NFL Week 16 Picks...

Welcome back, everybody!  Sorry, it's been so long...There have just been a few things happening that I thought were a little more important than making my picks.  Because I'm a teacher-blogger, I decided to honor the Students and Teachers of Sandy Hook Elementary School by not blogging last week.  


It's the next to the last week of the season, and all through the league, coaches and players are wondering just where they will be celebrating the playoff season.  I know where my Chiefs will be...loading U-hauls like they did last year.  Sigh...every year I think that my Chiefs will finally get over the hump, and like Sisyphus' rock, they come rolling back down the hill to the basement. As much as I would like to empathize with Romeo Crennel and Scott Pioli after what happened to them, truth be told, they are not the answer, nor is Matt Cassel or Brady Quinn or Tim Tebow or Mark Sanchez.  I don't know where to begin to fix the Chiefs but HC, GM, and QB are at the top of the list.

So, the New York Jets have found a way to make themselves relevant after playing themselves out of the playoffs.  Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez have turned mediocrity into a hot media commodity.  Seriously, what is the fascination with the Jets?  Rex is a loud windbag.  Mark, most recently, is a model with a football, and Tim Tebow was whining about not getting a chance.  Tim, dude, YOU chose to go to this team.  You could have gone to Jacksonville where, who is there quarterback?  Exactly!!!  You wanted to hop-frog Sanchez like you did in Denver.  I have little to no sympathy for you buddy.  

 
Like Jerry Glanville said, the NFL stands for Not-for-long, and I honestly wish you both the best of luck in whatever career you manage to find that does not involve my having to see or listen to either of you.

Any who...the last Monday Night Football game of the year is taking place on...Saturday.  It involves the 12-2 Falcons and Detroit.  Has a 12-2 team ever been more invisible than the Falcons?  I would dwell, but they are not my team.  Good luck to Tony Gonzalez and the Falcons.  At least one of my picks is looking legitimate...

My last set of picks left me at 8-8 which brings my record to date to 109-74.  Here are my picks for the week:

Saturday, December 22
Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions:  Atlanta

Sunday, December 23
New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys:  New Orleans
Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles:  Washington
Minnesota Vikings vs. Houston Texans:  Houston
St. Louis Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  Tampa Bay
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers:  Cincinnati
Tennessee Titans vs. Green Bay Packers:  Green Bay
New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars:  New England
San Diego Chargers vs. New York Jets:  San Diego
Indianapolis Colts vs. Kansas City Chiefs:  Indianapolis
Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins:  Miami
Oakland Raiders vs. Carolina Panthers:  Carolina
Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos:  Denver
New York Giants vs. Baltimore Ravens:  Baltimore
Chicago Bears vs. Arizona Cardinals:  Chicago
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks:  San Francisco

There you go!  Here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!!  Until next time, "You play to win the game!"-Herm Edwards.  Good luck to all the playoff bound teams.  The rest of you good luck in the draft.

Best "Fantasy" Tight Ends...

Last month, several of the gentlemen that I follow on Twitter celebrated Sundress Month. We, the ladies, while we enjoy the comfort of a Sundress, it didn't really benefit us a whole lot. Also, many blogs devote themselves to the sexy "Wags" of the several different sports...That's good for them, but what about us? Are we chopped liver? So, training camp is still a few weeks away, and most people are occupied by the *snore* NBA free agency. So this is my gift to you girls. My top fantasy "Tight Ends." Pun definitely intended... I'm not going to rank them...I'll leave that to you... I just thought I'd share some eye candy :)

This is Devin Thomas...Devin Thomas is a Wide Receiver for the Washington Redskins. He is 6' 2" and weighs 215 pounds...He only had 25 receptions for 325 yards and 3 touchdowns last year so while he probably shouldn't be the 1 WR on your fantasy football team, he can always start for the home team :) Ladies, Mr. Devin Thomas.

Introducing Nick Barnett. Nick is an inside Linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. He is 6' 2" and weighs 236 pounds. He had 105 tackles and 4 sacks last year as part of the much improved Green Bay Defense... Nick Barnett...

Mr. Larry Fitzgerald. Larry is a Wide Receiver for the Arizona Cardinals. He is widely considered one of the best receivers in the game. He is 6' 3" and weighs 217 pounds. Last year, he had 97 receptions for 1092 and 13 touchdowns. Perfect fantasy player on the field, and not a bad looking guy off the field...Larry Fitzgerald...

Dustin Keller...Dustin Keller is a Tight End for the New York Jets. He is one of the up and coming young tight ends attempting to take the reins from Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates. Dustin is 6' 2" and weighs 248 pounds. Last season, he had 45 receptions for 522 yards and 2 touchdowns. He is one of Mark Sanchez's best weapons. Expect a lot this fantasy season from Mr. Dustin Keller...

