NFL Week Thirteen Picks, Pats, and Apologies

Last Week: 10-6
Season: 110-66
Record Picking Redskins Games: 7-4
Against the Spread: 20-22-2
Lock of the Week: 7-4

Last Week’s Pats: Nailed the Bengals over Titans and Bears over Broncos. Correctly predicted in my “4 To Score” section that Philly would find a way to cover the spread in New England.

Last Week’s Apologies: My Redskins let me down last week, and I was WAY off on the Vikings-Giants game. And once again, apologies to the Browns, who I keep doubting.

This Week’s Picks:

Green Bay at Dallas: Just an awesome match-up. Green Bay has the better defense. Dallas has the better offense. Both quarterbacks have been fantastic this year. Both teams have been poised and well coached all year. But I think Dallas is a tad better, and the homefield is also a major factor.

Cowboys 27, Packers 23

New York Jets at Miami: It’s gotta happen…..right?

Dolphins 22, Jets 20

Detroit at Minnesota: The Vikings were extremely impressive last week, while Detroit looked to be in the midst of a tailspin. I see the trends continuing this week, especially if Adrian Peterson returns.

Vikings 26, Lions 21

Seattle at Philadelphia: Tough call here. The Eagles played incredibly well in New England last Sunday night, but I wonder if they will be able to rise to the emotional occasion this week. On the other hand, this is a cross country trip for the Seahawks—and honestly, it’s not a game they absolutely need. I see the Eagles squeaking one out.

Eagles 24, Seahawks 21

Houston at Tennessee: The wheels really fell off for the Titans last week as they got trounced by the stumbling Bengals. Houston is a much better team with Andre Johnson on the field, but I clearly overrated their chances in Cleveland last week. Going with the home team here.

Titans 20, Texans 17

Jacksonville at Indianapolis: The Colts seemed to break out of their mini slump last week, while the Jags kept rolling right along. With Cowboys-Packers dominate the limelight this week, many people have overlooked this great game. I am going to side with Manning and crew here, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Jags pulled it off.

Colts 28, Jaguars 23

Buffalo at Washington: Obviously, this one is a tough call due to the various emotional factors. This game, and this season, could go either way for the Redskins at this point. I’m betting we see a serious effort and a big win.

Redskins 27, Bills 13

San Diego at Kansas City: The Chargers seem to be putting it all together. But that’s when Norv Turner’s teams usually tend to let it all fall apart. However, Kansas City probably isn’t good enough to take advantage.

Chargers 29, Chiefs 20

San Francisco at Carolina: Had to feel a bit relieved for Mike Nolan and the 49ers last week. Eight game losing streaks are tough to endure. Both of these teams are toast for the 2007 season, but Carolina just HAS to win a home game, right?

Panthers 23, 49ers 19

Atlanta at St. Louis: No thank you.

Rams 31, Falcons 24

Cleveland at Arizona: I’ve been picking against the Browns lately, and they’ve been burning me week after week. Funny thing is, I really like what they are doing there and I am a big Derek Anderson fan. However, this is a must-win for Arizona, and I see them finding a way.

Cardinals 30, Browns 27

Denver at Oakland: Broncos had it rolling, then they choked in Chicago. I think Devin Hester just returned another kick for a touchdown. Going with the Broncos this week, but I consider it a very “iffy” pick.

Broncos 19, Raiders 16

Tampa Bay at New Orleans: Watching the Bucs, I just don’t think they are very good. But they find ways to win, which is more than you can say about a decent chunk of the NFL. If they win in New Orleans this week, you can pretty much close the door on the NFC South race. I think the Saints keep that door open.

Saints 27, Bucs 20

New York Giants at Chicago: The heat is already on in New York and the Bears are about to dial up the thermostat a bit higher.

Bears 23, Giants 17

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh: The Steelers have been going through the motions the past few weeks, and I’m no longer sold that they are a legitimate threat to either the Patriots or the Colts. They need to earn my respect once again.

Steelers 28, Bengals 24

New England at Baltimore: Might not be ridiculously ugly, but it certainly won’t be pretty.

Patriots 35, Ravens 16

4 To Score

1. Packers (+7) against the Cowboys. I like Dallas to win, but this spread seems high for two 10-1 teams.
2. Bengals (+7) against the Steelers. Generally, Cincinnati plays Pittsburgh tough.
3. Cardinals (even) against the Browns. Going with the home team in a must-win situation.
4. Redskins (-5.5) against the Bills. Getting one for Sean.

