Sports

[gardenman]

And we start out this week with the Commanders going to the Bears. Carson Wentz may have played his best game this year against the Titans last week, but it wasn't enough. The good news is it doesn't take much to beat the Bears. I'll take the Commanders in this one. Looking ahead, the Commanders have six likely wins ahead of them this season. Pull off an upset or two along the way and they're in the playoff hunt. Lose a few of the likely wins and they're in the hunt for a new coaching staff. They need to build some momentum, ambush a team for two, and things can start looking up a bit in DC.

No London game this week so our Sunday slate kicks off at one o'clock eastern time with the Niners at the Falcons. The Niners are the better team but those one o'clock start times for west coast teams tend to be tougher for them. The Falcons are scrappy and have outscored the Niners 118-108. The problem for the Falcons is they've also given up a lot more points than the Niners in 122-61. If that Falcons defense shows up, they could eke out the win. I'm taking the gamble on the Falcons here in this one. 

The Patriots and Browns face off in what could ultimately decide an AFC wild-card spot. Both teams are 2-3 and not playing great. I would expect a close game. I'll give a slight edge to the Browns.

The 3-2 Jets go to Green Bay. Both teams are 3-2 and maybe heading in different directions. The Jets seem to have finally found their new Joe Namath and have won two in a row. Aaron Rodgers is maybe rethinking his decision not to retire and to come back with new receivers who aren't where they're supposed to be when he wants them there. This is a measuring stick game for the Jets and an assumed win for the Packers. Those assumed wins have a nasty habit of becoming losses though. The Jets upset the Dolphins last week and I think they might just upset the Packers this week. I'm taking the Jets. (Yeah, I know. Don't pick against the Packers in Green Bay. My gut says the Jets really want this one though.)

The Jaguars stalk into Indy to take on the Colts. This is a coin-flip game for me. The Jags have lost two in a row and have lost that early-season confidence they were playing with. The Colts got a win last week. Granted, the Broncos had to gift-wrap it, but still, a win is a win. This is another game to take the under on. The Colts only scored 12 last week in their win and the Jaguars only scored six in their loss to Houston. The over/under is 43.5. The Colts have only scored 69 points through five games. I'm not sure either team hits 20 points in this one. I guess I'll take the Colts.

The Vikings head to Miami to take on the Dolphins. I get the impression that a hole in the Dolphins' defense has been found and is being exploited. They gave up 27 to the Bengals (no shame there) then turned around and gave up 40 to the Jets. Hmm, no real shame there, but giving up 40 to the Jets implies there's something bad going on in that defense that teams have figured out. Kirk Cousins isn't a great QB, but if there's an obvious flaw in a defense, he can exploit it. I'll take the Vikings in this one.

The Bengals take on the Saints. I think Cincy has sorted out their Super Bowl hangover issues. They lost a close one to the Ravens last week. No shame there. The Saints had to rely on Taysom Hill to win last week. I'll go with the Bengals in this one.

And the Ravens head up to Tear Up Your Knee Field to take on the Giants. The Ravens are the better team, but the Giants have momentum. I think Lamar Jackson will make more plays than Daniel Jones, so I'll give a slight edge to the Ravens in this one. This is the last major testing game for the Giants in the first half of the schedule. They've got the Jaguars, Seahawks, Texans, and Lions up next and may be favored in all four.

Tampa goes to Pittsburgh. Kenny Pickett's baptism by fire continues with the Bucs. They could have picked an easier stretch of games for the kid. The Bucs aren't the best team in the NFC this year, but they're still pretty darn good. I'll take the Bucs.

Carolina, minus Matt Rhule, head to La to take on the Rams. This should be a mismatch. There is an element of the unknown for the Panthers though. How much will the new head coach shake things up? How will the team respond? Will the Rams be asleep at the wheel? Probably not good for the Panthers in any case. I'll take the Rams.

The Cardinals go to Seattle in an effort for the NFC West to start sorting things out. Both teams are 2-3 and neither has looked great. Both teams are coming off a loss. I guess I'll take Seattle in Seattle.

In what is likely an AFC playoff preview, the Bills take on the Chiefs. Two of the best young QBs in the league, led by head coaches from the Andy Reid coaching tree. Both teams are 4-1 and playing well. Maybe the best game in all of October. Home-field advantage through the playoffs could be determined by this game. I think the Bills are a tick better, but the Chiefs are playing at home. A toss-up game to me. I guess I'll take the Bills.

