Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. Awarded National Football Foundation (NFF) Gold Medal
December 12, 2012
New York, NY—Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. was awarded most of the most prestigious prizes in the sports at the 55th Annual National football Foundation Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on December 4.
The 90 year old is a true American hero who has lived a life of achievement and service to others. Thus, it was extremely appropriate that Brown follow in the footsteps of many great Americans in receiving this honor. The first recipient in 1958 was sitting President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Six presidents followed Eisenhower in receiving the Gold Medal. Other distinguished honorees include Generals Douglas MacArthur and Norman Schwarzkopf, astronaut John Glenn and from the sport of baseball, Jackie Robinson and George M. Steinbrenner.
Brown has amassed a lengthy and important list of varied achievements during his nine decades of life. As an African-American, he spent the early years of his life knowing too well the hardships of discrimination and segregation. His first serious encounter with the sport of football occurred during his college years at Springfield College in Massachusetts where he played end, offensively and defensively, for four years.
Shortly after his graduation in 1943, Brown entered the U.S. armed forces. In the segregated army, Brown was one of the pioneers who flew with the Tuskegee Airmen. The highly respected aviators were honored five years ago with the Congressional Medal of Honor.
After the end of World War II, Brown devoted his life to education. He taught and coached various sports at West Virginia State College. He then moved to New York City. He earned a Master’s and a Doctorate at New York University, where he taught for a quarter of a century.
Brown’s next move was to college administration. He was president of Bronx Community College from 1977-1993. Although past the age of 70, Brown did not choose retirement. At the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), Brown created a new program, the Center for Urban Education Policy, which he still heads.
His achievements have earned Brown many honors through the years. Of the selection of Brown for the Gold Medal Award, NFF Chairman and football great Archie Manning, the father of Eli and Payton, commented, “For his heroic service to our country and his academic accomplishments, we are proud to recognize him with our highest award, rightfully placing him among the many titans who have claimed this highly prestigious award.”
Brown devoted some of his acceptance speech at the dinner to recognize the positives organized sports has provided to the American society, “One of the things the sport teaches us is that excellence overcomes stereotypes and obstacles. Through sport, and particularly football, we have been able to break the barriers of gender bias and ethnic bias and tonight, we can feel very proud that as we honor the excellence on the football field, we are also honoring the excellence in our hearts and minds because we have changed this country.”
Giants, Jets Among ‘Football’s Greatest’
October 26, 2012
One is among the original key franchises in the league; the other has been trying to catch up for a half-century. The Giants and Jets, in part by virtue of being here in New York, both have their places in NFL history.
Sports Illustrated‘s new book, Football’s Greatest, highlights Top Ten lists in numerous categories, from the basics like top players at each position or greatest franchise to more random ones like best uniforms and rivalries.
The Giants are understandably more represented, their history over several generations earning mention on the lists. But the Jets have a few spots, and the teams even share one — Coach Bill Parcells, somehow not yet a Hall of Famer but considered the No. 10 coach of all time by the panel of SI experts that includes the likes of Peter King, Tim Layden and Don Banks.
The biggest Giants superlatives on SI’s charts include Lawrence Taylor as the No. 1 linebacker and the Giants-Colts ’58 NFL Championship as the greatest game ever — tough to argue those. The famous Eli-Manning-To-David-Tyree connection in Super Bowl 42 checks in at the No. 2 play of all time (!), helping make that game No. 5 overall. The earlier history makes appearances with old timer Mel Hein as the No. 9 offensive lineman and Emlen Tunnell as the seventh-best undrafted player ever.
Super Bowl 3 gets the Jets their top ranking at No. 4 all-time game, while Darrelle Revis, still near his prime, currently ranks as the eighth-best defensive back, and the testy Jets-Patriots rivarly rates No. 8.
Lose At All Costs? How N.Y. Teams Rate In Win Efficiency
September 3, 2012
New York sports teams have always had the tendency to spend first and ask questions later. We are all for the winning now, and let those other cities worry about the rebuilding. Now other than the Giants, and arguably the Yankees and last year the Devils, that win at all cost mentality hasn’t really played out, and the latest issue of Bloomberg Businessweek seems to justify that.
Reporter Ira Boudway came up with a win efficiency index for every one of the professional sports teams in the four major sports. The ranking determines how well the 122 franchises in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB spend their money, compiled by using regular and post-season records and publicly available payroll data to calculate how much teams spent per win over the last five seasons (for baseball he also included the first half of the current season).
For this year’s ranking, bonuses were added for the victories that matter most: wins above .500, playoff wins, and championships. The scale also counts regular season wins once, with a half-win bonus for every win over .500. Playoff wins count for 10 percent of a season; championships for half a season. In their Super Bowl-winning season in 2011, for instance, Giants got credit for nine regular-season wins, plus a .5-game bonus for their ninth win—the one that put them above .500. Their four playoff wins earned them 6.4 more wins and the Super Bowl victory eight more for a total of 23.9 “weighted” wins.
So who were the winners amongst the teams? Well if you are a Giant fan, you probably are not surprised that the organization that brought the city another Super Bowl, one that has long been about a system started by the Mara Family, run by people like George Young, Ernie Accorsi and now Jerry Reese, was a top 15 finisher (at number 11) for money spent and wins produced. The rest of the top ten included number one, the Tampa Rays, the number two Detroit Red Wings, the number three Pittsburgh Penguins, number four Texas Rangers and number five L.A. Lakers, whish really does prove it’s not just the glitz and glamor if you have a good system in a big market.
The Mets and the Islanders, meanwhile, got less for their payroll dollars than any other teams in their sport while the Devils ended up at 42, the Jets 53 and the Rangers 59. The Yankees came in at No. 99, while the NBA’s Nets and Knicks were No. 115 and No. 116, respectively. The Mets, meanwhile, were No. 120, not really a good sign that even with the limited restraints the Wilpons have placed, things have gotten any better yet. Now hopefully the recent run combined with the stewardship of Sandy Alderson has things going in the right direction in Flushing, but overall, if you are a fan in the area of the local teams, maybe we should think less about the stars and more about the W’s and hope our ownership groups take heed and do the same.
Heisman Winner and Runner-Up Are First Two Selections in 2012 NFL Draft
April 28, 2012
New York, NY—Despite the two game #7 hockey playoff games with the Rangers and Devils, respectively trying to advance for an opportunity of obtaining the Stanly Cup, football fans on Thursday night were either at the Radio City Music Hall or watching on TV to see what players their favorite team would draft for the upcoming NFL season.
For months, the winner, Robert Griffin III, and the runner-up, Andrew Luck, of the 2011 Heisman Trophy have been the favorites to be selected first in the 2012 NFL Draft, the annual attempt of each NFL team to improve its position in the league by adding new blood from the college ranks.
