy pieces of washed up crap, and are so ready to punch the clock on this season and settle into their comfy chairs to watch the playoffs. The Dolphins, on the other hand, need a win so badly before their upcoming bloodbath against the Pats. Dammit. I have a strong, strong feeling that the Ravens will lose this game. I just can't pick the 0-13 team. Sorry. I hope I'm wrong."

Like everyone else in America, I thought the Dolphins could win this game, but didn't have the balls to pick them. Still, I'm thrilled they won. Let's be clear: I can't stand the Dolphins, I hate everything about them, including their stadium, their uniforms, their town, their coaches, and especially their "alumni". I would happily enjoy consecutive winless seasons from the Dolphins. But these Ravens deserved to lose to a winless Dolphins team in week 15. Is it any shock that the Ravens came out flat and stunk out the joint the same week their owner committed to their head-coach for another year? I'm betting he wishes he'd waited another few days before making that announcement. Ok, wait a minute, let me explain something: I applaud the move. Above anything else, I think consistency leads to success in professional sports. Brian Billick has done good things with this team, including winning a Super Bowl, and if the Rooney's have taught us anything, it's that sticking with a guy through the down times is the right way to go. But this season, Brian Billick has gone out of his way to show the NFL and football fans what a complete jack-ass he can be, what an arrogant, whiny prick he is and how totally clueless he is when it comes to keeping his team focused. The Ravens lost at Buffalo in a trap game before their bye nine weeks ago and haven't won since, but listening to Billick, you'd think it was an NFL conspiracy. I think this guy might actually believe that! Gimme a break! The calling card of this Ravens team is they think they're better than they are, they expect other teams to lay down in front of them, and they blame everyone but themselves when they lose. This team has never lost an honest game! If I were going to make a list of the teams in professional sports that I dislike the most, the Ravens would be somewhere near the top. Seriously, shut up and play football, you bunch of babies. I agree very strongly with Matt Stover, who remarked that he'd won many games for this team and would not be losing any sleep over missing the kick in OT. This game should NEVER have come down to an overtime field goal. To recap: the Dolphins are playing without their top quarterback, top tailback, top receiver, most of their defense, under a totally clueless first-year head coach, and with the embarrassment of a winless season looming, whereas the Ravens have all their top players at every position except quarterback, a Super Bowl winning head coach in his 8th year with the team, and even the backup quarterback has a couple years worth of starts under his belt and was a first round pick. They've got no excuse for the awful season they've played, so they're blaming the refs and the NFL. Nice job.

Patriots over Jets, 20-10
My Pick: Patriots over Jets by a lot.

Interesting note: in the three games where I did not pick a final score for the Pats game but predicted a massive blow-out, the Patriots average margin of victory has been fewer than 6 points per game. I shit you not. In games where I picked a final score, the margin of victory has been 25 points per game! Who wants to guess which way I'll be picking Pats game from now on, forever?

Saints over Cardinals, 31-24
My Pick: Saints over Cardinals, 24-17

I nailed the margin of victory, but it's funny: when I look at the final score of this one, I'm a little disappointed in the Saints that the score was so close. At any rate, this finally and officially closes the book on the Cardinals playoff hopes. It was especially disconcerting to see Kurt Warner and the Cards offensive coordinator going at it on the sidelines: that's what you want to see from the aging back-up quarterback, the "team first" guy that's been so positive for your young group. Who does this guy think he is? Seriously, if I were head coach of an NFL team and any player got into a shouting match with an assistant coach, I'd suspend the hell out of the player, probably fine him, too. The Cardinals don't need this crap; they've had a good year, they've been a competitive team with realistic playoff hopes and have shown progress across the board, the last thing in the world they need is turmoil or dissent at the end of the year. Warner has been good for Arizona, but they sure as shit don't need the guy, and he'd do well to remember that. The Saints, in other news, took care of business and kept themselves in the hunt, slim though their chances may be. For a team that has lost both of their runningbacks and started the season 0-4, they've had a great year and can hold their heads high that they represented themselves well down the stretch. The Saints are clearly a team that can and will play competitive, winning football, and are capable of getting to the postseason. Their off-season priorities should be clear: they need help on their defensive line and in their secondary. They've got as much depth at receiver and tailback as any team in the NFL, and despite his erratic start and occasional bed-crapping, Drew Brees is pretty obviously a quality starting quarterback that can lead the Saints offense. Sean Payton, it seems, is a talented coach with a bright future, and just like Gruden and Garcia in Tampa Bay, he and Brees seem to share a brain and personality, an encouraging sign for the future.

Browns over Bills, 8-0
My Pick: Browns over Bills, 30-21

Hey, I almost had the margin pegged! You throw out all stats and trends when this kind of weather rolls in. The Browns did the job, they're one step closer to a playoff berth. Jamal Lewis was pretty awesome, rolling up the Browns offense and putting it on his back like the old days in Baltimore. As for the Bills, what can you do? They battled, which is the best you can do on the road in this kind of weather when you're outgunned by a more talented team. The Bills, I'm afraid to say, might be the Jets of '06: competitive and proud, piecing together a winning season, looking at the future, and then getting obliterated the following year, when their obvious dearth of talent is exposed. Still, they've got their tailback(s) of the future in Lynch and Jackson, at least one good receiver, a scrappy, talented defense, and a kid they think might be the guy at quarterback in Trent Edwards. It's hard for me to criticize them at all for the loss here, with their playoff lives on the line. Anybody could have won or lost this game in the blizzard, they just didn't get the breaks.

