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WestCoastJoe
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NFL Point Spreads For Week 2 - Week Two

NFL Spreads 9/20 - 9/21, 2009

Date & Time Favorite Spread Underdog

9/20 1:00 ET At Kansas City -3 Oakland
9/20 1:00 ET At Tennessee -6.5 Houston
9/20 1:00 ET New England -3.5 At NY Jets
9/20 1:00 ET At Green Bay -9 Cincinnati
9/20 1:00 ET Minnesota -10 At Detroit
9/20 1:00 ET New Orleans -1 At Philadelphia
9/20 1:00 ET At Atlanta -6 Carolina
9/20 1:00 ET At Washington -9.5 St. Louis
9/20 1:00 ET At Jacksonville -3 Arizona
9/20 4:05 ET At San Francisco -1 Seattle
9/20 4:05 ET At Buffalo -4.5 Tampa Bay
9/20 4:15 ET At Denver -3 Cleveland
9/20 4:15 ET At San Diego -3 Baltimore
9/20 4:15 ET Pittsburgh -3 At Chicago
9/20 8:20 ET At Dallas -3 NY Giants

Monday Night Football Point Spread

9/21 8:35 ET Indianapolis -3 At Miami
I'll take the Patriots, Steelers, and Giants to beat the spread.
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notahomer
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WestCoastJoe wrote: I'll take the Patriots, Steelers, and Giants to beat the spread.
I enjoyed that Giants/Cowboys game. I try to never miss a game from that division. I was stunned by the Raiders and Bengals wins. I've been having a tough time making picks in both pools this year (CFL and NFL).

I think the Colts spoil the Dolphins Monday Night
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NFL Week 3: The KB picks

The Province September 24, 2009

GAME OF THE WEEK: SAN FRAN (2-0) at -7 MINNESOTA (2-0), Sunday at 10 a.m.

Yes, This Really Is the Game of the Week

Hey, it's the only game featuring two undefeated teams. It's also full of intriguing tête-à-têtes. At running back, Adrian Peterson vs. Frank Gore! At linebacker, E.J. Henderson vs. Patrick Willis! At quarterback, Brett Favre vs. Shaun Hill! OK, maybe forget that last one.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Granted, they're both undefeated and managing their respective teams efficiently, but all is not rosy for Hill and Favre. Frankly, they're spending more time on their backs than Chasey Lain. Hill is the third-most sacked quarterback in the league (eight) and Favre has been dropped seven times. But have they played well? Sure, if by well you mean conservatively. Favre is the only starting QB in the NFL to average less than 150 yards passing through two weeks, and Hill isn't much better at 176.5.

Stuffing the run

The presence of Peterson (who leads the NFL with 272 rushing yards) and Gore (third, with 237) suggests a run-heavy affair, but they'll both have their work cut out. The 49ers rank third in run defence, having held opponents to 106 yards and a 2.7-yard rushing average.

Meanwhile, the Vikings haven't allowed a run of more than 15 yards, and that's bad news for Gore, considering 159 of his 237 yards came on two huge touchdown runs against Seattle. Take those away, and Gore is gaining just 2.2 yards per carry.

Who we like

Halford: Minny's beaten Cleveland and Detroit. San Fran is actually decent. Pick: 49ers.

Brough: I don't like San Fran's chances against that run defence. Pick: Vikings

SEAHAWKS: -1 CHICAGO (1-1) at SEATTLE (1-1), Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

Déjà vu all over again

Stop us if you've heard this one before, but the Seahawks are decimated by injuries. Seattle went into last Sunday's contest without 10 projected starters ... and finished the game with four more on the shelf: LB Lofa Tatupu (hamstring), LT Sean Locklear (ankle), CB Josh Wilson (ankle) and, most distressingly, QB Matt Hasselbeck (ribs). When asked if he planned to face the Bears without Hasselbeck, Seattle head coach Jim Mora said, "Right now, we'll probably do that -- unless we get word otherwise." And that can only mean one thing ...

Death, taxes and Seneca Wallace

Seneca Wallace will replace an injured Matt Hasselbeck. No, that's not an echo from 2008. And it's not that Wallace is bad -- he did throw for 11 touchdowns to just three interceptions last year and can make plays with his feet -- it's just he's not a legit starting QB. Having Wallace quarterback your team is like owning a Smart Car; once the initial quirkiness wears off, you look around and realize that everybody else is driving a real car.

The Good, the bad and the Cutler


On Sunday, the young Chicago QB starred in his Soldier Field debut, a 17-14 win over Pittsburgh. But which Cutler shows up this weekend? The erratic gunslinger who threw four picks against Green Bay, or the precise passer that went turnover-free against the reigning Super Bowl champs?

Who we like

Halford: Seattle's a tough place to win, but the Seahawk injuries make it a lot easier. Pick: Bears.