The only difference between the NFL selection process and that of the college election announced in December is that Luck was the first pick and RG3 was the second selection. The two are the first quarterbacks to be selected first and second in the annual draft since 1999 when Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb were #’s 1 and 2.
Both proved to be true scholar/athletes while in college. Luck, the runner-up in the Heisman voting in 2010 and 2011, attended the academically prestigious Stanford University, where he majored in architectural design. He was not only the starting quarterback at Stratford High School in Houston, but was the valedictorian at the school’s graduation ceremony.
The Indianapolis Colts chose Luck, waiting only 1:19 to announcing the selection. They are hopeful the talented and experienced college quarterback can easily make the adjustment to the pro game and replace their long-time superstar Payton Manning.
The intelligent, young man deflected the comparison between him and Manning with humility, “Payton Manning, he may be the greatest ever and he was my football idol growing up. You don’t easily replace a guy like that. How can you? Those shoes to fill are huge. I’m not going to go crazy trying to do everything. I’m going to put my best foot forward and work hard at this game.”
The Washington Redskins traded to move up from sixth to second in order to grab RG3. The Baylor quarterback was a sensation on campus as well as the gridiron because of his outgoing personality and academic achievement.
Griffin was born in Japan to parents who served in the military, thus he was reared with discipline and encouraged to practice inner discipline. He had special need for that trait when he suffered a torn ACJ in his right knee in the third game of the 2009 season. The accomplished athlete explained that the time he spent away from the sport of football, “Made me appreciate the game.”
Like Luck, Griffin was devoted to his studies. The political science major graduated from college in three years. He was a regular on the honor roll each semester. After winning the Heisman in December, he spoke of his future, “Plan A is academics; plan B is athletics, but sometimes B takes over. I plan to apply to law school. If the NFL comes knocking, I’ll be sure to answer.” Griffin gave a positive answer on Thursday night at Radio City Music Hall.
From this moment on, the duo will be under intense scrutiny. Both young men have the intelligence, athletic ability and self-discipline to succeed on the gridiron and elsewhere.
Sports Beat – 3/23/11
March 23, 2011
One week after the NFL announced that it was locking out its players, Jets head coach Rex Ryan made his first public appearance, doing a meet and greet for Revolution Eyewear at Vision Expo East, an optical trade show held at the Javits Center.
Rex told me that he expected the League and the Players Association to cut a deal before training camp gets underway. I tend to agree with Rex because I can’t see the NFL’s television partners–CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN, collectively sucking their thumbs while they fork over a billion dollars to greedy owners who are guaranteed to get paid by the networks even if there is no football in 2011. You better believe that CBS’s Leslie Moonves, FOX’s James Abernathy, NBC’s Dick Ebersol, and ESPN’s CEO George Bodenheimer will call Roger Goodell into a closed door meeting where the language won’t be pretty if the owners are playing hardball.
It is ridiculous to expect the players association to give up any economic benefits when the owners are making money hand over fist while refusing to allow the union’s CPAs to examine their financial books.
Jets owner Woody Johnson has reenforced his image for unmitigated avarice. Despite the fact that it is the off-season and that he has more money than most nations combined, Woody announced that Jets front office personnel would be furloughed and that Rex Ryan’s assistant coaches would have to absorb a 25% pay cut. This is the same Woody Johnson who wanted New York taxpayers to help finance a stadium for him near the Javits Center in 2005 even though he was cited that year by the Senate Finance Committee for trying to evade the IRS by having too much money in Cayman Islands bank accounts. It should be noted that Giants CEO John Mara has not reduced anyone’s pay in his organization.
“Are you really going to write that about Woody?” Rex asked me. He did not go out of his way to dissuade me. To answer your question Rex, as Sarah Palin likes to say, “You betcha!”
Speaking of the Vision Expo, Melville-based Marchon Eyewear introduced fashionable 3-D glasses that can be used as well as sunglasses and can even be used for prescriptive purposes to correct nearsightedness. Marchon’s Lacoste line has elongated side frames with magnetic tips that can be folded around your neck so that it is harder to lose them. Oakley, which has long been a favorite of baseball players with its stylish wraparounds, introduced sunglasses designed by snowboarding legend Shaun White. Oakley’s sister company, Revo, signed Jacques Cousteau’s beautiful granddaughter, Alexandra, to promote its collection of sunglasses that are specifically designed for those who spend a lot of time at sea such as fishermen and sailors. Hauppauge-based Clearvision displayed its always fashionable Cole Haan aviators while Viva International was promoting its Harley-Davidson line of eyewear.
The Rangers have had an up-and-down season and it always seems as if their traditional April Sunday matinee with the Flyers in Philadelphia is a referendum on their post-season aspirations. The Blueshirts will be at the Wells Fargo Center this Sunday at 1 PM.
Supermodel Carol Alt, who grew up in East Williston, turned 50 this past December. She still looks smoking hot based on her appearance at the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency’s press conference promoting a search for models who are over 40. Alt, who was married to former Ranger Ron Greschner, and is now reportedly romantically linked with former Islander Alexei Yashin, added a touch of needed glitz to hockey when it truly was a niche sport in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
Renown sportscaster Bob Wolff recently turned 90 and he is still not thinking about retirement. He still contributes to Cablevision’s various News 12 operations in our area and he has just written his latest book titled Bob Wolff’s Complete Guide to Sportscasting (Skyhorse Publishing) which is humorously subtitled “How to Make it in Sportscasting With or Without Talent.”
Unlike pedantic sportscasting historian Curt Smith, Wolff engages the reader in a relaxed conversational manner. He singles out the Mets radio tandem of Howie Rose and Wayne Hagin (who has not gotten the accolades from the media that he deserves) for brightening up many a dreary Mets loss with witty banter and timely storytelling. Rose and Hagin will clearly have their work cut out for them again this year.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, a record that many doubt will ever be broken. Sports Illustrated editor Kostya Kennedy recounts the events of the 1941 season in his latest book that is simply titled “56″ (SI Books) although we don’t get much insight into the kind of guy Joltin’ Joe really was. While Kennedy’s book is readable much of the ground was covered better a few years ago by Post sports columnist Mike Vaccaro whose 1941 (Random House) is still available in paperback.
Catching Hell, the ESPN film about unfortunate Cubs fan Steve Bartman that was supposed to be part of its “30 for 30″ 30th anniversary documentary series, will finally make its debut at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival.
The National Enquirer has been dipping its gossipy toes into the world of sports lately. After enjoying a field day with Tiger Woods’ foibles, The Enquirer has recently run stories on why veteran NASCAR drivers resent newcomer Trevor Bayne who won the 2011 Daytona 500, and how singer Carrie Underwood demanded that the Ottawa Senators trade her husband, Mike Fischer, to the Nashville Predators, which they eventually did.
