Football Picks

I'm not happy with the outcome of last night's Patriots-Jets game (how does Mike Vrabel allow Dustin Keller to get a free release off the line on 3rd-and-15?) but there were some positives that came from the 34-31 OT defeat. The first is Matt Cassel. The kid has taken his fair share of criticism but even his biggest detractors have to admit that he has improved immensely. He passed for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns and rushed for an additional 62 yards. Cassel also looked, dare I say, Brady-like in leading a last minute drive to tie the game. The pass to Moss that tied the game was one not many quarterbacks currently in the NFL could have made. Secondly, rookie linebackers Jerod Mayo and Gary Guyton are playing great football. We all have noticed the progression of Mayo (20 tackles) this year and he is a leading candidate for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. His ability gives me the chills, he plays low to the ground, is always around the ball, and he delivers hits that leave a lasting memory of pain that stay with the ball carrier. The ceiling for this kid is Ray Lewis. Guyton, one of my personal favorites in training camp (how does a 6'4, 240 linebacker who runs 4.4 in the 40-yard dash and who played in a major college football conference -- ACC -- not get drafted) played 23 of the 77 defensive snaps last night. His stats are not as impressive as Mayo's (2 tackles) and he was a part of the kickoff team that allowed Leon Washington a touchdown but he did recover a crucial fumble in the second half and was effective in pass coverage on Washington. This kid will be an impact player sooner than later. The Pats trail the Jets by a game in the AFC East and their remaining schedule (at Miami, Pittsburgh, at Seattle, at Oakland, Arizona, at Buffalo) is no cake walk but I still like their chances to win the division and make some noise in the AFC playoffs. Herald guy bricked again. Picks are against the spread, home team in capitals. NCAA FLORIDA (-22.5) over South Carolina Texas (-13) over KANSAS Southern California (-23) over STANFORD ALABAMA (-21.5) over Mississippi State Boston College (+6.5) over FLORIDA STATE Last Week: 3 - 2 Season: 20 - 29 - 1 NFL PATRIOTS (-3) over NY Jets Arizona (-3) over SEATTLE ATLANTA (-6.5) over Denver CAROLINA (-14) over Detroit WASHINGTON (+1.5) over Dallas Chicago (+3.5) over GREEN BAY Houston (+8) over INDIANAPOLIS MIAMI (-10.5) over Oakland New Orleans (-5.5) over KANSAS CITY NY GIANTS (-7) over Baltimore CINCINNATI (+9) over Philadelphia PITTSBURGH (-5) over San Diego SAN FRANCISCO (-6.5) over St. Louis Minnesota (+4) over TAMPA BAY Tennessee (-3) over JACKSONVILLE BUFFALO (-5) over Cleveland Last Week: 9 - 4 Season: 71 - 67 - 7