Picks Against the Spread - Week 5

Hey, if I go 13-1 I will climb over .500%.

Dolphins this week

• Miami @ Houston (-5.5) - Full preview and prediction coming sometime this afternoon.

Games of the Week

• Detroit @ Washington (-3.5)- Two somewhat surprise teams in the NFC. Can the Lions move to 4-1 and continue to play like Jon Kitna said they would? Can the Redskins move to 3-1 and remain in front of the surging Giants?
• Seattle (+6) @ Pittsburgh - Super Bowl XL rematch. Seattle is still complaining about the officiating. Did Arizona expose Pittsburgh last week or was that just an aberration?
  
• Baltimore (-3.5) @ San Francisco - Both teams have playoff aspirations and both fell to 2-2 last week, this is perhaps a turning point for their seasons.

The Rest

• Arizona (-3.5) @ St. Louis
• Atlanta (+8) @ Tennessee
• Carolina @ New Orleans (-3.5)
• Cleveland @ New England (-16.5)
• Jacksonville @ Kansas City (+2)
• NY Jets @ NY Giants (-3.5)
• Tampa Bay @ Indianapolis (-9.5)
• Chicago (+3) @ Green Bay
• San Diego (+1) @ Denver
  

Monday Night Football

• Dallas (-10) @ Buffalo - The Cowboys are due for a letdown but not this week.

Pick's against the spread - Week 4 results

I'm off to a very Dolphins-esque start. I got two correct and thirteen wrong! (thanks to Buffalo and Arizona for saving me from a 1976 Buccaneers-esque performance).

Total Embarrassment

It's a sad time when the quarterback you had escorted off your practice facility in training camp comes back to your place and taunts you. Daunte Culpepper got the start for the Raiders and mode the most of it. He didn't light things up like his Minnesota days (he only 75 yds passing and 28 yds rushing), but he accounted for all five of Oakland's touchdowns, including the, "kick them when they are down," 4th and goal in the final minute of the game. I was one to say we should try to hang on to Culpepper, whether or not we had Trent Green. It is understandable, however, that the organization didn't want a QB troika of,

1. A 37 year old who with one hit to the head could be sent into retirement
2. A 30 year old whose knee could be in worse shape than Dan Marino's currently.
3. A 26 year old rookie who has never taken a snap in the NFL (John Beck).

Part of me is happy for Daunte. He has been one of the most athletically gifted quarterbacks in the league and is eager to show that his success isn't dependent on having Randy Moss lining up at wideout. On the other hand, I wouldn't advise him or his fans to think he is back. He was able to make a few plays on the oldest and what I will now say is the worst defense in the NFL (seriously, Justin Fargas?).

On a better note, Ronnie Brown had his second straight outing with LT-like numbers (200+ yards from scrimmage). In the last two weeks he has 38 rushes for 246 yards and 12 receptions for 172 yards and 4 total touchdowns. The highlight of the day was his touchdown run over B.J. Ward.

I'll have more throughout the week including

• Patriots 16-0?
• Bench Trent Green?
• How to defend the run