2008 NFL ATS Pick 'Em: Week Two

One is an accident, two is a trend.

Week two in the NFL is upon us, and as far as these picks are concerned, the worst decision one can make is basing their week two picks solely based off of week one. Week one success or failure doesn’t guarantee anything. The hardest part however, is picking up on trends before everyone else does. So maybe the Atlanta Falcons and the Buffalo Bills are for real. Maybe the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to have a down year. It’s too soon to tell, but the person who finds the correct answers the earliest, will end up near the top of these picks standings.

Taking care of some business before I head into the games.

Brandin Bursa has not contacted me at all, so unfortunately he is officially out. He tore his meniscus during week two of Calvert’s football season, and we here wish him a speedy recovery. Taking his place will be my brother Joshua Florence, guaranteeing at least some sibling rivalry. Also, since Brad’s brother is out, he can develop a rivalry with Josh in the sense that they both go/have graduated from Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH. Josh will be given a 6-10 record, which is one game worse than the worst week one record.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: There were several contenders, but the winner of the week one quote of the week is Devin Frank.

“Luke Florence is at this game + God hates Luke Florence = Pick Dallas.”

At the end of the year I will put the 17 quotes of the week together to determine the quote of the year.

Bart sent me a text picking all the home teams except the Browns. Unfortunately he does not have any thoughts this week, but thankfully Lucius makes up for it.

Lastly, the Baltimore-Houston game has been rescheduled, which means we only have 15 games this week. Best of luck. Giddy up.

Chicago @ Carolina (-3)

I like a healthy Jake Delhomme more so than a healthy Kyle Orton on the road.
My Pick: CAR (-3)

Jake: “I'll take the Bears. It's too early to jump on the bandwagon that they're back, but if they take this one as easily as last week, the Cubs will have to step it up to remain the most popular team in town come October.”

Lucius: “I am making this pick because I’m rather confident that some day i am gonna be a superfan and eat polish sausage and have several heart attacks and say da bears alot.” Yes, these are my friends.

Barnes: “Is anyone really sold on the Bears offense? If you say yes, you're lying.” Good to see Barnes with a full slate of comments. It just really wasn’t the same without him.

Kevin: “When translated across Spanish and French languages ‘Delhomme’ means something like ‘of the man.’ At first I thought this was simply a Spanish translation, at which point I would say, ‘You know I don't speak Spanish,’ and take the Bears. But then I remembered Mrs. Hughes's French class and how fun that was, so I weighed French over Spanish and took Jake. I hate this pick already.” A strong pick for QOTW.

Chewy: “ I think Carolina will return to .500 this year. Chicago might as well let their defensive players play both ways.” Not a bad idea.

CHI: Grothaus, Braves, Curtis, Lucius, Justin, Jake, Josh

CAR: Luke, Kevin, Shane, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Jeff, Bart, Polito, Devin, Bursa, Rapking, Brian

Tennessee @ Cincinnati (-1)

Not a big fan of either of these teams, but I just wouldn’t feel comfortable taking the Bengals.
My Pick: TEN (+1)

Maxine Hunt Pick of the Week (0-1): Cincinnati (-1)

“She chose the 2nd game on the list and even before I told her who was playing, she says she 'felt' like I was going to say that Cincinnati was one of the teams and that if it was, she'd have to take them (no matter the spread, mind you). So Maxine's psychic powers are taking the Bengals. Something tells me my parents were supposed to name me Kerry Collins Hunt because of this pick.”

Jake: “Tennessee...Tennessee...Tennessee...mark my words, this team is better with Kerry Collins under center than with Vince Young, and Albert Haynesworth will terrorize Carson all day. Man are the Bengals bad.” I’m not buying that the Titans are better with Kerry Collins, but they do have a dominant defense.

Rapking: “The last time I was in a pick-em league, it was helping my dad when I was 8 in his Air Force league. And yea, I have never picked against them.” I am so sorry.

