NFL 2009: Week 9 Picks

Here is all that I think that was relevant from Week 8.

On to my picks......

Redskins (+10) at Falcons
The Falcons have lost two in a row and will want to get back to winning ways to have any chance of catching up with the Saints in their division. Who better to play against than the Redskins to do that?
My Pick: Falcons

Cardinals (+3) at Bears
The Cardinals go into the Meadowlands and hand the Giants a loss one week. The very next week, they get thrashed by the Panthers at home. Go Figure! Maybe they got complacent. Add to it the revenge factor pumping up the Panthers for this game. I think the Cardinals will be better prepared this week and Kurt Warner has enough weapons to exploit the Bears secondary.
My Pick: Cardinals

Ravens (-3) at Bengals
This is probably the Game of the Week. Earlier this season, Bengals stole one from Baltimore with a game-winning final Carson Palmer drive. The Ravens would like to avenge that in Cincinnati, but evidently their defense isn't as good as it was touted to be. And the biggest surprise of all: Cedric Benson is starting to run amok.
My Pick: Bengals

Texans (+9) at Colts
The Colts just scraped through against the 49ers last week. Manning was missing his receivers by a whisker. The diligent worker that he is, I am sure he will correct it and make up for the TD-less game he had last week. The Texans will have a hard time keeping up especially with no Owen Daniels to throw to.
My Pick: Colts

Dolphins (+10.5) at Patriots
The Dolphins had a great game the last time they were in Foxboro. But things will be different this time. There's going to be no eliment of surprise with the wild-cat and the Patriots have Brady under center instead of Matt Cassell. Still, I think the Dolphins do cover the spread.
My Pick: Patriots

Chiefs (+6.5) at Jaguars
A potential blacked out game, with David Gad against the Larry Johnson-less Chiefs. Does it get more exciting?? (Oh yeah...sarcasm!!)
My Pick: (coin toss....coin spinning.... lands heads ..... so Jaguars it is!) Jaguars

Panthers (+13.5) at Saints
You have to wonder what took the Panthers so long to figure that they should run the ball far more and reduce the total number of plays coming of throws from Jake Delhomme. They seem to have figured it out, but will they sustain the plan or go back to their throwing ways after their win against the Cardinals. Well it probably won't matter either way this week against the Saints.
My Pick: Saints

Lions (+10) at Seahawks
The Seahawks are decimated by injuries and are in shambles this season. The Lions too are trying to get healthy and compete at a higher level. But it's going to be hard for the Lions to keep it close up in Seattle.
My Pick: Seahawks

Chargers (4.5) at Giants
The Giants are on a skid. Their secondary is exposed, and their QB suddenly does not look like a 90+ million dollar man. The Chargers, on the other hand are in a hole behind the Broncos in their division, but if history has taught us something about Norv Turner's Chargers, they will be stronger the second half. Also, Shawn Merriman seems to be finding his feet, which will greatly help the San Diego defense.
My Pick: Chargers

Titans (+4) at 49ers
The 49ers managed to keep the Colts in check and help Peyton Manning TD-less. The Titans finally got their first win of the season last week, thanks to Chris Johnson's strong showing against the Jaguars and some level-headed play by Vince Young. But, there is a reason why Young was kept hidden behind Terry Collins for over a year. And the niners will do a better job stopping the run than the Jaguars did.
My Pick: 49ers

Cowboys (+3) at Eagles
Another one of those NFC East grudge matches. Well, all NFC East match ups are grudge games. aren't they? The Eagles seem to have exploded on offense with their fast play makers drafted the last couple of years. The Cowboys meanwhile have discovered a gem in Miles Austin. Wouldn't surprise me if this game turns into a shoot out. But I have 2 reasons to pick the Eagles here: Eagles at home and Romo going four games without an INT will be unreal (he already has 3 without an INT)
My Pick: Eagles

Steelers (-3) at Broncos
The Steelers have been in close games almost every week. But of late, their defense has been showing up and taking over games. I think that will continue this week against the Broncos. Gone are the days when the Broncos were unexpectedly sneaking up on people.
My Pick: Steelers

Packers (+9.5) at Bucs
Who are these Packers?? They sure are talented and young, but are they a legit contender this season? They are yet to beat a team with a winning record this season. You cannot really hold that against them because the 3 games against winning teams were: 2 against the Vikings (who are the real deal) and the Bengals (who are pretty good too). They have another week where they should take care of business against a win less team and then face a relatively tougher schedule with Dallas and SF coming up next. Those two games are what can make or break any wild card hopes they have.
My Pick: Packers

Record
Last Week: 9-4
Year to date: 81-35

Ron Paul Vs. Michael Moore (On Larry King Live)

Here's a clip of Congressman Ron Paul who was on Larry King Live last week. I believe he was called on the show to respond to some statement(s) from Michael Moore. Oh yeah, the very ultra-liberal hack who makes boatloads of his cash through the capitalist system of movie-making. I don't know why do people even take this guy seriously anyway??.

