Week Nine NFL Prime Picks

by Thomas [NFL Mikee] Moreland….

Donovan McNabb and the Eagles stopped the Giants season in its tracks, beating them at home. Next, Dallas comes into Philadelphia. Take the Eagles in their own place.

The Giants next have San Diego in the Meadowlands. Take Mew York at home. San Diego never plays well on these road trips.

Atlanta has Washington at home, in a scrimmage week for Atlanta, as they will win this game easily.

Green Bay will go South and beat Tampa Bay in Tampa with no problem. This is a no brainer kind of pick.

New England shows everyone who the AFC East team to beat is, by crunching the Dolphins into fried tuna in New England.

Jacksonville is at home against Kansas City. Is this win number two for Kansas City? Can Jacksonville ever play well?  Aw, heck, I’ll take the home team.

Here is the Houston Texan’s biggest stage ever. Go into Indianapolis and knock off the division leader and undefeated Colts and show the world you can make the playoffs.

I will take the Texans. Be the man, Matt Schaub.

Baltimore gets the Bengals in Cincinnati after a big game last week against Denver. I like the Ravens to get this one on the road.

Arizona goes into Chicago feeling very good, for this time of the season. The Arizona defense has stepped up, and I am confident Warner can get this one done.

Seattle  finally gets another win against Detroit at home. Seattle is once again, toast. They are 3-5 with this win and going nowhere fast.

New Orleans will try to stay undefeated at home against Carolina. Carolina does not have enough weapons to keep up with Brees and company. Take New Orleans.

The Forty-Niners have the dangerous Tennessee Titans in a game that shouts “upset, upset, upset.” They are in San Francisco. I will take the Niners.

Pittsburgh rolls into Denver and will win. Denver is a pretender, and this game will expose them for just an ordinary team.

I will be right around 76-39 for the season right after week eight concludes.

Thomas [NFL Mikee] Moreland.

We’ll never forget you, Brent

Week Eight NFL Lines: The Quick Read

By Louis “King of Roncesvalles” Pisano…

The big favourites keep covering the double digit spreads and Vegas is getting killed by them. The star quarterbacks are living up to their expectations and getting it done while the injuries pile up on every team and are always a huge component when looking at which side comes out victorious on game day.

There have never been this many undefeated teams this late in the season and some may continue down that road and some may be stopped dead in their tracks.

Broncos @ Ravens -3 O/U 41.5

The Broncos are one of three undefeated teams left and they are taking on a Ravens team that has not been the defensive juggernaut of the past with only their rush defence ranking in the top 10 yet all four offensive categories rank in the top 10 overall, somewhat a reversal of roles that is not faring well for this team.

They say defence wins championships, well the Bronco’s are first over points allowed and rank in the top ten in the other three categories. Earlier in the year I just couldn’t buy into this Denver team and each week they prove me wrong with their athletic defence and second half surges.

As the Ravens at 3-3 fall further behind the division leading Steelers and the surprising Bengals who both have records of 5-2, their playoff hopes begin to dwindle and must feel backed into a corner. For these two teams, health doesn’t seem to be an issue, as all injured players had full participation in practice aside from Ravens T Jared Gaither.

Baltimore may be backed into a corner, but can they fight their way out it?

Ravens Win 21-20

Browns @ Bears -13 O/U 40.5

After two straight road losses the Bears return to the friendly confines of Soldier field to face a Browns team that continues to head further down the wrong road no matter which way they are going. The Bears get back on track against an injured team who is just terrible.

Bears win 38-10

Texans @ Bills +3 O/U 41

Both these teams have won two in a row yet both face numerous injuries to their starters but the Texans seem to be the healthier team with almost all having full participation in practice while the Bills are still missing starters QB Trent Edwards, SS Donte Whitner, T Jonathan Scott, and DT Kyle Williams who are listed as out for this game.

