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We are officially on a roll. Although 9-1 over the last two weeks is fantastic, we are a dubious offensive pass interference call late in the Giants game from being 10-0. Even if I was psychic I could not do better. Ok now that I’ve sufficiently jinxed myself I will get to this week’s picks (WARNING: I am serving up this week’s picks with a hefty caveat; there are few juicy lines this week so please govern yourselves accordingly).

AROUND THE LEAGUE (HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

Chargers (+3.5) over SAINTS

Without question the Saints are really hurting right now and the entire city of New Orleans has  Commissioner Goodell  to thank for that. However, at 0-4 even if Sean Payton were only suspended 6 games it would not have made much difference, they are still done this season. I remember watching a game not long ago in which Sean Payton tore his ACL on the sidelines and was forced to leave the game. You want to know what happened next? THE SAINTS COMPLETELY WENT TO PIECES WITHOUT PAYTON ON THE SIDELINES! As such this wasted season should come as no surprise to anyone. Drew Brees is good, but the unquestioned leader of this squad is Payton. Without him they are gone.

The Chargers however, are a team moving in the opposite direction. Although they lost in a big way last week, San Diego has played well this season and usually plays well until the playoffs. And seeing as how we are still many weeks away from them, feel confident taking the Chargers (especially if you are given points like this).

RAMS (+3) over Cardinals

I have no idea how the Cardinals are 4-0 right now. Everyone seems to be praising their defense, but while it has been good , it has not been that spectacular. As such I cannot for the life of me understand how they are 4-0. I know the New England should have netted them a loss, but they have still won 3 games with a sub-par quarterback and no real playmakers except for Larry Fitzgerald. They should have lost more games than this right? Well Thursday night, I am going out on a big limb and saying that the Rams will throw them their first loss. Although there defense is worse than the Cards and their offense has struggled to put up points, the Rams are playing at home and are coming off a big win over another divisional opponent. Playing on an even field I would probably take the Cards, but playing at home and with points I have to slightly give the edge to the Rams. Again only slightly though.

BRONZE PICK

STEELERS (-3.5) over Eagles

I still cannot get over how the Eagles won last week’s game, or rather how the Giants lost it. Either way, the Eagles continue to ride an incredible wave of good fortune and won a game they had no business winning. Although the Steelers are favoured in this one, they are also playing at home and favoured, a fact that to this point has ironically played into the hands of the Eagles. Unfortunately for the team from Philly, the Steelers are getting back to of their best players on defense (i.e. Troy Polamalu and James Harrison), they are getting back their star running back in Rashard Mendenhall, and Ben Rothlesberger is one of the best closers in the business. As such, while 3.5 points is a lot to give up, the Pittsburgh run defense should shut down Vick and McCoy on the ground and having Polomalu will likely be enough to boost an already solid defensive backfield. The Eagles good luck is bound to run out sometime, and I’m thinking this Sunday.

SILVER PICK

PATRIOTS (-6.5) over Broncos

That sound you’ve been hearing in your ears Sunday is the sound of only one thing, the sound of the Buffalo Bills imploding. The game was right there for the taking, the Bills were up 21-7 going into halftime and all seemed good in Buffalo. However, something happened in the second half that always seems to happen when it comes to the Patriots. They got played lights out and won a game they absolutely had to have. This Manning lead Broncos team looks ok, but this is not the same Peyton Manning we are used to seeing as he cannot even throw the ball 35 yards down field with any kind of certainty as this point. However, even if he could I do not think it matters. This Patriots squad is playing at home and after their dirty loss to the Cardinals in their last home game, there is no way they lose another one this early into the season. I don’t know if the Patriots will cover the spread for certain, but I am pretty sure that barring some mercy on Brady’s part, a fluke injury or some annoying meaningless score late, that they will. The smart move would be to take the Moneyline on the Pats victory, but who is smart enough just to do that.

GOLD PICK

Seahawks (+3) over PANTHERS

I’m not really what Carolina has shown to this point to justify them being the favorites against a (thus far) solid Seahawks team, but Vegas must know something I don’t. The Seahawks are coming off a brutally close loss to the Rams last week, and have probably been stewing all week looking to get back on track. The Panthers on the other hand seem are coming off another loss in which Cam Newton danced around and pretended to be Superman, only to have his ass handed to him like Clark Kent. I like Cam Newton, but not only should the theatrics stop, they should be put on permanent hiatus until his team closes a season with a winning record. If he did that I’m guessing we wouldn’t be seeing Superman for a very long time. Although they aren’t playing at home, be smart and take the Seahawks.

GOOD LUCK THIS WEEK AND PLEASE GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY….

While I continue to attempt to get over Monday night’s Cowboys game and how badly my beloved Cowboys played I will still do my best in covering this week’s highlights and lowlights. While, the Cowboys losing (albeit expectantly) is definitely the low point of last week’s NFL action, I would like to draw attention to the fact that my picks are on fire right now as between last week and this week I am now 9-1. Before jinxing myself any further here’s the review…

HIGHLIGHTS

1)      The Patriots re-claim the throne- If you are terribly concerned that the Patriots record is only 2-2  you don’t follow football. Their record in no way tells the truth about this team due to two suspect field goals costing them 1 4-0 record right now.  While I am still not sold on the Patriots come the post-season due to the fact that they have not claimed a Superbowl since 2004 despite the amount of hype they routinely receive, they are still firmly entrenched as the class of the regular season. If New England manages to fix its only significant deficiency which is its defensive problems in the secondary, it will once again be poised for the Superbowl. Whether or not they win it or not this time around is another matter.

