Week 15 NFL Picks

SD -10, MIA -5.5, TB -3.5, ARI +2.5, NO +1, WAS +9.5 (DAL SU), CLE +1, PHI +3, KC +3, HOU +2, IND -4, ATL -5.5, DEN +9.5 (OAK SU), PIT -3.5, GB +14 (NE SU), MIN +9.5

Upset Special KC +3

Week 14 NFL Picks

Last week:
Straight Up: 13-3
Against the Spread: 9-6-1
Upset Special: 1-0
Year to Date:
Straight Up: 124-69
Against the Spread: 98-88-6
Upset Special: 8-5

Straight up winner in bold

Indianapolis Colts (-3) over Tennessee Titans

Atlanta Falcons (-7.5) over Carolina Panthers

Jacksonville Jaguars (-3.5) over Oakland Raiders

New York Giants (-3) over Minnesota Vikings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1) over Washington Vikings

Pittsburgh Steelers (-9.5) over Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers (-6.5) over Detroit Lions

Cleveland Browns (-1) over Buffalo Bills
Kn
St. Louis Rams (+9.5) over New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks (+5) over San Francisco 49ers

New York Jets (-5) over Miami Dolphins

Kansas City Chiefs (+9.5) over San Diego Chargers

Denver Broncos (-4) over Arizona Cardinals

New England Patriots (-2) over Chicago Bears

Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) over Dallas Cowboys

Baltimore Ravens (-3) over Houston Texans

Week 13 NFL Predictions

Last week:
Straight Up: 12-4
Against the Spread: 9-7
Upset Special: 0-1
Year to Date:
Straight Up: 111-66
Against the Spread: 89-82-5
Upset Special: 7-5

Straight up winner in bold

Philadelphia Eagles (-8) over Houston Texans

New Orleans Saints (-6.5) over Cincinnati Bengals

Jacksonville Jaguars (+3) over Tennessee Titans *Upset Special*

Buffalo Bills (+4.5) over Minnesota Vikings

Green Bay Packers (-9) over San Francisco 49ers

New York Giants (-7) over Washington Redskins

Chicago Bears (-5) over Detroit Lions

Denver Broncos (-9) over Kansas City Chiefs

Cleveland Browns (+5.5) over Miami Dolphins

San Diego Chargers (-13) over Oakland Raiders

Indianapolis Colts (-5) over Dallas Cowboys

Seattle Seahawks (-4.5) over Carolina Panthers

Atlanta Falcons (-2.5) over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

St. Louis Rams (-3.5) over Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens (-3) over Pittsburgh Steelers

New York Jets (+3.5) over New England Patriots

Week 12 NFL Picks

Last Week:
Straight Up: 11-5
Against the Spread: 11-5
Year to Date:
Straight Up: 99-62
Against the Spread: 80-75-5
Upset Specials: 7-4

Straight up winner in bold

New England Patriots (-6) over Detroit Lions

New Orleans Saints (-4.5) over Dallas Cowboys

New York Jets (-10) over Cincinnati Bengals

Atlanta Falcons (-1.5) over Green Bay Packers

Tennessee Titans (+6.5) over Houston Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers (-7) over Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers (+10) over Cleveland Browns

New York Giants (-7) over Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings (+1) over Washington Redskins

Oakland Raiders (-3) over Miami Dolphins

Kansas City Chiefs (-2) over Seattle Seahawks

Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) over Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos (-4) over St. Louis Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+7.5) over Baltimore Ravens

Indianapolis Colts (-3) over San Diego Chargers

San Fransisco 49ers (-1) over Arizona Cardinals

Week 11 NFL Picks: Back From the Dead

Okay, I'm moved in, I've reduced my hours, and I've got a night off. Let's do this.

