DISCLAIMER: This post is about sports. This post is only about sports. You have been warned.


Around the Horn is off the air due to the MLB Playoffs, so here is your cheap ripoff! Around the Horn, Bloggers edition! I am your host MrNFL, in the bold font, and here are today's contestants.

First up, we have NeoAC, in the Red font.

Yeah, I'm back again, but rivjo nowhere to be found, I will be sure to take it this time! *cue evil laughter* Neil Patrick Harris got nothing on me!

Alrighty then, next is Burger21, in Green font

Hi everyone, I'm burger21, and I only took 20 pills before I got here so ignore those 911 calls from my publicist.

Drugs are bad, M'kay. Next up is Bengals9. And some where along the line, there was a miscommunication, so don't expect much from Bengals.

Finally, making his Around the Horn debut, Demonicume...who didn't write an opening. He'll be in blue font. With that, lets go!

THE FIRST WORD

It is week 5 in the NFL, and as always we have some good games on tap. But if you look at the 4 teams not playing this week, you've got three pretty good teams. Among those teams, the Bengals, Seahawks, Falcons, and the Texans. My question gentlemen, of these 4 teams, which is the best and why? We'll start with Demon.

The Falcons, plain and simple. But first, lemme tell you why these other teams aren't the best.

The Patriots pulled the cover off the Bengals last week and showed the entire league their soft, creamy. They have a very balanced offense, but they also have some serious issues. Carson Palmer has 6 TDs in 4 games, but he also has thrown the ball to the other tram 4 times. When he isn't throwing the ball to the other side, he's putting it on the turf. He's got 7 fumbles, 4 for a loss. (+2) But the problem isn't Carson, the problem is the Offensive line. The guy just came off a serious injury and his line has let him get tagged for 15 sacks already. That's 4 sacks shy of the 19 knock-downs he took all LAST SEASON. (+2) Yup the O-Line isn't pulling thieir weight; and if things don't change very soon, Carson will see the turf more times that Drew Bledsoe did last season.

The other Bengal problem is Run Defense. They can't seem to stop anyone. A supposed superbowl contender, they are ranked in the bottem half of the league in every meaningful category: Run Defense (26th), Totsl yards (23rd) and Points Against (19th). It's a simple fact, you cant expect to get far in the play-offs giving up nearly 150 yards on the ground and 21 points a game. (+3)

Keys to fix: they need to grow some big hairy balls in the middle of that Defense and they need to find a way to keep their QB off his buttocks.

The Seahawks are the perfect example of why I hate the Pack-10 : soft scheduling. I know its not their fault that their division sucks, but I wont ignore the fact either. Here are the teams they get to thrash twice every year: the Cardinals, 49ners, Raiders, and the Rams. For decoration, we toss in defensive powerhouses like the Packers and the Chiefs. The toughest team they have left to play is Denver and that'll be after they've gone 12-1. I'm furious because I benched Thomas Jones last week. I fell into the hype that Seattle was for real. Then I watched Jones - who is every bit as soft as his sissy little brother in Dallas - put up career numbers. The Bears haven't been able to run against anyone all season, but Thomas Jones looked like Bo Jackson against Seattle. They're fakers. They'll have a 12 or 13 win season and get blown out in the playoffs. I don't know how they made it to the Superbowl. But now that the Madden Curse has scrubbed their only superstar, we'll see how well they do. (+4)

As a Dallas fan, I hate the Texans. No real Texan can ever truly accept the existence of another football team in our state. It's blasphemy. The Texans are the Taiwan to our China. We'd crush them if we could, but no one else will let us. Fortunately, the Houston front office is doing its best to kill its own chances at every succeeding. (+1)

The worst part is that David Carr is a good QB. Last season, he played well enough to win a Superbowl if Big Ben is any indicator. In the right system, with maybe 1 solid offensive lineman, this kid could be great. His QB rating is over 100, his TD to INT ratio is great. But he's been sacked over 200 times in his last 4 seasons. I don't know when the Houston front office is gonna wake the hell up and get this man some protection, but if were I David Carr, I'd be trying to move to a team that would appreciate the highest rated QB in the AFC. Yo, DAVE! Tampa is a great place to live. Beautiful beaches, beautiful women, great weather... (+2)

The Falcons are my pick. It isn't because they rank in the top 15 in every meaningful category on both sides of the ball except passing yards per game. It isn't because Vick is one of the winningest QBs in the recent history. It's because they win my way: solid running and great defense. John Abraham - SC in the house baby! - is back from his groin pull and should solidify an already solid defense. They have 2 solid backs in Dunn and Norwood - who racked up 106 yards on 6 carried as a backup last game. And... they run the Spread Option 5 to 8 times a game. Not to kick a dead horse, but when ever a black QB comes into the league, you always hear whispers of intelligence. Theyre all dumb. We saw it here in Carolina, Syvelle was to dumb to be a pocket passer. Ask Auburn hjow domb he is. Vince Young was the only QB to have his Wonderfukt Score leaked. Analysts are always on the edge of saying Mike Vick is too stupid to run the west coast offense. Instead they say it's too complex. Maybe the West Coast offense doesn't suit his skillset. Or maybe Mike never had a WR who could get open. (+6)

