Ah, Thanksgiving is here....a time for travel....a time for turkey.....a time for family....and a time for them to get the hell out of the way this year as ALL THREE games are DAMN GOOD this year....I can see the conversations now..."Good to see you Scott....you lost weight"...."Yeah now i can't see around you to see the game!", least my oldest niece seems be excited about seeing a Cowboys game with me (hell the only way I AM going to be able to watch sports in this family is a subtle brainwash...might as well get to it now, they did love yelling MOOOSSSSEEE at the Devils game too!)...oh yeah....football....FOCUS!!!
Thursday Nov. 24:
12:30pm:
Green Bay at Detroit:
This game is going to be good....it's going to be nasty....the Lions might be the nastiest and chippy/dirtiest team in the league...and personally I LOVE IT....no wuss football here....no crying about fines....I swear the fines motivate them to hit nastier and more often....I do enjoy that about Detroit.....Stafford seems back on track and even with a hint of a running game from Kevin Smith (who wasn't even supposed to be there....sorry had to), the Lions look like they righted the ship.....just in time to run into the Green Bay buzzsaw....people are looking at the Packers and A-Rod's stats and comparing them to Brady and the psuedo-perfect Pats (and the football toss heard 'round the World at that Super Bowl
)....there's a BIG difference....the Packers HAVE a defense, they have PLAYERS on that defense....the Pats didn't...the Packers showed they can go with Starks and pound and grind it out when they NEED to....the Pats refused to....do I think the Packers can run the table? Hell yes I do! The Lions have the guns and the weapons to stay in this one...but the Packers are gonna blow them away by the end...I'm just looking forward to a good ol'hockey brawl in the 4th quarter of this one!!!Winner: Packers
Game Quality: ****
4pm:
Miami at Dallas:
And look here....the co-hottest team in the AFC (them and Denver....GO FIGURE) comes into Dallas to play the Cowboys when they are playing their best (or at least their most mistake-free) football as well...this makes for a big game.....while I think Miami's blowing a golden chance to Suck for Luck, that doesn't save coach's jobs and keep players from getting cut....oh well....not like this game doesn't bring back memories of Leon Lett and Super Bowl glory after, so I can think of better days (could you imagine the drinking game from showing clips of the snow-Bowl in Dallas?)....oh yeah I do need to talk about this ACTUAL game don't I?? Both teams are playing good D, running the ball from odd places (Reggie Bush between the tackles....seriously)...big plays on D, and solid QB play from two guys you never expected it from on this level...but still when you look at it...the Cowboys personnel is a lil bit better....and home field helps too...not to mention being used to the whole Thursday nonsense, though it will be a close one!!
Winner: Dallas
Game Quality: *** 1/2
8pm:
Baltimore at 49ers:
Oh boy this has body bag and ice pack blood bath ALL OVER THIS!! You want storylines? Brother vs Brother...two teams battling to earn bye weeks in the playoffs...physical D, tough running games....questionable QB's, you'd almost think the Harbaugh's are twins the way they build teams right? The 49ers have been one direction...forward all year long, grinding and outworking everyone in their way, while the Ravens sh!t enough beds to get kicked out of the hospital (and make you wonder if laxatives need be on the "banned substance list" in the NFL)....these two teams are damned near identical on paper, but I gotta lean on the team who's been more consistent all year long....but again you'll be watching ALL of this one....it should be epic!!!
Winner: 49ers
Game Quality: ****
Sunday Nov. 27:
1pm:
Vikings at Atlanta:
....this will not be so epic....no Adrian Peterson....Christian Ponder's not coming along....yet...Jared Allen is playing for that WORTHLESS sack record (go back and watch every game pre-1980 and compile THOSE sack totals and we'll talk about an ACTUAL sack record).....meanwhile the Falcons seem back on the right track (well aside of overtime brain farts on 4th down...I can still smell some fart-residual from THAT stinker....), Turner is running the ball....Roddy White is making big plays, and the Vikings stink like that aforementioned brain-fart...so yeah....
