Jet Crash

Before I start this post, I'd like to thank Fireman Ed for his years of supporting the Jets both at Giants Stadium and JetLife Stadium. Yelling J-E-T-S at the top of my lungs like a maniac with 70,000 other Green and White fans will NEVER be the same without you.

Jet Crash

How did the Jets go from this.....

to this.....

in less than two years? Is it because of a general manager who began to believe in his own hype? Or was it because of a head coach who is really more suited to be a defensive coordinator? Or could it be because of their "franchise quarterback" who never really lived up to the team's expectations? I'm going to look at all three of these men, Mike Tannenbaum, Rex Ryan, and Mark Sanchez, and let you come up with the conclusion.

The Rise

Mike Tannenbaum was a Bill Belichick guy. He got his start in the NFL working as an assistant with Belichick in Cleveland in the early nineties. In fact, it was Belichick that recommended Tannenbaum to Bill Parcells in 1997 to be hired on as the Jets Director of Player Contract Negotiatons. Known as a master "capologist", Mr. T was very good with numbers. He eventually worked his way up to Assistant General Manager, before replacing Terry Bradway in 2006 as the Jets GM.

With the help of then head coach Eric Mangini, Tannenbaum drafted future Jet starters D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, Leon Washington, Darrelle Revis, and David Harris in the 2006 and 2007 Draft. After trading for Brett Favre prior to the 2008 season, Woody had huge expectations for the team. However, when things went south at the end of the season, it was clear a change needed to be made.

After firing Eric Mangini in 2008, the Jets went in a completely different direction from the mild-mannered Mangenius. In stepped a character that was larger than life. Rex Ryan is a blue-collar guy that Jets fans could relate to (a guy you wouldn't mind having a couple cold brews with). He didn't kiss rings, but he loved to lick feet, and was always ready to eat Goddamn snacks. His bravado mixed with a great sense of humor took New York (and the national media) by storm. 

With it being clear that Brett Favre wouldn't be coming back to New York, the first big decision Mr. T and Rex made was to draft a franchise quarterback. The man they chose was USC junior Mark Sanchez. Taken fifth overall, Sanchez was a star before he even took his first snap in the NFL, appearing shirtless in a now infamous GQ article. 

In 2009, the team was playing with house money. Nobody expected them to play well with a rookie head coach and quarterback, but they caught a couple lucky breaks (yes, I'll finally admit it 3 years later) and wound up making it to the AFC Championship Game, losing to Indianapolis.  With a reloaded roster (including LaDanian Tomlinson, Santonio Holmes, and Antonio Cromartie) Rex began his second year with more swagger than the first year. HBO's Hard Knocks featured the team in it's annual series following an NFL training camp. The team backed up the talk, making it to another AFC Championship Game, this time losing in Pittsburgh. With a young nucleus of players, this was supposed to just be the beginning of Rex's Gang Green's run at a Lombardi Trophy.

The Fall

Prior to the 2011 season, the Jets made a few questionable decisions by letting go of some of their veteran locker room leaders. The organization parted ways with Jerricho Cotchery, Shaun Ellis, Damien Woody, Jason Taylor, and Tony Richardson (they let also Thomas Jones and Alan Fanceca go before the 2010 season). Mike Tannenbaum signed a fresh out of prison Plaxico Burress to replace Braylon Edwards, and we all know how well Derrick Mason worked out replacing Cotchery.  In addition to that, Mr. T never really replaced Faneca or Woody, instead choosing to give Matt Slauson/Vlad Ducasse, and Wayne Hunter the jobs at their respective positions.

While they weren't as good as in previous years, going into their Week 15 matchup with the Eagles, the team controlled it's own destiny with an 8-5 record. After getting thrashed by Philly, the Jets met their Stadium rivals, the Giants in a game that changed the fortunes of both franchises around. The Jets held the lead until Victor Cruz caught a pass and ran it 99 yards for a touchdown, that gave the Giants the lead that they never relinquished. Big Blue took the momentum from this game all the way to a Super Bowl win.

