Can you believe it's already week five? The leaves are turning green, frost is coming soon, and the cold weather jacket is already out of the closet. That and there are some juicy story lines this week. Matt Leinart is getting the keys to the car, four teams still haven't won a game, and Terrell Owens is going back to Philly. Should be fun...

Redskins at Giants

 

The Redskins are coming off an impressive 36-30 win over the Jaguars where Marc Brunell looked great. He threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, all to Santana Moss. The Giants are coming off a bye week though, and their passing game should pick apart the weak Skins secondary. If the Giants don't get "out-coached" again, they should be alright.

 

Pick: Giants by 7

 

Bills at Bears

 

The Bears looked great last week against the Seahawks, mostly because their running game showed up. Thomas Jones has been disappointing, but rushed for two touchdowns last week. Rex Grossman continues to impress and the Bears defense is one of the best in the league. As for the Bills, they are a surprising 2-2, but will not do much against an elite team (which the Bears are at this point).

 

Pick: Bears by 14

 

 Lions at Vikings

 

Yawn. The Vikings have played some close games, but they aren't that exciting to watch. The Lions are terrible despite scoring 34 points up against the Rams last week. The Vikings should conquer in this yawnfest.

 

Pick: Vikings by 10

 

Rams at Packers

 

The Packers are painful to watch except for the possibility of Brett Farve doing something great (and even that has been happening less and less).The Rams offense is pretty good, and Marc Bulger hasn't thrown a pick yet. Steven Jackson needs to find the endzone more, but it shouldn't matter against the Packers defense. The Rams need this win with Seattle coming up next week.

 

Pick: Rams by 10

 

Buccaneers at Saints

 

The Bucs are already running on fumes and losing Chris Simms didn't help. The fact that he was having a terrible year pretty much says something about the Bucs. Brad Gradkowski gets the nod, and who the hell is he? The Saints are coming off their first loss, and it should help that Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush get to take on one of the worst rushing defense in the league.

 

Pick: Saints by 14

 

Browns at Panthers

 

This is the game the Panthers need to get back on track, especially since they are going on a road trip to Baltimore and Cincinnati after this. The Panthers offense hasn't clicked as well as they should yet, but the Browns defense is terrible. I feel bad for Romeo Crennel, but he should have waited for another position to open.

 

Pick: Panthers by 14

 

Titans at Colts

 

Remember the days when this would have been a good match up? Now it's a cakewalk for the Colts twice a season. Peyton Manning took over last week against the Jets and led the Colts to a win. He won't have to do that this week, and the Colts should cruise into the bye week a perfect 5-0.

 

Pick: Colts by A Lot (Spread is 18.5)

 

Dolphins at Patriots

 

The Pats looked great against the Bengals last week, and embarrassed them in their own house. Laurence Maroney broke out with some great runs and nasty stiff arms. Anyone who was concerned about Tom Brady and his body language was able to get a full week of pleasant sleep. As for the Dolphins, at 1-3 these Superbowl Contenders are spiraling down the drain. There is no run game, and Daunte Culpepper is already banged up. He is "Probable" but him not playing wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to the Dolphins. That is if Joey Harrington wasn't there backup.

 

Pick: Patriots by 10

 

Chiefs at Cardinals

 

Matt Leinart is making his first start a week after Vince Young made his. Now is the time to show Vince up by putting up good numbers and getting a win (Vince's were not good at all last week, throwing for 155 yards, a touchdown and a pick). Whoever's defense plays better will win this game, and right now that's a coin flip.

 

Pick: Cardinals by 7

Raiders at 49ers This is one of those games where it just doesn't matter who wins. The 49ers are a bad team on the rise, and the Raiders are just a bad team. Alex Smith is having a good sophomore campaign, but if Frank Gore keeps fumbling the 49ers will keep losing. Then again they are playing the Raiders. They should win at least one game this year, but I don't see it coming this week.

 

Pick: 49ers by 10

 

Jets at Jaguars

 

The Jaguars are coming off two straight loses, and so are the Jets. Both teams could very well be 4-0, but are 2-2. They both need to win this week in order to stay in their respected division races. The Jaguars are a better team, but the Jets have played well the last two weeks against the Patriots and Colts. I wouldn't be surprised if the Jets come away with this, but I still think the Jags will come away with it.

 

Pick: Jags by 10

 

Cowboys at Eagles

 

What a circus this should be. Terrell Owens was once Philly's "Savior" and now he is public enemy number one. Hopefully this is all in the presses mind, because if the players feel this way too, then one person will benefit from this; Terry Glenn. While the Eagles defense is focused on making Owens a tackle dummy, Glenn and Drew Bledsoe can play catch all they want. The Eagles are flying high after embarrassing Green Bay on Monday Night, and hopefully they are focused on the Cowboys and not TO. This may come down to Drew Bledsoe, since Philly's defense is struggling. He will win or lose this game.

