The 6/17th of a Season Power Rankings!

It's a special Tuesday treat! We're 35% done with the season, so let's have a little bit of Power Ranking fun, shall we? This is basically how I think the teams rank right now, and my final little section about who I think the playoff teams will be when the season ends doesn't necessarily match up. Like if a team looks like they suck right now, but I think they'll come around, they'll be rated low-ish, but still might show up on the playoff team list. (Like the Jets.) Likewise, if a team is playing pretty good right now, but I expect to collapse, they probably won't make the playoff list. (Like the Panthers.) It's parity at it's finest this year folks! Especially with the Brady injury and the Giants getting destroyed last night. Anyways, the first one shouldn't come as much of a surprise:

32. Lions
Valiant effort against the Vikings. They should have won that game. Blame Dan Orlovsky, product of that QB factory UConn. He stepped on the end zone back line for a safety with zero pressure on him early in the game, and those two points were the deciding factor.

31. Bengals
Looks like Carson Palmer's elbow problem may be more serious than originally thought which means bad news for the Bungles.

30. Rams
They move up two slots with an upset over the Redskins. These Rams do have a bit of life in them, and maybe the new coach will give them enough of a change to win a few games.

29. Raiders
What a freakshow in Oakland right now. They have a decent defense, and two high draft picks on offense in JaMarcus Russell and Darrenn McFadden. But it's starting to look like maybe Russell is a bust.

28. Chiefs
I'll say it again - Herm Edwards is a horrible coach. Maybe they'll do classy veteran Tony Gonzalez a favor and trade him to a contender before this week's trade deadline.

27. Seahawks
The defense looks awful. They're getting no pressure on the QB and the secondary is getting lit up. And now Hasselbeck is hurt and they're not sure when he'll be back. Looks like Holmgren's last season is a lost one.

26. Niners
After a couple good games, it looks like the league has caught up with J.T. O'Sullivan. He's staring down his receivers and now has more picks than TDs.

25. Texans
They're one of the few teams better than their horrible record. Gutsy win this week led by Matt Schaub. And had Sage Rosenfals not self destructed last week, this team would be right in the thick of the playoff hunt.

24. Vikings
They almost lost to the Lions. In Minnesota. We're hearing a lot less about Adrian Peterson. Their defense isn't as good as people think (especially against the pass) and Gus Frerotte hasn't exactly been the savior at QB.

23. Jaguars
This team is a bit of a mystery. Their running game is struggling. David Garrard looks mediocre at best. But their WRs are finally holding onto the ball and the defense seems decent.

22. Browns
Decent sized jump after demolishing the Giants. I had them at #27 in my rough draft done on Monday afternoon. I cannot figure this team out.

21. Dolphins
Chad Pennington looks good. Shocking, I know. They've knocked off a couple good teams already, but then they lose to the Texans. They're probably not quite ready to make a run at the AFC East, but they've got some fight in them.

20. Bears
Kyle Orton continues to look like he might be the answer at QB. Rookie RB Matt Forte has been awesome. (Which I've noticed mostly because he's on my fantasy team.) The defense isn't as dominant as a couple years ago, but still better than most.

19. Broncos
Another strange team. Seems their defense is pretty leaky, and their offense is mostly good, but a bit inconsistent. To be honest, I haven't followed them too much. So I'm just making this up.

18. Ravens
They looked good until they got drubbed by the Colts this week. I like their rookie QB, and their defense is still pretty good (though older). I think they're a borderline playoff team right now.

17. Packers
They are totally banged up, but Aaron Rodgers has hung in there and looked pretty good. They still have lots of weapons on offense. If the defense can weather the storm until they get healthy, they'll likely take the NFC North.

16. Saints
Yes, Drew Brees is still on pace to break the single-season passing yardage record. How come nobody else is talking about this? If his name were Romo or Favre, they would have been talking about this after week 2.

15. Jets
Speaking of Romo and Favre, I'm not quite sold on the Jets, but they have a pretty weak schedule (including the Raiders and Chiefs the next two weeks). It looks like they should make the playoffs.

14. Cowboys
Speaking of Romo and Favre, could it be Romo has been exposed as the overrated fraud I've been saying he is for months now? Dallas was very lucky that game even went to overtime against the Cardinals. Their defense can be thrown on very easily, and if you take away TO and Whitten, Romo doesn't have much to throw to.

13. Eagles
They miss Westbrook. But McNabb is playing very well right now and they have their typical solid defense. It'll be an interesting 4-way battle in the NFC East. Someone I don't think the Eagles will come out ahead, but they'll be in th thick of things.

12. Falcons
What the?!?! Who the?!? I continue to be shocked each week when I see the Falcons beating a legitimate opponent. Matt Ryan and Michael Turner have been awesome, but you have to give some credit to their coaching staff. They're turned a "rebuilding" year into a season with playoff aspirations.