Chewy: “ I don't really want to say that either of these teams is going to win, but Cincy is at home and healthier.” But they are still the Bengals though.

Jeff: “BULLETIN--BULLETIN---Carson Palmer considering suicide after another Bengals loss.” Jeff making a strong case for QOTW.

TEN: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Shane, Jeff, Devin, Lucius, Jake, Brian

CIN: Kevin, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Curtis, Bart, Polito, Bursa, Rapking, Justin, Josh

Green Bay (-3) @ Detroit

The Lions are awful, no way they win this one.
My Pick: GB (-3)

Jake: “The only time the Lions beat the Packers is on Turkey Day. I see no
turduckens in the near future. Therefore, Packers by at least 10 over the Liedowns.”

Lucius: “The lions are absolutely terrible, and Kid Rock is from Detroit and he definitely screwed the Browns last week.” On our way up to the Browns game last week, Lucius and I wanted to hear Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long.” It didn’t happen, and we put the loss squarely on his shoulders. On the way home a remarkable feat never to be forgotten took place, as Lucius successfully called when we would hear “All Summer Long,” as well as two other country songs. It was insane.

Devin: “Did the oddsmakers see something in Detroit I didn't?”

Kevin: “Ken Jones: Back the Pack cause the Pack is Back!! (even without Favre).” Yep, get used to a steady diet of Ken Jones references.

Chewy: “Rodgers has a great team around him, and they should really run all over Detroit's defense. Rogers may not fill Favre's shoes, but he doesn't have to with the team he has around him.”

GB: Everyone EXCEPT Bart and Polito

DET: Bart and Polito

Buffalo @ Jacksonville (-6)

I would take the Jaguars straight up, but don’t see them covering the spread. This pick also gives me insurance if the Bills do something crazy and win.
My Pick: BUF (+6)

Jake: “Should I jump on the Dick Jauron bandwagon against a tough team like the Jaguars?? I'm in last place already. I can only go up from here, right?? Besides, the Jags let me down last week, so screw them.” I like the pick, but don’t like the line of thinking. Going just off of one week can prove to be a disaster.

Lucius: “I am basing this on the fact that in the jungle a jaguar would absolutely destroy a freaking buffalo.” I would make this a QOTW contender, but Lucius has even better stored up his sleeve this week.

Kevin: “Jaguars eat Buffaloes. I don't care how much bigger they are.” Yes, these are my friends.

Devin: “I believe there is a law stating Grothaus can not win two straight. Ever. At anything.” Devin trying for the back-to-back QOTW crown. It’ll be interesting to see if Grothaus responds if the Bills win.

Jeff: “There is something good going on in Buffalo besides HOT Wings.” They win this one, and all of a sudden that AFC East gets very interesting.

Chewy: “ESPN Insider has this as an even spread. I like the way Buffalo played in week one, and I think Posluszny will be defensive rookie of the year and will help stuff Jacksonville's run game (which is their offense more or less). If Jacksonville does win they will not make the spread.” I completely agree.

BUF: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Shane, Chewy, Jeff, Curtis, Polito, Jake, Brian, Josh

JAX: Kevin, Barnes, Sara, Bart, Devin, Lucius, Bursa, Rapking, Justin,

Oakland @ Kansas City (-4)

No idea on this one. The smart pick should probably be the Raiders, because they could win and I wouldn’t be surprised, but, they looked like a bad JV team last week, and they have a short week to prepare.
My Pick: KC (-4)

Jake: “This is based on the fact that Kansas City seemed like they played a game in Week One and Oakland seemed like they were kind of hoping they could play bad enough that Al Davis would die and they could start over.” Oakland is in disarray. Their owner wants to fire the head coach. The head coach wants to fire the defensive coordinator. And, no one got fired. Watch them win by 20 now.

Lucius: “Again, Oakland is freaking awful. JaMarcus Russell should probably just start selling cars down in Louisiana right now so he doesn’t suck any worse.”

Devin: “Wow, Lane Kiffin should be fired for simply being picked to loss by the oddsmakers against KC.”