My only issues with the Falcons are PLAY CALLING and WRs. Are these guys gonna catch any balls? I watched Alge Crumpler drop 2 TDs on the same drive. The receivers they have can not, or will nont, get open. Were I Coach Mora, I'd run the option down the throats of every team we faced. I'd run it the way FLA is running it this year, which allows for more passing and less getting knocked out. (+2)

Downside? The Dirty Birds face big defenses this year - Eagles, Carolina, Redskins, Cowboys - but I can see them running all the way into the play offs.

Good Stuff Demon, Neo, you?

Well, lets take a look at who we have sitting out.

There's the Texans, but unless the Colts and Jaguars both suffer a massive case of collective botulism, they aren't going to be anywhere near the playoffs. Heck, I think they would still manage to come in third to those two. (+3)

Then we have the other teams, who have looked extremely good in three out of four games.
Atlanta has pounded the ball successfully against Carolina, TB and Arizona, but they were abysmal against the Saints in the Superdome. I know there was a lot of emotion in that game, but there was no excuse for the way the Falcons played. Vick completes only 38% and leads in rushing? Its almost like they threw that game.......nah. Couldn't be. (+3)

The Bengals took control of the conference in their first three games, mauling Kansas City, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. However, they were mere pussycats when playing the Patriots, practically rolling over for them. They clearly tried to attack New England's secondary with a pass to run ratio of slightly over 2:1 and it didn't work. The Patriots played smashmouth football, and Cinci's line couldn't cope with Maroney busting for 125 yards and 2 TDs. And with Baltimore continuing to roll, the North may soon be out of Cinci's reach. (+4)

Therefore, the best out of the four bye teams is still the Seahawks. They are lucky that Shaun Alexander is getting the effects of the Madden curse out of the way early. In the NFC West, its not going to matter that Mo Morris is running the ball for them, they can coast until the MVP is back up and running. (+4)

OK, My god I hate Fox's formatting....Burger you?

While the sexy pick is the Bengals, the folks who are falling over themselves trying to get on their bandwagon are ignoring some glaring weaknesses, namely their defense. They're giving up 345 yards per game, barely ahead of SanFran and Cleveland; 60 yrds worse than Oakland; and over 100 yrds more than the Chiefs! (+4) In the last two games they've yielded 406 yds and 5 TDs - on the ground alone! And on offense, while everyone has this image of a powerhouse scoring machine, few visualized Carson Palmer dribbling more balls than an NBA point guard. (+3) He's put the pill on the carpet 7 times this year and looks very rattled against competent defenses. The have played only one good complete game - in the opener against a Chiefs team that everyone had over-rated. Cleveland and Pittsburgh both gift wrapped wins via turnovers and the Pats put a woodshed wuppin' on them. (+3) You could say much of the same for Seattle in that Matt Hasslebeck has not looked anything like a Pro-Bowl QB, and they were strangely ineffective against Detroit of all teams. (+2) I'm going against the grain here and saying that the best team among these three is Atlanta, with their power ground game (ranked #1 in the NFL) and ball hawking defense (+6 turnover ratio). And while no one will confuse Mike Vick for Peyton Manning as a passer, Vick has only two interceptions and is playing with freedom and fun in Atlanta's potent offense (+3)


And Bengals?

The Best is definetly the bengals. why, two words carson palmer. (+2)

Ok then...Onward...

As you are probably all aware, the MLB Postseason is underway. Very simple question, who wins the World Series and why? Burger?

I'm really not sold on anyone in the National League because both the Mets and Cardinals have huge pitching concerns. While the Tigers look like they're going to make a scrap out of things, it would appear that the Yanks and A's will match up in what will essentially be the championship. The A's certainly have the pitching to make things interesting, and they seem looser and less uptight than in previous showdowns with NY. While NY has the lineup full of All-Stars, I feel Oakland's arms will prevail against what is a shaky Yankees rotation. The A's will win it all. (+6)

Going with the A's eh? Speaking of Eh, Neo, go my Canadian friend.

In the blue corner we will have the New York Mets who score first round knockouts of the LA Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals without so much as a scratch.

In the red corner we have the Oakland Athletics who after surprisingly getting rid of the Minnesota Twins, dispatch the exhausted winner of the Tigers-Yankees series (My money's on NY). This is sure to be a barnburner.

In the first game, Tom Glavine will get the better of popular Met target Barry Zito, but Rich Harden will even the score over Steve Trachsel, and send the series back to Shea knotted up at one.