More Than a Game

A young man I never met died today. In terms of race, background, and talents, we seemed to have little to nothing in common.

Yet, I spent the entire day distracted, with a constant feeling as if someone had just kicked me in the gut. I am angry. I am frustrated. I am sad.

Why?

Perhaps because in the end, this is more than just a game.




Sean Taylor was as gifted an athlete as I’ve ever seen. I may have had the pleasure of watching one his best games earlier this year in Green Bay; I’ve never seen a safety dominate an NFL game like he did that day. Every time Brett Favre threw the ball, Taylor was there. Taylor was always there. He was a physical phenom.

Now, he is gone. Just like that.

When these things happen, there is almost immediately a cry of how football/sports in general is “just a game,” and that this goes to show how “petty” it all is in the end when compared with the loss of life.

I could not disagree more.

If anything, this tragedy goes to show just much this game matters. Without this game I wouldn’t even know who Sean Taylor was. Without this game, I wouldn’t have viewed Taylor as “one of us,” even though we had no actual connection. But I’ve always considered myself (right or wrong) as a “part” of the Washington Redskins.

In the 4th quarter of the last game of the 2005 season, Taylor picked up a fumble, ran for the endzone, and in a moment of sheer joy, he leaped past the goaline. As his body soared through the air, I let out an incredible, joyous yell. I turned to my wife and said, “We did it! We did it!” With that play, the Redskins clinched a playoff berth—something they have only done twice in the past 15 years. I will always remember where I was when Taylor made that play, and I’ll always remember how it made me feel.

Just a game? Really?

If it’s just a game, then why are so many Redskins fans grieving right now? If none of this matters, then why does Taylor’s death sting so much? I hear about tragedy everyday. People are taken from this life before their time everyday. I always feel badly when I hear such news. But it does not stop me in my tracks like this did. It doesn’t weigh on me. It doesn’t inspire me to write about it and express my feelings.

This does. It’s more than just a game.

We can banter back and forth about the psychology behind sports fandom, but when it’s all said and done, so much of it is wrapped up in facets greater than the sport itself: team, friend, family.
When the Redskins win, I feel great. My day is better. My week is better.

When the Redskins lose, it’s the opposite.

It’s more than just a game.

So, what to do now?

The Redskins have five games left on the schedule and they are in the thick of the playoff race. On top of that, they will play two games within a four day span starting this Sunday. Somewhere in between they will bury their 24 year old teammate and friend. The coaches will bury someone akin to a son. Taylor leaves behind a girlfriend, a family, a young daughter, and a team. I feel like part of that team.

Play football? Should we even be thinking about that right now?

The answer is clear as day. The answer is yes.

I would like nothing more right now than to be able to strap on a helmet, run onto a field, let out some frustration, and then turn to the sky and scream at the top of my lungs. I’d like nothing more than to be able to do that surrounded by teammates who felt the same way as I did.

I can’t do that. But they can. I can live through them. I can root for them. I can root for us.

I’m not sure the Redskins need to play to “honor” Sean Taylor or because it is “what he’d want.” I don’t know what he’d want. All I know is what I saw. I saw a man who belonged on a football field. Was that his most important defining role as a person? Absolutely not. He was a son, a father, a friend—all of those things mean more than being a football player. But Taylor WAS a football player, and he played the way everyone who loves the game wishes they could play.

The Redskins need to play because that is what they do. The game is how we are all connected. Without the game, none of this exists.

If the Redskins go on a winning streak the rest of this season, I will still feel joy. It will be a different type of joy than if this never happened, but it will be joy nonetheless. Only the joy will stem from the fact that they held each other up and continued to fight. The joy will come from the extension of the season. The longer we play, the longer we stay together this year.

The Redskins could go 0-16 for the next 100 years and none of those losses would matter as much as the loss of this one young man.

But how they play does matter. It’s who we all are.

If it’s just a game, then why is there so much pain?

R.I.P. Sean. You are one of us forever.
Hail to the Redskins

NFL Week Twelve Picks, Pats, and Apologies

Last Week: 11-5
Season: 100-60
Record Picking Redskins Games: 7-3
Against the Spread: 19-19-2
Lock of the Week: 7-3

Last Week’s Pats: Texans over Saints was a decent selection, and I think I had a very nice read on the Broncos-Titans game.

