It’s never too early to start talking playoffs, especially now in week 10. So here are my picks as I see them, based on wins, losses and personal bias…

AFC
#1 Seed - Tennessee Titans (9-0): Kerry Collins steps up and the Titans continue to roll…
#2 Seed - New England Patriots (6-3): Raise your hand if you thought the Patriots would be 6-3 with Matt Cassel…
#3 Seed - Baltimore Ravens (6-3): Raise your if you thought the Ravens would be 6-3 with Joe Flacco…
#4 Seed - Denver Broncos (5-4): Hard to judge this team, but luckily for them, they play in the equally mediocre AFC West..
Wild Card #1 - New York Jets (6-3): Jets face off against the Patriots for the AFC East lead…
Wild Card #2 - Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3): Steelers need to rebound with the Chargers coming to town…

After the jump, the NFC playoffs…

Read more…

It’s never too early to start talking playoffs. So here are my picks as I see them for the week, based on wins, losses and personal bias…

AFC
#1 Seed - Tennessee Titans (8-0): Can’t argue with 8-0.
#2 Seed - Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2): Big Ben may be hurt, but the Steelers are still in the driver’s seat for a first round bye.
#3 Seed - New York Jets (5-3): Where else but New York can you be 5-3 after a 4-12 season and it still not be good enough…
#4 Seed - Denver Broncos (4-4): If the Chargers didn’t suck so much, the Broncos playoff hopes would be dead this season…
Wild Card #1 - Baltimore Ravens (5-3): Who’d have thunk this team would be 5-3 with Flacco at QB?
Wild Card #2 - New England Patriots (5-3): Who’d have thunk this team would be 5-3 with Cassel at QB?

Outside Looking In: Buffalo Bills (5-3)

After the jump, the NFC playoffs…

Read more…

It’s never too early to start talking playoffs. So here are my picks as I see them for the week, based on wins, losses and personal bias…

AFC
#1 Seed - Tennessee Titans (7-0): Spanked the Colts and two games up in the conference…
#2 Seed - New England Patriots (5-2): Maybe Cassel isn’t so bad after all…
#3 Seed - Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2): Two losses to the NFC East with the Redskins up next…
#4 Seed - Denver Broncos (4-3): A bye week and a Chargers loss gives them a two-game lead…
Wild Card #1 - Buffalo Bills (5-2): Tough loss to Miami with the Jets up next…
Wild Card #2 -New York Jets (4-3): For all the grief Brett Favre is getting, he still has them in playoff contention AND has already matched last year’s win total…

Outside Looking In: Baltimore Ravens (4-3)

After the jump, the NFC playoffs…

Read more…

Matt Ryan in Atlanta is called “Matty Ice” from his days at Boston College. But the real Matty Ice may still play in the Boston area. Matt Cassel is starting to play like an NFL quarterback and he may just lead the Patriots to the AFC Championship game. Here why:

He Has a Hot Wife

Cassel’s wife is former USC Volleyball star Lauren Killian (as you can see, “W” is a fan). While she may not quite be Gisele Bundchen, she is very hot by any other standard. How does this affect his ability to lead the Patriots to the Promised Land? Leadership. The challenge of maintaining a relationship with a hot spouse is like balancing the ego of a star player. They both need compliments, they both need boundaries, and they both need a stern leader in a time of crisis. And, hey, all dudes, even professional athletes, look up to man with a hot wife.

He’s a Winner

Cassel’s off the charts high school career led to him being ranked as the 53^rd best college prospect (8^th quarterback) in 2000. A full ride to USC to play quarterback, starter or not, is some kind of bad. Let’s see, you get beat out by Carson Palmer and then Matt Lienhart. Kinda like going to your day job and getting beat out by Donald Trump and Jack Welch. Former USC coordinator Norm Chow was set to sign him to a free agent contract in Tennessee before the Patriots drafted him in the seventh round.

Cassel played on the Northridge, California team that was the runner-up in the 1994 Little League World Series. He also pitched briefly for the Trojans (after Lienhart beat him out) and was drafted by the Oakland A’s. Cassel did start one game at USC, at tight end. And if that doesn’t show his versatility, he played in one Trojan basketball game and scored 2-points-with a two-handed dunk! Dude got mad skills and he excels in everything he tries.

