***SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY - MUCK 5 - WEEK 11***
***INDIANAPOLIS COLTS @ ATLANTA FALCONS***
The Dirty Birds are in a great bounce back spot here. They are fresh out of a much needed bye week after an embarassing loss in San Fran to backup QB Blaine Gabbert two weeks ago, YIKES! They have simply not been themselves after a 5-0 start. If not for some botched Center to QB exchanges, this team maybe doesn't drop the couple games they did. However I think they will use today wisely to get back on track against a Colts team who are once again without their franchise QB in Andrew Luck. The old veteran backup QB Matt Hasselbeck's came up huge earlier this season and dishing out gutsy performances allowing his team to win over some lesser foes a few weeks back. However this guy is not going to last moving forward. I think the Colts are going to head into a downward spiral starting today. Head Coach Dan Quinn will have his guys ready today and will simply overwhelm the Colts early. The Georgia Dome will be rocking and I look for QB Matt Ryan, WR Julio Jones, and RB DeVonta Freeman to look in sync and more like the potential playoff team we saw early on. Falcons roll the Ponys today at home. FALCONS -3.5
***TAMPA BAY BUCANEERS @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES***
The Eagles may have just gotten extremely lucky in my eyes as their QB Sam Bradford is banged up enough to not be able to go today, which means backup Mark Sanchez will be getting the nod. I have said since preseason that I think Sanchez is a better QB for them than Mr. Bradford and now that destiny has granted him the chance to prove me right, I feel like we get a glimpse at what Chip Kelly's offense is SUPPOSED to look like today, finally. Sanchez will throw a lot more darts downfield and take a lot more chances, which could burn you yes, but I think today against a poor Bucaneer secondary that he will find success hitting his speedy WRs in Matthews and the rookie Agholor. Speaking of the rookie, I feel as though he is overdue for a breakout game and today sets up a perfect stage to do so as this kid can fly and looked very promising in the preseason. I think the Birds ball-hawking secondary will also give Tampa Bay rookie QB Jameis Winston some fits and I'm thinking today will serve as some valuable experience for the young man served up the hard way. Another Bird blowout here.
EAGLES -6
***KANSAS CITY CHIEFS @ SAN DIEGO CHARGERS***
Another favorable spot for a team off of a bye week here. The Chargers season has gone terribly wrong in a hurry dropping their last 5 games. They have fallen victim to the injury bug and suffered through a revolving door offensive line preventing them from ever gelling together as a unit and getting anything going. However thankfully for San Diego, QB Phillip Rivers is a warriror and dying for a win. This guy's passion for the game alone is enough to not let this team lay down, especially after a bye week with time to put a solid gameplan together. Two weeks ago on Monday night they were suprised by a lowly Chicago Bears team who surged in the second half to steal a win and haven't looked back since. The Chargers young studly CB Jason Verrett who had an interception to the house left the game with a groin injury, and Bears QB Cutler and his favorite target WR Alshon Jeffery took advantage of the opporutnity. On the other hand the Chargers were left stunned and embarassed in the MNF spotlight once AGAIN after letting one slip away earlier in the year against a Michae Vick led Steelers team, WOOF. Today they are at home and in a dvision game facing the Chiefs who have looked strong in their last few. Although I think the Cheifs are playing well yes, I think they are actually looking a bit better thant they actually are due to catching their opponents at the right time. They beat up on the Lions in London who were clearly in the middle of internally combusting and faced an injured and old Peyton Manning who just kept feeding them footballs on silver platter throwing 4 interceptions. The Chiefs secondary is not that great and Rivers should be able to throw on these guys. I don't think Cheif QB Alex Smith scares any defenses either and that the Chargers will be motivated to finally get a win for the fans at home today and help spoil all the newfound playoff hype surrounding this rival Kansas City team.
BOLTS +3
***NEW YORK JETS @ HOUSTON TEXANS***
Unfortunately for the Jets they are probably playing these Houston Texans at the worst possible time. The Texans just came out of their own bye week, went on the road, and served the mighty Cincinatti Bengals their first loss on MNF this past week. I must admit, I was very impressed by how well they played. They finally looked like the talented defense that we all expected them to be this year. In the words of JJ Watt, they made the Red Rifle look like a Red Rider BB Gun......man that's great stuff right there! Andy Dalton got all butthurt over it to boot, even better! Anyway, I am not liking the current Jets situation here with their QB Ryan Fitzpatrick coming off of surgery on his non-throwing hand last Friday. To me having one and a half hands or not as firm a grip on the ball in the pocket lets just say, is not when you want to face the pass rush of JJ Watt. The Houston CBs Jonathan Joseph and the rookie Kevin Johnson played extremely well last week and I expect them to feed off that confidence today and cause 'ol gunslinger Fitzy into some BIG mistakes when under pressure from Watt and Co. The Texans are starting backup QB TJ Yates who is not your ordinary backup QB. Yates has big game experience from successfully filling in past seasons, even wining a playoff game for them against Cincy, Ha! Getting off track here once again, sorry. My point is, he looked good when he came in to relieve a concussed Hoyer last week and I liked his approach as he said to a reporter after the game last week, "when in doubt, throw it up to Hop" <----THIS is everything. Texan WR DeAndre Hopkins is a STUD, and this is exactly what their QB needs to be doing. The way the young Bills' WR Sammy Watkins took advantage of the aging Jet CB Revis at times last week, I think another yound speedy WR might be able to do the same. In a nutshell, I like the Houston defense to force an ugly offensive outing from the Jets on the road today, and do just enough on offense to steal a back to back BIG win! TEXANS +4
***WASHINGTON REDSKINS @ CAROLINA PANTHERS***
And now last but not least, the SWAMPY SHOCKER OF THE DAY! The Washington Redskins are surging right now as the road ahead of them is very bright. They think they have finally found their future QB in Kirk Cousins and they are luckily part of a division that is WIDE OPEN right now in the NFC East. I know the Saints defense is terrible, so the Skins offensive success last week should be taken with a grain of salt. However, I believe that this game served as the PERFECT confidence booster they need to now go on the road and face the undefeated Carolina Panthers. I actually feel as though they match up very well with Carolina, especially in the trenches where it counts. The big Hogs will be amped up today to get them some of QB Cam Newton and I think they stifle the Panthers run game, causing Cam to beat them with his arm and lack of weapons at WR. They will focus on smothering his favorite target TE Greg Olsen and IF they can find success doing that, the Panthers will be in trouble here. I like the Skins offense and the groove they have found with a young promising TE of their own in Jordan Reed who has been an absolute STUD when healthy. Cousins has a great chemistry with this guy and now also has deep threat WR DeSean Jackson back in the mix who I believe can also be a huge factor today if the Panthers are caught sleeping on the deep ball. Needless to say I like the +7 generous points here and really think this could be the one where the Panthers get served their first loss and may be caught overlooking the Skins as they have a short week on deck facing the Cowboys on Thanksgiving with QB Tony Romo back in the mix. In the words of my man Captain Kirk, "YOU LIKE THAT!!!!" SKINS +7
***SWAMPY IN THE ZONE - ADDITIONAL LEANS***
MIA +2.5
LIONS PK
RAVENS -3
VIKINGS PK
BEARS +2
SAN FRAN +14
