Week 8 Picks:

DENVER AT SAN FRANCISCO:  Not a pretty Week 7 for these two teams. The Broncos, on their home turf, allowed 59 points to the Oakland Raiders. The 49ers couldn’t beat the winless Panthers. Oh boy. Maybe it’s a good thing these teams left the country. The NFL probably didn’t schedule this game thinking that London would play host to two clubs with a 3-11 record. England will really take to American football with a matchup like this. PICK: BRONCOS

JACKSONVILLE AT DALLAS: On the topic of huge disappointments, HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!?! With Tony Romo likely out for the season, Dallas can officially kiss the playoffs goodbye. However, even with Jon Kitna behind center, I think the Cowboys can pull one out this week. PICK: COWBOYS

MIAMI AT CINCINNATI: The Dolphins are a good football team, much better than their .500 record. The Bengals continue to be an enigma, storming back from a 21-point halftime deficit at Atlanta last week, only to lose. Weird. PICK: DOLPHINS

GREEN BAY AT N.Y. JETS: Coming off a bye week, it doesn’t seem likely that the 5-1 Jets will have a letdown in their home stadium. But, I’ve got a feeling …. PICK: PACKERS

BUFFALO AT KANSAS CITY: Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tallied 382 yards and four touchdown passes last week against the Ravens, which I’m sure had many fantasy football owners out there rushing to the waiver wire. But the Bills still found a way to blow the game and remain winless. PICK: CHIEFS

WASHINGTON AT DETROIT: Lions are well-rested after a bye, which followed a pretty good performance against the NFC East-leading Giants in Week 6. Won’t matter. PICK: REDSKINS

CAROLINA AT ST. LOUIS: The Rams squandered a golden opportunity to keep pace with the Seahawks, but they couldn’t hold off those resilient Buccaneers (Um, yes. Resilient and Buccaneers in the same sentence. The NFC is strange) PICK: PANTHERS

TENNESSEE AT SAN DIEGO: The Chargers embarrassed themselves last week against the Patriots. When a team makes silly mistakes like they did, you’ve got to look at the head coach. Undisciplined. The Titans are a better all-around team, but I still like the Chargers at home. PICK: CHARGERS

MINNESOTA AT NEW ENGLAND: We’ve been anxiously awaiting this one since Moss was traded. It’ll be interesting to see how the New England fans welcome him back to Gillette. I’ll be the first one to admit that Moss acted like a 5-year-old the last few months, but he still brought a lot of great moments to New England: Undefeated regular season, single-season TD reception record and a few circus catches. He deserves a nice ovation during the pre-game introductions.

As a Pats fan, I hope Favre plays. Belichick’s defense against an old, injured Brett Favre. How many interceptions? My guess is five. If Brad Childress had any guts (or brains), he’d sit Favre and give Adrian Peterson the ball all day. But he won’t. I have a feeling this one isn’t going to be close for long. PICK: PATRIOTS

SEATTLE AT OAKLAND: Hmmmm….Honestly, I have no clue. I can’t even pretend to care. PICK: SEAHAWKS

TAMPA BAY AT ARIZONA:  Cardinals haven’t lost at home. Bucs haven’t lost on the road. Maybe they’ll tie. PICK: CARDINALS

PITTSBURGH AT NEW ORLEANS: I’m really looking forward to this matchup. Saints will have a chip on their shoulder, fresh off a humiliating loss to the Browns. And the Steelers come in with the best defense in the league, allowing only 82 points through six games. PICK: STEELERS

HOUSTON AT INDIANAPOLIS: The Texans won’t sweep the Colts this season. No way. PICK: COLTS

Last week: 9-5

Season record: 64-40

If I had the time (or the motivation), I would love to look into the archives and discover when the last time every team from one conference had at least two losses after six weeks of football.

That’s the current situation in the NFC. Unreal. You’ve got to love the NFL. The race in the NFC is WIDE OPEN; it’s not completely unrealistic that the defending Super Bowl champions miss out on the playoffs.

Seems like a decent enough segue into my Week 7 picks:

CLEVELAND AT NEW ORLEANS: Last week, the Saints channeled their frustration from an embarrassing Week 5 loss to the Cardinals and took it out on the Bucs. New Orleans has a date with Pittsburgh in Week 8 before heading into a bye. So, to many, the Cleveland Browns might appear to be the perfect trap game. But I think the champs learned their lesson against the Cards. This one shouldn’t be close. PICK: SAINTS

JACKSONVILLE AT KANSAS CITY:  The Chiefs blew a great opportunity to beat the Texans last week. The good news for them is that no other team in the AFC West was victorious, so the Chiefs still have a two-game lead in the division. Jacksonville is having quarterback issues, so I think KC will win a close one. PICK: CHIEFS