11. Patriots
So much for Belichick out-coaching Norv Turner. I guess he'd need an NFL-caliber QB to do that. Still, I expect the Patriots to find a way to stick around for playoff contention somehow. I think.

10. Panthers
Just as I was starting to believe in them, they get dominated by the Bucs. The NFC South could be the league's most interesting division this year. It'll probably be tough for them to get 2 teams in the playoffs with the way the NFC East looks, but you never know.

9. Cardinals
They almost blew it, but they knocked off the Cowboys. The end of the game was eerily reminscient of the "They were who they thought they were!" meltdown against the Bears a few years ago. The difference? Denny Green was nowhere to be found to complete the self destruction.

8. Redskins
I would have had them as high as #3 had they not just lost to the Rams in DC. Ouch. Still, I like how they've knocked off both the Cowboys and Eagles on the road. As long as they don't do a reverse of last year and finish the season ice cold, they should make the playoffs.

7. Colts
A bit of a resurgence here for the Colts after spanking the Ravens. Their offensive line is getting healthy again, which is huge for the hobbled Manning. Their defense still has some questions, but as long as they keep Manning upright long enough to find Harrison and Wayne, they could look like the Colts of old.

6. Chargers
The toe injury to Tomlinson is worrisome. But Phillip Rivers is starting to look like the real deal at QB. Impressive win over the Patriots. It almost looks as if the AFC West is theirs for the taking again.

5. Steelers
They're banged up pretty badly, but somehow managed to squeeze out the last few wins. They could be dropping like a rock really soon, but I'm not too impressed with the rest of the AFC North at this point.

4. Bucanneers
I will spare you the Jeff Garcia joke in this power rankings item. However, expect the running gag (as unfunny as it may be) to return during this week's picks. In the meantime, somehow the Bucs defense looks pretty formidable again. And Warrick Dunn has found the Fountain of Youth.

3. Bills
I believe it was Week 2 when I said the Bills will win the AFC East. They hit a little stumble in Arizona, but I still believe this. Sad to say, but in the end, I think the Patriots are going to have a hard time over-coming the loss of Brady. The Bills get Trent Edwards back this week, which should help.

2. Giants
Minor fall after a bad road game on Monday night. I still think they're probably one of the best teams in the league. But a few more poor road showings like that, and maybe the NFC East is even more wide open than most people thought.

1. Titans
Presenting your starting QB of the #1 ranked NFL team - Kerry Collins! Seriously though, this team is doing it with hard-nosed defense and a solid running game. I've always liked Jeff Fisher, so it's good to see his team on top again. It'll be interesting to see their remaining AFC South games, especially against the Colts.

Playoff Teams:
(Going out on a limb here with the Falcons claiming a wild card, but I'm thinking the Cowboys are in deep trouble with Romo hurt and Pacman suspended..)

AFC: Titans, Steelers, Bills, Chargers, Jets, Colts
NFC: Giants, Bucanneers, Packers, Cardinals, Falcons, Redskins

Whoops

Some of you may have noticed that our blog is missing. I'm hoping St. Ides can take a look at this mess and fix it. The good news is all of our data and archives are where they should be, and it appears that only our template has gone slightly bonkers. Thanks all! Samichlaus

Week 6 Picks (in two acts) (second act now available)

Okay, so the annual 5/16th Season Team Rankings will be a week late. Next week it'll be the 6/16th Season Team Rankings, and the extra game should allow me an even better idea of where things stand, especially with some key matchups this week.

First of all, let me apologize for the cheap shot I took at Anonymous last week. The truth is he is an integral part of this blog, and we miss his comments. So what happens? Anon posts a comment and the Steves have nothing to say. Double ouchers. Second, this week Ol' Samichlaus committed a cardinal sin of IT: my computer appeared to be a bit thirsty on Wednesday, so in the middle of a presentation to a client I proceded to share a cup of coffee with my laptop. The computer did a Lincolesque "death rattle", shut itself off, and effectively curtailed my presentation. As a result I am currently residing in the fifth layer of Vista hell, where half of the work I need to do must be done from inside a 32 bit XP virtual machine I set up for said purpose.

Welcome to my nightmare...

After a nice week, Samichlaus pulls 1 game ahead on the season. We could be going back and forth all year, folks. That's what I call mediocre picking at its finest.

Last Week:
Samichlaus: 9-5
St. Ides: 6-8

Overall:
Samichlaus: 30-31
St. Ides: 29-32

Cincinnati (0-5) at NY Jets (2-2) -5.5
I would have been tempted to take the Bengals and the points this week over a Jets team I'm not quite sold on. Then I heard Carson Palmer is out, and that Fitzgerald guy will be the Bungles QB again. So yeah, I'll lay the points. Jets 24, Bungles 16.

