Week 8: What are the Odds?
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Well kiddies, what did we learn last week? We learned that teams like Jacksonville, Pittsburgh and Baltimore are not ready to compete with Indy and New England in the AFC; see Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. We learned that the Jets can make any running back look very good; see Kenny Watson. We learned that the AFC West and the NFC South are the two most unpredictable divisions in the NFL from week to week; see Drew Brees and Larry Johnson. We learned that “Fans” by Kings of Leon is a great song; see the Lions’ Lounge. Most importantly, we learned that Fatty and the Golden Boy are back, as we went 9-5 last week; see brilliance.
Since our picks went well last week, our outrageously superstitious natures (Golden Boy has called Fatty an hour before each of the last 4 Red Sox games) refuse to let us change to format of this column from last week. So here are ten random thoughts going into this weekend, followed by our brief picks/analysis of the games.
Random Thoughts Europe?: What is the difference between the Old NFL Europe and the Miami Dolphins playing in London? Nothing. What better way for Commissioner Goodell to try and promote the NFL in Europe than by bringing the powerhouse from Miami.
Stud Backs: If you had to pick a running back for the next five years would you take Adrian Peterson or Brian Westbrook? If you answered that question in less than 30 seconds, then you didn’t think about it hard enough. Watch the Vikings vs. Eagles this week to help you make up your mind.
Dreaded Committees: The Colts downgrade Joseph Addai to a “co-starting running back.” There should be some sort of rule against this. If a player is drafted in the first round of fantasy football draft, he should be benched for only three reasons: failed drug test, injury and killing a large number of dogs. It should work similarly to the “can’t drop” option in some fantasy leagues.
Infallible New England: Can anything go wrong in New England right now?!? If you had one choice, would you rather your girlfriend/wife be impregnated by Tom Brady, Josh Beckett, or Kevin Garnett (don’t underestimate the height factor, even if it means she won’t ever be same, if you know what we mean)? And, is there anyone getting more co-ed loving right now than B.C. quarterback, Matt Ryan?
Kudos: If you can get through Week 8 of the NFL season still alive in a Survivor/King of the Hill League, you should give yourself a pat on the back. You have officially accomplished more than you did by graduating high school.
Deal or No Deal: After Week 8 in your fantasy leagues, you should have a pretty good idea where you stand. If a 3-4 team wins, playoff hopes are still alive and you can rationalize dealing to improve your team now. If a 3-4 team loses, playoff hopes are almost dead, and you may want to consider making moves for next year.
Loser Goes Home: Even though it is only week 8, there are several games where the loser might see any playoff hopes come to an end. Chicago v. Detroit Tennessee v. Oakland New Orleans v. San Francisco
Triplets: What’s in the water in Jacksonville? Leftwich, Garrard and Gray are the exact same player, and we refuse to believe otherwise.
Fred Taylor: Speaking of Jacksonville, Fred Taylor, a Golden Boy favorite, is only 135 yards away from the prestigious 10,000 yard mark for running backs. Yes, he hasn’t broke 100 yards in a game all season, and we may be a tad premature. However, there is a 25% chance his groin falls off this game, and we never get to mention the 10,000 yards again. Plus, a questionable Mo-Jo could mean more carries for Freddy.
Favre v. Favre Jr.: Many analysts have commented that Jay Cutler has some of Favre’s gun-slinging tendencies. Cutler’s strong arm really whizzes those interceptions into the waiting arms of defensive backs. Cutler will have chance on the big stage Monday night to show if he’s better than “Daddy.”
Week 8 (home teams underlined)
LIONS LOUNGE: Chicago 5 Detroit The Lions stink on the road. The Lions needed 34 fourth-quarter points to beat the Bears at home in Week 5. The Bears need this win to stay in the playoff hunt. The Lions haven’t swept the season series since 1997. The Bears are even dressing for the holiday ( 
). So why should you pick the Lions? Because you have faith in the Lounge, that’s why.