Houston wins 24-13

Vikings @ Packers -3 O/U47

Brett Farve returns to the stadium he played in for most of his career and this should bring up many emotions for him, but with his 6-1 team, he is there to take care of business. Aaron Rogers the heir apparent has lead his team to a 4-2 record and would like nothing more than to beat his old mentor and his team has only given up three points in their last two wins mind you that was against the Detroit and Cleveland.

Both sides face some key injuries Vikings WR Percy Harvin (illness) will most likely be a game-time decision and CB Antoine Winfield in out, for Green Bay C Jason Spitz and S Derrick Martin are both doubtful.

Vikings win 34-24

49ers @ Colts -13 O/U 44.5

The Colts are another one of the undefeated teams at 6-0, with Peyton Manning making an early bid for league MVP and look to stay that way facing a 49ers team that hasn’t been great as of late.

The 49ers will be starting Alex Smith after they pulled Shaun Hill last week when down 21-0 to the Texans and as we saw Smith came in and looked great, though there was no pressure as there is when starting a game. The 49ers are in tight against a very good Colts team and will fall short of the mark.

Colts win 28- 13

Dolphins @ Jets -3.5 O/U 40.5

This divisional matchup pits the No. 1 and 2 rushing teams against each other with the Jets averaging 184.9 yards per game on the ground and Miami averaging 170.3 rushing yards per game. The Jets’ rush defence is ranked 22nd against the run and Miami’s D is ranked fourth.

The Dolphins are the healthier team. Neither team throws the ball exceptionally well, but if Miami’s receivers can make a few catches and their pass defence can limit the Jets’ passing yards, Miami should get the upset.

Miami win 24-20

Rams @ Lions -4 O/U 43.5

This game has it all, two great teams battling for top spots in each of their respective…oh wait a minute this is the Rams Lions game bahahahahaha…yeah both these teams are still horrid and as to who wins it’s anybody’s guess so I will throw it out there.

The Rams get their first win of the season against an injured Lions team, this scary because the Rams offence is terrible and Detroit’s hasn’t been that bad.

Rams win 17-13

Seahawks @ Cowboys -9.5 O/U 46

The Boys had a good showing last week beating a pretty good Atlanta team while the Seahawks lost at home to Arizona 27-3. The healthy Cowboys should roll against a team missing their leader on defence LB Lofa Tatupu who is out with a torn pectoral muscle.

The Cowboys defence has been getting better each week and Tony Romo is rounding into form, if wide receiver Roy Williams could be productive this Cowboys team could really go on a roll but Miles Austin has really stepped up and been great the last two games and if he can keep it up the secondary of the Seahawks may have a tough day.

Cowboys win 34-13

Raiders @ Chargers -16.5 O/U 41.5

The Chargers who haven’t had much success to say the least running the ball this year may turn things around on the ground against a 30th ranked rush defence of the Raiders, but with the lack of the run the Chargers have gone to the air with much prosperity ranking fourth overall in passing yards.

The Raiders’ pass defence isn’t that bad sitting 12th overall but they may not be able to put enough points on the board on the offensive side of the ball for anything else to make a difference.

Chargers win 38-10

Jaguars @ Titans -3 O/U 44.5

Both these teams have talent yet have been inept on both sides of the ball, the Titans are winless at 0-6 and are going to start QB Vince Young a once thought future of the franchise.

The Jaguars are 3-3 and have been very unpredictable though in the first meeting at home against this divisional rival won 37-17, if they can repeat feat who knows. The Titans coach Jeff Fisher is a never say die kind of guy and should motivate his team to get a W in the win column but if they can produce is another story.

Jaguars win 27- 24

Panthers @ Cardinals -10 O/U 41.5

The Cardinals 4-2 have three wins in a row and face a Panthers team that are 2-4 beating Tampa and Washington yet who lost last week at home to the Bills 20-9. With the travel across the country for the Panthers and last year’s playoff loss to this Arizona team this is a tough spot for them.

