Monday Mash- Week 9

Welcome back to the show. Sorry I wasn't able to expand upon the picks section yesterday. Simply no time to do so. We'll be better next week.

With that said...WHAT A PICK SECTION IT WAS!

Out of the 6 picks, we took 5 underdogs ranging from 3 points to 10 points, and all of them won outright. Chargers, Bengals, Cowboys, and the Upset Perficted- Bucs all take care of business. The only blemish was Indy not covering the meaty 9-point gap over Houston. Maybe a rushed, non-explained strategy is the key to successful picking. Preparation is overrated.

For the last month, the New York Giants have seemed to take on that same mindset: preparation is overrated. Based on the team's defensive reputation, it would seem they have scored enough points to win over this span. 27, 17, 17, and 20 are not exactly power outages by the offense. But they were never truly alive in the games against New Orleans and Philly, the offense had its blunders against Arizona, and yesterday the defense could not prevent San Diego's offense from going 80 yards in under 2 minutes for the winning touchdown. Usually, a Giants defense feasts on the opportunity to slam the door, deliver the dagger, seal the deal, what have you.

But it was not to be. The Chargers--like the Saints, Cardinals, and Eagles before them--decided to throw, throw, throw right down Big Blue's throat. Philip Rivers had all the time he needed, and nobody could cover. It was as heartbreaking as losses get for the Giants...work hard and earn a 6 point lead for 58 minutes only to see it all evaporate in what seemed like 2 seconds instead of 2 minutes. The Giants now go into their bye a wounded 5-4 team.

With Dallas going up to 6-2 last night, I think the division is now up in smoke for the G-Men. After their bye, they host an Atlanta team fighting for the same wild card position as them. Win, and I think they're fine. Lose, and thoughts should start about the 2010 season. Pretty unbelievable stuff after a 5-0 start.

The rest from week 9:

The Montauk BeverageWorks Delicious Performance of the Week:
Kurt Warner, Cardinals. Earlier in the week I posted a blog about fantasy football and its occasional cruelty. This week, the guy that I played had Kurt Warner. Sometimes, an individual player can deliver a "Thanks for coming" performace for a fantasy team. When I saw Warner's line of 261 yards and 5 TD's, it is a quick acceptance of a fantasy loss. It hurts, but the rest of the day watching football is rather relaxing and enjoyable. So thanks, Kurt. Ya jerk.

• Viva Josh Freeman! Who, you ask? The rookie quarterback that takes an 0-7 Bucs team playing with house money and beats down the Packers. 205 yards and 3 scores made him the runner-up for the MBDPotW. Good for Tampa, distasterous for...Green (do people ever call it that?) No excuses or explanation for this meltdown as the Pack led going into the 4th quarter.
• In what was sure to be the game of the week, Dallas took down Philly for first place in the division. It was kind of a ho-hum game, but Miles Austin got lost just one time in the Eagles' secondary, and it decided the game.
  
• I really think the Saints are just playing around now. "Guys, let's see how big of a lead we can give teams before making a comeback. Over/Under 17, who's in?" The Panthers sprinted out early, but the Saints, as always, pull away late. After throw-aways against the Rams and Bucs, that Monday nighter in week 12 against New England must be sticking out on their schedule like a nun at an Iron Maiden concert.
• Speaking of those pesky Pats, they do what the Jets could not...beat the Dolphins. Miami faught valiently and will be tough in every game they play the rest of the year, but too much Tommy and Randy. Next up, the undefeated Peyton and the Colts.
• The Colts stayed unbeaten by way of a Kris Brown missed field goal. With 'Kris' spelled that way, I want to know who didn't see that coming.
• On to the stool of the NFL. We were spared from the Rams, Browns, and Raiders this week. But the Redskins were happy to get Atlanta back on track, the Lions boosted Seattle's confidence, and the Chiefs lost to Jacksonville before fulfilling fans' wishes and getting rid of role model Larry Johnson. Yes, that's role model Larry Johnson. One more time, role model Larry Johnson. With Tennessee's decisive win over San Francisco, I have hereby excused them from the NFL's stool section. Replacing them? The Chicago Bears. I don't care what the record says. Another blowout loss, courtesy of Warner and the Cards.
• Hard Knocks! Cincinnati takes down Baltimore and sits atop the tough AFC North division. I loved the Bengals going into this season. I struggled through picking the Texans to make the playoffs instead of them. Though I expected a lot, they have absolutely blown me away with that 6-2 record. And one of those losses was the Denver fluke in week 1. Their game at Pittsburgh next Sunday is sure to be the game of the week.
• But before Pittsburgh gets there, they face a tough road test tonight in Denver. Broncos are 6-1, Steelers are at 5-3. Pit is getting 3 points in this game...I guess people think that the Ravens really exposed something in Denver last week. While the Broncos can afford a loss or two, Pittsburgh is playing for its season, and it will show. Steelers 23, Broncos 15.

Thanks for reading, enjoy the game.