Pic Credited to Flickr User dbking
Houston at Cincinnati
This is going to be a really good game between two up and coming teams. I expect that the Bengals will have enough at home, but the Texans are unpredictable. This game is the only one that scares me this week. Still, I say the Bengals take the win.
Winner – Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit at Green Bay
The Lions are not last year’s Lions, and will give Green Bay a bit of a fight…for about a quarter. This one might get ugly with Calvin Johnson injured. Green Bay in a blowout here.
Winner – Green Bay Packers
Baltimore at Minnesota
This is easily the game of the week. I expect that the Ravens will show up big time this week, but I do think that the Vikings will simply have too much firepower. In the end, it will be a close game but the Vikings will pull it out at home. This is the type of game where Favre’s experience will mean a win where as last year the Vikings would lose.
Winner – Minnesota Vikings
NY Giants at New Orleans
The Saints are no joke folks. This offense and defense is for real and they will expose some of the Giants weaknesses. Still, the Giants will be right there in the end. It could go either way, but I think the Saints will pass their way to a win.
Winner – New Orleans Saints
Cleveland at Pittsburgh
The Steelers are going to win this one going away. Do not even think of taking those Brownies here.
Winner – Pittsburgh Steelers
Carolina at Tampa Bay
The Panthers win back to back games finally in 2009. They really need a break out game from DeAngelo, and this should be the game to do it. Also look for a big game from the Carolina pass rush. Last week they woke up big time with sack after sack against the Redskins in the win.
Winner – Carolina Panthers
Kansas City at Washington
Now this is a stinker of a game huh? Redskins win just cause they are at home.
Winner – Washington Redskins
St. Louis at Jacksonville
See above. Still the Jags can actually score a touchdown….some weeks. This week they do…repeatedly.
Winner – Jacksonville Jaguars
Arizona at Seattle
This game will be entertaining to say the least. Lots of scoring and lots of fun in the rainy city of Seattle. Fitzgerald will have a field day and the Cardinals will win by the skin of their teeth….er…beaks.
Winner – Arizona Cardinals
Philadelphia at Oakland
The Eagles will win in a laugher here. Not much to say. Oakland is selling off the team already, so I don’t expect much except maybe a fight on their sideline at some point.
Winner – Philadelphia Eagles
Tennessee at New England
The Pats will win this one as the Titans have completely fallen apart. One has to cheer for Vince Young, however, as he gets another chance to prove he can handle being an NFL quarterback. Not against the Patriots at home.
Winner – New England Patriots
Buffalo at NY Jets
The Jets have to feel horrible after the loss in Miami. The Bills are just what the doctor ordered.
Winner – NY Jets
Chicago at Atlanta
This game will be a huge one for the Bears. A night game that will give them the chance to prove they are contenders. I expect Jay Cutler to have a huge night as the Falcons struggle under the lights.
Winner – Chicago Bears
MON, OCT 19
Denver at San Diego
The Broncos finally drop a game against a Charger team that plays every other game like they are superstars. This week they are due for a great one.
Tie breaker score – Chargers 31 Broncos 21
Winner – San Diego Chargers
Week Five Record – 8 – 6
Season Record – 47 – 29
Well, I would love to say I told you so, but that might seem arrogant! Aw hell with it….. I told you so! For whatever reason, my picks always seem to get better once the bye weeks begin. I don’t know why, but it happens every year. The good news is, this will continue. Thanks for the patience from all my loyal readers. Climb on board, and enjoy this weeks free picks and predictions along with us! Here are my week five NFL picks and predictions!
Cleveland at Buffalo – This game is going to be more competitive than many thought it might be in weeks past. I do think that Buffalo will pull out the win simply because they are at home, and they have a little bit more offense than poor Cleveland. This should be fun to watch.
Winner – Buffalo Bills
Dallas at Kansas City – Dallas is in desperate need of not only a win, but a big game out of Romo. For whatever reason, this guy is falling apart. The Chiefs are just what the doctor ordered, but I think that Romo will struggle anyway.
Winner – Dallas Cowboys
Minnesota at St. Louis – Favre is looking like he might only really be 25, and as long as that holds up the Vikings will win. Against St. Louis, he could play like he is eighty and they will win.
Winner – Minnesota Vikings
Oakland at NY Giants – The NY Giants are not going to need much to overcome the Raiders. When is someone going to notice that J. Russell is not the answer at quarterback? The Giants will walk all over them in the Meadowlands.