The Jets meanwhile, ended their season in Miami, as Santonio Holmes sat and sulked on the sideline as the season ticked away. This was just the tip of the iceberg, and as the offseason began many anonymous Jets and ex-Jets took to the airwaves to say that this was the worst locker room they have ever been in. Rex Ryan had his first strike against him.

Before the 2012 season, the Jets released offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and Wayne Hunter, two guys who became scape goats for the offense's struggles. Rex brought in former Dolphins head coach, Tony Sparano, to help install his ground and pound offense. Rex and Mr. T made another decision though, that could wind up fatal to their Jets careers.

On March 22, the Jets traded a 4th round pick to the Broncos for their controversial quarterback Tim Tebow. Not only did the trade bring in un-needed media attention and raise expectations, but the only thing it was successful in doing was undermining their "Sanchise" quarterback. After every mistake Sanchez has made this season, the Metlife crowd has serenaded him with chants of "We Want Teeeeeebowwwww".  Instead of building around their quarterback, by bringing in a good lineman or a play-making receiver or running back, they brought in the NFL's most famous backup.

The low point of the season had to be this past Thursday's game against the Patriots. Gang Green was embarrassed on national tv, giving up 35 points in the second quarter to their biggest rivals. Never during the Rex Ryan era has the talent level between the two teams been as far apart as they are this season.

The Future

At this point, the Jets are in limbo. They still have some really good players (Mangold, Revis, Cromartie, Harris) and some other pieces you can build around (Ferguson, Pouha, Coples, Wilkerson, Landry, Bell). However, I don't believe that the team has a true starting quarterback. Mark Sanchez can still be a good quarterback in this league, but with everything that has gone on the past two years, he and the Jets need a divorce. Unfortunately, Sanchez is guaranteed a little under $9 million for the 2013 season, so the team is practically handcuffed to him for next year. Tebow should be traded, perhaps to the Jaguars where the Florida fans will get behind him.

While I still like Rex, his act has grown stale. He used to be the funny fat guy, now he is skinny and people are tired of his schtick. He has tried to tone down a little bit, but now he seems almost phony by making a complete 180. The two most damning things on Rex is that his pride and joy, defense, has taken a step down every season. Secondly, the two teams Rex attacked the most, the Giants and Patriots, met in the Super Bowl for the second time in 4 seasons (a game the Jets haven't seen in 43 years).  In Hard Knocks Rex said he wants to lead the league in "fucking wins" but the team is 4-10 in their last 14 games.

Mike Tannenbaum hasn't had a great draft since 2008. Vernon Gholston, Mark Sanchez, Vad Ducasse, and Kyle Wilson are all considered busts. When you look across the city and see how well the Giants are drafting every year it is even more apparent. When things were going well "Mr. T" felt like he could do no wrong, bringing in guys with checkered pasts. Both he and Rex need to look in the mirror now because the blame of the locker room problems fall on both of their shoulders.

Jets fans want blood, so I'd be surprised if Mike Tannenbaum is brought back. The only way I can see him staying is if Woody wants to give this trio of guys one last chance to turn things around before clearing house before the 2014 season. In 2009 when Tannenbaum hired Rex, and then made the decision to draft Sanchez, he tied the careers of these three men together. After reaching the mountaintop of back-to-back AFC Championship Games, the curse of the Same Old Jets has reared it's ugly head again. Let's go eat some Goddamn snacks. 

Sanchez Ran Into His Lineman's Ass and Fumbled the Ball

Happy FUCKING Thanksgiving. This team is an embarrassment, and almost everything Rex has done his first two years to change the culture of this team has been erased. We are and always will be the Same Old Jets. Just the feeling of helplessness of watching a beat-down like this, it's sad. I was too young to remember the Rich Kotite team, but it couldn't be too much worse than the crap I watched today.