 

Pick: Cowboys by 10

 

Steelers at Chargers

 

The Chargers couldn't do too much against Baltimore last week, and if the Steelers defense decides to show up they could have similar problems. Then again, the defending champs are in shambles right now. The D is only there when they feel like it, and the offense can't do much of anything. The only place "Fast" Willie Parker is running is out of a starting job. The only reason he still has it is because no one else can step up. The Chargers need a win, and Phillip Rivers should be able to take advantage of a below average passing defense.

 

Pick: Chargers by 10

 

Ravens at Broncos

 

I am on the Ravens bandwagon finally. Steve McNair has rejuvenated the offense, and the defense is as dominant as ever. I'm convinced they are the complete package after last weeks win against the Chargers. The Broncos are coming off their Bye week (and a win against the Pats) but Jake Plummer's spotty play is still something to be worried about. If he plays as bad as he has, the Ravens secondary should have a field day. Should be better than last Monday Night's game though...

 

Pick: Ravens by 13

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Keep this in mind, if the Padres lose to the Cardinals on Sunday, I go 0-4 on playoff picks. That's terrific Tina...

This really isn't related to anything, but it's a pretty funny story. Still not feeling to well today, but I got a golf net so I don't have to go to the range all the time (the closest one is 25 minutes away) and decided to set it up. After the quick and easy 45 minute assembly concluded, I started to hit some ball.

This went well for about 15 minutes. After slicing and dicing with a wood, I decided to hit a few with my 9 Iron. The first one felt good, but the second felt even better. That is until it flew over the net and hit the chimney three houses down. So I did what anybody would have done, ran like a 10 year old that just broke a window. I didn't hear anything break, but it made a nice thud after it bounced off the neighboring house. I was too gazelle like to hear anything after that. The worst part is I'm still slicing the ball. Maybe this will teach me a lesson. 

So that's how I spent the first two hours of a day full of nothing. And there are still three baseball games to go...

I'm sure you'll hear from me later.

Ok I better make this quick. I've been a little under the weather lately and just took some Tylenol Nighttime. If I don't make sense in the later part of this post, that could be the reason. Today was just too good a day in baseball to let it pass by. The fact there was a game on when I woke up made it that way.

Afternoon baseball is by far one of the best things that could happen. I can't say exactly what it is about an early game that draws me in every time. Even if it was a pointless game, I still watch. Take a Reds-Cardinals game a few months ago. I had no reason to watch it, but I did. Bronson Arroyo was pitching so I figured why not watch the former Boston rock star. I watched pretty much the whole game minus a shower and a nap. I don't know why, but it was just exciting to see afternoon baseball. It's not too often you can find a game on in the afternoon unless you have a baseball satellite package. So I thought of it as a treat.

Having a game on today was equally as fun. I woke up around 1:30 (remember, I haven't been feeling well lately) and caught a few innings. Saw Frank Thomas rejuvenate his career, only now in October. The guy has been amazing lately. He had a brief stint on my fantasy team while he was putting a Big Hurt on September. His MVP like numbers in the past few months are what got the A's to the postseason. Although Johan Santana didn't put up an award winning performance, he was still pretty fun to watch. It's funny that I think he should win the Cy Young, but the only two times I've seen him pitch is when he got rocked (saw him give up Ortiz's 51st and then tonight).

The day got better with a 4:00 game. The Padres are full of former Red Sox, and the Cardinals have Albert Pujols. I asked if he could homer in Petco last night, and he shut me up today. Chris Carpenter was fun to watch as well, and my hero Dave Roberts had three hits. All around it was a fun game to watch.

 

Of course, the Yankees were in prime time. As painful as it was I watched the majority of the game (Give me a break. I was at work, which pretty much requires me to watch it). Derek Jeter was awesome, going five for five with a dinger in the eighth. Not to mention Bobby Abreu drove in half of the Yankees eight runs. Very painful. Enough about this.

 

It was a great day of baseball because of a game on before 7:00 (bonus, there was two). I have tomorrow off, and chances are the fact that I'm not forced to watch all three games won't mean that I don't watch to them (Tylenol is kicking in I think). The reason I'm so drawn to afternoon baseball, I really can't say. There's just something about having baseball when it usually isn't on is just fun. And let's face it, its all Cub fans have to make them happy.  

 

 

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• Ok better make the random thought quick because the medicine is really starting to kick in. I can't believe the marlins canned Joe Girardi. How this guy did what he did with the Marlins was amazing. They only finished six games under .500 with a payroll lower than half the guys on the Yankees. Don't be surprised is he gets hired within a week. His hometown Cubs, Giants and Nationals now have vacancies, and Giradi could be the guy to turn these misfit clubs around.

My how things can change. El Duque is out for Game One after hurting his right calf today while running the outfield. John Maine could get the nod in now. With that development, I'm going back to my gut feeling of Dodgers in five.

Despite the A's just taking Game One against the Twins, I still think they have it in them to take the next one and then lose three straight.

Actually got some feedback on the baseball predictions. Thanks guys, and keep it coming.

