NFL Week 3

To my anonymous nemesis who thinks nobody cares about sports...I assure you that there's at least one other person out there reading this who does care, but if you'd rather read about teenage angst, go to someone else's blog...maybe Lamar's, I hear he likes to blog about how down on life he is.

Just got back from the Smos game. Smos beat the Lions 37-20, and it was the best performance I've seen from the Esks all season. There were a few candidates for Monster Performer. I considered Ricky Ray, but he only threw for 250 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. I considered Ron McClendon for his 2 TDs, but he only rushed for 31 yards. I finally settled on Tony Tompkins, for his 85 yard kickoff return TD. He would have also had a 65 yard punt return, but that was called back because of penalties. Defence played a really good game as well.

I didn't get my CFL picks in on time this week, but I'd probably be 0-3 right now anyway.

NFL Picks Week 3:

Atlanta at BUFFALO: Vick has been upgraded to probable, but Buffalo has one of the best D-lines in the league. Vick was sacked the most times out of any quarterback last season, and if they throw in Matt Schaub who can't run away from the blitz (Atlanta's O-Line is terrible) then it'll be 9 times worse. Tampa Bay's running game had quite a day against the Bills, so I think this one comes down to Dunn and Duckett. (Bills have only surrendered 3 passing scores in their last 6 games. Bills by 3.

CAROLINA at Miami: The Panties just beat the champs, so I think they'll be playing with a chip on their shoulder this week. Stephen Davis is out already (no big surprise) but they've got some depth at RB. Panties by 10.

CINNCINNATI at Chicago: Bears just had a big win against the Lions, but that just shows how overrated the Lions are. Plus Carson Palmer's having a helluva a year. Year of the Tiger, Bengals by 14.

Cleveland at INDIANAPOLIS: I looked at the schedule, and the Colts don't play a real opponent until Week 9 (@ New England) I expected the Browns to be this year's 2-14 team. I just can't trust a team that makes Seattle's garbage its starting quarterback. Peyton Manning by 28.

JACKSONVILLE at NY Jets: Jags held Peyton to 122 yards and no TD pass, which is definitely something to be proud of. However, they've lost Donovan Darius, and he's pretty much irreplaceable. Still, I think they can beat the Jets...Jags by 7.

NEW ORLEANS at Minnesota: Pepto Bismol Upset of the Week. Third time's a charm for the Vikings, maybe. But Aaron Brooks had quite a day against the Giants (375 yards) and if he can keep himself from throwing 3 picks, they should win this one. Chad Johnson burned the Minnesota secondary for 70 yards and a TD on the second play from scrimmage last week, so I wouldn't worry about them getting too many picks. Taints by 3.

Oakland at PHILADELPHIA: Lock of the Week. The Eagles don't lose in the Linc, unless Koy Detmer's playing. I don't think they'll win by 39 again this week, but it still won't be close. Eagles by 28.

TAMPA BAY at Green Bay: Tampa Bay starting out 3-0? *shudder* My roommate and I were debating which team is worse: the Browns or the Packers and we couldn't arrive at a resolution. Brett Favre will have a good game, but he can't win all by himself. Succaqueers by 10.

Tennessee at ST. LOUIS: Colin picked the Titans in this one, so the Titans will probably win. Still, I think even the Strathmore Spartans could beat that offensively challenged Baltimore Ravens team, so I'm not concerned about the Titans going anywhere just yet. This doesn't mean I think the Rams don't have major problems, but they should win this one by 10.

Arizona at SEATTLE: Seahawks sure had their way with the Falcons in the first half last week, but almost blew it in the second half. If they can play an entire game against the Cardinals, they should win by a bunch, and Alexander should run all over their faces. I'm going to say Seahawks by 20.

DALLAS at San Francisco: What a meltdown that was on Monday night! But San Francisco's easy enough to beat, and Dallas is really not that bad of a team (although the Bledsoe/Peerless tandem still worries me) Cowboys by 21.

