NFL 2011 - Week 6 picks.....

The bye week (while I despise them) look like they are lining up to help teams heal, while for others it will allow them to make the necessary adjustments to help their teams get back on track. The Lions and Packers are still the remaining undefeated teams, while the Rams, Colts and Dolphins are still looking for win number one.

A game under even for the week, which put the "losing" streak at three weeks, but the overall record is still sitting above the level mark. On to week six. Enjoy.

NFL 2011 - Week 6 picks (Home team in CAPS)

FALCONS (-4 1/2) over Panthers - Didn't see Atlanta having a must win game in week 6, but that is where the Falcons are at this week. They will need to keep Cam Newton under control, but being at home will help Atlanta get back on track.
GIANTS (-3 1/2) over Bills - Typical Giant letdown last week against Seattle and most will feel it continues against Buffalo, but here is where the New York will confound everyone and get the win over Buffalo. The Bills will put up points, but Eli Manning will put up more.
Colts (+6 1/2) over BENGALS - Indy had their chance for the win last week and end up blowing the 17 point lead at home to Kansas City, but they have been playing tough and keeping games close. See the same here as the Bengals win, but the Colts hang tough.
LIONS (-4 1/2) over 49ers - Potential playoff match-up? I would say this is the Lions' letdown week, but who thought the 49ers would be at 4-1 at this time? Detroit will have a struggle here, but with the game being at home, I'll give the edge to the Lions.
PACKERS (-14 1/2) over Rams - St. Louis is bad, while Green Bay is terrific. Packer players will pad multiple offensive stats.
Eagles (+ 1/2) over REDSKINS - I might be the last one beside Eagle diehards to still believe this team can win. Washington can put the dagger into the Eagle season here, but Philly will somehow get this win and muddle the NFC East even further.
STEELERS (-12 1/2) over Jaguars - Pittsburgh showed that they are not giving up on the season after last week's whipping of the Titans and I feel it will continue this week against a bad Jacksonville team. Just can't see the Jaguars scoring much against the Steeler defense.
Browns (+5 1/2) over RAIDERS - Emotional victory last week for the Raiders in Houston last week and this week they face a Cleveland team coming off their bye. Oakland will keep its winning ways, but it will be a struggle as the Browns keep it close.
RAVENS (-7 1/2) over Texans - Want to say the Texans keep it close, but Arian Foster is banged up and no Andre Johnson means not much offense for Houston against the Raven defense. Expect a big load of Ray Rice running and receiving.
Cowboys (+7 1/2) over PATRIOTS - New England faces another "Ryan" defense this week with Rob's Cowboys coming to town. Dallas secondary still a bit banged up. This should be a high scoring affair, but at the end the Patriots will get the victory, but Dallas stays with them throughout.
Saints (-4 1/2) over BUCCANEERS - Tampa Bay didn't even show up last week against the 49ers and that was a giant surprise. New Orleans had to work hard to get the victory in Carolina, but they could really put some distance between them and their division rivals with a victory this week.
BEARS (-3 1/2) over Vikings - Minnesota defensive line probably licking their chops to get at that Chicago offensive line, but do they have an answer to slow down Matt Forte? Vikings ran Adrian Peterson plenty last week, but will they do it again the Bear defense?
Dolphins (+7 1/2) over JETS - New York is on a three game losing streak and have the winless Dolphins coming to town. The Jets will "press" in trying to get off the losing slide and will allow Miami to keep it close and give them a scare, if not the outright upset.

Week 5: 6-7
2011 season: 39-37-1

NFL 2011 - Week 5 picks.....

So what have we learned after 4 weeks of the NFL season? We know the offenses are good. Real good. But at the end of the day, it will be defense that separates the good from the great teams. The Lions and Packers are the only undefeated teams, while the Colts, Dolphins, Vikings and Rams still have not won yet this year. Think about that for a minute. We have the Lions undefeated, while the Colts are winless. It is bizarro world.

Second losing week in a row puts us close to the breakeven level for the year. It is the start of the "bye weeks", so we have an abbreviated schedule.

NFL 2011 - Week 5 picks (Home team in CAPS)

