Spook-tacular Football Weekend

I would like to make an official apology. The Patriots did not play in sunny Tampa. They flew to jolly ol' England to play in Wembley Stadium against the, er, Bucs. Sorry to anyone who thought the Bucs had home field advantage and may have picked them(yeah right). And in another apology, I want to say I am sorry for knocking Cedric Benson. I did not know he was that good of a running back. He defined the meaning of underachiever when employed by the Bears and Bears fans never got to see his true abilities. Well, the fans and the Bears players sure saw how good he was last week. He was able to run through open holes all day long against a weak Bears D-Line. Oh yeah, that's not very hard to do though. Ouch.


Back to Plaxico. Wonder who his girlfriend in prison is?


More on the Bears. Cleveland comes to town this weekend. Oh goody! I'm hoping, strongly hoping, the Bears offense kicks it into high gear and route the Brown Bags. If that is the case, Cutler, Hester, Forte, Knox and Bennett should reap many of the benefits.


Brett Fa....oh nevermind. We all know what that is all about. Packers vs. Vikings in Lambeau. Blah blah blah.


Let me prognosticate a few games here: Houston vs. Buffalo. The Texans are healthy, becoming an offensive juggernaut and have a one of the best receivers in the game. Not to mention, a tight end in Owen Daniels, who flashed signs of brilliance last week. Watch for them to come out throwing and stop at nothing to go 2 games above .500. PICK: Houston PLAY: Matt Schaub, Owen Daniels BENCH: Buffalo Defense


Besides the NFC North Division game between the Mean Green Machine and the Purple People Eaters, another matchup will be anticipated by millions. New Orleans puts it's undefeated record to the test when the red-hot Atlanta Falcons roll into town on Monday Night Football. Will the Falcons and Matt Ryan be able to go touchdown for touchdown with the high flying Saints? I don't think they will. Brees and company will pull this one out but I assure you, it will not be a blowout. The X-Factor in this game will be the Saints defense. If they can contain Ryan, Roddy White and "The Burner," I feel the Saints will go undefeated on the season. PICK: Saints PLAY: Saints defense, Lance Moore, Pierre Thomas BENCH: Michael Jenkins


The Cardinals have been waiting for a game like this. The Panthers, have not. Because of the weak defense played by the "Steel-less" Panthers, Arizona should have a joyride awaiting them. Steve Breaston has been chosen as my Sleeper Pick this week. He has been standing idley by, just foaming at the mouth for a game of this caliber. Cardinal Nation has been too.




Ladies and gentleman, it is the weekend in which we embrace the time honored tradition of "dressing up." I don't mean just in the bedroom. Men dress like women. Women dress like hookers I saw on a late night adventure into the big city a few years back. Only difference, they won't wink at me. That thought still sends shivers down my spine! So, because of this yearly Halloween tradition, I have a few scary thoughts for you to ponder: The Lions will win more games than the Bears this season, the 0-7 Titans will go 10-6 next season and beat the Colts twice, and the Oakland Raiders will beat the Vikings to win the Super Bowl next year. Scary huh? Of course, we all know none of these scenarios won't happen, but I did want to put a scare into some of you. Happy Halloween!

Cedric Benson Fodder...How Delightful

Previously, on BTM Fantasy Football.....

"Ravens wings' get clipped
Browns heading to Toilet Bowl
Redskins scalpping Chiefs."

Since I received very few responses, none of which included a Haiku prediction, I have decided to cease my own attempts at Haiku for the time being.


That being said, how about the Saints? Nothing like putting a hurtin' on the Little Giants this past week and proving the NFL that your defense is for real. We know what your offense can do. However, Reggie Bush has seemed to be a non-factor almost all season. I'm guessing too much time spent with Kim Kardashian. She seems to be somewhat of a leech.


I need to ask a question and if anyone out there has the answer, please, humor me. I will be very straight forward and to the point: How did Raiders beat the Eagles? Seriously. There was some voodoo magic going on there because in an otherwise 'normal' NFL season in which the Raiders are the rebuilding, run by a maniacal, speed-hungry, health declining fool(yes, I mean Al Davis) type of team, there is no way they would or could defeat a potent Eagles offense and stingy defense. What did you put in the Bay air, Mr. Davis?