Mr. Mark Sanchez...Mark is one of those up and coming NFL cuties. I'll overlook that he is from USC. Mark is the Quarterback for the New York Jets. He is 6' 2" and weights 225 pounds. He performed surprisingly well for a rookie taking over for that NFL Jalopy Brett Favre. Leading the Jets to the post season, he tossed 12 touchdowns (22 interceptions) and a total of 2,444 yards. He is a nice option to have a quarter back if you can't pick up your favorite QB for your fantasy team...

Mr. Pierre Thomas...Pierre Thomas is a running back for the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. He is 5' 11" and weighs 215 pounds. A significantly stouter RB than teammate Reggie Bush, Pierre had 147 carries last year 743 yards and 6 touchdowns. Look for more from Pierre this year as the Saints look to defend their title. He may not be a fantasy football #1, but he is a reliable #2. Mr. Pierre Thomas...

Mr. Antonio Gates...Antonio Gates is a tight end for the San Deigo Chargers. He is widely considered one of the best tight ends in the league, although he is recovering from a rather significant foot injury. He is 6' 4" and weighs 260 pounds. Even with a bad foot, Gates had 79 receptions for 1, 157 yards and 8 touchdowns. Let's say that Mr. Gates is still a number one tight end, and he ain't a half bad player. Mr. Antonio Gates...

Since this is my blog, I saved my personal favorites for last...

Mr. Darren Sharper... D-Sharp is a safety for the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints with a penchant for trash talking while flashing those wonderful dimples. He is 6' 2" and weighs 210 pounds. He had 71 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and lead the league with 9 interceptions. He and the Saints defense are a solid choice for a fantasy defense. Mr. Darren Sharper...

Mr. Shawne Merriman...He's my bad boy. I know, I know about all the outside stuff, but on the field is he often a force to be reckoned with. He finally returned last season, after missing all but one game of the 2008 season with a massive knee injury. Shawne is an outside linebacker for the San Diego Chargers. He is recovering from variety of ailments from last season. He had 36 tackles and 4 sacks last year. Not exactly a monster season (that means my Chiefs quarterback was upright for most of the season), but I expect great things this year out of the 6' 4", 265 pound Merriman. He'll be a free agent next year. Mr. Shawne Merriman...

Saving the best for last ;), Mr. Tony Gonzalez. As far as I'm concerned, Tony is the greatest tight end to ever grace the field. Last year, he started for the first time in a red jersey that wasn't Kansas City's. He is starting his second year as the TE for the Atlanta Falcons. I'm going to chalk up last season's fall off to playing with a new team, new quarterback, and Roddy White. Even in a down season, the 6' 5", 243 pound, Gonzalez had 83 receptions for 867 yards and 6 touchdowns. He'll be my starting tight end until he retires... Mr. Tony Gonzalez...

Okay, ladies I know these aren't all the cuties in the NFL, but hey, 10 ain't bad. These are just my faves. Who would you add to the list? Where are my Chiefs? Kansas City, I'm going to have to ask you guys work on that. 65 days until the 2010 NFL season kicks off in New Orleans! Until then, I hope you ladies enjoyed...See ya next time!

Another Prediction from a Busybody, Know-it-All Football Fan

Happy Divisional Playoff Weekend football fans! It just seems like yesterday that we had the kickoff of football season. Now, we are just six games away from the Super Bowl. So, the AP has been giving out their annual awards so if you haven’t heard by now here is a quick re-cap: Offensive Player of the Year-Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans. Chris Johnson had a monster year for the Titans clocking 2,509 yards from scrimmage, not to mention running for over 2,000 yards. I don’t think I’ve run 2,000 yards in my life much less in a 16 game season. Defensive Player of the Year-Charles Woodson, CB, Green Bay Packers. Okay, I’m a homer, I was rooting for Darren Sharper, and most of the country thought that it should have gone to Darrelle Revis of the Jets who shut down every receiver that came within yard of his orbit. That said, no one can argue with Woodson’s year. He tied for the league lead with 9 interceptions three returned for touchdowns, not to mention he was instrumental in the Packers becoming the second rank defense in the league. League MVP went to Peyton Manning, of course. As I said last week, this is Peyton Manning’s record fourth MVP award. It’s pretty hard to argue with Manning winning the MVP, he didn’t slip up during the year, like Drew Brees or Brett Favre. Manning’s team didn’t lose because of him *cough, Curtis Painter.* I actually thought that Philip Rivers should have been higher than Brees. Comeback Player of the Year was Tom Brady, uh-huh, about right. Defensive Rookie of the Year was Brian Cushing, LB, Houston Texans. Cushing had a great rookie season for the Texans. Cushing had 133 total tackles, 4 sacks, 4 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles. I’d say he deserved the award. Offensive Rookie of the Year went to Minnesota Vikings, WR, Percy Harvin. In between suffering from migraine headaches that often kept him from practice, Percy Harvin managed to only have 60 receptions racking up 790 yards and 6 TDs. He rushed for another 135 yards. Did I mention he returned 42 kickoffs for 1, 156 yards averaging 27.5 yards per return with two kickoffs for TDs, one of which was 101 yards? The Coach of the year title went to Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis. Yay, Marvin. Marvin had a tremendous turnaround with the Bengals this year, and he managed to keep his team together after the tragic deaths of Vicki Zimmer, DC Mike Zimmer’s wife, and WR Chris Henry. Congratulations to all of the winners…