WASHINGTON AT CHICAGO:  Both teams coming off three-point losses. I’m not sold on the Bears. The only good team they have beaten thus far is the Packers, and it was on a Monday night that Green Bay set a franchise record in penalties committed. The other three Ws for Chicago came against Detroit, Dallas and Carolina. PICK: REDSKINS

PITTSBURGH AT MIAMI: Very interesting matchup. The Steelers have a tough stretch coming up: at New Orleans, at Cincinnati and then home against New England. Pittsburgh is one of three teams in the league with only one loss, along with the Jets and Pats. That changes this week. PICK: DOLPHINS

CINCINNATI AT ATLANTA: The Bengals baffle me. They beat the Ravens in Week 2 then dropped two of their next three games, falling to Cleveland and Tampa Bay. Strange. Their unpredictable nature makes me nervous picking against them in a game where they appear to be the clear underdogs. But Atlanta is coming off a setback against the Eagles, so I think they’ll have a chip on their shoulders. PICK: FALCONS

ST. LOUIS AT TAMPA BAY: It’s crazy to say, but this game may actually turn out to have playoff implications come the end of the season. The Rams haven’t won a game on the road, but they’re coming off a huge upset over the Chargers. It’d be crazy to pick against them after such a big win, right? PICK: BUCCANEERS

BUFFALO AT BALTIMORE:  The Bills are certainly due. I think they’ll break the ice in the next few weeks because they’ve got Kansas City, Chicago and Detroit on deck, but there’s no chance in hell they beat a pissed-off Ravens club. PICK: RAVENS

SAN  FRANCISCO AT CAROLINA: Good opportunity for the Panthers to pick up their first victory at home against a one-win Niners team. Won’t happen though. PICK: 49ERS

PHILADELPHIA AT TENNESEE: This is a tough one to pick. The Titans are brimming with confidence after an impressive performance in front of a national audience. Last week, I predicted a quarterback controversy in Philly. Kevin Kolb was dynamite last week, so the only way a QB debate starts brewing is if he has an off week. The Eagles have a bye week, and then face the Colts in Week 9. The Titans beat the Eagles, and the media storm kicks off in Philly for two weeks. Who starts against Indy? Kolb or Vick? PICK: TITANS

ARIZONA AT SEATTLE: A battle for first place in the NFC West. PICK: SEAHAWKS

OAKLAND AT DENVER: The Broncos were a pass-interference non-call away from beating the mighty Jets. The Broncos have four losses, but those setbacks came against the Jaguars, Colts, Ravens and Jets. PICK: BRONCOS

PATRIOTS AT CHARGERS: I heard an alarming statistic last night. The 2-4 Chargers have the top-ranked offense AND defense in the NFL. Are you kidding me? What was it that Bill Belichick said during a press conference last year? “Stats are for losers. The final score is for winners.” As a Pats fan, this game scares the bejesus out of me. New England has struggled at San Diego in the past, and things just seem to be a bit too peachy for comfort. Riding high off victories over the Ravens and Dolphins, and then you’ve got Favre and Moss coming to town on Halloween. Looks like a trap game to me. PICK: CHARGERS

VIKINGS AT GREEN BAY: The Packers have lost three of their last four games by a combined total of nine points, including two consecutive failures in overtime. Great teams learn how to win the close contests, and the Packers haven’t proven that yet. With that being said, I think a win over Favre at Lambeau will give them a confidence boost. Plus, they’re playing at the Jets next week. At 3-3, the Packers really can’t afford to lose to Minnesota. PICK: PACKERS

N.Y. GIANTS AT DALLAS: I’m looking over my picks so far and I’ve only picked two road teams to prevail. That’s not good. I’ve been going back and forth on this game all week because the Cowboys are going to be desperate but, at the same time, the Giants are a much better, more disciplined football team. For lack of a better method, I’ll pick another road team since I’ve been one-sided so far. PICK: GIANTS

Last week: 12-2

Season record: 55-35

Let’s waste no time. Week 6 picks:

ATLANTA AT PHILADELPHIA: A good matchup between two playoff-caliber teams. The Falcons haven’t lost since Week 1, and Philly is 0-2 at home this season. Sounds like a recipe for a Falcons victory, does it not? But I’m going the other way. I think Kevin Kolb impresses in his second straight start and ignites a quarterback controversy in the City of Brotherly Love. PICK: EAGLES

KANSAS CITY AT HOUSTON: Ah, it would’ve been oh-so gratifying to see the undefeated Chiefs drop the Colts to a sub-.500 record. Oh, well. The Texans really screwed the pooch at home against the G-Men, who exposed how vulnerable Houston’s defense really is. I was impressed with the Chiefs’ defense last week, but I don’t think Matt Cassel and the offense has enough manpower to out-sling Matt Schaub. PICK: TEXANS

NEW ORLEANS AT TAMBA BAY: If you picked the Cardinals to beat the Saints last week, say “I.” Well, I think you’re lying. The defending Super Bowl champs are a loss away from being two games out of first place in the NFC South. Not a “must win” for New Orleans, but pretty close. You don’t want to be looking up at two teams in your division as November approaches. PICK: SAINTS