Titans over Chiefs, 26-17
My Pick: Titans over Chiefs, 14-0

I'm a little disappointed the Titans couldn't get the shut-out. Still, they handled their business and kept their very slim and fading playoff hopes alive. Maybe it's better for them if they don't get in; they don't seem ready at all. They've got a running game, and Vince Young looked pretty good in this one, but they don't seem able to give a consistent offensive effort and I have a hard time imagining them getting a win against any other AFC playoff team, especially on the road. Roydell Williams has been a nice surprise for their offense, and if Vince can develop some chemistry with these young options, they might be able to save their money in the off-season and spend it on draft picks and depth. I think they're a year away, but that's a scary proposition in their division, with the Texans, Colts, and Jaguars all showing strength and improvement. As for the Chiefs, who cares? They stink, they aren't going anywhere. It's been so long since the Chiefs have had a quarterback who I thought was very good, I almost have a hard time imagining this team with one. I hate even thinking about the Chiefs, they gross me out.

Colts over Raiders, 21-14
My Pick: Colts over Raiders, 28-13

Yikes. Not supposed to be that tough. Still, the Colts did what they had to do on the road, got the win, and didn't sustain any big injuries. All good. The Colts are another team that could probably use a week or two of rest before the playoffs start, they really don't need another injury to a key guy. Anthony Gonzales has turned out to be a very dependable and explosive receiver, they should have a hell of a group once Marvin Harrison comes back. As for the Raiders, I thought they'd reserved some playing time for JaMarcus Russell? Five attempts? Come ON! The game was a lot closer than they probably expected it to be, so I can understand maybe keeping McCown in there if you think it gives you the better chance to win. I was impressed with how long the Raiders were able to keep possession, chewing up clock and keeping the Colts offense on the bench. That can't be too encouraging for Colts fans, who've seen that sort of thing before. I kept an eye on this game on Sunday, and it seemed like every time I looked up, the Raiders were converting a short third-down and sustaining another long drive. They couldn't turn it into a win, but they gave the Colts a handful.

Chargers over Lions, 51-14
My Pick: Chargers over Lions, 21-20

Oh . . . my . . . God. Uhhh . . . let's all just divert our eyes from the Detroit Lions so they can slink away and hide without too much embarrassment. Holy hell, this might be the most discouraging loss I can remember any NFL team taking. I guess we'll say the Chargers took care of business, in that they crushed a road team and crept up on the Steelers for third in the AFC, but man, man oh man. Those Lions, after the positive steps they took this season, might finish the regular season in a more desperate state than just about any team in the NFL. This, my friends, is why you don't make big pre-season predictions of success. I don't quite know what to say. It's one thing to go to New England and get flattened along with your last hopes of a playoff appearence, or even Indianapolis or Dallas. But San Diego? I know they're a division leader and a playoff team, but hell! At the end of the game, Kinta, on the sidelines, had a look on his face like he'd just won the lottery and then accidentally dropped the cash into a volcano. It wasn't quite dispair, it was utter, utter disbelief, a look of being shell-shocked by the total inevitability of what had taken place. I want these Lions to be good, I want them to be competitive. I'm sick of the Lions being trash. Here's the best I can do for mapping out a road to success: fire Mike Martz, draft offensive and defensive lineman and sign or trade for at least one solid veteran on both units, and spend the off-season integrating a consistent ground game into your offense. My God, what a disaster. I feel genuine pity for those poor sons-of-bitches. As for San Diego, hey, what can I say? Good win. LT continues to shine, the defense was great, and even Philip Rivers did a thing or two. They REALLY need a good follow up in their last two games in order to enter the playoffs with any confidence at all. At least they aren't backing in.

Eagles over Cowboys, 10-6
My Pick: Cowboys over Eagles, 20-16

I hesitate to point out that good teams don't put up 6 points in a home loss to the last place team in their division with home-field on the line, so I'll say this: great teams CERTAINLY don't put up 6 points in a home loss to the last place team in their division with home-field on the line. This was an ugly, ugly failure by the Cowboys, and this is the wrong time of the year for it. Let's be clear about two things: a) the Eagles weren't exactly on fire on Sunday. They didn't even play their best game of the season, not even close, and b) many other teams put up terrible offensive numbers on Sunday, only none of those teams played indoors in Texas. Generally, those teams either played in horrible winter weather or are just awful. Tony Romo looked like chewed up garbage; confused, inaccurate, flustered, terrible. What's funny about it is that his offensive line was just fine, with a few exceptions. The Eagles didn't do a lot to win this game, but they didn't give it away, and in this case, that was enough. 6 points? Really? From the best team in the NFC, at home? Ugly ugly ugly.