Kevin: “I don't think there's a reason I would take the Raiders. Except that Michael Gase loves them. And that they have JaMarcus Russell. That being said, give me the Chefs (one of my all-time favorite Snickers commercials -- right up there with "I am Batman!!").” Only the Calvert High School people will realize how great of a comment this is.

Chewy: “I think they will play with a chip on their shoulder after my Broncos taught them a thing or two about playing football. Their run game should flourish against KC with the double threat of Fargas and McFadden (who were limited to only about 25 carries combined against Denver).” Now here is exactly what I was talking about. Not rushing to judgment on the Raiders after just one game. Chewy is attempting to pick up on a trend before everyone else. I TOLD you I low-balled him on odds.

OAK: Shane, Chewy, Curtis, Brian

KC: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Kevin, Barnes, Sara, Jeff, Bart, Polito, Devin, Lucius, Bursa, Rapking, Justin, Jake, Josh

Indianapolis (-1.5) @ Minnesota

Two teams who desperately need a win. I’ll go with the Colts, but if they lose, they will in turn lose my confidence the rest of the year.
My Pick: IND (-1.5)

Jake: “Give it to the Vikes. You'd think Peyton wouldn't let his team start 0-2, and Aaron Rodgers did have success against the Vikes secondary, but if Matt Forte can run all over the Colts on the road, I predict a big day for #28 of Minnesota. Also, that Minnesota D-Line has to be a little pissed off that they put Rodgers on the ground less than five times with no sacks. Must really be gnawing at them.”

Lucius: “I dont think they will lose twice in a row because I have not seen any Peyton Manning commercials this week, so therefore it means he’s playing football somewhere and not acting.” Speaking of Peyton acting, that United Way SNL skit that Peyton did a while back is one of the best athlete-related SNL skit in it’s history.

Devin: “Will get on track this week...I hope...Peyton...my fantasy QB.” He sure looked bad last week.

Kevin: “Originally had this down as Indy, but then I realized that Colts are land animals and Vikings travel by water. Of course there is a lot more water on this earth than land -- and if Al Gore has anything to do with it, it'll all be water in about 50 years. Vikings are my early Super Bowl pick for 2059!” Someone please write this down so we can reference to it later.

Chewy: “Manning has shaken off the rust and will throw for at least three TD’s in a route of Minnesota who might as well snap the ball directly to Peterson.” Again, not a bad idea.

IND: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Barnes, Chewy, Curtis, Polito, Devin, Lucius, Bursa, Rapking, Justin, Josh

MIN: Kevin, Shane, Sara, Jeff, Bart, Jake, Brian

New York Giants (-9) @ St. Louis

Too many points for the Giants to cover? Nope. This one has 10-0 written all over it.
My Pick: NYG (-9)

The Promise's Promise (1-0): St. Louis (+9.5)

“The Rams that showed up against the Eagles are not the Rams of 2008. They are much better than that. And if the offense plays like they are capable of, the depleted Giants defense will be exposed. Something the Redskins couldn't do. This game will be close...and that's a Promise.”

Jake: “The GGGGGGGG-Men. I CAN'T believe I gave St. Louis a chance last week. They're hopeless, and I may never pick them again.” Looks like Jake isn’t one to hold grudges.

Lucius: “St. Louis is the worst team probably in the history of the world. If France had a football team, they would beat the Rams.” Aw yes, here is Lucius’ QOTW choice.

Devin: “Sympathy this week again goes out to Marc Bulger, Mr. Jackson, and all those who watch these games with St. Louis jerseys.”

Chewy: “Jason Campbell should be a backup. Deuce is healthy now, Reggie Bush is amazing, and Shockey will have a big impact.” The question is, can the Saints win on the road?

Jeff: “Time for the Rams to move back to Los Angeles.” Well played.