Ron Paul here touches a lot of topics starting with health care. He then talks about "Capitalism vs Corporatism", making his point that our economy is more Corporatist than Capitalist, and that is the root cause for a lot of problems we have today. He also touches on the following topics: lobbying's influence on legislation, our 1-party system, the illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Wall Street's Capture of Washington, the Federal Reserve, bailouts, liberty and the forgotten Constitution.

If you watch the entire clip (about 10 minutes), you will realize how much common sense this man makes. Why isn't this guy not in main-stream politics is beyond me. Imagine a President who not only has the right ideas, but also the gonads to do what he believes in, least bothered of what his party or his opposition thinks.



Bites from the clip:

• "We have lost our faith and confidence and understanding in how free markets work," he said. "We turned it upside-down by saying that any time corporations get benefits, we call it capitalism and freedom, and it's corporatism. It's the military industrial complex. It's all the special interests."
• "This is where Michael Moore gets it all wrong. He believes diligently in free markets because he believes in the First Amendment. He believes in making films. He doesn't believe in prior restraints. So, why should he condemn capitalism? He's condemning corporatism. I condemn it too. Special privileges for corporations is a big problem."
• "I think I complain about it as much as he does, but I think I understand it differently. When a country embarks on deficit financing and inflation-ism, you wipe out the middle class and wealth is transferred from the poor and middle class to the rich. When we get into trouble, the corporations -- once again, who are in control -- they come for their bailout and they get the benefits and the little people don't."

The worst halloween hangover ever

Brett Favre comes into Lambeau wearing his No. 4 Jersey in Purple; in spite of all the boos, plays his best game at Lambeau since 2004/05. While the Packers offense is literally non-existent the first half, with not too much support from the defense and next to no support from the special teams. Hard to fathom a better recipe for disaster than that. End result: ruining realistic hopes of a Packer division title this season. Without doubt, the worst halloween hangover ever.

This post is not only to delineate how the game went down, but also reveal some of the emotional backlashes during and after the game, and to take a "glass half full" look at the remainder of the Packer season.

The love-fest begins.....

Right from the start, Brett Favre had a very emotional relationship with his fans. His ups and downs on the field are very well documented. He came across to football fans as a player who no matter what the situation of the game was, would play like he would in the backyard. He played with passion and heart. There was never a throw in his mind that he ever thought he could not make. That cost him and his team a lot, but it also brought joy and excitement to Packer fans when they worked. Very early in his career, this trait of his, took him to a pedestal of a legend and folk lore. But his personal life was what exposed the human side in him. His early addiction to Vicodin, his wife Deanna's fight with cancer and later, the death of his father, and other common-man problems made fans believe he was one of them. He was not some flawless idol or celebrity that had a perfect life. On the contrary, they could relate their lives to a man affected by life-altering day-to-day issues. This was what brought him close to the hearts of all football fans (exceptions: Bears and Vikings), not only Packer fans. No matter which team you supported, people were always rooting for Favre. Nothing was more evident of this than what happened on a Monday Night in 2003, the day after Brett's father passed away (video below). And remember, that was in front of the fanatic Raider-Nation:

"V" for Vendetta

Fans were emotionally invested in Brett, and their love for him seemed eternal. Turns out, that connection was going to be tested. Since early 2000s, Brett started flirting with the "R" word. But it was not until the 2005-06 season that people really thought it would happen. After the 2007-08 season, which ended for Brett and the Packers with a heart-breaking pick by No.4 in OT in the NFC championship game, things got flakier for Favre. The Packers were ever-so close to the Superbowl as they had been since 1997. But, although talented, they were the youngest team in the league (counting No.4 who was 38) and to Favre apparently not mature enough to sustain their 2007 season magic. So he decided to leave on a high and officially retired, for the first time that is. Within weeks after his first retirement, he had second thoughts about retirement. After some secret visits by Packer front office folks to Kiln, Mississippi, Favre still was not sure. Its important to note that back then, the Packers were ready to embrace him back with both arms, but Favre just could not make up his mind. Months later, he publicly revealed that he wanted to come back. But now, the Packers were not as receptive and relayed to Favre that they had "moved on". The reason for this decision was three-fold. First, they were tired of Favre's annual flirtation with retirement, impeding the off-season planning of team personnel. Second, they had Aaron Rodgers under contract for only another year after that. Although they liked what they saw in practice, they needed him to have a year-long audition before signing him up long term. The return of Favre meant Rodgers would be untested in game conditions and would have a tough decision when Rodgers becomes a free-agent a year later. Thirdly, as already mentioned, the Packers were the youngest team in the league and having a younger QB meant they could grow together. Bringing back Favre for a year meant loss of continuity after a year.

But this decision by Green Bay, drove Favre crazy. The emotional character that he is, he took this personal and held his grudge against the GM Ted Thompson. When this became apparent, the Packers tried to get Brett back to GB and try lure him into a lucrative deal for not playing. But by then Favre had made up his mind. He had to go to another team and stick it up to his old team. It is not clear if he had the Vikings in his mind back then, but the Packers sure thought he did. After a lot of drama and flip-flopping, the Packers traded Brett to the Jets with a clause which practically meant Jets couldn't trade him back to the Vikes or any of the NFC North teams. After a lofty year with the Jets, Favre decide to retire...... again. But this time, the Jets released him and he was free to go to any team. Joining the Vikings was a no-brainer to him. It was the same system he had been playing in for years at GB (the west coast offense) and he also had familiarity with the coaching staff up in Minnesota. And of course, there still was that urge inside him to teach Ted Thompson and the Packers a lesson. The Vikings had a solid team, with a great defense and a great running back in Adrian Peterson. The missing piece for their jigsaw was a reliable QB, and Favre more than fit that bill, bringing in play-making abilities to the table too.

