The title of my all-time least favorite Brown is there for the taking

Ball-dropper extraordinaire Braylon Edwards after whatever it was the Browns did on Monday night:

"It is what it is ... I've learned since being here that I'm very unappreciated. Not by the organization, just in the eyes of the fans and the city. Since Day One, I've been a marked man coming from Michigan. It's just gone that way."

Cry me a fucking river, Braylon. Catch the ball and no one cares where you're from. Remember last year when you were actually a good player and everyone thought you were great? I didn't see much unappreciation there. Can you really not see that all the fans want is for the players to play hard and play well, and that in 2008 you have done neither? It's really that simple.

This is absolutely pathetic, a top-caliber athlete trying to pass off public disappointment over him squandering his talent because he can't catch a football as inter-state bias. You think national columnists like Bill Simmons make fun of you because of that horrible university where you played amateur football? You think the NFL's stats bureau adds extra drops to your stats because they're Buckeye fans? (Actually, they wouldn't anyway because it would crash their system).

This year, Edwards has performed poorly and repeatedly shown an inability to accept his mistakes, with this comment being the most glaring example. Sure, I can see where it's upsetting to Edwards how his season and the Browns' has gone, but lashing out at the fans because they don't care for his weak effort is absolutely the wrong approach. What a franchise this is.

4 am Browns excitement!

I'm currently in Norway, and for whatever reason my internal clock decided I should be wide awake at 4 am. I thought I was pretty well on local time, but apparently not. Anyway, I thought, "hey, it's 10 pm in the US - let's see how the Browns are doing!"

17-3 at half, perfect. Also, I just turned on GameCast to see this inspiring sequence:

1st and 10: J. Lewis rush up the middle for 1 yd.
2nd and 9: K. Dorsey pass incomplete to C. Ali
(??)
3rd and 9: K. Dorsey pass incomplete
4th and 9: D. Zastudil punts 35 yards to End Zone

Yeah, I think a week away from this team is working out pretty well for me. This'll let me get the batteries recharged for the big Battle of Ohio next week! I'm goin' to bed.

NFL picks: Week 15

A late rally gave Andy a 9-7 mark for Week 14 while the other two fellows struggled with an unpredictable week. Only three weeks remain in the 2008 regular season slate; it will take some kind of Festivus miracle for Nick to claim the top spot.

Last Week
Andy: 9-7
Figgs: 5-11
Nick: 6-10
Nick's Money Picks: 3-3

Year to Date
Andy: 115-87-5
Figgs: 88-99-5
Nick: 106-96-5
Nick's Money Picks: 21-20


Thursday game

DA BEARS (-3) vs 'Aints
Andy: The Bears have been solid of late, and I think they'll be imposing on a Thursday night in the cold against a dome team. As much as I like the Saints this year, let's go with Chicago.
Figgs: I was originally thinking Saints, but Andy makes some good points. But on the other hand, considering how much better I am at this than Andy, I'll stick with NO.
Nick: Bears. The Saints blow on the road, and it's going to be cold tonight.

Sunday games

DIRTY BIRDS (-3) vs Buccos
Andy: Buccaneers. Yeargh!
Figgs: I don't what what brought on my love for the Falcons this year, but I'm sticking with em.
Nick: Falcons. Did you see the Bucs try stop the run on Monday night?

TEAM THAT I HATE IN BALTIMORE (-1) vs Team That I Hate in Pittsburgh
Andy: There are no winners in this game. Steelers, I guess.
Figgs: Can I pick a 0-0 tie? I'll go Ravens, just cause I hate the other one a little bit more.
Nick: Baltimore. I heard a good rule this week: pick Pittsburgh against teams with a lousy pass rush, pick against Pittsburgh when they're playing teams with a good pass rush. I'll bite.

SEX PANTHERS (-7.5) vs Donks
Andy: 60% of the time, Carolina wins every time.
Figgs: Panthers win, but not by that much. Denver.
Nick: Carolina. I hate that half point, but the Panthers' running game is sick right now.