Cedric Benson is accusing the Bears of trying to blackball him. Time has run out on Plaxico's demeaning. Insert: Benson. Cedric, are you trying to tell us that you work ethic, your style of play in games was impeccable? Why don't you go and cry some more about not getting enough playing time. Thomas Jones did not deserve to lose any carries to you.



Ok McNabb had a bad outing. I get it. No need to say 'I told you so.'



Four undefeated teams left. Saints, Vikings, Colts and Broncos. Out of those teams, most people would predict that the Broncos will be the first team to have a loss. Well, 6 games into the season for them and a few tough tests and they have proved many experts wrong. I am not jumping on their bandwagon for I know they will lose and will do it soon. Looking into my Fantasy Football glass ball, I do not forecast any team going undefeated this season. Of the teams currently without a loss, I feel as though the Colts have the best chance, and when I say best, it is a very slim chance, but better than the other 3 teams. I've been known to be wrong a time or two.



Two weeks and two easy games for Green Bay. The Pack heads into the 'Puppy' Dawg Pound to take on a Browns team that, well, I don't even have much to say about them. Aaron Rodgers: HUGE day. Jennings and Driver: HUGE day. Ryan Grant: BIG day. PICK: Packers



San Francisco and Houston are two teams who are young and start out slow but are starting to come into their own. These 2 teams will be battling it out to decide whether or not they will contend for the division title or even a wild card berth. Frank Gore returns from injury and will step into his starting role again with something to prove. He wants that elusive rushing title and will stop at nothing to get it. Also of note, Michael Crabtree will make his debut this Sunday against the Texans. Will he be a factor? Doubtful. Don't believe the hype. Houston's passing attack will be too much for the upstart 49ers defense to handle. PICK: Houston PLAY: Kevin Walter, Steve Slaton, Matt Schaub, Frank Gore BENCH: Michael Crabtree, 49ers Defense


Game of the Week: Minnesota at Pittsburgh
This game should be quite the barn burner. Both have great defenses(although the Steelers D has been suspect at times this year), both have stepped up their offenses and special teams for the Vikes and the Steelers has been nothing short of fantastic this season. The X Factor in this game I believe will be the Special Teams play for both teams.


Josh Johnson is my Sleeper Pick of the week. He is young, can run, has a good arm and is going up against the Cowboys who are coming off a bye week and have question marks in their defense. Expect him to run quite a bit, keeping the Dallas D honest, then watch out for the deep threat play that could ultimately sink Big D.





Next time, on BTM Fantasy Football......

" 'I told you so' does not apply to Donovan McNabb's return against the Redskins. They are a sinking ship. "
" The Patriots play in snow one week and the next they are in sunny Tampa. How's that for dumb luck?"
" Cedric Benson Completes TriFecta, Arrested in Cincinnati for Flying Drunk After Loss to Former Team."

Predictions in Haiku

Last week hurt. Watching Brett do his thing against his former team. Carolina picking up it's 1st win of the season. Denver staying undefeated. Seattle doing God-knows-what to the Jaguars. These were all things I was not happy to see. Then again, we all can't get everything we wish for. The Vikings winning that game hurt the most for me. As I stated in last week's post, Mr. Favre has tainted me. My soul. 5-0. That may hurt even more. Last week, 5 teams went into their games undefeated. The same holds true this week. 2 teams won their first game last week, the Panthers and the horrific Browns.





The Browns. Can we just call them the "Why are you still a franchise?" I have to share this with anyone who didn't see the game or catch any highlights(or lowlights). Derek Anderson, who replaced Brady Quinn at QB, had 2 completions, yes 2, threw the ball 17 times, for a whopping 23 yards, no TD's, one INT and had a QB rating of 15.1. Wow. I am still in shock. Oh yeah, and the Browns won! Take a second to let that sink in......





Oh Plaxico, it looks as if the Giants don't need you and your assault weapon. 44-7 was the score of that game. Hope the 3 hours of "playtime" out of your cell are worth shooting yourself over.