Belichick Is His Coach

Bill Belichick is a master of the game of football. He understands fully the concept of team. Other organizations try to build franchises by bringing in marquee players. Belichick builds his system by staying true to his concept. Every practice, every drill, every meeting, is focused on one thing. Work the system to beat your opponent as soundly as possible. If Belichick chose Cassel to back up Tom Brady, you can be sure that his ability to run the offense was studied in full detail. Many NFL coaches try to find players to make plays, Belichick designs plays to make his players successful. The Patriots have excelled by finding the best available players that fit the system, not necessarily the best at that position.

Peter King Says So

Peter King is one of my favorite writers. Great insight. Thoroughly researched articles. Connections throughout the league to die for. But he is the biggest Boston and New England homer in major sports reporting. He provides a fantastic comparison between Tom Brady and Matt Cassel that shows the Cassel isn’t that bad. Seems to be in pretty good company if you ask me. Why not ask the Bronco’s secondary what they think!

Matt Cassel has a very good chance of leading the Patriots to another AFC Championship. The AFC is much weaker than previous years and the East is winnable. Keep a close watch on New England in coming weeks!

Is Jerry Jones becoming Al Davis? Like Al, Jerry is obsessed with making the perfect fantasy football maneuver that will turn this lackluster team magically into the 1999 Cowboys. Troy, Emmit, Michael and Jimmy are not coming through the gates of the Southfork ranch anytime soon. Jerry spends more time on the sidelines than Jason Garrett . Al would do the same if his Rascal would make it down the stadium steps.

Al Davis, there is a new sheriff in town and his name is Jerry Jones. Let’s compare the blueprint.

Build a championship franchise. Check.

Spend the rest of your career trying to get another championship. Check.

Change coaches like Hugh Hefner changes blondes. Check.

Norv Turner. Check. (That one was in reverse order.)

Sign over-the-hill players to fat contracts. Check.

Live in a fantasy parallel NFL world where only you know how to run a franchise. Check.

Stock the roster with league outcasts and thugs. Check.

Wear cool clothes. Oops, no sweatsuit for Jerry yet. That could be a California thing.

Get Kenny “Roaster” Rogers’ plastic surgeon to rebuild your face to make you look scary funny. Al seems revel in the turkey neck look, so that must be a Texas thing.

Run the team from “behind the scenes” without consulting with the coach about relevant decisions like trading next year’s draft for an under-performing receiver. Check.

Pick up the phone and make defensive (or offensive) changes during the game. Check.

Place blame for losses on the referees, league or coach when something goes wrong. Check.

Bring in self absorbed players who wreck team chemistry. Check.

Try to become the bad boys of the NFL by relying on style over substance. Check.

Yes, it is true. The 2008 Cowboys are becoming the 2008 Raiders. It is only a matter of time before a weak coach loses control of an overrated collection of misfits and egomaniacs. Talent is not team. It is time for Jerry Jones to hire a competent general manager and get out of the way. Follow the lead of the Patriots or the Tampa Bay Rays, not the Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions. Jerry, if you decide to keep this up, I know of good tailor in Oakland that can make a striking customized shiny blue sweatsuit with a single star over the heart. It will serve you well into your eighties.

Thanks to Coach Mora, it’s never too early to start talking playoffs.

For those of you who may be offended by my picks, bear in mind that I am rewarding those teams who are winning now (and frankly may not be winning later). If your team is genuinely great, they will actually be in the playoffs come January, a much better reward than being listed in a blog post that no one reads.

So without further ado, here are my picks as I see them for the week, based on best records and personal bias…

AFC
#1 Seed - Tennessee Titans (6-0): Can’t argue with being the only undefeated team in the NFL…
#2 Seed - Pittsburgh Steelers (5-1): Ben Roethlisberger just keeps stepping up. And Hines Ward just keeps dropping them down…
#3 Seed - Buffalo Bills (5-1): Trent Edwards may just be the real deal…
#4 Seed - Denver Broncos (4-3): This team is two plays away from being 2-5. Still, they have the best record in the West…
Wild Card #1 - New England Patriots (4-2): It’s not 16-0, I grant you, but the Patriots are finding ways to win…
Wild Card #2 -Baltimore Ravens (3-3): Lots of 3-3 teams in the AFC. I will reward the only one that won this past weekend…

Outside Looking In: New York Jets (3-3), Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) and Indianapolis Colts (3-3)

After the jump, the NFC playoffs…

Read more…

Week 6 proved again why the NFL is the most popular spectator sport in the free world. Another slate of wild finishes did not disappoint. A formerly winless team gets off the snide and a rookie quarterback sets a record.