After Brett the Jet had a career game two weeks ago, the well rested Jets should have no problems with Cincinnati. Besides, what can you say about a team that comes from a city that puts cinnamon and chocolate in their chili? I'll be tuning in to this one for my early game on Sunday... which happens to be me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary.
Jets 31 Bengals 20

St. Louis (0-4) at Washington (4-1) -13.5
This one has trap game written all over it. The Rams can't be THAT bad, can they? They're coming off a bye and it'll be their first game since they fired Linehan. The Redskins have knocked off the Cowboys and Eagles both on the road. I'm taking the points. Skins 23, Rams 13.

I like the analysis, but I'm going to disagree: I think the Rams ARE that bad, and the coaching change isn't going to help. In fact, I'll bet the initial impact is going to be detrimental. Jim Zorn continues to impress, and the Skins are starting to believe in their coach. It's going to be a happy Sunday in DC which happens to be me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary.
Skins 27 Rams 10

Oakland (1-3) at New Orleans (2-3) -7.5
Would you believe the Saints are in last place in the NFC South at 2-3? Yep, it's true. And Drew Brees is still on pace to set the single-season passing yardage record. He gets back Marques Colston this week, which should help. Meanwhile, the Raiders are in a weird place. They fired Lane Kiffin before last week's bye (just like the Rams) but QB JaMarcus Russell told reporters he still talks to Kiffin on the phone and Kiffin has been coaching him this week. What the....?! Anyways, the Saints need a win badly, and I think they cover. Saints 30, Raiders 16.

Dead on analysis above. The Russell - Kiffin thing borders on the bizarre, which is completely in order for the Raiders. New Orleans comes off a tough Monday night loss to the Vikings despite the almost unfathomable performance by Reggie Bush, so yes, they are going to be primed for dominance this week. The Saints win and cover on Sunday, which happens to be me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary..
Saints 34 Raiders 13

Miami (2-2) at Houston (0-4) -3.5
In my "money pool" where I pick 5 games each week, I lost 3 games by half a point last week. Including the Texans losing by 4 (they were getting 3.5) to the Colts when Sage Rosenfals self-destructed and turned the ball over 3 times in like 45 seconds. Ugh. Anyways, I think the Dolphins are probably about due for a stinker, and the Texans really aren't as bad as their record. Texans 27, Dolphins 20.

Why are the Dolphins due for a stinker? In the last two weeks they've knocked off New England and San Diego, two of the best teams in the AFC. Meanwhile the Texans keep finding ways to lose, and I can't blame that pear shaped big ass Mike Sherman anymore. Sherman coaches at Texas A&M who plays on Saturdays. This Sunday you can find Sherman at the local "Golden Corrall, which happens to be me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary.
Dolphins 24 Texans 17

Baltimore (2-2) at Indianapolis (2-2) -4.5
The Colts needed the aforementioned Sage Rosenfals meltdown to pull out last week's game. I think Vegas is setting these spreads based upon the past reputation of the Colts, not this season's reality. Colts lose outright. Ravens 23, Colts 20.

I like Baltimore and the points as well. What on earth is going on in Indy? The days of that offense doing whatever it wants seems to be a thing of the past. Peytie-pie has been nothing short of mediocre, which is a good thing. He was getting a little big headed don't you think? Manning is looking for a big game on Sunday, which happens to be me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary, but it ain't going to be enough to cover.
Colts 27 Baltimore 24

Chicago (3-2) at Atlanta (3-2) +2.5
I have no clue what to think about either of these teams. Kyle Orton has looked decent at QB for the Bears, which is shocking. Yet Matt Ryan and Michael Turner have made the Falcons offense look pretty good themselves. I don't know much more than that, so I'll take the home points. Falcons 23, Bears 20.

Honestly I'm not surprised by Kyle Orton, who as I've said before simply wins football games. The Falcons on the other hand have been a surprise. In fact they shocked the shit out of me last week by beating the Packers at home, but a lot of that had to do with the matador defense the Pack seemed to be playing. There's no way the Bears are going to let a rookie QB beat them Sunday, which happens to be me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary.
Bears 20 Falcons 13

Detroit (0-4) at Minnesota (2-3) -13.5
The Lions are really really bad. But I'll take two TDs against a divisional rival with a shaky QB any time. Almost any time. Vikings 23, Lions 10.

I won't waste too much time on this either except to say that yes, two TDs against a division rival is too much even on a Sunday which happens to be me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary.
Vikings 30 Detroit 20

Carolina (4-1) at Tampa Bay (3-2) -1.5
Key NFC South matchup. Somehow, Jeff Garcia is still behind Brian Griese on the Tampa Bay depth chart. (Though Griese should make sure he doesn't let Garica behind him in the shower.) Carolina looks like they have their usual solid defense back in place, and Jake Delhomme gives them just enough consistency on offense. I like the Cats. Panthers 23, Bucs 20.

