Click images for desktop size: "Untitled" by Ken Kelly
Finally getting to see USC play this year was an odd mixture of emotions.
They won in a fitful way. What I saw was a team pulling itself together. A team down to its third string O-Linemen anchored by a Center (Sobey) playing with 16 stitches in his hiking hand. A defense full of pride and deeply riddled with injury.
For the second and third quarter the team was a disgrace. They looked like what they were, 2nd stringers a year away from being great.
When the game was on the line Joe McKnight (great nickname - "Oh no it's JOE!") and Mark Sanchez gave glimpses of what the future will hold. But they also showed why they're not starters now.
The emotion those kids displayed in the 4th quarter was touching, it made me glad they were playing a mediocre team so that driving emotion wasn't in vain.
What I also saw was that we were too highly ranked. Even healthy we don't have the wide receivers to make us an elite team. We miss Steven Smith and its very clear that Dwayne Jarrett made a mistake in leaving early for the NFL. He could have led this team and placed himself better for his NFL draft pick; clearly Dwayne could have the experience to his advantage on the field.
Fred Davis is a monster player but even a great tight end cannot be your primary receiver.
Still they're my alma mater and I am proud of them.
Playing this game is not as easy as the people in the stand think.

Last week I was 11-3 with my NFL picks. This was good enough for the top 95% and to raise me to the top 60%. Not good enough for a prize. And the prize this week was a WiFi enabled watch that gives updates of all the scores! Or a thousand bucks.
I've had a thousand bucks before (though it seems like ancient history) but I've never had a watch that gave you all the scores AND TOLD YOU THE TIME!
Of my picks the only loss that disappointed me was Green Bay's. I saw a coach who doesn't know how to win. McCarthy started out with a good strategy but then crippled his gunslinger legend (Favre) and "played it safe" which is a sure way to lose always.
This week my picks are in BOLD.

Cincinnati at Kansas City - Can The Bengals keep recovering from horrific starts? Beats me. The Chiefs are growing and improving. The Bengals are without their best running threat. But Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson are just too much fun and play with too much love for me to pick against them. This will be a statement game from them.

Click images for desktop size: "Love Of Hearts" by Anonymous
Houston at Jacksonville - These are two teams I haven't seen anything of, and they've both gone through some pretty drastic changes since last season. I'm taking the Jaguars because of Jack Del Rio and that I don't think that the Texans have quite learned how to win yet. Landry makes me nervous as a coach. Quarterback's don't make the transition to great head coaches. Their position on the field has a certain tunnel vision, a set of instincts and mind set that doesn't translate well to seeing the entire game.

Miami at Cleveland - The cruddy game of the week. Picking the Browns as they seem a touch less cruddy, I mean they somehow won two games and did hammer the Bengals.

Minnesota at Chicago - I don't think the Bears are back but I do think that the Vikings are facing a disastrous year. their O-Line is in disarray and when that happens a new offense looks even worse. The big interest will be OU's Adrian Peterson matching up with Brian Urlacher. It will be a pleasant contest of physical and mental skills. The Bears are a mess but have far more talent.
Philadelphia at New York Jets - A cruddy game of the week contender. The Jets are in a loser's mindset. They're even going the New York route of ripping their teammates! Disconcerting when they're ripping the guys who are playing the hardest, if not the best. The Eagles aren't much better but are still capable of showing flashes of excellence, like from memories, like a great song where you sort of remember the melody but can't quite recall the chorus.

St Louis at Baltimore - Yet another cruddy game of the week contender. I've loved Steve McNair all the way back from his days as Air McNair at Alcorn State. I have to face the facts that he's gotten old and beaten up. Toughness is a great thing but often the body just quits. Like running 100 yard dashes until you vomit, then keep running them until you pass out. The defense is playing well enough to hammer a Ram's team that is totally lost and confused.

Tennessee at Tampa Bay - This should be a good one. Gruden is not my favorite coach but he is fully capable of stopping the run and maybe even handling most of Vince Young's heroics. The same can be said of the Titans D facing a more lackluster Buc's O. Sometimes I like 13-7 games when its a chess match. this one should be. Picking the Titans because they've had a bit more experience believing in themselves.

Washington at Green Bay - I'm picking the Packers. This is an important game for both teams. Its a defining game. A chance for either of them to show that they've stepped up and are ready to contend. When that happens you have to go with Favre although Gibbs is a far better coach than McCarthy, he still hasn't shown a true appreciation of the modern game. The Packers should shut down the air attack and the Redskins running game is pretty banged up. Another highly enjoyable game and would have been my game of the week except that the game of the year is happening.

New England at Dallas - This is the game of the year! (At least until New England and the Colts meet up . . . possibly). If you follow the sport you should be inundated with enough hype. Brady, the tough lovable vet - Romo, the heir apparent coming off his worst week in the NFL. Randy Moss vs Terrell Owens. Oh yeah. Solid defenses at least one football genius on the sidelines. Got to take the Pats until they show some vulnerability.

Click images for desktop size: "Melody 2" by Reed Crandall
Carolina at Arizona - It feels like feast or famine this week. Another cruddy game. For the Panthers David Carr keeps proving he's been over rated - he can't even get the ball into the hands of Steve Smith! Arizona is less of a mess but its worrisome to see Matt Linhart out of the line up, for personal reasons. The Cardinals are steadying while the Panthers keep tumbling. Watch Carr have a breakout game to make me look foolish!

New York Giants at Atlanta - The Falcons won one for pride. The Giants won one for pride. Now if either one of them could play some good entertaining football. picking the Giants only because the Falcons might take years to recover form the Vick debacle.

New Orleans at Seattle - Okay, I'm picking with my heart. The Saints can't be this bad, really they can't. Seattle is looking like a mess that might stumble into the play offs. Normally I'd take them in a game like this, but Drew Brees and Reggie Bush, I mean, come one!

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