Regular season: 172-84

There he is. The most important person in the NFL. The most talked about and criticized. And he’s one win away from the Super Bowl.

I think a lot of people expected Brett Favre to make the Vikings better. But I don’t think many expected him to do it the way he has.

Instead of a run-first, pass-when-they-have-to approach, the old guy is slingin’ it.

Adrian Peterson has not been the most important person of Minnesota’s offense since the first half of the season. It’s been the 40-year-old, gray-haired quarterback.

What all of this does is make for one of the most anticipated, entertaining NFC Championship Games in a long, long time.

Because the New Orleans Saints are ridiculous. The offense is just about as unstoppable as it comes, and the New Orleans crowd is off their rockers.

I’m expecting a touchdown frenzy. Long bombs all day long.

I picked the Vikings to reach the Super Bowl before the season started, so I’m sticking with it.

I do, however, understand that the Saints are the logical pick. I just want a Brett Favre Super Bowl so bad that I feel like I can will the Vikings to win.

Vikings 41, Saints 37

As for the AFC Championship Game, there shouldn’t be as much excitement. There’s no chance -NO CHANCE!- New York beats Indy. Won’t happen. Can’t happen.

A rookie quarterback just will not beat a Peyton Manning-led team playing as well as the Colts.

The Jets are getting a lot of attention, but just making it this far is way, way, way more than they could have hoped for.

Colts 31, Jets 13

Both games are on Sunday.

As a Seattle Seahawks fan, I’m not sure what to think of the recent coaching change. After just one season, Jim Mora has been replaced by Pete Carroll, who had a good run at the University of Southern California.

Admittedly, I like Carroll, but I also like Mora, and I think it’s unfair to send him packing after one season, especially considering how many key players nursed injuries throughout the year.

Ever since Seattle went to the Super Bowl in 2005, the Seahawks have reverted back to the old Seahawks.

I’m hoping they can get it together under Carroll, but it won’t change my opinion about Mora.

I correctly picked two of the four playoff games last week. I really thought New England was going to win and was just plain unsure about the Cincy-Jets game. Oh well.

Saturday

Cardinals at Saints: I think the crowd in New Orleans is going to be crazy. Just insane. They’ve played a factor in many big home games this season and I think they’ll do so again. Pick: Saints 44, Cardinals 36

Ravens at Colts: Indianapolis is Super Bowl-bound. There you go. Pick: Colts 37, Ravens 27

Sunday

Cowboys at Vikings. Through all the retirements and un-retirements and all the media love and media criticism, I like Brett Favre. I like him. He’s fun to watch. And the media circus that will inevitably follow him around the further he goes in the playoffs will also be fun. Pick: Vikings 33, Cowboys 28

Jets at Chargers: I have family that lives in San Diego. I’ve visited them three times and have had a wonderful time each trip. The only NFL game I’ve ever attended was between the Chargers and the Raiders. So I should like this team. But as long as Phillip Rivers is the quarterback, I just can’t. I don’t like the guy. That being said, there’s really nothing to like about the Jets. Pick: Chargers 34, Jets 13

Final regular season record: 172-84

I’m satisfied with my regular season record. I correctly picked two-thirds of the games and didn’t have a losing week all season.

In a column I wrote just before the season started, I made predictions for the season.

Let’s re-visit those:

“Kansas City quarterback (and career bench-warmer) Matt Cassel will have a disappointing season.” His 2009 stats: 2,924 yards, 16 TD’s, 16 INT’s, 55 percent passing, 69.9 QB rating for the 4-12 Chiefs. Yeah, I’d consider that disappointing.

“Houston will be this year’s surprise team.” The Texans missed out on the playoffs, but finished with a 9-7 record, their best finish in franchise history. There were several games throughout the season that they could have easily won. They could have finished at 11-5 and proved me 100 percent right. But they didn’t, and I’m just partly right. I’ll take it.

“Brett Favre will make the Minnesota Vikings better.” Although they’ve faltered as of late, the Vikings finished 12-4 and have a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Check.

“Fantasy football will become more important than actual football, at least for me.” My favorite team, the Seattle Seahawks, are in the crapper right now. And I won two of three fantasy leagues. So yeah, I’d say that was a correct prediction.

“New England will beat Minnesota 34-24 in Super Bowl XLIV.” We’ll see. Can’t say I still feel confident about it, but that’s my pick and I’m sticking to it!

