8 wins puts Norm atop the weekly pickem pile, although he now needs a new name for his team because Byron Leftwich has replaced Joey H. as the Falcons starter. Apparently both men are just place holders until Coach Bobby Petrino can get the man he really wants, his former Louisville starter Brian Brohm. He will need some help however, because although the Falcons have been bad the Rams and Dolphins continue to be even worse, still winless as we enter the second half of October and leading in the #1 pick derby. Compounding the problem, both teams need a QB, especially the Dolphins.

Hyman maintains a narrow lead in the Overall standings.

There was much more consensus last week then usual, although not always correct consensus. This speaks volumes about the quality of NFL matchups or, more accurately, the lack thereof. Last week featured one game that was worth mentioning and a whole lot of poor performances or Who Cares? Contests.

Sure Adrian Peterson had a big game, but does anyone really care about Bears Vikings, let alone Panthers-Cardinals, Rams-Ravens, Tampa Bay-Tennessee, Cinci-KC, Houston-Jags or, the snoozer of the week, Miami-Cleveland.

The National Games were even worse, making everyone but the execs at TBS and Fox angry and frustrated. This week seems little better. Is this a product of bye weeks? Parity? the presence of a few dominant teams (ie Indy and NE) and a whole lot of mediocre ones? The National Games this week offer a little more intrigue with Indy playing a Jags team that beat them twice last year (the last team to beat the Colts), but wouldn't the time be better spent playing outside with the kids then watching Eagles-Bears or Seattle-St. Louis?

LotW got back above 500 trusting the Pats to get the job done, which they did with plenty to spare, beating the Cowpokes by 21. This week, with the 1972 Dolphins team already nervous, will the Fish be able to put an end to the Pats undefeated season? Will they even beat the 17.5 spread?

Meanwhile, GBs ugly win over the Redskins and the Cowboys loss puts Favre and the Pack into a tie for the best overall record in the NFC as their inexorable run to the Super Bowl continues.

LotW will take Tampa on the road getting 1.5 in Motown.

Get those picks in and make it a good week.
Jono

You know you are a bad team if...

Hyman, James and Scott Ward share the weekly honors this week with eight correct picks over a crowded pack at 7 wins. Selecting Miami, Atlanta or ignoring me and taking the Cardinals proved to be the difference makers. After five weeks Hyman stands two wins clear over Chris and Jeff for the overall lead.

I should be excused for my poor five win showing because I was attacked by a swarm of bugs as I was making my selections, causing me to make wild picks swith the mouse.

Flood explained that his three win week had been caused by a combination of watching the Cubs get swept, without putting up much of a fight - maybe someone told Soriano he wasn't get paid for the playoff games; and the Illini's second consecutive victory over a ranked opponent -- enough to put Ron Zook (yes, that Ron Zook) and the Illini into the Top-25 since, well we honestly don't know the last time they were ranked. Certainly since before Flood joined me in the ranks of the Sister lovers.

The one game I watched this weekend was the Bills (admittedly interrupted by changing over to the Yankees-Indians and spending the the last half-hour watching both on PIP thanks to my DVR). The writers at Friday Night Lights could not come up with a more improbable Dallas victory then what happened to the Bills on Monday. Tony Romo throws five picks and fumbles once. The Bills D scores two touchdowns plus a kick return for a third TD. Dallas scores with 20 seconds left. Throws the 2 point conversion to tie to TO who has the ball wrestled out of his hands. Bills lead 24-22 with 20 seconds left at the Ralph.

Then, not only is the onside kick successful, but it bounces off a player to advance another fifteen yards; so Dallas starts at the Bills 45 instead of around their own 40. That difference is huge because after TO drops another key pass, Romo throws two quick outs and the Kicker makes not one but two 53 yard field goals (you can add me to the list of those who hate this Coach calling Timeout as the kicker begins to take the kick rule) to win the game, on National Television 25-24. Now come on. If Friday Night Lights tried that storyline you wouldn't believe. No one would, nor should they.

So here are some signs you are a bad football team:

1. You have a +5 turnover differential plus return a kick-off for a touchdown and lose. At Home.
2. You lose to David Carr.
3. You lose to Arizona. At home. By 3 when the line is -2.5. (Bastards)
4. You lose to the previously hapless Chargers and Norv Turner 41-3. At Home.