Oakland will take advantage of a bang-up Mets rotation as emergency starter Oliver Perez gets shelled, making a winner of Danny Haren, but John Maine and Tom Glavine come in and shut down the A bats, and head back to the Bay with a three-two lead

In Game Six, Macha plays a hunch and goes with Joe Blanton against Trachsel, but Trachsel pitches his career-defining game, a three-hitter, and Carlos Delgado belts a two-run shot off of Blanton in the fourth to send the Mets to a 4-1 win, and their first Series win since 1986. (+7)

Interesting answer, Demon?

World Series? Oh, yeah, its STILL baseball season. Damn. Is there any way we can shorten the season at all? I don't know who wins. When the Mets had Pedro, I was a Mets man. But now I'm going with my team from the 80's and 90's: the Oakland A's. The AFC... ummmm, American League allows you to bat a guy who doesn't even field, and Frank Thomas is making the most of it. The A's ride The Big Hurt all the way to a champagn bath. (+2)

Ok then...and Bengals?

The Oakland Athletics because of there excellent pitching and good hitting. (+2)

(HORN) Wait a minute, coming into the playoffs, no one had the A's doing anything, and now everyone is picking them to get to the World Series? All a bunch of bandwagon jumpers (MUTE) With that, we'll take a commercial, Buy or Sell is next.

Mmmmmm, Pizza.....

Ok, welcome back, and it is Buy or Sell Time!

BUY OR SELL?

This weeks Monday night game should be a good defensive showdown between the Broncos, and the Ravens, who have yet to be beaten. Buy or Sell the Ravens remaining undefeated? Demonicume?

Sell: Until the Ravens find some meaningful offense, I'm picking against them every week. You can't make it to the playoffs riding a TE. Eventually you have to score. The Ravens *may* shut down Denver's offense, but since they cant find the endzone themselves, I got Denver by a touch down. (+4)

Burger?

I'm selling this. The Ravens have beaten three teams (Tampa, Clev., Oak) with 1 combined victory, and their win over the Chargers was a border line fluke. Their defense is not as good as the young QB's they've faced are making them look, and they've yet to face some one who will consistently stay committed to running against them, as we know Denver will. Denver showed patience and diligence to their scheme against NE and this is the type of game they always win to make everyone believe they're good before choking in the playoffs. The Ravens get exposed for the fraud they are. (+6)

Neo?

I'll BUY this. Denver has looked mighty weak this year. Their offense has failed to get anything going so far, averaging a mere 12 points per game and against Baltimore's defense, points are going to be even harder to come by. It may be another 9-6 squaker but I'd rather have Matt Stover than Jason Elam. (+3)

And Bengals?

I'm buying this. The broncos looked weak in there games agianst the cheifs and rams and the ravens have looked great in all of there games. (+3)

Ok, onward...

Of course, ESPN is going to hype "Terrell Owens' Big return to Philly" My question is, Buy or Sell 100 yards reciveing for The Player. Bengals?

I'm selling because there is no love lost between the Eagles and with his broken hand i think he loses a step or two. (+3)

Demonicume?

Buy: What do you do when you cant stop the run because you've let your best defensive players go elsewhere? You blitz, blitz, blitz. The Eagles have a soft pass defense, giving up nearly 300 yards a game thru the air to the likes of David Carr and Alex Smith. Bledsoe tossed for near 500 yards against defenses like JAX and WAS. Will TO get his 100 yards? Ummm, yeah, and easily. As long as Jimmy Johnson keeps blitzing, The Dallas receivers will be wide open. Witten, Glenn, Owens... pick your poison, who you gonna double cover? If you don't blitz, Julius Jones will run down your throat. With people like The Lesser Manning and his feeble receiving corps coming back to embarrass the Eagles Defense, I just don't see anyone on that defense stopping TO. I'll give Dallas the benefit of the doubt that Glenn and TO are as good as Plexi-glass Burress and Alligaor Arm-ani Tooner. They both got their 100 yards. (+7)

Good answer, Neo?

I'll BUY this one too. T.O. always seems to get out a little something more for the big games, and this is a big games in his mind. If Lito Sheppard sits again, he's going to have Sheldon Brown on him most of the game, or even Dexter Wynn when Brown needs a breather. Brown's only an average CB, and Wynn a pre-season cut, so T.O. should be able to get those 100 yards. (+4)

And Burger?

Terrell is one of those guys who can get 100 on limited touches because of his ability to take it to the house from anywhere on the field, but I am selling this. Dallas has done a good job so far in taking what the defense gives them, as evidenced in the big season Terry Glenn is having. When teams focus on TO (and I believe the Eagles will be just a little focused on him don't you think?) the Cowboys have exploited their other options. (+4)

Alright...We continue...