There were many-a-doubters on McNabb's return to the field after missing 3 games with a rib injury. He came back in fine form, tossing 3 TD's and over 260 yards against the patchwork Buccaneers. I stood by him. Suggested he start at QB in Fantasy leagues. He put up decent numbers. Again, this week, he has another favorable matchup, going to the Black Hole to play a less than worthy to mention Raiders team. Play McNabb! I implore you.


A battle of the unbeatens....Eli and the Giants head to the Superdome to face Drew Brees and the shockingly unbeaten Saints. This is shaping up to be a great offensive and defensive game! The Saints, who in the past decade, have had many succeptable defenses, come into week 6 with one of the best in the league. How good will the New York Football Giants be against a team they cannot take lightly? We all know the Saints can almost score at will, but will their defense be able to hold against another offensive juggernaut? Will the Giants defense be able to contain the high scoring Saints offense and keep Brees from blowing them out with the passing game?



This week, the Lions head to Green Bay to take on the Pack. Favorable matchups are every where to be seen in this game. Aaron Rodgers will come out throwing, Donald Driver and Greg Jennings should both put up some huge numbers and Ryan Grant should have no problems breaking some big runs against the Lions defense. On the other side of the ball, with the Packers coming into their own in the 3-4 Defense, they should be able to contain Kevin Smith without a problem and if Culpepper is still starting for the injured Matthew Stafford, the passing game should be of no concern. PICK: Packers PLAY: Donald Driver, Ryan Grant BENCH: Kevin Smith



Two games of very high interest: Chicago vs. Atlanta in the Georgia Dome. Last year, the Bears, clinging to a 5 point lead and 22 seconds left, decided to squibb the kickoff, giving the high flying Falcons and rookie QB Matt Ryan plenty of time and great field position to set up Jason Elam for the game-winning field goal. I bet Lovie Smith will never again call for a squibb kick on a kickoff with a 5 point lead. This game has potential to be a shootout, with both teams playing at a very high level. if the Bears defense can contain Michael "The Burner" Turner and put a lot of pressure on Matt Ryan, they should be able to leave Sweet Georgia without the Falcons on their mind. PICK: Bears PLAY: Johnny Knox, Roddy White

The 2nd game of interest is Seattle vs. Arizona. Last week, Matt Hasselbeck returned from injury, threw 4 TD passes and the Seahawks flew away with a 41-0 win of the clawless Jaguars. Not sure which bird will reign supreme, but this is a showdown that will see who is for real in the NFC West. Arizona, still suffering from the Super Bowl hangover, needs a big win to show that they can once again win the division and rely on Kurt Warner's arm to catapult them into the playoffs. And if their running game can take flight, the Cards can be a dangerous foe.
PICK: Cardinals




I'm going on a hunch here and am going to choose Marcedes Lewis as my Sleeper Pick. The Jaguars are sure to bounce back after that 41-0 drubbing last week when they face a defenseless, and offenseless, Rams team who could match last year's Lions team as the 2nd team in NFL history to go 0-16.

Last week, I was singing to myself a few songs that a couple NFL teams could relate to. The Titans, as I predicted and yet had no idea they would attribute this song to them, lost on Sunday Night Football, and Toby Keith's "As Good As I Once Was" was played during the game. I wonder if the NFL looked at my blog? If they did, I must be doing something right. This week, I am not singing. Instead, I am pondering if I should write in Haiku for the rest of this season. This coming weeks predictions, in Haiku:

Ravens wings get clipped
Browns heading to Toilet Bowl
Redskins scalpping Chiefs

I think I will stick to articles. My Haiku skills peaked and declined in high school. READERS: Send me a recap of the 1st five weeks in Haiku or a prediction for the remainder of the season in Haiku and I will post what I feel is the best one in next week's blog. Have fun with this and I look forward to your responses.

Six winless franchises, 5 undefeateds, and a big trade in the small town

Six teams come into Week 5, winless, while 5 teams are undefeated. Again, the Tennessee Titans have failed to put up a W. Who knew the Jaguars would score 37 on the once mighty Titans? Of course, losing a defensive game changer to free agency does not help. Nor does having an aging QB, who was previously written off in many experts' minds, at the offensive helm while a young and healthy QB rides the pine, one capable of changing the game with his legs. The 'Skins kept the Bucs winless, and the Broncos are 4-0? It has been a very strange NFL season so far.



