The Crystal Ball 2010 Week 5

The Crystal Ball is taking a pseudo bye week this week. By that I mean the usual nonsense is stripped away as we work to bring a better product. Something better is coming, but we’re just not sure what yet. Just think of us as the Bills or say 49ers right now, we started the season ready, it went horribly, and now we’re making wholesale changes to turn this thing around. Either that or know I’m just bored and want to spice things up a bit.

Opening Kickoff

Turns out I was exactly right about Philadelphia’s reaction to Donovan McNabb. They cheered him heartily during pregame introductions and then booed him lustily when he first took the field. You got love those classy Eagle fans.

Biggest, Baddest, Bestest

All the big talk this week has surrounded the Jets and Minnesota game. The Vikings showed desperation and snagged Randy Moss from the Patriots. Now everyone has been falling all over themselves about this, saying now Favre has a deep threat, this is a pairing people have wanted to see for years and this will turn the Vikings season around. Unless Moss can also play offensive line and take 5 years off of Favre and heal his ankle, I cannot see how. But hey, I’m no expert on these things.

And on a side note, I’m still mad at Belichick for dumping Moss before he could destroy the Patriots locker room about three weeks before I predicted it would happen. That man is ALWAYS one step ahead.

But the other big Viking news is Brett Favre hitting on a Jets in house reporter two years ago when he was with the team. Voice mails and text messages came out revealing Brett’s rather clumsy skirt chasing. I don’t care about this at all. He’s a professional athlete and a superstar personality. I’m not too terribly surprised when stuff like this happens. I’m more surprised when everyone else is surprised. Nor am I going to moralize what this means for Brett or his marriage. Something tells me Deanna came to terms with who Brett is years ago. I’m sure she wouldn’t want his nonsense spread publicly like this, but I’m sure after spending your entire adult life with one person you get to know who they are and what makes them tick. I’m not calling it right or wrong, just what it is.

But this situation does beg a few questions in my mind. One, who keeps voice mails for two years unless they mean to do something will them? Two, it has been reported that the sideline reporter, Jenn Sterger, did not release the messages. Ok, if she didn’t, who did? And how did this third party obtain private voice mails without having obtained permission to have them from one of the two principal parties? And three, isn’t it all so terribly coincidental that these were released the same week Brett returns to the Meadowlands with the Vikings to take on the Jets? Why am I wondering if the Jets and Vikings had made the Super Bowl last year these messages would have been the topic of conversation during Super Bowl Media Day? It seems just too terribly coincidental for my liking.

He Said He Said

"Everybody makes mistakes in their lives, and they made one last year.'' – Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb

While McNabb didn’t have a great game, he got the win, and that’s what counts.

"Sometimes you gotta do whatever it takes to win. It means a lot, giving my team a second chance to win.'' - Falcons receiver Roddy White

White’s heads up play changed the game. Nate Clements, after intercepting the ball, ran down the field with the obvious attempt to get on Sportscenter. Well, he got his wish, just not in the way he hoped.

“This provides us with our first opportunity to respond to defeat" - Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin

Now that's positive thinking.

“I goofed” - Eagles head coach Andy Reid explaining yet another horrific clock management scenario that destroyed a Philadelphia opportunity at a touchdown

Gee you think so?

Idiot of the week

There’s no question that this week’s winner, hands down, is Eagles head coach Andy Reid.

The worst case scenario unfolded for Reid with Michael Vick leaving the game injured not to return. He then sent in the chosen one Kevin Kolb who was less than effective in utilizing Philadelphia’s offensive weapons, something we already learned in week 1 against Green Bay.

Reid then had to watch as McNabb exacted his revenge with an efficient performance backed up by an inspired Redskin defense that harassed Kolb into several costly mistakes.

Reid then was forced to listen as the Eagle faithful rained boos down upon the home team as his usual clock mismanagement left Kolb with little time for a potential comeback, and the defense let McNabb wick time off the clock in the 4th quarter at an alarming rate.

What’s worse is Reid, with a five minute play review followed by a time out, could not have his offense prepared with a play ready to go on fourth and less than one at the end of the first half. A delay of game penalty followed and the Eagles settled for a field goal and ultimately defeat.