New England at PITTSBURGH: Steelers will have revenge on their minds after last year's AFC Final, and they've also won 16 regular season games in a row. They also beat New England at Ketchup Stadium last year, and I think they can do it again. Steelers by 7.

NY Giants at SAN DIEGO: I had the Giants originally, but their two wins have been against Zona and New Orleans, both at home. Chargers by 3.

KANSAS CITY at Denver: Chiefs are 2-0 and Trent Green hasn't even thrown a TD pass yet. Broncos were lucky to win against the Chargers, and they can't rely on Champ Bailey to get a game-winning TD every week. Chiefs by 14.

Black Sunday

So the Oilers, Eskimos, and Falcons all played today. What are the chances of that happening?? Here are the results.

Stars @ Oilers: L 6-5 (SO)
Eskimos @ Roughriders: L 37-36
Falcons @ Seahawks: L 21-18

I knew the Falcons always had trouble playing in Seattle, so it wasn't really a big surprise, but the Smos were still winning at the time I left for the Oilers game. Even after the Oilers lost, I thought it was no big worry because it was only pre-season and the Smos were going to win anyway. Little did I know...

It's even worse that the Smos cost me my 4 for 4 week for the CFL, and that the Falcons put me (at best) at 7-9 for this week's NFL picks.

About the only good thing that happened today was that Shannon Fox read my traffic tip on the air. It was a stall in the left lane of the High Level Bridge, and I warned everyone to stay right. It might have saved somebody a minute or two off their drive. Pretty sad, I know, but this is why I drink. Oh yeah, and I went to Wendy's and got my ranch.

If this post sounded too much like teenage angst, then I apologize, because I'm not looking for sympathy.

NFL Week 2, CFL Week 13, and more

First off, recap of last weekend's games:

1. Eskimos played like shite, losing 16-11 to Calgary. Well, I'll give credit to the defence...rarely does it happen when a defence allows only 16 points and still loses the game in the CFL. So I guess the offence played like shite. Heather was not impressed at all that I threw my jersey down on the ground and wore it inside out in the second half, but I don't think she minded that I broke my "Stamps" hat. You need to understand that there are certain teams I can't put up with losing to. The Stampeders are one, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are another, and the Calgary Flames (which made '03-'04 a very long season...) I put the goat horns on the head of Ricky Ray for his 3 interceptions, Danny Maciocia for refusing to play Jason Maas (his logic his you have to lose a few more games before shifting your QBs around...) and R.D. Lancaster for retarded play calling.

2. Golden Bears game on Saturday was good...Bears beat the Dinos 34-20. Running game looked good even though Winks didn't take a lot of the carries. Monster Performer for this game was Matt Burrows for his 3 TD catches.

3. Falcons beat the Eagles on their Monday night home opener by a score of 14-10. It was a solid defensive effort by the Falcons. I am concerned with the lack of scoring in the second half, and the poor play of Keith Brooking but when you play the Eagles, it doesn't really matter how you win the game...they did go 13-3 last season, and two of those losses came at the end of the season with their starters benched. I mulled over giving DeAngelo Hall the Monster Performer...after all, he did allow T.O. to get 112 yards receiving. But T.O. was kept out of the endzone, and DeAngelo got an INT off McNabb, which is a rare thing (he threw 8 all of last year) so that sealed it for me. Honourable mentions to Warrick Dunn for his 117 yards on 21 carries (and yes, I'm aware that this would have been significantly less had Jeremiah Trotter not been thrown out...) and Patrick Kerney, for 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and just being in McNabb's face all night. GO BIRDS!

Now, Week 2 NFL Predictions:

Balitmore at Tennessee: Have to wonder if losing Kyle Boller is too much of a bad thing. Baltimore is still good defensively, so the Ravens should win by a score of about 10-7.

Buffalo at Tampa Bay: I think the Bucs' win last week had a lot more to do with Minnesota being vastly overrated. Bills by 7.

Detroit at Chicago: While I'm still skeptical of Detroit's offence (Harrington completed 5 passes to his first round receivers last week), Chicago is brutal defensively. Lions by 21.

Jacksonville at Indianapolis: This should be a high scoring tilt, but Indy will win the shootout. Colts by 7.

