PIGSKIN ~ Football Sunday; Week Three

NFL ~ PIGSKIN; WEEK THREE

Week Two Picks

Week One Picks

Overall Record:  14-11-3

Week One Record:  4-7-2

Week Two Record:  10-4-1

SHMEAR of the WEEK:  0-2

BAGELS in the BASKET:  -6

Now Week Two was more like it! 


But that's two consecutive SHMEARS of the WEEK I've lost now.  How did I go wrong with the Falcons and Ravens?   Whatever!  I baked up a good Week-o-Bagels with ten wins last Sunday; Week Two.  It's a nice comeback after a dismal Week One; if I may say so myself.  But losing the SHMEAR is burning up 3 Bagels a pop.  That's why the Basket-O-Bagels is -6. 


Week Three is the week I get on the positive side!



Seven teams remain undefeated going into Week Three.
Seven teams remain win-less going into Week Three.
Seventeen teams are 1-1 going into Week Three.

It's a classic curve.


Let's do this.




WEEK THREE ~ The Big Bagel Roll Out:
(Friday's Line NYDN)

*UPDATES

EAGLES -7 1/2 (Giants)
Why am I leaning against my own team?  You can start with Thursday's post:  Off To Philly On Big Blue Crutches.   I'll get into it more before the game.

UPDATE:  My game preview is posted:  Week Three is for THE BIRDS

*LOSS - 29-16; GIANTS  ~ Getting this game wrong is fine by me!



RAIDERS +3 1/2 (Jets)
Here's the deal.  Can Mark Sanchez burn the Raiders' secondary before the Raiders' defensive line beats up Mark Sanchez?  It's a matter of who can do it more often and can Mark Sanchez withstand the pain?  ....Because they will get to him.  Mark still needs to string together multiple good quarters.  Maybe against the Raiders' secondary Coach Schotty cuts the leash and lets Mark fling it.  But don't forget Mark threw two picks last week.  And playing in the Black Hole ain't easy.  And frankly, I think the plane ride out Left is the biggest physical consideration of all.  Those long plane rides dehydrate.  That's fact.  Can you say leg cramps and back spasms?  The Raiders are at home and still a little wacky under Al Davis.  Even Rex can't figure them out sometimes.

*WIN - 34-24; RAIDERS  ~  Raiders are unpredictable, and they roughed up Sanchez.  Did I call it?


49ers +2 1/2 (BENGALS)
My first inclination was to go with the Bengals.  Then I remembered they ruin everything.  How successful have you been picking them?  Disappointing teams do what they do best; disappoint.  That's why the Bengals will lose at home.  Both defenses are about the same, but the 49er splits on offense look a little better.  But I admit, the Bengals were my first choice and I'm changing up to go with the upset.

*WIN - 13-8; 49ERS  ~  See!?  How disappointing were the Bengals at home today?


Patriots -8 (BILLS)
Yeah...what the Bills are doing is pretty cool right now.  And they will be able to score against the Patriots.  New England's defense isn't exactly shutting off any lights.  But they have a machine-like offensive system of controlling the clock with short completions which works the same way as running the ball.  So Buffalo won't be touching the ball as much as they have lately; especially like they did in their comeback against the Raiders.  The Pats will still score two TD's to Buffalo's one all day long.

*LOSS - 34-31; BILLS  ~  Wow.  Buffalo is putting up ridiculous points.  And the Patriots defense is proving porous.


SAINTS -4 (Texans)
Toughest call of the day.  The Saints are only laying a point after the obligatory home three.  I don't see Drew Brees going hog wild on the Texans' defense.  I think Houston's defense is a stiff bunch.  But if Brees has the ball late, the Saints might win by five.  That's what I'm thinking.  Yeah, this will go down to the wire but a field goal isn't the way Drew Brees wants it.  I'd stay away from this game.  If this game were in Houston I'd pick the Texans.  But I'll stick with the Who Dats.

*WIN - 40-33; SAINTS  ~  So much for defense.  I said five points; they won by seven.


BROWNS -2 1/2 (Dolphins)
What's Miami doing?  What in the name of Ponce De Leone is Miami doing?  The Browns should be ashamed of themselves if they lose this game.  Even though he was a tool, Eric Mangini didn't leave a bad team behind in Cleveland.  Can anyone explain what is happening with Miami?

*LOSS - 17-16; BROWNS  ~  The Browns should still be ashamed of themselves.


Broncos +6 1/2 (TITANS)
I just like getting the points in this game.  I don't think much of the Broncos, but the Titans are still a little too bi-polar for me right now.

*WIN - 17-14; TITANS  ~  Those were good points to take.


Lions -3 1/2 (VIKINGS)
Yah Mule!  Ride!   Like a mule - I'm riding the Lions till they say get off!  The Vikings?  Don't make me laugh.

LOSS - 26-23; LIONS  ~  Foiled by a half point.  Lions mounted a great comeback to get in it.



PANTHERS -3 1/2 (Jaguars)
It's probably time the Panthers won their first game of the season.  They covered against the Packers last week.  I don't have a feel for the Jags yet.  But I know they aren't scoring any points.

*WIN - 16-10; PANTHERS  ~  The Jags have only scored 29 points in three weeks now.


CHARGERS -14 1/2 (Chiefs)
They are looking to burn off a lot of steam.  The Chargers have to be the most frustrated team in the AFC right now.  San Diego leads all teams in getting in their own way.  Poor Chiefs; they're about to catch a beating.

LOSS - 20-17; CHARGERS  ~  C'mon!  Was this the best they could do?


Ravens -3 1/2 (RAMS)
This looks like a fairly easy pick; doesn't it?  Famous last words.  Bradford won't be throwing for 300 yards like he did against the Giants.  And the Rams still had to settle for field goals.  Take the road team and lay the bagels.

WIN - 37-7; RAVENS  ~  That's what was expected.  Bring on the Jets!


Falcons +2 (BUCS)
I think the Bucs can keep it close; real close.  But winning?  I don't think so.  It's time for teams to start showing their truer forms in week three.  Falcons win.

LOSS - 16-13; BUCS  ~  What the hell is up with the Falcoms?


Cardinals -3 1/2 (SEAHAWKS)
Let me think about this.  OK, lay the points.  The crowd noise in Seattle won't be helping the home team much.  The Seahawks can't score, and are giving up points like free cups of Starbucks on a damp Seattle day.  One lump or two?

LOSS - 13-10; SEAHAWKS  ~  The sun shines on a dog's behind at least once a day too.


Packers -3 1/2 (BEARS)
I still don't think the Bears are that good.  Maybe over-rated is a better word.  There's only one Monster of the Midway in this game.  Offensively, the Packers look locked-in right now.  Offensively, the Bears had thirteen points against the Saints last week.

WIN - 27-17; PACKERS  ~ This spread was only 3 1/2?


Steelers -10 (COLTS)
Yep.  Lay all ten points.  The Colts' pulse is very faint.  I don't think the Colts will be any where near  ten points.  The Steelers weren't as good as their 24-0 shut-out over Seattle may indicate.  They were still limbering up some old creaky bones.  They should start to flex this week.

*LOSS - 23-20; STEELERS ~  Drats!

SHMEAR of the WEEK: (0-2)
Steelers -10 (COLTS)  LOSS!

Fifteen Bagels; three more with a SHMEAR; makes eighteen Bagels heading into the oven.

Happy Football Sunday everyone.  Good luck.



UPDATES:

Week Two Record:  7-8-0
Overall Record:  21-19-3
SHMEAR of the WEEK:  0-3!
Bagels in the Basket:  -10






Mike.BTB