Homecoming (Drama) Queen

The date: Nov 1st 2009. It is the day Favre had been waiting for for almost a year and a half for. In his mind, it was the day he can prove to the world that Ted Thompson and the Packers made a mistake of letting him go. He was stepping onto Lambeau field for the first time ever not wearing Green and Gold. To add insult to injury it turns out to be the hated Purple Jersey of the Vikings. Four weeks earlier, he already had the first part of his revenge, but to him this was even more important; he was coming back "home". An opportunity to show his beloved "fans" what they were missing on.

But in reality, the Packer's decision to let him go was not a hasty one. It was not personal like Favre might think it was. The Packers had this well thought out and deliberated before they made their call. The fact was that, as a veteran, Favre was not his best the last few years with the Packers (with the exception of the 2007 season). Obviously, age had something to do with it. But more importantly, Favre was playing with a whole bunch of younger players and had a tough time coping up with new ways in the locker room. He was their father's age and could no longer be the jokster that he loves to be. Now looking back, subconsciously, it affected his drive to play as a team. He felt he always had to put things on his shoulders and carry the team, forcing himself into bad decisions on the field costing him and the team. If the Packers had kept him, the same would have continued, and it wouldn't be this motivated, revenge driven Favre, who now has a chip on his shoulder, trying to prove he can still play. So the Packers are in effect not missing out on his "magic". Favre might have out-shined Aaron Rodgers this year, but Rodgers has a bright future ahead of him with tremendous upside, a potential future superstar in the league. He will mature with the rest of his young teammates and the intention is to give them a chance to potentially grow into a successful prosperous core of players for years to come. The Packers have sure put their young players in a position to do that under the leadership of Rodgers. Only time will tell if that plan comes to fruition.

That said, Favre, in spite of the grudge in his mind, had given us Packer fans years of excitement and joy. Unless he goes on to play a few more years and wins multiple championships here on, he will eventually retire as a Packer. He might be in Purple now, but in our hearts and deep inside his, he will always be a Packer. When he set foot onto Lambeau field on Sunday, short-sighted fans, and people with selective amnesia, decided to show their appreciation or rather lack there of. It felt so wrong to hear all those boos in the air. Here them for yourself:

But then..... fans will be fans. Right when I started hearing the boos, I had a feeling Packer fans were building themselves some bad karma, which evidently came true with the loss. And giving the drama queen another reason to tear up later.


The Xs and Os

To talk about some real football, what went wrong for the Packers? It's hard to find a single reason for their abysmal showing. To begin with, the offensive line although improved from their last meeting with the Vikings, was still a liability. Pass protection was one thing, but they could not even help a whole lot in the run game. Bulk of the blame for the lack of running yards should fall on the play calling and the RB Grant. It's hard to swallow that Aaron Rodgers was the leading rusher for the Packers with 57 yards. The O line still allowed 6 sacks, but this time around, they were mostly coverage sacks, where Rodgers had no one open, and held on to the ball too long, without running out of the pocket or throwing it away. Those sacks are on Rodgers more than his O line. But the O-line still did not keep Rodgers away from pressure even with no Viking Blitzes. Moreover, the play calling lacked vision and ideas. When the pass rush is hot, and no apparent running room, where were all the draw plays and screen plays? Nada. This one is on McCarthy and the game-planning as a whole. A combination of this and some inefficiency on the part of Rodgers held the Packers offense to a meager 47 yards in the first half. The first half turned out to be the worst 2 quarters played by Rodgers this year and possibly over his short career. Two Minutes into the 3rd Quarter, the score was 24-3 Vikes. Even thought the Packers pulled within 4 points of the Vikings later in the half, the lack of imagination in the play calling and the inability to execute plays in the first half was too deep a hole the Packers dug themselves into.

The Packer special teams was horrible, especially their kick return coverage was MIA. The Packers were a mammoth minus-154 yards in field position for the game, which is more than 1.5 times the length of the entire field. It is a tall order to overcome that against any opposition, let alone the Vikings. Percy Harvin had 261 total yards for the game, most of them coming off kick returns (One receiving TD and 2 returns setting up TDs). The short fields that the Vikings offense took control of helped them score faster and did not give the Packers defense much of a chance to hold them to 3 and outs. The Vikings kick returns None more damaging than his return after the Packers came to within 24-20 with all the momentum riding with them and the rookie just killed it all with a monster return deep into packer territory.

