The Crystal Balll 2014 Week 8

Amidst much fanfare, Peyton Manning broke yet another NFL record that eventually will be broken by someone else. Lo and behold, it happened on Thursday night. Some quarterback for the Broncos broke it several times while tossing touchdowns against the Chargers. Records are made to be broken.

Opening Kickoff

According to an NFL official, in the league’s revamped approach toward domestic violence the legal process will play a role in determining punishment. Players will not be punished immediately upon accusation or arrest, but at a later date in the legal process. So if I understand this correctly, the NFL is going through a big hub bub right now to keep the process and punishment just as it is now. Discipline will occur farther down the road so not to impact current team play, and the public has time to forget about the crime, so punishment can be light and basically nonexistent. Good revamp their Goodell.

The Way It Was

Wow, there it is. Oh how I’ve missed it so. It’s been so long, I even began doubting its existence. But no, it is real! The true power of the Neck beard revealed itself for a true last second victory! Buffalo revels in joy.

Holy crap are the Bengals reverting to the Bungles fast. Indianapolis just destroyed them. Wait, what? The Steelers play Indy this week? Oh crap oh crap oh crap....

Well, that feel good story out of Cleveland sure fell apart fast. And how did we get killed by this team again? Watching them last week, it’s pretty obvious Cleveland can’t run the ball effectively without Alex Mack. Future Browns opponents, you’re welcome.

Two officiating nightmares occurred last week. The first, the turnover/non turnover in St. Louis. How can that not be reviewed by the officials? The game was on the line, and they decided to anoint a winner before time expired. Unbelievable. That being said, nice performance by the Rams special teams unit.

The second occurred between Detroit and New Orleans. Now I know the Saints are having an atrocious season, which happens from time to time. But on the key turnover that led to Detroit’s winning margin, the Lion defense was offside before the play began. That there was no flag or that no one seemed to notice and bring it up is stunning.

In other Saints news, boy does Rob Ryan's defense suck.

Along those lines, boy does Chicago’s defense suck. The only way that team's winning is in a barnburner score fest. Oh right, Jay Cutler. Awkward

Now tell me Green Bay fans, are you glad you took Aaron Rodgers’ advice and R-E-L-A-Xed? Yeah, I thought you would be. He’s a pretty smart cookie; you should probably have a little faith in him.

No one expected Colt McCoy! Actually that’s true. I doubt even McCoy expected it. This provides an interesting new change at the helm for the Snyders and an unfortunate turn of events for Kirk Cousins. That’ll put a hamper on his big payday out of town. At least for now, it looks like RGIII's job is pretty safe. Subway you may continue your advertising campaign.

Again, who saw the Cardinals as the cream of the NFC West crop? Bruce Arians, put your hand down, your vote doesn't count.

The Steel Pit

Steelers 30 – Texans 23

I don’t know who that Steeler team was at the end of the second quarter, but I sure hope they stick around.

Unfortunately I know who that Steeler team was in the first quarter, and let’s hope they hit the road.

Nice game overall I should say. It looked rough at first, with J.J. Watt causing havoc and Arian Foster running at will. For a while, it looked like a Texans runaway victory.

But thanks to a few timely turnovers, some mistakes capitalized on by the much maligned defense, and some effective red zone possessions, something magical happened that turned the game around in 73 seconds.

And despite the greed, egos, selfishness and lately overwhelming lack of human compassion that can and does invade and at times overtake football, which is why we love to watch. Sometimes, when everything lines up just right, this game is utterly fascinating.

Among the highlights:

Brett Keisel’s amazing performing on turn back the clock night. I think everyone was hoping he’d run that ball into the end zone just to put a highlight on his night.

Lawrence Timmons showing his unbelievable toughness. He got kicked in the stomach, puked, played a down, puked again, ran off the field, sat out one play, and then was right back in the game. If I’m puking, I’m down for the count thank you very much.

16 wins. The Steelers now have an NFL record 16 straight wins on Monday Night Football, dating back to 1991. You do realize that stretch covers their last 3 head coaches, right? That’s amazing in and of itself.

The lowlight:

Steeler Nation.

WHERE WERE YOU ON MONDAY NIGHT! Good gravy, 9000 no shows? Hey, I get it; we were all demoralized after the Browns loss. It was late, a Monday night game, it was cold and rainy out. But come on!

If you have tickets, go. If you have them and don’t want to go, then give them to someone who does.