Winner – NY Giants
Tampa Bay at Philadelphia – The Eagles are sure to enjoy this one, as the weeks get tougher soon. Will Michael Vick make any impact this week? Will McNabb be back? Tune in to find out. You will see a tail whipping regardless by the Eagles.
Winner – Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh at Detroit – This game is a trap game for the Steelers. They had better not come in here and think that the Lions are a pushover. They have some talent and can score. Mike Tomlin will not let that happen, so no worries in Steeler country.
Winner – Pittsburgh Steelers
Washington at Carolina – The Panthers have had their bye week and now face four teams they actually can beat. They simply have to win this game, and coming off the bye they will do just that. If not, then do not be surprised if the Fox chanters start screaming for his head again.
Winner – Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati at Baltimore – The Ravens are ticked. That is not good when you are talking about Ray Lewis and company. The Bengals just got them on a really bad week at home. They will be overwhelmed.
Winner – Baltimore Ravens
Atlanta at San Francisco – The Falcons are going in to face the shockingly good Niners. Can they take em? I say yes thanks to a very good game by Ryan. This is going to be one of the best games of the week that could go either way.
Winner – Atlanta Falcons
Jacksonville at Seattle – The Jaguars shocked everyone with the explosion last week against the Titans. This week, they will head into Seattle and deliver more of the same against a team that is hurting.
Winner – Jacksonville Jaguars
Houston at Arizona – This is a game where the team nobody expected from last year (Arizona) faces this year’s media darling (Houston). The Texans are for real and they get the chance to prove it this week.
Winner – Houston Texans
New England at Denver – This game is one that I was very tempted to take Denver. I am not simply because I can not see Brady losing to Kyle Orton on any planet. That can not happen….ever.
Winner – New England Patriots
Indianapolis at Tennessee – Another match up that should be great, but probably will be a laugher. The Titans are simply horrible lately, and nobody can seem to figure out why. (see carolina) The Colts take advantage.
Winner – Indianapolis Colts
MON, OCT 12
NY Jets at Miami – The young Mark Sanchez on the big stage for the first time. How exciting is that? It will be really exciting for the Jets. Expect a big game for the young Sanchez who is used to the big stage from his USC days.
Winner – NY Jets
Tiebreaker – Jets 30 Dolphins 21
Week Four Record – 12-2
Season Record – 39-23
Don’t forget to check out my competition either. Nick Meyer’s NFL football picks.
Three weeks into the NFL football season and I am officially humbled. I have started the season about as good as a Brett Favre reunion in Green Bay. Still, I am not giving up. I am now entering the part of the season where I usually go on a long winning streak. The pattern has been this way for several seasons, so why change now? Week four is the week when everything changes for NFLpicksandpredictions.com. Mark my words. You will be glad you did. Here is the free week four NFL picks and predictions:
SUN, OCT 4
Detroit at Chicago
This game features two teams that are feeling pretty good about themselves. Chicago is riding high with Cutler getting comfortable, and Detroit because they got their first win in the last century this past week. The Bears will crash the party and send Detroit on another losing streak.
Winner – Bears
Cincinnati at Cleveland
The Bengals winning? What the blue blazes is going on here? At least the Browns are playing normally. (if you call what they have been doing playing, that is) The Bengals win this one going away.
Winner – Bengals
Seattle at Indianapolis
The Seahawks are hurting badly, and the Colts are among the worst possible teams for them to face right now. This one could get ugly.
Winner – Colts
NY Giants at Kansas City
The Giants will stomp all over the Chiefs. That is a given. The question is, can the Chiefs possibly get any worse?
Winner – Giants
Baltimore at New England
The Ravens will send notice to the Pats that their time is over in the AFC. Flacco is for real, and nobody doubts that. If Brady plays like he did last week, the Patriots will have no chance at all.
Winner – Ravens
Tampa Bay at Washington
Washington will look like supermen in defense of Zorn’s job. They better.
Winner – Redskins
Tennessee at Jacksonville
The Titans are really starting to make me look bad with my picks. They get one more vote of confidence and then I show them the door. Go Titans!
Winner – Titans
Oakland at Houston
The Raiders had a bad let down game against Denver and could be dangerous here. I think it is more likely that JRussell will self implode instead.
Winner – Texans
NY Jets at New Orleans
The game of the week by far, this one will come down to who has the better defense and who can score more points. The Saints will win the point battle, and barely hang in there on defense. Great game expected here.
Winner – Saints
Buffalo at Miami
The Dolphins reaaaalllllllyyyyy needed the Bills this week. Maybe they can right the ship with a new quarterback.