Arizona has steadily improved and should continue along that road though they are facing the number one pass defence and their bread and butter is the pass where as their rushing sits last in the league and may improve against a Carolina team that ranks 26th against the rush.

Cardinals win 23-10

Giants @ Eagles +1.5 O/U 44.5

This is an extremely important game within the NFC east division and could leave one standing alone atop the pile. With all the injuries the Eagles sustained last week including a key one to their main offensive weapon Brian Westbrook not to mention all the others the eagles will be in tough.

The Giants have looked horrid in the last couple weeks and should rebound this week albeit on the road where we know how good Eli Manning has been. Too many injuries for the Eagles should lead to a Giants romp.

Giants win 34-24

Falcons @ Saints -11 O/U 55

This Monday night game should be an offensive thriller with the high flying Saints hosting the Falcons who boast a number of weapons including future hall of fame TE Tony Gonzales.

The injuries to Falcons, which have left many of their players as game time decisions where as the injuries to the Saints who are all mostly probable leave the question of how many points do the Saints win by more or less.

Saints win 45-28

Should be a great weekend of football as it always is enjoy the games and all the best!

Same old story: Argos fall again at home

by Jeremy Visser… For a team that hasn’t caught much in the way of breaks this season, the Argos must have thought the football gods were finally smiling upon them when Zeke Moreno intercepted the first play from scrimmage Friday against Hamilton and returned it for a touchdown. Then came the penalty flag — offside, and the score was wiped off the board.

“It’s frustrating,” Moreno said afterward. “You make a big play and have it taken away because a player apparently lined up an inch offside. It’s just deflating.”

The Ticats capitalized on the revived drive, converting a field goal en route to a commanding 20-0 halftime lead and eventual 26-17 win — the Argos’ 11th loss in their last 12 games and seventh in eight games at Rogers Centre.

Following a frustrating trend, Toronto’s offense was again non-existent in the first two quarters, gaining a total of 67 yards, including just 30 through the air on three Kerry Joseph completions.

Hamilton benefited from late first quarter gamble by Argos coach Bart Andrus to go for it on third & one from Toronto’s own 38. Joseph was stopped short on a sneak, giving the Ticats terrific field position that led to their first touchdown, a one-yard run by short yardage quarterback Aaron Tafralis. Afterward, Andrus was unapologetic for the risk.

“We’ve been picking up third & ones all year,” he said. “That’s the first one in recent history that I can recall we didn’t make.

“We just didn’t get any push,” he added. “It comes down to the fact that you’ve got to be able to block people.”

The Argos finally did get on the board on the opening drive of the second half, scoring when Joseph found Jeff Johnson on third & goal from the one-yard line.

After Nick Setta 34-yard field goal gave the Ticats a 23-7 lead late in the third, Andrus found himself in another position to gamble. On third & five on the Hamilton 10-yard line midway through the fourth, he opted for a Justin Medlock field goal, which kept it a two-possession game when a touchdown and a two-point conversion could have pulled Toronto within one score. Again, when called upon after the game, Andrus stood by his decision.

“I didn’t consider going for it,” Andrus said, “We had seven minutes left and got three more possesions, but we only managed to score on one of them.

“The problem, to me, in those last seven minutes is we didn’t stop them. We gave up two long drives. What we needed was a couple two-and-outs.”

The one score Toronto did add was a 95-yard hookup from Joseph to Jeremy Carter to cut the lead to 23-17, the Argos’ longest play from scrimmage this season. Still, in typical Argo fashion, it was too little, too late.

For the second straight week, Joseph finished with nice numbers that were padded by a furious late push that fell short. He completed 14-of-23 attempts for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Hamilton’s Kevin Glenn outdid him, completing 28-of-38 for 322 yards and one score.

One Argo was able to reach a personal milestone — running back Jamal Robertson eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark late in the first quarter, become the sixth player in team history to reach the mark and the first since Michael Jenkins in 2001.