Week 8:
Straight Up: 6-7
Against the Spread: 5-7-1
Week 9:
Straight Up: 10-3
Against the Spread: 9-3-1
Last Week:
Straight Up: 6-8
Against the Spread: 8-6
Year to Date:
Straight Up: 88-57
Against the Spread: 69-70-5
Upset Specials: 6-4

Straight Up Winner in bold

Miami Dolphins (+1) over Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers (-3) over Minnesota Vikings

Kansas City Chiefs (-7) over Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens (-10.5) over Carolina Panthers

Houston Texans (+7) over New York Jets

Tennessee Titans (-7) over Washington Redskins

Detroit Lions (+6.5) over Dallas Cowboys

Cincinnati Bengals (-5.5) over Buffalo Bills

Pittsburgh Steelers (-7) over Oakland Raiders

Cleveland Browns (+1.5) over Jacksonville Jaguars

Atlanta Falcons (-3) over St. Louis Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3.5) over San Fransisco 49ers

New Orleans Saints (-11.5) over Seattle Seahawks

Indianapolis Colts (+4) over New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) over New York Giants

Denver Broncos (+10) over San Diego Chargers

Week 8 NFL Picks

Straight up winner in bold

Denver Broncos (+2) over @San Fransisco 49ers (in London)

Miami Dolphins (+1.5) over @Cincinnati Bengals

@Kansas City Chiefs (-7.5) over Buffalo Bills

@St. Louis Rams (-3) over Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers (+6) over @New York Jets

Washington Redskins (+2.5) over @Detroit Lions

@Dallas Cowboys (-6.5) over Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans (+3.5) over @San Diego Chargers

@New England Patriots (-4) over Minnesota Vikings

Seattle Seahawks (+2.5) over Oakland Raiders

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) over @Arizona Cardinals

Pittsburgh Steelers (PK) over @New Orleans Saints

@Indianapolis Colts (-5.5) over Houston Texans

Week 7 NFL Picks: Panicked Express Edition

FALCONS -3 over Bengals

BEARS -3 over Redskins

EAGLES +3 over Titans

Jaguars +9 over CHIEFS

STEELERS -3 over Dolphins

SAINTS -13 over Browns

BUCCANEERS -3 over Rams

PANTHERS +3 over 49ers

RAVENS -13 over Bills

Arizona +7 over SEAHAWKS

BRONCOS -8.5 over Raiders

PATRIOTS +2.5 over Chargers *Upset Special*

PACKERS -2.5 over Vikings

GIANTS +3 over Cowboys

Week 6 NFL Picks

Turns out things fall through the cracks during a 60 hour work week. Better late than never.

Last Week:
7-7 Straight Up
6-8 Against the Spread
Year to date:
45-31 Straight Up
37-39 Against the Spread
4-1 Upset Specials

Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers (-13.5)

New Orleans Saints (-4.5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

San Diego Chargers (-8.5) @ St. Louis Rams

Miami Dolphins (+3) @ Green Bay Packers

Atlanta Falcons (+3) @ Philadelphia Eagles

Baltimore Ravens (+3) @ New England Patriots

Kansas City Chiefs @ Houston Texans (-4.5)

Detroit Lions @ New York Giants (-10)

Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears (-6.5)

Oakland Raiders @ San Fransisco 49ers (-7)

Denver Broncos (+3) @ New York Jets
*Upset Special*

Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings (-1.5)

Indianapolis Colts (-3) @ Washington Redskins

Tennessee Titans (-3) @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings (+4) @ New York Jets

Week 5 NFL Picks

Last Week:
9-5 Straight Up
3-11 Against the Spread
Year to date:
38-24 Straight Up
31-31 Against the Spread
3-1 Upset Specials

Green Bay Packers (-2.5) @ Washington Redskins
Coming off what can only be described as a "bad win" last week, the Packers now must go forward without middle linebacker Nick Barnett and offensive lineman Mark Tauscher for the rest of the season. Barnett's injury will hurt, but it remains to be seen if Tauscher will be missed. The Redskins looked decent in an upset over injury-riddled Philladelphia last week.