Thank you St. Ides for the weekly Jeff-Garcia-is-Gay cheap shot. I heard he fathered a child with that guy from "Idol"... or was it with Brady Anderson? I forget. Anyway, I like the Cats as well. Tampa is tough at home, but these are similar teams who play similar defense. In other words there's no surprises in store thus Sunday, which happens to be me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary.
Cats 27 Bucs 23

Jacksonville (2-3) at Denver (4-1) -3.5
Cutler has looked pretty good so far. David Garrard, who I was never sold on despite his sparkling TD-to-Int ratio last year, has not. The Jags running game has also sucked, which is unusual. I'll take the Broncos and the high altitude. Broncos 27, Jaguars 17.

Just take any analysis I've done for Denver at home over the course of the last 4 seasons and insert it here. I always like Denver at home and this week is no exception. 3.5 should be easy enough for the Broncos to cover on Sunday, which happens to be me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary.
Broncos 23 Jags 17

Green Bay (2-3) at Seattle (1-3) -2.5
Two desperate teams. Seattle was absolutely embarrassed last week by the Giants, and I sat through the whole game in person. It was brutal. The secondary looked lost. Their #2 CB, be it Kelly Jennings or Josh Wilson, has been abused all season. (It doesn't help that they're both about as tall as Doug Flutie.) The last time these two teams met, Ryan Grant ran over Seattle and eliminated them from the playoffs. At the time, I thought it was a legitimate excuse that the small "built for speed" Seahawks defense was at a huge disadvantage on the snow-slick field. Now? I'm not so sure they just don't completely suck all around. If Seattle has anything going for them it's that the Green Bay defense is horribly battered, Holmgren has been laying into the team all week in practice, and they still do have the loudest home crowd in the league. I'm quickly losing faith in this team. A loss here, and I'll be starting to look at potential first round draft picks next spring and hope that when Jim Mora Jr. takes over the reigns as head coach, he'll hire a defensive coordinator who isn't afraid to blitz. Packers 49, Seahawks 20.

WTF? You laid out a perfect case for a Seattle win and then predict a Packer victory? I've got to say, I didn't expect the Seahawks to roll over like little bitches against the mighty Giants. You poor, poor bastard. What a game to see. I mean Jesus H. Christ in a chicken basket. Anyway, here's why I think Seattle wins this week. First, Aaron Rodgers is still hurt and almost came out of the Falcons game. Although he played well at times, he was awful at other times ("I didn't have enough arm on a few passes" he said) Second, he's never played in a stadium as loud as Seattles. Third, Mike Holmgren is a better coach than Mike McArthy, who appears to be coaching as usual this week. Fourth, the Packers running game has been terrible, and to win against Seattle you've got to run the ball. Finally, the Packers defense has been abysmal, and the fans are clamoring for defensive coordinator Bob Sanders's head. Again. One more disastrous performance on Sunday (which happens to be me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary) by this D and I'll be clamoring for it as well.
Seattle 30 Green Bay 27

Philadelphia (2-3) at San Francisco (2-3) +4.5
Brian Westbrook won't be playing, and that's huge. The Niners are a weird team. But I really don't trust the Eagles on the west coast without Westbrook giving points. Eagles 23, Niners 20.

I don't buy it. I think the Eagles will be just fine against the Niners with or without Westbrook. They're a better team than their 2-3 record indicates. The Niners on the other hand are worse than their record indicates. I like Philly by a TD this Sunday, which happens to be me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary.
Eagles 23 Niners 15

Dallas (4-1) at Arizona (3-2) +5.5
Did someone around here say the Cowboys were overrated? Oh yeah, that was me. They lose to the Skins at home and then struggle a bit against the Bungles? I'll take the Cardinals and the points. Even though I'd like the Cardinals to lose so Seattle stays close in the NFC West, I think they might just win this game totally. Cardinals 30, Cowboys 29.

St. Ides was right and Ol' Samichlaus was wrong: The Cowboys have come back to earth just as he predicted. But the Cardinals beating them outright? First of all the 'Boys are the better team. Second, it's going to be like a home game for them in AZ this Sunday, which happens to be me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary. I like Dallas by a TD at least.
Dallas 34 Arizona 27.

New England (3-1) at San Diego (2-3) -5.5
The Patriots are not as dead as Anonymous might have us believe. Plus, Norv Turner is still a pretty horrible coach. I think the Patriots D ought to be able to give Phillip Rivers a bit of trouble and they usually do a pretty good job containing Tomlinson. Speaking of running backs.. Has anybody seen Maroney lately? I made the mistake of drafting him in my fantasy league, and he's been frickin invisible. (Luckily I also got Aaron Rodgers and Matt Forte in late rounds, so me team is doing well.) Patriots 23, Chargers 20.

Last year I called Maroney the best young back in the league. So I read St. Ides's comments and did a little research and found this:

"Laurence Maroney says there's a very good reason he's not running the ball particularly well for the New England Patriots.And that's just about all he'll say on a subject that has been irritating Patriots fans all season long.

"Hey, I have my issues," Maroney said Friday before New England finished up its final practice at San Jose State, the Pats' home between last weekend's win over the 49ers and Sunday night's trip to face the San Diego Chargers. "There are reasons," said Maroney, who has just 93 yards rushing in three appearances for New England (3-1). "I'd rather not speak about them, but there are reasons."