Rock & roll legend Lloyd Price inducted his old Specialty Records boss, Art Rupe, at this year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Price though seemed more excited to discuss his bowling prowess in the Waldorf press room as he claimed that he has rolled six perfect games and has a 212 average.
On the sneaker front, the Air Jordan 2011 is definitely going with a retro feel. Their black and white athletic shoe resembles spats from the 1930s. K-Swiss has been promoting its tubular-soled sneakers with actor Danny McBride playing his Kenny Powers role from HBO’s “Eastbound and Down” (which is about to start its new season) in the company’s billboards and subway ads. Finally, Under Armour, which is best known for body-fitting gym clothes, has quietly gotten into the footwear business and was recently Major League Baseball’s official shoe supplier.
Dark chocolate has a lot of medicinal benefits since cocoa leaves contain anti-oxidants. Forget Hershey’s and Nestle’s; if you want to step up in quality try Green & Black’s Organic chocolate bars which have a far higher cocoa concentration than the big names in the industry.
Popcorn has long been considered one of the healthier snacks and one of my favorite brands is Popcorn, Indiana which makes generous size bags of kettlecorn.
Sure, Florida may have orange and grapefruit juices, but upstate New York has the best apple, nectar, and cherry juices. Zagat has rated Red Jacket Orchards from Geneva, NY as having the best juices on the planet. While that may be a bit extreme, their juices do come straight from the orchard and provide fiber, Vitamin C, and anti-oxidants. And yes, they do taste great.
Red wine is great for heart health as well as getting a gentle buzz. The only downside is staining your teeth. A new product called Wine Wipes will safely clean off your pearly whites after you imbibe. So now you can drink up and not worry.
Sports Beat – 3/23/11
March 23, 2011
One week after the NFL announced that it was locking out its players, Jets head coach Rex Ryan made his first public appearance, doing a meet and greet for Revolution Eyewear at Vision Expo East, an optical trade show held at the Javits Center.
Rex told me that he expected the League and the Players Association to cut a deal before training camp gets underway. I tend to agree with Rex because I can’t see the NFL’s television partners–CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN, collectively sucking their thumbs while they fork over a billion dollars to greedy owners who are guaranteed to get paid by the networks even if there is no football in 2011. You better believe that CBS’s Leslie Moonves, FOX’s James Abernathy, NBC’s Dick Ebersol, and ESPN’s CEO George Bodenheimer will call Roger Goodell into a closed door meeting where the language won’t be pretty if the owners are playing hardball.
It is ridiculous to expect the players association to give up any economic benefits when the owners are making money hand over fist while refusing to allow the union’s CPAs to examine their financial books.
Jets owner Woody Johnson has reenforced his image for unmitigated avarice. Despite the fact that it is the off-season and that he has more money than most nations combined, Woody announced that Jets front office personnel would be furloughed and that Rex Ryan’s assistant coaches would have to absorb a 25% pay cut. This is the same Woody Johnson who wanted New York taxpayers to help finance a stadium for him near the Javits Center in 2005 even though he was cited that year by the Senate Finance Committee for trying to evade the IRS by having too much money in Cayman Islands bank accounts. It should be noted that Giants CEO John Mara has not reduced anyone’s pay in his organization.
“Are you really going to write that about Woody?” Rex asked me. He did not go out of his way to dissuade me. To answer your question Rex, as Sarah Palin likes to say, “You betcha!”
Speaking of the Vision Expo, Melville-based Marchon Eyewear introduced fashionable 3-D glasses that can be used as well as sunglasses and can even be used for prescriptive purposes to correct nearsightedness. Marchon’s Lacoste line has elongated side frames with magnetic tips that can be folded around your neck so that it is harder to lose them. Oakley, which has long been a favorite of baseball players with its stylish wraparounds, introduced sunglasses designed by snowboarding legend Shaun White. Oakley’s sister company, Revo, signed Jacques Cousteau’s beautiful granddaughter, Alexandra, to promote its collection of sunglasses that are specifically designed for those who spend a lot of time at sea such as fishermen and sailors. Hauppauge-based Clearvision displayed its always fashionable Cole Haan aviators while Viva International was promoting its Harley-Davidson line of eyewear.
The Rangers have had an up-and-down season and it always seems as if their traditional April Sunday matinee with the Flyers in Philadelphia is a referendum on their post-season aspirations. The Blueshirts will be at the Wells Fargo Center this Sunday at 1 PM.
Supermodel Carol Alt, who grew up in East Williston, turned 50 this past December. She still looks smoking hot based on her appearance at the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency’s press conference promoting a search for models who are over 40. Alt, who was married to former Ranger Ron Greschner, and is now reportedly romantically linked with former Islander Alexei Yashin, added a touch of needed glitz to hockey when it truly was a niche sport in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
Renown sportscaster Bob Wolff recently turned 90 and he is still not thinking about retirement. He still contributes to Cablevision’s various News 12 operations in our area and he has just written his latest book titled Bob Wolff’s Complete Guide to Sportscasting (Skyhorse Publishing) which is humorously subtitled “How to Make it in Sportscasting With or Without Talent.”
Unlike pedantic sportscasting historian Curt Smith, Wolff engages the reader in a relaxed conversational manner. He singles out the Mets radio tandem of Howie Rose and Wayne Hagin (who has not gotten the accolades from the media that he deserves) for brightening up many a dreary Mets loss with witty banter and timely storytelling. Rose and Hagin will clearly have their work cut out for them again this year.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, a record that many doubt will ever be broken. Sports Illustrated editor Kostya Kennedy recounts the events of the 1941 season in his latest book that is simply titled “56″ (SI Books) although we don’t get much insight into the kind of guy Joltin’ Joe really was. While Kennedy’s book is readable much of the ground was covered better a few years ago by Post sports columnist Mike Vaccaro whose 1941 (Random House) is still available in paperback.
Catching Hell, the ESPN film about unfortunate Cubs fan Steve Bartman that was supposed to be part of its “30 for 30″ 30th anniversary documentary series, will finally make its debut at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival.
The National Enquirer has been dipping its gossipy toes into the world of sports lately. After enjoying a field day with Tiger Woods’ foibles, The Enquirer has recently run stories on why veteran NASCAR drivers resent newcomer Trevor Bayne who won the 2011 Daytona 500, and how singer Carrie Underwood demanded that the Ottawa Senators trade her husband, Mike Fischer, to the Nashville Predators, which they eventually did.
Rock & roll legend Lloyd Price inducted his old Specialty Records boss, Art Rupe, at this year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Price though seemed more excited to discuss his bowling prowess in the Waldorf press room as he claimed that he has rolled six perfect games and has a 212 average.