Brough: A cross-country trip after selling out to beat the Steelers. That's a tough assignment for Chicago. Pick: 'Hawks.

MORE KB PICKS

YOU'RE GONNA LOVE...

Tennessee (0-2) at -1 New York Jets (2-0), Sunday, 10 a.m.

Tennessee will wear classic Houston Oilers throwbacks for this one, the best news Titans fans have had in weeks. . MH: Titans; JB: Jets

Atlanta (2-0) at -4 New England (1-1), Sunday, 10 a.m.

New England is shockingly unpatriotic when it comes to obeying the rules: 144 penalty yards thus far, second most in the NFL. MH: Pats; JB: Pats

-4 Pittsburgh (1-1) at Cincinnati (1-1), Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

Bengals DE Antwan Odom is on pace for 56 sacks in 2009. It'll be up to Pittsburgh LT Max Starks to slow him down to, say, 40. MH: Steelers; JB: Bengals

-6 New Orleans (2-0) at Buffalo (1-1), Sunday, 1:05 p.m.

Telling stat: Saints FB Heath Evans has six catches and two touchdowns. Bills WR Terrell Owens has five catches and one touchdown. MH: Saints; JB: Bills

Carolina (0-2) at -9 Dallas (1-1), Monday, 5:35 p.m.

Apparently, Cowboys gunslinger Tony Romo still struggles with that whole "Don't throw the ball to the other team" thing. MH: Panthers; JB Panthers

YOU'RE GONNA LIKE...

Denver (2-0) at -1 Oakland (1-1), Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

Maybe, just maybe, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels knows what he's doing after all. MH: Broncos; JB: Raiders

Indianapolis (2-0) at -1 Arizona (1-1), Sunday, 5:20 p.m.

Will the real Kurt Warner please stand up? A 67.2 rating in Week 1, 131.2 in Week 2. MH: Colts; JB: Cards

Miami (0-2) at -6 San Diego (1-1), Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

Worried, Phish fans? Well, the Dolphins started 0-2 last year as well. They finished 11-5. MH: Dolphins; JB: Dolphins

Kansas City (0-2) at -9.5 Philadelphia (1-1), Sunday, 10 a.m.

QB Kevin Kolb will start if Donovan McNabb can't go. And oh yeah, you remember that Michael Vick guy? Well, he's eligible to actually play. MH: Chiefs; JB: Chiefs

YOU'RE GONNA LOATHE...

Jacksonville (0-2) at -3.5 Houston (1-1), Sunday, 10:00 a.m.

Maybe that loss to the Jets in Week 1 wasn't so bad for the Texans. Apparently, the Jets are pretty good. MH: Texans; JB: Texans

-6 Washington (1-1) at Detroit (0-2), Sunday, 10 a.m.

The Lions are horrible full time and the Redskins were horrible last week, barely beating the Rams at home. Who will out-horrible who? Grab some tums with those wings and find out. MH: Lions; JB: Lions

Cleveland (0-2) at -13 Baltimore (2-0), Sunday, 10 a.m.

Browns head coach Eric Mangini confirmed he'll be sticking with Brady Quinn at quarterback. The Ravens appreciate that. MH: Ravens; JB: Browns

-6.5 Green Bay (1-1) at St. Louis (0-2), Sunday, 10 a.m.

The Pack's secondary is looking mighty thin with both starting safeties — Atari Bigby and Nick Collins — possibly out this weekend. MH: Packers; JB: Rams

-6.5 N.Y. Giants (2-0) at Tampa Bay (0-2), Sunday, 10 a.m.

Plaxico who? Eli Manning unearthed two new receiving targets in Steve Smith and Mario Manningham against Dallas. MH: Giants; JB: Bucs
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Carolina (0-2) at -9 Dallas (1-1), Monday, 5:35 p.m.

Apparently, Cowboys gunslinger Tony Romo still struggles with that whole "Don't throw the ball to the other team" thing. MH: Panthers; JB Panthers
I'll take the Panthers.
Miami (0-2) at -6 San Diego (1-1), Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

Worried, Phish fans? Well, the Dolphins started 0-2 last year as well. They finished 11-5. MH: Dolphins; JB: Dolphins
Taking the Fish.
-6.5 N.Y. Giants (2-0) at Tampa Bay (0-2), Sunday, 10 a.m.

Plaxico who? Eli Manning unearthed two new receiving targets in Steve Smith and Mario Manningham against Dallas. MH: Giants; JB: Bucs
Taking the Giants.
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Reflections on Week 3 and how my picks panned out ...

Three Best Games

1) Vikings over 49ers, 27-24. This is what annoys me about Brett Favre's annual "should-I-or-shouldn't I" nonsense. There's no need for all the self-created drama because the rest of us can see HE CAN STILL PLAY! Favre's TD pass to the back of the end zone with two seconds left to beat the Niners has to be one of the dozen or so best passes of his career, and one of the most dramatic considering the circumstances. ... Niners are pretty darned good.