Give them to me! I always want to go, and usually can’t get tickets. Sure, I can’t fill all 9000 seats, but I could nab some peeps and at least fill a few. And we would WANT to be there.

We can’t call ourselves the best fan base around and then not show up to a HOME game.

Can we try to do better this week? Good gravy you’re giving me fits.

Only In Faux NFL Reality…

Did I hear that correctly? Kansas City kicker Cairo Santos learned to kick by playing Madden Football on the XBox? How has neither company locked this guy up into an advertising campaign?

Cardinals’ defensive end Darnell Dockett mocked Oakland fans during the Cardinals/Raiders tilt. That is a brave man, that crowd is filled with people who have been in prison as recent as that morning!

The Brett Favre/Packers reunion is temporarily on hold. Soon, soon we’ll all have Brett back in our lives. Hopefully he picks up a ball and goes after his old record again! Look out Peyton!

Rams quarterback Austin Davis was stopped by team security when they failed to recognize the first year starter. Maybe Davis needs to get an American Express card.

In stupid arrest news, Broncos reserve safety John Boyett was arrested for a bizarre drunken incident that included head butting a cab driver and attempting to bury himself in mulch to avoid police capture. I’ll give him points for creativity. No word if Peyton Manning was upset with Boyett’s mulch piling.

Tom Brady announced he was rooting for the Giants in the World Series by posting a picture of himself decked out in Giants gear and ready to bat. Tom is really becoming the social media maven this season. Must be getting ready for his impending media career.

And finally, Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis was late for work this week, so Bill Belichick sent him home. I wonder if he also made Revis go to bed without supper.

Upon Further Review

Former Ravens running back Ray Rice filed a wrongful termination grievance against the Baltimore Ravens this week. Also, in Rice’s appeal hearing, the judge ordered Roger Goodell must testify in the case, despite his attempts to avoid taking the stand.

This is great news, and hopefully it will bear some fruit. There are many out here in fandom that want to love football again, but cannot truly feel the same about the sport until the NFL’s hypocrisy and lies are exposed, the prime committers of these infractions are dealt with and true rebuilding and understanding can occur. And none of those things will happen until the lead liar, Goodell, is exposed for the money groveling safety hypocrite he truly is.

The best way for that to happen is for Ray Rice to not go away quietly. And I give the man credit; he is refusing to play along nicely. Sure, he could get a cushy job with the Ravens in the future, and he has made enough money to retire to a life of leisure. But he is a man after the truth, and after at least partially clearing his name.

He knows he told the truth of what happened. He knows he did an awful thing, but then tried to do the right things. He also knows that the NFL, the Ravens and Goodell threw him under the bus to save their own asses in the eyes of the law, corporate advertising board rooms and the court of public opinion. And right now, he’s determined to prove that to everyone.

And I for one am rooting Rice on to take on, and take down, those who are covering up their part in this sham. This entire situation had become so weird it’s almost surreal. Who would have thought that Rice would at this point start looking like the good guy, the one you want to see win?

If Goodell had just dealt properly with Rice and the domestic abuse issues in the NFL, there would be no issue. But he did not. He followed status quo, which is to not take this issue seriously, show contempt for half of his fan base, and continue to allow players who commit these felonies to walk free with no consequences for their actions. And because of that, football fans are force to root for a domestic abuser to make things right. Let’s hope for once, the right outcome does occur, and true change happens.

A Thousand Words Or Less

Ok, I’ve thought about doing something like this for some time, but just haven’t pulled the trigger, so to speak. But this week, I found a picture too funny, that I just had to include it. So I introduce this new feature with this gem:

Photo courtesy of Deadspin.com

It’s like Billy Zapka stepped out of the Cobra Kai dojo and decided to dress up as Matthew McConaughey from Dazed and Confused for Halloween. Titan fans everywhere are beaming with pride and anticipation.

He Said He Said

"No matter who that guy is at the quarterback position, it's his team. I've got to step in and take control. I've done that this week, being vocal, making sure we're in the right calls, being on the same page. Absolutely, this is my team now.” – Titans rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger

Alright alright alright, let’s get out there boys and sweep some legs!