Playoff picks:

Saturday

Jets at Bengals: Three of the four first-round playoff games are rematches from last week. That’s quite the coincidence. New York destroyed Cincinatti’s scrubs 37-0 last week and that can’t be any kind of confidence booster for the Bengals. Even so, they’re facing a rookie quarterback at home. Give me the Bengals.

Eagles at Cowboys: Both teams are 11-5, but the Cowboys are obviously the hotter team right now. I’m taking Dallas, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Philly wins either.

Sunday

Ravens at Patriots: New England’s playmaker, Wes Welker, was injured last week and is lost for the playoffs. That’s definitely going to be a factor, but I still see the Patriots getting the job done. I’m taking New England.

Packers at Cardinals: I like both teams. This is a complete guess. I’ll take Arizona, even though they play poorly at home.

The defending Super Bowl champions are in one of the most embarrassing five-game losing streaks ever and, really, I couldn’t be happier.

There’s something about Pittsburgh that I’ve never liked. And it has nothing to do with the Steelers beating my favorite team, Seattle, in the Super Bowl a few years back.

I had to work that day, so I’ve never actually seen the game.

In the last five weeks, Pittsburgh has lost to the three of the worst teams in the NFL: Kansas City, Oakland and Cleveland last week.

This is a team that has already beaten San Diego, Minnesota and Denver this year. Strange.

I went 10-6 with my picks last week and have yet to have a sub – .500 week. Check out this week’s picks.

Thursday

Colts at Jaguars: Indianapolis has already secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, so they don’t have much to play for. Still, I think they’ll get past Jacksonville, but I expect a really close game.

Saturday

Cowboys at Saints: New Orleans’ home-field advantage is incredible. The team has unbelievable support from its city. I think that will help the Saints edge the Cowboys, who haven’t played well in December in a long, long time.

Sunday

Patriots at Bills: New England, my Super Bowl pick prior to the start of the season, isn’t looking too hot. They’re still in good shape to make the playoffs, but they have some weaknesses. Quite a few, actually. I‘ll take them against Buffalo, but nothing will surprise me anymore with New England.

Cardinals at Lions: After the way Arizona looked in its loss to San Francisco, I officially have no idea how they’ll play from week to week. I do, however, have to believe they’ll take care of Detroit. Give me the Cardinals.

Dolphins at Titans: The Titans are still fighting, but that 0-6 start is just impossible to come back from. I’ll take them against Miami, though.

Browns at Chiefs: I’ll take the Chiefs in this crappy game.

Texans at Rams: Another terrible game. St. Louis is a mess. My pick is Houston.

Falcons at Jets: Both teams still have minimal chances of reaching the playoffs, so at least both teams will be giving it their all. I’ll take Atlanta, but wouldn’t be surprised if this game goes either way.

49ers at Eagles: Philadelphia looked good against the Giants on Sunday, even though they gave up 38 points. I think they’ll beat San Francisco in this one.

Bears at Ravens: I like hating on Jay Cutler. It’s fun. I’ll take Baltimore.

Raiders at Broncos: I definitely like Denver in this one. I think Knowshon Moreno is going to have a breakout game. Maybe 140 yards and two touchdowns. I’ll take the Broncos.

Bengals at Chargers: San Diego looks likes its making its annual December run and I think they’ll continue to do so against Cincinnati. Give me the Chargers.

Packers at Steelers: Does Pittsburgh have any fight left? I say yes, but it won’t be enough to get past Green Bay. Pack is the pick.

Buccaneers at Seahawks: Seattle is terrible, but so is Tampa Bay. I’ll take the Seahawks.

Vikings at Panthers: Minnesota should win.

Monday

Giants at Redskins: This is another in a series of crappy Monday Night Football games. I’ll take New York because they can still make the playoffs.

It was an odd week for the NFL on Sunday.

Oakland went to Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers. Nobody could have seen that coming. New England was upset by Miami. Another unexpected outcome.

It was about as odd as what I witnessed at Subway on Monday.

An older gentleman, probably in his 70′s, had a basket with a sandwich in each hand after he had paid for his food.

Apparently he also payed for chips, but couldn’t grab them because his hands were full. So instead of making a second trip, the man knocked the chips onto the ground with his elbow and then kicked them across the restaurant to his seat.

I guess I was the only person there who found it funny, because nobody else was laughing like I was.

Hopefully the strangeness will settle down in week 14 and I can recover from a 9-7 week. Check out the picks.