Last Week’s Apologies: Early in the season, I picked against Baltimore and they generally won. Now, I keep picking them, and they are generally losing. I thought Cleveland would be on an emotional low after their loss in Pittsburgh, but the Browns did a nice job of bouncing back against the Ravens. And apologies to my Redskins, who gave Dallas a MUCH better game than I expected.

This Week’s Picks:

Green Bay at Detroit: Everything I know about football is pulling me towards picking Detroit in this game. It is a very important game for the Lions, while Green Bay is certainly “due” for a loss- especially considering a short travel week and the likelihood that they may be looking ahead to Dallas. However, I am going to go against all I know about football and say the Packers gut one out.

Packers 22, Lions 20

New York Jets at Dallas: Dallas got a little bit of a scare last week, but their dynamic offense was able to pull them through. They won’t struggle nearly as much this week.

Cowboys 34, Jets 17

Indianapolis at Atlanta: Two weeks ago, I said I could see Indy suffering some “post Patriot” letdown. After losing in San Diego and barely escaping the Chiefs last week, it looks like I may have been on to something. Luckily for the beat up Colts, the Falcons are a Turkey Day remedy.

Colts 31, Falcons 14

Buffalo at Jacksonville: The Jags are becoming more consistent, but I still don’t trust them fully to dispose of teams that they should beat. I see them winning this week, but not without a struggle.

Jaguars 19, Bills 15

Houston at Cleveland: The Texans are a different team with a healthy Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson. Look for a big upset in Cleveland this week.

Texans 27, Browns 24

Oakland at Kansas City: Somehow, at 4-6 , the Chiefs are managing to stay alive in the AFC West race. This should motivate them enough to beat the lagging Raiders in Arrowhead.

Chiefs 23, Raiders 20

Seattle at St. Louis: It looks like the Rams found a few cures for their various ailments during their bye week. Rolling the dice here that they pull off an upset.

Rams 26, Seahawks 21

Minnesota at New York Giants: The Vikings were able to simply run all over Oakland last week; they never had to put the pressure on their quarterback to makes plays. The same won’t hold true in the Meadowlands, where I see the Giants swarming the Vikings offense.

Giants 29, Vikings 10

Washington at Tampa Bay: Either the Redskins come out renewed and energized following their impressive effort in Dallas, or they fall flat on their faces, having nothing left in the tank. The trends favor Washington in this game despite the fact that Tampa is favored.

Redskins 21, Bucs 17

New Orleans at Carolina: The winner of this game will find themselves right in the race for the wildcard and possibly still alive for the division. The losers might as well start cleaning out their lockers. The Panthers have been miserable at home this year, and they enter the game with key injuries all over the field.

Saints 24, Panthers 20

Tennessee at Cincinnati: The Bengals are probably close to quitting, if they haven’t already. But I have a strange feeling that the Titans come out flat this week.

Bengals 27, Titans 17

San Francisco at Arizona: The 49ers have completely regressed following their encouraging 2006 season. They look to be back at square one. Simply an awful football team.

Cardinals 30, 49ers 14

Baltimore at San Diego: The Ravens defense just isn’t very good anymore. They certainly aren’t striking fear into quarterbacks as they once did. San Diego has officially been infected with “Norvitis,” but Baltimore will not be able to take advantage.

Chargers 24, Ravens 13

Denver at Chicago: Denver seems like the kind of team that will derail themselves as soon as you think they have things on track. Despite their struggles this year, I still think Chicago is a tough place to play this time of year.

Bears 17, Broncos 13

Philadelphia at New England: Next.

Patriots 45, Eagles 17

Miami at Pittsburgh: I think the Dolphins are about to pay for the Steelers loss in New York last week.

Steelers 35, Dolphins 16

4 To Score

1. Texans (+3.5) against the Browns. Really liking this line right now. I’m 7-3 on my locks of the week and feel pretty good about this one.
2. Redskins (+3) against the Bucs. Not a homer pick—only the second time I’ve included the Redskins on my spread picks this year.
3. Giants (-7) against the Vikings. Not buying the Vikings offensive “outburst” last week.
4. Eagles (+22) against the Patriots: Yeah, I know I picked NE to cover in my picks, but just on general principle—a 22 point spread in the NFL? Wow.

NFL Week Eleven Picks, Pats, and Apologies

Last Week: 8-6
Season: 89-55
Record Picking Redskins Games: 6-3
Against the Spread: 18-16-2
Lock of the Week: 7-2

Last Week’s Pats: The Cardinals are playing VERY well at home, and I correctly rode them again last week. Also picked two road winners in divisional contests (Denver, Dallas).