“At least give us a shot. But you know what? I’m not surprised with the referees this season. If you really look at some plays, we’re playing more than our opponents. We’re playing the referees too. I don’t care what anybody is saying. Something is wrong. That needs to be brought up.” – Seahawks safety Earl Thomas on the poor officiating in the Seahawks/Rams game

I’m with Thomas here. How can the NFL possibly justify the game officials not reviewing the crucial turnover that directly affected the outcome of the game, when it’s been standard NFL policy to review all turnovers and touchdowns?

“He won’t be a monster here. He won’t be a monster here. I can assure all the fans of that. That won’t take place here.” – Jets quarterback Michael Vick on newly acquired wide receiver Percy Harvin

That’s what every team says about talented, troublesome players. It’ll be different here. We can change him. He just needs a change of scenery. That sort of naïve optimism has rippled through the sports world for decades.

"Same mistakes, same mistakes, same mistakes. We've got to protect the football. We've got to protect the football. We've got to execute the game plan. We've got to adjust when things don't go as we saw on the film. We've got Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett, Matt Forte. We've got a stud offensive line. We've got a great, great group of guys, and this is unacceptable. What did we put up, 14 points? Was it 14 points? That's unacceptable." – Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall in a post-game tirade to the media after a locker room tirade where he reportedly called out teammate Jay Cutler

Honestly, from what I’ve seen from Cutler, I’m surprised it took this long for someone to blow up at him.

"Leadership is definitely involved in the quarterback position. When you are the guy with the ball, you are the guy that has to do the press conferences, and you're always asked questions. It's definitely part of the gig." – Bears quarterback Jay Cutler

Part of the gig? Definitely involved? I’ve said it for years. Cutler is not an elite quarterback. He doesn’t understand being a leader is what being a quarterback is all about. It’s about getting the other 10 men out there on the field to lay it all on the line for you. He’ll never understand that.

"Financially, he is one of the elite guys in the NFL. He just hasn't produced like an elite quarterback." – former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher on Jay Cutler

Well said. Except for the part where Cutler is getting paid like an elite player. That part is disturbing.

"He turned back time. He was the best 99 out there." – Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward on Brett Keisel

"He's the Tony Romo of the Midwest. We can talk about arm talent; we can talk about being able to throw a ball through a wall. He can put up 280, 340 yards passing, but you look across the board he's got two interceptions in a game that cost them maybe 14 points or so. That hurts a football team." – NFL analyst and former quarterback Donovan McNabb on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler

Come on Donovan, that’s pretty harsh, and really insulting to Tony Romo.

Idiot of the Week

This week, we award the crown of idiot to a surprise, dark horse candidate. Fresh off of setting a new NFL touchdown record, please welcome his first win in this arena for the season, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning!

I know what you’re thinking, how could I possibly label Manning an idiot? He’s supremely talented, funny, and personable, does great things for a wide variety of charities, self-deprecating in a cool way and makes pretty funny commercials. Because every once in a while, Manning says something that makes us remember that he’s an overly competitive, uptight, egomaniacal douche nozzle.

After Thursday’s game against the Chargers, Manning let loose with this comment.

"I have no problem with our fans. Our fans are great. I've got a problem with our scoreboard operator. I'm gonna have a little talk with him. I'm not sure what he's doing."

Manning’s issue, and he was serious, is that he didn’t like the scoreboard operator getting the crowd riled up while the Broncos were on offense; a situation that led to an offensive false start. Manning was also ticked the scoreboard showed an extended close up of opposing quarterback Phillip Rivers.

Here’s what I don’t understand. He’s mad the scoreboard showed the opposing quarterback, which got the crowd fired up and into the game? Maybe he was just mad it took face time away from himself. And really, shouldn’t he be mad at the player who committed the false start, rather than some guy who most likely makes a tenth of what Manning pockets in a month?

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Why am I nitpicking this one comment? So what, maybe Manning has a point? But this is not something new. Manning has a history of blaming others when things go bad. Let’s refer to one of my all-time favorite quotes.

"I'm trying to be a good teammate here. Let's just say we had some problems in protection.''

That beauty was uttered by Manning after his loss to the Steelers in the 2006 Divisional Playoff game. Rather than take the blame for the loss, rather than deflect criticism from others, rather than admit his own shortcomings, which include his inability to win a big game, he chose to throw his offensive line under the bus to take the blame for the loss.