BUNGLES (+6.5) vs 'Skins
Andy: The 'Nati hasn't been even vaguely competitive of late. Washington is skidding, but I like them to cover this.
Figgs: Skins.
Nick: Redskins. I liked Cincy to cover the number earlier this year, but I'm jumping ship.

HOUSTON HOUSTONIANS (+3) vs Titties
Andy: I'll take Nashville over the city they relocated from.
Figgs: Titans.
Nick: Titans. A few good games from Houston are feeding this line. Tennessee by double-digits.

HOOSIERS (-17) vs One of the Worst Teams the NFL Has Ever Witnessed
Andy: If Indy beat Cincy by 32 last week, why shouldn't they beat Detroit by more than that this week? Colts.
Figgs: I'll go with the Lions, just because I have a huge man crush on Daunte. Is he even still Q'ing this team?
Nick: Colts. Screw the big three, Congress should bail out the Lions.

JAGONS (+1) vs Peckers
Andy: Pack. I'm so over Jacksonville.
Figgs: Pack.
Nick: Packers. The Jags quit months ago.

CHIEVES (+5) vs Bolts
Andy: Ah, the 5-point line, Vegas' version of throwing their arms up and saying WTF? KC has been a friend to me this year but I like SD here.
Figgs: Chargers.
Nick: I'll take games I'd never bet for 500, Alex. Bolts.

FISH (-6.5) vs Gold Diggers
Andy: Miami. You convinced me, Dolphins, now keep it going.
Figgs: Miami.
Nick: Miami, though the Niners are coming on under Singletary. His ass must be a sight to behold.

J!E!T!S! JETS! JETS! JETS! (-7) vs Buffaloes
Andy: The battle of: who can let me down more. I simply cannot take Buffalo anymore.
Figgs: I could go either way, so just to be different, Jills.
Nick: Jets. I really like teasing this game with the Pats.

LAMBS (+1) vs Sea Chickens
Andy: Seattle. I'm drunk.
Figgs: Seattle.
Nick: Shehawks. Seneca Wallace has some weird mojo working right now.

PHOENIXES (-3) vs Purple People Eaters
Andy: 'Zona. Still drunk. Hey Figgs, take the opposite team so I can win!
Figgs: Of course I'm taking the Vikes.
Nick: Arizona. Gus Frerotte is out, and he was their starter. Not a good week for Minny.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST OAK (+7) vs Patsies
Andy: I still think New England's non-cover last week was weird, and to prove it, I'm taking them again.
Figgs: Pats.
Nick: Patriots. This isn't a game that Belichick's boys will lose.

Sunday night

AMERICA'S TEAM (-3) vs G-Men
Andy: Giants, I guess. This should be a good game to watch.
Figgs: NY is getting points? Giants.
Nick: Giants. How is NY getting points in this one.

Monday night

IGGLES (-14) vs Clowns
Andy: If you look at the talent between these teams, there's no reason why the line should be this gigantic, and that is the story of Cleveland's 2008 campaign. Browns.
Figgs: Browns. It's a Monday night, so we might win.
Nick: Eagles. Do I really have to watch this game?

Around The Bases

Forgive the short Kerry Wood signing coverage. However, barring a physical surprise we'll have a new closer in 2009 and he has never pitched for an AL team. We can only hope that by not offering Wood arbitration that the Cubs organization has brought down upon themselves another curse to last another hundred years, maybe longer.

Let's see what the 31 year-old Kerry did last season, shall we. ERA+ of 137. Not too shabby. No Brian Fuentes (168) or K-Rod (198), but ahead of our other option, 41-year-old Trevor Hoffman at 101.