Minnesota at Cincinnati: I know Minnesota's receivers can catch...Culpepper didn't throw to only Randy Moss all last season. Vikings by 4.

New England at Carolina: I'm already thinking of what I'm going to say to Panties fans when SI picks them to win the Super Bowl and they miss the playoffs. Patriots by 3.

Pittsburgh at Houston: Houston always screws me over when I don't pick them, but I'm still fairly confident the Steelers will win by 14.

San Francisco at Philadelphia: The Rams definitely have some problems...it's not about the 49ers being good. There's no way Philly goes 0-2 either. Eagles by 24, Lock of the Week.

Atlanta at Seattle: Atlanta always seems to have trouble playing in Seattle, and the last time they won there was 1997. When I was at Qwest Field in January, the Falcons were mopping the floor with the Seahawks on both sides of the ball until Vick left the game, and they went on to lose 28-26. The Hawks were lucky to win that one, as Jay Feely missed a field goal in the 3rd and Warrick Dunn came inches away from scoring the 2 point convert that would have tied it up at the end. Rushing offence and defence are the keys to this game, and I give a slight edge to the Falcons. I'm cautiously optimistic when I say Falcons by 3.

St. Louis at Arizona: They have 200 yards more than San Francisco, fewer turnovers, and they still manage to lose the game. Cardinals by 3.

Cleveland at Green Bay: Losing Javon Walker only hurts a team I thought was going to win only 6 games anyway. Still, I think this has to be one of them...Cleveland is pretty much the worst team in the league right now. Packers by 6.

Miami at N.Y. Jets: The Jets looked awful against K.C. and the Dolphins looked very good against Denver. Jets do not look like a playoff team at all. I'm going to say Jets by 7, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Fish won this one.

San Diego at Denver: Chargers blew it big time against Dallas on primetime. I doubt it will happen twice in a row, especially with Antonio Gates. Chargers by 14.

Kansas City at Oakland: K.C. beat up the Jets pretty bad...I guess we'll see if their defence can do it again. It really hinges on shutting down Randy Moss. Chiefs by 3.

NY Giants at New Orleans: Am I the only one who's sick of hearing about the Superhero Saints? Saints have hype and pretty much the entire U S of A behind them, but I still hate them. Hopefully, it will all die down when the Saints lose a game, but unfortunately, I think I'll have to put up with it for another week. Saints by 10, Pepto Bismol Upset of the Week.

Washington at Dallas: Redskins have what's-his-face at quarterback, and it appears I underestimated Dallas. I'm still skeptical of a team that has Bledsoe, (He was NFC Player of the Week, what's up with that!!) but I'll take the Cowboys by 6 anyway (and what a crappy Monday night game!)

Week 13 in the CFL:

Ottawa @ Winnipeg: Gross. Winnipeg will be playing like they have nothing to lose (which they don't at this point in the season) so I'm going to say Bombers by 7.

Calgary @ Hamilton: No Burris for Calgary, but they should win this game anyway, even if they have to run the ball 50 times. Stampeders by 3.

Montreal @ B.C.: You can't ever go wrong picking B.C., especially against the kind of defence Montreal throws out there every week. Lions by 17

Edmonton @ Saskatchewan: Eskimos will be angry after last week's debacle, and Saskatchewan doesn't have much of a passing offence. This all depends on the Smos ability to contain the run and play good special teams coverage. Smos by 17.

2005 NFL Season and Week One Picks

AFC EAST:
New England (1)
NY Jets (5)
Buffalo
Miami

Bill Belichek does it again. Jets would probably win any other division in the league, and should be considered legitimate contenders. Buffalo might improve their 6-10 record if they can do things offensively with JP Losman (but I'm skeptical), and Miami is at least another year or two away from being a factor.

AFC North:
Baltimore (2)
Pittsburgh (6)
Cincinnati
Cleveland

Baltimore did really well in free agency and the draft, and now Kyle Boller is out of excuses. Their success this year will depend solely on him, as they have good receivers, running backs, and probably the best defence in the league. Pittsburgh will rely heavily on their defence playing like they did last season, but I don't think Ben will be as good.