2)      49ers pounding of the NY Jets- While everyone expected the Jets to decline after the loss of Derelle Revis, it was still somewhat shocking at just how quickly a team can nosedive (even for the Jets). Does this mean the Jets are that bad or are the 49ers just really good? The answer is a bit of both, but one thing is for certain the 49ers are for real. Although they lost an upset game to the Vikings last week, any quality team can suffer a loss during the course of a lengthy season. However, the mark of solid team is how they rebound following the loss. With Sunday’s skunking of the Jets and the dominant way the defense played defense for four quarters,  the 49ers emphatically proved that last week was not only a fluke, but that they are the class of the NFC. While I fully appreciate that the Falcons and Cardinals are undefeated, until these teams can soundly defeat a quality opponent and do so late in the season I am not sold.

3)      Atlanta Falcons comeback- While I might not be sold on either the Cardinals or the Falcons, the latter’s comeback late in the fourth quarter against the Panthers was pretty impressive. With under a minute to play with no timeouts and from deep in his own end zone, quarterback and team leader Matt “Matty Ice” Ryan threw a 60 yard pass to Roddy White. This amazing play against the apparently paper mache Carolina Panther defense, set the stage for a last second field goal which culminated moments later. If you are a Falcons fan you have to be thrilled about the outcome but you should bare two things in mind. First that the opponent was suspect to begin with, and if the Falcons are as good as they think they are, they should have walked all over this Carolina team despite the Cam Newton hype and sideshow. Second, by now regular season wins, especially against inferior opponents like the Panthers,  should not mean much for Falcon fans, when Matty Ice doesn’t meltdown come playoff time, then it will be good times in Atlanta.

LOWLIGHTS

1. Detroit Lions Special Teams- Having two massive gaffes on special teams in a game is one thing, but when a team has two similar miscues just a week later like the Lions have,  it is time to start asking some hard questions and demanding some answers. Especially if these gargantuan errors are costing your team wins. If the Lions were supposed to make the “leap” from a good team to an elite team, there is no way they can allow these sorts of bush league miscues on special teams. Lions fans have been desperate for a reason to believe the hype, and believe that their perennially lowly Lions can make it deep in the playoffs. Unfortunately, Jim Schwartz has not only been able to control himself (i.e. handshake-gate), but he has thus far been unable to control or hold accountable the inexcusable actions of his players (see the many acts of Ndjshajsdhalksd Suh) or his coaches (see why special teams coach Danny Crossman still has a job). If residents of Detroit and the 8-mile were expecting to see something other than their same ol’ Lions, they would be wise not to hold their breath until the second coming of Barry Sanders or until Jim Schwartz gets his act together.
2. Another dubious win for the Eagles- While folks in Philly were surely thrilled with the way they pulled out another last second victory, there are plenty of reasons not to take the victory or the team’s future prospects based on their current play seriously. While the Eagles did do some things well which they rarely do (like run the ball for example), they were  once again the beneficiaries of luck and improbable actions by their opponent late in the game. In this latest instance, the Eagles reaped the rewards of an Eli Manning red zone pick late, a dubious offensive pass interference call late and Tom Couglin’s baffling decision not to at least take a shot at the endzone (or at least the sideline) on 3^rd and long at the end of the game. Couple these circumstances with the fact that the Giants just came up short on the field goal attempt, that had distance added to it due to dubious circumstance, and this win stinks to high hell. I’m not sure how a fanbase that pelts Santa Claus with snowballs has such good Karma, but I have a feeling things will change when they face the Steelers this week.
3. Tony Romo’s latest debacle- As a Cowboys fan I really do not know how much more I can take. I had thought I had seen it all from Romo’s infamous fumble in Seattle, to the shocking playoff loss they suffered to the Giants when they were the number one seed in 2007, to the meltdown against the Vikings in the Playoffs two years ago, to the beat down they suffered at the hands of the Giants last year to keep them out of the playoffs. If you have read any of my picks column you will see that things have gotten so bad, that I know routinely advise people to bet against the Cowboys in any game in which they need a win or are favored (like Monday night for example). However, after last night’s performance I realize that it is time for the Tony Romo era to come to an in Dallas after this season barring some kind of miracle. While it was not all Tony’s fault as both his defense, o-line and receivers let him down once again, but to throw five picks in a game you are supposed to win at home, is beyond inexcusable. After DeMarcus Ware forced the Jay Cutler early in the third in Bears territory, the game was right there for the taking. However, in typical Romo fashion he made the boneheaded move at the worst possible time. And that is probably the essence of Romo’s career right there. By every measurable statistic, year in year out the numbers state that Romo is an elite quarterback. But what these numbers do not reveal is the gravity of the few mistakes he does make. These mistakes which usually take the form of interceptions, fumbles or missed throws always seem to come at the absolute worst possible time when Dallas needs a big win or even a big play. And while I have always defended Romo in the past, these critical mistakes cannot be tolerated anymore in Dallas, especially by its leader. When watching Kyle Orton’s final drive and the way he was moving the chains, it occurred to me that as a whole the Cowboys are a relatively young team. While Kyle Orton might not by the longterm solution at quarterback the Cowboys need, Tony Romo is due far too much money come the end of the season. Especially for the results he has yielded to date. If Romo’s money was spread around to the rest of the team, especially the offensive line, the Cowboys would be in a much better position going forward. Therefore, if it were up to me and I was running Jerryworld down there in Dallas, I would give Romo until the end of the season to prove his worth. If he same dismal outcome is precipitated it is time to close shop on the Romo project, rebuild with an efficient  but economical young quarterback and spend that savings on the offensive line and the safety positions in the defensive backfield. Romo my friend, the clock is definitely ticking.