2-2 after one week, lets see if I can’t get this thing going and turn my .500 record into big winners all the way to the Super Bowl – this is how Week 1 churned out.
Saturday’s Games…
Washington Redskins @ Seattle Seahawks (-3):
(Line: Thursday, 1:00am EST: 5Dimes)
“I just don’t think the Redskins will pull the upset here. Many people forget that this is one of Seattle’s most talented teams. They pass the ball a ton, and do so very accurately and efficiently. Also, their defense is what really impresses me. With Patrick Kearney and Julian Peterson bringing pressure, Washington’s beat up offensive line will have to pull magic tricks to give Todd Collins enough time. This game will be close, but I’m taking the Hawks to win by 7-10 points in Seattle.” (Me) As it turns out, Kearney and company were just too much for the offensive line from Washington. Collins didn’t have the time he needs to make things happen, and thus he was intercepted a couple times, giving the Seahawks opportunity to put points on the board defensively. The Hawks are playing solid ball right now, the question is, can they keep it going?
Jacksonville Jaguars (Even) @ Pittsburgh Steelers:
(Line: Thursday, 1:00am EST: Belmont)
“The Steelers had a solid year, but fell off at the end, so much so that they couldn’t find a way to skip the Jaguars in Round 1. I like the Jaguars to win by 7-14 points in this one.” (Me) As it turns out, my prediction was right up until the last 12 minutes of the game. The Jaguars were looking dominant, but the Steelers stormed back to take the lead off of 19 straight 4th quarter points. They weren’t ready to give up, and they’d been there before. Still, it was their lack of running prowess and inability to hold onto the ball in the 1st half that ended the Steelers’ season. David Garrard didn’t have a great game, throwing two picks and almost single handily allowing the Steelers back in the game. Then, on 4th and 2, Garrard ran for 30 yards, setting the Jags up for their game winning field goal and their first playoff win in a long time.
Sunday’s Games…
New York Giants @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5):
(Line: Thursday, 1:00am EST: Belmont)
I was just dead-wrong about this one. I expected Eli to play terrible and he was solid. I expected the Bucs to come out hard with the home-field behind them, and really, they played the last 3 quarters as if they didn’t belong in the playoffs. This was my only big miss of the week, and a big part of it has to be my annoyance with the Giants during the season. However, New York is playing good football right now, and if they continue to hold onto the ball, they’ll go toe to toe with anyone in the NFC.
Tennessee Titans (+10) @ San Diego Chargers:
(Line: Thursday, 1:00am EST: 5Dimes)
“Using a tough defense and a heavy dosage of run plays, I like the Titan’s chances to finish within 10 of the Chargers in San Diego.” (Me) I ended up wrong about this one, but tell me you would bet the Chargers -10 against Tennessee again and I’ll call you crazy. San Diego was down 6-0 at half, and though I still thought they’d win, I was almost sure I was going to cover with my 10 points and the Titans. But, Tennessee was shut out, and the Chargers did just enough to cover with two touchdowns in the last 17 minutes. Games like this are tough, and I knew it was going to come down to the last few minutes, and spread-points. A tough loss for me, but I hope you can still see why I took the Titans, and why the value was with the away team. Sometimes you just lose.