Eagles (-2 1/2) over BILLS - Everything points towards the Bills keeping the misery going in Philadelphia, but I think the Eagles win a shootout to get back on the winning track. Last week's loss to the 49ers might have been the wake-up call Philadelphia needed, while the Bills suffered their first loss in Cincinnati. Nice running back match-up with LeSean McCoy and Fred Jackson.
Bengals (+2 1/2) over JAGUARS - Battle of the rookie QBs in Blaine Gabbert and Andy Dalton. Which one makes the least mistakes to win the game. Cincinnati is playing better defense than Jacksonville and it will help lead them to the road victory over the Jags.
Titans (+7 1/2) over STEELERS - Seattle didn't want Matt Hasselbeck for what reason? Who had the Titans at 3-1, while being last in rushing offense? This would be a statement win for Tennessee. I think the Steelers win, but it is a real scrap.
COLTS (-2 1/2) over Chiefs - Only because the game is in Indy. The Chiefs have looked a little better the past couple of weeks, but the Colts have too many vets and will get on the winning side of the ledger for the first time in 2011.
Raiders (+6 1/2) over TEXANS - No Andre Johnson for the Texans and Darrin McFadden's running for Oakland, means a very close game. Overall Houston is the better team and must win these type of games at home to be considered a post season threat. Arian Foster should get plenty of carries to offset the lessened passing game for the Texans.
VIKINGS (-2 1/2) over Cardinals - Beanie Wells running well for the Cardinals, but the other running back in the game is the best in the league. When are the Vikings just going to keep giving the ball to AP and just see what happens? Maybe this week so they can finally get that goose egg out of the win column.
Saints (-5 1/2) over PANTHERS - I've been seeing one as the "upset special" of the week and I just don't see it. Yes, the Panthers have been better this year, but that Saint offense can put up 35 points almost every game and will do so against Carolina.
GIANTS (-9 1/2) over Seahawks - Everything says this is a letdown game for New York after they snuck out of the dessert last week with the win. I just love their defensive line up against the Seattle offense, plus quietly Eli Manning is doing a very good job this year with a depleted receiving group.
Buccaneers (+1 1/2) over 49ERS - I did not see both of these teams at 3-1 after the first quarter of the season. Neither will blow an opponent out and use their running games led by LeGarrette Blount and Frank Gore to control clock. In the end, Josh Freeman just seems to get wins and I have more confidence in him than Alex Smith.
Chargers (-4 1/2) over BRONCOS - This should be a no-brainer with the small spread, but San Diego always seem to be in close games against lesser opponents. Rivers may have no Gates or Jackson this week, but in the end, if the Chargers want to be considered "elite" in the AFC they must win big against a poor Bronco team.
Jets (+9 1/2) over PATRIOTS - I have not like this Jet team all year, but Rex Ryan will have them up for their rivals in New England. Normally I would expect Brady & Belichick to get revenge for last year's playoff loss and blowout New York, but the Patriot defense is so poor, it will be a close score at the end.
Packers (-5 1/2) over FALCONS - Atlanta escapes Seattle last week and have many questioning what is going on with this team picked by many to challenge for the NFC crown. Does not get any easier with Aaron Rodgers and the Packer offense coming to town. Green Bay remains undefeated and repeats last year's playoff beatdown.
LIONS (-5 1/2) over Bears - I keep on wanting to go against Detroit, but it will not be this week. Poor Chicago and Jay Cutler get to deal with a raucous crowd excited for a Monday Night game, which will make the Lion pass rush that much quicker and better. It could get ugly for Cutler and the Chicago offensive line.

Week 4: 7-9
2011 season: 33-30-1

NFL Week 2 review - The SFB Podcast (9/20/2011).....

Second weekend of the season saw a couple of upsets, but mostly what it did was seem to put almost the whole league at 1-1. What we are seeing is a ton of offense. When will the defenses start to catch up, or are we at the start of a record setting offensive year? Enjoy.

The SportsFan Buzz: September 20, 2011 (right click to "save as target")
You can find and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas.

Pay for Play - The SportsFan Buzz (6/2/2011).....

Bad year for the NCAA with Reggie Bush / USC, Cam Newton allegations and now the mess at Ohio State. That's just football and does not cover basketball. All these scandals have just made the "pay the players" chant even louder. Do those wanting to pay players really think all these problems will disappear and what exactly is the plan?

The SportsFan Buzz: June 2, 2011 (right click to "save as target")
You can find and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas.

Weekend Happenings - The SFB Podcast (12/13/2010).....

While the NFL is king this time of the year, there are other sports and news from those sports going on at this same time. The Heisman Trophy was awarded to Cam Newton while the college football fans wonder if he will keep it. Urban Meyer leaves the Florida Gators and this time means it. The NBA and NHL are both over past the quarter-pole of their regular seasons and we are starting to see a few trends developing. We'll look at those stories, the upcoming NHL Winter Classic and a few pieces around the NFL as week 14 finishes up tonight. Enjoy.

The SportsFan Buzz: December 13, 2010 (right click to "save as target)
You can find and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
Voice over talent provided by Morgan Thomas.

College Football 2010 (Week 10).....

This is really turning out to be a very fun college football season and the Oregon Ducks are leading the way with how they attack opposing defenses with all their offensive weapons. Then we have Cam Newton leading the Heisman race while leading the Auburn Tigers towards the top of the rankings. The Tigers match-up with Alabama later this month looms large and will greatly influence the final BCS standings.

Who were those impostors in the Spartan green jerseys? Michigan State gets knocked out of the conversation by getting smacked down by a good Iowa team. I thought they had some magic on their side this season, but that was quickly smothered by that Hawkeye defense.

Another great slate of games this week as we will have five match-ups of top 25 teams, including two non-BCS teams facing off when TCU travels to Utah.

Week 10 games:

North Carolina State (#23) over CLEMSON - Living here in Raleigh for most of the last 18 years, I have followed the Wolfpack pretty closely and this sets up as a "break your heart" game for Packer Backers, but I'll put my faith in them to keep this good season rolling.
Baylor (#22) over OKLAHOMA STATE (#19) - Big win for Baylor over Texas in Austin and this is another big test on the road. I like their quarterback Robert Griffin to have another big game.
SOUTH CAROLINA (#18) over Arkansas (#17) - Steve Spurrier knows something about quarterbacks and keeps the Razorback offense in check to get another tough SEC victory.
ALABAMA (#5) over LSU (#12) - I still think Alabama is the best all-around team in the country and they put LSU to the side as they march their way towards that showdown with Auburn alter in the month.
STANFORD (#10) over Arizona (#13) - Arizona has been quietly winning games and now has this showdown with the Stanford Cardinal. This would be one of the biggest wins in recent Wildcat history, but I think the Stanford offense is better with Andrew Luck and will get the PAC 10 victory.
TCU (#4) over UTAH (#6) - A knockout game for one of these two "BCS-buster" teams. Even though they are traveling, TCU is used to this "big game" atmosphere with their recent history and keeps the Utes offense under control to squeak out a close victory.

Week 9: 3-3
2010 season: 36-18