Jacksonville Jaguars (-1) @ Buffalo Bills
A possible trap game on the road here for the Jaguars, who are coming off a huge upset of Indianapolis last week, especially with this game being one of the Bills only opportunities to avoid going 0-16. I just don't see the Bills being able to contain MJD this week, however.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+6.5) @ Cincinnati Bengals
I'm not making this my upset special, because I'm not as sure about this one. The Bucs have looked almost decent this year though, and the Bengals aren't really that good.

Atlanta Falcons (-3) @ Cleveland Browns
Not sure why this line is so low. The Falcons are looking like the new favorite in the NFC South, while the Browns are bringing back interception-machine Jake Delhomme. Three seems like a better fit for the over/under on Atlanta picks this week.

St. Louis Rams (-3) @ Detroit Lions
Both of these teams look like they're ready, not necessarily to be contenders, but to compete on a weekly basis. At the very least, they've both moved up out of the bottom of the NFL hierarchy. I'll take Sam Bradford, who has clearly already learned how to win in the NFL, and the points on the road.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts (-7)
Who are these Chiefs? And for that matter, who are these Colts? We knew one of these teams would be undefeated coming into this game, but it wasn't supposed to be Kansas City. A win could cement the Chiefs status as a contender, and close the window on the Colts as currently constructed. Manning gets the benefit of the doubt for one last week.

Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers (-1)
This line moved 3.5 points after it broke that Bears' quarterback Jay Cutler would miss this game. Count me among the many not trusting Todd Collings and the Bears offensive line on the road. The Panthers showed signs of life in a two point loss to New Orleans last week.

Denver Broncos @ Baltimore Ravens (-7)
Kyle Orton has been on fire this year, against a couple of legitimate defenses, at that. He gets probably his most brutal test of the season here, so if he gets out with a win, we might need to add him to the list of elites. Ray Rice is healthy, but has been ineffective by his own standards thus far this year.


New York Giants @ Houston Texans (-3)
I'm making this call under the expectation that Andre Johnson plays and is at least somewhat effective. Even without him, however, I think the Texans win this game. Arian Foster has taken a huge load off of Matt Schaub and the passing game this year.

New Orleans Saints (-7) @ Arizona Cardinals
The Saints have not look like Super Bowl champions yet this year, despite their 3-1 record. However, the quarterback controversy in Arizona is between terrible and really terrible, so I don't think it matters this week.

Tennessee Titans (+6.5) @ Dallas Cowboys
*Upset Special* The Cowboys have done everything in their power to shrug off their lofty pre-season expectations. The Titans, on the other hand, have looked like contenders all year.

San Diego Chargers (-6.5) @ Oakland Raiders
The Chargers looked like their old selves again last week in blasting Arizona. There's no reason to believe they don't win by double digits here...expect that twice this season, we've said that and they lost. The Raiders will be without oft-injured running back Darren McFadden this week.

Philadelphia Eagles @ San Fransisco 49ers (-3)
Two things to note: The Eagles have lost about 24 guys to injury this season, and this is the 49ers last chance to turn their season around. I don't trust Alex Smith, but Kevin Kolb hasn't looked good this year, either.

Minnesota Vikings (+4) @ New York Jets
Turns out we do get to see the Randy Moss-Darelle Revis match-up we were cheated out of two weeks ago. The Vikings and Favre should fired up after a big acquisition, but it remains to be seen if the old man still has the ability to throw it deep and accurately enough to find Moss.We

Week 4 Picks

Tough line-up this week: the very, very smart men in Las Vegas are starting to catch up to who's who in the NFL this year, and there's a bunch of lines I'm not in love with either way. The straight up winner is in bold, the spread winner has the line listed next to it.

Last Week:
10-6 Straight Up
10-6 Against the Spread
Year to date:
29-19 Straight Up
28-20 Against the Spread
2-1 Upset Specials

Baltimore Ravens (+1.5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers
*Upset Special* I say this is the week that sending out a fourth-string quarterback finally catches up with the red-hot Steelers. I also say this is the week the Ravens remember they're supposed to be a Super Bowl contender, and stop ruining my fantasy season.