“It’s a positive note,” Robertson said after the game, “but with the way the season has gone, it’s kind of hard to celebrate.

“I’m proud of it,” he added. “It’s good for myself and for the organization. But when you have lots of yards and not enough wins, it’s hard to get excited.”

NFL Week Seven-The Quick Read

By Louis “King of Roncesvalles” Pisano…

The controversy yearly between media and fans alike has always been the question of who deserves the title “best quarterback in the NFL”. The thoroughbreds of the in the game are the big four of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Farve, and more recently Drew Brees and they make it more and more difficult to decide who should hold that title with every clutch touchdown they throw and every previous record that falls to one of them, seemingly weekly. When breaking down NFL games there are five key components that I look at first as it goes for personnel, starting with the QB position followed by the RB, WR, Centre, and the LB positions. If Peyton Manning is out and the Colts are a 14 point favourite you are going to definitely reassess. Thankfully those four are healthy but I am going to ride two of them this week.

Chargers @ Chiefs +4.5 O/U 44.5

After the first win of the season and the monkey off their backs the Chiefs who with a little luck could have been 3-3 right now should be riding high with some confidence. The move to pick up Cassel is looking as though it may pay dividends eventually and their young team is starting to play with the athleticism they possess. The Chargers can’t run the ball and sit last overall in the NFL in rushing yards, and with LT (questionable, illness) and Darren Sproles, I know I’m flabbergasted as well! It looks as though the flu bug may be the only thing running for this Chargers team as it seems a number of the players are ill as well as banged up, but they are desperate. The four starters on the O-line for the Chiefs are injured which could make it difficult for them to protect Cassel.

Chargers win 23-20

Colts @ Rams +13.5 O/U 45

Coming off the buy Peyton Manning should tear up the secondary of winless Rams which gives up 252 yards per game through the air and basically can’t seem to do anything right on either side of the ball. The Colts are number one through the air and the Rams rank nowhere below 26^th in any defensive category.

Colts win 31-10

Bears @ Bengals -1 O/U 42.5

Both of these teams rank middle of the road in most categories but the matchup between the Bengals run game with Cedric Benson who is third overall in the NFL and the Bears run D which ranks fifth should be great to watch and will be a decisive factor in the outcome of the game. With the Bengals defensive line banged up they may have a hard time getting to QB Jay Cutler and he has been getting better and better and looking more comfortable in his new digs and should go to the air quite a bit with success. The Bears left side has some bumps and bruises and I would expect the healthy offensive line of the Bengals to pull to that side and work their running game there.

Bears win 27-24

Packers @ Browns +9 O/U 41

The Pack are a little banged up but the Browns could be dressing the water boy just so they have enough healthy bodies to fill the rosters spots. The Browns are 1-5 with the one win coming in a snorer against the bungling Bills 6-3 and are in the bottom of the league in almost every category aside from an 18^th ranked running game. Green Bay is 3-2 and needs to continue playing the way they did against the Lions last week shutting them out 27-0 if they hope to sneak into the post-season. Packs D has 10 INT’s and I’d look for them to get a couple more. Pack will score on both sides of the ball and perhaps post back to back shutouts.

Packers win 45-0

Vikings @ Steelers -6 O/U 45

The 6-0 Viks visit the 4-2 Steelers in the premier match up of the early games. A couple of these wins by the Viks have been last second Farve moments or as in last week’s win, a miscue by the opposing team. The Steelers who could be 6-0, lost both games by a mere three points and those losses came against the Bengals and Bears. Adrian Peterson (limited in practice ankle) leads the league in rushing with 618 yards, no surprise, and will be going up against the second ranked rush defence of the Steelers, but as long as he is partially effective the Steelers won’t be able to just key off on Farve. Big Ben leads the league in passing yards and averages 314.5 per game and will be going up against a pass defence that ranks 24^th in the league and gives up 248.3 yards per game, he should have a big day. Viks, a dome team, playing outside against a very good home team, though weather doesn’t look as though it will be a factor, may still struggle. Steelers are a healthier team as well.