Quick side note my Kansas City Chiefs have hired two of the biggest names (not to mention waistlines) to join Coach Todd “Dead Man Walking” Haley. Romeo Crennel was added this week as the defensive coordinator, joining Charlie Weis as Scott Pioli continues to build the New England Patriots: Midwest Edition. How long before Haley starts sporting the cut-off hoodie…Stay tuned…The Second Round of the Playoffs begin this weekend. Let’s take a look at the games…

The Arizona Cardinals v. The New Orleans Saints. Last weekend the Cardinals managed to survive a shootout in the desert with the Green Bay Packers. The 51-45 game was an instant NFL Classic (the NFL Network even said so). Kurt “Hey, I’m still younger the Brett Favre” Warner continues to be a geriatric wonder on the field, and now he and his Cardinals are trying to perform yet another miracle and make their way to a second Super Bowl in as many years. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, Drew Brees and the “Who Dat?” Boys seem to have fallen out of favor with a lot of the NFL Prognosticators. They took the foot off the gas at the end of the season dropping three in a row. Although they weren’t pulling players to just rest, they were resting injured players who needed the recovery time. History, however, shows that no team who has lost their last three games has gone to one, much less won a Super Bowl. That said, I take the New Orleans Saints for the win.

The Baltimore Ravens v. The Indianapolis Colts. Four-time MVP Peyton Manning and his Colts are hosting Ray Lewis and the Ravens. Ray Rice delivered the first nail to the coffin of Tom Brady and the Patriots, and then the defense buried the Patriots hopes of a return to the Super Bowl. Most commentators maintain that the pressure is on the Colts who chose to rest players down the stretch instead of playing their starters. It’s another case of rust vs. momentum. If it comes down to a quarterback battle between Peyton and Joe Flacco, I have to put my money on Peyton, especially since Flacco has a bad hip and only was 4-10 for 34 yards against the Patriots. While I like and have a healthy fear of the Ravens and their defense, I have to put my money on the Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

The Dallas Cowboys v. the Minnesota Vikings. In the I hate one entire team and the other team’s quarterback bowl, the Cowboys who have been on a roll against the Eagles (twice), Redskins, and Saints head to Minnesota to take on Lorenzo and the Purple People eaters. For those who are not in the know, I hate the Cowboys, and since I am not really a member of the Media, I don’t have to pretend I don’t have a bias. They have won…blah-blah-blah…Tony Romo finally won in December, whoop-te-doo. Minnesota ended their season on high note taking out Eli Manning and the Giants. Although I don’t like him much, I’m hoping old Lorenzo marches Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin, Visanthe “I couldn’t have one easy name” Shiancoe, and Sidney Rice down the throats of the Cowboys. Then, to borrow a quote from Mike Tomlin, I hope that Jared Allen and the Williams boys “Unleash Hell” on the Cowboys and Tony Romo. You would literally have to pay me to pick the Cowboys. Lord Lorenzo and the Vikings over Da Boys.

The New York Jets v. the San Diego Chargers. The New York Jets and their coach Rex Ryan have been spreading smack like nobody’s business the last few weeks having taken out the Bengals (twice) and the Colts. Coach went so far as saying they should be a favorite in the Super Bowl. Slow down, Rexy boy, take it down a notch. They are taking the band on the road again headed to quarterback Mark Sanchez’s old stomping grounds to take on Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. It is no secret that the writer of this blog has an unhealthy fan crush on San Diego Chargers OLB Shawne Merriman, even though that writer maintains that she (who shall remain nameless) is a Kansas City Chiefs fan. The only thing that has come out of the San Diego Chargers camp is a viral video that I’m sure RB LaDainian Tomlinson wishes he had never made (“I read the defense, read the defense, catch that pass, hit that hole”). The Chargers were on an 11 game win streak going into the playoff. Darrelle Revis has stranded many a receiver on Revis Island, but he hasn’t seen receivers the size of Vincent Jackson, Malcolm Floyd, and TE Antonio Gates. Good luck with that. As if you didn’t already know, I’m picking the San Diego Chargers.

That’s it. Those are my predictions sure to go wrong. I'm about to take LT's advice and read the defense of Saints. See you next week for the Conference Championship games. In the words of Mark Twain, "I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said 'I don't know'." See you next week!!!