Last Week’s Apologies: Miami was THIS close, but I guess I owe the Bills an apology for picking them to be the Dolphins first victim. Small apology to the Chargers, who did what they needed to do to escape the Colts game with a win.

This Week’s Picks:

San Diego at Jacksonville: Last time I thought San Diego was “putting it together,” they laid an egg in Minnesota. Let’s try this again.

Chargers 20, Jaguars 17

Cleveland at Baltimore: The Ravens are flat awful right now, but I have a strange feeling that the Brows may be flat following their emotional loss in Pittsburgh last week.

Ravens 19, Browns 17

New York Giants at Detroit: I still think the Giants are the second best team in the NFC right now; just clearly inferior to Dallas. My theory will be put to the test this week. If the Giants lose, they are just another run-of-the-mill NFC team battling for a playoff spot.

Giants 27, Lions 20

New Orleans at Houston: Can’t figure this one out at all. The Saints were rolling and then got jacked up by the winless Rams? Houston is pretty tough at home. Very shaky vote for the Texans.

Texans 26, Saints 23

Carolina at Green Bay: The Panthers offense is just putrid, and their defense isn’t nearly good enough to win games by themselves. I could see the Packers “going through the motions” this week leading up to their big road games in Detroit and Dallas, but I still like them to find a way.

Packers 21, Panthers 16

Kansas City at Indianapolis: It looked like Indy was still reeling a bit last week from their loss to New England. I could see this malaise continuing for a few weeks, but they are simply too talented to not put the Chiefs away fairly early in this one.

Colts 34, Chiefs 17

Oakland at Minnesota: Going to roll the dice here and say Duante Culpepper comes back into the Metrodome and beats his old team with some late heroics. Watching the Vikings offense without Adrian Peterson is like watching Baywatch without the female lifeguards.

Raiders 16, Vikings 13

Miami at Philadelphia: For the second time this year, an NFC East team on life support went into Washington and had their season resuscitated. Look for the Eagles to carry this momentum for a few weeks. Oh wait, they play New England next week? Check that, look for the Eagles to carry this momentum for one week.

Eagles 28, Dolphins 17

Tampa Bay at Atlanta: The Falcons have fought hard all season long and they are currently on a modest two game winning streak. Tampa doesn’t exactly blow teams away, so I expect this one to be close and wouldn’t be shocked at all to see the Falcons snag a win.

Bucs 22, Falcons 17

Arizona at Cincinnati: Another really tough one here. I think the Cardinals are the better team, but they’ve been bad on the road this year and the Bengals showed some mild signs of life last week in Baltimore. Going against my gut here and taking the Bengals.

Bengals 27, Cardinals 24

Pittsburgh at New York Jets: I liked what I saw two weeks ago from Kellen Clemens, but the rookie is in for a long afternoon this Sunday.

Steelers 29, Jets 13

Washington at Dallas: If the Redskins had some positive momentum headed into this game AND were relatively healthy, I’d pick Dallas to win by 14.

Cowboys 38, Redskins 13

St. Louis at San Francisco: Ugh. Just ugh.

Rams 27, 49ers 19

Chicago at Seattle: My instincts are telling me to pick Chicago to get the big win they’ve been looking for all season, but I saw how badly they struggled to beat Oakland last week, and I simply don’t think the Bears are very good.

Seahawks 23, Bears 14

New England at Buffalo: I have a strange feeling the Bills make this one interesting. That strange feeling may simply be insanity.

Patriots 33, Bills 14

Tennessee at Denver: The AFC West is up for grabs and I think Denver may have gotten themselves back on track last week with their easy win in Kansas City. Just not sold on that Titans offense quite yet.

Broncos 24, Titans 20

4 To Score

1. Chargers (+3) against the Jags. Jacksonville is too inconsistent for me
2. Broncos (-2) against the Titans. Thinking here is that Denver got things back in order last week
3. Cowboys (-10.5) against the Redskins. Dallas riding high, Redskins dragging
4. Raiders (+5) against the Vikings. No Adrian = no offense in Minnesota

Volunterring For Duty In Hell.....Again

“Insanity is doing the same thing in the same way & expecting a different outcome”

--Old Chinese Proverb

If you are a fan of the Washington Redskins, then you hate the Dallas Cowboys, period. You hate the team, the city, the fans, the hole in the roof, the owner, the silly music they play for the opening kickoff…. You hate people named ‘Dallas’, the show “Dallas,” and even things that rhyme with Dallas.