I hear Kerry was at the All-Star game in NY in his first ever year of closing. He saved 34 games while striking out 84 while pitching 66.3 innings over 65 games. I guess the shock here is the Tribe got a guy like Wood in the free agent market. Yes, Shapiro’s tight-wad scrap heap signings are usually nothing to get excited about, but this is big news. The deal is alleged to be for two years with a third year team option, and while I haven't seen any real particulars on the money side, I suspect the deal for two years comes under $20 million. From all the post-season talk this is what Wedge wanted, a real big-time closer. I can only imagine how crazy it is to not know or trust who will be pitching the ninth inning for a manager. They usually have enough to worry about, and handing over the ball to a question mark isn't what I would call comforting. That, and losing games in the ninth is probably one of the most demoralizing things a team can experience over 162 games. All that said, I like Jensen Lewis and his passion for closing was evident. However I'm probably romanticizing him a little because he's "one of our guys." But obviously if Wood can come in here and slam the door in the ninth then maybe Wedge can get his Circle of Trust up and running and all will once again be right with innings seven through nine.

In other news, the Tribe traded Gutierrez in a 34-team, 190-player deal. OK, sure, it was only three teams and 12 players. Once again the three amigos of the Mets, Mariners, and Indians GM's got together to make a trade. Shapiro has a good history with Minaya in NY (thanks for Lee and Grady!) and the Mariners organization hasn't been too bad to us either (who did we trade for Asdrubal again?). So we lose Gutierrez and gain a right-handed reliever Joe Smith (get a real name!) and young (22 year old) middle infielder Luis Valbuena.

Gutierrez was a great asset to this team with his amazing defense and his ability to player center. Sure he no hit curve ball, but guys who can play center are a rare commodity in this league right now. While you may be saying our outfield looked a little crowded and we shouldn't sweat the loss of Franklin I would point out the bullpen wasn't hurting for occupants either. Let's take a roll call, Wood (hopefully soon), Lewis, Perez, Betancourt, and Kobayashi are already almost guaranteed spots but now add Smith and don't forget prospects John Meloan, Adam Miller and Jeff Stevens. Yes, once again Shapiro’s efforts of turning over a bullpen chalk a block full of arms and letting the coaching staff sort them out is in full effect. Smith is a submarine pitcher which is cool when it works and so I hope he works out. That and we all know Wedge only uses three guys regularly with a fourth tossed in for garbage duty.

Finally, the Rule 5 draft has come and gone without a Tribe player being taken and without the Indians taking anyone else's. This is not unlike that old lady who looks through all your stuff at a garage sale only to walk away empty handed. However, it would appear Shapiro is happy with this conclusion as he gets to keep all his precious players that he couldn't protect.

So there you have it. Well except for the kind of non-news that Shoppach was offered a contract for 2009 due to the fact he is arbitration-eligible. And yes this allows me and a lot of other Indians writers to point out the Tribe haven't gone to arbitration with a player since 1991's Greg Swindell, who I believe I have a good 20 1988 baseball cards featuring.

Heroes & Zeroes: Week 14

Apparently Romeo Crennel isn't content to simply watch his tenure die; he wants to build his coffin and pound the nails in himself. The Browns held the lead for much of the first half, but this game went according to plan. Without several big breaks, the Browns weren't going to win this game. Tennessee was too solid on defense, and the Browns had too little offense to hang for all four quarters. If you'd written a game summary half an hour before the game, you probably wouldn't have been far from reality.



This Week's Zeroes

Five Demerits: Jamal Lewis
Seven carries for seven yards. It's no secret that Lewis has been wearing down the last few weeks, but that's ridiculous. Lewis' standard stumble into the line for two yards has become stunningly predictable. The running game is so much more predictable when Lewis is in there because of his physical limitations. He's lost a step, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

The real question now is whether or not Jamal Lewis has a role on this team in 2009. I'm not sure. Lewis hauled in $6.5 million this year, and should be scheduled to bank a similar figure next season. If there's a viable option to replace Lewis either in free agency or the draft, he should be cut.

Ideally, I'd like to see Jerome Harrison paired with a power back in a plowshare. Out of the unrestricted free agents, Brandon Jacobs seems an obvious choice, but he'll likely be too expensive. A cheaper guy who intrigues me is Correll Buckhalter in Philadelphia. Buckhalter shouldn't be too expensive, and although he's 30, he only has 459 career carries, so he should have plenty of tread left on his tires. Although Buckhalter's battled injury problems in the past, his price tag should make him a fairly low-risk signing. Still, the best option is probably to look for a value pick at RB in the middle rounds of the draft.