Denver Broncos @ Tennessee Titans (-6.5)
You know who's not going to put up with Kyle Orton throwing for 400 yards? Since starting the season 0-6 and switching to Vince Young at quarterback last year, the Titans are 10-3, and a stifling pass defense is a big part of that.

Cincinnati Bengals (-3) @ Cleveland Browns
Seneca Wallace put up over 400 passing yards against me in Madden last night. If I was in charge of the Bengals, and this was a video game instead of a real one, the Browns would totally have a shot.

Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers (-14.5)
After a frustrating, penalty-ridden loss last week, do you even want to think about how angry the ancient demon viking lord is? Especially to a team that bears the sign of Ursa Minor, a constellation he personally created with his bare hands and force of will. I would not want trade places with Shawn Hill this week.

Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints (-13.5)
The Saints are probably not good enough to win the Super Bowl again this year. That being said, the Panthers aredefinitely bad enough to make the Saints look like contenders to repeat.

San Fransisco 49ers @ Atlanta Falcons (-7)
The talking heads had everyone convinced the 49ers would sleepwalk to the NFC West championship, and were borderline Super Bowl contenders. Then the season started, and everyone remembered that their quarterback is Alex Smith. Firing your offensive coordinator three weeks in does not bode well for your season.

Seattle Seahawks (-1) @ St. Louis Rams
The Seahawks have been a surprise early on, knocking off two preseason division favorites in San Fransisco and San Diego. Future fantasy stud Sam Bradford looks for career victory #2.

New York Jets (-5.5) @ Buffalo Bills
Contrary to reports out of the Jets locker room, Darelle Revis is not missing this game due to injury, but rather because he isn't needed: nobody is better at neutralizing Buffalo receivers than Buffalo's own quarterbacks.


Indianapolis Colts (-7) @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Maurice Jones-Drew fantasy owners have this one circled as the game he finally lives up to some of his potential this year. Unfortunately, the Jags will probably be too far behind too early to commit to the ground game.

Houston Texans (-3) @ Oakland Raiders
Houston was exposed a bit last week in the battle for Texas, but the Raiders don't have anywhere near the same kind of firepower that the Cowboys have. Houston gets back on track here.

Arizona Cardinals (+8) @ San Diego Chargers
Who are these Chargers? Could they really start the year 1-3? It says here that they can't, but it also says here that this is an early must-win game for the Bolts.

Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles (-5.5)
Perhaps instead of worrying so much about whether or not he'll get booed in his return to Philly, Donovan McNabb should be more worried about whether or not he'll get a win. Michael Vick doesn't just look like he's back to his old self, he looks better than ever.

Chicago Bears (+4) @ New York Giants
I do not even want to think about the possibility of a 4-0 start for the Bears.

New England Patriots (-1) @ Miami Dolphins
Miami finds itself on prime-time against a superior AFC East opponent for the second straight week. Expect similar results.

Week 3 NFL Picks

We're a day late but...you'll be fine. I'm getting used to a new work schedule. This one's brief and straight to business... just picks.

Last Week:
10-6 Straight Up
10-6 Against the Spread
Year to date:
19-13 Straight Up
18-14 Against the Spread

San Fransisco 49ers (+3) @ Kansas City Chiefs

Detroit Lions (+11.5) @ Minnesota Vikings
Brett Favre gets one more shot to prove he's not a walking corpse. Here's hoping he fails.

Buffalo Bills (+14.5) @ New England Patriots

Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints (-3)

Tennessee Titans (+3) @ New York Giants
*Upset Special*

Pittsburgh Steelers (+2.5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This line is stupid. Steelers by 14.

Cincinnati Bengals (-3) @ Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens (-10.5)
Remember when the Ravens used to be the Browns? God hates Cleveland.

Dallas Cowboys(+2.5) @ Houston Texans
I don't think the Texans are ready to be the best team in the state yet.