This week’s quick thoughts: - the forecast for Saturday in Denver is a partly cloudy 53 degrees - Daisuke Matsuzaka was born on September 13, 1980, in Kanita, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori, Japan. - I dressed as (then White Sox shortstop) Ozzie Guillen (complete with drawn-on moustache) for Halloween in 3rd grade - Rick Nash is a pure goal scorer - Download “Details of the War” by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Cleveland 3 St. Louis “Big Game” Tory Holt and “The Greatest Show on Turf” may get very healthy this week with the potential return of Jackson. This should be a shootout, with very little defense played by either team. Expect huge weeks from both Holt and Braylon Edwards. PICK: St Louis
Indianapolis 6.5 Carolina Indy only giving 6.5? Yes, this spread seems to good to be true. Yes, this is what football analysts like to call a "trap game." Yes, Indy will still win by double digits. PICK: Indy
New England 16.5 Washington Washington matches up as well as you can against the Pats. Moss will probably be limited by Sean Taylor to one ridiculous touchdown catch instead of two. The Washington run game might be able to keep Brady off the field long enough to keep him from throwing another five TDs. Now that the Pats’ running game is getting healthy, expect a big dose of ball control this week from BB. PICK: Pats will win, Washington will cover.
New Orleans 3 San Francisco If any of the “stars” of the NFC would like to carry their team to the playoffs, please step forward. Waiting… Waiting… Reggie Bush gets a little nudge from Sean Peyton and reluctantly moves forward and passes a limping Frank Gore. Sure, the Saints started off poorly, but nine wins is probably enough to still win the NFC South. To quote Major League (the movie) “We won yesterday, we won today, if we win tomorrow that’s a winning streak… it has happened before”. The Saints have won their last two, unimpressively, but they still have a streak going. PICK: Ride the streak. Take the Saints.
NY Jets 3 Buffalo How quickly the Jets have fallen. It appears that Eric Man-booby is trying to hold on to that success as long as possible by starting Chad Pennington this week. Sure, if the Jets needed to win one game, Pennington is still the best Jet QB to do that. Unfortunately, the Jets need to win 8 out of their last 9, which will not happen no matter who the QB is. Man-Booby is not starting Chad to save the season, he is starting him to try and save his ego from the brunt of a potential 2-14 season. PICK: Buffalo
NY Giants 9.5 Miami No Chambers, No Brown, No Green, No Homefield advantage, No reason the Giants should lose this game. Expect Osi to introduce himself to Ms. Cleo on more than one occasion. PICK: G-MEN
Philadelphia 1 Minnesota You know what we miss about last year’s Minnesota Vikings; the Riverboat. Before there was All Day Peterson, there was all night partying on the Lake and fun for everyone. Without the Riverboat, there is nothing for these Vikings to do to pass time during game days. Expect a bored and flat Minnesota team to have a hard time chasing Mr. Westbrook this week. PICK: Take the Eagles, as they try to stay in contention in the east.
Pittsburgh 3.5 Cincinnati Unfortunately for Kenny Watson and the Bungles, they do not get to play the Jets’ defense every week. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, they get to play the Cincy defense this week. PICK: Pittsburgh
San Diego Off Houston The fires in SD have caused both the location and the line for this game To Be Determined. Not sure the location or the line in this game will make a difference. In the last Chargers’ game, Norv finally went to the team’s bread and butter, the LDT run game, and it paid huge dividends (4 TDs). For now, we think San Diego has figured it out. PICK: Chargers
Tampa Bay 4 Jacksonville It’s the battle for Florida bragging rights. This game couldn’t have less appeal. Tampa has no one who can run the ball. Jacksonville has no one who can throw or catch the ball. Both teams have very solid defenses. This has all the makings of a low scoring FG fest. Forgive the lack of enthusiasm. Taking the home team, mostly because it is the easy pick and we don’t care. PICK: Tampa
Tennessee 7.5 Oakland Unfortunately for everyone involved, the Kerry Collins era has come to an end in Tennessee. With Vince Young coming back this week, most people expect the Titans to rout Oakland. Not us. Oakland’s defense is very good, and Tennessee’s offense is too conservative to cover a spread of more than 7. PICK: Oakland
Denver 3 Green Bay If a football game is played and nobody watches it, does it still count? The answer is yes. Unfortunately for Denver fans, they will likely be watching the Rockies lose to a dominant Josh Beckett on Monday night, and they will miss a solid performance from their football team. Almost every AFC playoff contender is better than the NFC’s elite, and this matchup will show you why. PICK: Denver
TIP OF THE WEEK: Take the Colts, Patriots and Steelers in a 3 team money line parlay every week. The week to week payout may not be overwhelming but long term this will be worth your while.
Well readers, happy betting!
- Golden Boy and Fatty at www.fleafanatics.com