Jeez. OK, read the article here.

Meanwhile, this Sunday night (when I'm hoping to be poking the luscious Mrs. Samichlaus on our 6th anniversary) take the Pats and the points.
Bolts 31 Patriots 30

NY Giants (4-0) at Cleveland (1-3) +7.5
Good luck, Browns! The Giants looked frickin unbeatable last week. Their offensive line is awesome, and they were blowing open HUGE holes to run through. I don't want to spend too much time thinking about that game any more, or I'll get depressed. But yeah, the Browns don't have a prayer. Giants 27, Browns 10.

Let's forget all about last week and think happy thoughts like puppy dogs farting rainbows. As much as I admire the Giants, a TD on the road is an awful lot. I'll go the other way here, because Cleveland is so tough at home. This is a good Monday night game, which happens to be a day after me and Mrs. Samichlaus's 6th anniversary.
Giants 24 Cleveland 20

Week 5 Picks (Part One) (and Part Two!!!)

With byes starting last week, we took one too! (Samichlaus may have needed the extra time to recover after what appears to have been his worst week since we started doing this. Ouch.) Anyways, it doesn't seem anyone missed us since we're not getting the usual harassment from Anonymous, who seems to have deserted us.

This just proves what I've suspected all along: Anonymous is a big pussy who crawls under the stairs and hides when his precious Quarterback isn't on TV on Sundays. Typical chowderhead behavior.

Is he back yet?

Last Time:
St. Ides: 7-9
Samichlaus: 4-12

Overall:
St. Ides: 23-24
Samichlaus: 21-26

Tennessee (4-0) at Baltimore (2-1) +2.5
I watched most of the Steelers-Ravens game on Monday night. You know, this Flacco kid may be the best QB the Ravens have had since.... Kyle Boller? Tony Banks? Chris Redman? Trent Dilfer? There we go, Trent Dilfer. Which isn't saying a whole lot, but still. They very well could have beaten the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Anyways, I'm going to continue to ride the Titans momentum until they come crashing down. I like their defense and I like their running game. Though this should be a tough game for them.

Titans 19, Ravens 13.

Boy, was I ever spot on with my analysis of the Titans. These guys have found a way to win every week. I like Baltimore as well, and Joe Flacco has played well beyond his years, but last week Pittsburgh found a way to attack their defense. I’m going to ride with the Titans until they lose

Titans 23 Ravens 20

Atlanta (2-2) at Green Bay (2-2) -6.5
So the Packers have come crashing down to earth with back-to-back losses. And now Rodgers may have an injured shoulder, potentially putting the team in the hands of a rookie. Oh look, there's a rookie QB on the other side of the field too. Ladies and gentlemen, Matt Ryan! He's looked pretty good so far, and even the two wins the Falcons have already are more than some people thought they'd have all season. Still, Lambeau should be way too much for him against the Packers (admittedly beaten up) defense.

Packers 23, Falcons 13.

Aaron Rodgers is hurt. Al Harris is out. And the Pack has looked less than ordinary the last two weeks. Rodgers health has always been a concern for Packer fans: every time he’s had a chance to play, he’s been seriously injured. This week won’t be easy for the Pack: I like the Falcons and the points

Green Bay 30 Atlanta 24

Chicago (2-2) at Detroit (0-3) +3.5
Ding, dong, the witch is dead! Or Matt Millen is finally out in Detroit. He was actually out last week, but since the Lions had a bye (and so did we), I'll write about it now. This might just be enough to list the shadow of doom from the franchise. Or it might not. They still have to live with his horrible personnel decisions. Rookie Bears RB Matt Forte has looked mostly good so far this season. He should have a big game.

Bears 23, Lions 10.

Detroit finally put Matt Millen out of his misery, ending one of the most bizarre careers in NFL history. Not since the days of my old boss Paul Mancini has a man with such little talent achieve so much personal success. What an idiot. Anyway, it’s the same crappy Detroit players against a good Bears team. And I keep telling my Chi-town coworkers: all Kyle Orton does in win football games.

Bears 27 Detroit 10

Kansas City (1-3) at Carolina (3-1) -9.5
Okay, someone figure out the Chiefs for me please? Just as me and my colleague talk about how hard it is to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead, they lay a stinker. Then last week, as I'm sure I would have picked against them in KC against the 3-0 Broncos, they kill them. I'm tempted to take the points because almost 10 is a lot and this smells like a trap game, but I just can't doit.

Panthers 23, Chiefs 9.

That’s a lot of points for Carolina to cover but then again they’re playing Kansas City. On the positive side for KC, Larry Johnson had a good week last week. That’s it. Carolina continues to play well, and my earlier reported demise of John Fox as a good coach was clearly erroneous.