Redskins over Giants, 22-10
My Pick: Giants over Redskins, 24-16

The Giants definitely gave this game to the Redskins. That's what happens when you're the Giants and you've had a pretty good season. The end of the year rolls around and you start playing like crap, and you're a lock to have a few big injuries down the stretch. What shocked me in this game was the great protection up front by the Redskins offensive line. They did an amazing job! On the other side, what the hell were the Giants thinking? What's with the 52 pass attempts in the worst windy conditions imaginable? The wind was ripping every ball out of the sky, the Giants receivers were dropping everything, but they kept going to it! Add to that the fact that Brandon Jacobs was running wild! Unbelievable, inexcusable bed-crapping action by the Giants coaches, who're in a bit of trouble now. I can't believe it! They have to win 1 of 2 or they'll need help to get in the playoffs, but that means going into Buffalo and beating a tougher-than-hell Bills team, or BEATING THE PATRIOTS IN WEEK 17 WITH THE PERFECT SEASON ON THE LINE! I can't believe it. If the Saints or Redskins win out, the Vikins win one more, and the Giants don't either get a HUGE road win in Buffalo or a forget-about-it home win against the Pats, they're OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! This is setting up as the best Giants collapse EVER. Can you imagine? As for the Redskins, great win. The injury to Rocky McIntosh is a real disappointment, he was having a great year. I like the rookie, H.B. Blades, I think he'll do the job. Seriously, anybody else on the Redskins want to step up and earn respect for eternity with gutsy play in big games? Doughty, Heier, Todds Yoder and Collins, Fred Smoot, Lee Torrence, the list goes on and on. These guys are ballers. Bravo, Joe Gibbs. At last, I get it. You've got a team full of prideful, professional tough-guys, guys who go out and play their balls off in all circumstances. I don't even care if the Skins make the playoffs, the fact that they might have killed the Giants in week 15 in New York makes the season a success. Now, if they can only upset the Cowboys in week 17 . . .

Vikings over Bears, 20-13
My Pick: Vikings over Bears, 23-9

Yep, nailed it. I wanted to write about how Tarvaris Jackson was really turning it around, but I don't have much evidence, not after he tossed three picks last night in a game that shouldn't have even been as close as it was. Still, if you like Vince Young, if you liked Michael Vick, you've got to like Tarvaris Jackson, who has completed about 68% of his passes since week 11 and can make a lot of plays with his feet. If this guy can just learn to get set before he throws, he could have a bright future. He's sure making Brad Childress look good. The Vikings square off against the Skins next Sunday night, in a game that has been flexed with good reason: this could be the deciding game for the final seed in the NFC playoffs. If the Skins win, they could have the sixth seed going into a must-win rival game against the Cowboys, who will really want to knock them out in the final week. They'll have the tie-breaker over the Vikings, as they had it over the Lions and Cardinals. With a win, the Vikings will have secured the final seed, basically making week 17 a final chance to firm up playoff match-ups. Trust me, nobody wants to play the Vikings, who are the NFC version of the Jacksonville Jaguars: a tough-as-hell team with a two-headed rushing attack, an athletic QB that can make plays on the ground, a stout defense, and the ability to score 35 points without passing the ball much at all. Like the Jaguars, they're built for winter football.

Week 16 picks will be out probably tomorrow. I haven't really looked at the schedule yet, but there are a few match-ups I've got my eye on: the Skins/Vikings game, Giants/Bills, and New Orleans/Whoever. Until then!

Fantasy Football is Crap.

You know what I've decided? That Fantasy Football is for nerds who don't actually know much, care much, or much like the game of football. I'm through with it. I think it's most popular among people who've never played football, and therefore don't understand the value of things that aren't calculated statistically. For instance:

1. Tom Brady's garbage-time touchdowns, or any quarterback's garbage time touchdowns, have no value to the actual winning and losing of the football game, but have fantasy value. That's crap.

2. A tipped or dropped pass that goes for an interception is weighed as heavily as a red-zone pick thrown into triple coverage. Statistics tell an imcomplete story, which is why Marc Bulger and Carson Palmer have been reliable fantasy studs for a few seasons while at the helm of crappy, underperforming teams.

3. A guy can fumble seven times in a game, but as long as they're all recovered by his teammates, they have no statistical value. Similarly, a defense can do jack shit all game, but fall on a couple of bad snaps and take away points for the turnovers.

4. A quarterback on a team that elects, stupidly, to throw on every down inside the ten yard line might have a putrid quarterback rating in the red-zone and el-zilcho for accuracy, but if the sun shines on a dog's ass a few times, he can walk away with multiple touchdowns and a load of fantasy points. Similarly, a quarterback that marches his team down the field in a balanced offense that elects to pound the ball into the endzone is fantasy crap.

5. Wins and losses have no value in fantasy football. That's crap.

6. A receiver is not penalized for dropped balls. Also, penalties have no statistical value. So if, say, Chad Johnson drops a couple of balls, does a ridiculous endzone dance and costs his team 15 yards on the kick-off, and his team goes on to lose by 5 points, he still had a great day because he scored. What a crock.

Furthermore, fantasy football does not encourage fanhood, nor does it encourage football knowledge, nor does it encourage sportsmanship.

1. For the first time in my life, I found myself rooting against Brian Westbrook doing well in a game because someone else had him on their team. Brian Westbrook is one of the two or three most exciting, most explosive players in football, and I've loved every minute of watching this guy play for his entire career. The reason football is televised is so we can appreciate the prowess of spectacular athletes doing amazing things, not root against them because some know-nothing turd is going to brag about it at the office water-cooler. That ain't fandom, that's nerd-dom.