Washington Redskins (-4.5) @ St. Louis Rams

Philadelphia Eagles (-2.5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Indianapolis Colts (-5.5) @ Denver Broncos
Duh.

Oakland Raiders (+4.5) @ Arizona Cardinals

San Diego Chargers (-5.5) @ Seattle Seahawks

New York Jets (+1) @ Miami Dolphins
No respect for the Jets without Revis. I love them here,

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears (-3)
My head tells me not to bet against a home 'dog on Monday night. My heart hopes its not this close.

Tampa Bay Rays: All that is wrong with MLB

Perhaps the title of this post is a tad misleading. I love the Rays: I love their team, I love the way they play, I love the way their front office runs the team. They are hypothetically set up to be not just good, but great, for a long, long time. Their dominant, young pitching and cadre of young star position players means the Rays are built for a theoretical dynasty that would be able to compete with baseball's fat cats, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, in the brutal AL East for years.

So what's the problem? This imaginary dynasty will not come to be in Tampa Bay, nor could it anywhere in the league outside of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Boston. Major League Baseball's lack of a salary cap means that teams in smaller markets, like Tampa Bay, can never truly compete. New York fans and traditionalists will cry, "What are you talking about!? Look at all the small market teams in the mix this year: Minnesota, Tampa Bay, San Diego! You just have to run the team the right way! You're just crying sour milk because Doug Melvin has run a promising Brewers team into the ground."

Well, that's true. It's not fair, and I'm mad, but you fail to see the point. Sure, if a small market team makes all the right moves, gets good value in the draft consistently, doesn't make any mistakes on big free agents signings and trades (Jeff Suppan, Trevor Hoffman, Doug Davis, Carlos Gomez: we're looking at you, big guys), and has the right coach, it can makes waves for a year of two, like the Rays have. But due to the way the league is set up, it can't last for more than that with out a long and substantial string of luck. Teams like Tampa Bay become glorified farm teams for the big boys, getting a nice pat on the head before being sent back to the bottom of standings, with their pockets picked of their best talent.

After this year, the Rays will almost certainly lose three big components of their success this year: speedy outfielder Carl Crawford, slugging first baseman Carlos Pena and shutdown closer Rafael Soriano. Due to a lack of attendance (the Rays draw about 20,000 fans per game) and low revenues from television, Rays owner Stuart Sternberg has already stated that next year's team will have a salary of about $60 million, dropping $13 million off of a payroll that already ranks just 19th in the league (the Brewers, for the record, are 18th, with approximately 2/3 of a Jeff Suppan separating the two teams).

Can the Rays still compete next year? Sure they can, but don't count on it. They'll still have their dominant starting pitching and a bonafide superstar in Evan Longoria. But they'll be forced to replace two big cogs of their offense with something out of their farm system, and the drop in both talent and experience will be significant. On the flip side, perennial contenders New York and Boston will have plenty of cash to sign big free agents (Crawford to New York, Pena to Boston anyone?) to fill any holes that they may have, and money to burn if it doesn't work out. There is a reason the NFL is king in America these days: fans (that don't live in New York) like parity. They want to know that their team has a shot every year. Bud Selig and the MLBPA need to compromise and make MLB fair for every team.

Week 2 NFL Picks

Every Friday, I'll be calling 'em like I sees 'em for the upcoming slate of NFL games (note: I swear this blog isn't just about the NFL but...the Brewers suck so I stopped caring).

Year to date:
9-7 Straight Up
8-8 Against the Spread

Arizona Cardinals @ Atlanta Falcons (-6.5)
Arizona's win over St. Louis last week doesn't impress me, as a win over an NFC West opponent rarely does. Which, I suppose, means we'll have to wait until week 3 to see what we have in the Falcons, because beating up on Derek and the Dominoes in week 2 won't erase the image of their hapless offensive output last week against the Steelers.

Baltimore Ravens (-1.5) @ Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals got torched by Brady and the Patriots last week, which isn't a rare occurrence but still cause for some concern. Baltimore got a big win over the AFC East darling Jets in week 1, a 10-9 barn-burner.