It’s just the way it is.

And losing to Dallas….especially IN Dallas is a horrifying experience. It is made 1,000 times worse if you happen to actually be in attendance. The Redskins have had almost no success in Dallas over the past 15 years or so. With each loss, a small part of each Redskin fan dies.

In 1991, I was in eighth grade. For my birthday, my parents bought tickets to the Redskins-Cowboys game on Monday Night in Big D. We got there three hours early. The Redskins won a thriller, 33-31. Washington would go on to win the Super Bowl that year. All was right in the world. At the time, I didn’t think Dallas was so bad. Perhaps I should have basked in the glory of that night a bit longer……

This Sunday, I am heading back to Dallas. The Cowboys are 8-1 and on top of the world. The Redskins are respectable 5-4 and in the thick of the playoff race, but they enter the game with negative momentum following a heartbreaking loss to the Eagles. They enter the game as huge underdogs.

After my last experience watching the Redskins in Dallas, my wife proclaimed she would never go there with me again. I even “barred myself” from ever going back. Yet, here I sit—ticket in hand, waiting for the gates of Hell to let me back in.

What follows is a game by game summary of what happened, where I was, and how I’ve felt during the past 15 years of Dallas nightmares:

September 7th, 1992: Redskins enter the season opening Monday Night as defending Super Bowl Champions. The Cowboys respond by taking the Redskins to the woodshed, winning 23-10 in what become win #1 of a Super Bowl season for the Cowboys. As a high school freshmen, I took the loss in stride, thinking it was an aberration. Surely, the Redskins were still bound for another championship run.

December 26th, 1993: Washington was arguably the worst team in the NFL at this point. Dallas was on their way to their second straight Super Bowl victory. I watched from home as the Cowboys won 38-3 and poured salt in the gaping wound that was the Redskins 1993 season.

November 20th, 1994: The Redskins were floundering under first year head coach Norv Turner, on their way to a 3-13 season. Yet, I had some hope that we could surprise the Cowboys in their house. Ha! Dallas led 17-0 at the end of the first quarter, and cruised to a 31-7 victory.

December 3rd, 1995: Isn’t there an old saying about the shining sun and a dog’s rear end? Well, it applies here. Somehow, someway, led by the legendary Heath Shuler, the Redskins came into Texas Stadium and beat the Cowboys 24-17. The Redskins season had ended long ago, and Dallas won on their way to their third Super Bowl in four years, yet Washington found a way. I was happy, but not thrilled. It would have been much sweeter had the game meant something. Not only did we only finish 6-10 that year, but Dallas won the Super Bowl anyway—meaning this victory did nothing to help us and nothing to hurt them. On a side note…I was a senior in high school and watched this game with my good friend and fellow fan, Eric. Prior to the season, I had a special Heath Shuler hat embroidered. Before the game, Eric and I ritually destroyed the hat, finishing it off by throwing it down the sewer drain. Of course, Shuler plays the game of his life (the only one) and the Redskins win. Go figure.

November 28th, 1996: I was home from college, watching this Thanksgiving Day game with my parents. For the first time in years, I felt the Redskins (who entered the game at 8-4) had a legitimate chance to win. I believed Dallas was getting washed up, and it was our time to take the reins of the division. After the Cowboys smashed us 21-10, I wasn’t feeling so confident. Dallas would go on to the playoffs, as the Redskins would stumble to a miserable finish.

November 16th, 1997: Watched this one amongst friends during my sophomore year in college. It’s a tough choice, but this one was possibly the most painful of all. The Redskins led 14-6 with 2:00 left on the clock, and had every opportunity to close the door on Dallas—for the game and for the season. However, once again, a Norv Turner coached team snatched defeat from the hands of victory as the Redskins crumbled over the final minute and lost, 17-14. The details of this debacle are still etched in my mind ten years later.

December 27th, 1998: Last game of a miserable season for Washington. Last game of an average season for Dallas. Meaningless game for both teams. Dallas was once again headed for the playoffs—the Redskins were once again headed home for the off-season. Even under these circumstances, the Cowboys still wore the Redskins out, winning 23-7.