On the sneaker front, the Air Jordan 2011 is definitely going with a retro feel. Their black and white athletic shoe resembles spats from the 1930s. K-Swiss has been promoting its tubular-soled sneakers with actor Danny McBride playing his Kenny Powers role from HBO’s “Eastbound and Down” (which is about to start its new season) in the company’s billboards and subway ads. Finally, Under Armour, which is best known for body-fitting gym clothes, has quietly gotten into the footwear business and was recently Major League Baseball’s official shoe supplier.
Dark chocolate has a lot of medicinal benefits since cocoa leaves contain anti-oxidants. Forget Hershey’s and Nestle’s; if you want to step up in quality try Green & Black’s Organic chocolate bars which have a far higher cocoa concentration than the big names in the industry.
Popcorn has long been considered one of the healthier snacks and one of my favorite brands is Popcorn, Indiana which makes generous size bags of kettlecorn.
Sure, Florida may have orange and grapefruit juices, but upstate New York has the best apple, nectar, and cherry juices. Zagat has rated Red Jacket Orchards from Geneva, NY as having the best juices on the planet. While that may be a bit extreme, their juices do come straight from the orchard and provide fiber, Vitamin C, and anti-oxidants. And yes, they do taste great.
Red wine is great for heart health as well as getting a gentle buzz. The only downside is staining your teeth. A new product called Wine Wipes will safely clean off your pearly whites after you imbibe. So now you can drink up and not worry.
Theater “Lombardi” Starring: Dan Lauria & Judith Light
November 21, 2010
Another sign that my fellow baby boomers are getting older is that this past September marked the 40th anniversary of the passing of the most famous head coach in NFL history, Vince Lombardi. This milestone has not gone unnoticed. HBO Sports and NFL Films have been working on a documentary that will air on the cable network this December. The NFL has also been instrumental in getting Lombardi’s story on Broadway as it is a major financial backer of the new play, “Lombardi,” that is based on David Maraniss’s bio, “When Pride Still Mattered” (Simon & Schuster).
“Lombardi” cleverly examines a random autumn week in the coach’s life as his Green Bay Packers are preparing to take on the San Francisco 49ers. Look Magazine has dispatched a young sports reporter, Michael McCormick (Keith Nobbs), to spend the week with Vince (Dan Lauria) and his wife Marie (Judith Light) for a profile article.
What McCormick does not know is that his editor and Lombardi are old friends and he is there for a puff piece. Even worse, Look is willing to give the Packers coach having final edit control on the piece. It turns out that the gruff Lombardi was sensitive to a harsh article about him that had been published a few weeks earlier in Esquire.
Michael McCormick represents the public and he does a great job probing Vince Lombardi by not only interviewing him, but also his better half, Marie, and a trio of Packers legends, Dave Robinson (Robert Christopher Riley), Paul Hornung (Bill Dawes) and Jim Taylor (Chris Sullivan). The supporting characters hold our interest as much as the title protagonist does.
Marie Lombardi is no shrinking violet and can go toe-to-toe with her boisterous husband if necessary. Their love was clearly deep and the play makes it clear that she was Vince’s rock when he was thinking of dropping football for a career in banking when he grew tired of being an assistant coach with the Giants. He couldn’t understand why he had been overlooked by every major college and NFL team until the lowly Green Bay Packers came calling in 1959.
While she encouraged her husband to take the job in Green Bay, it is clear that life in the NFL’s smallest outpost did not suit her. She tells McCormick that she desperately misses Manhattan and wiles away too much of the time by hitting the liquor cabinet.
“Lombardi” does not shy away from key social and economic issues. Lombardi was never a big fan of individualism and preferred a marine corps-style thinking of putting the best interests of the group first. The positive side of this was that the Packers were remarkably free of prejudice. Louisiana good ole boy Jim Taylor did not think twice about socializing with black linebacker Dave Robinson.
The negative side of that philosophy was that Vince, who was also the Packers general manager, had trouble dealing with his players when it came to their economic welfare. He goes ballistic when Jim Taylor lets it be known that he has an agent who will negotiate his next contract for him (he would soon be traded to the expansion New Orleans Saints) while Dave Robinson is team’s first union rep and relishes the idea of getting better benefits for the rank-and-file.
“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing!” is the quotation most associated with Vince Lombardi. The play takes pains to talk about how it has been misinterpreted over the years. Lombardi was only trying to emphasize the cultivation of a winning attitude and not that one should commit harakiri if you are on the losing side.
Dan Lauria, best known for his role as the dad on “The Wonder Years,” bears a strong physical resemblance to Lombardi and sounds like him as well. He is so credible in this role that you have a feeling that some NFL teams may want to hire him as their next head coach. Judith Light, best remembered for the ABC sitcom “Who’s the Boss?”, makes Marie a sympathetic character. Keith Nobbs reminds one of a young Tom Cruise.
“Lombardi” comes in at a sprite 95 minutes and does not have an intermission. While it helps to be a football fan, even those who have little interest in the gridiron will enjoy this play. If you know little about Vince Lombardi except that his name adorns the Super Bowl trophy and a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike, then you owe it to yourself to get to the Circle In The Square Theater ASAP.
Confidence Score Picks – NFL Week
September 24, 2010
Each week throughout the 2010 NFL season, Jon Wagner (Sr. Writer At-Large for Football Reporters Online, Senior Columnist for Pro Football NYC, and writer for NY Sports Day), picks the full weekly NFL slate of games based on confidence scores, going from highest (most confident) to lowest (least confident) that a certain team will win. Submit your own confidence picks in the comments sections at FRO, PFNYC, or NYSD, and see if you can beat Jon’s total confidence score each week. Here are Jon’s season results and picks for this week (home teams in CAPS):
LAST WEEK: 9-7 84 points (out of 136)
SEASON: 18-14 89.0 pts/week (out of 136.0)
16 NEW ENGLAND (1-1) over Buffalo (0-2)
The Patriots have beaten the Bills 13 straight times and have won all 8 games played between the two teams at Gillette Stadium. There’s no reason why those trends shouldn’t continue. Division games always have potential of springing surprising upsets, but this is one of the AFC’s best hosting one of the AFC’s worst. Throw in the Pats being mad over losing to the Jets last week, and this one has the makings of an easy rout for New England.
15 BALTIMORE (1-1) over Cleveland (0-2)
On one hand, the Ravens have only managed 10 points in each of their two games, winning one, while losing the other. On the other hand, they’ve yet to give up a touchdown, allowing 8 field goals in those two game. The Browns meanwhile, blew 14-3 lead to lose in Tampa, and managed to lose to the Chiefs at home despite not allowing a defensive touchdown. Baltimore finally gets the offense going at home and rolls to an easy win for the “old Browns” over the “new Browns.”