So one detail of the evening failed to meet Manning’s exacting level of detail. Manning could have been pleased by his team’s performance against a division rival, improving their record to 6-1, and further strengthening bonds and solidifying performances together as they push toward the post season and a potential championship run. Instead, he preferred to sit in judgment of the work by an employee he doesn’t know, about a job he doesn’t know, and fume in seething anger because not everything was perfect in Peyton’s world.

We like to applaud Manning’s attention to detail and work ethic, but behind that is a miserable perfectionist who fumes if things aren’t perfect, and that includes the performances of those around him, and cannot stand the spotlight pointed anywhere but straight at him yet refuses to ever admit when he is the one at fault for his many post season failures. And for that, I crown him idiot.

On Tap This Week

Yes, we were on hiatus last week, but that didn’t stop us from making picks.

Last week: 10-5

Thursday: 1-0

Season to Date: 67-40

Not bad overall, but I still haven’t had that transcendent week. Perhaps this week?

Sitting at home, dreaming of past glory:

New York Giants, San Francisco

Sunday

Detroit (5-2) at Atlanta (2-5)

At is a relative term here, as this is one of the many London games for this season. I still don’t quite trust Detroit, but I have to go with performance.

Lions over Falcons

Minnesota (2-5) at Tampa Bay (1-5)

Woof, what a stinker. At least Tampa Bay has a chance to give the home town crowd something to cheer about.

Buccaneers over Vikings

Buffalo (4-3) at New York Jets (1-6)

I learned my own lesson. Never doubt the power of the Neck Beard!

Bills over Jets

Chicago (3-4) at New England (5-2)

The only place Chicago plays well is on the road. I don’t think that will help this team approaching total meltdown.

Patriots over Bears

Seattle (3-3) at Carolina (3-3-1)

Let’s just say I have more confidence in Seattle righting the ship and correcting their issues than I do of Carolina trying to figure out how their defense has fallen apart.

Seahawks over Panthers

Miami (3-3) at Jacksonville (1-6)

I fear Jacksonville’s one game winning streak may be snapped today.

Dolphins over Jaguars

Baltimore (5-2) at Cincinnati (3-2-1)

Ugh, Baltimore is facing Cincinnati at just the right time, and all I’ll have to hear is more nonsense about how this is a good team. Just the thought of such crap makes me want to do a Lawrence Timmons impression.

Ravens over Bengals

Houston (3-4) at Tennessee (2-5)

Zach Mettenberger, congratulation on getting your own team. I’d like to introduce you to J.J. Watt.

Texans over Titans

St. Louis (2-4) at Kansas City (3-3)

You think St. Louis can pull off that kind of performance two weeks in a row? Color me doubtful.

Chiefs over Rams

Philadelphia (5-1) at Arizona (5-1)

I know Philly has had two weeks to prepare. But I still like what Bruce Arians is doing with this Cardinal team more.

Cardinals over Eagles

Indianapolis (5-2) at Pittsburgh (4-3)

I give you this from the Sporting News:

“The Colts are playing better "Steelers football" than the actual Steelers.”

Ouch. I mean, it’s true, but dang that stings. It’ll probably be proven true again this afternoon, but a boy can hope, right?

Steelers over Colts

Oakland (0-6) at Cleveland (3-3)

Apparently, Hoyer is one misstep away from being relieved by Johnny Football! I’m pretty sure Hoyer has this game in the bag, but stranger things have happened. And if Hoyer does fail today, most likely Johnny Football’s time will have come.

Browns over Raiders

Green Bay (5-2) at New Orleans (2-4)

That porous New Orleans defense is going to have its hands full. I’m sure Rob Ryan will try to fix it by big blitzing all night. How much you want to bet that doesn’t work.

Packers over Saints

Monday

Washington (2-5) at Dallas (6-1)

Right now, Dallas can do no wrong. But I’m holding off on crowning them champions until the calendar turns and they win in December.

Cowboys over Snyders

The Crystal Ball 2014 Week 7

Hello All welcome to another week of NFL football fun! 

Like all teams in the NFL, we at the Crystal Ball also enjoy having a bye week during the season. Unlike the NFL, ours are not set in stone before the season begins. This allows us to take one when we actually need one. Like the week after watching your team look like a hot, chaotic, listless mess as they get shellacked by their division rival.

Hey, good on Cleveland. They are building quite a good little team over there that just about everyone has overlooked until now. And for the good people of Cleveland, it's about darned time. And I have no problem losing to a superior opponent. I do have a problem looking disorganized, unfocused and ill-prepared in the loss. But that is immaterial.