Angry Football Gods

Taking nothing away from the dominant performance of the Vikings, there were so many things that happened this game, which could have helped the Packers. To begin with, on the first scoring drive of the Vikings, they were in the red-zone, on 3rd down, Al Harris made a great play to stop a first down and make the Vikings go 3 and out. But then Johnny Jolly of the Packers made a bone-headed mistake, he got into a tussle with one of the Vikings and lost it for a second, head butting the Viking. That was an obvious 15 yard penalty, and instead of the Vikings lining up to kick a field goal, they were within the 10 yard line with a fist down. they went on to score a TD and grab the lead 7-3 and the early momentum. But for that play, the Packers would have tied it at 24-24 in the 3rd quarter, making it a whole new ball game than it was before.

Then there was the Percy Harvin TD. Favre threw about 30 yards deep to Harvin for the catch. It was between 3 packer defenders. Unfortunately for them, the 3 Packers tumbled onto one another completely missing the receiver. The tangled defenders could not stop Harvin from taking the ball to the house. Now, it cannot be said that the Vikings would not have scored a TD if Harvin was tackled at the spot of the catch, but it was a rare incident that went against the Packers.

There were a number of football plays too, that went against the interest of the Packers. I am reluctant to include them in the category of lucky/unlucky breaks, but if one or two of those had gone the Packers' way, the outcome might have been different. Like the play where, Nick Barnett manages t get a hand on the ball just when Favre released it and it went up in the air, but none of the 5 packers around it could not come up with the pick. Or the play before that, where the tipped pass goes in the air, and falls to the ground just short of a diving Nick Collins. Or the Favre TD pass to Berrian that sealed the deal, it was inches away from the reach of Barnett again. Of course a couple of plays went against the Vikings too, but the number of bad bounces against the Packers far outnumbered them.

Well, at the end of the day, would-a, could-a, should-a stories don't take you anywhere.

Looking into the crystal ball......

After the Vikings win, they now enjoy a 3.5 game cushion over the Packers and the Bears in the NFC North Division. Any realistic chances for both the teams to catch up on the Vikings was gone after this game, barring an unlikely Vikings collapse. The only hope now for the Packers is the wild-card race. At the moment, the teams competing for the 2 NFC wild card spots are Eagles (5-2), Giants (5-3), Bears (4-3), Packers (4-3) and Falcons (4-3). Still having an outside shot at it are the Panthers (3-4) and the 49ers (3-4). It is still rather early to analyze wild card standings, but its good to look where you stand at the moment.

The Packers have a chance of clinching a wild card spot only if they start get a string of victories together. They probably cannot afford to lose more than 2 more games to contend for a playoff spot. With their schedule including teams like the Ravens, Steelers, Cowboys etc, its a tall order to shoot for. To stand any chance of accomplishing that, the Packers have to play better. Set their Offensive Line straight, not only for pass protection, but also to help in run-blocking. They need a boost in special teams play, including better punting and kicking by Kapinos and Crosby. Game planning and play calling should be more spot on and efficient. On top of that, called plays should be executed in a crisp manner. We have seen glimpses of fine execution of the offense this season, but only in spots and not throughout a game. The defensive play calling has been decent enough, but individual players should pick up their level of play. Especially Cullen Jenkins, Aaron Kampman and Nick Collins. These guys used to be all over the ball the last couple season, but are having a hard time settling down in the new system. They also need to be coached better to avoid penalties, especially the pre-snap ones. And please no more dumb penalties.

Here's to hoping for a chance for the Packers to avenge the sweep with just one playoff win over Favre and the Vikings. Now wouldn't that be bitter-sweet?

NFL 2009: Week 8 picks

Here's my Week 7 Review.

On to the picks.....

Texans (-3.5) at Bills
Even though the Texans managed to hold on for their win last week against the 49ers, they sure show signs of inability to finish off games. A couple weeks earlier, they could not score from the Cardinals 1 yd line with 3 chances to do it. But against the Bills, they should have enough offensive fire power to get it done.
My Pick: Texans

Browns (+13.5) at Bears
The Bears would definitely like to clean up their defense. They have to stop Jamal Lewis and the run. They should be fine against Derek Anderson's throws in the secondary, but need to shore it up for future tougher opponents. Jay Cutler will not be as bad as last week when he's not trailing in the game. But I will not be surprised if the Browns do cover the spread.
My Pick: Bears

Seahawks (+9.5) at Cowboys
The Cowboys looked good against the Falcons, but there are a few things that still needs fixing apart from their secondary. Romo should prove he is capable of playing a string of games at the level he did last week. He also needs to invent some kind of chemistry with Roy Williams, even though Miles Austin has emerged as his premier target the last 2 games. The Seahawks will want to redeem themselves after that miserable thumping they took against the Cardinals. Even if they have some of their injured defensive starters back after the bye, its a tough ask trying to win one at Dallas stadium.
My Pick: Cowboys

Rams (NL) at Lions
In this clash of the minnows, a lot hangs on who starts at QB for the Lions. If Stafford is back from his injury, he brings a lot to make the Lions competitive and the Lions have a strong chance winning their second game of the season. If he cannot start, I think the Rams get their first win of the season.
My Pick: Rams

49ers (+11.5) at Colts
Alex Smith was named the starter for the niners this week, after his almost miraculous come back last week. Although it was an inspired and impressive showing by him last week, it was just one half of football. We have seen him show promise before, only to show up with inaccurate thrown another day, and capable of bad decisions. But is the new Alex any different? But it may not matter much this week as they are facing the Colts, who in my opinion, are the best team in the NFL right now.
My Pick: Colts