I will always support the Green and White, but at nights like these it is very difficult. We were flat-out humiliated on national television. This is the type of game that causes people to lose their jobs, Tannenbaum, Rex, Sparano, Sanchez, we're looking at you.

The game got so bad that they shot off fireworks after we kicked a field goal, when we were down 35-0. Also, apparently Jets superfan, Fireman Ed left at halftime.

Offense

THEY STINK!!!!!!

Defense


THEY STINK!!!!!!

Special Teams



THEY STINK!!!!!!

Good Night

Week 12 Picks

Jets-Pats

For millions of Americans, today was about family and turkey dinner. However, for a small percentage of lunatics, including myself, the day is about Gang Green. In less than an hour, the Jets kickoff against their rival Patriots, just two games out of a Wild Card spot.

A win here will keep the Jets season alive, and they can watch as the Colts (6-4) play the Bills (4-6), the Steelers (6-4) possibly without Big Ben for a second straight week against a chippy Browns (2-8) team, and the Bengals (5-5) host the Raiders (3-7). With an easy schedule coming up (Cardinals, @Jaguars, @Titans, Chargers, @Bills (who have a combined 17-33 record)) they could finish 9-7. A loss though will likely put them out playoff contention for the second straight year.

Not much has changed matchup wise from their first meeting. The Pats still have a great offense, as seen by their 59 point output against the Colts on Sunday. The injury to Rob Gronkowski wiill be somewhat offset by the return of Aaron Hernandez. However, their 30th ranked pass defense is susceptible to the big play.

For the Jets, the keys are simple. They have to loosen the reigns on Mark Sanchez, and give the fourth-year starting quarterback the proverbial keys to the car. If you play too conservatively and keep giving the Pats offense the ball you are going to lose. You might as well give yourself a chance and take advantage of their porous secondary. Defensively, we know the Pats better than perhaps any team in the league, but Grey Hoodie always has something special in store for his favorite Green Guys. If we hold Tom Brady to around 27 points, than we will have a chance to win this game.

Prediction:

Jets 27 Patriots 24

I believe that we can pull off a Thanksgiving miracle to keep our season alive.

Week 11 Picks

Last Week: 4-1
Season: 33-19-4
Lock of the Week: 4-4-2

Lock of the Week: Seahawks -3 over DOLPHINS

Ravens -1 over CHARGERS

SAINTS Pick'Em over 49ers

BUCS +1 over Falcons

GIANTS -2.5 over Packers

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving weekend.

St.Louis gets Ram-med by the Jets

Jets-Rams

It was all smiles on Sunday, as the Jets, with their backs against the wall, went to St. Louis and faced an offense with more problems than their own. While I'm not going to get too excited about the game, it gives Jets fans hopes going into the Turkey Day game against the Patriots. Plus, it helps cool down Rex's hot seat.

Report Card

Offense

B+

As a whole, the offense played pretty well, putting up 27 points, and protected the football. A 12 play, 63 yard drive, in the third quarter gave Gang Green a comfortable 2-score lead. It was also their only drive over 40 yards during the game.

Mark Sanchez had a workman-like performance and was very efficient, going 15-20 for 178 and a touchdown (including a couple drops). Chaz Schillens (4 rec, 48 yards) and Jeremy Kerley (3 rec, 43 yards) were the teams leading receivers, and had a solid all around day. Stephen Hill was shutout for the second straight game, with a drop. Hill is having a bad rookie year, after recording two touchdowns in the opener. The running game was solid. Shonn Greene had 18 carries for 64 yards, and Bilal Powell tacked on an additional 42 yards on 11 carries. Tim Tebow was used sparingly, running twice for -5 yards, and throwing for -1 yard on a failed fake punt attempt.