October 24th, 1999: The Redskins lost to Dallas in overtime in Washington, week one of the 1999 season. They hadn’t lost since and entered the game with revenge on their minds. Personally, watching with my friends from out rent house in Norman, OK, I thought we’d go into Dallas and exact that revenge. Dallas won 38-20—it was never close.

December 10th, 2000: By this time, the Cowboys had finally fired their last bullet from the dominating teams of the 1990’s. The Cowboys were about to enter a pattern of several years of poor play, angry fans, and non playoff seasons. However, that didn’t stop them from destroying the Redskins on this day, 32-13. The lasting image for me from this game was Redskins quarterback Jeff George being dragged by a Cowboys linemen like a carcass late in the game. None of his Redskins teammates came to his defense. Possibly the most embarrassing of the Texas Stadium defeats.

October 15th, 2001: Did I say the most embarrassing? Oh yeah, maybe not. Both of these teams entered this Monday Night fiasco at 0-4. The world was laughing. It would only get worse for the loser. The game “lived up” to its’ billing, as Washington attempted to run out the clock and secure a thrilling 7-6 victory. However, please pay attention to the word “attempted” in the previous sentence. Redskins running back Stephen Davis fumbled, the Cowboys recovered, drove the field, and kicked a field goal to win 9-7. This was my first Redskins-Cowboys game as a married man. I kind of melted down after this game, and for the first time, I think my wife began questioning her decision.

November 28th, 2002: Ah, a day that lives in infamy. My wife decided to sacrifice her Thanksgiving Day and tagged along with me to the game—my first visit since 1991. It was going to be a long day—we left Tulsa early in the morning, drove to Dallas, and planned to meet up with her family in Oklahoma City after the game. Well, we left REALLY early, got to the stadium REALLY early, and sat there for a LONG time before the game even started. My wife was obviously bored, but she played along. The game actually got off to a positive start, with the Redskins taking a lead in the second half. But as we’ve come to expect…Dallas rallied. When they took a 10 point lead (they eventually won 27-20), I told my wife we could leave. I was furious. What happened next lives on in family lore to this day, and probably always will. Knowing Dallas just ended our season again, and having had to suffer through it surrounded by all of those miserable Cowboys fans, I went into “shut down” mode. I handed my wife the keys, I threw my water bottle to the ground, and I LITERALLY did not say a word until we arrived in OKC almost four hours later. She drove through the night, having sacrificed her holiday, and I stared coldly out the window. By the time we got there, she was probably more upset with me than she ever had been before—or maybe has been since (you’d have to ask her). Anyway, she gave ME the silent treatment for the next few days, and then told me she would NEVER attend a game with me in Dallas again. EVER. I agreed with her, and “banned” myself from ever going back as well.

November 2nd, 2003: Really don’t remember this one too well. All I remember is that it was towards the end of the laughable Steve Spurrier era in Washington, and that it was two days after we moved into our first house—my parents were in town to help us get settled. The Cowboys won 21-14. New house, same story.

December 26th, 2004: Again, a pretty meaningless game for both teams. We were still living in Tulsa at the time and visiting family in OKC for the holidays. I didn’t get to see much of this game, but was mildly happy to check in from time to time and see that we were winning. I had to work the next day, and listened to the end of the game on the radio during my drive back to Tulsa. Dallas rallied in the final minute to win, 13-10. Merry Christmas.

September 19th, 2005: OK, maybe God had messed with me enough. Maybe he figured that just this once, we’d make ole’ Ed a happy man during a Redskins-Cowboys game in Dallas. It was Monday Night. My wife went to bed in the 4th quarter with Dallas winning 13-0. I went into the other room to finish watching the game by myself, fuming. Then, the “Monday Night Miracle” occurred. We scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes and held on to win 14-13. It felt as if the weight of the world, had been lifted off my shoulders. It will probably always be one of my favorite regular season victories. I’ll never forget the feeling I had going to bed that night. On top of the world. Why didn’t I go to THAT game?

September 17th, 2006: Perhaps we had “reversed the curse” the year before? Or not. Another nationally televised game, except this time, Dallas didn’t let us come back. Having just moved to OKC, I watched this game with my wife. It wasn’t pretty. Dallas won 27-10, making last year’s miracle feel like a once in a lifetime experience.

So there you have it.


The Redskins have played in Dallas 15 times since we last won the Super Bowl. Here are the ugly numbers:

Record: 2-13

Average Score: Cowboys 23, Redskins 12

We’ve lost in blowout fashion, heartbreak fashion, and “in between” fashion. We’ve won ONE game in 15 years there that mattered in the standings to both teams at the time.