And Sunday night has the Cowboys coming to Philly to take on the Eagles. While I'm typing this, I learned that for the fifth week in a row, the Eagles have an NFC player of the week. This week it was Cameron Dicker, our substitute kicker. No word on the Eagles' injuries just yet. We have three iffy o-linemen. Jordan Mailata was out last week with a shoulder. We lost Landon Dickerson and Jason Kelce midgame, but both also came back in, though Dickerson also left again. Dak Prescott is presumed to be out for the Cowboys, but he'll start practicing today and they'll see how he does. Mailata and his backup Andre Dillard could both be back for this game which would be good. Jack Driscoll has done okay filling in, but left tackle is not his strength. Expect the Eagles to run a lot to test that Dallas defense. The Eagles' defense will pin back their ears and come after the Cowboys' o-line. Nose tackle Jordan Davis is just shoving centers and guards all over the field in the last few games. He'll be fun to watch. AJ Brown is largely uncoverable and Devonte Smith is close to him. Cooper Rush is playing smart football and smart football is to check the ball down to avoid the big rush. The Eagles' corners, safeties, and linebackers are making good tackles, taking away the gains after a check down. That's been forcing a lot of punts. I'll give an edge to the Eagles in this one.

And our Monday night game has the Broncos taking on the Chargers. Russell Wilson is trying to play through a shoulder injury and flew to LA for an injection to treat it but isn't expected to miss any playing time. The Chargers are the better team right now. Unless they fall asleep, they should get the win.

[Spurt]

Hello Folks----WOW week 6-------Time to make some picks

WASHINGTON vs DA BEARS-----Washington wants to put last week behind them, and it's DESPERATION TIME!!! A lot of unanswered questions surround this game---Can Washington  STOP the stupid mistakes and penalties??? Can the defense continue to step it up and help make up for the HORRIFIC o-line on offense????  Can they find a way to involve Terry more????? No slip and slide weatherwise to help Da Bears as its supposed to be a perfect fall day!!! The Bears havent surrounded their young QB with much talent---even though the Bears have one more win, Im going to pick WASHINGTON to FINALLY get another win!!! 

49ers vs FALCONS---The Falcons lost a close one to the Browns, and followed that by a loss to Tom Brady and friends....With Jimmy G taking over the 49ers are looking good, and Im not just talking about Jimmy G's appearance 😉 49ers with ANOTHER WIN!!!! 

PATRIOTS vs BROWNS---The Patriots skunked the Lions, which had been a top offensive jaggernaut and scored points even with their 2nd string QB.  The Browns lost another close one....Im going with Bill Belichick and the PATRIOTS! 

JETS JETS JETS vs PACKERS---How embarrasing for Aaron Rodgers to lose to the Giants on his first trip to London.....But you can put the blame on the Packers front office in not giving Aaron hardly any help to succeed.....The Jets got their starting QB back, and no Im not talking about Joe Namath and those Medicare enrollment commercials---nope its this 2022 team that seems to FINALLY have the team going in the right direction. The Jets have more talent than the Giants and could pull this off....Who knows if this season will have Rodgers thinking more and more about retirement.....maybe he can lure that Jepardy hosting job away from one of the games's current hosts.....The FINAL ANSWER will be THE JETS IN AN UPSET WIN!!

JAGUARS vs COLTS----The Jaguars took a small step back on their road to respectability....but the Colts won in one of the WORST games to watch in NFL history....still, you gotta give the Colts credit for persevering and getting the job done and a win over the ballyhooed Russell Wilson....still Im not confident in that Colts offense with Ryan at the helm...But the Jags also struggled against a lowly Texan team....somthing tells me to go with Lawrence and the JAGUARS to get a "W" in what looks to be a close contest.....

VIKINGS vs DOLPHINS---Well it looks like after all the lengthy discussions about concussion protocol that TUA still wont be back in the lineup, but the team really needs him! The Vikings are 4-1 this season, so maybe just maybe Kirk Cousin has found a way to win, but they did struggle against a lowly Divisional Rival in Da Bears in a close game....BUT after a promising looking season start, the Dolphins have fallen and even got jettisoned by the JETS......Ill take a chance on Capt Kirk and THE VIKINGS for the WIN!

BENGALS vs SAINTS---Last week those fiesty Saints beat the Seahawks in a hard fought close game...Meanwhile the Bengals lost to the Ravens and Lamar Jackson and that amazing Justin Tucker!!! This should be a great game, a toss up----But Im going with "Joe Cool" over Tysom Hill---BENGALS for the WIN!!!