Four Demerits: Ken Dorsey
It's almost tough to be upset with the way Ken Dorsey played because it's what we were expecting. Dorsey's a number three quarterback for a reason. But let's face the fact: Ken Dorsey doesn't have an NFL arm. When fans are seriously asking themselves whether or not they can out throw the quarterback, then you've got trouble in River City. This guy is basically a coach wearing a helmet, so let's end the charade, make him a coach already and suit up a third quarterback who can actually throw a 20-yard pass. Bruce Gradkowski probably isn't even backup material, but I'd rather get a look at him than watch Dorsey serve up more wounded ducks.

Three Demerits: Romeo Crennel
When the "neutral" commentators (Don Criqui and Dan Fouts, in this case) are openly criticizing your coaching and management, it's safe to say that things have gotten bad. Don Criqui deserves some credit for praising Browns fans and referencing Browns Backers clubs, while also bashing the way this team is run. You can't blame these guys -- you wouldn't want to call these games with a flat, lifeless Browns team out there either.

There's a part of me that keeps expecting the Browns to upset a team down the stretch to "win one for the gipper." Then I come to my senses, and remember that in this case, the gipper has about as much charisma as Keanu Reeves.

Coincidentally, Reeves' new flick is a remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still. Speaking of planets not moving, have you watched Romeo Crennel coach a game? Fat joke: check.

Two Demerits: Rob Chudzinski
Chud's not getting off of the naughty list until Jerome Harrison gets double-digit touches in a game. Period.

One Demerit: Vince Young
Remember when the Texans should have drafted Vince Young or Reggie Bush instead of Mario Williams? That argument's now a moot point. Young is healthy again, but we won't see him barring an injury to the venerable Kerry Collins. And one can't help but wonder what Young's future in Tennessee will be.

Remember when we had to endure ESPN's talking heads (yes, I mean you: Sean Salisbury) explain how "all Vince Young does is win games"? Well, it turns out that Tennessee was winning in spite of Vince Young. Yep, a guy with a career passer rating of 68.6 isn't a "winner," he's a backup QB who's being carried by a quality team and an excellent coaching staff. Just look at how the Titans have excelled with Collins, the embodiment of a game manager at this point in his career, under center. It turns out the scouting reports were right: Vince Young is a great athlete, but maybe not an NFL quarterback.


This Week's Heroes

Five Dog Bones: D'Qwell Jackson
It was a career day for NyQuil, who made 12 tackles and grabbed a pair of interceptions. Jackson's a vexing fellow. He'll have solid games, but he never wows you with anything he does. I think he'd be a solid player if he were teamed up with competent LBs. Still, the guy just doesn't pass the eyeball test. He's listed at 240 pounds. Really? Maybe sopping wet. If Jackson could add 15-20 pounds of muscle onto his frame, I'd be much more comfortable with him, but for now I think we can at least all agree that he's far from the problem with this defense.

Four Dog Bones: Josh Cribbs
Cribbs playing quarterback was basically the only reason for Browns fans to tune into this game. And as cool as it was, there are several things the Browns should have done differently.

Number one, Cribbs needs to be under center more often. Ken Dorsey is just wasting space back there, so why not at least threaten the defense with a play maker? Two, Cribbs' play fakes are totally wasted. Cribbs usually runs the ball, and nobody's going to buy that he's handing off. In fact, Cribbs' fakes are probably just costing him that first step he needs to gain big chunks of yardage. That needs to be cut out altogether. Three, Cribbs has to throw more. He can't be worse than Dorsey, and Cribbs needs to throw to at least keep the defense a little bit honest to loosen things up for the running game around the line of scrimmage.