So after that eye crossing loss, combined with my general malaise at the league itself and the relentless off the field issues that are plaguing the NFL due to poor decision making and the triumph of greed and power over human dignity, safety and compassion, it felt like a good time to step back and take a small break and remember why we like football in the first place.

Plus, we've been so wickedly busy around the Crystal Ball offices that darn it, a break one week is well deserved and needed! With finishing up Summer projects, starting Fall/Winter preparations, the holiday season kicking off, and the ol' day job taking some new turns, it's been nuttier than a fruitcake around here, which will soon start showing up on your grocers' shelves.

So this week we're backing off, doing some chores, taking a nap, continuing our training (more on which will come in the next few months), and maybe watch a game or two in between some leisure reading and laundry. We will return next week recharged, refreshed and raring to go. Until then, enjoy the waning Fall weather and another week of football fun!

The Crystal Ball 2014 Week 6

Oh man, I should have seen that Patriot performance coming like a freight train. I still can’t believe I missed something that obvious. Seriously, after the Kansas City debacle, and the media picking at the team for a week, the outcome was so predictable you could have made it into a sports movie.

Opening Kickoff

In a recent poll, a majority of NFL fans responded they feel Roger Goodell should keep his job as NFL commissioner.

On the heels of this comes the admission from former Bears GM Jerry Angelo that teams regularly glossed over domestic violence cases. To which the Bears responded:

“We were surprised by Jerry’s comments and do not know what he is referring to.”

Hmmm, color me skeptical the Bears don’t know what Angelo is speaking about. The story, not surprisingly, has yet to gain any traction because the public has spoken and apparently, they don’t care.

See, I told you. Goodell won. No matter what the “independent” investigation concludes, Goodell’s already swayed public opinion, despite the lying continuing unabated.

The Way It Was

The undefeated have fallen! Mercury Morris is happy to be relevant for 15 seconds again this year.

Ok, seriously. The Dallas Cowboys are 4-1. Did I miss a memo?

And the Chargers too? Oh boy, I can’t wait to see more Phillip Rivers acting like a lunatic. Yay. Hmmm, I gotta work on increasing my sarcasm quotient. That just didn’t seem catty enough.

Good gravy. I wonder how bad the Jets can get before they hit rock bottom. I don’t care how much Rex Ryan boasts about his defense, he obviously knows absolutely nothing about the quarterback position.

I’ll give Bruce Arians this much. He kept his charges in the game, on the road, against a tough opponent despite having to play his third string quarterback. Yeah, the kid was seriously overmatched, but the team kept fighting hard. Nice effort Steelers West.

Ummm, did the win in Pittsburgh awaken something in the Buccaneers, or are the Saints just that defensively inept. Hold on, their defensive coordinator is Rob Ryan. Ok, that answers my question. Thanks.

Most overrated quarterback in the NFC North, Jay Cutler or Matthew Stafford? Discuss.

Speaking of quarterbacks, isn’t it funny how fast the Baltimore offense falls apart when they have no running game and Joe Flacco must carry the day? Did I say funny? I meant downright knee-slapping, belly-aching hilarious.

Down 28 – 3 late in the second quarter, the Cleveland Browns staged an epic 26 point comeback to defeat the Tennessee Titans and improve their record to an astounding 2-2. I don’t know if the world’s ready for a successful Cleveland team, let alone two at the same time.

In the Texans Thursday night loss to the Colts, J.J. Watt had two sacks, seven tackles, three tackles for a loss, two pass deflections and a touchdown. The rest of the team must just stink to get that kind of performance and lose!

The Steel Pit

Steelers 17 – Jaguars 9

Can you think of a more underwhelming win? Boy I’m glad I spent most of the day painting rather than watching this crap fest.

Never mind the continued nonsensical rush to win the season award for most preventable penalties. Yes, there were more personal fouls and stupid shenanigans.

Never mind the complete inability of the offensive coordinator who was unable to put together an offensive game plan that mustered more than 10 points against the worst defense in the league. How are you not throwing deep down the field against the league’s worst secondary, and how do you not give the running backs, who are averaging over 5 yards a carry, one play inside the red zone?

Never mind the special teams unit, which should be renamed the

And never mind the defense that finally looked competent on the 5^th game of the season. Of course, it’s because they faced an offense that features 5 rookies in starting positions, and yet they still managed 3 scoring drives.