Defense

A

The Jets defense played their asses off, and some bad coaching from Brian Schottenheimer (remember that guy?) helped them out. After allowing 86 yards on the Rams opening drive, the Rams had 118 yards on their next 9 drives. The defense forced three turnovers (an interception and two lost fumbles). The run defense had a tough time against Steven Jackson (13 carries, 81 yards), but Schotty took the ball out of his hands, instead opting to have Sam Bradford throw 44 times. LaRon Landry recorded 8 tackles to lead the team. Mo Wilkerson had a great game, including a strip sack that led to the Jets first touchdown.

Special Teams 

C+

The Rams almost had a kickoff return for a score that was called back because of a questionable holding call. Nick Folk was 2/4, having one field goal blocked. Joe McKnight and Kyle Wilson did a good job on punt and kickoff return duty.

What's Next

The Jets are going back home to play the division rival Patriots, who will be without Rob Gronkowski. A win on Thursday will officially put the Jets back into the Wild Card hunt, but a loss will pretty much put them in the same spot they were in before this win.

Around the AFC

This was a crazy week of NFL action.... The Texans needed overtime to avoid an upset at the hand of the Jaguars. Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson were the stars of the game, with Johnson finishing with 273 yards (and the decisive score), while Schaub finished tied for the 2nd most passing yards in an NFL game, throwing for 527 and 5 touchdowns. With the new overtime rules in effect, Houston became the first team to score twice in overtime. I'm sure this game was just an aberration for the Texans and their top 5 defense..... It looks like running up scores has finally come back to bite Bellicheat. During their last touchdown drive of a 59-24 rout, Rob Gronkowski suffered a broken forearm. The Patriots 21 points off of returns (punt and 2 pick sixes) in a game against the Colts that was closer than the final score....  In an ugly Sunday Night game, the Ravens squeaked by the Roethlisberger-less Steelers. Baltimore's lone touchdown came off of a punt return by Jacoby Jones. The Ravens have a two-game lead in the division, but both teams meet again in two weeks, with a possibly healthy Big Ben.... The Broncos won a big divisional game, sweeping the Chargers this season. While Peyton had another great game, with 270 and 3 scores, Phillip Rivers struggled, throwing 2 picks. Norv Turner appears to be playing out the rest of the season as a lame duck head coach. 

Around the NFC

The Cowboys tried to hand the Browns the win, but Cleveland may be even worse than Dallas at closing out games. Believe it or not, the Cowboys are now a game out of the division, with a big game against the Redskins awaiting them on Thursday..... The Falcons came back from 13-0 down, and survived 5 interceptions by Matty Ice to beat the Cardinals. Atlanta doubled Arizona's yardage (178-354), after Matt Skelton was benched for Ryan Lindley..... In another crazy game, the Bucs scored 11 points in just over 4 minutes to force overtime against the Panthers. A 7-play, 80 yard drive tied the game at 21, and another 8-play, 80 yard drive in overtime put them ahead for good. Josh Freeman is having a great season under Greg Schiano..... It looks like the clock is ticking on Andy Reid's Eagles career as Philly suffered another rout at the hands of the Redskins. Nick Foles was 21-46, turning it over twice playing for the injured Michael Vick. To make matters worse, LeSean McCoy was injured near the end of the game. RG3 passed for 200 yards and added another 84 on the ground, as he goes neck and neck with Andrew Luck for the Rookie of the Year..... The Saints are rolling right along, winning five of their last six. The Raiders were the victim this week as Drew Brees threw for 219 and three touchdowns. New Orleans is back to .500, and are a game behind Seattle, Tampa, and Minnesota for the Wild Card. 

Week 11 Picks

I'm going quick pick style for Week 11 because of the GSP-Condit post. I love a lot of road teams this week.

Last Week: 6-1
Season: 29-15-4
Lock of the Week: 3-4-2

Jets +3.5 over RAMS

Lock of the Week: The Jets are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, and a win here will keep their faint playoff hopes alive going into a Turkey-Day battle with the Cheatriots. Rex has usually done a good job of turning controversy off the field into motivating the team on Sunday. We'll see if he can do it again with possibly his job on the line.