Meanwhile the Pats continued to role, covering on a fumble return for a TD with under a minute remaining. I believe the Pats are 5-0 against the spread this year in addition to a perfect Won-Loss record.

Five turnovers also cost the Packers their undefeated record against the hated Bears. Apparently the Sports Gods elected to have some pity on Chicago after the Cubs were swept by the D-Backs.

My baseball picks were little better then my football ones last week as I went 1-3 in the Division Series. The Phillies were eliminated so quickly I didn't even have time to get Andrew a shirt. It was nice to see the Indians finally get some ironic revenge sending the Yankees home on Columbus Day.

For the LCS we'll go with the Rockies, who have lost once in their last 16 games, and the Red Sox whose pitching is just a little bit deeper and better then the Indians.

As for Lock of the Week, which fell to 3-3 as the Rams came up a point short against the Cardinals, this week we are going with the Pats, giving 4.5 to a Dallas team off an emotional victory, but coming off a road Monday game. Plus the Cowboys, although 5-0, have beaten teams who have combined for five wins. They are good, but they are not that good. It's like Craps at the Casino; when there is a hot shooter at the table you have to ride with him, upping you bets with every pass made. We'll do the same with the Pats for now.

Make it a good week.
Jono

After one month...

With home dogs going 6-3 and all six of those teams not just covering, but winning outright, I find myself in the top spot for the week with ten overall wins. LotW also got off the schnide as 12.5 point dogs Kansas City spanked the Chargers in SoCal.

But don't say I didn't warn you. Strange things happen in the desert, as they did last Sunday with the 3-0 Steelers succumbing in the valley of the sun to their former assistants. Both Atlanta and the Bills got their first Wins of the season at home against mediocre opponents.

This week the Bills will be featured on MNF for the first time since 1994 -- Chris Jenkins wants to know what you were doing in 1994? The bad news is they will be playing the 4-0 Cowboys. When the Bills were last good (not coincidently 1994) they couldn't beat the Cowboys and I don't expect they can do it now.

Elsewhere, Jamal Lewis extracted a measure of revenge against his former employers taking the Browns to an improbable 2-2 record.

It is October now. The NFL season is pne-quarter over. So what have we learned:

The Bears are not very good and the Saints are even worse. but the Rams (full disclosure: one of my playoff picks) could be the worst of all -- with the possible exception of Miami. Still, buck up Dolphins fans (that means you Scott Ward) -- it's not like Miami managed to blow a seven game lead with seventeen games to play or something. Didn't you expect to see Tom Glavine doing the Tomahawk Chop as he left the mound in Shea after the worst start of his career?

Here in South Jersey the biggest Phillies fans in town have to be Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb because the baseball playoffs is distracting people from our poor the Eagles truly are. Like the Saints, they have laid two gi-normous Eggs on National Television.

Norv Turner is a bad head coach. He may be a great offensive coordinator; a genius with quarterbacks but I think we have now firmly established he is a bad head coach.

The Patriots dominated once again and already the 16-0 discussions have started. Is there any team against whom the Pats would not be favored, home or away?

Meanwhile, the Packers winning streak continued them on their inexorable run to the Super Bowl. Sunday offers Brett Favre and company a chance to put the division away early as they host the 1-3 Bears on Sunday night.

Baseball Divisional Playoffs Interlude:

NLDS picks: Phillies and Cubbies
ALDS picks: Red Sox and Yankees

This week I will try and break my current pattern of alternating between the high and low weekly totals.

LotW (3-2) on the year doesn't see an obvious bandwagon game this week.

We'll go with St. Louis to get their first win off the season at home -- I mean if you can get points betting against the Cardinals on the road don't you think you should do it?

Don't forget -- those genius's in the NHL scheduling office decided to start the season on the same day as the MLB playoffs begin -- so don't forget to check out your free trial of NHL Center Ice on Digital Cable between baseball games, a great slate of College Football this Saturday and the NFL. I have not seen one story on TV or the front sports page of the paper devoted to the Flyers. Maybe that is just moving from Buffalo to Philly, but I would think someone would at least mention it.

And also, Friday Night Lights premiers on Friday night at nine -- so put the kids to bed or set the Tivo/DVR. You can add ESPNs "Tuesday Morning Quarterback" to the ranks of Dillon Panthers fans.

I'm off to get Phillies shirts for Andrew and I.

Make it a good week.

Jono