 

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• Just one little side note not related to sports. Thank You For Smoking came out today, and I recommend it to everyone. Rent it, Buy it, or Steal it. If you do steal it i recommend Best Buy. They are on my shit list right now.

Well the playoffs are less than twelve hours away, so what better time for me to write about it. Another last second preview for me. There has been some changes though, so this is pretty up to date. I'm going to stop trying to defend my laziness and give some baseball playoffs predictions.  

Tigers vs. Yankees  

This is an interesting series. The Tigers have a pretty good rotation for three games, sending three guys that sport an ERA under 4.00. Nate Robertson has done pretty well (13-13, 3.84 ERA) and Justin Verlander is a solid rookie of the year candidate. The lefty won 17 games, and can hit the high 90's and sometimes triple digits. The only problem is they all have to deal with that Yankee offense. Abreu has been the best thing for the Yankees since David Justice in 2000. Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield are both back in the lineup, and A-Rod may decide to show up for a series. I won't mention Johnny Damon because it will hurt too much, and there isn't much that can be said that you haven't heard about Derek Jeter in the postseason. An added bonus for the Yankees is Randy Johnson may pitch in game three. He is going up against another dinosaur in Kenny Rogers, so he may be able to live up to that ERA of 5.00 and still get the win. Rogers did give up two runs to the Royals on Sunday.  

Yankees in Four  

 Athletics vs. Twins  

Game One is going to be great. Cy Young Winner Johan Santana goes up against the A's ace lefty Barry Zito. Game Two isn't going to be as great when Esteban Loaiza takes on Boof Bonser. Talk about a drop off. The A's have been swinging the bat well lately. Frank Thomas has made a late season run at MVP (he won't win but he'll get some votes) and has got help from Milton Bradley and Nick Swisher. The Twins are doing better though. Joey Mauer won the batting title, Justin Morneau put up MVP numbers, and Torii Hunter had the best year of his career. The Twins win this because they have the best bullpen in baseball anchored by Joe Nathan, one of the best closers in the league.  

Twins in Four  

Cardinals vs. Padres  

The Cardinals are a threat because they have Albert Pujols. I can't believe he is only 26, and already has 250 homers. Petco Park isn't the friendliest to hitters, and the Padres have the pitching that will keep the Cards in the park anyways. They throw out Jake Peavy, hefty lefty David Wells, and Chris Young in the first three games, two of which are in San Diego. The Padres also have a solid bullpen, with Cle Meredith shutting people down, and Trevor Hoffman closing the door.  I also feel that anytime Jeff Weaver is involved in a series, that team will lose. The Cardinals also went 35-39 after the All-Star break and barely won the NL Central.  

Padres in Four  

Dodgers vs. Mets  

This is a tough one. I really like the Dodgers because most of them used to play for the Red Sox. Nomar had a great year, and Derek Lowe knows how to pitch in the post-season. He goes up against Orlando Hernandez. The Mets went from:

1. Getting Pedro back...
2. To having a less than par Pedro until the playoffs...
3. To no Pedro for the Playoffs...
4. To No Pedro until June...

See I even put it in chronological order. And now El Duque has to start in Game One. At least the offense is capable of carrying them. Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado both had monster years, driving in over 110 runs each. The Dodgers also have question marks at pitching though, with old and shaky Greg Maddux (who won't start in Game Two now) and Brad Penny has a back that flares up more than his temper. Grady Little does manage the team too.

Mets in Four (But go Dodgers)  

So those are the picks. I won't even bother with guessing the Championship series because I probably won't get this round right. Plus it will make me write another baseball preview. I guess I don't want to let go just yet, even though all I really have to look forward to is February. It's the first time in three years the playoffs won't directly be affecting me. Hopefully these games will be entertaining for everyone, since last years weren't exciting at all (even when my team was in it). If not there's always football.  

And Grady Little is still managing...  

 

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• Now to my football picks. Had a solid week at 11-3, improving to 32-11. I also learned some interesting things about the NFL. For starters, I hate Daunte Culpepper. You would think a fantasy decision of Culpepper against Houston or Rex Grossman against Seattle would be easy. Well Culpepper sucked for the most part, and the Dolphins are the most overrated team out there. As for a team proving themselves, the Ravens did just that. Steve McNair is back to his old self, and the defense is as solid as ever. Another quarterback that impressed was Peyton Manning. He took over and led the Colts passed the Jets (who put up a pretty good fight). And of course, the Patriots looked awesome, and put a beating on the Bengals. Not much more I could ask for. Except something bad to happen to Daunte. 

 

• Vin Baker signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Timberwolves. Maybe he can teach Kevin Garnett a way to wipe away his losing sorrows. Just another reason I'm excited for the NBA (hmm, potential post?).

 

• Tiger Woods got his sixth straight tournament win Sunday. The record is 11 by the late great Byron Nelson. Still early, but just something to look out for. Unless of course my jinx kicks in.