All you need to know about this team, this year, occurred near the end of the game.

With the game still in doubt, and Pittsburgh desperately needing to run time off the clock to secure the win, something they were unable to do against Tampa Bay, the coaching staff and players felt it necessary and were ok with throwing a pass, that could have been intercepted or knocked down to stop the clock, to Antonio Brown.

Why? Did they need the yardage? Was it vital for converting a first down? Did it push the team closer to a score? No. The pass was thrown in order for Brown to extend his record of having 5 catches over 50 yards to 21 straight games. A record that is not in the NFL record books or of any consequence to anyone but Antonio Brown.

This team risked victory against possibly the worst team in the league just to obtain a foolish stat for one person. And after the game, those in charge were perfectly fine with this situation. And this is what is wrong with this team. Their focus is on the wrong goals.

I wonder what answer a reporter would have received if they asked Joey Porter how he felt about this nonsense. I bet he wouldn’t say he was fine with it.

Only In Faux NFL Reality…

The Jacksonville Jaguars apologized for their mascot, who tooled around Sunday’s game on a Segway with a Terrible Towel and a sign that read: “Towels Carry Ebola.” I could tell you how bad things can be from mocking the Terrible Towel, but I’ll bet T.J. Houshmandzadeh could better illustrate the fallacy of this action.

The NFL fined 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick $10,000 for wearing Beats by Dre headphones to his press conference, which goes against the league that has an endorsement deal with Bose. Thank goodness Roger Goodell is finally cracking down on the scourge that has infected this league!

The Miami Dolphins suspended defensive end Derrick Shelby after he was arrested for fighting at a Miami nightclub, and basically acting like an entitled ass. Hey Goodell, how’s that new personal conduct policy coming along?

Well I’m sure the personal conduct policy work will speed up exponentially now that Colts owner Jim Irsay is returning from suspension!

And speaking of bad behavior, the NFL is trying to identify some unknown troublemakers who allegedly shined laser pointers at Buffalo Bill players during their tilt against the Lions in Detroit. Early reports are that the fans will be directed into a pre-intervention program and suspended two games by Roger Goodell, unless they were smoking weed, then they’ll be thrown out of football fandom forever.

Fantasy Football owners had a moo cow when Percy Harvin had 3, count them 3, touchdowns called back because of penalties. It could be worse; at least Harvin still produced points. You could have had anyone from the Raiders on your team.

Per the NFL, there will be teams coming to Los Angeles and soon, and they could be the Raiders, the Rams, and/or the Chargers. Hmmm, funny how all three of those teams has been clamoring for a new stadium in recent years, and now they’re looking to move to a city ready to build a new stadium….

Texans defensive star J.J. Watt stated he doesn’t have a girlfriend because he is focused on football at this point in his life. His opinion is that a relationship takes dedication and time and it wouldn’t be fair to any potential girlfriend because he cannot give that kind of time and energy right now. That’s a very up front and honest statement, and I respect that. Of course, I thought he didn’t have a girlfriend because he already got engaged in the most adorable proposal ever!

Upon Further Review

This week, I’d like to just take a small moment to share something nice. Lately, there hasn’t been very much about the NFL outside of the games itself worth sharing, or very nice. But this I thought was a wonderful thing.

All of us are aware of Cincinnati defensive lineman Devon Still and his daughter’s battle with cancer. It’s a touching story about a strong little girl and her family’s efforts to do everything for her to help her survive. The Bengals have been just, in my opinion, the model franchise in how they’ve treated Still, his family and the situation. Even going so far as to donate 100% of all sales of Still’s jersey to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has been amazing. The team will donate over $1 Million to the hospital in the near future. That’s just amazing.

What just really made me smile this weekend about this story was the Patriot organization. Their cheerleader team wore Still’s jersey in support of Still and his daughter. How classy is that? To wear the jersey of an opponent their team is facing, just to show support to the man and his personal struggles.

Like many fans, I have plenty of issues with the Patriot organization. But at least on Sunday, they showed an incredible amount of class and respect. To them, to the women who donned Still’s jersey in support, and to everyone who has donated to the cause and has been moved to action by this man’s story, I applaud you all. And to Leah Still, keep fighting little one, you have fans the world over.