Three Dog Bones: Jeff Fisher
Raise your hand if you thought the Titans were going to oust the Colts to win their division. Okay, now raise your hand if you thought Tennessee was going to make the playoffs at all. In fact, when you consider the pre-season popularity of the Jaguars and Houston's "sleeper" status with some, it's safe to assume that quite a few prognosticators had the Titans bound for the AFC South's cellar.

Jeff Fisher isn't the league's longest-tenured coach by accident. Fisher always seems to maximize his team's potential, and this year is no different. The Titans aren't a super team like last year's New England club or a team loaded with Pro Bowlers like Dallas. But what they lack in flash, the Titans make up for in discipline and fundamentals. That's a direct reflection of Fisher, and it's something the Browns have been sorely lacking.

Two Dog Bones: Syndric Steptoe
Steptoe added four more catches to his season totals, and he's quietly made 19 catches for 182 yards this season. Those aren't big numbers, but for a second year player who was a seventh round pick, that's not too shabby. Steptoe certainly has been a more consistent contributor than Don't Play -- excuse me, Donte Stallworth. Steptoe's an example of the type of solid depth players the Browns typically have trouble finding, and he'll have a place on this team in 2009.

One Dog Bone: Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins is an easy guy to cheer for. Collins has definitely been through the fires, whether it was alcoholism, rehab, or controversy for using racial slurs. But Collins fought back to lead the Giants to the 2001 Super Bowl, and he appears primed for another Super Bowl run with the Titans. In a way, Collins embodies what makes this Titans team so good. He's not a flashy player, but he plays within himself, he knows the game, and he's fundamentally sound. With Kerry Collins at quarterback, the Titans aren't going to beat themselves. They're definitely beatable, but you'll need to bring your A-game all day, and you'll probably need a break or two as well.


Up Next: 12/15, at Philadelphia, Lincoln Financial Field, 8;30
I have a hard time believing this defense can stop Brian Westbrook. Expect Philly to really dial up the blitzing on Ken Dorsey, and expect a lopsided Cleveland loss. Can we end this season and sort out the front office and coaching staff already?

Prediction: Eagles 27, Browns 10

Indians sign Wood

Editor's note: John actually wrote this, not Andy

MLB.com is reporting the Indians have reached an agreement with Kerry Wood on a two-year deal, worth around $20 million.

Wood was my choice if we needed to sign a closer. The funny thing about it is that the front office thought that Orlando Hudson at second was probably too big a risk due to his wrist injury. However, when I think of Kerry Wood, I think injury. Nevertheless, I thought Wood was our best bet. Trevor Hoffman I thought was a little old, and Brian Fuentes was probably too expensive. So what do you think?

I don't have any details on how much money we ponied up because heck I'm writing this story on a blackberry. I do expect this is the biggest news we'll have in Cleveland this offseason. I could be wrong.

Grab your goofy shoes and a case of Budweiser, we're going bowling!

The college football bowl schedule was announced this past weekend, and Ohio St is heading to a familiar place to face a familiar foe. On January 5, the Bucks will head to Glendale, Arizona to take on the Texas Longhorns in the Fiesta Bowl. This is OSU's fourth Fiesta Bowl appearance since 2003. In '03, the Buckeyes had one of the greatest upsets in National Championship history, beating a heavily favored Miami team in double OT. Ohio St came back to Glendale to beat Kansas St in '03 and roll Notre Dame in '05.

This is Ohio St's fourth consecutive BCS game, and sixth in the past seven seasons. Let's talk about how ridiculous this is. I think people are overlooking how much of a powerhouse this program has been in the last decade because of the eggs they laid in the last two National Championship games. The one non-BCS game in the last seven years was a 33-7 beatdown of Oklahoma St in the Alamo Bowl in Ted Ginn's coming out party.

Ohio St's opponent in this year's Fiesta Bowl will be Texas. Jim Tressel and Mack Brown are not strangers, as their teams met in 2005 and 2006. The '05 game was a heartbreaker for the Bucks, as Texas won 25-22 on a last minute touchdown from a pre-suicidal Vince Young to Limas Sweed. I remember, I was there. OSU got revenge the next year, beating the 'Horns in Texas, 24-7.