2) Jacksonville over Houston, 31-24. A thriller. The Texans could be the heartbreak team of the 2009 season. Their defense is dreadful, enough so that Maurice Jones-Drew shredded it pretty much by himself for three TDs.

3) TIE...Bears over Seahawks, 25-19. Jay Cutler has already played in three thrillers, and has won the last two. He's making Devin Hester look like something approaching a No. 1 receiver after all. Steelers last week, in Seattle this week ... this is why the Bears gave up so much to get him.

Jets over Titans, 24-17. Mark Sanchez looks like a star-in-the-making, which probably keeps Dan Snyder awake at night, and Tennessee's Kerry Collins suddenly looks old ... sometimes really old. Jets at 3-0 is every bit as shocking as the Titans at 0-3 ...

Three picks I nailed

1) Lions over Redskins. Jim Zorn must have had the worst game of any head coach in the league. His decision to pass up a field goal and go for it (unsuccessfully) on fourth down in the first quarter backfired. His decision to accept the penalty and push the Lions back before their first TD backfired. And worst of all, how do you not throw once into the end zone on the final four passes. ... Hook-and-lateral? If you want to surprise the defense, try it on first down ... or second down ... NOT ON THE FINAL PLAY OF THE GAME! Nobody's falling for that junk. Oh my goodness! What an unimaginative set of plays to end the game.

2) Ravens over Browns. "By a lot" I believe is what I predicted. And it was.

3) Eagles over the Chiefs. I shouldn't gloat because it was too easy a pick. ... The Michael Vick conversation should be kept to a minimum. He had zilch to do with this win. Kevin Kolb might be pretty good, huh?
Brett Favre can still play. Not really a surprise. He is a gamer. The problem is he can't decide to retire. He has to retire sometime. Perhaps by the time he is 50?
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Miami Dolphins' Cameron Wake wreaks havoc on Bills

Linebacker Cameron Wake sacked Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards three times to help the Dolphins roll to their first victory of the season.

Miami Dolphins linebacker Cameron Wake hits Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards in the first quarter and causes him to fumble on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009 at Land Shark Stadium. The Bills recovered the football. JOE RIMKUS JR. / STAFF PHOTO

By DAVID J. NEAL

dneal@MiamiHerald.com

Momentum and blocking had washed pass rusher Cameron Wake past Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards. Shark-like, Wake swam back toward Edwards, dropped him and caused a fumble.

It mattered not that Buffalo recovered the ball. Four years after failing to make it even to training camp as a rookie free agent with the Giants, three years after his second season out of football, and two weeks after being deemed unworthy of the Dolphins' game roster, Wake had his first NFL sack.

``That's one you used to lay in bed, lay on your back and dream about,'' Wake said. ``Come around the corner, the quarterback's setting up, you just knock him down. It's something that I've been playing in my mind for years. For it to finally, actually happen -- it's hard to explain.''

What followed wasn't hard to explain. It wasn't that Wake was the Canadian Football League Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and '08, and that Buffalo is the only NFL team that has played a home game in a CFL stadium, that 16-3 Dolphins victory last season. This is what happened -- the Dolphins had a big lead and a very good, young, hungry pass rusher against an offensive line down to its second-string tackles. With such an open buffet, Wake devoured the Bills for three sacks. He also had a part in a third-down, 4-yard stop on Buffalo running back Marshawn Lynch.

``He just stuck to the moves that he's got,'' said outside linebacker Joey Porter, who sat out Sunday's game with a hamstring injury. ``He's a great edge rusher and he showed that [Sunday]. He was coming round the corner. He's been waiting for this opportunity. Everybody's been waiting for him to blossom because he does it so much in practice. We've been waiting for him to bring it to the field.''

Since February, Wake has been trying to improve his run defense and special-teams play while assimilating himself to the outside-linebacker position. In the CFL, with only three downs, a wider field and 25-yard end zones, the traditional style of a running game generally gets thrown aside. Wake said he never lost confidence in his ability, as he had during the two seasons between being cut by the Giants and playing for the British Columbia Lions.

After the first two games, Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said Wake needed to improve his special-teams play and his play against the run to get into the lineup. What Wake also needed was a little opportunity-creating luck, which he got with some bad luck with Porter's injury.

Going into the San Diego game unsure how long their best pass rusher could play, and needing to wreak more pocket havoc than they did against Indianapolis, Sparano activated Wake and scratched Erik Walden, who was better on special teams. Charlie Anderson replaced Porter in the Dolphins' base defense, as he did Sunday.

Wake wound up playing more special teams plays than defensive snaps in San Diego, but showed he could hurry the passer in an NFL game.