Miami (+3.5) at Jets
The Jets had it easy against the Raiders last week. The visiting Dolphins will not be so kind. No more sideline hot dogs for you Mark Sanchez. Only large doses of the Wild cat to chew on.
My Pick: Dolphins

Giants (NL) at Eagles
The Giants have had a horrible two weeks. First, their secondary was torn apart by Brees and the Saints. The next week, the Giants offense was tormented by the swarming Cardinals defense. The Eagles did follow their loss to the Raiders with a win against the Redskins. But how much is the beating of the lowly Redskins, who are deep in internal turmoil, an indication of progress for the Eagles? Also, the Philly fans may just not be into this game as they will be gearing up for the World Series game to be played a couple hours after this game Sunday right across the street.
My Pick: Giants

Broncos (+3.5) at Ravens
The Broncos are back after a bye week to face the Ravens in their house. The Broncos do have a stout defense and a very efficient offense. But the Ravens have been at the receiving end of 3 heart-breakers in a row. Even though I am wary about picking against the Broncos, I still think I will do it. After this week, there is gonna be one less undefeated team in the league.
My Pick: Ravens

Jaguars (+3) at Titans
Jeff Fisher didn't have to wait to go 0-6 to let Vince Young start. Even now, it required some arm twisting from the owner Bud Adams. But, we'll soon know why Fisher has so little faith in the young QB soon. It is on Vince to disprove his detractors. The Jaguars are not going to make it easy in any way this week.
My Pick: Jaguars

Raiders (+16.5) at Chargers
The Raiders are stuck with JaMarcus Russell. Not only in terms of the money they have invested in him, but also his potential replacements; Bruce Godowski and Charlie Frye are not upgrades by any means over Russell. The Raiders would rather keep throwing Russell into the pond and let him learn the hard way. The Chargers just beat the Chiefs pretty convincingly. But there is no room for complacency, especially with the Broncos already almost in the un-catchable position in their divisional standings.
My Pick: Chargers

Panthers (+10) at Cardinals
Only John Fox knows how in the world is Jake Delhomme still the starter in Carolina? It shows the confidence the coach has in Jake or the lack of in backup Matt Moore. The Cardinals are on a roll with a string of impressive wins. And the memories of their thrashing of the Panthers in last year's playoffs will be fresh in their minds.
My Pick: Cardinals

Falcons (+10) at Saints
This is one of 3 match ups this week, where the division leader faces the second place team in their division. The Saints though, should have no problem separating from them with a win and marching on through their upcoming soft schedule.
My Pick: Saints


Vikings (+3) at Packers

Aren't people tired yet of the hype and hoopla over Favre's return to Lambeau? I sure am. It obviously is a very meaningful game for him and the Packer fans, especially the ones, unlike me, who can't get over the fact that the Favre who was a packer is retired and GB has a new young talented guy deservedly taking over from the legend. The Packers have the youngest roster by age in the NFL and most of the young guys haven't played with Favre in his hey-day. So except for people like Donald Driver, this whole return of Favre doesn't mean so much to the team as a whole.

Even without all these sub-plots, this is an important game for both teams this season. A Vikings win separates them from the Packers with a 2.5 game lead. A Packer win brings the Packers within half a game of the division lead. Throw in the fact that this is a divisional rivalry with a lot of bad blood on both sides even before the Favre saga, by no means is this just another game.

Talking about the actual football factors that might affect this game, the Packers will come in with the same game plan as last time, only with better execution. They will hope to hold Adrian Peterson to less than 100 yards, and let Favre win the game with his arm. With Atari Bigby back at Strong Safety in the secondary this time around, it isn't going to be easy picking for No.4. The injury that might sidebar Bernad Berrian doesn't help their cause. To keep the pressure on Favre, apart from better pass rush than last time, the Packers offense needs to score and stay ahead as much as they can and as long as they can. For this, they need their offensive line to show up. You cannot have a game like the 8 sack outing they had against the Vikes on Oct 5. Also a little run threat could open up passing lanes for Aaron Rodgers. With Antoine Winfield likely out for this game, the Vikes seconndary is not going to be as good as it was last time. But again, I cannot say this enough, it all boils down to the protection Aaron gets up front and his ability to get rid of the ball before the rush gets to him. Jermicheal Finley will likely miss the game giving way to Spencer Harvey try make an impact again on the big stage. Also, Percy Harvin for the Vikes is banged up, but will likely play.

The Packers do think they have addressed these issues since their last meeting 4 weeks ago. We will know for sure Sunday.

My Pick: Packers

Record
Last Week: 9-4
Year to date: 72-31

A politician making sense......

Finally, there's someone in politics using common sense. Although Bill Lockyer is only a State Treasurer (of California), his testimony before the Senate and Assembly on improving State Government is a blue-print that could also help this country out of debt. Hard to find a politician (Republican or Democrat) who has the stones to call his own party folks out..... and Lockyer does it here. Lockyer, a Democrat himself, says he is tired of "all the junk legislation and out of control spending coming from fellow Democrats and issues a stern warning about looming bankruptcy.