NYG: Luke, Braves, Kevin, Shane, Jeff, Curtis, Devin, Lucius, Bursa, Rapking, Jake, Brian, Josh

STL: Grothaus, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Bart, Polito, Justin

New Orleans @ Washington (PK)

Saints don’t typically play well on the road, but again, for me, I like to feel comfortable in the teams I pick. I would not be comfortable taking the Redskins.
My Pick: NO (PK)

Kevin Hunt's Ballbuster Pick of the Week (1-0): New Orleans (PK)

“I went with the 8th game on the list and took the team whose #25 had a last name begin with the latest letter in the alphabet. So ...

Reggie Bush -- #25 ... Washington didn't have one ... I take the Saints. Normally these don't work out so well, so we'll see how this one fares.”

When he gets complicated, like this week, it usually isn’t a good sign.

Jake: “Tough Call. The Saints lost Marques Colston, but the Redskins looked totally inept last week, and I'm not sure I want to risk being the only one to pick Washington for the second week in a row.” Aw, I forgot about Colston. Starting to lose some of that Saints comfort.

Lucius: “For the mere fact that I am actually eating a red skinned potato right now. Sign from God? I think so.” I have no reservations whatsoever that he actually was eating that potato.

Barnes: “I love how this is just a pick 'em. To me, it makes it a no-brainer.”

NO: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Kevin, Shane, Barnes, Chewy, Jeff, Curtis, Polito, Devin, Bursa, Rapking, Jake, Brian

WAS: Sara, Bart, Lucius, Justin, Josh

San Francisco @ Seattle (-8)

J.T. O’Sullivan on the road? Not a chance.
My Pick: SEA (-8)

Jake: “Seriously... San Francisco is hardcore terrible. And, Seattle might want to try to make a statement this week because last week they embarrassed themselves, and you know what?? They embarrassed me too. I wouldn't pick them, but they're playing San Francisco. I'm not intentionally trying to lose.” QOTW contender.

Lucius: “Because again there are several documentaries on Alcatraz this week on the National Geographic channel and they are all sweet.” Remember Bart and the movie “Philadelphia” last year? Well, Alcatraz looks to have taken it’s spot.

Devin: “This game has Seattle rolls to get season on track, but who does Hasselback throw to?” No idea, but I’m banking on O’Sullivan throwing two TD’s … to Seattle’s defense that is.

Barnes: “One of the toughest places to play. Even tougher when your team is as bad as Notre Dame.” To be fair, Barnes sent in these picks before the OSU-USC game. If he had waited, he would have replaced ‘Notre Dame’ with ‘The Buckeyes.’

Kevin: “The Big Ju makes a big splash in Seahawks country. PLUS, Seattle just signed Samie Parker. I don't know what that means, but they did. And finally, one of my 6 and 10 anchors at NBC 15 lived in Seattle for years and talks about how insanely depressing that whole place is ... this big win will cheer them up.”

SF: Grothaus, Braves, Chewy, Jeff, Curtis, Polito, Devin, Lucius, Rapking, Justin, Brian, Josh

SEA: Luke, Kevin, Shane, Barnes, Sara, Bart, Bursa, Jake

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay (-8)

Jeff Garcia is out. Brian Griese is in. Michael Turner looked good. Matt Ryan looked good. All signs point to Atlanta, which makes me nervous picking them.
My Pick: ATL (+8)

Jake: “What you ask?? You're going with the Ragin' Ryans over the some alliteration word followed by Chuckies?? Yes. That's what I'm doing. Not only will Atlanta cover, they'll win!”

Barnes: “The Bucs are slowly crumbling and it's only week 2. Meanwhile, the Falcons have some confidence. Hmm, when's the last time one could say that?” Somewhere Jerry Glanville is cracking open a Keystone.

Devin: “Yeah, they suck, we will lose, but after I felt optimism coming into the season I figure it must last one more week, or else I would feel like a browns fan.” I heart the NFL.