Sunday erased any doubt, though Wake played mostly in nickel and dime coverage packages. When Wake yanked down Edwards for a second time on the last play from scrimmage of the first half, it put an exclamation point on a Dolphins-dominated half.

``I've been around a long time and he does things that amaze me,'' Dolphins longtime sackmaster Jason Taylor said. ``It's those young, fresh legs, good cartilage in his knees. Joey and I will always joke watching tape, see Cameron dip underneath somebody, kind of get pushed around, he'll spin around and pop off the ground. We always look at each other and say, `That's those good knees, the good cartilage.' He does things that Joey and I can't do right now. I think we have a few things that he can't do, either.''
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WestCoastJoe
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JOE RIMKUS JR. / STAFF PHOTO
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notahomer
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Pretty good Monday Nighter (Jets/Dolphins). I was hoping for two great CFL games but both were over pretty quick. I have to admit for keeping me watching until the end, the Monday Nighter was the game of the day (Wake almost blocked a punt!). But watching the Stamps lose was fun!
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Wow, 45-0 New England over Tennessee at halftime. Is that an NFL record?
祝加拿大加式足球聯賽不列颠哥伦比亚卑詩雄獅隊今年贏格雷杯冠軍。此外祝溫哥華加人隊贏總統獎座·卡雲斯·甘保杯·史丹利盃。還每年祝溫哥華白頭浪隊贏美國足球大联盟杯。不要忘記每年祝溫哥華巨人贏西部冰球聯盟冠軍。
改建後的卑詩體育館於二十十一年九月三十日重新對外開放,首場體育活動為同日舉行的加拿大足球聯賽賽事,由主場的卑詩雄獅隊以三十三比二十四擊敗愛民頓愛斯基摩人隊。
祝你龍年行大運。
恭喜西雅图海鹰直到第四十八屆超級盃最終四十三比八大勝曾拿下兩次超級盃冠軍的丹佛野馬拿下隊史第一個超級盃冠軍。
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notahomer
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:bang: I'm going to Seattle in January to take in the Seahawks last game of the season. I'm a Seahawks fan so their start to the season has been a little tough to watch. However, the team the Seahawks wrap the season playing against are the Titans! When I booked the trip/tickets I thought, wow watching the Titans will be good. They had an awesome season last year. Now they are 0-6! Oh well, some of the best football games are 'basement bowls' where two struggling teams fight it out. I just hope the Space Needle won't be the highlight of my trip to the Emerald City.
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WestCoastJoe
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notahomer wrote::bang: I'm going to Seattle in January to take in the Seahawks last game of the season. I'm a Seahawks fan so their start to the season has been a little tough to watch. However, the team the Seahawks wrap the season playing against are the Titans! When I booked the trip/tickets I thought, wow watching the Titans will be good. They had an awesome season last year. Now they are 0-6! Oh well, some of the best football games are 'basement bowls' where two struggling teams fight it out. I just hope the Space Needle won't be the highlight of my trip to the Emerald City.
Sounds like a good trip. They have a beautiful field.

Titans perhaps not as bad as their record. Unless the team has tuned out Fisher.

I suppose Mike Holmgren is more appreciated now that he is gone, but he was a lame duck last year.

Lots of good games this year in the NFL. Vikings doing very well under Brett Favre. Patriots and Brady getting it going.
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notahomer
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WestCoastJoe wrote: ...Lots of good games this year in the NFL. Vikings doing very well under Brett Favre. Patriots and Brady getting it going.
I've been pleasantly surprised at the NFL this season. Lots of good games, for sure. Monday Night Football in particular has been fun to watch. The Sunday Nighter has had a couple dogs, IIRC. November/December are just great times for me as a football fan. I get the last bit of CFL regular season/playoffs/Grey Cup, plus a ton of NFL (even lots of Thursday Night games this year!). And if there's nothing else on, maybe you take in a College Bowl game too.
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The Sunday Nighters have really been marginal at best. Last nights ending was fun to watch but the Pats did have a 14 point lead in the 4th.
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WestCoastJoe
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notahomer wrote:The Sunday Nighters have really been marginal at best. Last nights ending was fun to watch but the Pats did have a 14 point lead in the 4th.
Humble pie for Belichick. He can use it.

I like both Brady and Mannng. Peyton is even more amazing than usual this year. I would have no problem seeing him take his team all the way. I was always a Colts fan from way back. Gotta love those helmets with the horseshoe logo. And the uniforms, blue or white, are awesome.
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notahomer
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WestCoastJoe wrote: Sounds like a good trip. They have a beautiful field.
...
I just picked up the tickets from the broker. Fifty yard line tickets/ Third ROW! Seattle Season Ticket Holders must be unloading their tickets. The broker promised to move us up if he could (he did by 37 rows!).

Qwest Field lets us in the doors two hours before kickoff.
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