14 NEW ORLEANS (2-0) over Atlanta (1-1)
The Falcons figured it all out at home last week, crushing Arizona, after a lackluster loss to the shorthanded Steelers in Pittsburgh. The Saints haven’t looked like the defending champs yet, but they’ve found a way two go 2-0. Reggie Bush is a big loss for New Orleans, but it’s lessened in this matchup by the loss of Atlanta’s Jerious Norwood. Drew Brees, who has completed 74.3 percent (55 of 74) of his passes this year, should get the Saints’ passing game rolling and the Superdome rocking.
13 Cincinnati (1-1) over CAROLINA (0-2)
The Bengals will look to tee off on rookie QB Jimmy Claussen, who will make his first NFL start. Other than in garbage time at New England in Week 1, Cincinnati’s offense has struggled thus far. It might benefit from a short field a few times if the Bengals’ defense can rattle the untested Claussen early and often.
12 MINNESOTA (0-2) over Detroit (0-2)
The Lions have fought well and should really be 1-1, so they’ve shown improvement from their dreadful play over the past few years. The Vikings season could be on the line though, and the prospect of going from Super Bowl contenders for a second straight year to a second straight loss at home and a disastrous 0-3 start should be enough motivation to spark Minnesota to its first win.
11 Green Bay (2-0) over CHICAGO (2-0)
A great old school matchup for Monday Night Football. No NFL teams have met more than these two. The Bears will be wearing their throwback 1940’s uniforms to honor the Monsters of the Midway. Unfortunately, the Bears’ defense won’t play that way against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, who looked very sharp against the Bills last week. Green Bay simply has more talent than Chicago, which is lucky to be 2-0 (they should have lost to Detroit). The Bears come back to earth a little bit and the Packers take their rightful control of the NFC North.
10 HOUSTON (2-0) over Dallas (0-2)
Jerry Jones’ dream of hosting Super Bowl XLV in Dallas with his Cowboys as a participant already seems to be slipping away. Dallas gave away a game in Washington and then played uninspired football in losing to Chicago at home. The Cowboys now have to travel to undefeated Houston to face the NFL’s top-ranked offense. Ouch. Interesting stat: for all of the passing that Matt Schaub and the Texans’ offense did to win in Washington last week, the Texans over the past three seasons, are 20-2 when they rush at least 30 times and 2-23 when they rush less than 25 times. They were all rushing against Indianapolis, all passing against Washington. They’ll need to find better balance. A hunch says the Cowboys play a lot more sound than they have the first two weeks, but the Texans, at home, who will want to stake claim as Texas’ number one team over Dallas, will make enough plays on both sides of the ball to go 3-0 for the first time in their history and send the Cowboys to their first 0-3 start since 2001.
9 Philadelphia (1-1) over JACKSONVILLE (1-1)
Andy Reid finally decided to go with Michael Vick over Kevin Kolb (after he went with Kolb over Vick earlier in the week). He might have made that decision after looking at the Jaguars’ Cover 1 defense and the potential for Vick to gain some serious rushing yards if his receivers are covered downfield. A dangerous number for a less than strong road pick in the Eagles, but the Jaguars, after a solid home win against Denver, showed what we might see more of from them last week, in San Diego.
8 NY GIANTS (1-1) over Tennessee (1-1)
The Titans have won 9 straight against the NFC and 4 in a row against the Giants. Those trends will continue if the Giants can’t contain RB Chris Johnson, who is the type of athletic and speedy back who had given the Giants’ defense fits in recent years. Johnson should be highly motivated after being held to just 34 yards against Pittsburgh last week. He’ll get his yards against the Giants, but QB Eli Manning and his wide receiver corps, along with RB Ahmad Bradshaw (both rushing and receiving) should be able to make enough plays to counteract what Johnson will do for Tennessee, while the Giants’ strong secondary will make it tough for QB Vince Young to throw down field.
7 Washington (1-1) over ST. LOUIS (0-2)
Last week, Donovan McNabb gave his new team exactly what they wanted when the Redskins traded for him… except a win, that is. But, that had more to do with the Redskins’ normally very solid defense collapsing against Houston while blowing a 17-point second-half lead in an overtime loss to the Texans. Sam Bradford has been fairly good in his first two NFL games, but he simply doesn’t have the team around him. Washington is the better team here and McNabb, along with Clinton Portis, and Washington getting back to normal Redskin defense, will keep the 2010 top draft pick waiting at least another week for his first NFL win.
6 San Francisco (0-2) over KANSAS CITY (2-0)
The 49ers looked a lot better against the Saints than when they laid an egg in Seattle, but they’re still seeking their first win. The Chiefs meanwhile, failed to reach 10 first downs or 200 total yards against San Diego, and went without an offensive touchdown in Cleveland, yet they’ve started 2-0. Look for things to get back to what was expected here. The Niners finally get their first win while the Chiefs fall back down to earn a little bit as they find it tougher to win yet again with a struggling offense.
5 ARIZONA (1-1) over Oakland (1-1)
RB Beanie Wells, injured earlier in the week, will play for a Cardinals team that finally gets to play its home opener after flying out to St. Louis and then across the country to Atlanta to split its first two games on the road. But, Oakland is stout against the run, so even a healthy Wells won’t help much. Cardinals tough. Offseason acquisition Jason Campbell will remain benched for the start of this one in Bruce Gradkowski, who seems to give the Raiders a lift at home, but almost never on the road. Same here. If in Oakland, the Raiders would be the pick. But, in the dome in the dessert, home opener for the Cards, Arizona will get by.
4 Indianapolis (1-1) over DENVER (1-1)
The Colts must have felt a little like Mark Twain. After setting the record for the most consecutive seasons with at least 12 regular season wins, reports of Indianapolis’ demise were greatly exaggerated after a season-opening loss in Houston. Of particular note, the Colts’ running –- yes, running game, not only their passing game –- keyed a win over the Giants during which the Colts never broke a sweat. Peyton Manning will hurt the Broncos’ pass defense enough to overcome one of the better home field advantages in the NFL, as Denver looks to put together two straight good efforts at home after opening with a road loss in Jacksonville.
3 San Diego (1-1) over SEATTLE (1-1)
Week 1, the Chargers were disappointing in a loss while the Seahawks surprised with an easy win. Last week, San Diego kicked it into high gear with an easy win while Seattle stepped back with a bad loss. Now you know why this one is only a score of 3 (tough to tell what to expect in this league). But, QB Phillip Rivers should have a second straight solid performance and much like Peyton Manning helping the Colts overcome a tough home team in Denver, Rivers should help the Chargers get by a Seattle team that’s the good Jekyll at home and the bad Hyde on the road.