Carolina 24 Kansas City 7

Indianapolis (1-2) at Houston (0-3) +3.5
The Texans are better than 0-3. And the Colts are better than 1-2. Houston usually plays Indy tough, so I'll take the home dog. Colts 27, Texans 24.

Coming off a needed bye, the Colts travel to Houston for some well deserved R&R. They are relatively healthy and rested. This is all you need to know to handicap this game. The Colts are at least a touchdown better than the Texans. Factor in the 3 points you “get” at home and that’s a 4 point differential.

Colts 34 Houston 30

San Diego (2-2) at Miami (1-2) +6.5
Tomlinson hasn't really gone off yet this year. Maybe this is the week. Phillip Rivers is the #1 Fantasy Football QB at this point. That's pretty wacky. I don't think it lasts, but I also don't think Miami is very good. They're probably just happy to have beaten the Patriots and now they can relax the rest of the season and guarantee Parcells a few more high draft picks to play around with. Chargers 29, Dolphins 13.

The last time I saw Miami play they were kicking the ever living shit out of the Patriots. I mean absolutely pulverizing them. I wrote that New England was going to make that a statement game… more on that in a minute. Realistically I don’t think the Fins have enough to beat the Bolts, but I’ve got a hunch they’ll keep it close

Chargers 30 Miami 27

Washington (3-1) at Philadelphia (2-2) -5.5
How about that NFC East! The Skins actually looked pretty awesome against the Cowboys. But McNabb looks rejuvenated, and Westbrook should be back after missing the last game. The Skins are due for a stinker on the road.

Eagles 27, Skins 20.

Jim Zorn is starting to make a believer out of me. Here’s a guy who has an obvious and exponential learning curve, and because of this the Redskins are a different team than the one we saw in week one. What they did to the Cowboys last week was brilliant. The Eagles? They still have Westbrook and McNair, and McNair looks better than he has in a long time. The Eagles win a close one…

Eagles 30 Skins 27

Seattle (1-2) at NY Giants (3-0) -7.5
Speaking of the NFC East... Little known fact: Seattle is 8-0 in their last 8 games against the NFC East. Including 3-0 in the playoffs (2 against the Skins, 1 against the Cowboys.) Deion Branch and Bobby Engram should both be back for this game. The Giants 3 wins are against the Skins (who looked shell-shocked in the Thursday night opener), the Rams (0-4), and the Bungals (0-4). Seattle has been awful on the East Coast lately, and their secondary has been shaky. Though the Giants will be without Plaxico Burress for this one. I'm tempted to say Seattle will shock everyone and win this game outright, but I know better. Oh, and I'll be at this game. The third Seahawks-Giants game I'll be attending since my friend Dar got season tickets about 7 years ago. The Seahawks are 0-2 in those games. I'm looking at 0-3, and a Seahawks 1-3 hole that will have people writing then off for the year.

Giants 26, Seahawks 17.

If only we had a way to blog live from this game. St. Ides pointed out in week one that Seattle has issues with East Coast teams anb 1:00 starts, but with the walking wounded returning to the lineup I am not counting them out. Matt Hassleback might faint from the excitement of getting his top receivers back in the mix, and that's going to be enough to keep this under a touchdown.

Giants 20 Seattle 17

Tampa Bay (3-1) at Denver (3-1) -3.5
Denver has to be embarassed after losing to the Chiefs. The Bucs are riding high after knocking off the Packers. I'll take the Broncos.

Broncos 27, Bucs 20.

The question I have to ask is how did Denver lose to KC? That might have been a little Arrowhead magic returning to Kansas City. Denver heads home and we know how much I like them at home. The Bucs beat the Packers on turnovers, and Denver isn't going to turn the ball over like Green Bay did.

Broncos 24 Bucs 20

New England (2-1) at San Francisco (2-2) +3.5
Welcome to the NFL, J.T. O'Sullivan. The Patriots do a lot of traveling this season, playing both the AFC West and NFC West. I'll be pretty surprised if they haven't been able to cook up a winning plan for the Niners during their bye week.

Patriots 23, Niners 17.

New England had a statement game against the Dolphins, but they didn't make the statement I thought they would. It was more of a "you've seen our QB for a week, now have at him. We've got nothing". I wonder if San Francisco can do to Cassel what Miami did? Chances are the Patriots will show up with their game faces on. Time to revise that statement.

New England 31 San Francisco 13

Cincinnati (0-4) at Dallas (3-1) -14.5
Wow, that's a lot of points to give. Who do they think the Cowboys are, the 07 Pats? I'm glad it only took 4 weeks for the Cowboys to be exposed as overrated. They're not a 2 TD favorite over anybody. Their defense just isn't good enough.

Cowboys 27, Bengals 16.