This matchup should be a good one, as Texas' high-powered offense goes up against Ohio St's shutdown defense. I was really happy when I saw that Texas was going to be our opponent. I think it should be a really good game, and one I think the Bucks can definitely win. It would be great to see Malcolm Jenkins and his fellow seniors go out on top, and even better to take the first step in erasing the memory of the last two bowl games.

GET EM

Check yourself before you wreck yourself

I was listening to the post-game radio show after the Cavs won their 8th straight game (all by 12 or more points) on Saturday night, and couldn't help but notice the overwhelmingly positive bent of the calls to the show. This is bound to happen when a team sports a 17-3 mark. Everyone was talking in effusive terms about how well the team is playing, how great the chemistry is, and unflinchingly talking of championship dreams at the quarter pole.

Well, not me. I'm furious at the Cavaliers. Why? Because their games are super-boring, that's why. They start off basically every game up 11-2, take a 12-point lead by the end of the first quarter, go up 20 by half, 25 by the end of the 3rd, and populate the entire 4th quarter with dudes you've never heard of. Where's the entertainment value in that? Where's the drama? So, instead of mindlessly praising the Cavaliers for the best start in franchise history and their absurd +13.3 point differential, I'm here to give the Cavaliers each individually a stern talking to, so that they can straighten themselves out and so that I can actually watch an entire game.

LeBron James
Let's start at the top, shall we? Look at you, LeBron, you're having a weak year - per-game scoring is down from last year by 3.5, assists down 0.7, rebounds down 0.8...gee, could it be because you never play in the 4th quarter? You do know these games are 48 minutes long, right? For someone who used to call himself "Mr. 4th Quarter," you sure do a lot of lounging around with a towel on your head during crunch time. I want the leader of this team to be, you know, playing basketball when it counts, rather than joking around with the rest of the starting five and watching Tarence Kinsey and co. mop up another blowout. Step it up, man.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Sure, big Z, I'm sure you're very proud of being second among all NBA centers in efficiency rating (11th among all players) and being the best-shooting big man around, but that's not championship stuff, nor is the odd fact that you can somehow shoot 3's now. You suffer from the classic European focus on production and numbers instead of intangibles like "grit" that sportswriters like to harp on. If you were tougher, maybe you'd be the Cavs' all-time leading rebounder instead of merely 2nd, trailing by 4. Here's the main point: no matter how effective you've been this year, and trust me, you've been outstanding, you look kind of awkward at times, and that counts for a lot in the eyes of people who don't understand basketball.

Mo Williams
Everybody likes a winner, Mo, and your arrival has coincided with the Cavs winning a lot of basketball games, so you're naturally getting quite a bit of credit. But seriously, stop trying to be good at ball-handling, passing, and scoring - back in my day, we had different people to do each of those things, and we liked it that way.

Ben Wallace
Defensive intensity. Huh. If you can't make yourself any more menacing than this, you're going to have to settle for merely first-team all-NBA defense instead of Defensive Player of the Year. And as we all know, DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS, completely independent of the other components of basketball.

Delonte West
Yeah, we know you're shooting .485 from the field, .435 from three, and .800 from the line, but you're only 6'3"! Everyone knows that's too small for a shooting guard.

Daniel Gibson
Same thing I said for Delonte, only with both lower shooting numbers and height.

Anderson Varejao
Fourth-wall-breaking digression: even in a totally tongue-in-cheek piece like this, I can't find anything to give Varejao grief about. He's just been awesome this year. Did you see him knock down six straight mid-range jumpers the other night? Are you kidding me?

Eric Snow
OUT (Left Knee)

Wally Szczerbiak
Wally, Wally, Wally...perhaps you aren't aware of your expiring contract and how eminently tradeable that makes you? If you don't stop playing so well within the team dynamic and knocking down your shots, you're going to force us to make a decision about whether you're a valuable piece of the team instead of simply a trade chip. Why complicate things?