The Big college football game this weekend is the matchup between #9 LSU, and #5 Florida. Buy or Sell Florida coming up with a victory? Demon?

Sell, FLA has no run game. None. I don't know how you run the spread option without a serious run attack. If DeShaun Wynn - the closest thing they have to a RB at FLA - aint in the game, they don't have a shot. Chris Leak is the best passer in the nation, but LSU has the nastiest secondary in college football. The D-Line will be after him all game. I got LSU smacking FLA down by 14. (+5)

Bengals?

I'm Buying this. Why. Honestly i don't know but i just think Florida is the better team. (+1)

Going with your gut I see. Burger?

Again, I'm in a selling kind of mood! This may be an even better game than LSU-Auburn, but this time LSU comes out on top. Florida's RB is banged up and if they get the Gators one dimensional, LSU will show why they're the #1 overall defense in the nation. Offensively they have the 5th ranked passing offense in the country behind Russell and they will be too much for the Gators. (+4)

And Neo?

I'm almost out of money, but I'm still going to have to BUY this as well. Florida's on a roll right now, and although LSU some very impressive offense in check, they haven't played one as versatile as the Gators. Urban Meyer is starting to get his kind of player in, guys like Tim Tebow, and his defense has been playing very well as well. I think the Gators will win, but their undefeated season ends next week against Auburn. (+4)

(HORN) Ok, we're done with two rounds, and looking at the scores, Bengals is no where close, so (MUTE), and done. Out of Bounds is next...

Sponsored by Chris Berman...seriously, why do people dislike this guy?

And two down, here's the scores. Demonicume leads with 40. Burger in 2nd with 35, and Neo behind with 32.

OUT OF BOUNDS

This Wednesday was the return of the NHL. Only the 2nd season since the lockout two years ago. My question is, what do you see for the NHL's future? Neo?

I think the NHL can have a very bright future, but some changes need to occur. First, ditch the OLN. I don't know why they even bothered signing with them in the first place. Even a discounted contract with ESPN or ABC would have been smarter. (+4) Second, start promoting the young guns more. Get Crosby, Ovechkin, Cheechoo and others out into the mainstream, be it with Bud Light, Coke or Viagra (hey, how could Ed Belfour turn that offer down?). A little promotion goes a long way. Finally, make going to game more affordable for the fans. I mean I tried to go to a preseason game a couple weekends ago. One ticket cost $75! How can the NHL expect to attract the average man, when the average man has to fork over a third of his weekly pay to see a game? (+4)

If the NHL's lucky, we could have a repeat of 1994. The Rangers won the Cup that year, and America's biggest market loved it. This year, they ae poised to strike again, and even Chicago could be in the mix, with their impressive 8-6 win over Nashville. A Rangers-Blackhawks series would be a great thing for hockey in America (no offense, Hurricanes, but nobody outside Carolina cares that you won.) (+3)

Good stuff, Burger?

The NHL season is only two days old and already we've seen some exciting action. The league has to provide a product that makes fans anxious for more, and there are numerous young stars on the horizon able to deliver. I think part of the recent demise of interest from the more casual sports fan came not only from the Labor disaster and instability of teams and the League as a whole, but also from a generation of front line stars fading away. (+3) The league has tons of work to do and can't realistically be mentioned among the Big Three, but new stars like Sydney Crosby could go a long way toward bringing the excitement back, and I for one hope that hockey has a rousing revival. (+2) Hockey zealots know the players on their teams and most others, but the league has been void of the names that everyone knew - the Marios and Gretzkys. Yes, those two are probably the two greatest ever and they can't truly be replaced but with many of the good young players coming up having names that can barely be pronounced it has been increasingly harder for fans to relate.(+2)

I agree there, and Demon?

Hockey? I'm in Carolina, and I had no clue they won the Stanley Cup last year. They did win, didn't they? I don't even know what city the team plays in. What would make me interested in Hockey? I'd love to be more involved with the players. We don't need a NHL T.O. Saga, but I'm not interested in Hockey because I don't know any of the players. I don't have to be in the city with the team to like them. Future? I see no future. Until the NHL finds a way to market their product in a more appealing way, I'll be changing the channel whenever its on TV. (+4)

(HORN) Alright lets look at the scores, and we have a close one. Demon, with 44 you are safe, Neo has 43. And Burger, barely short with 42. Gonna have to say goodbye to you Burger.

I'm out...like downtownrob's blogging career!

Yes indeed you are. Showdown up next between NeoAC and Demonicume. Two enter, and one gets to feel happy for the day.

The Punching bags of Division 1-A football...

SHOWDOWN!

Showdown time now between Neo and Demon, Let's do this!

Texas plays Oklahoma Saturday in a classic rivalry game. Who ya got? Demon?

