Jauronimo!

For the third time in six weeks I was (technically) tied for the football pool lead going into Monday’s game. A Charger victory with a total score around 44 points would have given me the win. Enter not one, but two Brandon Marshall [oops! Not Brandon Marshall, but that other receiver from Denver that I hate!] returns for TDs and I’m toast. So are the Chargers. Don’t look for this non-Shanahan, non-Cutler team to roll over like they did last year.

The Charger’s O looked like they had that LT-potential again. We need more short passing plays to him to set up the downfield pass and his running game. No one is buying Sproles on first and ten. He’s a great, versatile back, but it was good to see them use him more sparingly then a standard half-back.

My record was 8-6 this week. It was my worst since week 2, but at least I picked more right than wrong. A couple things burnt me bad. The Ravens missed a field goal as time expired to give the Vikings a win (someone should look at that Farve kid, he looks pretty good and might be a decent quarterback in the NFL someday). Also, the Bengals didn’t show up (again) at home against the Texans. The Texans and the Cardinals appear to be the biggest on/off teams in the NFL right now. I just don’t know what to do when I have to pick their games. I usually just close my eyes and take the favorite.

How about those Almighty Saints? This was the game I thought the least about picking, and it was never in doubt. The Almighty Saints have a points for/against spread of +99. That’s more than 20 points better than The Patties (+72), even after their 59-0 win this weekend. After their matchup with the Dolphins on Sunday, three of their next four will be their first divisional games. I look forward to seeing how they’ll do.

The other side of that spectrum is the St. Louis Rams. At -115, they are the worst. They’ve averaged nine points per game. For those of you thinking that the Detroit game in week eight will break the Oh-fer season they’re having, stand by. Detroit matches up well against the Rams, and they have a bye this week. I won’t be surprised to see Detroit as the favorite to open at home next week. Looking at their other games, the Rams may never win again.

As far as Jauron’s Team’s victory this weekend… I’m just going to throw this out there. If we could Scooby-Doo ending that Leodis McKelvin fumble in Week 1, the Buffalo Bills would be in a three way tie at the top of the AFC East at 3-3. They have one of the best running games in the AFC, and one of the best pass defenses. Of course, if you have the worst run-defense in the league, even the Browns only need two receptions to beat your sorry-ass. Since you’ll be playing from behind, your running game is a non-factor, so you might as well bench Lynch and Jackson. Your only chance is for your receivers to catch those perfectly placed third down passes early in the game to sustain drives. Thanks for nothing Terrell.