2 NY Jets (1-1) over MIAMI (2-0)
It’s an absolute disgrace that WR Braylon Edwards is playing in this game 562 days after he was out drinking with Donte Stallworth the night Stallworth struck and killed a pedestrian with his car in Florida. Edwards learned nothing from Stallworth’s crime, but thank the overprotective CBA for not allowing the Jets much leeway to appropriately discipline Edwards instead of waiting for the NFL to take care of that. Hopefully, head coach Rex Ryan has the conscience to bench Edwards for most of the game and Edwards isn’t a factor. If Edwards wanted to do the right thing however, he could ask out of the game and Ryan could oblige that way. Don’t expect that, though. All of that drama aside, QB Mark Sanchez played well with the reigns taken off of him last week, and the Jets’ defense shut out New England on the second half without shutdown CB Darrelle Revis, who will miss this game with a hamstring injury. Though the Dolphins have yet to lose, they’ve also yet to score that much. And, although Miami’s defense will again be tough, Sanchez will find enough receivers and TE Dustin Keller (as he did last week) to move the ball, and RB LaDainian Tomlinson should make at least a couple of big plays. If RB Shonn Greene can also produce and keep the ball off the ground, it will be even easier for Gang Green, which after a distracting couple of weeks, tries to put the focus back on the field, instead of off of it.
1 TAMPA BAY (2-0) over Pittsburgh (2-0)
Who would have thought that this would be a fascinating Week 3 matchup between a pair of 2-0 teams? Yet, that’s exactly what it is, with the Steelers going with fourth-string QB Charlie Batch, trying to find a way to win yet again on nothing more than defense and guts, and virtually no offense (see last week’s 127 yards of total offense while winning in Tennessee). The Bucs meanwhile, haven’t been tested (with wins over Cleveland and Carolina). This one might be 6-3 with the way these two defenses can play, and with the offensive issues each team has. Thanks to injury though, the Bucs have the better quarterback, they’re at home, and the Steelers can’t win every game with out Ben Roethlisberger, can they?
Confidence Score Results – NFL Week 1
September 14, 2010
Each week throughout the NFL season, Jon Wagner, NYSD reporter, will be picking the full weekly NFL slate of games based on confidence scores, going from highest (most confident) to lowest (least confident) that a certain team will win. Submit your own picks in the comments section here at FRO, and see if you can beat Jon’s total confidence score each week! Here are Jon’s results for Week 1:
CORRECT, WEEK 1: 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 8, 4 ,1
WRONG, WEEK 1: 10, 9, 7, 6, 5, 3, 2
WEEK 1 RECORD: 9-7 WEEK 1 SCORE: 94 (of 136)
SEASON RECORD: 9-7 SEASON AVERAGE: 94.0
Not a great start to the season in terms of picking winners. Only 9-7 in the opening week, and I should have been 8-8. However, 4 of the 7 I got wrong were among the 6 lowest scores, and I still pulled out a score of 94, thanks in part to a horrible rule that kept me from rightfully losing 15 on Chicago. The way the Niners played shocked me, and I didn’t think the Chiefs would be that tough at home. I had my suspicions about the Cowboy offense, but I thought that unit would do a little more than it did. I thought the same about Atlanta, and Buffalo was worth the risk at 2 even though I knew Miami was better. But, that’s the fun of picking e NFL. So, send in you Week 2 picks and see if you can beat me this week!
-Jon
Oakland at Tennessee Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
After the disastrous 0-6 start to the season last year before finishing 8-2, a home game against the improved yet still mediocre at best Raiders should get the Titans off on a winning note, especially with Vince Young –- and Kerry Collins, who’s not what he used to be –- starting things off for Tennessee this season.
Pick: Tennessee Confidence Score: 16
Detroit at Chicago Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Joe Paquette, Jr., a 63-year-old Lions’ fan with two arthritic knees easily became the NFL’s most devoted fan when he walked 450 miles over 17 days, from his home in Michigan to the Lions’ practice facility, just to tell the Lions in person that they needed “sisu,” a Finnish term meaning “strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.” Unfortunately for the Lions, sisu alone, sans enough talent, won’t be enough to break a 20-game road losing streak in Chicago, against a Bears team which is at home, and simply a better team than Detroit.
Pick: Chicago Confidence Score: 15
Carolina at NY Giants Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Hosting the Panthers has been a nightmare matchup for the Giants, who became the first NFL team in 26 years to be shut out while hosting a playoff game when they lost to Carolina, 23-0 in 2006. Last year, with a playoff berth on the line, playing for the final time in the old stadium which bared their name, the Giants were again embarrassed by the Panthers, 41-9. This time should be vastly different. The Giants still have a myriad of issues to address as the season progresses, but the early season schedule appears favorable, including their opener against a Carolina team that should be far less dangerous than in years past, after an offseason veteran purge, leaving the Panthers with the NFL’s youngest roster.
Pick: NY Giants Confidence Score: 14
Cincinnati at New England Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Tom Brady emerged unharmed from an early Thursday morning auto accident and he should be fine by Sunday. And, he gets back his favorite underneath target in Wes Welker, who makes the Patriots’ offense significantly more dangerous. That, along with opening at home should be enough to overcome the Bengals, even with Cincinnati’s own wide receiver addition of Terrell Owens to compliment Chad Ochocinco the way Welker will compliment Moss.
Pick: New England Confidence Score: 13
Minnesota at New Orleans Thu 9/9 8:30pm EST
The 2010 NFL season kicks off with a rematch of last year’s NFC championship game, which the Vikings should have won, if not for some costly turnovers. They outplayed the Saints last January, but with New Orleans brimming with pride and confidence after taking home its first Super Bowl title, and with Brett Favre hurting for wide receiver weapons, the Saints should be able to win easier this time.
Pick: New Orleans Confidence Score: 12
Green Bay at Philadelphia Sun 9/12 4:15pm EST
A game featuring two teams moving in opposite directions. The Eagles have moved on from the Super Bowl contending Donovan McNabb era to that of Kevin Kolb’s with questions if Philadelphia is even a playoff contender. Meanwhile, the Packers are a serious Super Bowl contender and Aaron Rodgers is a legitimate MVP candidate. This would figure to be an easy win at Lambeau, but anything can happen on the road in the NFL. Still, the Packers should open with a win at The Link.
Pick: Green Bay Confidence Score: 11
San Diego at Kansas City Mon 9/13 10:15pm EST
The Chargers usually start out of the gate slowly, but probably not here, not even on the road. Their talent advantage over the Chiefs should help them spoil the first Chiefs’ home game on Monday Night Football since 2006 and the unveiling of what Kansas City is billing as the “New Arrowhead” after a $375-million makeover.
Pick: San Diego Confidence Score: 10
San Francisco at Seattle Sun 9/12 4:15pm EST
Head coach Pete Carroll makes his Seahawk debut as former Eagle Brian Westbrook tries to show if he’s got something left in the tank to compliment RB Frank Gore. The Niners appear to be the clear cut favorite in the NFC West, and even on the road, where they only went 2-6 last year, they should send an early message to a fellow NFC West foe that they are the new team to beat in the division.