Kansas City Chiefs (+1.5) @ Cleveland Browns
The Chiefs impressed with a big division win over the high-flying Chargers last week on Monday night. The Browns were the Browns. God hates Cleveland.

Chicago Bears (+8.5) @ Dallas Cowboys
I like the Bears to cover but lose this game. The Cowboys looked out of sync last week in a shocking loss to the Redskins, which concerns me, but not as much as the Bears needing a poorly written rule to get a gift TKO against the Lions.

Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) @ Detroit Lions
Mike Vick makes his big return as a starting quarterback this week, and he couldn't have picked a better opponent to showcase his skills to the rest of the league in hopes of finding a starting gig. Vick should run circles around the Lions defense, meaning he won't need to test his less-than-accurate arm all that much.

Buffalo Bills @ Green Bay Packers (-13.5)
Will the Packers miss Ryan Grant? Does it matter this week? 13.5 is a lot of points to lay, but this has 30-10 written all over it. The Bills are useless.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+5.5) @ Tennessee Titans
UPSET SPECIAL ALERT. Can't understand why the Titans are getting 5.5 in this game. I love the Titans this year, but the Steelers made the Falcon offense, one predicted by many to dethrone the Saints in the NFC South, look terrible. The Steelers to cover and win.

Miami Dolphins @ Minnesota Vikings (-5.5)
Brett Favre and the Vikings offense looked all kinds of out of sorts on Thursday night, to the delight of myself and Packer fans everywhere. However, the ageless one has never lost at home in a Vikings uniform, and the Dophins could only muster 15 points last week against the lowly Bills.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+2.5) @ Carolina Panthers
I have the Panthers to win this one, but I'm hedging my bet by taking the Bucs against the spread. Matt Moore looked awful for the Panthers last week...luckily, he's unlikely to play this week. Let the Jimmy Clausen era begin.

Seattle Seahawks (+3.5) @ Denver Broncos
I don't really know what to make of either of these teams, so I'm taking the points. The Seahawks had the surprise of the week in blowing out the 49ers...until the Chiefs KO'd the Chargers on Monday night.

St. Louis Rams (+4.5) @ Oakland Raiders
Oakland, a trendy pre-season sleeper to make the playoffs, was exposed last week against the Titans. I'll take the points, but give the Raiders the win...Bradford hasn't learned how to win in the NFL yet.

New England Patriots (+1.5) @ New York Jets
A big game for early supremacy in the AFC East. The Patriots looked super last week in blasting the Bengals, while the Jets offense sputtered against the Ravens. Remember...before their playoff run, this team was 9-7 last year. 9-7.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ San Diego Chargers (-7.5)
The Chargers were embarrassed last week on national television in a daunting loss to the Chiefs. The Jaguars are not very good at football. Watch out.

Houston Texans (-2.5) @ Washington Redskins
Two of last weeks biggest upset specials meet in week 2. Arian Foster and the Texans shocked Peyton and the Colts last week, and I think they roll to 2-0 here against the Redskins.

New York Giants @ Indianapolis Colts (-5.5)
Was last week a fluke, or are the Colts in trouble? For now, we'll call it a one week anomaly. Oft-injured safety Bob Sanders is once again out for the year.

New Orleans Saints (-4.5) @ San Fransisco 49ers
I'm surprised this line isn't a lot higher. The Saints started their title defense in style last Thursday, while the 49ers were trashed by the lowly Seahawks. A sleeper of a Monday Night Matchup...unless you like blowouts (or have Drew Brees on your fantasy team).

Every scientist's worst nightmare: Green Bay's life without Grant

If you're keeping score, the Philidephia and Green Bay defenses have now combined to to cost 6 players at least 62 games missed with injuries: Eagles' QB Kevin Kolb and LB Stewart Bradley will both miss next week's game after failing to pass the NFL's new post-concussion tests, while fellow Eagles FB Leonard Weaver and C Jamaal Jackson, as well as Packers DE Justin Harrell and, of course, RB Ryan Grant, are all done for the season. Not sure what the Eagles were thinking going out and actually playing against an ancient viking demon lord, risen to assure the Packers victory, but they got what they asked for.