A 15 year nightmare.

And now, Dallas is actually REALLY good again—clearly the best team they’ve had in at least the past 10 years. So what do I do? I decide to go…again. I break my self-imposed ban (my wife is NOT breaking her self-imposed bad). I am meeting up with a bunch of Redskins fans, but I am traveling by myself. I will only be able to give myself the silent treatment on the way home this year.

Or maybe I can have my own celebration?

Maybe? Possibly?

Insanity?

NFL Week Ten Picks, Pats, and Apologies

Last Week: 6-8
Season: 81-49
Record Picking Redskins Games: 6-2
Against the Spread: 16-15-1
Lock of the Week: 6-2

Last Week’s Pats: Yikes, not much here. Correctly called not only the Patriots-Colts winner, but also got the margin of victory perfect.

Last Week’s Apologies: Where to begin? I’ll start with the Lions, who I said I would start to take seriously if they beat Denver. Well, they destroyed the Broncos, and now I am on notice. Also owe an apology to the Bills, who outlasted Cincy at home and an apology to myself for ever picking a Norv Turner-coached team to win a game on the road. Also, my bubble finally burst on my gambling lines. 0-4 last week. Ouch.

This Weeks Picks:

Atlanta at Carolina: The Falcons are just what the doctor ordered for the ailing Panthers. I think Carolina finally takes care of business at home.

Panthers 19, Falcons 13

Minnesota at Green Bay: Adrian Peterson is pretty good. But so is Brett Favre. If I had ANY faith in the Vikings passing game, I might lean towards an upset here—but I don’t.

Packers 20, Vikings 17

Denver at Kansas City: No one is establishing themselves in the NFC West, which is keeping the 3-5 Broncos alive in the race. I picked them to upset the Lions last week and they promptly got beat 44-7. I’m riding the Broncos one last time.

Broncos 23, Chiefs 20

Buffalo at Miami: I’m picking the Dolphins to win every week, so that when they finally do pull one out, I can say, “see, I told you they’d win this week.” In all honesty, I do think Miami wins at least one game this year, and this one seems somewhat logical, despite the fact that Buffalo has looked quite good the past few weeks.

Dolphins 21, Bills 19

St. Louis at New Orleans: I was very high on the Rams coming into the year, and it is just stunning for me to see them at 0-8. Part of me still believes there is an offensive juggernaut lurking somewhere inside of them, but the stats tell a different story.

Saints 34, Rams 23

Cleveland at Pittsburgh: Anyone interested in Brady Quinn? With Derek Anderson lighting it up week after week, Quinn isn’t ever going to see the field in Cleveland. But I do see the Steelers putting the clamps on the Browns this week.

Steelers 27, Browns 17

Jacksonville at Tennessee: Very interesting game. The Titans would be a stellar 7-2 with a victory. Again, the Jags proved last week to be the most inconsistent team in the league. I just never know what to expect. I’m going to say the Jags D shows up big time this week.

Jaguars 16, Titans 13

Philadelphia at Washington: Really on the fence here—I don’t yet trust the Redskins to string wins together or put teams away. On the other hand, you simply can’t like what you see from the Eagles right now. That sound you hear is the window slamming shut on the Andy Reid-Donovan McNabb era in Philadelphia.

Redskins 20, Eagles 17

Cincinnati at Baltimore: Both of these teams disgust me right now.

Ravens 23, Bengals 17

Detroit at Arizona: I finally caved and gave the Lions some much deserved credit this week. You know what that means…….

Cardinals 26, Lions 21

Dallas at New York Giants: I am a believer in both of these teams. As a matter of fact, with all due respect to Green Bay, I think these are your two best teams in the NFC now that the Giants have solved their early season defensive woes. Can’t tell you how impressed I am with the Cowboys offense—total balance, weapons everywhere. I see a very well played this Sunday coming down to the wire. But I think the Cowboys are just a smidge better this week.

Cowboys 27, Giants 23

Chicago at Oakland: The Bears better get moving if they have any plans at all to defend their NFC Championship from last year. Oakland is a good place to start.

Bears 20, Raiders 10

Indianapolis at San Diego: Very tough call here. I could definitely see Indy battling some post-Patriot fatigue. San Diego, on the other hand, seemed to be back on track until Adrian Peterson derailed them last week. I could see it going either way, but I’m sticking with the better team on this one.