Check out this clip (only about 2 minutes):



Some Powerful stuff eh? Compare his level-headedness to the bailout-loving people we have/had at the federal level, Hank Paulson and Tim Geithner.

NFL 2009: Week 7 Review

On the surface, looking forward into match-ups, it felt like it was going to be a rather mundane weekend of football. Turns out, in football, you get hit by surprises from all over. By no means was this an epic Sunday of football, but it was definitely more than entertaining.

To start off, 5 of the 6 morning games seemed to be blowouts with all 5 having more than 2 scores lead by the favorites in each game. The only close game seemed to be the Vikings - Steelers. But closing in on the 4th Qtr, all of a sudden the 49ers - Texans game just sprung out alive. Alex Smith was sent in to take over under center from Shaun Hill's dismal showing in the first half. That was the spark the 49ers needed. All of a sudden they were driving down the field to score TD after TD, after being down 21-0. A special mention has to be made to Crabtree; he had a great debut to his NFL career. Already, seems to be the go-to WR on the 49ers. The kid was attacking the balls thrown towards him, plucking them out of the air. The kid is for real. The niners closed to within 24-21, with 3 Alex Smith to Vernon Davis connections for TDs, by the time they got the ball back for the last game-winning or tying drive opportunity.

Meanwhile, the Steelers and Vikings were in an old-fashioned, low scoring struggle. Dick Lebeau had the best-to-date defensive game plan to beat the Vikings. Stuff Adrian Peterson and make Favre throw to win the game. It is the same plan other teams obviously try against the Vikings, but this week, the Steelers had the defense to back it up. They were able to rush Favre and force him to make quick throws resulting in a lot of incompletions and a couple of late turnovers. Just before the 4th Qtr, the Vikings pulled within 3 of the Steelers with a score of 13-10 (Steelers leading). The Vikings were in the Steelers end zone at the 10 yard line, when Favre threw a TD to Sidney Rice. But then there was a flag for tripping against the Vikings which nullified the TD and pushed them back to the 20 yard line making it 1st and Goal at the 20. Soon it was 3rd and goal at the 8 yard line, when Brett Keisel managed to swat the ball off Favre's hands causing a fumble. The impressive part of this play came later when, Lamaar Woodley picked up the lose ball and took it to the house, with a cavalry of Steelers blocking around him. This made it 20-10 Steelers. The lead lasted seconds, because on the kick-off, Percy Harvin returned the kick the other way making it a 3 point game again (20-17).

Meanwhile, the 49ers had also pulled up to within 3 of the Texans, and were waiting to get the ball back to complete the comeback. Tthe Vikings too, got back the ball and were knocking at the PIT 19 witha 2nd and 3. But then, an intended screen pass to Chester Taylor, bounced off his hands into the hands of Steeler's Keyaron Fox, and again had a bunch of Steelers to escort him back for a TD. This pretty much sealed the 27-17 win for the Steelers. The 49ers too had their final drive stalled when Alex Smith threw an INT on a 4th and goal with about 3 seconds left on the clock. The two exciting finishes made my Sunday morning. The icing on the cake being, another dominating performance by the Packers against another minnow (the Browns).

The excitement of the day didn't end there. the afternoon games too had a couple of blow outs: the Jets dominating the Raiders., the Bears unable to stop Cedric Benson and the Bengals in a total rout, and the Cowboys seemingly turning the corner to be a contender beating the Falcons convincingly. Discounting the battle of the weak (Bills vs Panthers), the Saints - Dolphins game turned out to be special. The Dolphins were up 24-3 in the 2nd Quarter, but then let the Saints come back into the game, allowing the Saints score 22 unanswered point in the 4th Quarter to seal the game with a win. Quite a comeback for Brees and his boys. They remain one of the only 3 undefeated teams so far this season, the other two being the Colts and the Broncos. the drama didn't end there, Sunday Night football, pitted the NY Giants against the Super Bowl runner-up of last year. So much for the thought that the Cardinals cannot play in the Eastern Time Zone, they dominated the Giants on defense and had enough offense to outscore Manning and the Giants.


Packer Corner:

Another week, another bottom-feeder to take care of. This time it was the Browns. The Packers, after the disappointing Viking defeat on Oct 5, used the bye week and the games against the Lions and the Browns to tighten their loose ends, much like pre-season football before they face the Vikings again at home. The biggest gaping hole was with the O line. To cater to that, they signed Mark Tauscher to fight for the RT job against mediocre Allen Barbre, got Clifton to rest and heal up so that he starts opposite Jared Allen, and is a definite upgrade over Colledge who is really a Guard than a Tackle. Even if Clifton cannot go Sunday they have given reps to rookie TJ Lang, who held his own against Jared Allen after Colledge was taken out. The Packers also addressed their running game issues. They signed Ahman Green to backup Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson. Their game-plan against the Browns was solely run based on offense, which helped hone the blocking skills of the O line for Ryan and the RB pack. The defense had a good couple of weeks albeit against the horrible offenses of Lions and Browns. At least it had Mathews Jr. make his presence felt against the Lions and AJ Hawk showed true 1st round draft pick potential against the Browns.