Winner: Atlanta
Game Quality: DUD
Carolina at Indianapolis:
It's funny how I gave this big speech about players fighting for careers and coaches for jobs....and here we have the Colts....the biggest tank job in history since the Penguins laid down for Lemieux....Carolina already did their tanking and had some ROUGH losses....but not this week....when a team plays the Packers you just feel that team has no chance to win.....when a team plays the Colts...you just feel they got no chance to LOSE....so yeah....
Winner: Carolina
Game Quality: * (a hair out of anti-football range)
Tampa at Tennessee:
This is a big game for both teams....Tampa's trying to crawl and survive in the NFC playoff race (they're all but dead now me thinks....)....and the Titans HAVE to be thinking "Hey we can win this division now...not only do we have the best QB in the division, we got the ONLY ONE STANDING!!"...Tampa is allowing 130+ yards a game on the ground (look I'm backing stuff with stats...OH BOY!!), and maybe this is the week Chris Johnson looks like Chris Johnson after all....Tampa's lost 4 in a row....1-3 on the road....ok, I'm just piling it on now aren't I?
Winner: Titans
Game Quality: * 1/2 (not too entertaining)
Houston at Jacksonville:
Boy did this game get interesting now....Matt Schaub on IR, and Matt Leinart gets that rare second chance to show something in this league after totally screwing it up in Arizona (hey the Cardinals are still trying to pick up the pieces even now....and will be until someone cracks Kevin Kolb in the back of the knee for a fatality....)...least this time around Leinart has the league's best running game and a helluva defense....and handing the ball off 70 times should be enough to even make the scrappy D of the Jaguars' crack and give....
Winner: Houston (Matt Leinart...really??)
Game Quality: ** (also on the anti-football alert)
Arizona at St. Louis:
Now THIS is the kinda football we are thankful for!!! A true Thanksgiving week TURKEY!!!! Skeletor was so bad last week his pee was getting intercepted from the toilet!!! The Rams D is getting better and since beating the Saints it's been W, L, W, L....they lost the last one, and frankly Arizona should lose ALL of them at this point....it's gonna be a cluster-frak but damn it's gonna be ugly enough to entertain!!!
Winner: St. Louis
Game Quality: *** (screw it...this IS anti-football, radar be damned!)
Buffalo at NY Jets:
Hey buddy can ya spare a running back??? These guys could use some!! (Funny how I still feel backs are a dime a dozen in this league, but now they're all dropping like flies and just having healthy ones is an asset now....), Fred Jackson on IR....Tashard Choice gifted to them from the Redskins....Tomlinson still looks out for this week, Greene will be back...but is that a GOOD thing? I'm not sure....this one's gonna be ugly and probably close as both offenses stumble over their own feet all game, a difference for Buffalo could be CJ Spiller...he has the speed, and never the opportunity...till now...he's the X-Factor...but the way things have been going for the Bills....he might not get out of the first quarter...the Jets are healthier on D, and maybe they do something wacky to pull this one out....or the Bills win, just to spite Sanborn....naahhhhhh
Winner: Jets
Game Quality: *** (yes this too is anti-football-palooza!)
Browns at Bengals:
This is the official NFL's "I'm sorry you played the Steelers and Ravens in a row game"....it's like the flowers and wine when you're prepping for makeup sex when you pissed off your woman (well not me, when I piss em off, they STAY pissed....)....the Browns are awful everywhere and Andy Dalton's working the Bengals to say Carson who? And playoffs WHAT?....so gimme the good team that needs the game!
Winner: Bengals
Game Quality: DUD (Dude...it's CLEVELAND!)
4pm:
Washington at Seattle:
Frak me...someone has TO WIN THIS?? WHY GOD WHY?? Alright...I'm so dreading this write-up I was listening to Steve Cangelosi with baited breath....(oh to hear SCWARREEE so I can turn around again....)....no luck....alright, I'm getting this over with...Seattle is average at home (2-2), the Redskins are horrible EVERYWHERE, so CMON AVERAGE!!!! Gesh, the more I slack, the more penalties the Devils take...NO MORE STALLING!!!
Winner: Seattle
Game Quality: *** (This is delightfully horrible!)
