MNF LOCK of the Week: Chiefs at Patriots

We nailed our Thursday night pick last week, and we do it again on...

Dave's (clank!)
LOCKS (bonk!)
of the Week (squish)

And now we go on to MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL with possibly the most lopsided matchup of the season: Chiefs vs Patriots.

In this game you have one of the NFL's best offenses, granted, one that's struggled lately. That's the Patriots. You also get possibly the worst NFL offense you've seen yet this year. That's the Chiefs.

The Patriots have looked better with each week with their pass rush. Their corners are still awful, but I think they have the ability to defend teams once in a while. Put together, the Pats will take this game by storm and destroy the -16.5 spread at Gillette Stadium. I'm going Patriots -16.5 at home in a complete "waste-of-time" game tonight in Foxboro.

..one reason why we call it

Dave's (crackle)
LOCKS (gobble)
of the Week (smash!)

Coming up later this week: our Turkey Day picks with some games that may not be as bad as you think. Stay tuned!

Wow, nearly one year gone??

My goodness!

It's so good to have you all back. Where have I been? Honestly, where? It's time for some more

Dave's (BLAM!)
LOCKS (snap!)
of the Week (clomp)

I've been very busy of late, compiling great radio programs on the Dave in the City Podcast . I've been taking my lumps with bad predictions: remember the Cardinals and the World Series? That was me. Remember the blown 17 point lead in the NBA Playoffs for the Thunder against Dallas? That was me. I haven't had a great streak of late.

Maybe this time we can get it back and get it roooolling. I'll start with the big Northeastern Showdown in Gillette. Pats are a whopping 9.5 point favorite, but I think Big Blue comes up big and stays in it. Giants +9.5

And now! We're introducing some COLLEGE ACTION deep in the south. LSU vs Alabama, and with the Tigers on the road, we think they're an easy +4.5 cover. Take the Tiger's Roar over the Crimson's tide.

And lastly, the big one for Philly: Bears/Eagles. Am I crazy or do I think Bears +4.5 is going to work? It's true the Eagles have made a nice surge of late and their defense looked dominant a week ago vs. Dallas, but I'm calling for the BEARS +7.5! I think we're going to see some shuffling this weekend....

on

Dave's (smash!)
LOCKS (zoom!)
of the Week (crinkle)

Your picks: NYG +9.5, LSU +4.5, CHI +7.5

Wow was THAT a beatdown?

Last Monday night was quite a show. I don't think anyone expected this outcome: Saints 38, Patriots 17. Many thought the Saints could win, but to school the Pats as they did was impressive indeed.

I have mixed feelings on this. I'm 100% happy for the Saints and their fans, they're off to a great start... hell... Start? The Saints are storming the barn this year! To think that this franchise used to cling to a SINGLE WIN during the entire season. The "ain'ts" ain't, no more!

And then there's the Patriots. The "mix" in my feelings is that while I want to be just so ecastic over a Patriot beat down, what I realized was the Patriots were badly overrated, and I was one of those who overrated them. I really thought the Patriots were a better team, but the numbers don't lie. Outside of a neutral field "road win" in London, the Pats have not won a single road game all year.

It's the kind of statistic you don't notice right away, because the Patriots only played four road games all year. Now you see them just get clobbered at New Orleans. Shame on me! I really thought the Patriots would compete more than this.

Truth be told, the Pats' problem is the same problem they've had for the last five years: their defense suffers. It is just not that good. Remember in the second quarter when Devery Henderson was wide open without a Patriot within 50 yards of him? That told the whole story.

Going back to the Saints, I've been pretty high on them the whole year, and this time around, I feel like I'm justified. The Saints are bound to lose a game, and honestly it's better for them if they do. I'm not saying "don't win games," but a loss is really good at refocusing a team for the long term.

Last night though, really was a showcase of conferences. The Saints, and the NFC, are clearly the superior group.

Speaking of losses, man, are you getting a kick out of MNF analyst Jon Gruden, who proclaimed "The Saints are going to run the table!"? This is the same guy who said "The Steelers won't lose another game the rest of the season [paraphrasing]", after which they proceeded to lose three in a row. Jon, you're killing me! Stop jinxing the NFL!