JJ Hickson
Hey, rookie! I see you have some defensive tenacity, great athleticism, and burgeoning offensive skills. But who needs that? Seriously, if there's one truism in professional basketball, it is this: quality big men are exceptionally easy to find, particularly late in drafts.

Tarence Kinsey, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Pavlovic, and Lorenzen Wright
You gentlemen are certainly playing a lot more than you expected, eh? Bet you thought the '08-09 Cavs would be a nice vacation and a steady paycheck for you - show up, practice against the stars, and enjoy the ride. Think again, muchachos. You're going to end up logging more minutes than LeBron and company if this sort of basketball keeps up.


Fans, I criticize because I care. I'm concerned about this 17-3, First-Place Cavalier basketball team, and I think the players need to be reminded about their performance. This season has been highly disappointing from the standpoint of close games and dynamic finishes, instead focusing almost entirely on stockpiling easy victories and keeping key players fresh for a long playoff run. What's the fun in that? :)

NFL picks: Week 14

Andy finally took a losing week at 7-8, and thus vows never to bet against the Browns again (they covered by 1/2 point).

Last Week
Andy: 7-8
Figgs: 5-10
Nick: 8-7
Nick's Money Picks: 1-2

Year to Date
Andy: 106-80-5
Figgs: 83-88-5
Nick: 100-86-5
Nick's Money Picks: 18-17


Thursday game

CHARGERS (-9.5) vs Raiders
Andy: San Diego is a 4-8 team with a +16 point differential on the season. They've lost three straight close ones to quality teams and now, returning home for a midweek night game, they get Oakland, which is not a quality team. They beat the Raiders in Oaktown by 10 the first time out, and I see that happening again.
Figgs: San Diego eventually, sometime has to start playing better, right?
Nick: Chargers (-9). The way this line moved initially makes me think that the wise guys in Vegas know something. Chargers in an easy cover.


Sunday games

TITANS (-13.5) vs Browns
Andy: Like I said, Browns 4-eva.
Figgs: That's a lot of points, and you never know with the Browns. Cleveland, I guess.
Nick: Titans. I don't like giving that many points, but I think Tennessee wins by at least a two TD margin.

BEARS (-6.5) vs Jaguars
Andy: After going out and getting smacked up on the road by Houston, I foresee a similar fate for the Jags. I don't love the Bears, but I see them taking this by a TD or more.
Figgs: Bears, for the aforementioned reasons.
Nick: Bears. The Jags are laying down, their o-line is in shambles, and it's going to be like 20 degrees at Soldier Field.

LIONS (+9.5) vs Vikings
Andy: This is Detroit's season here, by far their best chance to avoid 0-16, against a team they should have beaten on the road earlier this year. Lions.
Figgs: Vikes.
Nick: Ugh. Vikings. Explain to me how Detroit's going to score and/or stop Peterson.

PACKERS (-6) vs Texans
Andy: Nick tricked me into the Pack last week, but I actually like them this time.
Figgs: Packers.
Nick: Packers, although the spread's a little too high for me to bet on it.

COLTS (-13.5) vs Bengals
Andy: Cincy, too many points.
Figgs: I hate the Bungles. Lets go Colts.
Nick: Cincy. The Colts are squeaking by with pretty close wins. This spread is too high.

SAINTS (-3) vs Falcons
Andy: Two of my favorite teams to take with essentially a neutral line! What to do? Take the home team, New Orleans.
Figgs: Screw Rookie of the Year, where's the Matty Ice MVP talk? Dirty Birds.
Nick: Falcons. The ATL beat the Saints by 14 less than a month ago, the dome won't be as big of a home field advantage for New Orleans because Atlanta's also an indoor team, and the Birds are getting a field goal. Sign me up.

GIANTS (-7) vs Eagles
Andy: Finally, a sizable line for the champs. Not sizable enough. G-men.
Figgs: There is simply no reason to go against the Giants right now.
Nick: Giants (-6.5). You've got to ride the Giants at this point, right? Philly's resurgence is being overplayed. Arizona's fading and had some crippling turnovers early. Buckhalter's out, and Westbrook's hobbled. Giants by at least 10.