RAVENS vs GIANTS---It was an emotional and an amazing VICTORY for the Giants---who surprisingly are in the hunt for the NFC East Title.....but how healthy is Daniel Jones after having to do a bit of everything to secure that win along with his wingman RB Barkley.....The Ravens defense is 14th against the run, but 32nd against the pass---but with Shepherd out the Giants rely on their running game, Barkley and a scrambling Jones which plays into the Ravens hands....And I think the Ravens and Justin Tucker will be the difference and contribute once again to another RAVENS WIN!!!

BUCS vs STEELERS---Poor Pickett got the QB starting job but unfortunately his NFL debut went up against many consider to be the top team in the NFL right now, ---and the BILLS absolutely DESTROYED the Steelers...Now young Pickett gets to match wits with the GOAT, Tom Brady.....Pickett gets another lesson to learn from in his young career, as the BUCS prevail!

PANTHERS vs RAMS---Ron Rivera's favorite team to pilfer "talent" from plays a pathetic looking 2-3 Super Bowl Champion team....The Panthers were the first team this season to "go in another direction" by firing their HC, Rhule...This matchup should be a good tonic for the Rams, who still have a lot of talent and should get back on track this week at least. But it wont be because of fan support! The RAMS will win inspite of the spirit of INDIFFERENCE from the LA "fans"......

CARDINALS vs SEAHAWKS----Hard fought games for both teams last week which resulted in loses!---But I just cant trust those Cardinals who are so inconsistent.....Pete Caroll has the Seahawks players battling hard even without Russell Wilson.  Im going with my favorite former Roadrunner, Taliq Woolen and those THE SEAHAWEKS for the WIN!

BILLS vs CHIEFS---Sure to be a preview of the AFC playoffs.....The Chiefs at home squeaked out a win against the 1-4 Raiders---Patrick Mahomes should be called "The Magician" as he always seems to find a way to win especially in close games as the clock ticks down.....But this time, I think they've met their match with THE BILLS who seem to be on a mission to get to the Super Bowl---BILLS will TRIUMPH and the Chiefs will be looking for a playoff rematch!!! 

COWBOYS vs EAGLES---In a showdown for control of the NFC EAST these two rivals meet in PHILLY in front of that tough and boisterous fan base (and I have it on good authority, @gardenman that the fans will be in top form for this game).....Now "assistant" Coach McCarthy (we all know who really makes the decisions for the Cowboys, "coach" JJ) has given a cagey answer to inquiries on which Cowboy QB wiil be the starter, "we're preparing for Cooper Rush".....yep, preparing and playing on the field are two different things....Dak will be throwing in practice, today, Wednesday, and he won't be wearing a splint------so NFL fans, you decide who you think will start????🙄 I think that Philly crowd will give the EAGLES the edge and THE WIN regardless of who is at QB for the BOYZ---FLY EAGLES FLY---PLEASE!

BRONCOS vs CHARGERS----The Broncos gave up a lot to bring in Russell Wilson, and should ask for a refund based on what we've seen.....Another 9 pt game wont do it against a good Charger team---CHARGERS WIN!!!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! 

[teganslaw]

Davante Adams has been charged with a city ordinance violation after shoving a photographer to the ground after the game. The photographer didn't sustain serious injuries, but filed a charge against Adams. He is suppose to appear in court in November. 

Certain groups are calling for Troy Aikman to be fired or suspended because of a remark he made during the game. Aikman said that the NFL "needs to take dresses off" and do something about the bad pass interference calls. Some consider that statement offensive. I don't see the big deal, but people are so sensitive now that one can't say anything without someone being offended. I don't think Aikman owes anyone an apology; people need to lighten up. 

[Spurt]

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@teganslaw wrote:

Davante Adams has been charged with a city ordinance violation after shoving a photographer to the ground after the game. The photographer didn't sustain serious injuries, but filed a charge against Adams. He is suppose to appear in court in November. 

Certain groups are calling for Troy Aikman to be fired or suspended because of a remark he made during the game. Aikman said that the NFL "needs to take dresses off" and do something about the bad pass interference calls. Some consider that statement offensive. I don't see the big deal, but people are so sensitive now that one can't say anything without someone being offended. I don't think Aikman owes anyone an apology; people need to lighten up. 

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@teganslaw 

I saw that and shook my head. I agree there's no apology nor suspension needed 🙄.People dont understand the meaning and history of his comment....That saying goes back to the old quote from Steeler's Jack Lambert after the NFL initited more rules to protect the QBs and he said, "Quarterbacks should wear dresses"...people cant even joke around anymore SMH...!!!!

Troy's working for ESPN now, and they focus on things like this---- more than sports these days and they're part of the overly sensitive crowd..Troy should have stayed where he was.....