He Said He Said

"I was a little bit surprised by the number of Houston fans. Today we played on the road. We had to go to a silent count, and that was the first time I had to do that throughout [a] game at home. We need to do a better job as a team, as a fan base, to make sure how big of a difference playing at home is. I think going forward I'm going to press the issue. We just need to tighten up on selling our tickets." – Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo on the deluge of Texans fans that filled AT&T Stadium during the Dallas/Houston tilt

I get Romo’s point, and I agree to a certain extent. But have you seen how many seats there are to fill? And more importantly, have you seen the ticket prices? How much can you demand of Cowboy fans? They already have to fund Jerry Jones’ ego, now you want them to purchase every seat? Way to be a prima donna Tony.

“It's an emotional game. At times, your emotions get the best of you, and that was one of those moments for me. I apologized to him for putting our team in a bad situation. That's stuff you can't do. We're good.” – Steelers receiver Lance Moore on his sideline blowup with head coach Mike Tomlin

I imagine Moore has probably had enough of being behind a bunch of no talent ass clowns on the depth chart, and probably didn’t want to hear smack from a coach who puts nonsense in front of winning.

"Tough 4-1, soft 4-1. It doesn't matter." – Eagles head coach Chip Kelly

Ask any Jacksonville if they would be ok with a soft 4-1. I bet I know the answer.

"It's all about getting the Super Bowls and winning, and Tom's been to five of them. And that's what you're looking for. But we'll see where it goes from here with Peyton Manning. John Elway didn't win any until his last two years ... your career is not over until it's over. Right now I'd say Brady's definitely in the lead." – NFL analyst Tony Dungy on his thoughts of who is the superior quarterback between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning

Huh, so championships won should be a better metric of rating quarterbacks? I’ve been saying that for years.

"At junior college, I was a drama queen. I demanded the ball and it paid off for me. So if things keep going like this, I may have to be that drama queen one time." – Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson

Translation: “I’m going to act like a petulant 6 year old and throw a major tantrum until I get my way, because I never developed the emotional maturity to be a functioning adult in society.” And the NFL wonders why the average fan is souring on the game. Of course, with the way people behave in almost every other industry; I suppose this is just par for the course.

"He might be the best Dallas Cowboy of all-time. Literally, his career has been exceptional. He's hit every mark you could ever have and he's going to go down as the first- or second-greatest tight end of all-time. I've just been lucky enough to play with him." – Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo on teammate Jason Witten

Never mind that such a designation is highly subjective. Can we please, stop, with the misuse of the word literally? It literally drives me insane.

"(I) smoked a little weed" – NFL running back Adrian Peterson to a drug test worker before a urinalysis test

How dumb can one person be….

Idiot of the Week

I’d love to give it to Roger Goodell, who this week was so seemingly proud to announce how much time the owners meetings were dedicated to personal conduct. First Rog, the way you screwed things up the entire meeting should have been dedicated to such things. And second, how come there was no discussion about your conduct? Plus, I just haven’t crowned him idiot in a while, so I’m feeling a bit jittery and need a fix.

But by far the biggest idiot is Adrian Peterson, who revealed to a drug test worker, before a drug test mind you, that he has been smoking weed. Peterson, if you don’t remember, is currently not playing football and out on bail as he awaits trial regarding allegations of child abuse.  Predictably to anyone with common sense, this admission led to the revocation of Peterson’s bond and his re-arrest.

It’s bad enough Peterson beat his kid with a switch and doesn’t get why that’s wrong. I know some parents favor corporal punishment, and I’m not judging that at all. It’s one thing if you think a spanking is a useful parenting tool. But to beat a 4 year old with an object to the point of welts, bruises and cuts is beyond ludicrous. What could a 4 year old possibly do to warrant that level and intensity of a beating?

No matter how he justifies it, I’m not buying it. It’s a 4 year old for heaven’s sake! And on top of that, you had a child die last year because of abuse at the hands of another person! My God, do you not see the disturbing parallels? So far he’s using the, “it’s the culture I grew up in” excuse, which was the same excuse Michael Vick used for fighting and killing dogs. Hey, no one bought that nonsense either.

Peterson doesn’t seem to realize he’s not fighting to get back to playing in the NFL. As of now, he doesn’t even have a relationship with the only team for whom he’s played. You think another franchise would take a chance on him? Right now, he is fighting to keep his freedom and his children however this reality has yet to dawn on him. Smoking weed before you have to give a drug test shows me he’s taking none of this seriously and figures it’ll blow over soon enough and he can get back to playing football in no time.