AFC South:
Indianpolis (3)
Jacksonville
Houston
Tennessee

There's a lot of hype surrounding Jacksonville, but Indianapolis has running game and passing game, but a worse defence than the Strathmore Spartans.

AFC West:
Oakland (4)
Kansas City
San Diego
Denver

This division is totally wide open. Any team could win. Oakland has several cases of locker room cancer, but that shouldn't stop them from winning games. Their 3-4 defence is a terrible scheme for the type of players they have, and this is going to hold them back.

NFC East:
Philadelphia (2)
NY Giants
Washington
Dallas

Washington and Dallas won't be factors. Dallas did well in the draft, so they'll be a next season team. The Eagles will take this one easily.

NFC North:
Minnesota (1)
Detroit
Green Bay
Chicago

Another division that's completely wide open, except for Chicago. Minnesota did the best this offseason in free agency and the draft and fixed their crappy defence. Detroit looks pretty good offensively. Green Bay needs to learn how to tackle, but they're also very good offensively.

NFC West:
Seattle (4)
St. Louis (6)
Arizona
San Francisco

Probably the crappiest division in all of football. St. Louis makes it close, but ultimately, it will be the team that's .500 that will win the division. Pick the Seahawks because they got a lot better on defence.

NFC South:
Atlanta (3)
Carolina (5)
Tampa Bay
New Orleans

A lot of experts pick the Panties to win, but don't believe the hype. The road to win the NFC South goes through Atlanta, and the Panties have never beaten Mike Vick. Tampa Bay has no offence, but a good defence so they should steal 6 games this season. And I have to wonder how New Orleans will do without playing any home games, so they're last for now. Plus Aaron Brooks sucks.

Speaking of the Falcons, they have a tough schedule this year. I expect them to start out this season 2-5, go in to their bye week, and then win every game after that. The first 7 games in the schedule are brutal: Eagles, Seahawks, Bills, Vikings, Patriots, Saints, and Jets.

Week one picks:

New England
Washington
Cincinnati
Denver
Houston (Pepto)
Carolina
Kansas City
Jacksonville
Minnesota (Lock)
Pittsburgh
NY Giants
San Diego
Detroit
St. Louis
Baltimore
Philadelphia

And finally, CFL Week 12:

B.C.
Edmonton
Toronto
Saskatchewan

Happy Birsday to me (and CFL Week 11)

So last weekend was mayhem. I woke up on Friday at about 4:30 and started drinking about an hour later. That Mission Hill Pinot Noir is good stuff but man, it'll get you drunk. Heather brought her ladies over and made girly drink drunk and Andre and Gina got drunk off Shiraz Cabernet. We went to the Smos game after that...I don't remember a lot about it, but we won 36-26. Then on Saturday, we went to Barb and Ernie's for breakfast, then to the 76th Canadian Derby (that's a horse race before you ask) I actually came out on top by about 6 bucks. Then we had supper at the Mongolie Grill and then headed back to my house and then went to Boston Pizza. Yeah, it was a fairly busy weekend for drinking. Oh, and on Sunday I reffed football out in the Park. It was a hot day...thank goodness I wasn't hung over.

My last night of work was last night. They got me a nice parting gift: a bucket full of food and a gift certificate to the liquor store. I'd like to go back this summer, if there's a job for me to come back to. I have a feeling those Europeans are going to try to boost their profit margins at the expense of quality (moreso) this year.

And I know this is a little late, since the first game is just about over, but here's my CFL Week 11 predictions:

Ottawa @ Montreal: Montreal wins, Ottawa beats the 6.5 point spread
Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan wins, Winnipeg beats the 5.5 point spread
Edmonton @ Calgary: Edmonton wins, and covers the 3.5 point spread
Toronto @ Hamilton: Toronto wins, and covers the 5.5 point spread

Hopefully sometime this weekend I can do up my projected standings for the NFL this season and my thoughts on this year's Atlanta Falcons.