Thursday

Steelers at Browns: I can remember in years past being very disappointed that I couldn’t watch the Thursday night games because I did not have the NFL Network. I haven’t felt that way this year once. This is another one that doesn’t interest me. I have to take the Steelers because Cleveland is terrible, but that’s similar to what I said about Oakland last week. It just goes to show how unpredictable the NFL is.

Sunday

Saints at Falcons: Could be a really good game here. New Orleans almost spoiled its undefeated season at Washington on Sunday, but were somehow able to escape with a win. I think they’ll do the same against Atlanta, but it could be a really close game, with or without Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan. I’ll take the Saints.

Packers at Bears: Aaron Rodgers has become one of my favorite players in the NFL this season. I like his game, but more importantly, I have him on my fantasy team and he has delivered all year. Thank you, Aaron. I’m taking the Pack.

Broncos at Colts: When all is said and done, I think Peyton Manning will go down as the greatest quarterback to play the game. I’m going to enjoy watching him while he’s still around. Colts are the pick in this one.

Bills at Chiefs: Wow. Do I have to pick one? Both teams are terrible. I guess I’ll take KC at home.

Bengals at Vikings: I’ve heard a lot lately about how Brett Favre reverted back to his old self in the Vikings loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. Here’s his stats: 30 of 45 passing for 275 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. That’s not terrible. I think people just want to find any excuse to critisize him. I think Minny will get back on track and beat Cincinatti.

Panthers at Patriots: New England has to rebound from its loss to Miami last week. They should beat the Panthers. Give me the Pats.

Jets at Buccaneers: Another crappy game. I’ll take the Bucs in an upset.

Dolphins at Jags: Both teams are fighting to sneak into the playoffs. This game has a lot on the line. I’ll take Miami, who should have some confidence after beating New England.

Lions at Ravens: I’ll take Baltimore.

Seahawks at Texans: Seattle is 1-5 on the road, but Houston is 2-4 at home. Does anyone want to win this game? I’ll take the Texans.

Rams at Titans: I talked to my TV once on Sunday. It was a fourth and goal for the Titans on their two-yard line. Do or die time. So instead of giving the ball to the most explosive runner in football (Chris Johnson) or letting another playmaker (quarterback Vince Young) make a play, the play call was a fade to the corner of the endzone. It’s a play that works probably 15 percent of the time. I was completely dumbfounded. It’s almost enough to make me pick the Rams in this one, but I just can’t. Give me the Titans.

Redskins at Raiders: I’ll take Washington. Oakland can’t play well two weeks in a row.

Chargers at Cowboys: This is a good one. I’ll take Dallas.

Eagles at Giants: Another gem. This is turning into a pretty good slate of games this weekend. I’ll take the Giants at home.

Monday

Cardinals at 49ers: Arizona plays well in prime time. I think they’ll continue to do so at San Francisco. Give me the Cards.

Do you know what’s gotten me through the past three days? Dayquil, sleep, television and cough drops. In no particular order.

Usually a sore throat is my only symptom when I’m under the weather. But this time I had the turkey AND all the fixings, so to speak.

It caused me to miss a couple days of work, which caused me to miss my chance to document my pick for Thursday’s NFL game.

This is the first time all year that has happened. I did, however, correctly pick the Jets to beat the Bills. It was an honest pick, and it’s up to you four readers to believe me.

For the rest of my week 13 picks, read on.

Sunday

Eagles at Falcons: Atlanta is 5-0 at home and I think they understand how important this game is. They need to win to stay in the playoff hunt and I think they’ll get it done. I’m taking the Falcons in a close one.

Rams at Bears: If I didn’t have Steven Jackson on my fantasy team (which is currently 11-1 and bound for a first-round bye in the playoffs), I would label this the least exciting game so far this year. There’s is nothing I like about the Bears, but I just can’t pick St. Louis on the road. Can’t do it. Bears are the pick.

Lions at Bengals: Cincinnati is 8-3. Kind of a shocker. I’ll take them to beat the lowly Lions.

Titans at Colts: Game of the week? The Titans are hot, winning their past five games after an 0-6 start. The hot pick is to take them in this one, but I have to go with Indy. I think it’ll be close, though.

Broncos at Chiefs: Jamaal Charles, one of the fastest players in the league, is averaging more than five yards per carry for Kansas City. Give him the ball. I’ll make this my upset pick of the week. Give me the Chiefs!

Patriots at Dolphins: New England’s defense looked dismal in the Pats loss to the Saints on Monday night. They were exposed. That’s going to be a problem later on down the road, but I think they have enough offensive fire-power to take down Miami. Pats will win.

