First order of business is a congratulations to the Twins, who have made things academic in the AL Central with their sweep of the White Sox this week. Going into the series it looked like one win would be good enough, two wins would spell the beginning of the end and three would be certain doom for the Pale Hose. Fortunately the Twins got all three and with 90% of precincts reporting, Loserville News is ready to call the Central race for the hometown nine.
It's been another impressive regular season, and big props must go out to the entire organization, with the way they've been able to plug holes and battle back from adversity time after time. From losing their closer in spring training to losing their best hitter at midseason, the Twins have done what they always seem to do, find a way to keep winning games. Although I gave up on them roughly 73 times during the course of the season, I never stopped watching and hoping they'd find their way. Now that they have, reeling off the best record in baseball since the All-Star break, it's good to look back on the highs and lows of the season, and even better to look forward to the possibilities the future holds.
Because while all this winning has been great fun, there's still a big question to be answered: Are the Twins a good team, or just the best of a bad division? Sure they're not paired up with a bunch of total stiffs, but at the same time, the axis of power in baseball lies to the East (yes, I invoked that Germany-Japan WWII imagery on purpose), and it must be defeated before you can truly call this season a success. As I've said many times, division titles beat being a Royals fan, but at some point the promise of one of these seasons need to be realized. For the moment, the lead is at 9, the magic number at 8 and the best record in baseball only a half game away. It's going to be a good next two weeks, time to put this thing to bed, rest some players up, and get ready for the next step: Winning in October.
Onto this week's picks:
Last week: 4-10-2 (Kneecaps hurt every time I type that)
CAROLINA -3.5 over Tampa Bay - I refuse to believe the Bucs can go 2-0, especially with the second being a road win. Sure the Panthers QB might be injured, but that could be addition by subtraction.
DALLAS -7.5 over Chicago - Despite a great fantasy outing, I watched a lot of last week's Bears game and Jay Cutler is still a gunslinger without wide receivers. 89-yard TD passes to runnings backs not name MoJo happen once and only once per season. Throw in the fact that Jerry Jones no doubt greased a few palms around the league this week, and I just can't see the Cowboys falling to 0-2. Can they win by 8? Well that's going to be interesting, but I'm betting on a bounce back effort.
Pittsburgh +5.5 over TENNESSEE - All part of my nefarious plot to have my buddy Jay (huge Steelers fan) offering me money to pick against his team by the time week 10 rolls around. I whiffed on Atlanta, thinking Matt Ryan would remember how to throw, instead the Falcons ground game got eaten up by the Steeler D. I see a Week One redux here, with Vince Young tossing a costly INT when asked to make a big play to win the game. He'll win it, just for the worng squad.
MINNESOTA -6 over Miami - Or just fold the tents, seriously. For anyone who says you can't have a must-win game in Week Two, I beg to differ and offer Weeks 5-8 of the Vikings schedule as my main argument.
(Sidenote on Vincent Jackson: If this wasn't our all-in, one-time-only shot at a title, I'd want nothing to do with the guy. But because of that, and the fact it's not my money, I say why not. Come on Wilfs, we're going to build you a stadium anyway, you'll make it back, now pony up. To anyone who says a 2nd-round pick is too much, keep in mind that T-Jack will probably be playing QB next season and realize that there really is no future here. I'm sure whatever linebacker we could pick up next season will be the difference between losing 13-3 instead of 20-3, but who cares? Act now.)
ATLANTA -7 over Arizona - More about hoping to salvage a prediction than real belief in the Falcons, what happened to Matt Ryan anyway, he's like the Bizzaro Rich Gannon?
Kansas City +2 over CLEVELAND - Hey, what better place to keep the KC Sleeper Express rolling along? Sure it might be hard to pull off those return TDs every week, but some weeks you play Cleveland, which is pretty much the same thing. I'm not sure why Sam Cassell is playing QB for the Chiefs, but he can lead an offense, so why not? Plus he invented the Big Ball Dance, instant credibility.
Baltimore -3 over CINNCINATTI - By definition, the Bengals defense has to play better in week one. To say they could have a poorer showing would indicate that they'd have to actually show up, and the only way this week is any uglier than last is if they refuse to leave the locker room. Joe Flacco is not Tom Brady by any stretch, but I've seen 7-on-7 scrimmages with more QB pressure than what the Bungles managed to apply last week. Fugly stuff, truly.
Philly -6.5 over DETROIT - Well Detroit, you almost showed me something. Now you've got no QB and must feel like God is against your football team. So it's kind of like every year.
GREEN BAY -14 over Buffalo - The Bills have a sneaky-good pass D and the Packers are down their starting RB, but all that will serve to do is keep this one reasonable until half. Come on CJ Spiller, good time to do something ridiculous and trip up the Cheeseheads.
DENVER -3.5 over Seattle - Calling last week a fluke and going with the home team
OAKLAND -3.5 over St. Louis - Would never wager on either of these teams, and if you tied an enemy combatant to a chair in front of this game, the ACLU would file a brief opposing it.
NEW YORK JETS +3 over New England - Toughest game of the week, going with Revis bottling up Moss, Rex Ryan going into his Mad Scientist Blitz Handbook and the Jets grinding it out
Houston -3 over WASHINGTON - The Skins beat Dallas, defense looks sharp, but if not for a boneheaded play to end the first quarter, the Cowboys probably pull that thing out. Houston looks sharp early, here's comes a strong start, then swoon.
SAN DIEGO -7 over Jacksonville - I mean it's gotta be, right? I know nothing about this league if this doesn't happen.
COLTS -6 over New York Giants - Return of the Manning Bowl, I'd hit mute, but they'd know it somehow and compensate by showing me more Archie
SAN FRANCISCO +6 over New Orleans - Saints still win, but an angry Niner's team and tricky winds keep it close
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