Reid had his bacon saved the last 2 weeks thanks to a rejuvenated Vick. But having to go into a division game, and a symbolically important one, with his chosen quarterback outplayed by the team captain he jettisoned, there is no way his Sunday could have been worse unless someone spit in his Gatorade.

Now with Vick out indefinitely, Kolb returns as starter and there has been talk of pulling Jeff Garcia, late of the UFL, off the scrap heap. How long until Eagle faithful are calling for a move to acquire Garcia or worse for Reid’s job? Reid could not have screwed up the quarterback situation more if he planned it out.

So for trading your star quarterback within the division, watching him return home and kick your fanny, watching your hand picked replacement stink up the joint in the showdown and once again demonstrating just how terribly you manage a clock, Andy Reid you are an idiot.

On Tap This Week

Everyone always dreads having that one week where everything goes against them, things fall apart and you just hope that one team can pull of that one victory they should just to stop the bleeding. That was last week.

Last week: 6-8
Season to date: 35-27

Yeah, let’s just move on.

Chillin’ out eating cheese puffs this week: Pittsburgh, Seattle, New England, Miami

Sunday

Jacksonville (2-2) at Buffalo (0-4)

I cannot figure out this Jaguars team, but I can figure out Buffalo. They stink.

Jaguars over Bills

Denver (2-2) at Baltimore (3-1)

Wow, Denver can really sling the ball. But they cannot run it. This could be the game I’ve been waiting for to expose the Baltimore secondary. But will they with no running game threat? And can they win on the road against a tough opponent two weeks in a row? I have doubts.

Ravens over Broncos

Kansas City (3-0) at Indianapolis (2-2)

Indy is beat up, hurt, and their defense is questionable at best. Kansas City is rested, riding high and feeling strong at 3-0 as the last undefeated team. I’m still not betting against Peyton at home. Yet.

Colts over Chiefs

Green Bay (3-1) at Washington (2-2)

Yeah, Washington won last week, but hey, I wasn’t thrilled with it. I’m going Pack.

Packers over Redskins

St. Louis (2-2) at Detroit (0-4)

Oh, I just love those never say die Lions. I think this is their week.

Lions over Rams

Chicago (3-1) at Carolina (0-4)

After last week, I didn’t like Chicago with Jay Cutler. Like I’m gonna like them with Todd Collins under center.

Panthers over Bears

Tampa Bay (2-1) at Cincinnati (2-2)

If Cincinnati wants to earn any kind of respect for themselves, and any hope for the playoffs, they must produce a win at home. I’ll give them a chance this week, although I do not feel good about it.

Bengals over Buccaneers

Atlanta (3-1) at Cleveland (1-3)

Big win for Cleveland and a bit of a job saver for Mangenius. But I’m going with the team that can hang in there and take one from the defending champs.

Falcons over Browns

New York Giants (2-2) at Houston (3-1)

Foster all the live long day. I don’t care that the Giants basically twisted the Bears offense into a pretzel of their own design.

Texans over Giants

New Orleans (3-1) at Arizona (2-2)

It appears that Whisenhunt gave up on Derek Anderson. My only question is why didn’t that happen in the offseason? I mean, do you really think Cleveland’s throwaways are any good?

Saints over Cardinals

Tennessee (2-2) at Dallas (1-2)

I like Tennessee more, but I’ll give Dallas home field and the bye week benefit of the doubt. If Dallas was paying attention, they should have seen that an effective passing game can exploit Tennessee and probably get Chuck Cecil to make another naughty gesture to the officials.

Cowboys over Titans

San Diego (2-2) at Oakland (1-2)

Yeah, even Norv Turner can’t screw this up. Can he?

Chargers over Raiders

Philadelphia (2-2) at San Francisco (0-4)

San Francisco had my favorite play last week with that scintillating blocked punt recovered for a touchdown. This week, going up against Kevin Kolb, I think they’ll finally get that first win.

49ers over Eagles

Monday

Minnesota (1-2) at New York Jets (3-1)

The NFL loves having games with tons of storylines featured in their primetime slots. Well, they got one this week. Favre his voice mails and return to the Meadowlands, Moss taking on Revis in a new uniform, the Jets and their big talk and defense, the return of Santonio Holmes. Everything one could want for a drama filled extravaganza, and to top it off, somewhere in the midst of all this craziness there will be a football game. I’m calling this like a Super Bowl; team with the least drama wins.

Jets over Vikings