There are a lot of interesting games this Sunday on the NFL schedule. It looks like Homecoming weekend with lots of reunion games. The theme song for this week could be Reunited, and it feels so good. So with Homecoming as my theme here are my picks for this week. Don’t forget I don’t use points. I like my beer straight up. The 16oz Icehouse make the best six packs, but since I didn’t pick week one I’ll do eight pack to make up a couple of more picks.

            First off the Cardinals return to St. Louis this Sunday to take on the Rams. Kurt Warner also returns to the dome in which he quarterbacked the greatest show on turf. I’m sure Edgerrin James will enjoy running on turf and in a dome again, and I look for him to have a big day. As for Warner he will most likely split time with Matt Leinart again. Leinart will start the game with Warner coming in to run the two-minute drill. Ken Whistenhunt has done this the last two weeks and the Cards have won their last two games. Including an upset over his old team the Pittsburgh Steelers. So if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If this worked to beat an undefeated team think of what it will do against a winless team. Especially, against a team that has lost it’s starting offense tackle, running back, and quarterback, to injury. With Marc Bulger watching on the sidelines don’t you just think that when Kurt Warner gets into the game he is going to want to light it up in front of the kid that took his job, and the team that gave up on him. We all know Warner rags to riches story that includes him being a very religions man, but he is human, and this is the NFL Take the Cards over the Rams.

            The Lions have been playing good ball lately and are coming off a big victory over the Bears. This week they travel to the Nations Capital to take on the Redskins. This is a reunion of the 1991/1992 NFL championship game. The Lions went on a run that year after Mike Uttley got hurt. Thumbs up was their motto. They made the playoffs and crushed Cowboys at home. There dream season ended the following week in Washington. The Lions are 0-20 in road games against Washington, and will be 0-21 after Sunday. The Redskins are coming off a bye and have had two weeks to think about their narrow loss to the Giants. This should make them nasty enough to do a job on Detroit’s shaky pass protection.

            The Bears will travel to Green Bay to take on the Packers on Sunday night. Being two of the leagues oldest franchises these two teams have played each other a number of times. Still, there is one game that will always stand out for me. It was the week Walter Payton died and it seemed only appropriate that these two rivals were scheduled to meet. The Bears traveled to Lambeau field and were heavy underdogs. The Bears were dreadful that year. The Packers were just the opposite and were on their way to playoffs. Before they got there they played a classic game with the Bears. Chicago played over there heads and barely had the lead. Brett Favre drove the team down and put them in position for a winning field goal. Green Bay missed that field goal and DaBears held on for huge upset win. Many people believe that a hand from heaven came down on that last play and deflected that field goal. It was as almost like Walter was given the guest of honor seat on the Bear’s cloud. He sat there with Papa Bear Hales. On the last play you know that the classy Payton must have looked over at the Packer’s cloud and waited for a yes nod from Lombardi. Vince probably thought it over and said “What the hell, were in heaven now.” Lombardi probably remembered that Walter could have pulled strings to get a new liver. Instead he decided to be like everyone else. He went to the bottom of the donor list. Payton waited his turn, which never came. Vince probably figured that one loss was not going to kill him. He was in heaven already. And if any team deserved a win that day it was the Bears.

            Anyway, I think that if the Bears are going to win this week they will need some help from the heavens. Chicago’s offence is still having all kinds of problems. Their defense is still great, but so is Green Bay’s. There are just being overshadowed this year by Farve and that offence that is fun to watch. On the national stage I think he and his teammates will have enough to win another home game.

            My upset of the week is the Bucs over the Colts in Indy. Jon Grudon is getting tired of hearing about the team that he inherited from Tony Dungy, and what better place to show the world that this is now his team. He should have that defense ready. Yes, the Bucs lost running back Cadillac William for the season. So they will need to rely on Michael Pittman and Earnest Graham. Jeff Garcia is playing well and should find Joey Galloway a few times. I’m probably wrong on this one, but I just have this feeling that the Buccaneers might just beat a ####ed up Colts team that is looking ahead to its bye week.

            The Seahawks travel Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers. A rematch of the SuperBowl from two years ago. There will be no revenge for Seattle on this day. In keeping with my theme this week take the Steelers at home. In the big battle of New York City, played in New Jersey, the Giants are the home team. So I like the Giants, in Giants Stadium, to beat Jets.

            In a couple of bonus picks to round out a Millers High Life 7z pony 8-pack I will take the Texans at home over the woeful Dolphins and the Pats at home over the improved Cleveland Browns. Last week I went 6-2 including winning my three upsets of the week. That gives me a record of 14-6 for the season.  I still can’t figure out the Chargers and the Saints this year. So that makes my stay far, far away from games the Panthers vs Saints and Chargers vs Broncos. Enjoy the games everyone.