2. Someone somewhere might look at Tony Romo's touchdown record, someone who only looks at such things because they're an office-jock, a beer-drinking, happy-hour-going, meaningless-stat-knowing moron who's experience of athletic competition is the eliptical machine at Gold's Gym and has chicken legs to go with his beefy torso, and dare to say Romo is an equal quarterback to Troy Aikman because Romo now has the Cowboys single-season passing touchdown record. The office-jock is a fan of whatever the best team in the NFL is, plus Romo, Favre, Palmer, Brady, Manning, Wes Welker, and the Cowboys, doesn't know shit about football, and only pays attention to a) prove he's a man, and b) because he has a fantasy football team, which is why he thinks passing touchdowns are a meaningful statistic. To put it plainly: passing touchdowns are very nearly irrelevant.

3. Football ought to be a lesson in sportsmanship, and for a long time, football was one of the rare sports that had accepted and universally-practiced plays and strategies for demonstrating good sportsmanship, i.e. the kneel-down. Soccer has a "rule" where the team in possession boots the ball out of bounds when the opponent has an on-field injury; football has the clock-killing all-running-play drives and the kneel-down. These have been an accepted part of football strategy for decades: not because they are strategically sound, not because they lead to points or victory, but because they demonstrate good sportsmanship. Fantasy football enjoys the mercilessness of the Patriots end-game humiliation of their opponents, and therefore encourages "fans" to hope for it, enjoy it, and take advantage of it. Why should one person's fantasy team suffer because their coach showed a little class at the end of a game, whereas another team's coach is a complete asshole?

In short, fantasy football has nothing to do with football, much as People magazine has nothing to do with film-making: both make use of the exploits of the stars of their respective interests, but neither of them participate in, celebrate, display, or even understand the art or real engine behind the subject of their scope. On the contrary, as a matter of fact: celebrity worship and fantasy football are perverted detriments to the otherwise fascinating businesses they exploit.

Beyond all that, though, I'm sick of the distraction and am weary of feeling like my perspective of professional football has been clouded and screwed up.

So there. To hell with fantasy football.

Just Because

Here's the latest from the ESPN Ombudsman. She's the best.

Also, how about that Bobby Petrino hiring? Jeez. Honestly, when I think about it, I feel awful for all parties involved in this one, even the man himself. When he took the job in Atlanta, the cookie was Michael Vick, a totally unique player in league history and the center piece of the offense. Shortly after coming to the Falcons, the Vick mess went down and he lost the whole incentive to take the job in the first place. I can imagine being in his shoes, looking around in the middle of a lost season and thinking "what do I have to look forward to here?" He's never going to find another Michael Vick, never in a million years, and so all the offense he installed around that unique talent and all the excitement he must have had about working with Vick was wasted and he was left with a fractured, doomed team that wasn't buying what he was selling. Apart from the fact that he's an obvious dick, I feel bad for him.

As for Atlanta, they're fucked, but it's probably for the best. My sense is and has been that this franchise was too locked into being the Michael Vick show from the time they drafted the guy. I'm not crazy about building a team around a single player at all, especially a guy that has so much to learn and so much developing to do before he can reliably play his position. Obviously, it's time to blow the whole thing up and start fresh. I don't know, if I were part of the Falcons organization, I'd be a little excited right now. They ought to dump off anybody that has draft-pick value in a trade, build a whole new coaching staff, and start thinking 4-5 years down the road. If they commit themselves to it, they could have a completely new identity and be washed clean of the whole Vick era before too long. Seriously, if I were Arthur Blank, I'd modify the uniforms, overhaul the entire offense, bring in a young coordinator as my head coach and an army of draft picks and new veterans, and generally do everything in my power to turn over a whole new leaf in Atlanta.

As far as Atlanta's current players go, there are some quality guys on this team who could have good futures in the NFL, but probably not in Atlanta. I'm of the opinion that turmoil of this intensity leaves a permanent stain on those involved and will continue to poison the organization if they don't "turn the soil", so to speak. Roddy White has emerged as a good receiver, Jerrius Norwood obviously has some value, there are probably a few other good young players, and since they can't overhaul the entire roster immediately, they probably want to keep those guys. I feel really bad for Atlanta's players, the actions of one guy and one coach have not only ruined their seasons, but probably spoiled their chances of any long-term success in Atlanta, hurt their careers, and turned their team into a poisoned wasteland, an NFL afterthought and one of a few laughingstocks in the NFL, along with Baltimore and Miami. If I were any of these guys, I'd be eagerly awaiting the pink slip at this point.

I can't remember the last time I felt that an NFL franchise had this much rebuilding to do . . . I'm sure there have been other cases of franchises so ruined and screwed after a series of unfortunate events that they basically needed a complete overhaul, but none comes to mind. The Dolphins obviously need a whole new . . . everything, including uniforms, but the positive there is that they have a wierd mix of a few really old, washed up veterans and super-young, inexpensive players, it shouldn't be to hard to fire-sell the veteran guys and start fresh. The Redskins in the post Spurrier days felt like they probably needed a season or two off altogether to get their shit in order, but not on this scale.