Pick: San Francisco Confidence Score: 9
Arizona at St. Louis Sun 9/12 4:15pm EST
Two new quarterback eras begin in this contest, one starts with a veteran, the other with a top-picked rookie. Derek Anderson takes over the Cardinals for Kurt Warner and Sam Bradford makes his first NFL start. Bradford looked good in the preseason, but he will have a tough job making a team that didn’t win a home game last season be more competitive, especially for a roster that includes nine 2010 draft picks and five undrafted free agents. Even without Warner, the Cardinals are the better team and should get the road win.
Pick: Arizona Confidence Score: 8
Dallas at Washington Sun 9/12 8:20pm EST
The Cowboys start their 50th anniversary season hoping it ends with them hosting the Super Bowl in their brand new “Dallas Palace.” The Redskins, meanwhile, start the Donovan McNabb regime, looking to turn things around after last year’s 4-12 season. A dangerous opener but one the Cowboys should win if they’re on their game.
Pick: Dallas Confidence Score: 7
Atlanta at Pittsburgh Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Pittsburgh would be the clear favorite with Ben Roethlisberger, or perhaps even with a healthy Byron Leftwich. However, with Dennis Dixon making just his second NFL start (playing in only his third NFL game), and with the once-proud Steelers’ offensive line and rushing game both on the decline, the Falcons might be going into a usually tough place to play at just the right time. With more offensive weapons with which to work, Atlanta should come away with a nice road win to start its season.
Pick: Atlanta Confidence Score: 6
Indianapolis at Houston Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Are you ready for some football? Well, how about a key AFC South divisional game, right from the start of the season. Over the past few years, the Texans have been the trendy pick each season to make their first trip to the playoffs. But, each year, they come up a little short. And, each year, all the Colts do is win during the regular season. This should be a tough test for each side, but until we see different, the wise move is to cautiously err on the side of history, especially with the ultra-competitive Peyton Manning itching to go this year after losing in Super Bowl XLIV.
Pick: Indianapolis Confidence Score: 5
Baltimore at NY Jets Mon 9/13 7:00pm EST
Story lines abound. Monday Night Football. The Jets play their first regular season game at the New Meadowlands Stadium. Rex Ryan against his old team, which like his current one, is a Super Bowl contender. Will the Jets in fact get one step further than the AFC title game they reached last year, or will they be more like the team that went 4-7 after a 3-0 start a year ago? And, is Baltimore poised to go further after winning soundly at New England in last year’s playoffs before adding Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmanzadeh to bolster the only part of its game that was really lacking. It’s tough to go against the Jets opening on Monday night with their defense and with Ryan pumping them up, but the Ravens are talented enough to barely win what should be a terrific, physical, old school football game.
Pick: Baltimore Confidence Score: 4
Denver at Jacksonville Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Kyle Orton has slowly been putting to rest earlier criticism during his career that he wasn’t even close to an NFL-caliber quarterback. While he’s being pushed by the quickly popular Tim Tebow for the starting job, Orton is likely to get the nod in Jacksonville and should remain the starter as long as his solid play continues. The defection of Brandon Marshall to Miami will hurt however, and RB Knowshon Moreno could miss the game with a hamstring injury. The Jaguars though, have their own problems offensively, and in a game that could be low scoring and close, the kickers could come into play. The Broncos get the edge there, with Mike Prater, who was 30 of 35 last year, including 10 of 13 from 40 or more yards away. In contrast, Jacksonville’s Josh Scobee was just 10 of 16 from the same distance and only 3 of 7 from 40-49 yards.
Pick: Denver Confidence Score: 3
Miami at Buffalo Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
An AFC East game with each team featuring new defenses. The Bills made the switch from the Tampa-2 to the 3-4 while the Dolphins revamped much of their defense to compliment the addition of big play receiver Brandon Marshall. Miami is the better team on paper, and Buffalo could be a bad team this season, but a hunch says it takes a few games for Chad Henne and Marshall to gel while RB C.J. Spiller, who gets the starting job as a rookie after an impressive preseason, will do enough to start the Bills off with a mild upset of Miami at home.
Pick: Buffalo Confidence Score: 2
Cleveland at Tampa Bay Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Not even Joe Paquette might want to see this unappealing game if he were either a Browns or a Bucs fan. If he were the latter, Paquette wouldn’t be able to watch the game on TV as it will mark the first regular season blackout for a Bucs’ home game since 1997, the year before Tampa Bay moved into Raymond James stadium. Cleveland begins its Mike Holmgren and Jake Delhomme era while Tampa looks to stride forward after a rocky start with head coach Raheem Morris and quarterback Josh Freeman at the helm. In the battle of attrition been two of the NFL’s weaker teams, go with the home team, barely.
Pick: Tampa Bay Confidence Score: 1
Week 1 Confidence Ratings
September 12, 2010
Each week throughout the NFL season, Jon Wagner, FRO’s Sr. Writer At-Large, will be picking the full weekly NFL slate of games based on confidence scores, going from highest (most confident) to lowest (least confident) that a certain team will win. Submit your own picks in the comments section here at FRO, and see if you can beat Jon’s total confidence score each week! Here are Jon’s picks for Week 1:
Oakland at Tennessee Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
After the disastrous 0-6 start to the season last year before finishing 8-2, a home game against the improved yet still mediocre at best Raiders should get the Titans off on a winning note, especially with Vince Young –- and Kerry Collins, who’s not what he used to be –- starting things off for Tennessee this season.
Pick: Tennessee Confidence Score: 16
Detroit at Chicago Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Joe Paquette, Jr., a 63-year-old Lions’ fan with two arthritic knees easily became the NFL’s most devoted fan when he walked 450 miles over 17 days, from his home in Michigan to the Lions’ practice facility, just to tell the Lions in person that they needed “sisu,” a Finnish term meaning “strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.” Unfortunately for the Lions, sisu alone, sans enough talent, won’t be enough to break a 20-game road losing streak in Chicago, against a Bears team which is at home, and simply a better team than Detroit.
Pick: Chicago Confidence Score: 15
Carolina at NY Giants Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Hosting the Panthers has been a nightmare matchup for the Giants, who became the first NFL team in 26 years to be shut out while hosting a playoff game when they lost to Carolina, 23-0 in 2006. Last year, with a playoff berth on the line, playing for the final time in the old stadium which bared their name, the Giants were again embarrassed by the Panthers, 41-9. This time should be vastly different. The Giants still have a myriad of issues to address as the season progresses, but the early season schedule appears favorable, including their opener against a Carolina team that should be far less dangerous than in years past, after an offseason veteran purge, leaving the Panthers with the NFL’s youngest roster.
Pick: NY Giants Confidence Score: 14
Cincinnati at New England Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Tom Brady emerged unharmed from an early Thursday morning auto accident and he should be fine by Sunday. And, he gets back his favorite underneath target in Wes Welker, who makes the Patriots’ offense significantly more dangerous. That, along with opening at home should be enough to overcome the Bengals, even with Cincinnati’s own wide receiver addition of Terrell Owens to compliment Chad Ochocinco the way Welker will compliment Moss.