Chargers +7.5 over BRONCOS

Just like Rex, Norv Turner is coaching for his job. San Diego has been overlooked by a lot of NFL pundits, and they can make a statement here. I don't know if they're going to be win, but they will keep it close.

Colts +9 over PATRIOTS

Bottom line, these are too many points for the Pats, with their porous secondary, to give Andrew Luck and the Colts. I see a 42-35 type of shootout here.

Bengals -3.5 over CHIEFS

The Chiefs almost pulled off the upset of the Steelers with Big Ben only playing a half. Andy Dalton has been playing better lately and I love the Bengals here until the Chiefs prove to me that they can win a game.

Bucs -1.5 over PANTHERS

Schiano has the Bucs playing balls-out, and they are on the outside looking in on the playoff race in a tough NFC. NFL defenses have figured out Cam Newton, and he just doesn't look the same as he did in his rookie year.

He's Back!

With football season going on, it's been hard to keep up with MMA. I'm dedicating this post to some thoughts on MMA topics from the past month.

UFC 154: GSP-Condit

After a 19-month absence from the Octagon, Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre returns to defend his belt against Carlos Condit in Montreal. GSP will be looking for his tenth straight win and his 7th consecutive title defense. This is St. Pierre's biggest test to date, as he is not only battling "The Natural Born Killer", but he is also coming off an ACL tear that he suffered in October of 2011.

GSP and Condit were supposed to meet in October after Nick Diaz went crazy and was taken out of the main event title fight. St. Pierre had to back out of the fight with what he thought was a minor knee injury. Once the severity of his injury was known, Condit and Diaz fought for the Interim Welterweight Title, which Condit won in a controversial decision. After their fight, Diaz failed a drug test for marijuana and is currently serving a one-year suspension. In August, GSP was given the green light to return to training, and this unification fight was scheduled shortly after.

Condit isn't following in the footsteps of Dan Hardy or Josh Koscheck, instead the two have kept the build-up to the fight friendly, with mostly complimentary remarks being traded between the fighters. Both guys normally train under Greg Jackson, but Jackson has decided not to help either fighter (a decision he probably should have made when dealing with the Jon Jones-Rashad Evans rivalry). Carlos is training mainly with Mike Winklejohn, while Georges has trained at Tristar Gym in Canada with Firas Zahabi.

As for the fight itself, it should be a competitive, but if St. Pierre is back to 100 percent, than I find it hard to see Condit winning. Carlos has knockout power, finishing Dan Hardy, Kim Dong-Hyung, and Rory MacDondald; before fighting conservatively against Diaz. St. Pierre will never be as flashy as Anderson Silva (I'll talk more about this if GSP wins on Saturday), but he is the most technically sound fighter in UFC history, and picks his opponents apart.

In the Co-Main Event, Martin Kampmann and Johny Hendricks battle for a potential number one contender in the Welterweight division. Hendricks made a name for himself knocking out Jon Fitch, but didn't look impressive in a split decision win against Josh Koscheck. Kampmann is coming off of a big knockout win against Jake Ellenberger. This has Fight of the Night potential.

As for the rest of the card, there are a lot of exciting fights on paper. Submission expert Francis Carmont takes on "Filthy" Tom Lawlor. Costa Phillipou and Nick Ring is a matchup of two good BJJ fighters. Finally, the always exciting Mark Hominick battles Pablo Garza in a Featherweight battle.

RIP Strikeforce: 2006-201

In a move that doesn't come as much of a shock, Zuffa announced that Strikeforce's last show will take place in January, with all fighters being swallowed up by the UFC, including their women's division. Since Zuffa purchased the company in March of 2011 most of their top level talent has already made the switch, including Jake Shields, Nick Diaz, Dan Henderson, and "Mayhem" Miller.

This is mixed news for fans of the sport. On one hand it's good because UFC fans will see dream matches with the Strikeforce stars Gilbert Melendez, Luke Rockhold, Josh Thompson, and Daniel Cormier. In effect, UFC cards will be deeper and with recurring injuries that's a huge plus. Also, with Showtime canceling two events in the past year, Strikeforce was beginning to give Zuffa a black eye. 