Obscure Packers stat of the Week: 57-3. That is the margin of victory for the Packers the last 2 games combined. Never has this happened since 1966, 43 years ago in Packer history.

What are the visible improvements? The O line played very well against the Browns yesterday. They held their own against Shaun Rodgers and the Browns D line to help the Packs run 190+ yards overall. They allowed 0 sacks..... you read that right! No sacks this week. The defense had its share of take overs, but again, that is not as impressive as it seems with Derek Anderson playing the way he did. For a while it felt like he was just closing his eyes and throwing in the direction of the Browns Jerseys. That said, treating these past 2 weeks as pre-season games, it is more than encouraging to see the Packers i momentum and confidence in themselves. WE have to wait and see if that translates to a good show against an actual NFL team like the Vikings next week.

What better way to end this post than to include another worthy play to the Donald Driver show-reel of the season: Here's the link. (will post video when available)

Liberal Hypocrisy Test

Hypocrisy has always been a part and parcel of politics and the main stream media. Whoever is in power always try to use the mainstream media to not only spread their propaganda and to spin the daily news to suit their needs, but to also try silence any opposing views and opinions by discrediting and decrying the source or facts that may be out there. Moreover, over the past couple of decades or so, it is an undeniable fact that most of the mainstream media outlets are left-leaning. The initial left-leaning sentiments of the media has of late turned to liberal bias and unfair coverage and mis-representation of current affairs.

The current administration has taken this a notch over, of course with the help of the media. It's been a symbiotic relationship. The politicians get their propaganda spread, while the news media get their ratings with the help of the "American Idol" celebrity President gracing their shows. One of the many ways the current administration has used to distract people from actual issues is playing the blame game or using the 'race' card. To the extent that, if you asked,

Q: Why hasn't the stimulus package worked as you said it would? Why hasn't it created jobs like you said that it would?
A: It is all because of the previous 8 years of the Bush administration

Q: Do you think the President is faltering in domestic issues?
A: You are a racist.

Rewind back a little to the previous administration. They were as irresponsible if not more than the current administration in dealing with issues. But the left and the media had similar things said about them like what is being said about the current state of affairs by the right. But the media is going berserk calling everyone who offer criticism a racist or an extremist.

I do not condone some of the harsh criticism and comments. In fact, some of them are outright ridiculous. But putting things in perspective, the hoopla over "unfair" criticism is just a boatload of you know what. It is just an effort to discount the criticism, whose intentions are valid, but methods are crude. The same bunch of people used similar criticism tactics against the previous administration.

Here's a video I ran into recently. It depicts the hypocrisy involved in how the liberal media covers the criticism of the current President. You've got to watch it. If you do not see the hypocrisy (hard not too), then you are officially a liberal hack like the ones on MSNBC. Enjoy.....

NFL 2009: Week 7 Picks

Week 6 Review

Last weekend, all the morning games seemed to go as expected. The normalcy lasted only a few minutes into the afternoon games. A 14 point favorite Eagles, struggled mightily against the lowly Raiders. And the Jets could not hold on thanks to Mark Sanchez n his picks. On the surface these may seem like upsets. But there's always a reason for favorites to stumble.

For the Jets, it was a typical "rookie" outing for Sanchez. The golden boy finally had his "welcome to the big leagues" moment after a rather fast start to his rookie year the first 5 games. The solid Jets running game and the lauded Jets D did more than what they had to against the Bills, but Sanchez kept throwing to the wrong Jersey, keeping the Bills in the game. They were also not helped by another INT by the kick holder, after a bad hold on a FG long snap.

The Eagles, on the other hand, had their veteran McNaab under center, and yet faltered against the Raiders. Maybe, the Eagles were complacent and were thinking like me when I predicted a bye-week-like easy win for the Eagles. The Eagles loss had more to do with bad game planning / play calling than the players and complacency. The Raiders have one of the worst run defense in the league, and a decent pass defense. So what do the Eagles do? They throw 46 times and run the ball a meager 12 times (plus 2 QB scrambles which were not planned run plays). And they were never trailing by more than 7 points at any point in the game, which meant they were never forced to throw to make a big comeback or anything. The Eagles, or any team, cannot win when you have a horrible game plan like this.

I had to write about the Denver Broncos. I keep picking against them and they keep winning. But at least I had a close look at them Monday Night. They may not have any superstars on their team, but they all play with "superstar" sized hearts, especially their defense. Never did I see a player (even a lineman) stand idle even if the play was on the other side of the field. They were all playing till the whistle was blown each play. That's called commitment and a reflection of the coaching staff. Even though they do not have a formidable offense, their stout defense (which hadn't given up a single point in 4th Quarters from Week 2 to Week 5) and their special teams (not only Eddie Royal, but the blocking that made him take a kick-off and a punt back home for TDs) pulled them through, with some steady quarterbacking by Orton and some eye-popping play-making by Brandon Marshal and Brandon Stockley. I finally admit, the Broncos are for real!

Packer Corner:
If the Lions were not a favorite match up already, injuries to Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson made it all the more easier. The Lions had never won at Lambeau since 1991 and that streak was not going to broken. Yes, the Packers did shut out the Lions 26-0 on Sunday, but it was a far from impressive effort by the Green and Gold. The Packers offense was messy and of sub-par quality to say the least.