Cincinnati 14, NYJ 26: Brett delivers three turnovers and an uninspired win at the Meadowlands. The Marvin Lewis watch begins in Cincinnati.

Miami 28, Houston 29: The Schauby outduels the Wildcat offense for a big home win for the Texans.

Chicago 20, Atlanta 22: Falcon’s QB Matt Ryan has the best career start for a rookie quarterback start over his first six games in NFL history.  The Bears need to find a leader with the will to win.

Detroit 10, Minnesota 12: The Lions almost outlasted Vikings in this defensive battle. Minnesota solidified second place in the NFC Norris Division.

Carolina 3, Tampa Bay 27: The Bucs look like the vintage 2002 team while Carolina looked like a 1995 expansion team.

Baltimore 3, Indianapolis 31: The sleeping giant that is Peyton Manning is alive and well, while Baltimore’s Flacco looked like a rookie from Delaware. So much for that vaunted Ravens’ defense.

Oakland 3, New Orleans 31: New coach, same sweatsuits, same results. Bush is solid in a run away victory.

St. Louis 19, Washington 17: Three fumbles first half fumbles sink the ‘Skins while the Rams put together a strong game for newly anointed Haslett.

Jacksonville 24, Denver 17: The Jags ride the legs of Maurice Jones-Drew to an impressive win in the Mile High City. Denver whines about karma.

Green Bay 27, Seattle 17: Aaron Rogers helps the Cheesehead fans shelve the memory of Brett and the Pack moves to the head of the Norris Division. Jim Mora, Jr. may get the reins of the Seahawks earlier than expected.

Dallas 24, Arizona 30: Romo and the ‘Boys need to regroup. The ‘Cards established themselves as the team to beat in the NFC West.

Philadelphia 40, San Francisco 26: Donovan and the Eagles defense grind out a victory. The 49ers are desperately looking for an identity and they better find it soon for the sake of Mike Nolan’s job.

New England 10, San Diego 30:  The Cassel era in New England hits a speed bump, while the up and down Chargers look like championship contenders.

The powerful Giants look to crush the Browns tonight on Monday Night Football and solidify their superiority in the NFC East.

Welcome back to Football for Breakfast.

Week 6 should be another wild ride in the drama that is the 2008 NFL. Hopefully, some questions will be answered in an intriguing lineup of games.

Cincinnati @ NYJ: Can Cincinnati ride the Crimson Wave of Harvard Alum Ryan Fitzpatrick while the eggshell elbow of Carson Palmer rides the bench? It will be tough to go to the Meadowlands and steal a win from the Brets. Mangenius is happy to have Brett and the gunslinger will find a way to win.

Miami @ Houston: Will the Dolphins keep Chad Pennington on the active roster or will Ronnie “Wildcat” Brown run the single-wing for sixty-minutes? It appears the lack of “Sage” judgment will bring Matt Schaub back on to the field. The Wildcats may run free if the Houston defense doesn’t find a way to stop the run.

Chicago @ Atlanta: Will this duel featuring two “don’t screw anything up” NFL quarterbacks give way to two of the best running games in the league? Will one of the D’s man-up and make the other team’s quarterback beat them?

Detroit @ Minnesota: “Starting at quarterback for the Detroit Lions….” We should see Jared Allen’s first productive game as a Viking. In Gus we trust. Oh, sorry, that was in Washington in 1994, before he was Gus “Headbutt” Frerotte.  Marinelli is close to spontaneously combusting in the hot seat as the Lions continue to “Pinto” (crash and burn) like Ford Motor Company stock. The Vikings will pillage on the legs of Adrian Peterson.

Carolina @ Tampa Bay: Can the Carolina Panthers bring the heat to Chucky’s quarterback du jour? The nimble feet of Jeff Garcia will have a hard time outrunning the power of Julius Peppers.  The Panthers will ride the bionic elbow of Jake “Lee Majors” Delhomme and Steve “Tyson” Smith runs free on the Bucs’ aging secondary.

Baltimore @ Indianapolis: This game features an epic battle of the (previously) unstoppable juggernaut against the (formerly) immovable force. Peyton may want inject some water into that knee and watch this one from the sidelines or he may be tasting Ray Lewis’s spittle for sixty minutes. At least Indy is in the dome. Wait a second. That rug will also makes the defense faster. Scratch that. Baltimore will run Willis McGahee and try to keep the “Delaware Bomber” in the hanger. But, Peyton is magic and knows how to win.