Kevin: “Brian Griese will be tossing the rock for the Bucs. I'm to the point of rage at this decision and here's why... go to the Buccaneers depth chart, and Griese is listed third, behind former Cleveland QB and inspiration for one of the worst field entrances I've ever seen for a Browns game, Luke McCown. I mean, how does Griese just leapfrog a guy like McCown?? Anyways, I like Michael Turner A LOT. As in, I've been picking him in fantasy football for about three years ‘hoping’ LT would get hurt. I didn't this year and I'm already paying for it.” Welcome to the life of Kevin T. Hunt.

ATL: Luke, Braves, Kevin, Shane, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Jeff, Curtis, Polito, Bursa, Lucius, Rapking, Justin, Jake, Brian

TB: Grothaus, Bart, Devin, Josh

Miami @ Arizona (-7)

I hate this match-up. However, the Cardinals might be in position to win the NFC West this year. If they want to do that, they have to win games like this.
My Pick: ARI (-7)

Jake: “How does Arizona get seven points on Miami?? They're both bad. Anyway, I've been making a point this week to not pick teams that screwed me last week (Miami), but the Cardinals are not my team and they never will be, so screw them. Man am I bitter this week. PS-Barnes will pick Arizona because he's a hater.” Let’s see if Jake is right.

Barnes: “They showed me something against the Jets. Chad Pennington was a great pick-up for them.” Guess not Jake. Wrong again.

Lucius: “I’m going with Miami, because that is where Tony Montana lived in Scarface.” Good, no wait, great movie.

Kevin: “When in doubt, go with the home team. Even giving a touchdown.” One of my favorite ATS sayings.

Jeff: “Miami must be lousy to be a TD underdog to the Cardinals.” If it smells like a lousy team, looks like a lousy team, and feels like a lousy team … it must be the Miami Dolphins.

MIA: Barnes, Lucius, Bursa, Jake

ARI: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Kevin, Shane, Chewy, Sara, Jeff, Curtis, Bart, Polito, Devin, Rapking, Justin, Brian, Josh

San Diego (-2) @ Denver

The Chargers are a bit banged up, but so is Jay Cutler. Chargers need this win.
My Pick: SD (-2)

Jake: “LT will run for 700 yards, birth a baby, and save Darfur. Then, the
Democratic National Convention will come back to Infesco Field and proclaim LT as their nominee for the presidency.” I have no words.

Barnes: “First off, Jake, it's spelled Invesco. And second, Jay Cutler has finally arrived, just in time to help my fantasy team too.” Good to see some developing rivalries.

Chewy: “ Center Tom Nalen's injury may slow the offense down a tad, but with the acquisition of Casey Wiegmann this off season, who started for KC last year, Nalen's possible unavailability was anticipated and shouldn't have a great impact. The loss of Merriman will have a massive impact on SD defense this year, and Cromartie's hip injury should slow him down enough that Denver's Marshall and Royal should have their way on one side of the field. SD is also plagued by injuries on offense with two starters on the line out.” Chewy also provides a great balance to some of the rather ridiculous comments that show up from time to time.

SD: Luke, Kevin, Polito, Devin, Rapking, Jake, Brian

DEN: Grothaus, Braves, Shane, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Jeff, Curtis, Bart, Lucius, Bursa, Justin, Josh

New England @ New York Jets (-2)

So the Pats lose Tom Brady and all of a sudden become the underdogs? While Eric Mangini has a history of playing the Patriots tough, I can’t let this opportunity pass me by. I will gladly take the Patriots here. All they have to do is win.
My Pick: NE (+2)

Jake: “J-E-T-S ... Bretts, Bretts, Bretts!! Wai t... no ... that's right. The Magic Man was at it again last week, and before the season even started I said they'd win this game, so why would I back down now. Now, if only he would grow a Merlin beard and start wearing a velvet robe.” Jake is showing some potential this week for absolutely absurd comments.

Lucius: “Sure they lost the best player in the NFL, however they really cant be that bad.” Can they? They are starting a QB who is making his first start since high school.