Dallas at home against a really bad team. I don't think 2 TDs are nearly enough. Are the Cowboys overrated? Of course they are. Listening to Cowboy nation is worse than listening to Fox news pining over Sarah Palin. But the truth is they're a good football team, and I'm not just saying that because I'm so totally their bitch after they whupped the Pack

Cowboys 37 Bengals 17

Buffalo (4-0) at Arizona (2-2) -0.5
The Bills actually struggled a little bit against the Rams. But the Rams were playing for their coach's life. Meanwhile, Kurt Warner seems to have reverted to the ' "Lay A Finger On Him And He Coughs Up The Ball" jittery old man we've come to know the past few years. The Cardinals need to win home games like this if they really expect to challenge for the abyssmal NFC West.

Bills 23, Cardinals 20.

I can't fathom the Bills going to 5-0. They're heading to a very warm climate against a decent football team, and I think that's all its going to take to stop them. Samichlaus heard that Sage Rosenfels has Kurt Warner's ear, and Kurt may be converting to Judism. Ok, I made that up. But if it did happen and Arizona won a Super Bowl, would Warner scream out "THANK YOU MOSES!"?

Cardinals 24 Bills 20

Pittsburgh (3-1) at Jacksonville (2-2) -3.5
The Steelers are just way too beaten up. They're down to the 4th string RB (there's been a Dookie sighting, as he was resigned this week amid all the injuries!), Big Ben has a bum shoulder, they have injuries on both lines.. I don't trust the Jags at all, but I think a physical Monday night OT game against the Ravens mean a let-down game for the Steelers.

Jaguars 19, Steelers 10.

The Samichlaus household was thrilled to hear that "The Dump Truck" was signed to a contract to play in Pittsburgh. Sorry hon, that's what they call him in Pittsburgh. We'll always be big Najeh Davenport fans here, he was my wife's favorite player. We saw his last regular season game in Green Bay when after scoring two TDs he broke his ankle, never to return. Meanwhile I think St. Ides is dead on. Pittsburgh is hurting bad and Big Ben is questionable. No QB and no RB equals no points.

Jacksonville 23 Pittsburgh 17

Minnesota (1-3) at New Orleans (2-2) -3.5
Drew Brees has quietly been lights out so far this season. Despite losing Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey, he's on pace to shatter Dan Marino's single-season passing yardage record. That should continue this week, as the Vikes are solid against the run, but vulnerable in the air. Talk about a team not living up to the pre-season hype, the Vikings are staring at 1-4, and they can't even blame it on injuries. What they can blame it on is poor coaching and a horrible decision to stick with Tavaris Jackson at QB.

Saints 26, Vikings 13.

The Vikings are pathetic. Thank God they play in the NFC North: between them and Detroit that's at least 3 wins for the Pack. I have to say I didn't realize how well Brees has been playing, but if you've got him in your fantasy league then play him. Samichlaus's crystal ball says Brad Childress is the next coach to go....

Saints 30 Vikings 17

Shea Goodbye

Todd Pratt, a big, sweet, dumb as a box of rocks former catcher for the Mets used to say to his teammates upon returning home to Shea Stadium from a road trip "It's not much boys, but it's home". And I think that's the best way to describe "Big Shea", once a state of the art multi-purpose stadium, reduced to a proverbial shit hole. Shea was home to a lot of memories for me, and this week my family and I got to say goodbye on Sunday from row O in the Mezzanine just along the third base side, not too far from the first seats I ever sat in at Shea.

My first ballgame at Shea was in 1968. My big brother (Butch...I have several big brothers) took me, and we sat in the Mezzanine in a box seat. I remember this for two reasons: first, the metal crossbar that defined the box of seats was eye level to my 5 year old head effectively obstructing my view. Second, during a Mets rally my brother let out a yell that startled me so much I banged my head into the aforementioned cross bar. I couldn't see, right? So I was peering under the cross bar and that's how I banged my head. Oh, and the Mets lost, but that was OK. I had the time of my life.

As I got older, my friends and I would make the trek to the big ball park on our own. I lived three blocks from the 7 train so getting to Shea was easy. In 1974 I saw my first tit on one of these treks: a woman was running up the stairs at 74th street and Roosevelt Ave. and as she leapt on to the 7, her tit popped out of her shirt. I was with my best friend, Joe Peters, and we were mesmerized. The woman looked at us, looked down at her tit, and calmly tucked it back into her shirt. Joe and I talked about that tit for weeks. You know, the braless 1970's was a good time to be a young horny kid.

I saw Tom Seaver pitch, Willie Mays play center, I saw great hopes named Mike Vail and Roy Staiger fall short of expectations. I saw Dave Kingman hit a ball out of the stadium and into the parking lot, where it struck a parked car on it's hood. It was the greatest homerun I ever saw. I saw amazing pitchers named Koosman and Matlack, and McGraw and Lockwood, and even Mickey Lolich...

Lolich was a fat pitcher the Mets aquired in a trade with Detroit. They gave up Rusty Staub, one of the great hitters in all of baseball to get Lolich, and my friend Joe would sing this song: "LoLICH, you fat sonofabitch". Everybody hated Lolich, mostly because he wasn't Rusty Staub but to make matters worse, my friends took to calling me "Mickey" because I was a fat pitcher as well. So for years I carried Lolich's baseball card in my wallet as a reminder of all the little bastards that were still stuck in that fucking neighborhood.