Winner – Dolphins
St. Louis at San Francisco
The Niners are a team that people had better watch out for. The Rams are a team that nobody even sees anymore. This one will be a blowout.
Winner – Niners
Dallas at Denver
Denver has slowly made me a believer. They are going to have a tough one here, but I think at home they will pull it out. I still am not sold on Orton though.
Winner – Broncos
San Diego at Pittsburgh
The Steelers are angry. Very angry. If this was in San Diego, I would go with the Chargers. At home, Pittsburgh will get back on track.
Winner – Steelers
MON, OCT 5
Green Bay at Minnesota
This is the football game everyone is waiting for. The coup de gras. The first time Favre faces his former team wearing the purple. What a game this is going to be. The Vikings have too much APeterson in the backfield. He will be the difference.
Winner – Vikings
Tiebreaker Score – Green Bay 21 Minnesota 28
Week Three Record – 9-7
Season Record – 27-21
Week Two NFL Picks and Predictions – Free NFL Picks
The 2009 NFL preseason is off and running and things are beginning to get interesting. Unfortuantely, my week one NFL preseason predictions were a mediocre 9-8. Call it rust, or call it the unpredicatable nature of NFL preseason picking. Whatever the case, I am just getting warmed up. Things will get better. Without further ado, lets get into the week two NFL preseason predictions and get on with the football:
THUR, AUG 20
Cincinnati at New England - This game is one that should really be a scoring fest. I expect that the Bengals are going to continue to try to see if Palmer is truly ready, and they might give him a few extra snaps. The Pats are feeling awfully good about Brady and the offense after that first week. Preseason or regular season, this one is New England all the way.
Winner – New England Patriots
Philadelphia at Indianapolis - The Eagles now have Michael Vick on board, and they surely will be tempted to sneak him in a time or two to see what he might have. That would likely be a mistake, as he barely has taken a snap in practice. The Colts are trying to figure out why they stunk so bad last week. The Eagles will win this one.
Winner – Philadelphia Eagles
FRI, AUG 21
Tennessee at Dallas – The Cowboys looked about as bad as a team can look in the preseason last week, and this week I expect them to bounce back. The Titans have been great in the preseason, but they will lose in Big D.
Winner – Dallas Cowboys
Atlanta at St. Louis – Could things get any worse for Marc Bulger and the Rams? First they lose Donnie Avery, and now they lose Marc Bulger. Atlanta will take advantage in this NFL matchup.
Winner – Atlanta Falcons
Kansas City at Minnesota - The Chiefs are going up agains the Minnesota Favres? Vikings, I mean. Brett Favre in Minnesota has the whole NFL shook up. I think it might be a big mistake in the long run. We will see. The Vikings win this one going away, however.
Winner – Minnesota Vikings
SAT, AUG 22
Detroit at Cleveland – Detroit actually looks like a team that is turning the corner. Of course when you lose every game, that corner is not hard to reach. They will steal a win against a team that is having a major identity crisis at the moment.
Winner – Detroit Lions
Carolina at Miami – The Panthers looked horrid against the Giants, but the second teamers performed well. Miami looked fairly solid. I expect that the Dolphins will run their way to a win with the Panthers sitting all their stars.
Winner – Miami Dolphins
Pittsburgh at Washington - The Steelers are serious contenders this year, and the Redskins look pretty bad on paper. The formula will hold true for this game at least.
Winner – Pittsburgh Steelers
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville – The Jaguars are going to struggle a bit this year, but it wont be because of their defense. Look for some serious excitement out of the Jags on D. This game in particular.
Winner – Jacksonville Jaguars
New Orleans at Houston – The Saints will go marching all over the Texans in this NFL Preseason matchup. It will be ugly.
Winner – New Orleans Saints
Buffalo at Green Bay – Buffalo has had their fair share of games having played two already and both games were a bit of a disappointment. Green Bay has to be ticked off about the whole Favre thing. They will take it out on Buffalo.
Winner – Green Bay Packers
NY Giants at Chicago – Chicago is excited about seeing how they stack up against the Giants. I think that if Jay Cutler just throws the ball and keeps his mouth shut, they will look pretty good. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening after the Giant’s pass rush is all over him.
Winner – NY Giants
Oakland at San Francisco – The Raiders might just win this one if they can keep their fists out of each other’s faces.
Winner – Oakland Raiders
San Diego at Arizona – The Chargers and the Cardinals are certainly going to be a fun game to watch. The Chargers have so many weapons, and the Cardinals have the ultimate weapons on offense. Don’t expect a lot of defense, folks.