Oklahoma - Peterson is a GROWN man. He wont win the Heisman because voters love pretty boy QBs. Advantage for Peterson in the Heisman race? Good Ole Boy voters. If Troy Smith scrambles for more than a a few hundred yards this season, its guaranteed some of them will write him off as a typical running *cough* (black) QB - cuz that's what happens in the NCAA. ESPN will show all his running highlights, and the slower voters will vote for a guy who plays his position 'as it should be played.' Mark my words.

Texas, all the way. Colt McCoy's finally getting confident, and getting more comfortable in that Longhorn offense, and that is bad news for the Big 12. He's just going to get better and better as the season goes on, and I don't believe Oklahoma will be able to handle him.

Not sure how the race card got pulled up in this question, point goes to NeoAC. Next...

Nascar at Talladega this Sunday, who ya got? Neo?

Talladega is a crap shoot. You never know what is going to happen here, as the Big One lurks around every corner. The restrictor place, levels the playing fiels as well, so any number of teams could logically win this thing. I;m just going to spin the ole Wheel of NASCAR in my head and come up with a random name. And the winner is........Little E, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who uses this win to climb back into the Chase hunt.

I got Jeff Gordon. I like him cuz everyone hates him. He should have won earlier this year... I don't know why anyone hates him. But it's time for Jeff to win, smash that stupid bottle of Pepsi or milk or whatever, grab his manhood and tell everyone to swing low.

Great NASCAR knowledge here, LOL. I'll give it to Demon, for having a reason for picking his winner.

Finally, Many MLB managers were canned at the end of the season. Of all of those managers, who goes on to have the most success? Demon?

Robinson. He's gonna move into retirement. He should find him some sweet young thang (or two) and move to a sunny place with no ESPN. Then he wont have to be ashamed of the what his game has become. No Grim-sley reaper. No posting Bonds. No Roger -I'm stronger than I was at 20 but I'm clean - Clemmons. No knucklehead Administration that somehow manages to own a team and promote competition at the same time.

Mr. Robinson, its time to come home, old boy. Kick back with a lager of choice, a girl 1/3 your age, a HUGE DLP TV with a DVR that lets you skip Enzyte commercials. Then you can subscribe to ESPN Classic and watch Old -School baseball all day.

Well, the rather obvious choice would have to be Joe Girardi. I mean he didn't do anything wrong when managing the Marlins. The only question is will he go to the Cubs like everyone is predicting, or will Tom Hicks try and lure him to the Lone Star state? It wouldn't be a bad venture oppertunity. Every team that has fired Buck Showalter has won the World Series the next year.

Sorry Neo, Demon's answer was too freaking hilarious to pass up, point goes to Demon, win goes to Demon. Face time is yours.

I'm taking a break from ESPN. Everyday I power on my TV in hopes of getting news coverage. And every day I am sadly disappointed. Here are my top 3 reasons for putting down the remote and reading a good blog:

3) The don't report. 'Report' is defined as 'an account brought by one person to another." Its from the Old Fench 'rapport' "to tell, relate" and from the Latin 'Reportare' 'to carry

In that definition, I see no room for spin. I see no room for opinion or supposition or guesswork. I don't know why ESPN claims to report the news when its integrity is so obviously compromised. ESPN suckles at the tit of any company looking to sell something to a male aged 18-45. To do this, they need story lines. To get story lines, they need heroes and villains. We need debacles and saviors. Every week someone, somewhere, is on the brink of losing it all. Or panicking. Or if they aren't panicking they should be. ESPN is just as sensational as FOX news - the conservative news channel that tried to spin a government official soliciting sex from young boys - or MSNBC which should officially chance its name to MSNBConspiracy TV. I'm sick of it. I just want box scores and replays. Thanks a lot.

2. Jesus, would someone please put something big in Joe Theismann's mouth? My zipper is stuck... damn. or Joe Walton. or Charles Barkley. They hire any jack off the street to be a newscaster. I'll take any one of the bloggers out here ahead of the pricks ESPN throws up there. I'm tired of 'Rumblin and Stumblin.' i'm tired of 'BOO-YOW!' i'm sick to death of trying to guess the width of the stick that's a foot deep in Steve Young's ass. i hate Mark May. the only guys that interest me are the guys everyone else hates: Lou Holtz - fake teeth, lisp and all - and Michael 'it wasn't my pipe' Irvin. I also like John Madden, though he rarely makes sense. But sometimes, when the moons are in alignment, he makes some HUGE points between bits of applesauce and turkey.

1. there are Warriors out tonite. in every part of the world, men, women and children are striving to do great things. They aren't sullied by political backgammon. They don't do it for the money or the nookie or anything else beyond the joy of achievement. People are striving against the limitations of their bodies and minds in pursuit one brief moment of true achievement. They say a lifetime of misery is worth a second of enlightenment. ESPN's cameras are supposed to be there when that second happens...

You've failed us all, old friend, and I have outgrown you.