Oakland @ New Orleans: White on Black. Black on White. Which shiny sweat suit will Al Davis wear?  That is a far more intriguing question than how many times Reggie Busch blows by “MeAngelo” Hall. This is a must-win game for the Saints. The Cable Guy goes crashes and burns in his first game as Raiders head coach.

St. Louis @ Washington: Really. Jim Zorn. The Redskins. Two road wins against the Cowboys and Eagles. Back home against the newly Haslettized Rams who bring the innovative play calling of scorned Al “Playbook” Saunders to Landover. Looks like a blowout on paper, but this could be a trap game for ‘Skins. The Rams have talent and maybe they gel and prove a point. Don’t think so. Washington wins going away.

Jacksonville @ Denver: The Jags fly into the Mile High City to take on the inconsistent Broncos. If Matt Jones can stay away from Travis Henry, he should have a productive day against a secondary that is mystifyingly bad. Maybe Jack Del Rio lets Gregg Williams challenge Denver’s young gunslinging quarterback, and lets the Jaguars defense blitz from all angles. The Bronco’s potent receiving corps could have a big day if they can get off the line. Look for either a 45-42 game, or a 9-7 game from two up-and-down teams. Is this Hochuli’s game?

Green Bay @ Seattle: Seattle needs a win after the “Massacre in the Meadowlands.” Green Bay needs some Aaron Rogers magic. Both divisions need at least one team to man-up and grow a pair. Hopefully the road to redemption for one of these teams starts with this game.

Dallas @ Arizona: Can the Cowboys stop the potentially potent Cardinal aerial attack? Adam “Pacman” Jones should be on a mission, and he will have to be to make up for the injured Terrence “Juke” Newman (see this montage on YouTube).  Romo and the ‘Boys have learned their lesson and expect a big day from Felix Jones.

Philadelphia @ San Francisco: Can the Eagles rebound from back-to-back losses? Westbrook is out with a rib injury, but Donavan McNabb believes the Eagles have lost to inferior competition. Mike “Mad Scientist” Martz brings some life to the O’Sullivan magical mystery tour offense.  If Philly’s defense gets man-handled one more week, Donavan will really be crying the blues.

New England @ San Diego:  The Game of the Week. Norval has led the Chargers to “Hochulian” losses. Belichick seems to have dusted off Matt Cassel’s arm after the Miami Wildcat fiasco. Maybe LT takes a few direct snaps?

NYG @ Cleveland: Little brother Eli leads his potent Giants attack against the Cleveland Browns’ improving defense. Maybe New York scores 54 this week.  The Brady Quinn countdown hastens and swirling nighttime winds of the Meadowlands smash the Browns.

Enjoy the college games today and get ready for an explosive Sunday!

After much soul searching, I’ve come to the inescapable conclusion that I am not cut out for a daily yodel.

I much prefer a more deliberate approach, an approach not best suited to the hourly world of today’s NFL.

My hat is off to everyone who does contribute to the daily conversation of football on a minute-by-minute basis, but alas, I am not one of those.

I would like to note before I depart, however, that this rush to comment is having the unfortunate consequence of empowering those who trade in rumors. And the ensuing snowball effect invariably treats these rumors as indisputable facts, often times resulting in scornful and hateful false criticisms, occasionally even in the same breath.

Andy Reid’s ‘impending’ resignation last year, Brett Favre this year, someone new next year.

So as I bid you adieu, I hope my small band of readers will read ‘Pro Football Talk’ and similar sites with a rather large grain of salt.

Because last I checked, Andy Reid is still the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

.

So this is how it ends. Brett Favre in New York with a team that won only four games last year. And the Packers with a QB who has yet to start a game. Why do I have a hunch that this is going to end badly for both teams?

Jets: From Green Bay to Broadway: Favre Is a Jet (New York Times)
Jets: Lupica: Trade for Packer Legend Makes Jets Relevant (Daily News)
Jets: Broadway Brett Has Great Sound (New York Post)
Jets: Favre Too Little, Too Late for Jets (New York Post)
Jets: Deal Spells the End for Chad Pennington (Daily News)
Packers: Jets Get Brett (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Packers: Packers Trade Favre to Jets (Green Bay Press-Gazette)
Buccaneers: Bucs Move On As Packers Deal Favre to Jets (Tampa Tribune)