Bears at Raiders:
I could see the conversation between these two teams.... "CMON guys, go easy on us, we just lost Jay Cutler and the entire NFL cock-blocked us out of Kyle Orton".....the Raiders go back "Tough sh!t man, look what the hell happened to US when we lost Jason Campbell....and HE STINKS....we got bent over by the Bengals...THE BENGALS....to have to put Carson Palmer through a mini-camp and piss away three wins in our awful division to get him up to speed....screw your sympathy whining!!!"....and that kinda sums up this game....both teams need to stuff the run of the other team (Forte is forth in yards per game, McFadden is 7th)....Carson Palmer is getting better each week....we have NO IDEA what we are getting from Hanie at this point...or even if I spelled his damned name right...the rest of these teams are a push but the QB comparison is so lop-sided....I gotta stick with the team that knows what they are getting under center.... (and see...no more Devils penalties...yay!)
Winner: Raiders
Game Quality: **
Patriots at Eagles:
The Patriot losing streak seems long ago now...but be warned...beating down the Jets and Chiefs with their offenses....yeah not so impressive...the Eagles may be a confused mess and will Vick play? Will it matter? The one thing the Eagles can count on (no, not something stupid from Jackson ....)....it's Dr. McCoy, the league's top back this year...the running game and some Vince Young (I'm assuming since Vick ain't practicin'), might be enough to keep the Pats and that defense off-guard....and you know I got a weird feeling...everytime people think the Eagles are dead, they show something....and 5-6 ain't dead in the NFC....sometimes you just gotta go with the intuition.....
Winner: Eagles
Game Quality: ****
Denver at San Diego:
Here's some friendly advice to San Diego....you wanna win this game...SCORE 20 POINTS, and don't let Tebow pull his late game garbage on you....take advantage of the 55 minutes of "How is this guy in the NFL" that you're gonna get....hell I can still remember Brian last week when Tebow literally ran 95 yards down the field "I'm watching this and I still can't believe this..."...the Chargers have the balance and the firepower (but some credit need be given to the Denver D... they are playing well, albeit against two crappy offenses), I'd love to say San Diego just blows them out of the water....but I can't trust in that team and the timebomb called Phillip Rivers....so God help me...he's helping Tebow after all....
Winner: Denver (takes a knee)
Game Quality: ** 1/2 (for the "I can't believe he did it...AGAIN" moment)
8pm:
Steelers at Chiefs:
Hey welcome to Kansas City Kyle Orton....now get in there and get beaten down by the Steelers D...this won't be pretty...the Steelers should be able to feast on a limp Chiefs team that's coming off a Patriot beating, no QB, and the running game evaporated like when my mom put coffee in the microwave for 10 minutes when we first got one....and wondered what the cloud of smoke was...this isn't even worth hyping up....
Winner: Steelers
Game Quality: DUD (NBC's been getting pooped on eh?)
Monday Nov. 28:
Giants at Saints:
It's a shame this game couldn't get bumped to Sunday Night...and that pile of visual AIDS couldn't move to ESPN where it belongs....this game is gonna be good....both teams need it...both teams run a similar offense, though they do it different on D...the Giants are all about rush and D-line play....the Saints are turnover happy....the Giants running game, no Bradshaw....now DJ Ware's head is buzzing....it's a tall order to be pass happy and beat the Saints....and I just don't think the Giants can balance their offense out enough....not to mention going toe to toe with Drew Brees means you lose (unless you're that guy throwing the ball for the Packers.....)
Winner: Saints
Game Quality: ***
NFL Power Rankings:
AFC:
1. Houston...don't worry Matt Leinart's gonna screw this up...
2. Steelers...you can make a case that Ben is playing MVP-level football....even if the stats are just above average
3. New England...I guess? Show me something this week......
4. Oakland...the best of the worst.....
5. Cincinnati....showed something in those two losses.....
NFC:
1. Packers.... I should just copy/paste this...
2. 49ers....and this
3. Dallas....don't look now, playing good consistent and smart....and 4 quarters, scary....
4. Saints...still don't trust them as built now....
5. Atlanta....playing like last year again....