Interesting Demon, but a mute for taking so much time with your face time. Neo anything you want to add?

Round of Keith's on me! Don't forget to check the Pickoff!

I take it that Keith's are some form of Alcohol, and you get a (MUTE) for that.

Well thanks everyone for checking this out. I'm MrNFL, and you can re-watch this by clicking the refresh button.

HORN!

Demonicume

NeoAC

Burger21

Bengals9

And everyone be on the lookout for a new series coming soon called "The 2006 NFL Season according to Tecmo Super Bowl"  Should be good...

It's time for some football!

Let us start with the Bloggers pick'em. Many of you are in this group, as we have 43 total bloggers (44 if you count my Flawed system seperately) who joined in hope of getting bragging rights.

So far, after 4 weeks, here are the standings.

In a tie for 1st place with 44 points, is me (yay!) and ironically, the NASCAR man Siddharta. Apprently he knows his football as well. Tied for 3rd with 43 are Dudski and sportomax. Followed up by a 6 blogger tie for 5th with 42 between NeoAC, RogerCWallace, WhOdat (Honestly not sure who that is, I feel kinda stupid) Pipsy, Norcal, and Chitown's finest.

But week to week it changes drastically! Last week, Xea76 was on top, but after last week strug-a-ling, he is among the tie for 11th with 40 points with Fatmaw1, ClydeSweetney, Ricko, MDSportsfan41, and KStew. Then tied for 17th with 39 points, are The Dan, React_Noah, and the game by game picks from my "NFL PREVIEW EXTRAVAGANZA" I did a while back/

It certainly isn't over for the others, as one good week can put you back into contenion, I'm interested to see who comes out on top. And I'm also interested to see if anyone can get a perfect week. Week 1 Chitownsfinest got 13-16, Week 2 I had 14-16, Week 3 WhOdat had 13-14, and last week sportomax and Norcal had 12-14. Will anyone have a flawless week?

Well, I hope to, and with that, here are the picks for Week 5.

Dolphins(1-3) at Patriots(3-1)
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA

The Pats proved schmucks like me wrong by destroying the Bengals, they are probably still a big time contender. The Dolphins have been total crap this season, and have very little offense to speak of. Maroney is starting to heat up and give the Pats that big time running game that they need. Plus, they are at home.

Patriots win 28-13

Buccaneers(0-3) at Saints(3-0)
Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Cadillac Williams has had no success running so far this season. When the Saints stopped the Falcons from running, they had no offense, and the Bucs are starting rookie QB Bruce Gradkowski. Plus the incredible Superdome atmosphere, they are the 12th, 13th and 14th man!

Saints win 27-6

Redskins(2-2) at Giants(1-2)
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

Both of these teams I think are still in a way trying to find their idenity. With a healthy Portis, the Redskins offense is finally starting to takeoff, while the Giants offense is pretty good as well. One thing the Redskins have been able to do, is stop the run. I like the Redskins D to at least slow Tiki Barber down. The Giants defense is weak, so it should be a scorers duel, which I think the Redskins will barely pull out.

Redskins win 36-31

Bills(2-2) at Bears(4-0)
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL

The Bears just finished killing a team with a solid offense. The Bills offense is lackluster, and the Bears should just eat them alive. The Bears offense could probably go without points, and they'd still win this game.

Bears win 24-3

Rams(3-1) at Packers(1-3)
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

The Packers defense...well...um...doesn't really exist. I do think the Packers offense will be able to do some good against the Rams defense, but the Rams should score 40 points easily. I don't think the Packers with Captain Fumble Ahman Green and Favre can keep up.

Rams win 41-31

Browns(1-3) at Panthers(2-2)
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC.

The Panthers aren't much of a running team, but Foster or Williams can put up BIG yards against a Browns D that can't stop the run. The run will set up the pass, and that equals points for the Panthers. The Browns offense can't run, so that means lots of passes from Frye, and that isn't a good thing.

Panthers win 35-10

Titans(0-4) at Colts(4-0)
RCA Dome, Indianapolis, IN

The Titans have my vote for "Worst Team in football' The Colts could score 30 on them with Jim Sorgi at QB. Actually, I kinda expect to see Sorgi in this game, it should crazy lopsided. The Titans offense isn't good enough to put up points, even against the Colts who have no idea how to stop the run.

Colts win 45-13

Lions(0-4) at Vikings(2-2)
Metrodome, Minnesota, MN

Both of these teams aren't so good. However, the Vikings can stop the run. I think they will shut down Kevin Jones, leading to too many passes, and there is bound to be mistakes with tons of passes. The Lions D is soft, and the Vikings shouldn't have problems with them.