More importantly perhaps is the addition of women's MMA to the UFC. Bottom line is that Ronda Rousey has become a superstar of the sport, and she became impossible for Dana to keep his hands off of her (not that way, you creeps). A superfight between Rousey and Cris Cyborg is going to give the UFC a HUGE main event for a Fox show in the future. 

The negative is that UFC loses another competitor (even though they technically own them), and there are going to be less fight cards (and jobs for fighters). It's going to be interesting to see how Dana White reacts with some UFC-castoffs that he had/has feuds with, including Frank Shamrock and Nate Marquardt.   

Strikeforce is welcomed by Pride and World Extreme Cagefighting as now the third promotion to first be bought by Zuffa then intergrated into the UFC. 

Jones/Sonnen

It was announced that Chael Sonnen gets his wish again, and will be fighting Jon Jones for the Light Heavyweight Title in Newark in April, after the two coach opposing teams in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). MMA purists were up in arms over how a guy coming off a title loss in another division is getting a title fight at another division, but I for one love it. 

UFC is a business, and fans want to see Chael and Jon fight. This already has the potential to have one of the biggest buy rates of next year. Sonnen is the master at selling fights, whether you're a fan of his or you want to pay to see him get his ass kicked. He used the situation over the summer to talk himself into another blockbuster fight, and I can't blame him. 

Plus it helps save a fledgling TUF franchise. The past few years, TUF has grown stale, and the shown has seen record low ratings on FX with it's current Friday night time slot. FX already announced that with these superstar coaches, they would move Ultimate Fighter to a weeknight where it would get more eyeballs.  

Rex's Mess

Jets-Seahawks

For the first two plus seasons in New York, the Jets brought a different type of team that Jets fans could get behind. Rex's braggadocio and swagger, along with a swarming defense, and a ground and pound offense, Gang Green took the town by storm. There were goddamn snacks on Hard Knocks, they weren't "kissing rings", and they wanted to "no longer be the little brother" in New York. Little by little, Rex and Tannebaum made this team weaker, and now we are what they tried to dispute at the beginning of the season, they are a circus.

At 3-6, the New York Jets are now an irrelevant football team, just playing out the string of their schedule, and possibly hoping to get a high draft picks. I don't want to hear Rex say he still believes in Sanchez, I don't want to hear Antonio Cromartie say we're a playoff team, and I sure as hell don't want to hear Mark Sanchez say he is still confident, because he hasn't shown any confidence on the football field all season. 

I feel like I'm writing the same blog every week now with this team, and I'm sick of it. Fact of the matter is we are not a good football team. Our offense is the worst in the league, and could be one of the worst in Jets history (where is Browning Nagle and Bubby Brister when you need them?). The best thing for both parties now is for the Jets to divorce Mark Sanchez. He won't be able to succeed for this franchise anymore, and in part we can't win games with him either. I don't love Tim Tebow either, but at this point there is no harm in letting him play out the last 7 games of the season, and going into next year with an entirely different quarterback.

Report Card

Offense

F-

50 plays, 11 first downs, 185 total yards, 0 points scored. That is what the Jets offense did on Sunday, and it is inexcusable. We only had three drives of over 30 yards and all of them ended in turnovers (on downs, interception, and a fumble). The Jets offense has scored 9 points in their last 8 quarters.

Mark Sanchez finished 9-22 for 124 yards with an interception and a fumble. This is the fifth game this season that Sanchez had a completion percentage under 50%. Mark's completion percentage of 52% is lowest in the NFL, and his quarterback rating of 70.4 puts him 30th (ahead of Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel, and John Skelton). Sanchez is still making the dumb mistakes that cost this team wins. His interception in the red zone (his fourth of the season inside the opponents' 20) killed momentum while the game was still tied. Then, down 14 in the fourth quarter, Sanchez fumbled trying to make a plays instead of just taking the sack, and pretty much took the Jets out of the game. Before these past few games, Sanchez was trying to lead a team with bad offensive talent, now it looks like he has given up.