One last point here: what did I say about hiring college coaches to come in and be NFL head coaches? It never works. There might have been a time when that type of thing worked out, or there might be the rare personality that can pull it off, but it's such a crap-shoot. The fact is, the vast majority of success in college football comes down to recruiting. That's not to say Bobby Petrino doesn't know a thing or two about coaching a football team, but a successful FBS coach is generally working with a more talented roster than most other teams. I think a college coach who jumps to the NFL as a head coach has more to learn about the NFL game than most FBS standout players, who are generally just as athletic as anybody else and only have to get used to going against guys who move as quickly as they do. Coaches, on the other hand, have to take schemes that have had success against teams with far less speed, power, and explosiveness, and basically hope they work against professional-level players, to say nothing of the fact that they go from being the big man on campus and one of only a few people in the room being paid to be there to being the little old guy who makes about half as much as his starters and knows half as much about the NFL as they do.

Oh, and apparently you get reamed for pulling this kind of stunt. I can't say I disagree with these guys, who paint a pretty ugly picture of who Bobby Petrino is and what he's all about. Pat Forde and Len Pasquerelli pretty much eat Petrino for breakfast.

That's all. Go Skynards!

Three Weeks Left!

In these last four or five weeks, the picks start to get easier and easier. Not only do we have a better sense of who these teams are by the final third of the season, but we know what they're playing for, and that makes a big difference. I'll still gloat when I go 13-3, as I did last week, but frankly, just about anybody should be able to get the vast majority of these games right. Still, I have fun doing it and it helps me think and get excited about the upcoming slate of games.

And here we go:

Denver @ Houston

I might be in the very small minority of people that are actually excited to watch this game. I've been down on Denver all year, and I still think they're rubbish, but they've got a few things to be excited about down the road: Jay Cutler is rounding into a solid pro, Brandon Marshall is emerging as a true beast at wideout, Selvin Young is yet another Broncos tailback, and though the defense stinks, it has some exciting young players like D. J. Williams to watch. On the other side of the ball, Houston is a competitive team with some young pieces, too, and as soon as they go out and get themselves a tailback and shore up that defense, they could be a contender. I also think this is one of the more even matchups, so I'll give the nod to the home team. Normally, that'd mean giving the Texans a 3 point victory, but the Broncos play poorly from behind and are a bad road team, so I'm upping it a bit.
Texans over Broncos, 28-21

Cincinnati @ San Francisco

This, on the other hand, is a real stinker. Maybe I'm kinda rooting for the Bengals to finish with a little momentum, as a consolation for playing a brutal first half schedule. Still, I can't imagine watching this game.
Bengals over 49ers, 38-16

Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh

Holy hell, this might be my favorite matchup of the entire NFL schedule this season. Wow, I would LOVE to watch this game. Call me crazy, call me completely nuts, but I'm taking the Jaguars. Why? Because they're tougher, less turnover-prone, and (UNBELIEVABLY!) more consistent. Pittsburgh has been a bear at home this season, but they just took it on the chin in New England and this is a hell of a way to follow up, with probably the second hottest team in the AFC. This could very well be a preview of round 1 of the playoffs, if Pittsburgh wins this one.
Jaguars over Steelers, 20-17

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay

The Bucs should win this one, I don't care if Gruden himself starts at quarterback. Chris Redman looked pretty good for the Falcons on Monday night, he made some really good throws down the sidelines and in general looked like a guy who really understood the offense. The Bucs really need to win this one and take the NFC South. They've got as much healing to do as any team in football and I insist they don't want to take this thing all the way down to the wire . . . you know, the more I think about this game, the more I think the Falcons could very easily sneak up and win it. The solution: stop thinking about it.
Bucs over Falcons, 21-10

Seattle @ Carolina

I never feel good picking the Seahawks, especially on the road, but on the other hand, if I didn't just look at an NFL schedule, I'd have forgotten that the Panthers even existed. I'm not going to be the nucklehead that picks the dreadful Panthers to upset the "surging" Seahawks and then has to deal with the guilt of having actually picked Carolina in a game they lost by three scores. No way.
Seahawks over Panthers, 31-13

Green Bay @ St. Louis

For some reason, I feel like Green Bay has played like 10 road games and 3 home games this year. Maybe that's because they have done some pretty impressive things on the road, like winning in Arrowhead and at Mile High on consecutive Sundays, and then getting hammered at Dallas on another big road test. Brock Berlin isn't the kind of guy you pick to beat the 11-2 Packers, certainly not when Green Bay excels at stuffing the run and Stephen Jackson hasn't exactly been blowing anybody's hair back. The Packers'll no doubt stuff eight or nine guys in the box and have a chuckle as Berlin is forced to try to beat them with his arm.
Packers over Rams, 30-10

Baltimore @ Miami

I want so badly to pick the Dolphins in this game. Forget their schedule up to this point, this is the best chance they've had all year to win a game. The Ravens are SUCH pretenders, SUCH phony, lousy pieces of washed up crap, and are so ready to punch the clock on this season and settle into their comfy chairs to watch the playoffs. The Dolphins, on the other hand, need a win so badly before their upcoming bloodbath against the Pats. Dammit. I have a strong, strong feeling that the Ravens will lose this game. I just can't pick the 0-13 team. Sorry. I hope I'm wrong.
Ravens over Dolphins, 14-13

New York Jets @ New England

This is how you know the NFL and the sports media is screwy and demented: with big games between the Jaguars and Steelers, the Skins and Giants, the Saints and Cardinals, the Eagles and Dallas, the Lions and Chargers, the Bills and Browns, and an interesting Monday night rematch between the Bears and Vikings, this is the game that will get the most hype. Why? Because everyone is expecting the Patriots to go out and put an epic, record humiliation on the hapless Jets, who had the audacity to notice that the Pats were cheating in week 1 and not let them get away with it. Out of protest, not only am I not watching this game, I refuse to even acknowledge it on Sunday.
Pats over Jets by many touchdowns.