Steelers win 27-17

Patriots @ Buccaneers +14.5 O/U 45

Tom Brady’s performance against the Jekyll and Hyde Titans last week was nothing short of unbelievable and this elite quarterback’s touchdown passing extravaganza should continue against a terrible 0-6 Bucs team though their best statistic is that against the pass where they rank 11^th overall. I don’t expect that bad of a blowout but it’ll be close.

Patriots win 42-10

49ers @ Texans -3 O/U 44

The 49ers are coming off the bye and have had two weeks to think about how badly they got whooped by the Falcons. The Texans have been anything but predictable this year, seems you never know which team is going to show up and they’ve been good on the road and poor at home completely opposite of last year’s trends. Frank Gore will return to the line-up after nursing a sore ankle and bring a boost to the 49ers. If Houston paid any attention to how the Falcons picked apart San Fran considering they have similar weapons they should be able to exploit a secondary that gave up 329 yards in the air to the Falcons and ranks 20^th in the league with opposing teams averaging 234 yards per game in the air against them. This is a mirror image game of last week’s win over the Bengals for the Texans.

Texans win 28-17

Jets @ Raiders +6 O/U 34.5

Though ranking last in almost every offensive category the Raiders have two wins and the biggest surprise to everyone was them beating the Eagles last week, I still have no clue how it happened, must have been the pigeon! As for the Jets after starting the year hot have gone ice cold and the cherry on top of the sundae was the loss to the Buffalo Bill patties last week! This is a good game for both teams one looking to get back on track against a poor team and one trying to get another win against a struggling team. The Jets are all healthy and the Raiders are nursing some injuries on an already thin roster. Miracles don’t happen often and the Raiders may have to wait awhile for their next one I hear the pigeon was signed by the Browns to fill a roster spot!

Jets win 24-6

Bills @ Panthers -7 O/U 37

The loss of Trent Edwards due to concussion may be the best thing to happen to the Bills, no wait it was beating the Jets last week after he was knocked out of that game, so somewhat one in the same. Ryan Fitzpatrick who will start this week went 10 of 25 with a TD and an INT by no means good showing, and I expect more of the same. After three decisive losses to start the season Carolina has won a couple close ones against the weak offensively challenged Redskins and the inept Buccaneers. Delhomme and the Panthers have won back to back after the bye week although he can’t stay away from throwing picks. The supposed high powered passing offence of Buffalo hasn’t done squat. This is going to be a run run incomplete pass punt game and should be about as exciting as fishing in puddle in a playground sandbox though the Panthers should be able to move the ball on the ground since the Bills run D is fairly porous though I would figure the scoring overall will be kept to a minimum.

Panthers win 13-3

Saints @ Dolphins +6.5 O/U 47

The 5-0New Orleans Saints have been on fire out of the gate and are in discussions as one of the best teams in football right now. They have outscored opponents 192-93 including a beat-down of the Giants last week 48-27 and they rank in the top ten in three of four categories on defence. Getting it done on the defensive side of the ball has been a soft spot on the team in the past seemingly no longer. The Dolphins, just off the bye, have been doing what they do best, running the ball with their Wildcat offense and rank first overall with that rushing attack. Now that QB Chad Henne has three games under his belt and has looked more confident with each game their passing attack has a deep threat possibility which was utilized in the win over the Jets last week with Ted Ginn catching a 57 yard TD pass. Miami has controlled time of possession in almost every game this year having the ball for an average 35:29 per game. With scattered showers and thunderstorms in the forecast Brees and the air attack of the Saints may grounded and they may have to run the ball, which they have done well this year. The game might come down to Miami’s #1 rushing attack versus NO #5 rush D and NO #4 rushing attack versus Miami’s #3 ranked rush D.