Colts 28, Chargers 21

San Francisco at Seattle: Wow, San Francisco is significantly worse than I thought—and I thought they were pretty bad. Easy win for the Seahawks.

Seahawks 24, 49ers 9

4 To Score

1. Arizona (-1) against the Lions. The Cards burned me as my lock of the week last Sunday, but overall, I’ve done riding well riding them this year.
2. Chicago (-3.5) against the Raiders. Betting the Bears got some things figured out during the BYE week.
3. Dolphins (+3) against the Bills. I do think the Dolphins at least keep this one close.
4. Panthers (-4) against the Falcons. Thinking here is that the Panthers defense puts the clamps on them.

NFL Week Nine Picks, Pats, and Apologies

Last Week: 7-6
Season: 75-41
Record Picking Redskins Games: 5-2
Against the Spread: 16-11-1
Lock of the Week: 6-1

Last Week's Pats: Nothing to brag about. The seven games I picked correctly were all pretty easy.

Last Week's Apologies: First of all, it was my first losing week this year picking against the spread (1-3), although, I did hit my lock of the week once again (Raiders). Gotta apologize to the Browns, who I thought would be the first victim for the Rams this year. And Jacksonville continues to be a mystery as to which team will show up from week to week.

This Week's Picks:

San Francisco at Atlanta: Yuck. Not sure which way to go with this disaster. Flipping a coin...

49ers 19, Falcons 17

Cincinnati at Buffalo: Another tough one. The Bills are hanging around and playing hard every week. The Bengals are pretty much toast. But for some reason, I see Cincy snagging a victory on the road.

Bengals 24, Bills 20

Denver at Detroit: OK, this is my big test for the Lions. I am not a "believer" yet, but if they win this week and sit at 6-2, then I will be forced to take notice. But for at least one more week, I think the Lions find a way to lose this one.

Broncos 23, Lions 20

Green Bay at Kansas City: I've been picking against the Chiefs, and losing, all year long. Why stop now?

Packers 22, Chiefs 17

San Diego at Minnesota: If Brad Childress isn't feeling some heat in Minnesota, he should be. Not a big fan of what he's doing up there. San Diego is back on track.

Chargers 27, Vikings 13

Jacksonville at New Orleans: By far the hardest game for me to choose this week. Jacksonville is so up and down it's sick. Are the Saints back on the right path, or did they just beat two terrible teams (SF and Atlanta)? I think we'll know a lot more about both of these teams when it's all said and done.

Saints 19, Jaguars 16

Washington at New York Jets: This is a great game....if you are a fan of utter boredom.

Redskins 12, Jets 10

Carolina at Tennessee: The Panthers are dominant on the road and horrid at home. I think the trend continues this week; Vince Young looks awful so far this year.

Panthers 23, Titans 16

Arizona at Tampa Bay: Not liking what I see from Tampa over the past few weeks. I think Arizona will benefit from their week off and pull out the upset.

Cardinals 21, Bucs 17

Seattle at Cleveland: With a win, the Browns will be 5-3, but much like the Lions, I will continue to be a doubter until they leave me no choice.

Seahawks 26, Browns 21

Houston at Oakland: The three people that choose to watch this over the Indy-NE game need to have their heads examined.

Raiders 20, Texans 17

New England at Indianapolis: Just awesome. It's really interesting to me that the Patriots have managed to cast themselves as the favorites and the villans in this game, despite the fact that the Colts have won the past three meetings and are the defending champs. But I guess that's what happens when you storm through the league the way the Patriots have the first half of this season. I definitely think the Colts come out fired up, and I definitely think Peyton Manning puts on a show, but right now, I just can't see how any team in the league can stop the Tom Brady Show.

Patriots 34, Colts 30

Dallas at Philadelphia: Just when you want to bury the Eagles for good, they pull out a decent victory. Dallas will do their best to throw a little more dirt on Philly this week though.

Cowboys 27, Eagles 20

Baltimore at Pittsburgh: I'm not buying what the Ravens are selling this year, and Pittsburgh seems to be firing on all cylinders right now.

Steelers 23, Ravens 13

4 To Score

1. Cardinals (+3.5) against the Bucs. Tampa headed in the wrong direction.
2. Panthers (+4) against the Titans. Carolina is tough on the road.
3. Broncos (+3) against the Lions. Playing a hunch here.
4. Bengals (-1) against the Bills. Cincy is bound to win a few with that passing game. Right?