Usually at this point I make some sort of comment about Plaxico Burress being in prison but I think I will give him a reprieve until next week. I mean the guy probably hasn't had a shower in a few days so let's let him alone.

Kyle Orton wins. He is the epitome of the 'game managing QB.' When Orton was on the Bears, he was giving the starting job because of a QB who I dare not name went down with an injury. One of many. In his rookie season, KO went 10-5 as a starter. Not bad for a rookie QB whose leash did not extend 10 feet beyond the fire hydrant he was chained to. Now he is with the Broncos, and, at 4-0, I am still questioning if they are for real. The Pats come to Invesco Field this weekend in a game that promises to have a Student facing Master in a battle for AFC domination feel to it. Belichick, I am sure, hopes to teach his former student that "no matter how much you studied me, I will always hold back that one trick, that one secret, that will help prevail."

The over-hyped Minnesota vs. Green Bay game, while living up to expectations, is not a topic I would like to touch upon for it seemed to be the talk of the week and continues. Brett Favre this, Brett Favre that. He is a great QB and will go down in history as one of the best to ever play the game, however, he has tainted my soul because of his lack of dedication to the Packers, discipline to mean what he says and basically the way he has toyed with the media, the organizations and better yet, the fans. Then again, I am looking forward to the Vikings/Packers matchup at Lambeau on November 1st. What kind of reception will the fans have in store for him?

Last week, the Steelers running game got a huge boost from 2nd-year running back Rashard Mendenhall. He had 29 rushes for 165 yards and 2, count 'em, 2 TD's. This week, the Steelers ride their bus into Ford Field to play a hapless Lions team who could not create a 2 game winning streak, ultimately bowing to the Bears 48-24 which included a helicopter dive, a la John Elway, into the endzone by Jay Cutler. I'm going with the Steelers in this game. We know they have an above average passing game and last week they showed they can run the ball. Hard to pick a Lions team who, well who just plain stinks. Mendenhall should have another big game against this weak Lions D. Look for Big Ben to hand off to Rashard 25-30 times while gaining 120-130 yards and at least one touchdown.

PICK: Steelers PLAY: Rashard Mendenhall BENCH: Matthew Stafford

Was anyone else glad to see Mark Sanchez have a bad game last week? The Saints tore him a new one all game, picking him off 3 times and also sacking him in the endzone while fumbling then falling on the ball for a TD. This week the Jets head to sunny Miami for a showdown with a Miami team who has not lived up to expectations thus far. Chad Pennington is out for the season with yet ANOTHER shoulder injury and replaced by Chad Henne. That's a lot of Chad on one team. I wonder if Chad Hutchinson is their 3rd string QB? Even bigger news is that the Browns traded Braylon Edwards to the Jets for Chansi Stuckey and LB Jason Trusnik. With Edwards in a contract year, will he and Sanchez get on the same page and maybe make a deep playoff run? Stay tuned! I think Miami gets the better of the Jets this week whether or not Braylon Edwards plays and Sanchez will have his second bad showing in as many games.

PICK: Dolphins BENCH: Chansi Stuckey, Mark Sanchez

Philadelphia hosts the Bucs this week in a game featuring an injured McNabb starting after a 3 game absence. As bad as the Bucs have been this season, their struggles will continue and McNabb will come out throwing. So look for Eagles receivers to put up some big numbers. My Sleeper Pick this week is Eagles receiver Jason Avant. He has quietly and regularly been making catches and gaining yards. He may not be a WR1 or even 2, but he runs his routes well and has good chemistry with McNabb. Look for him to have a big game this week.

I find myself singing Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and thinking about the NFL teams without a win. Titans, Buccaneers, Browns, Chiefs, Panthers and Rams. Of these teams, all of them, with the exception of the Rams, I feel, have a good shot at winning at least 1 game. The Titans will most likely come out of this group with the most wins but at this point even that is uncertain. Which brings me to song number 2: Toby Keith's "As Good As I Once Was." Last season the Titans had the NFL's best record at 13-3. This season, an exact switch is the most likely of scenarios. Song number 3? You will have to read next week's post but if I have as much luck as I had the previous 2 weeks, it may look something like Beck's "Loser" or CCR's "Bad Moon Rising."