[grandma r]

@gardenman. When Jerry and his boys come to town, it's always a huge game.  My guess is that Jason Kelce will play.  Jordan Mailata did practice today.  Happy that Cameron Dicker got recognized for his contribution. 

In a way I feel bad for Carson.  It's almost as if his teammates, both here and Washington,  don't try as hard to work with him.  Wonder if there are issues off the field?

Brady has always gotten iffy calls, but, last week's was ridiculous.   I agree with others who have called for roughing calls to automatically be reviewed.  Monday night's game was just another prime example of how an official's judgement call can change the game.  Let's not forget about the obvious no calls as well.  A player gets spun around and tossed to the ground out of bounds yet no flag.  Imo, no matter what level of sports, the officials should call the games fairly.  If it's a penalty for one team, the same play should be a penalty for the opposing team.  And, if the officials can't handle that, replace them.  (Same goes for baseball officials.  Home plate officials have been terrible this year.)

Fly, Eagles, Fly!!!

[gardenman]

Brady campaigns hard for calls. After his ACL injury with the Patriots there was a play where a defender went past Brady low, near his bad knee, and Brady turned to the ref and signalled for a flag and the ref threw it despite the defender not even touching Brady. Tom starts working the officials pregame and never stops begging for calls. It works for him. It shouldn't work for him, but it does.

Wentz gets more blame than he deserves much of the time. People highlight his mistakes and downplay his successes. When he leaves a team, like the Colts, they don't suddenly start playing great and everyone says, "See! It was Wentz that was the problem!" Washington wasn't a Super Bowl contender before Wentz went there. They were a 7-10 team. There's a pretty good chance they'll top that record this year. Will Wentz get the credit for an improved record? Nope!

And good news on the injury front for the Eagles, all of the o-linemen were able to practice. Some were limited, but all practiced.

[gardenman]

Game one of week six kicks off tonight with the Commanders heading to Soldier Field to see how the turf is this week. It should be pretty good, at least by Chicago standards as the weather hasn't turned all that bad yet.

Wentz will play through a strained muscle and hope for the best. I hope he has a good game. I'll be watching that game along with other stuff at the same time. Sleep? Who needs sleep in football season?

[Spurt]

@gardenman 

No doubt Wentz will be running for his life with that o-line he has----yet, Carson will be blamed----Gee, GM Martin Mayhew please pick up Ereck Flowers better than Panther rejects 

[gardenman]

Rebuilding an o-line needs to be a priority for any team with a bad o-line. It's not always easy though. You need a good o-line coach to start with. Then you need to go through a lot of bodies to find guys who can play. Five years ago (or so) the Eagles had 22 o-linemen on the 90-man offseason roster as they tried to find some good ones. We've got a pretty good line now with good reserves, but it takes an organization-wide effort to get there.

You need the college and pro scouts to know the parameters you want. You need good coaches. And you need to bring in a lot of bodies to find the good ones. It's not an easy thing to achieve. The Bengals are still having issues after devoting the offseason to fixing their line. Getting it right takes time.

Some teams are good at finding a certain type of player. The Steelers tend to be good at finding wide receivers. The Eagles are good at finding good o-linemen. We had three kids poached off our practice squad so far and all three were o-linemen. The league knows we're good at finding those guys and everyone's trying to steal them now.

I wouldn't be shocked to see the Eagles move an o-lineman before the trading deadline if the price is right. Andre Dillard is in the last year of his rookie deal and will be a free agent, so if we can move him and get value in return, he's apt to be gone.

Off topic, but I replaced my old mousepad (so old I have no idea when or where I got it) with a desk mat that covers most of the width of my whole desk. It's very nice, but I've discovered that I unconsciously fidgeted with the old mouse pad a lot. I keep reaching over to move it here or there only to find it's no longer there. I had no idea I fidgeted with the mouse pad as much as I did until it's no longer there to fidget with. The desk mat is much nicer though and Callie likes to lie on it, so she's happy. 

[Spurt]

@gardenman 

I think one of the problems building a good o-line is the guys coming out of college dont fit the pro-games....and/or pro-game schemes....Good o-linemen are getting harder to find!!!! Washington drafted a couple but the talent just wasnt good enough......The Cowboys were lucky in getting Zak Martin and Travis Frederick...just think instead of Zak Martin JJ wanted to draft Johnny Manziel...Stephen Jones stopped him from making a foolish pick...darn it!!!

In the Gibb's era there was no better o-line coach than Joe Bugel---he passed away in 2020 at age 80.....His daughter endured a horrible battle with cancer, but she kept a positive attude and focused on her dad and being a football fan, sadly she passed away at 36.......