Winner – San Diego Chargers
Denver at Seattle – The Broncos are really struggling as expected given the loss of all pro quarterback Jay Cutler, and they are still taking baby steps. The Seahawks are going strong now that Matt is back full strength. This one will be a blowout.
Winner – Seattle Seahawks
MON, AUG 24
NY Jets at Baltimore – The Jets will put on a nice show with their new quarterback Mark Sanchez. Will he be able to look so good against that Raven’s defense though? I don’t think so. Not yet.
Winner – Baltimore Ravens
Peyton Manning
Trying to come up with the top NFL quarterbacks of all time is kind of like trying to pick the best movie of all time. It really depends on your personal taste. Some people put a premium on NFL records, and others put a premium on NFL championships. Still others simply go with their personal favorites. These are my personal picks of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time, and I would love to hear what you agree/disagree with.
Number 5 – Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins) – Many people will argue that Dan does not deserve this spot because of his lack of a championship. Personally, I think that his accomplishments on the field and in the NFL record books are more than enough to place him at number five. Some could even argue that he deserves to be higher up the list, but a lack of championships does have some say in this list.
Number 4- Tom Brady (New England Patriots) - Being a Carolina Panther fan and an old St Louis Rams fan, it is tough to concede this pick. Brady is simply phenomenal when it comes to winning. He is right on the edge of moving into Montana territory with the incredible skills and championships. Tom Brady will likely be near the top of most any “best of” quarterback list.
Number 3- Johnny Unitas (Baltimore Colts) – One of the guys that I think would be a huge winner in today’s game as well. This guy was so much better than the guys around him it was not even funny. I love watching old film of him and he is as solid as they came.
Number 2 – Peyton Manning (Indiannapolis Colts) - Yet another man that will certainly go down as one of the greatest, I see him as a solid number two already. His incredible passing skills, along with his ability to bring out the best in everyone around him makes Peyton Manning a solid pick at number two. When it is all said and done, I feel he will be number one on this list.
Number 1 – Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers) - How can you put Joe any lower than number one? He was the consummate pro, and the best quarterback of all time when it comes to winning football games. Even when the Niners were not very good, he still pushed and made them better. The Niners would never have been that good without Joe Montana.
Every once in a while, some player that nobody expected goes bonkers and has a breakout season. Sometimes it is an aging star, (see Kurt Warner) and sometimes it is the rookies. More often than not it is those players that have been in the league a couple of seasons, and gotten their feet wet. Maybe they are just finally getting their shot. Whatever the case, NFL Sleepers are tough to guess.
Of course, that won’t stop me from trying….Here are five guys that I think will have better than expected years.
Dwayne Jarrett – This Carolina Panther has had a very uneventful first couple of years in the NFL. The events he has had unfortunately have been fairly bad. Still, he is the prototypical wide out in the NFL and he will have a great target opposite him in All World receiver Steve Smith. Mushin Muhammed will be back as well to continue working with Jarrett. So why Jarrett? Quite simply put, he made some huge catches in huge situations last season for the Panthers. Delhomme is freshly signed, and he plays better when under contract. And finally, Moose has great things to say about him. Another key is the Panther running game is a beast so Jarrett should get a lot of balls slung to him in open spaces. With his size, he could make some inroads.
Felix Jones - Felix is kind of a given, and some might not call him a sleeper. The reason I do is because he is sharing the backfield with two other guys that would likely start in other backfields. Felix will be the man in Dallas this year, however. He is going to be a huge star, and I am far from a Cowboy fan. The kid is legit. Watch the tapes.
Brady Quinn
Brady Quinn – Though Quinn has not got the starting job wrapped up by any means, he certainly is in control of his own destiny. The kid is talented, and he has been brought along slowly. That will not mean tons of Cleveland wins this season, but it will be enough to allow him to take possession of this team. With his intangibles, the Browns star will be better than advertised. That is saying alot considering he is heavily hyped.
Roy Williams – Sleeper? After the dud he layed in Big D last season he most certainly is. The guy is simply a huge talent that never quite fit in. When you put that much talent in a wide out slot at number one, and then add a NFL quarterback that is no longer distracted by Jessica Simpson like Romo, good things have to start happening. Roy will fill in nicely for Terrell Owens.
Phillip Rivers – Again, he is no typical sleeper. The difference is that this year he has a healthy Gates to throw to. This year, Rivers will step into the ranks of the mighty among the NFL quarterbacks. He is already well respected and a proven winner, but his talent will get the respect it deserves this year. He just might secure a Super Bowl.