Skipping right over the oft-injured and replaceable Harrell (he's appeared in just 14 games over four professional seasons), many Packer fans are worried about the running game on what is otherwise a stellar offense (save for a few all too familiar faces on the offensive line). With Grant out, 4th-year running back Brandon Jackson out of Nebraska gets the call as the feature back, with FB John Kuhn likely to get some carries in the red zone, especially after the way he powered through to first set up and then score Green Bay's second touchdown last Sunday.

Grant's fantasy owners who were savvy enough to grab Jackson after word of Grant's injury came out should expect some drop off, but not much. Jackson will have to prove that he can carry the load through an NFL season: he's missed 14 games over the past three seasons (Hey! He and Harrel combined almost make a whole football player!). He's not the same type of rusher as Grant: more of a grinder with less breakaway speed, but I don't expect much drop off in production, though the Packers may rely even more heavily on the passing game from here on out. A time share in the backfield is unlikely for now, with Jackson being the only half back on the roster before Dimitri Nance was added off of Atlanta's practice squad yesterday. The only thing Jackson's new fantasy owners should worry about in terms of playing time is the aforementioned touchdown vulture in Kuhn. Many talking heads have suggested trades, especially for Bills odd man out Marshawn Lynch, but I find this unlikely given Ted Thompson's history of building his teams through the draft exclusively.

As far as the real life Packers are concerned, head coach Mike McCarthy has already come out saying the he has complete confidence in Jackson's ability to be an every down back. Of course, this is exactly the kind of coach-speak you'd expect to hear after a season-ending injury to your star running back, except that he said it over a month ago after Grant missed a preseason game with a concussion. He does have some problems holding onto the football (he coughed one up in the red zone against Indianapolis in the preseason), and he also has a history of being banged up. Fortunately, we won't really see what the Packers have in Jackson until week three: the lowly Bills come to town this week, against whom 80-year-old Gloria Sarandos, a certified Packers superfan and my wonderful grandmother, could gain 75 yards and a touchdown.

Breaking News out of the NY Jets locker room: Men attracted to women!

Yes, that's right, folks, it turns out that most of the players in the New York Jets locker room are indeed attracted to females (the Sanchize not withstanding).

If you haven't seen the story, Ines Sainz, a sideline "reporter" for the New York Jets, was allegedly harassed in the New York Jets locker room, receiving catcalls and the like from players while one assistant coach is said to have deliberately thrown passes to players near Sainz during a practice drill. Many people in the media were up in arms about the incident, and the NFL launched an investigation.

First of all, to the left is what Sainz looked like THAT DAY. Form fitting, ultra-tight pants and a short, tight shirt with just a hint of midriff showing. Now, I'm not sayingthat what the Jets players did was right, or what I would have done, but come on! This is a closed space containing 53 of the most testosterone-filled alpha-dogs on the planet, all of whom are between the ages of 21 and 40. If you drop a ping pong ball in a room filled with 50-plus kittens, you cannot get mad when they bat it around a little.

Also, as far as sideline reporters go, I don't think there's a lot of doubt as to how she got her job at TV Azteca. You can see her reaction to the story, as well as a demonstration of her abilities as a TV personality in this interview.

And now, Washington Redskins' running back Clinton Portis has come under fire for saying out loud what everyone in the world already knows: guys like hot chicks, and hot chicks dig athletes. The NFL has come out and publicly rebuked Portis for his comments. Seriously? He said, "You put a woman and you give her a choice of 53 athletes, somebody got to be appealing to her." He shouldn't be apologizing for that, and the NFL has more important things to worry about than scantily-clad women being surprised when they are looked at in an NFL locker room. Like, for example, this.