Arizona @ New Orleans

Both teams need it badly, but New Orleans is the only team that can do anything with the win. The Cardinals are still technically alive, but if the Vikings and Redskins manage to win on Sunday, that pretty much will wrap it up for the Cards, who can't get nine wins and lost to the Skins. The Skins are atop the Out-of-the-Playoffs Bunch, with tie-breakers over Detroit and Arizona, and the Vikings are the sixth seed. Still, both these teams will consider this a playoff game, with the Saints given a chance to get back to .500 and stay in the hunt. I liked what I saw from New Orleans on Monday night, and since they're at home and not starting Kurt "Throw it to Whoever" Warner, I'll take 'em.
Saints over Cardinals, 24-17

Buffalo @ Cleveland

Great game! Two teams nobody has any business disliking fighting for the final wild-card spot in the AFC. I've gotta stick with the Browns, who've got momentum and the home-field. This game is number two on my list of games I'd love to watch on Sunday.
Browns over Bills, 30-21

Tennessee @ Kansas City

What an awful, gut-punch of a loss the Titans suffered on Sunday in a game that effectively knocked them out of the playoffs. They need a lot of help between now and the end if they hope to get in, and that starts with them winning out. Arrowhead is not a fun place to play, but the Chiefs are a dreadful, awful team with nothing to play for and not one difference maker on their whole offense. Tennessee should have no problem keeping them out of the endzone, and if their offense can move the ball and keep the Chiefs backed up, they could very well get a shut-out. In fact, I'm predicting a shut-out. There have only been four all year: the Seahawks were blanked at Pittsburgh; the Seahawks then shut out the Niners; the Packers blanked the Vikings, and then the Mud Bowl, where Miami failed to score at Pittsburgh. The Chiefs deserve to be held scoreless at least once this year, why not an embarrassing home job by the Titans?
Titans over Chiefs, 14-0

Indianapolis @ Oakland

Can't see the Raiders winning this one.
Colts over Raiders, 28-13

Detroit @ San Diego

The Lions showed on Sunday that they can still play with some good football teams. The Cowboys are obviously a lot better than the Chargers, but the Lions got 'em at home, whereas they now have to take their ruined season on the road to the Chargers, who have what can be called momentum and are on the verge of clinching a winning season. I'm taking the Chargers, but you never know . . .
Chargers over Lions, 21-20

Philadelphia @ Dallas

Hasn't this game already happened a few times? Philly couldn't do the job at home, I'm not picking them on the road. I'll be rootin' for 'em, though.
Cowboys over Eagles, 20-16

Washington @ New York Giants

The Giants are looking shakier than hell right now, but the collapse hasn't happened. Maybe it won't happen, who can say? Joe Gibbs is something like 6-10 lifetime at New York, including 0-3 in his current stretch at the helm of the Skins, so that's no good. This game could go a few different ways. Among them: this could be a get-healthy home game for the Giants, where they re-emerge as a contender and win going away; the collapse could happen right on schedule, as the fragile chemistry of the Giants finally implodes and they give away a bad home loss; the Redskins could (possibly) come out and play a sharp game on both sides of the ball and actually earn a victory; the Redskins could come out and play a good half of football, then spend the second half turning the ball over and having their defense exposed. The two likeliest scenarios, in my opinion, are the Giants collapse and the Redskins second half collapse. Because one hasn't happened yet and the other has happened over and over and over again, I'm forced (FORCED!) to take the Giants. Just know that it wasn't easy.
Giants over Redskins, 24-16

Chicago @ Minnesota

The Vikings are hot, moving the ball on the ground and through the air, whereas the Bears are starting Kyle Orton. I shit you not.
Vikings over Bears, 23-9

The fantasy league has turned into an utter joke at this point, and not only because I can't seem to get out of fourth place. Still, because there's no obvious way of just removing my team altogether, I'm going to play it out and hope for a massive upset along the way. Frankly, and hopefully without sounding like too much of a loser, the approach of some of my league-mates has made me reconsider whether I respect these people at all. Ok, nevermind, I am a loser.

Recap Plus El Boxeo!

Let's get right to the football, then we'll talk a little boxing, eh?

Redskins over Bears, 24-16
My Pick: Redskins over Bears, 28-17

Man I absolutely nailed this one. Jason Campbell going down means there's no real reason for me to hope the Skins go to the playoffs anymore, but if the rest of the NFC keeps crapping the bed, why shouldn't the Skynards be the team to get flattened in round 1? Todd Collins played a great game and it was nice to see Gregg Williams dial up a few blitzes for a change. Though the Skins only finished with two sacks, they managed a pair of picks and generally stayed on top of the Chicago signal-callers. Why is everyone acting like an eighth loss is the end of the season for Chicago? As if there won't be an 8-8 team in the NFC playoffs? Please!