Dolphins win 24-21

Falcons @ Cowboys -4 O/U 47.5

The Cowboys are off the bye and are looking to continue the success they had in KC when Romo went 20 of 34 for 351 yards with two touchdowns while Tashard Choice led the rushing attack that ran for 145 yards combined and Miles Austin had 10 receptions for 250 yards and two touchdowns, not bad right, well this Falcons team is not the Kansas City Chiefs. Matt Ryan and the Falcons came off the bye and went in and destroyed San Fran (3-1 at that point) 45-10 then went home and beat Chicago (3-1 then as well) 21-14 and are now 4-1 with their only loss coming to the Patriots. Their defence ranks fourth in points allowed yet ranks no higher than 20^th in any of the three other categories. The Boys were banged up previous to the bye but all had full participation in practice while the Falcons took a big blow to the speed part of their run game losing Jerious Norwood who is battling a hip problem and is listed as doubtful. This is the third game in the new stadium and with over a hundred thousand it will be loud and expecting a win.

Cowboys win 31-21

Cardinals @ Giants -7 O/U 46

After being sounding beaten on the road by the New Orleans Saints last week the Giants will definitely be looking to rebound at home Sunday night against the Cardinals who never seem to travel to the east coast very well. The Cardinals rank first in the NFL against the rush only allowing 59.6 yards per game surprisingly and incredibly, not so, it’s because teams can just throw on them all day and they rank 31^st overall against the pass giving up 265.2 yards per game, so no need to run! The Giants will change that statistic and should bully them at the line of scrimmage moving the ball at will either through the air or on the ground. With WR Anquan Boldin (ankle), RB Chris “Beenie” Wells (hip) and WR Steve Breaston (knee) all limited in practice and obviously not a hundred percent the Arizona Cardinal offence will not be firing on all cylinders and it would have to be to able to stick around with this angry Giants team this week, oh yeah the Giants are first overall against the pass and total yards. The Giants are battling bumps and bruises of their own yet most of the starters are listed as probable and had full participation in practice aside from Ahmad Bradshaw who was limited yet still probable and the Giants have that pride factor to help quell the aches and pains.

Giants win 33-17

Eagles @ Redskins +7 O/U 37

This divisional game on Monday night in prime time has the apparently offensively and defensively sound Eagles who lost last week, to everyone’s surprise to the all around incompetent Raiders, facing the offensively challenged (understatement) Washington Redskins who were beat by the then winless KC Chiefs. Now Donavan McNabb as everyone knows has a brain fart here and there (remembering the fact that he didn’t know about the one quarter of overtime or the tie concept) and last week it seems he was in that mindset where they just couldn’t finish drives. Washington’s coach is Jim Zorn, for now, but the real question is who is going to be Washington’s next coach. The Redskins have a fairly talented team who underachieve yearly. Defensively Washington is excellent ranking in the top five three out of four categories, the lone problem being stopping the run where they rank 22^nd giving up 118 yards per game. Westbrook and McNabb should be able to get it going with screens and a running game freeing up WR DeSean Jackson and TE Brent Celek along with rookie WR Jeremy Maclin for possible big strike plays. There are injuries on both sides of the ball but it seems as though all the Eagles had full participation and one key component for Washington’s defence is the middle with both Cornelius Griffin (limited elbow) and Albert Haynesworth who did not practice nor did their running back Clinton Portis and their game status is unknown. All in all the Eagles hit a bump in the road last week and need to rebound and get this win because their schedule just gets tough from here on out, where as the Skins are just down-right poor offensively and should continue to struggle even under the warm October night projected for the game.

Eagles win 24-10

So much for being a quick read may be going through you head right now, and I know, though I could write a page more on each game with ease, at any rate enjoy the games! All the Best!

Was that ambitious pigeon the ghost of Marquis Cooper?

Updated NFL Power Ratings: Weakness Exposed In Certain Teams

by Thomas Moreland… Drew Brees lit up the New York Giants for 49 points while the defense kept Eli Manning in check for a big win.

