Picks for Movember 2

CARDINALS  BY 2 @ COWBOYS 1:00/ET/FOX … Vegas says this is a pick-em game. And with an injured ROMO that would seem to make some sense. The CARDS are not a great team, but HC BRUCE ARIANS seems to be pushing most of the right buttons running the show in Glendale. My biggest worry if I’m a CARDINALS fan is if DC ROD MARINELLI really turns up the heat on disrupting the pocket, then CARSON PALMER could turn back into his INT throwing self. TODD BOWLES the CARDS DC is pretty aggressive himself and that could pay big dividends if WEEDEN is starting for ROMO. The CARDS secondary is banged up and that could help WEEDEN who looks like a good fit in Big D. If the game stays close all the way give the edge to Dallas because DAN BAILEY their PK may be the most reliable guy in the NFL from just about any range. If I could pick  any Kicker in the League for my personal team it would be BAILEY.

BRONCOS by 8 @ PATRIOTS 4:25/ET/CBS … To my eyes, the BRONCOS are the best overall team in the NFL, which as always has a lot to do with the surgical DR. PEYTON MANNING is carving up opposing secondaries with only a few hiccups in his play. He has more weapons to work with than even he knows what to do with, and despite injuries the RB group just keeps providing the balance it needs to keep defenses honest. The PATS Defense is just not athletic/fast enough to keep up with THOMAS, THOMAS, WELKER & SANDERS all day long. Conversely, I do not think the pocket will hold up for TOM TERRIFIC all day once guys like WARE, MILLER & WARD get after him. I fear that PATS fans are going to be very disenchanted with how this one goes, but their boys purely and simply don’t have the horses to keep up with the BRONCOS.

RAVENS by 3 @     STEELERS SNF/8:30/ET/NBC … This game is a hard call because both of these teams have had stretches where they look like serious Super Bowl contenders, and other times when they look like pure pretenders. Which teams show up can be anyone’s guess. Someone explain to me where the STEELERS found all those points to pound the COLTS last weekend. Logic dictates that this will be like most RAVENS/STEELERS match-ups where points are hard to come by, and neither Head Coach is excited about opening up the play book for any exotica. In reality this could look like BUD WILKINSON has come back from the hereafter, and is  concentrating his game plan on field position to win the day. I suppose I’ll go with the RAVENS based on…. a hunch, I guess.

CHARGERS by 4 @ DOLPHINS 1PM/ET/CBS … My gut is really telling me that some game soon, like his one, the DOLPHINS are going to run out of lucky bounces, deflected INT, and any other manner of strange plays that allow them to turn defeat into victory. The CHARGERS, conversely, seem to have had no end of bad luck plays that bounce inexplicably for the other team and lead them to another disappointing and frustrating defeat. PHILLIP RIVERS should be able to get the ball over and beyond the DOLPHINS two small but old CB GRIMES & FINNEGAN al day long, with his big receivers FLOYD, GATES, GREEN & ALLEN. If only they weren’t down to counting on their 4th string RB, who just happens to be a smurf. The CHARGERS OL needs to sustain pocket protection for RIVERS against some nasty blitz packages featuring CAMERON WAKE & OLIVIER VERNON off the ends. THis will be tight and you’d best like defense if you’re going to watch it