Raiders at Steelers: Oakland is a mess. I can’t pick them to beat anybody on the road. Pittsburgh should take care of Oakland rather easily.

Saints at Redskins: New Orleans is special. I think I’ll agree with just about everybody else and predict that they’ll go undefeated. They’ll definitely get past Washington in this one.

Buccaneers at Panthers: Both teams are not good. Carolina’s starting quarterback, Jake Delhomme, will not play, which should be a bonus for the Panthers. I’ll take Carolina in this one.

Texans at Jaguars: Both teams are hanging on to whatever playoff hopes they think they have. This is a must-win for both teams. Houston has the better offense and I think they’ll slide past the Jags.

Chargers at Browns: Cleveland is poor. I could have written other descriptive words, but I’m in a nice mood today. San Diego should win easily.

Cowboys at Giants: The 2007 Super Bowl champion Giants are in the midst of a disappointing season. Dallas, on the other hand, is exceeding expectations this year. I’m taking the hot team. Give me the Cowboys.

49ers at Seahawks: Seattle still has that great home-field advantage. What they no longer have is my interest. I’ll take Seattle, but I’m not excited about it.

Vikings at Cardinals: Minnesota is great. Brett Favre is great. I’ll take Minny.

Monday

Ravens at Packers: This is a pretty good Monday night game. Other than a couple of gems, there hasn’t been too many good ones on Monday this year. I’ll take Green Bay because of the home-field advantage.

This one is going to be short and sweet. You’re disappointed, I know.

Last week I correctly picked 11 of the 16 games. That’s acceptable.

Besides the delicious meal and spending time with friends and family, do you know what my favorite part of Thanksgiving is? It’s the leftover turkey sandwhich on Friday. I love that turkey sandwhich.

The other good thing about this Thanksgiving is the Monday Night Football game that follows this long weekend.

New England is playing at New Orleans. What a great game!

But before picking that one, I’ll start with the three Thursday games.

Home teams in caps.

Thursday

Packers over LIONS.

COWBOYS over Raiders.

Giants over BRONCOS.

Sunday

FALCONS over Buccaneers.

Dolphins over BILLS.

BENGALS over Browns.

Seahawks over RAMS.

JETS over Panthers.

EAGLES over Redskins.

Colts over TEXANS.

CHARGERS over Chiefs.

Jaguars over 49ERS.

TITANS over Cardinals.

VIKINGS over Bears.

RAVENS over Steelers.

Monday

Patriots at Saints: Both teams are playing really, really good football. The Saints are 10-0, a position New England was in just two years ago. They went on to win all 16 regular season games and then came up short against the Giants in the Super Bowl. I think when all is said and done this year, New England will emerge as a better team than New Orleans, but I think the crowd will be a major factor in this particular game. I’ll take the Saints.

Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving.

I expected Bill Belichick to get all kinds of criticism following the Patriots loss to the Colts on Sunday night.

And he did, but what I didn’t expect was the amount of people who defended him. That surprised me more than the call he made that cost New England a game they should have won.

If you missed the game or haven’t heard about it, here’s the scenario: New England was ahead 34-28 with 2:08 left and was facing a fourth-and-2 on its own 28-yard line.

Instead of punting the ball, Belichick opted to go for it. Brady’s pass to Kevin Faulk came up short and Indianapolis took over with two minutes left and needing just 29 yards for the game-winning score.

They even had to milk the clock a little bit before scoring. Final score: Colts 35, Patriots 34.

Belichick, PUNT THE BALL!

Instead of just handing the game over to the Colts, why not make them earn it?

Just a terrible decision by an arrogant coach. To make it worse, I picked the Pats to beat the Colts in the upset. And they should have.

I did, however, pick 10 out of the 15 games correctly. I was most proud of my prediction that Washington would beat Denver, Green Bay would beat Dallas, and San Diego would beat Philadelphia (although that one was literally decided by a coin flip).

Thursday

Dolphins at Panthers: Wow, the NFL really stumbled out of the gates with the first two Thursday night games. I think the Panthers are starting to figure it out a little bit. I think they will edge Miami in a close one.

Sunday

Redskins at Cowboys: I can’t take Washington two weeks in a row, especially on the road against Dallas. I’m taking the Cowboys.

Browns at Lions: Seriously? Worst game of the decade? For the second time this season, I’m taking the Lions (FYI, the other time I picked Detriot to win, it snapped its 19-game losing streak).

49ers at Packers: There’s a reason Alex Smith lost his starting quarterback job for San Francisco. He just doesn’t get it done. I think that will factor into this one. Green Bay will win.