The undisputed heavyweight champions in the NFL are the New Orleans Saints.

In the number two spot in the power ratings are…the Minnesota Vikings. Brett Farve brought his team back again to grab the game from a Baltimore Ravens team who surged late, but fell short.

Minnesota’s defense has some glaring weaknesses to address in the secondary. But the Vikings have six wins rather than five, to lock up the number two spot for the time being.

Indianapolis is at the number three spot at 5-0, and may move up next week with a strong performance against the Rams, while Minnesota must play Pittsburgh on the Steelers home field.

Beat the Steeler’s and keep your spot, it’s as simple as that.

Denver has the number four spot, being undefeated at the moment.

The Steelers have the number five spot with Troy Polamalu back from injury and the offense looking very good. Rashard Mendenhall has added a spark to the run game and the Steeler defense is still very solid.

If they lose at home to the Vikings, they will also slip down the ratings pole.

New England looks like they are coming on strong with that last game, and obviously Tom Brady is fully recovered from his knee injury. They have the number six spot locked up, and have a win coming next week in Tampa Bay.

Atlanta is a contender to win the NFC Championship, along with Minnesota, and of course New Orleans. This offense is seriously talented and the defense is adequate.

This team is 4-1 and looks very good. Atlanta is currently at number seven.

The Giants are a good team but I think the teams currently above them are just as good, if not better. The Giants must step up in big games to prove they deserve to be among the top five teams in the NFL. They’re number eight for the time being.

Number nine is currently the Cincinnati Bengals with a 4-2 record. This team could also slip down a few notches with a loss, but for the time being 4-2 has got them here.

Number 10, by virtue of a good road win in Seattle, are the Arizona Cardinals. They must go into New York next week and get another win on the road to stay in the top 10.

The Green Bay Packers are looking better and better as the season moves along, and are at 3-2. They beat Chicago to open the season, and must keep winning to be competitive with Minnesota in that division. Right now, they stand at number 11.

The Ravens are sliding down quickly, and must get a couple wins in a row to move back up. They occupy the number 12 spot.

Chicago is at number 13, and also must win some more games. Matt Forte is not doing it this season, and Chicago is missing personnel that is hurting their chances for a postseason appearance.

Philadelphia slipped all the way down to number 14 with a loss to Oakland this week. Lose to a weak team, and that is what happens.

San Diego is at number 15, mainly because of no defense. Beat Denver and show the league something. Otherwise, no playoffs for you.

Houston is at number 16 at 3-3 for the season so far. They must put some wins together to move up and possibly be in contention for the first playoff appearance in their young history.

San Francisco is at number 17 and also must put some more wins on the board to be considered for the playoffs and respect in the league. Atlanta exposed some serious problems for the 49ers last week.

The Dallas Cowboys are at number 18. Pretty sad, huh?. But that’s about it for this team if nothing changes in a number of categories for Dallas. Defense, coaching, special teams, offense, quarterback, etc. etc. etc.

The Jets are at number 19 after three losses in a row and a horrible game against Buffalo. Sanchez has a lot to learn about defenses in the NFL.

Rounding out the top 20 teams are the Miami Dolphins, who did beat the Jets, but still have a bit of work to do to move up a few notches. Perhaps I am anticipating next week’s matchup against the Saints.

If they have a good game they can move up a couple of spots.

In the 21st spot are the Carolina Panthers who are pulling the season out somehow, with two wins in a row now. They can beat Buffalo this week, and pull to 3-3, which is likely.

In the 22nd spot are the Jacksonville Jaguars who have a chance to play to a winning record this season, maybe. Playoffs? I think not.

In the 23rd spot are the 0-6 Titans, who will beat some teams this season even after a horrendous start. This team is simply better than their record suggests.

Seattle is at number 24 , and is not looking very good this season. I can’t expect them to move up much further this season with the talent they have to work with.