Jeremy Kerley continues to be a solid pass catching target, catching 5 ball for 57 yards (including a 43 yarder). Dustin Keller played poorly, and the interception could have been avoided if he made a better play for the ball. Tim Tebow played well when given an opportunity, going 3/3 in the air, and adding 14 yards on the ground.

Defense

B+

The D came to play, but in the end they were just on the field way too long. They sacked Russell Wilson four times (Scott, DeVito, Lankster, Harris/Thomas), and scored the only Jet points of the day on a 21 yard fumble return by Muhammad Wilkerson.

Special Teams

C

Jeremy Kerley muffed a punt in the second quarter that led to Seattle's go ahead score. Other than that nothing good or bad happened on special teams.

What's Next?

The Jets travel to St. Louis to face a Rams team that is coming off a tie with one of the best teams in the NFC. The Rams play the NFC West style that has given Gang Green nightmares this season.

Around the AFC

In a battle of the two of the top teams in the NFL, the Texans won a sloppy game against the Bears. There was a total of six turnovers, but the difference maker was when Jay Cutler got a concussion on the Bears last drive before the half, knocking him out of the game.... Three interceptions by Ryan Tannehill and 126 yards on the ground for Chris Johnson was the key for the Titans upset of the Dolphins. Couple that with another Colts win Thursday night in Jacksonville, and the 'Phins season is pretty much over..... The Patriots improve to 11-0 in Gillette Stadium against the Bills. After being down 14 in the third quarter, Buffalo almost came back to win, but Ryan Fitzpatrick threw an interception in the end zone with seconds left in the fourth quarter.... The Ravens won in a laugher over the Raiders. Joe Flacco threw for 341 yards, and had 4 scores (1 rushing). The Ravens didn't make any friends by faking a field goal when they were already up 27 points..... The Broncos took care of business in Carolina. Peyton Manning had another 300-yard performance and is looking like the better Manning brother again.....  The Chargers kept things close against the Bucs before a Phillip Rivers pick 6 turned the tides in the fourth quarter. San Diego is facing a must-win game next Sunday in Denver if they want any chance to win the division.

Around the NFC

The Saints handed the Falcons there first loss of the season in a thrilling game in New Orleans. The home team needed a goal line stand up four with under 2 minutes left, stuffing Michael Turner on 3rd down and an incomplete pass Roddy White on fourth down. Two of the best offenses in the NFL didn't disappoint, with both teams combining for just under 900 yards and 58 points..... The Cowboys handed the Eagles their fifth straight loss (the first time under Andy Reid) and knocked Michael Vick out of the game in a 38-23 victory. Three Cowboys' touchdowns within a three minute span (passing TD, punt return, interception return) early in the fourth quarter put the game away. Nick Foles (22-32, 219 yards) played well subbing in for Vick aside from one crucial mistake. The loss pretty much ends Philly's season, and you have to wonder if we've seen the end of the Andy Reid era in Philly..... Alex Smith was the third quarterback of the day who was taken out of a game after suffering a concussion, as the 49ers and Rams was the first NFL game to end in a tie since 2008. The 49ers came back from 17-7 in the third quarter, and needed a David Akers field goal as time expired to force overtime. The Rams played the role of underdog to their advantage, faking two punts (including one in their own end zone). St. Louis should have won the game on their first OT possession, but an 80-yard completion to Danny Amendola was called back because of illegal formation, and a questionable delay of game call on their second possession took away a 53-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein..... Something is up with the Giants as they lose their second straight game to an AFC North opponent. AJ Green backed up his talk early with a 56-yard touchdown catch, and the Bengals never looked back. Eli threw two interceptions and lost a fumble as rumors swirl of a possible tired arm. Coach Coughlin is going to need the bye week to get his team to regroup and get healthy again..... Adrian Peterson rushed for over 100 yards for the fourth-straight game, as the Vikings rolled past the Lions. It is remarkable that AP leads the NFL with 1128 yards, after tearing his ACL last season. 