Jaguars over Panthers, 37-6
My Pick: Jaguars over Panthers, 27-13

Yikes. Nothing to say about this, other than that it was ugly and the Jaguars are in a groove right now. Ok, wait, one more thing: Del Rio is still an ass. I could have told him a year ago that Reggie Williams would be his best receiver and best red-zone target, but he insisted on demoting the guy in the offseason. I'm not going to criticize ol' Jack too much, but this is another case of the rest of the world being utterly clueless about his criteria for starting or sitting someone in his passing game.

Giants over Eagles, 16-13
My Pick: Eagles over Giants, 34-20

Ok, I was way off on this one. I'm feeling a little betrayed by this lack-of-collapse in New York. No, not by the Giants, but by the rest of the league, for not holding up their end of the bargain and allowing the collapse. The Giants have done as little as possible to win their last two games, but their opponents have just rolled over and handed it to them. Don't they know the league and it's fans are missing on of the best modern holiday traditions? Seriously, just because the Giants have notched a couple of W's doesn't mean they aren't collapsing. It's a reflex, it's there, you just can't see it. Just you wait until the playoffs.

Bengals over Rams, 19-10
My Pick: Bengals over Rams, 38-31

Didn't watch it, don't care.

Texans over Bucs, 28-14
My Pick: Texans over Bucs, 23-17

Pretty close, no? You just had to figure before too long the QB situation would jump up and bite the Bucs. Ernest Graham was a beast in this one, but the Bucs failed to secure their division, and with a Saints win on Monday night, they'll have to put it off another week. They need Jeff Garcia healthy, this is not one of those situations where they can wait until the post-season. The odds are heavily in favor of them winning their division no matter who plays, but do they really want to play it out until the final week? Do they want the Giants or the young Vikings in the first round? Actually . . . who do they want in the first round? Is this a calculated measure to stick the sissy-fied Seahawks with a tough-as-nails Vikings bunch while the Bucs mop up a butter-soft, tenderized Giants team in round 1? Wow . . . actually, they might consider sitting Garcia the rest of the way. Holy hell. I'm onto you, Gruden.

Bills over Dolphins, 38-17
My Pick: Bills over Dolphins, 21-16

Yuk. The Dolphins will not be winning a game. They get the Ravens next, that's their final chance. I won't be picking them. By the by, this game was the end of J. P. Losman's time in Buffalo.

Packers over Raiders, 38-7
My Pick: Packers over Raiders, 28-14

In my picks, I mentioned this could be a letdown for the Packers, a trap game coming off their ugly loss to the Cowboys with a banged up Favre. Well, I was wrong about that.

Cowboys over Lions, 28-27
My Pick: Cowboys over Lions, 45-20

The Lions did all they could in this one . . . to give it away. If they'd managed just one or two more first downs in the second half, they'd have had this one in the bag. Instead, they crapped it away. In the end, that's the difference between the Lions and a playoff team. Next year, Detroit! As expected, the entire sports media is busy fellating Tony Romo.

Chargers over Titans, 23-17
My Pick: Titans over Chargers, 17-14

Man, I had this one. I so had it. Why oh why couldn't the Titans just burn some clock and end it? Because they're not there yet. Sorry, Tennessee. Your team does not belong in the playoffs. Vince Young is not yet the kind of quarterback that can burn clock, orchestrate a long end-game drive, make key throws in the middle of the field, and reliably salt away a victory, especially not against a good defense like San Diego. As for the Chargers, this is one of only a few quality victories on their 2007 resume, and Philip Rivers still looked like utter garbage. I feel bad for this team, they get to slink away with the worst division in football and get flattened at home in the opening round of the playoffs by a wild-card, probably the Browns. Nice.

Vikings over 49ers, 27-7
My Pick: Vikings over 49ers, 37-10

Ok, so the score was closer than I predicted, but the game was not. Who wants to face the Vikings in the playoffs? Nobody, absolutely nobody, that's who. Why? Because they have a dominant, DOMINANT offensive line, two (count 'em) STUD runningbacks capable of carrying the ball infinite times, an impenetrable run defense and an emerging, playmaking pass defense, and Tarvaris Jackson is coming around. On the road or at home, they could put a scare into ANYBODY, including the Pats. In fact, I love this team.

Seahawks over Cardinals, 42-21
My Pick: Cardinals over Seahawks, 34-20

The Seahawks put together their best, most complete performance of the season on Sunday. They played a great game and totally dominated the Cards from the opening kickoff, finally taking their division and actually earning it. Now they'll get a disappointing loss or two in their final three games and shit the bed in the playoffs. Sorry, that's just who they are. They suck. Even if they get to the Super Bowl, that'll be just another indictment of the NFC rather than any indication of their strength.

Browns over Jets, 24-18
My Pick: Browns over Jets, 42-24

Go Browns! They made it look harder than they needed to, but they got the job done. They managed to overcome an early turnover, they moved the ball and played stout defense, and dammit, they're just good. They're one of the few consistent offensive groups in football and their defense is improving. Fucking GO BROWNS!

Patriots over Steelers, 34-13
My Pick: Patriots over Steelers, 35-31

If I insisted the 1 and the 3 were mistakenly reversed in my pick, would you believe me? I wish I'd hit those buttons wrong and picked this one 34-13, I'd be gloating like hell right now. The Steelers were so not up to the task at all. Offensively, they moved the ball but couldn't score, and defensively, they couldn't get off the field for shit. That's all I have to say about this one, another boring Patriots win. They had two straight interesting games before this one, though!