Number 25 is the Washington Redskins, who will hire a new coach at the end of this season. The Jim Zorn experiment will be over.

Number 26 is the Buffalo Bills who are not very good, and maybe will replace their coach as well next season.

Number 27 is the Kansas City Chiefs who have a decent quarterback and a couple of wide receivers. That’s about it.

Number 28 is the Raiders who have a whopping two wins now. This team could get better, but I don’t know how with the quarterback they have now.

Number 29 is the Cleveland Browns, but these last few teams in the rankings are not separated by much.

Number 30 is the Detroit Lions who are not the worst team in football anymore.

Number 31 is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with no direction, not much talent, and little hope for the next few years to come.

Last, and certainly least, at far as team talent, motivation, coaching, the draft, and anything else you can think of, are the hapless St. Louis Rams.

There you have it, your up to date NFL power rankings for 2009.

These can change from week to week as you saw with the Jets losing to Buffalo, Philadelphia dropping down from a defeat by the lowly Raiders—which still has me scratching my head—and Kansas City going into Washington and beating the Redskins.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Argos look to play spolier, grab series win over Ticats

Maybe It’s The Air, Denver Broncos Flying High…

by Mark Dewdney… You know, by now, that I’m a DEVOUT San Diego Charger fan.

I don’t bleed on game days - I crackle.

But boy, am I a believer…in this year’s Denver Broncos.

You heard right. It’s NOT a typo.

I cannot believe that;

a) Mike Shanahan got fired (I thought that was greatest of good luck for my Bolts);

b) McDaniels talked his way into the job (I fully expected to see Bill Cowher’s jaw firmly set on the Mile High sideline for another decade or so);

c) He then ticked off his “franchise” quarterback so badly that he forced a trade to Chicago (and got a HAUL of draft picks for him)

d) and THEN ticked “superreceiver” Brandon Marshall (the man is a MOOSE) off - AND THEN forced him to knuckle under…

e) and, finally, all McDaniels did (to put the icing on the cake) was to get a whole collection of…well, not misfits, but not much in the way of star power (from Orton to Elvis Dumervil) to buy into what he was selling - which brought the Broncos to 6-0.

Holy cow.

Just for future reference, and to follow up on my last article; crow DOES taste a lot like chicken - and this time, it’s served with a heaping helping of cow-patty fries on the side.

Take me back five weeks.

Now tell me—or anyone else who knows ANYTHING about NFL football - and tell me that THE DENVER BRONCOS WILL NOT ALLOW A POINT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER THROUGH THEIR FIRST SIX GAMES. You know what my answer would be (and it would have been delivered at top volume).

I would have sent you, with a firm slap on the back of the head, to see your therapist to deal with your delusions, and I would have FIRMLY asserted that not ONE Bronco game would have been worth watching.

(Heck, I would have taken ANY bet that said the ‘Cos would be OH-AND-SIX - not the reverse)

Au contraire, I guess. They’ve ALL been worth watching - GOOD, SOLID, WELL-COACHED TEAM FOOTBALL - and I’d be out a BUNDLE of money.

I am looking forward more to Broncos-Steelers, two weeks hence, than any of the games remaining on the Chargers’ sked.

Don’t get me wrong. I lived through the Rolf Benirschke (who? look him up) years in San Diego - so NOTHING is going to shake me as the northernmost representative of the Bolts’ fan club roster - but I am a believer.

Josh McDaniels seems to be the next installment of the hot young coaches sweeping the nation - kind of reminds me of a quieter Jon Gruden - and anyone who can’t acknowledge that needs a therapist to deal with their denial issues.

Don’t get me wrong - I ain’t seeing John Elway here - but man, will the Broncos be making some noise come the real cold-weather games.

Championship? I still don’t think so - there’s just too much in the way - but the pride is back in Denver, and it’s at the expense of a little of mine.

Argos’ playoff hopes officially fade with loss to Esks

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