Barnes: “Matt Cassel has not started a game since high school. That means Austen Everson and Jimmy Clausen have more starting experience. But just like this presidential election, experience doesn't matter.” I am loving this mix of politics and sports.

Devin: “No Brady. Favre on the Jets. New England still wins. This game will mean way too much for New England.” I actually think it means more to the Jets. If they can’t beat New England now … then when?

Kevin: “This is so disturbing. I'm from Favre Country, but seriously, they beat the Dolphins (barely) and the Patriots will probably just run the ball a lot more now. Cassel just has to be sufficient -- throw the ball in Moss's direction and he'll probably catch it. Welker is a mid-range, across-the-middle guru ... perfect for keeping a QB from trying to do too much. I'm just a little disappointed that Daunte Culpepper didn't receive a phone call and Tim Rattay did.” Culpepper-Moss reunion shut down by Belichick.

Chewy: “The hardest pick of the week for me, but Favre looks great and Brady is missing two ligaments in his knee. The rest of the NE squad is solid (yet old). They will not be able to slow down the Jets offense enough to win this one.” Winner of this game becomes the favorite to win the AFC East. Big contest.

NE: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Kevin, Shane, Barnes, Sara, Polito, Devin, Lucius, Bursa, Rapking, Justin, Brian, Josh

NYJ: Chewy, Jeff, Curtis, Bart

Pittsburgh (-6) @ Cleveland

The big game. ESPN Sunday Countdown showed a great montage of the PIT-CLE rivalry including lots of on the field banter between these two teams. It was hilarious. The best line came from an unidentified Steeler, who in ‘99, when Drew Carey introduced the Browns onto the field said, “They’re still just the Browns.” I’m as big as a Browns fan as you will find, but you have to admit, that’s pretty funny. As far as this game is concerned, I hope Cleveland can win, but again, I’m backing Pittsburgh for insurance reasons.
My Pick: PIT (-6)

Jake: “We saw the games last week. I won't go any farther for all of my Browns faithful.” They are well represented here, and Jake plays it smart by not angering them.

Barnes: “Whatever I say here will infuriate the countless Browns fans in this competition. So I'm gonna take the high road and let the Browns fans bash their own team.” Another smart move by a non-Browns fan.

Devin: “Working under the premise that 'Someone' hates Flo, I have a difficult choice. Will Pittsburgh destroy Cleveland? Or will it be very close with Pitt taking it right at the end? Tough call. Lets go with destroy for this one, and God will have the Brownies lose a close one at home down the stretch to a team they have no business losing to. Hey, when they play the Bengals??” I hate the NFL.

Polito: "I cant wait for the Steelers to make it 10 straight over the Clowns, and yes you better put this quote in your blog just so everyone can hate on me." Consider it done.

Let’s hear what these Browns fans (and one Steelers fan) have to say.

Lucius: “I’m a browns fan, lets get drunk.” Speaking of getting drunk, Lucius has an incredible account of drinking with Sportscenter’s John Buccigross a week ago. It’s ridiculous, which you come to expect with Lucius.

Jeff: “Steelers---I know-I know--how can I do this? The Browns have serious problems. I am not sold on Derek Anderson yet--and I think Willie Parker will torch our defense.” Again, I CAN NOT believe Jeff picked against the Browns. I’m shocked.

Kevin: “I remember one time saying, ‘When you bet on your hopes, that's when you're gonna lose.’ Well, I'm trying to reverse that curse.

I think God owes you and me one with this game. You see, I was supposed to buy tickets for this game back in July, but I slept til two hours past the time to buy the tickets because I got roofied at a bar the night before and didn't even really realize I got home (see facebook pictures for some pretty good commentary). All in all, you had to pay more for these tickets than you should have. But there's a lot of money that I'd pay to see the Browns FINALLY beat the Steelers. Plus I don't want to hear it from Steelers fan/reporter that sits behind me at work. Already this week he's said beating Cleveland would be like beating a high school team. Go Browns, that's all I have left.” Just another day for Kevin.

Justin gives us a little blurb on this game, and if the Browns win, he will be forced to write one of these every week.