Vikings win 28-17

Chiefs(1-2) at Cardinals(1-3)
Cardinal Stadium, Glendale, AZ

Even without Trent Green, the Chiefs absolutely flattened the 49ers last week. Arizona CAN NOT stop the run, and LJ should have a career day. That will power the offense to good things. The Chiefs have a forgotten solid D, and the Cardinals "powerhouse" offense is greatly over-hyped. As long as they don't give Edge the ball, I will pick against them.

Chiefs win 31-17

Raiders(0-3) at 49ers(1-3)
Monster Park, San Francisco, CA

Ah, the toilet bowl game. It doesn't get too much worse than this. The Raiders have no run D, which shall let Frank Gore have success and set up the entire offense. The Raiders offense is also beyond terrible, and even the 49ers can stop them

49ers win 24-10

Jets(2-2) at Jaguars(2-2)
Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, FL

The Jets running game is horrendous, so there will be LOTS of passes from Pennington. Which should hurt them, because they face a pretty tough D. Also, the Jets defense doesn't look so good to me, and with the D the Jags got, they won't need to score too much.

Jaguars win 23-13

Cowboys(2-1) at Eagles(3-1)
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

Dallas is surprisingly tough against the pass, and that should damage the Eagles offensive attack very quickly. Even with a great passing game, the D should be able to figure it out, since the Eagles running game is lackluster. The Eagles are also tough against the run, so the Cowboys should end up passing a lot as well. This one is tough to call, but I'm going to go with the Cowboys in an upset.

Cowboys win 27-24

Steelers(1-2) at Chargers(2-1)
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA

The Chargers D plays the run extremely tough, and when the Steelers are unable to successfully run, the offense struggles. The Steelers D is also very tough, but LDT is a resiliant back who can probably manage at least decent numbers. Homefield advantage will give the Chargers the spark they need to win a good Sunday Night game.

Chargers win 13-10

Ravens(4-0) at Broncos(2-1)
Invesco Field, Denver, CO

The Broncos D is a bit flimsy, but luckily they face a Raven offense was is also flimsy. The Ravens D is incredibly tough, but the Broncos have a good running game. Neither team I think will have any form of offense in this game. However, I think the Broncos D will be able to force enough mistakes from the Raven O to win what should be a good Monday game.

Broncos win 13-6

THAT'S ALL I GOT

Bloggers Around the Horn tommorow, make sure to check it!

Yes, that same bloggers Around the Horn will be returning this Friday. But I do need 3 more bloggers, as NeoAC is the only guy I got in for sure. If you are interested, you can either leave your email, or send an email

With the NFL, College Football seasons underway, and new steroid allegations, many people have forgotten...that the MLB Playoffs start Tuesday!  With that, it is time for my predictions, with MrNFL's MLB Preview Extravaganza!


Oakland A's vs Minnesota Twins

The A's are the team that everyone has forgotten in the MLB.  All of the talk has been about the Yankees, Twins, and Tigers.  The A's had a solid season winning the AL West.  However, let's break down the stats.  This year, the Twins during the regular season scored more, and allowed less runs than the A's.  Also, the Twins had the best record at home of any MLB team.  The Twins surging late, (Or the Tigers falling) to win the division will pay off in this series.  The Twins have had guys like Morneau and Mauer bat great all year, while no one on the A's really stands out.  Plus, I like the Twins pitching staff over the A's. 

Twins win series in 4 games.

Detroit Tigers vs New York Yankees

The Tigers faded very fast toward the end of the year, losing the division lead they had all season almost.  The question is, can the Tigers revive the early season success against everyones World Series Pick, the Yankees.  The Yankees have scored more runs than anyone else, and the Tigers have allowed less runs than anyone else.  The Yankees did play without Gary Sheffield and Matsui for most of the year.  With them back, along with the other great batters, it seems that the lineup is unstoppable.  Altough the Tigers young aces in Bonderman and Verlander have been great all year, they are young and lack playoff experience.  For the Yanks, even without Johnson, they have Wang and Mussina who have both pitched great this season. 

Yankees win in 4

St. Louis Cardinals vs San Diego Padres

The Cards nearly blew their playoff spot to end the year, while the Padres had to fight with the Dodgers all year.  However, momentum is the next days starting pitcher.  The Padres won with pitching, pitching, and how bout some more pitching?  They say that pitching wins championships.  They have solid starters, and Hoffman, who has been a beast this season.  The Padres don't have any batters that really jump out at you, while the Cards have Pujols, Rolen and Edmonds.  They also have solid pitchers with Carpenter and Suppan.  I think it may come down to the closer, where Hoffman is more proven than whoever the Cards got.  Plus, the Cards were terrible away from Busch Stadium, and that will be the final factor.

Padres win in 5




Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets

The Mets were incredibly dominate all season.  However, they have been in cruise control for the last month, while the Dodgers have had to fight like crazy just to get a playoff spot.  The Mets do have some great batters with Reyes, Beltran, Delgado, and Lo Duca.  The Dodgers lineup does have a few question marks.  Both teams have some questions at pitcher.  The combo of Lowe, Maddux, and Penny are pretty good, while the Mets have the veterans Glavine and El Duque.  The Mets are the most vulnerable to lose in this 5 game series, and if the Dodgers get a hot start, they could pull it out.  But I believe the Mets pull this one out.