Broncos over Chiefs, 41-7
My Pick: Broncos over Chiefs, 20-17

Funny how the Broncs manage to get a huge, good-looking win just when they don't need it anymore. What does that tell me? This young team doesn't know how to play under pressure yet, and Mike Shanahan, while more than able to call a solid offensive game, is not doing enough to supplement the general lack of veteran leadership on his team. Also, John Lynch is a crappy player with no locker-room influence. Booyah. Eat it, Lynch.

Colts over Ravens, 44-20
My Pick: Colts over Ravens, 24-9

The final score does no justice to how one-sided a blow-out this one was, and that's saying something. The best and only thing the Ravens had going for them was Troy Smith, and that was for the last five minutes of the extended garbage time in this game, also known as the second half. Everything after half-time was like a pre-season exhibition, with Jim Sorgi carving up the Ravens back-up defense and John Doe throwing it to whoever-the-hell-is-running-around-out-there for the Ravens. Baltimore needs to pull it together for just one more game before these coaches and players can do what they've been waiting to do all season, which is mail it in and blame the league and officials for a lost season. If they lose to the Dolphins on Sunday, there will be wholesale changes in every part of the Ravens organization.

Saints over Falcons, 34-14
My Pick: Saints over Falcons, 30-16

I seem to have nailed this one, too. I felt a little bad for the Falcons, they actually seemed to give an honest effort in this game, but they still got obliterated. As for the Saints, let me just say it now before a million other people say it after next Sunday, the Saints are playing better football without Reggie Bush. Aaron Stecker is a decisive, downhill runner with more effective open-field elusiveness than Bush. That's right. He's more effective in space because he makes a quick cut and gets upfield, whereas Reggie makes long, dramatic moves and tries to go the distance on every play. Here's a stat: the longest run of Reggie Bush's NFL career is a whopping 22 yards. He's averaging less than 4 yards per carry this season. With his speed and explosiveness, he should be ripping off more yards per carry and at least the occasional home run, but apparently Reggie never learned how to run north and south. How's this for a comparison; Pierre Thomas, a rookie tailback on the Saints bench, has a longer carry this season and averages more yards per carry. Without Bush, the Saints have two all-business runners who hit the hole and get downfield, and that's perfect for taking advantage of the respect given to the Saints passing game. Anyway, enough of that. The Saints aren't making the playoffs, but if they do it'll be because of that change.

Now for a look at Saturday's PPV boxing extravaganza:

There was no way I wasn't going to order and watch the welterweight showdown on Saturday night. I'll keep my recap short, but let me start by saying that there were too many televised undercards on this telecast, and because none of them were important or especially interesting, it really sucked the life out of the whole affair. It certainly didn't help that the majority of fans, who were in fact from England and here to support home-town hero Ricky Hatton only, didn't even attend the early undercards and had no interest in the final undercard even after they'd arrived. Nothing happened that needs mentioning. As far as the headliner, I might be in the minority, but this fight entertained the hell out of me, I felt it was worth every penny. Yes, in retrospect it was one-sided, but from the opening bell, you had the sense that Hatton was getting to the distance he wanted to fight from and the Mayweather was having to adjust. If anything, that aspect of it only stood to further demonstrate how impressively skilled Mayweather is. The fact that he didn't come in with an overt strategy for keeping Hatton away from him, but rather to fight in close and just do it better, was really something. It was one of those deals where as the fight went on and you thought neither guy was really hurting the other, one guy starts to wear down from all the banging and the little, tight punches you don't get a good look at on TV. To my surprise, it was Hatton that started to get the little nicks and bruises and started to look frustrated. That's not to say I was expecting a Hatton victory, but when I saw that the entire fight was unfolding up close and tight, I went with Lampley and Steward and assumed that it was because Hatton was having success at controlling the tempo of the fight. With that in mind, I expected to see signs that Hatton was having his way, but the opposite was taking place. I know Hatton has a history of cuts, but he was fighting the fight he wanted, just getting beaten to the punch and out-classed. The check-hook left that put him down was an amazing shot, so fast and tight you almost couldn't see it, it just looked like Hatton stumbled forward into the turnbuckle and went down. On replay you could really see the brutal efficiency of it, uncoiled and short and right on the jawline. My wife and I both jumped and pulled a face, and you just knew Hatton was toast. He tried to come forward after Cortez restarted the fight, but his legs were gone and he was dazed badly. It was only a matter of time from there. There's nothing left for Mayweather to prove, serously. No, seriously. People will say he should fight Miguel Cotto or Shane Mosley or any number of other guys between lightweight and welterweight, and those would certainly make great fights, but Mayweather doesn't need 'em. There will always be new guys and new champions that climb the ranks and become elite fighters. Should Mayweather make a personal quest to top them all, even as his love of boxing fades and he ages further? He's clearly beaten all the best of his time in boxing, from sluggers to boxers and every combination in between, and he's proven there's nobody better. The only thing left to prove is that there's nobody better than a 31 year old Mayweather, then a 32 year old version, and so forth. He's the pound for pound champ and has been for some time. If he wants to hang 'em up, he's more than earned it.

Picks for week 15 should be out later today. That's right, I'm sticking with the picks through the end. In case you're counting, I went 12-3 through Sunday this week. Most of America probably did the same, but hey, I'll take it.