“Why the Browns will beat the Steelers:

Engaging in his questionable 3-4 defense, Romeo Crennel will prove this week that he was in fact once a defensive coordinator.

Last week, the Browns counted on their offense to win the game and employed a defensive game plan aimed at containing the Cowboys but in no way stopping them. This was evidenced by the seemingly millions of times that the Browns only rushed three. Even though Romo had all day to find an open receiver, there were still times that he took way too long, meaning the Browns coverage downfield was adequate. Often, the receiver Romo hit was at a point in his route that a solid pass rush would have made impossible. Examples of this were crossing routes where the receiver was all the way on the other side of the hash marks by the time Romo hit him, and tight end chips and releases that took a few seconds too long to develop.

If Crennel deserves his spot on the sideline, he will count on his defense to have a little confidence this week, and will employ STUNTS and BLITZ PACKAGES to expose Pittsburgh's weaker than usual line and keep Roethlisberger on his toes. (Similar to how the Browns attacked in the beginning of the second half last week.) With four or five rushers, the Browns will make Roethlisberger a quick decision maker. As long as the Browns find a linebacker that can keep up with Heath Miller and Santonio Holmes doesn't get behind their secondary, the Browns defense will do enough to negate the passing attack.

When Pittsburgh runs, the Browns have to keep Parker in the box and can't allow him to get outside. Last week the linebackers looked slow, and if they look that way again Parker could have a feast. All of Cleveland must count on the new additions to the defensive line to make a difference.

On offense, Braylon Edwards will show up in a big way, and Kellen Winslow will put on a clinic as well. Nothing about the offense concerns me – even to a point that I will say if the Browns defense holds the Steelers to 28 points or less, Cleveland has a guaranteed victory.

Final score prediction: Browns 31, Steelers 27. “

Let’s hope Justin is right.

PIT: Luke, Grothaus, Braves, Barnes, Chewy, Sara, Jeff, Bart, Polito, Devin, Jake

CLE: Kevin, Shane, Curtis, Lucius, Bursa, Rapking, Justin, Brian, Josh

Philadelphia @ Dallas (-7)

Should be a good MNF contest, and I’m taking the Eagles because I wouldn’t be that shocked if they won. At the very least it should be a close game.
My Pick: PHI (+7)

Jake: “Doesn't this seem a little high?? Clear choice for me to take Philly. Romo, to me, will always be Tony *name that rhymes with Romo but is actually a stab at his sexual orientation*. Carrie Underwood > Jessica Simpson.”

Lucius: “Unless the Eagles have linebackers, a pass rush, an offense and a halfway decent coach, unlike the browns did last week, Dallas will win the Super Bowl. Jerry Jones gets a louder ovation then the entire browns team did.” True story, it was insane how well-liked Jerry Jones is.

Barnes: “And with this win, may all Jessica Simpson talk be silenced.” How she did not win an Oscar for her portrayal of Daisy Dukes in “The Dukes of Hazzard” continues to amaze me.

Devin: “As I believe I stated last week, Dallas on the road to the Super Bowl.” Yeah well, Devin said the same thing last year too.

Kevin: “The Browns loss to the Cowboys in week one will look better and better (or more justifiable, I guess) as the year goes on.” And that wraps up Hunt’s entertaining week of comments.

Jeff: “McNabb puts it all together this year and the Eagles stun the Boys.” This has the makings of a MNF upset.

We don’t have Bart’s Thoughts this week, but we do have Po’s Knowledge Dropping for the first time, as well as the return of Chew On This, and Alex’s Thoughts. Enjoy.

CHEW ON THIS - VOLUME TWO: By Andrew Reinhart

This week I am featuring Jake Long from that team up north. He is a 6-7 310Ib monster who is the reason why Pennington may have a chance to play well in Miami. Although the rest of the line is nothing impressing (giving up three sacks in week one), Long fills the ever important Left Tackle position. If Ginn can come into his own on the outside, look for Miami to have a record around 6-10 to 8-8 which doesn't sound so optomistic, but its a step in the right direction after only winning one game last season.