Mets in 5.

That's all for the MLB Preview Extravaganza!  Around the Horn will not be on ESPN on Friday, so this Friday, expect the return of Bloggers Around the Horn.  If you are interested in being a part of it, email me at slocum_moo@hotmail.com

No introduction needed, on to the picks.

Cardinals (1-2) at Falcons (2-1)
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

The Falcons D will be without Hartwell and Abraham, which are both pretty big blows to the team.  The Cardinals offense should be pretty good, but I think the speedy DeAngelo Hall will shut down Fitzgerald. (Or Boldin)  On the other side, the Falcons offense was nothing last week, but that was an incredibly unique situation.  The Cardinals defense will have no chance in stopping the Falcons running game, and even Mike Vick can pass against this secondary.

Falcons win 34-24

Saints (3-0) at Panthers (1-2)
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

I honestly am still not sold on the Panthers being that great.  However, the Saints defense I do not think will have an answer for a healthy Steve Smith.  The Saints O should be good, but I think that being in Charlotte will make the difference.

Panthers win 27-24

Vikings (2-1) at Bills (1-2)
Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, NY

I thought that the Bills defense would be good.  Then last week the Jets destroyed them at home.  The Vikings offense shouldn't make many mistakes with Brad Johnson, and the Bills offense seems mistake prone.

Vikings win 17-7

Chargers (2-0) at Ravens (3-0)
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD

Both of these teams have something in common, they haven't faced any team that has any talent.  I think both defenses will be solid, but look at the running game.  The Chargers have the great LDT, and Ravens have...Jamal Lewis.  Running game will give the Chargers enough.

Chargers win 17-10

Dolphins (1-2) at Texans (0-3)
Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX

Here's the story of these two teams.  They suck, the end.  The Dolphins D I don't believe will be able to get pressure on Carr, while the Texans D should do enough against the bad Dolphins offense.  Plus, home field advantage.

Texans win 24-17

Cowboys (1-1) at Titans (0-3)
LP Field, Nashville, TN

The Titans are beyond bad.  The Cowboys D should disrupt that horrible offense, and the Cowboys should have no problem scoring on the Titans.

Cowboys win 31-10

49ers (1-2) at Chiefs (0-2)
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO

The 49ers offense is a bit banged up, with a couple injuries.  The 49ers D will not be able to stop LJ, and the secondary is weak enough so that Huard just has to not be stupid.  Alex Smith...let's not talk about him...

Chiefs win 28-10

Colts (3-0) at Jets (2-1)
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

The Colts can not stop the run, but luckily for them, the Jets can't run the ball.  The Colts defense has success when the other team has to pass, because the Colts have great pass rushers.  The Jets D is also no match for the Colts offense, even without a running game.

Colts win 27-13

Lions (0-3) at Rams (2-1)
Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO

The Lions are pretty bad, and I think that Steven Jackson will have success running the ball.  The Rams D is weak, but the Lions offense is also pretty weak.

Rams win 24-7

Jaguars (2-1) at Redskins (1-2)
FedEX Field, Landover, MD

The Redskins offense has been very questionable.  The Jags D is great, and they will stop Portis, which will allow for lots of turnovers from the Redskins offense.  The Jags offense will be decent enough to pull this offense.

Jaguars 20-10

Patriots (2-1) at Bengals (3-0)
Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

The Pats have looked average at best this year.  The defense has not been that impressive, and the Bengals offense at home should eat them alive.  The defense should be decent against the Pats.

Bengals win 37-24

Browns (0-3) at Raiders (0-2)
McAfee Colisieum, Oakland, CA

The toliet bowl game here.  Both teams are pretty bad, but the Browns at least have some form of a defense, something the Raiders don't have.  Even at home, the Browns pull it out.

Browns win 13-3

Seahawks (3-0) at Bears (3-0)
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL

This game should be great.  Shaun Alexander is hurt, and even if he plays, he's still facing a great Bears D in Chicago.  The D should get the Bears the field position to score enough to win it for them.

Bears win 17-13

Packers (1-2) at Eagles (2-1)
Lincoln Finanical Field, Philadelphia, PA

The Eagles have a great defense, and the Packers have a questionable offense that is very turnover prone.  Plus, the Packers defense is horrible, and McNabb should eat them alive.

Eagles win 42-17

And now for the College Football pick special...

(1) Ohio State at (13) Iowa
Somewhere in Iowa, I don't know where.

I am tempted to pick the upset, but Iowa won't be the team to beat Ohio State.

Ohio State wins by some number.

THAT'S ALL I GOT!