No Adrian, it’s doesn’t work like that anymore.

Just his total lack of awareness at how bad his actions are that brought him to this point could secure him a win in this forum. But showing such a blasé attitude toward what it takes to keep his own freedom and his children in his life pushed it over the top. Adrian Peterson, you truly are an idiot.

On Tap This Week

Things are looking up on the prognostication front.

Last week: 11-4

Thursday: 1-0

Season to Date: 47-30

Hey, maybe I’m getting the hang of the 2014 season yet. Or maybe I’m just choosing more winners when my mind isn’t clouded in impotent rage from the latest dumb thing Roger Goodell has done, yet still gets paid $44 Million a year. Getting into the wrong mindset for this….

Sitting at home, contemplating their next wildly fluctuating performance:

Kansas City, New Orleans

Sunday

Green Bay (3-2) at Miami (2-2)

So what Miami had a week off? I don’t think that’ll help in the least.

Packers over Dolphins

New England (3-2) at Buffalo (3-2)

Potential trap game number 1, as New England may have a letdown after last week’s huge win, and the Bills are fighting to keep the division lead. With Kyle Orton at quarterback. Let the shock sink in. But I think now that New England remembered who they are and what they do, they’ll assert themselves to the top of the AFC East.

Patriots over Bills

Carolina (3-2) at Cincinnati (3-1)

Potential trap game number 2. In the past I absolutely would have picked against Cincinnati. But I think they just hit the perfect storm of crap last week. Let’s see what they can do this week to rebound. I have a feeling it could be significant.

Bengals over Panthers

Pittsburgh (3-2) at Cleveland (2-2)

I’ll be honest, after what I’ve seen from each team last week, and Pittsburgh the week before, I am legitimately terrified to play Cleveland right now. At best, I think Pittsburgh has a 50/50 chance to win. I’m not sure how we got to this point, but yikes. That being said, you gotta back your team, especially when the chips are down. And boy howdy are they down.

Steelers over Browns

Baltimore (3-2) at Tampa Bay (1-4)

To use a phrase commonly heard around Pittsburgh during the summer….Let’s go Bucs!

Ravens over Buccaneers

Jacksonville (0-5) at Tennessee (1-4)

Maybe Tennessee can win this game at home.

Titans over Jaguars

Detroit (3-2) at Minnesota (2-3)

In an attempt to bring stability to a position at issue, Detroit signed former Bronco kicker Matt Prater to solidify their special teams. Now, if only they could find someone off the street to solidify their starting quarterback position.

Lions sign prater

Vikings over Lions

Denver (3-1) at New York Jets (1-4)

The New York Daily News is calling for the return of Tim Tebow. Seriously, could he be any worse than the Geno Smith/Michael Vick combo Jet fans have been forced to endure? Did you see their combined stat line for last week? Yikes. Yeah, Tebow had horrific stats. But at least he won some games.

Broncos over Jets

San Diego (4-1) at Oakland (0-5)

Come on, sing it with me! San D-i-ego….Super-Chargers! San D-i-ego….Super Chargers!

Chargers over Raiders

Washington (1-4) at Arizona (3-1)

Not sure who will be under center for Arizona just yet. But I know who’ll be on the field for Dan Snyder’s Sycophants.

Cardinals over Snyders

Dallas (4-1) at Seattle (3-1)

Now here’s where Dallas’ fairy tale first half of the season enters the dark and haunted woods.

Seahawks over Cowboys

Chicago (2-3) at Atlanta (2-3)

Hmmm, whom do I trust less to win this game, or more importantly who do I trust more to blow it. Well, Chicago is on the road. And Chicago does still employ Jay Cutler. Ok, I’m sold.

Falcons over Bears

New York Giants (3-2) at Philadelphia (4-1)

After a couple of wins, the Giants are feeling cocky, and have been smack talking the Eagles this week. Hey, New York, you’re still the team that started 0-2, and looked atrocious doing it. I’d reel it in a bit if I were you. Oops, never mind, karma already is calling.

Eagles over Giants

Monday

San Francisco (3-2) at St. Louis (1-3)

So apparently, after defeating Kansas City it appears that San Francisco has its mojo back. I guess after they dispatch with the ever struggling Rams, that entire locker room divide between players and coach Jim Harbaugh will also be a thing of the past.

49ers over Rams