I digress....

In 1977 the Mets traded Tom Seaver to Cincinnati, and when the Reds came to play the Mets I was at Shea to see him pitch. It was the only time I openly rooted against the Mets and I wasn't alone. Seaver and the Reds won that day and the crowd let him know exactly how much he was loved.

By the way, in return for the greatest pitcher in baseball history the Mets got, and I quote: Pat Zachary, Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, and Dan Norman, and no I didn't have to look it up. I saw Steve Henderson win a ballgame once with a walk-off home run, and that made me cheer. Zachary was a decent pitcher, and Flynn was a decent second baseman. Dan Norman didn't amount to anything.

When Seaver returned to the Mets in 1983, I was at the first game he pitched sitting in the Field Box on the first base side. The crowd chanted "Seaver! Seaver!" as he walked in to pitch the first inning. He won, 2-0.

In the 1980s I saw a lot of ball games. I saw Lenny Dykstra win a NLCS game against Houston with a walk-off homer, and I was there for "Strawberry Sunday", when we all got free Carvel ice cream in honor of Darryl Strawberry. I saw Doc Gooden pitch before the drugs fucked him up. I saw Keith Hernandez play, the best first baseman I have ever seen.

Of course, the 1980's were highlighted by the acquisition of what we called "Tud Tickets". FYI, that word you just read rhymes with "good". My uncle Tud worked for a greeting card company called Alfred Mainzer. They had seats on the first base side, second row. My cousin Frank and I saw many a game from those seats, but the best part was how we'd get in touch. Tud would call my Mom and say "I've got the tickets". Mom in turn would call me, and I in turn would call Frank. If I got his voice mail, I'd leave a message consisting of two words: "Tud Tickets". Then I would go into a ritualistic trance and try to contact him using psychic powers. I'd repeat in my mind "Tud Tickets" and "Check your voice mail". Remember, this was the 1980's and we didn't have cell phones yet. About an hour later I'd get a call from my cousin. "HOLY SHIT!!! I SWEAR, SOMETHING TOLD ME TO CHECK MY VOICE MAIL!!! HOLY SHIT!!!"

By the time the 1990's came around, a lot of things changed. The Yankees had become the fashionable team, my cousin had gotten married to a beautiful girl named Lisa who loved the Mets as much as he did, and Uncle Tud dropped dead effectively cutting off my supply of good seats. I don't remember the last time I visited Shea, honestly.

Last February I got a call from Butch. "I've got a plan!" he announced, and proceded to explain how the Mets were having a lottery for tickets to the last game at Shea. The plan was we would both enter the lottery and try to win the opportunity to buy tickets, and if we won we'd meet in New York in the fall. Well, I won, which amused my brother to no end. "The only time this family ever wins something", laughed Butch, "is the opportunity to pay someone money". According to the rules I was allowed to purchase up to 6 tickets, and I did: one for Butch, two for his friend Billy (Billy brought his son Will), one for my wife and one for my cousin.

And then my wife thought about the game. "You know, I'd like to go" she said, "but it would mean more to Lisa, don't you think?" My wife remembered that once, in passing, I mentioned that Frank and Lisa watched about 150 games a year. That's how good my wife is. "We'll make it a Christmas present".

Sunday's game, like so many games this season, was a heart breaker. We all cheered and hoped, and in the end the bull pen blew a lead, and the Mets couldn't score enough runs. But the ceremony after the game made it all worthwhile. All of the Mets greats and some of the not so greats returned. Dave Kingman got a huge hand, as did John Franco, who I feared was going to get booed simply because he might be perceived as the symbol of lousy bullpens. George Foster was there, and some people booed him. I just groaned. Cleon Jones and Ron Hunt and Ed Kranepool and Ron Swoboda reminded me of how I felt when I first became aware of this game and this team that I loved. Felix Millian and Doug Flynn and Stork Theodore and Craig Swan reminded me of my best childhood friend Joe Peters, who passed away several years ago from pancreatic cancer. That's why I wanted to write about him today. The guys from 1986, Lenny Dykstra, Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, Doc Gooden, and Darryl Strawberry reminded me what it was like to be in my 20's in New York in the 1980s. Mike Piazza and Robin Ventura and Todd Zeiel got huge ovations, and that reminded me that a new generation of Mets fans had come to take my place when I left New York.

And in the end, Tom Seaver pitching to Mike Piazza was the perfect ending. They walked off the field together, arm in arm, and closed Shea Stadium once and for all.

After the game we all said goodbye in the parking lot. Lisa gave me a great hug and said "Thank you so much, this is the greatest Christmas present ever... and please thank Karen for giving up her ticket. I know this was all her doing".

Thanks Shea. Thanks for the best 44 years of my life.