Game of the Week: Jets at Patriots

So you want to see the game of the Week...

Week 11 presents a big springboard for a lot of teams. In fact, we like to call this Moment of Truth Week. This week features

The Dave Medina Super Fantastic Guarantee(tm)

We'll reveal the guarantee during LOCKS of the Week. Meanwhile, here's our game of the week:

Jets vs Patriots: Part II

Would you believe, the game of the week this week is a matchup on NFL Network?

Their last meeting was in September, when the Jets struggled to score more than ten points. It was an *ugly* game, and the Patriots won that day 19-10.

This week, both teams get a chance decide the division. I think the Bills are on the way down, so whoever wins on Thursday effectively wins the division. As it stands right now, the Jets and the Patriots are tied for first place in the division.

• If NE wins, they'll own the tiebreaker.
• If the Jets win, they'll tie the season series.

It is a huge, huge game!

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Dallas vs Washington may end up getting more press, but let's face it, neither of these teams are winning the NFC East. What it is, is a moment of truth for the Cowboys. Are they going to be a real playoff team? Do they have what it takes to weather the storm and make a run for a Wild Card?

For the 'Skins, you wonder if the game last week was a fluke. Certainly there's more drama (and more talent) involved in this game as opposed to Jets/Pats, but I figure it will have less impact on their division. It will however affect the wild card race.

If I were a football team...

There are four teams remaining in Major League Baseball's Postseason.

Dodgers
Phillies
Rays
Red Sox

If each one was a pro or college football team, who would they be? Post your response below in the comments!

My responses:

The Dodgers are the Miami Dolphins. Seemingly forgotten for 20 years, yet, suddenly upsetting the media darlings in convincing fashion.

The Phillies are the Missouri Tigers. Prolific on offense, and somewhat under the radar. With this team, the scoring comes all at once. Blink, and you're down two scores!

The Rays are the Kansas Jayhawks. A perennially AWFUL team suddenly storming the league. With this team, you wonder when the clock will strike midnight.

The Red Sox are the New England Patriots. They're from the Boston metro, they're gimpy, they may be on their last legs...... but are YOU about to count them out?

NFL Week 2 Brings the Excitement!

Hey everyone! Hope you guys had a good NFL Sunday.

It was a terrific day for football, filled with many close finishes, great plays, and shining moments. I was at Zodos, the only place to be for NFL football (if they knew how to turn on the HD). Anyway, here's my other thoughts on Week 2:

Aaron Rodgers: Like Musicals to My Ears!

Some folks weren't convinced Rodgers could take his good QB skills on the road. Instead, Rodgers impressed everybody out in the Motor City. Over 300 yards passing and 3 touchdown passes! I was impressed, and apparently, so were many fantasy owners.


The Greatest Week 2 Game Ever Played

There may be several candidates to earn the title "Greatest Week 2 Game". Unfortunately, Steelers/Browns is nowhere near the list. That game was kind of sloppy.

Instead, there was a battle of defensive wills over in Minneapolis between the Vikes and Colts.

There was also a terrific show in our nation's capital, perhaps a coming of age for young Jason Campbell.

Let's not forget the "Battle in Seattle" where you *can* get a second chance in life, or in overtime. SF's Joe Nedney misses the game winning field goal in regulation, only to nail it in OT, from the same distance!

Finally, the big shootout in Denver, where the Chargers and Broncos combined to score 77 points. Whoof!


Same Old Patriots

I still get the impression that the Jets are vastly overrated. It's tough to win games with only ten points in normal weather, and the Jets seemed more like a 4-12 team today. The Patriots do what they always do, win games, albeit much uglier and tougher than normal. The Pats have that 9-7 look without a doubt.

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Still to come on Brothers and Sisters Week: the big Monday Night game between the Eagles and Cowboys. It may not amount to much in the end, but this week it will be a lot of fun. I'm looking forawrd to the result, and let's hope we get a better game than we got in Cleveland!