Steelers at Chiefs: In earlier posts, I vowed not to take Kansas City for the rest of the season. I broke that promise last week and was rewarded, as the Chiefs beat the lowly Raiders. But it’s the Raiders. I’m taking Pittsburgh in this one and it shouldn’t even be close.

Seahawks at Vikings: The obvious pick here is Minnesota. But I think this might be closer than a lot of people think. The Vikings didn’t play well against Detroit last week even though they won. I’m expecting a close one against Seattle, but the Vikings should prevail.

Falcons at Giants: Both teams are 5-4. Both teams are disappointed by their records. I’m taking New York in this one because of the home-field advantage.

Saints at Buccaneers: New Orleans will remain undefeated against Tampa Bay, which has just one win on the season. ‘Nuff said.

Bills at Jaguars: Buffalo just fired its coach. Sometimes that will inspire a team to play extraordinarily well in its next game, but I don’t think that happens in this one. I’m taking Jacksonville.

Colts at Ravens: Baltimore, at 5-4, is actually favored by a point against the undefeated Colts. That’s unbelievable to me. I’m taking Indianappolis.

Cardinals at Rams: Upset-pick-of-the-year. Give me the Rams!

Chargers at Broncos: Denver opened the season with six straight wins. I’m telling you right here, right now, they finish with an 8-8 record. I’m taking San Diego in this one.

Bengals at Raiders: I think I may have underestimated Cincinnati. The Bengals are 7-2 and its their defense, not the offense, that is most impressive. They should definitely beat Oakland.

Jets at Patriots: New England played poorly in its first game against the Jets earlier in the year. I think they’re a little ticked off about what happened Sunday against Indy, and I think they’ll dominate New York. Pats is the pick.

Eagles at Bears: Jay Cutler is not good. He has potential to be good, but he’s just not right now. I think he’ll throw at least three more interceptions. I’m taking the Eagles.

Monday

Titans at Texans: I’m taking Houston, although I think it will be close.

We’re at the midway point in the season and things are starting to shake out for the playoff race.

In the AFC, the Patriots, Steelers and Colts are destined for division titles while the Chargers and Broncos will again battle for the AFC West title.

Division titles in the NFC looks like it might go to the Vikings, Saints and Cardinals. The Cowboys and Eagles should both make the playoffs with the division title Dallas’ to lose.

I went 8-5 with my picks last week. I’m most upset about the Green Bay Packers, who had no business losing to Tampa Bay.

Check out my picks for week 10, which features the first Thursday night game of the year.

Thursday

Bears at 49ers: This is kind of a weak start to the Thursday night games. Doesn’t really matter though, I don’t have the NFL Network. I’m going to take the underdog right out of the gate. Bears will win on the road.

Sunday

Bills at Titans: After its 0-6 start, I think Tennessee will find a way to finish 8-8 or 7-9. They’re just not that bad of a team, even with Vince Young at quarterback. I’ll take the Titans in this one.

Saints at Rams: St. Louis is coming off a bye week and should be well-rested. So theyre my pick…OK, no they’re not, they’ll lose by a lot to the Saints. Just want to make sure the six people that read this blog are paying attention.

Buccaneers at Dolphins: Why is Chad Henne playing? Miami looked really, really good offensively when Henne was replaced by Pat White in order to run the wildcat. The Dolphins should play White more. Either way, though, they should beat Tampa Bay in this one.

Lions at Vikings: Wow, Minnesota should completely embarrass Detroit in this one. This is the lock of the year. Vikings are guaranteed to win.

Jaguars at Jets: This is a tough one. Both of these teams are stewing in mediocrity. I’ll take the Jets, but I don’t feel to good about it.

Bengals at Steelers: This is the third best game of the week. I think Cincinatti will play well like they usually do against Pittsburgh. But it won’t be enough. The Steelers are playing well and should take care of the Bengals at home.

Broncos at Redskins: Washington is 2-6 and Denver is 6-2. Would it surprise me if the ‘Skins beat the Broncos? No. Absolutely not. Matter of fact, I’ll take Washington.

Falcons at Panthers: Carolina is just like Tenessee. They started off poorly, but just can’t be that bad. It’s tempting to take them in this one because Atlanta has slipped a little, but I just can’t. Falcons are the pick.

Chiefs at Raiders: Terrible, terrible game. I’m taking the Chiefs and moving on to the next game.