BILLS (-1) vs Dolphins
Andy: After last week, I don't want to take the Bills, but I like Toronto so I'll forgive the Buffaloes.
Figgs: Dolphins, just because Will Smith never made a song about Buffalo.
Nick: Dolphins. Buffalo's a mess and the Fish have way more to play for. This is a game I could see the Bills winning, but I'm not confident enough to pick them.

BRONCOS (-9.5) vs Chieves
Andy: The Broncos are super-weird. KC smacked them earlier, so I'll take them here.
Figgs: This is a tough one, Denver.
Nick: Broncos. Denver needs this game too much to come out sloppy.

49ERS (+4) vs Jets
Andy: Jets easy in a bounce-back game.
Figgs: Favres for sure.
Nick: Jets (-3). My favorite game on the board. This spread should be 9.5. Jets by triple-digits.

SEAHAWKS (+4.5) vs Pats
Andy: Only 4.5? New England is fighting for a playoff here, Seattle is fighting for an off-season. Pats, my favorite game on the board.
Figgs: Why is this only 4.5? Pats, easy.
Nick: Pats (-5). New England takes care of business by at least a touchdown here. Like Bill Simmons said: you don't pick against Belichick after an embarassing loss.

CARDINALS (-14) vs Rams
Andy: Wow, lotsa points. The Cards should win this easily, though.
Figgs: This a a lot of points, STL.
Nick: Rams. Too many points, and the Rams are at least watchable when S-JAX plays. Plus, the Cards are fading.

STEELERS (-3) vs Cowboys
Andy: Good matchup here. I think Pittsburgh will be ready.
Figgs: Blow me Pittsburgh. 'Boys.
Nick: Pittsburgh. The Steelers' sloppy home field negates their defensive speed, but I think they smack around a banged up Dallas team that's still a little soft.


Sunday night

RAVENS (-5) vs Redskins
Andy: The Ravens stink against good teams. Is Washington a good team? Neh, not really.
Figgs: Skins.
Nick: Ravens. Washington's ship is sinking fast. The Redskins just aren't going to do much scoring against a terrific Baltimore defense.


Monday night

PANTHERS (-3) vs Bucs
Andy: Should be a good game to watch. Carolina's game impressed me against the Pack, so I'll take them here.
Figgs: I'll go with the home team. Panthers.
Nick: Bucs. Tampa's defense is terrific, they stomped the Panthers earlier this season, they're getting points, and Jon Gruden > John Fox.

Multi-sport quick hits

Browns
I need to see Josh Cribbs throw at least one pass. Please. This is ridiculous. I'm not saying that Ken Dorsey shouldn't be the starter, but can't we do something where Cribbs throws it? The dude was a QB in college, after all, and a fairly prolific one.

Notice how I haven't said anything about the game yesterday? Notice how I'm not going to?


Cavaliers
I'm pleased as punch at how the wine and gold have started off strong, gobbling up wins en route to a 14-3 record and a perfect 9-0 mark at home. I love how they cane out last week with four games in five days and just mauled everyone they played.

The one thing to mention here, which Doug and I touched on earlier, is that they haven't been playing especially strong competition. This is both good and bad. It's good in that they're keeping up their focus and intensity level, beating teams they should beat, and keeping well-rested in the process. Good teams do this. It's bad in that we don't fully know how well they'll perform against the better teams. The three losses are all narrow road losses to teams that sit among the NBA's top clubs. As the season wears on, it will be interesting to see how the Cavs play night in and night out against a bit more stringent competition. Right now they're on pace for 68 wins. They won't get that, but 55+ is very real for this well-balanced team.

As for playing those good teams: well, you're just going to have to wait another week. This week we get the Knicks and Pacers at home and Charlotte on the road. Combined record: 19-29. No reason los Caballeros can't post another undefeated record and push their mark to 17-3.

Indians
I also expect the Tribe to go undefeated this week.