They not only left so many points on the field, but their quality of play was well below par. They could not run a lick against the Lions, except till garbage time in the 4th Quarter. The Offensive Line was the worst. Injuries were a reason, but all teams undergo injury issues. This time it was not only the poor protection, allowing 5 more sacks of Aaron Rodgers, but the pre-snap penalties were just all over the place. Totally the Packers committed 10 penalties for a whopping 130 yards, which was almost the total 149 yards gained by the Lions passing (71 yards) and rushing (78 yards). Clifton was again injured in the 4th Quarter, limping off the field to make matters worse for the O line outlook.

Obscure Packers stat of the Week: 26-0. It was the largest margin of victory in a shutout by any team whose passers were sacked at least five times since Green Bay defeated Tampa Bay, 27-0, in 1991.

The Packers Defense though stood their ground. Clay Mathews Jr. had his coming out party, with 2 sacks and a tackle for a loss, playing almost the entire game. The pass rush was steady all through the game. That was predominantly because Aaron Kampman was let to rush from the front rather than send him into coverage. The secondary was bolstered by the return of Bigby. But all these developments need to be taken with a grain of salt, as it was all agianst the Lions after all.



Week 7 Picks

Chargers (-4.5) at Chiefs
Chiefs got their first win of the season. It could potentially be their only win of the season. The Chargers after their usual slow start will try to pick it up in coming weeks. But this year they do not have the luxury of a Jay Cutler led Broncos team to choke away their division lead.
My Pick: Chargers

Colts (-13) at Rams
Peyton had a dinged up knee from 2 weeks ago. But the bye came at the right time to help heal it before the next game. The already formidable Colts have Bob Sanders and Anthony Gonzalez returning soon too. Doesn't bode well for the Rams. Still, watch out for Stephen Jackson, if he gets going, the Rams could keep the Colts offense off the field a lot.
My Pick: Colts

Vikings (+4) at Steelers
The 6-0 Vikings against the defending super bowl champs. Adrian Peterson running against the stingy run defense of the Steelers (2nd in the NFL giving about 80 yds a game). But it might just come down to which QB will score on the last drive, and both Big Ben and Brett are more than capable of pulling it off. But of late, the number of turnovers by the Steelers is making me lean away from them.
My Pick: Vikings
Update (23 Oct 2009, 11.13 am): Antoine Winfield is doubtful to start Sunday for the Vikings. This has to sway my pick the other way. the Vikings secondary is not the same without Antoine.
My updated pick: Steelers

Patriots (-14.5) at Buccaneers
Doesn't matter if there is going to be snow in London or not, there just might be the same level of onslaught by Brady and the Patriots this week.
My Pick: Patriots

49ers (+3) at Texans
Crabtree will be making his first start for the niners. FRank Gore will play. Yet, the outcome probably will depend on which Texans team that will show up Sunday. I am predicting the "good" Texans put on a show.
My Pick: Texans

Jets (-6) at Raiders
The Jets should stick to their plan of running the ball more against the Raiders, minimizing the drop backs of young Sanchez. If they follow their game plan, it should be smooth sailing.
My Pick: Jets

Bills (+7) at Panthers
I would have liked the Bills chances if Trent Edwards played. But with Fitzpatrick starting for the Bills, I like the chances of the Panthers. Especially if the Panthers stick to their ground attack against the sub-par run defense of the Bills.
My Pick: Panthers

Bears (+1) at Bengals
This is another intriguing match up for the weekend. Both teams have qualms about the way they played their previous game (both losses) and would want to set right their ship. The Bengals though lost Antwaan Odom for the year, which will translate to lesser pass rush. But Cedric Benson has bad blood with the Bears and will try rally his team for revenge against them.
My Pick: Bears

Falcons (+4) at Cowboys
The Falcons had an impressive win against the Bears and the Cowboys are coming off a bye. I predict the Falcons stopping the Dallas run, forcing Romo to try win through the air. And we know how that will end up.
My Pick: Falcons

Saints (-6) at Dolphins
Wild cat or no wild cat? On the road or at home? The Saints will continue their march of dominance. Drew Brees for MVP anybody?
My pick: Saints

Cardinals (+7) at Giants
The Giants D had a dismal showing against the Saints last week. They will try to rebound at home after that. And the cardinals are playing in the East Coast. Enough said.
My Pick: Giants

Eagles (-7) at Redskins
The Eagles will play for pride after their loss to the Raiders. And they probably do not have to play all that hard for a win either because they face the Redskins.
My Pick: Eagles

Packers (-9) at Browns
The Packers seem to be having a string of good luck with regard to their opponents. Last week, injuries to the Lions helped their cause. This week, a chink of the Browns players are said to be having flu- like symptoms. I am sure the Packers would like that good luck to rather hit their team with regard to health and play of their O Line. Mark Tauscher will not play till next week. Ahman Green was signed this week. He might be active for the game, but don't expect him to play either. After all, the Packers may not need extra help against hte Browns.
My Pick: Packers

Record
Last Week: 8-6
Year to date: 63-27