Eagles at Chargers: This is a toss-up. So I’m going to flip a coin. Heads is Philly, tails is San Diego. Tails. San Diego is the pick.

Seahawks at Cardinals: Seattle won last week against Detriot, but they didn’t look all that good. I don’t think they have the talent to compete with Arizona. The Cardinals should win.

Cowboys at Packers: Dallas is really starting to play well and Green Bay took a giant step back with their lackluster effort against Tampa Bay last week. Still, I think the home-field advantage will be enough to get the Packers back on the right track. I’ll take Green Bay.

Patriots at Colts: This is a beautiful game. New England is confident and rightfully so. But so are the undefeated Colts. Peyton Manning versus Tom Brady. Awesome. I’m going to take New England in the upset.

Monday

Ravens at Browns: Really? This is the Monday night game? Prime time? Give me a break. I’ll take Baltimore because Cleveland is just not good.

Brett Favre finished the 2005 season with 20 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. He had a below average quarterback rating of 70.9. He was 36 years old. He was done.

Fast-forward to 2009, after two un-retirements and changing teams twice. With all the doubt about his playing ability, the 40-year old, all-time interceptions leader has lead the Minesota Vikings to a 7-1 record and will be battling New Orleans for home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Now take a look at his numbers. Through eight games, Favre has 16 touchdown to just three picks, has a completion percentage of 68 and has a QB rating of 106. He’s on pace for just under 4,000 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions.

At this point, Brett Favre should be grouped together with a small handful of people for MVP.

That’s crazy to me.

No matter what your feelings are about Favre, you can’t deny how good he’s playing. You just can’t.

His Vikings went to Green Bay and beat the Packers last week. I picked the Pack and was wrong. But I went 10-3 for the week, so I’m happy.

Check out this week’s picks.

Sunday

Redskins at Falcons: Atlanta didn’t play bad against New Orleans on Monday. Matt Ryan made a couple of mistakes that eventually cost them the game, but the Saints are playing really well right now. I’m taking the Falcons in this one, especially over the pathetic ‘Skins.

Cardinals at Bears: If I were a betting man (which I am, I’m just not betting on football games), I wouldn’t put any money down on this one. Both teams look completely different from week to week. There’s no consistency. I guess I’ll take Arizona on the road, but I don’t feel comfortable with it.

Ravens at Bengals: I’m not a believer in Cincinatti. They’re 5-2 now, but I can see them finishing the year at 8-8. I’ll take Baltimore in this one. They looked good last week.

Texans at Colts: I’m not picking against Indy until they lose. Colts will win.

Dolphins at Patriots: New England came out slow to open the year, but are now starting to turn it on. Coming off a bye, I have to pick them over Miami.

Packers at Buccaneers: If I’m going to consider Favre as an MVP candidate, I have to include Aaron Rodgers too. Rodgers has almost identical numbers to Favre. He has been playing well despite being sacked more than any other quarterback. I think he’ll tear about Tampa Bay despite a couple of nagging injuries. Green Bay should win easily.

Chiefs at Jaguars: I have a really good feeling about Jamaal Charles. Charles will be the starting running back in place of Larry Johnson, who was suspended by the team for some gay slurs after their last loss. I picked up Charles in my fantasy league (the one in which I’m 8-0), and I think he’ll produce for me. That being said, Kansas City as a whole is terrible. I’m taking the Jags.

Lions at Seahawks: There’s no way Detroit can come into Seattle and beat the ‘Hawks, right? That would be a new low for Seattle. I have to go with the Seahawks here.

Panthers at Saints: Along with the Colts, I’m not going to pick against New Orleans until they lose. Which could be never. They’re good. Saints by a ton.

Chargers at Giants: Another battle of inconsistent teams. I have no faith whatsoever in San Diego. I like the Chargers, but I can’t trust them. And I can’t trust them to play well enough to win all the way in New York. Giants are the pick.

Titans at 49ers: I was right about my Vince Young evaluation last week, although he didn’t throw any interceptions. Don’t expect that to continue. I almost want to pick the Titans in this one, but I just can’t. The 49ers should win, but it could be close.

Cowboys at Eagles: There aren’t too many rivalry games in the NFL anymore. But this is one of the few nice ones that remain. Considering how Philly played last week, I’m going to ride the hot hand and pick the Eagles to beat Dallas.

Monday

Steelers at Broncos: Denver, along with Seattle, has one of the best home-field advantages in football. But I don’t think it will get to Pittsburgh in this one. I’ll take the Steelers.

There it is boys and girls. Can’t miss picks.