You are probably all saying (no way Miami could have 6-8 wins), but I believe even one solid improvement on O line can make a big difference (its why I take a few moments each week to write this peice). Jake you might not get any love from anyone else this season, but, for what its worth, in my opinion you might be the beginning of better days for football in Miami.

PO’S KNOWLEDGE DROPPING - Week One in Review: By Ryan Polito

This is a brand new column to the Argument King's blog this year, so I would like to start by saying I am honored to have a slot in this year's blog. Hopefully people will enjoy this even though I am the hated Steelers fan.

I will be listing my most and least dominant person/people from the previous week, along with my own comments. Then I will conclude with a quote of the week and a fun fact of the week. So sit back, enjoy, and watch the Steelers beat the Browns on Sunday night 8:15 NBC.

MOST DOMINANT- LUKE FLORENCE

I got to give my boy props here. I wasn’t a part of this last year so I had no idea how much effort he puts into putting all this together. From sending out all the emails for the past month about the league, to collecting everyone’s picks and setting up a dominant blog with polls, picks, and opinions. A very dedicated effort to put together a great NFL Pick 'Em league that is much better than any kind of Pick'em league that ESPN or CBSsports has to offer. So with not very many athletes putting together a totally dominant effort I feel its appropriate for Luke to be the Week 1 most dominant person.

Other most dominant nominees:
Myself - (for attending my first ever NFL game)

Michael Turner - (220 rush yards in his first NFL start with the Falcons)

LEAST DOMINANT- THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

As many people know, for the last 4 years Tom Brady has been on the Patriots injury report. If you believe Brady was hurt all those weeks then you also might believe they didn’t cheat in any of those games either. Well karma finally caught up to that team last week. For the first time in four years Tom Brady was NOT on the injury report ... the jinx was out and Brady tore his ACL and MCL in the 1st quarter of his game against Kansas City.

That’s not the only reason they are here for least dominant, but also because they let Tom Brady walk off the field by himself. Which wouldn’t be too bad, but then they let him walk down a flight of stairs to get to the locker room.

There you have your 3-time cheater ... I mean 3-time Super Bowl winning QB walking down steps just seconds after tearing up his knee. Ridiculously least dominant in my eyes.

Other least dominant nominees:
Indianapolis Colts (looking horrible against the Bears)

Quote of the Week:

"People always ask me when I’m going to retire. Why would I retire? When you retire you never get a day off ... think about it" -Dr. Lou Holtz

Fun Fact of the Week:

Everyone knows Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th round of the NFL draft by the Patriots. However, many may not know that he was also drafted in the 1995 MLB draft in the 18th round by the Montreal Expos.

ALEX’S THOUGHTS OF THE WEEK: By Alex Lucius

Wow last week sucked. The browns suck. My 8th grade team tied. How do you tie? I hate ties worse than I hate losing. Ties are like making out with your sister. It blows and it makes for an awkward morning.

Regardless this is a new week, the browns will finally beat Roethlisberger. Popeye’s chicken will not be out of chicken. I’m not even gonna get into that.

I want to give out a shout out to my old friend Bart, for his recent academic feat. A 3.6 is a gpa that if you would add up my two gpa's from my sophomore year, you would not reach it, and that is a fact. crazy. Nice job Bart.

In other news, the new volcano taco's at taco bell are absolutely fantastic. They are not nearly as spicy going down as you might guess. A red tortilla shell is absolutely intimidating. However the volcano that erupts the next days is absolutely awful.

Well I’m getting kind of hungry so I’ll go get some right now. Go browns, Pittsburgh sucks and so does everyone that likes them. Everyone.

THE END

That’s all I have for this week. Again, my apologies for not getting this out until the late games today. It happens sometimes. Go Browns, hope you enjoyed the column, and I will see you next week.

Until next time, “read it, roll it, hole it.”