NFL Week 10 picks

I'm back!!! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to post my Week 9 picks because I lost internet and cable due to Hurricane Sandy. I decided to add a couple games to my Week 10 picks to make up for it.

Last Week (Week 8): 1-4

Season: 23-14-4

Lock of the Week: 2-4-2

Colts -3.5 over JAGUARS

Lock of the Week: You don't have a heart if you weren't inspired by Chuck Pagano's post-game speech to his team on Sunday. With the Jets likely out of the playoff race, I may be hopping on the Colts bandwagon (Steelers already have one Wild Card locked up so its's either the Colts or Broncos/Chargers for the second spot).

VIKINGS +1 over Lions

The Lions flexed their muscles over a bad Jaguars team, but they have a much tougher test this week. Christian Ponder has been terrible the past few weeks, All-Day AP has gotten more of a chance to run the ball, and it's working (957 yards).

SAINTS +2.5 over Falcons

Atlanta has had too many close calls, and I could see their undefeated record getting it's first blemish this week. The Saints have won three of their past four, and Drew Brees has looked unstoppable as of late. I don't remember the last time the Saints were getting points in the Superdome, so I'll take this to the bank.

BENGALS +4.5 over Giants

Something is up with the Giants offense. Eli Manning has gone back-to-back games without cracking 200 yards passing. AJ Green is going to have a field day against this Giants secondary. I can see the Giants winning, but not covering as they limp into their bye week.

Broncos -4.5 over PANTHERS

Peyton Manning is proving me wrong, and is having an MVP-type season in Denver. Carolina played perhaps their best game of the season on Sunday against the Redskins, but I don't see them hanging with the Broncos here. 

Cowboys pick'em over EAGLES

Andy Reid may be coaching for his career here against their NFC East rival Cowboys. Both Philly and Dallas are three back in the win column against the division-leading Giants, and a loss will be disastrous to their playoff hopes. The Eagles o-line aren't going to be able to contain the Cowboys defensive line, led by Demarcus Ware, and Vick will struggle against the 'Boys revamped secondary.

BEARS -1 over Texans

The Monsters of the Midway are back in Chicago. With 28 takeaways and 7 defensive touchdowns, the Bears have the most dangerous defense in the league. The Texans offense is no joke in their own right, but defense wins championships. I love Chicago in this Sunday Night matchup. 

Jets-Seahawks

After a rough first half of their season, where the Jets lost both Santonio Holmes and Darrelle Revis to season-ending injuries, they return to action off of their by with what is perhaps Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez's most important regular season game this week in Seattle. With the offense struggling and Tebow breathing down his neck, if Mark doesn't play well here I don't think Rex has a choice but to make a change. Also, if the Dolphins game was any indication it looks the team is starting to quit on Coach Ryan. With the way last season ended, if Gang Green gags at the end again then Rex's job is seriously in question. 

The Jets may have gotten a reprieve last week because of the disaster that Hurricane Sandy caused in the tri-state area took attention away from the Jets stinker against Miami. They have a tough test on Sunday against a good Seahawks team that is 4-0 (Cowboys, Packers*, Patriots, Vikings) at home so far this season.

Rookie starting quarterback Russell Wilson has show a lot of poise in his young career, and has a flair for the dramatic. He is complimented by one of the toughest running backs in the league, Marshawn Lynch (881 yds, 4 TD). Lynch has broken 100 yards in five games so far this season, and he will have a field day against the Jets, who rank 29th in run defense this year. The Seattle defense is no joke either. They are tied for 3rd in the league with 25 sacks led by Chris Clemons (7) and Bruce Irvin (5). Seattle is built to be the Jets worst nightmare, and this game could possibly get ugly on Sunday. 

Prediction: Seahawks 26 Jets 13