Pick: New England Confidence Score: 13
Minnesota at New Orleans Thu 9/9 8:30pm EST
The 2010 NFL season kicks off with a rematch of last year’s NFC championship game, which the Vikings should have won, if not for some costly turnovers. They outplayed the Saints last January, but with New Orleans brimming with pride and confidence after taking home its first Super Bowl title, and with Brett Favre hurting for wide receiver weapons, the Saints should be able to win easier this time.
Pick: New Orleans Confidence Score: 12
Green Bay at Philadelphia Sun 9/12 4:15pm EST
A game featuring two teams moving in opposite directions. The Eagles have moved on from the Super Bowl contending Donovan McNabb era to that of Kevin Kolb’s with questions if Philadelphia is even a playoff contender. Meanwhile, the Packers are a serious Super Bowl contender and Aaron Rodgers is a legitimate MVP candidate. This would figure to be an easy win at Lambeau, but anything can happen on the road in the NFL. Still, the Packers should open with a win at The Link.
Pick: Green Bay Confidence Score: 11
San Diego at Kansas City Mon 9/13 10:15pm EST
The Chargers usually start out of the gate slowly, but probably not here, not even on the road. Their talent advantage over the Chiefs should help them spoil the first Chiefs’ home game on Monday Night Football since 2006 and the unveiling of what Kansas City is billing as the “New Arrowhead” after a $375-million makeover.
Pick: San Diego Confidence Score: 10
San Francisco at Seattle Sun 9/12 4:15pm EST
Head coach Pete Carroll makes his Seahawk debut as former Eagle Brian Westbrook tries to show if he’s got something left in the tank to compliment RB Frank Gore. The Niners appear to be the clear cut favorite in the NFC West, and even on the road, where they only went 2-6 last year, they should send an early message to a fellow NFC West foe that they are the new team to beat in the division.
Pick: San Francisco Confidence Score: 9
Arizona at St. Louis Sun 9/12 4:15pm EST
Two new quarterback eras begin in this contest, one starts with a veteran, the other with a top-picked rookie. Derek Anderson takes over the Cardinals for Kurt Warner and Sam Bradford makes his first NFL start. Bradford looked good in the preseason, but he will have a tough job making a team that didn’t win a home game last season be more competitive, especially for a roster that includes nine 2010 draft picks and five undrafted free agents. Even without Warner, the Cardinals are the better team and should get the road win.
Pick: Arizona Confidence Score: 8
Dallas at Washington Sun 9/12 8:20pm EST
The Cowboys start their 50th anniversary season hoping it ends with them hosting the Super Bowl in their brand new “Dallas Palace.” The Redskins, meanwhile, start the Donovan McNabb regime, looking to turn things around after last year’s 4-12 season. A dangerous opener but one the Cowboys should win if they’re on their game.
Pick: Dallas Confidence Score: 7
Atlanta at Pittsburgh Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Pittsburgh would be the clear favorite with Ben Roethlisberger, or perhaps even with a healthy Byron Leftwich. However, with Dennis Dixon making just his second NFL start (playing in only his third NFL game), and with the once-proud Steelers’ offensive line and rushing game both on the decline, the Falcons might be going into a usually tough place to play at just the right time. With more offensive weapons with which to work, Atlanta should come away with a nice road win to start its season.
Pick: Atlanta Confidence Score: 6
Indianapolis at Houston Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Are you ready for some football? Well, how about a key AFC South divisional game, right from the start of the season. Over the past few years, the Texans have been the trendy pick each season to make their first trip to the playoffs. But, each year, they come up a little short. And, each year, all the Colts do is win during the regular season. This should be a tough test for each side, but until we see different, the wise move is to cautiously err on the side of history, especially with the ultra-competitive Peyton Manning itching to go this year after losing in Super Bowl XLIV.
Pick: Indianapolis Confidence Score: 5
Baltimore at NY Jets Mon 9/13 7:00pm EST
Story lines abound. Monday Night Football. The Jets play their first regular season game at the New Meadowlands Stadium. Rex Ryan against his old team, which like his current one, is a Super Bowl contender. Will the Jets in fact get one step further than the AFC title game they reached last year, or will they be more like the team that went 4-7 after a 3-0 start a year ago? And, is Baltimore poised to go further after winning soundly at New England in last year’s playoffs before adding Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmanzadeh to bolster the only part of its game that was really lacking. It’s tough to go against the Jets opening on Monday night with their defense and with Ryan pumping them up, but the Ravens are talented enough to barely win what should be a terrific, physical, old school football game.
Pick: Baltimore Confidence Score: 4
Denver at Jacksonville Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Kyle Orton has slowly been putting to rest earlier criticism during his career that he wasn’t even close to an NFL-caliber quarterback. While he’s being pushed by the quickly popular Tim Tebow for the starting job, Orton is likely to get the nod in Jacksonville and should remain the starter as long as his solid play continues. The defection of Brandon Marshall to Miami will hurt however, and RB Knowshon Moreno could miss the game with a hamstring injury. The Jaguars though, have their own problems offensively, and in a game that could be low scoring and close, the kickers could come into play. The Broncos get the edge there, with Mike Prater, who was 30 of 35 last year, including 10 of 13 from 40 or more yards away. In contrast, Jacksonville’s Josh Scobee was just 10 of 16 from the same distance and only 3 of 7 from 40-49 yards.
Pick: Denver Confidence Score: 3
Miami at Buffalo Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
An AFC East game with each team featuring new defenses. The Bills made the switch from the Tampa-2 to the 3-4 while the Dolphins revamped much of their defense to compliment the addition of big play receiver Brandon Marshall. Miami is the better team on paper, and Buffalo could be a bad team this season, but a hunch says it takes a few games for Chad Henne and Marshall to gel while RB C.J. Spiller, who gets the starting job as a rookie after an impressive preseason, will do enough to start the Bills off with a mild upset of Miami at home.
Pick: Buffalo Confidence Score: 2
Cleveland at Tampa Bay Sun 9/12 1:00pm EST
Not even Joe Paquette might want to see this unappealing game if he were either a Browns or a Bucs fan. If he were the latter, Paquette wouldn’t be able to watch the game on TV as it will mark the first regular season blackout for a Bucs’ home game since 1997, the year before Tampa Bay moved into Raymond James stadium. Cleveland begins its Mike Holmgren and Jake Delhomme era while Tampa looks to stride forward after a rocky start with head coach Raheem Morris and quarterback Josh Freeman at the helm. In the battle of attrition been two of the NFL’s weaker teams, go with the home team, barely.
Pick: Tampa Bay Confidence Score: 1