Three games to go.
First place on the line.
The 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational at Cleveland Frowns.
Let’s roll:
Green Bay (-3.5) vs. Chicago
Money pick: Pittsburgh (-4) vs. NY Jets
The Divisional Playoffs are here, which means we’re down to the final seven games in the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational at Cleveland Frowns.
After a respectable Wild Card Weekend, we’re in first place – or right on the cusp of first, we’re waiting for the independent audit to come back on last week’s results – and ready to keep rolling this weekend.
We like:
Atlanta (-2.5) vs. Green Bay. Hopefully the two-week layoff didn’t leave the Falcons rusty. We’re banking on homefield here.
Chicago (-10) vs. Seattle. Although giving double digits with Jay Cutler (career record 24-29) at quarterback makes us very nervous. But it’s Seattle so …
NY Jets (+9) vs. New England. Sadly, the Rex Ryan traveling party of fun ends for another year this weekend. We fully expect the Patriots to win, we just think this game will be a close one.
Money pick: Pittsburgh (-3) vs. Baltimore. While we’d like to see both teams lose, someone has to win and it should be the Steelers. The good part is, no matter who comes out of this game, they will be so physically beat up they will have no chance next week against New England.
We came across this article on the National Football Post highlighting eight late covers from NFL games this year.
Of the eight games listed, we had three of them this year in the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational at Cleveland Frowns, which in some way helps explain why we are only a half-point out of first place heading into the playoffs.
The games we hit on from the list were:
The Browns made the list as well for their Week 5 game against Atlanta.
Interesting that all three covers came on defensive touchdowns.
That leads us to this week’s picks for the Wild Card games. We like:
New Orleans (-10) vs. Seattle, although the weather forecast for Seattle makes us a bit nervous.
Indianapolis (-2.5) vs. the Jets. No weather concerns as the game is indoors, but Rex Ryan’s Churchill-like qualities scare us in a big game.
Green Bay (+2.5) vs. Philly
Money pick: Baltimore (-3) vs. Kansas City
We’re still kicking ourselves for not going with the anti-Big 10 theme we had planned on for this week’s picks in the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational at Cleveland Frowns. Oh well.
We hit the college pick yesterday as TCU failed to cover. It’s a tough this week in the NFL as it’s hard to know who’s going to play hard and who is going to lay down.
Kansas City (-3.5) vs. Oakland
NY Giants (-4) vs. Washington
Money pick: New Orleans (-7.5) vs. Tampa Bay
We’re coming down to the end of the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational at Cleveland Frowns and we’re holding a 1.5-point lead.
After some much needed r-and-r in Cancun, we’re refreshed and ready to go. This week we like:
Dallas (-7) vs. Arizona
Philly (-14.5) vs. Minnesota
New England (-9) vs. Buffalo
Back on top and loving it in the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational at Cleveland Frowns.
This week, we like:
Dallas (-6) vs. Washington
New Orleans (+1) vs. Baltimore
Arizona (+2.5) vs. Carolina
Money: Oakland (-6.5) vs. Denver
After another perfect week – our third in the past five – we’re back on top in the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational at Cleveland Frowns.
So who do we like this week?
Green Bay (-7) vs. Detroit
Denver (-5.5) vs. Arizona
Baltimore (-3) vs. Houston
And for the money: San Diego (-7) vs. Kansas City
We’re still right on the heels of leader jimkanicki in the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational at Cleveland Frowns.
This week, we like:
Baltimore (-10) vs. Carolina
Atlanta (-3) vs. St. Louis
Green Bay (-3) vs. Minnesota
Money pick: Boise State (-30.5) vs. Fresno State.
We continued to find our stride last week, posting a perfect slate in the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational over at Cleveland Frowns. We close the gap on leader jimkanicki and now sit just 2.5 points off the lead.
This week we like:
Boise State (-34.5) vs. Idaho
Oregon (-20) vs. Cal
Indianapolis (-7) vs. Cincinnati
Money pick: Tennessee (-2) vs. Miami
The Browns dominated the Patriots on Sunday and in the process earned what is surely the defining victory of the Eric Mangini era and the final bit of proof for anyone who doubted this team and refused to see the progress it has made.
And in the process maybe, just maybe, the Browns have finally found a quarterback.
Unlike last year’s last-season win against Pittsburgh (aka the most over-rated win in franchise history), Sunday’s win came against a team riding a five-game winning streak and with the best record in the NFL.
The Browns rolled up 404 yards of offense, with 230 yards rushing and four rushing touchdowns. They controlled the ball for 38 minutes behind 184 rushing yards and two touchdowns by Peyton Hillis. The offensive line had another solid day, and the right side has settled down since Billy Yates has taken over at right guard and Floyd Womack at right tackle.
For the second game in a row the team pulled out the trick plays, this time a handoff to Chansi Stuckey out of the Wildcat that resulted in Stuckey’s 11-yard touchdown run.
The defense held the Patriots to half their season total in points and, for the second week in a row, more than held its own against a top-flight quarterback. The Browns held the Patriots to just seven points through three quarters and when McCoy ran the ball in from 16 yards to give the Browns a 24-7 lead with about five minutes to go in the third quarter, the game was essentially over.
It was probably the first time both sides of the ball played well in the same game and made it truly a team win.
As for McCoy, he’s making it very difficult for the coaches to stick to The Plan once Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme are healthy.
McCoy had no interceptions for the second consecutive week, completed 73 percent of his passes on the day and once again avoided making any stupid plays that could have hurt the Browns.
You can see him getting better and more comfortable each week as he gets more practice time with the first team. And when you factor in that no rookie quarterback in the history of the NFL has made his first three starts against teams of the level of Pittsburgh, New Orleans and New England, it’s slowly starting to look as if the Browns have finally found their quarterback.
As sure as the Browns have made true progress this season – they are now 7-5 in their last 12 games after going 1-11 in the previous 12 – it would be foolish to argue or try to downplay that McCoy has not made progress in the past three games.
Bring on the Jets!
***
If a big Browns win wasn’t enough to make it an extra-special day, Liverpool took it to top-of-the-table Chelsea, notching a 2-0 win over the defending champs behind Fernando Torres’ two goals.
Liverpool’s worst start to a season in more than 50 years had the Reds in the relegation zone last month, but three straight wins have lifted the 18-time champions to ninth. They are in a five-team group with Tottenham Hotspur – who were shocked over the weekend by Bolton – and only two points behind fifth-place Newcastle.
***
Finally, we are only a Pittsburgh cover against the always overrated Cincinnati Bengals Monday night to nail a perfect week in the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational at Cleveland Frowns and continue to close the gap on leader jimkanicki.
Red Right 88 