MIAMI AT GREEN BAY: We’re going to learn a lot about these two teams on Sunday. The Packers haven’t looked good the last three weeks, dropping both of their road games and barely squeaking by the Lions at home. The Dolphins got their clocks cleaned on Monday Night Football on Oct. 4, and they’ve had two long weeks to mull it over. Aaron Rodgers has been cleared to play, which is good news for Packers fans, but I think a well-rested Miami team pulls it out. PICK: DOLPHINS

SAN DIEGO AT ST. LOUIS:  If an 8-8 team ends up winning AFC West again - and the Patriots are left out of the postseason with a 10- or 11- win season like in 2008, I’ll be rooting for a lockout in 2011! OK, I don’t mean that. But my point is that the AFC West is weak. The Chargers are 0-3 on the road. Something’s got to give. PICK: CHARGERS

BALTIMORE AT NEW ENGLAND: Right now, the Ravens and the Jets are the two toughest teams in the AFC. But I like the Patriots coming off a bye, especially with a chip on their shoulder from last year’s humiliating playoff loss to Baltimore. PICK: PATS

DETROIT AT N.Y. GIANTS: The Lions got off the snide last week, leaving the Panthers, Bills and 49ers as the only winless teams in football. But the Giants should win with ease this week. PICK: GIANTS

CLEVELAND AT PITTSBURGH: Barstool Ben returns to the Steelers this week. Pittsburgh’s defense is so good that it really doesn’t matter who plays QB against the lowly Browns. PICK: STEELERS

SEATTLE AT CHICAGO: Seahawks have struggled on the road. PICK: BEARS

NEW YORK JETS AT DENVER: With all the mania surrounding Randy Moss and Brett Favre last week, the Jets were sort of the forgotten team on Monday night. As much as I hate seeing the Jets win, I was impressed. I still think their lack of discipline will catch up to them down the stretch. New York is behind only the Titans, Raiders and Lions for most flags this season. That being said … PICK: JETS

OAKLAND AT SANFRANCISCO: Quarterback Alex Smith showed some mettle last week against the Eagles. Imagine walking off the field while the entire stadium, filled with “your fans,” is calling for our replacement, who in this case was backup QB David Carr. Smith goes back into the huddle and marches his team right down the field for a touchdown. It ultimately ended up in another loss for San Fran, but that resiliency was something to see. Maybe the 49ers fans should openly root against him for the rest of the season. It could help. PICK: 49ERS

DALLAS AT MINNESOTA: Favre looked like garbage on Monday night. Sure, he was slinging it when his team was behind, but I think the Jets’ D had softened up a bit. And once the defense got tighter? A pick-6 to ice the win for New York. This is a must win for both of these teams who are looking to avoid a 1-4 start. PICK: VIKINGS

INDIANAPOLIS AT WASHINGTON: The Colts have something to prove. Plus, they need to keep pace in an ultra-competitive AFC South. PICK: COLTS

TENNESSEE AT JACKSONVILLE: All four teams in the AFC South enter Week 6 at 3-2. The Jags are the weakest of the bunch. PICK: TITANS

Last week: 7-7

Season record: 43-33

It was an eventful week for Patriots fans. After Monday night’s impressive road victory over the Dolphins, the focus was quickly shifted to the enigmatic Randy Moss.  

Good riddance, No. 81! Your “Me First” attitude will fit in quite nicely in Minnesota, where other inflated egos (No. 4) have gone to roost. I doubt Randy’s presence will help the Vikings win the NFC North, but here’s hoping that he makes a difference against the Jets. By the way, Moss will be playing on Monday Night Football for the second straight week. I wonder if that’s ever happened before?

Moss’ tenure in New England wasn’t a complete disaster – not in the least. He was a member of one of the greatest offensive squads (2007) in the history of football. If not for a miracle catch by David Tyree in Super Bowl XLII, Moss could brag about having the game-winning touchdown catch to cap a perfect season.

Over the last few years, Moss has raked in some of the greatest catches in the team’s 50-year history. Two stick out in my mind: A game-tying catch - off a Matt Cassel pass - as time expired in a 2008 matchup against the Jets, and the one-handed grab against Darrelle Revis a few weeks ago. Aside from David Patten’s catch – after being knocked unconscious - during a game-winning drive against the Bills in 2001, Moss has provided more “are you kidding me?” moments than any New England wideout I’ve ever seen.

That being said, he had to go. I said it in a blog post a few weeks back following his mind-boggling press conference: the guy just didn’t fit the Patriot mold, and it was time for him to hit the road. I’m hearing a lot of football fans expressing their concern about New England’s offense. All I’ll say is take a look at the offensive starters on the 2001-2006 teams. I’m flabbergasted that people still question Belichick’s philosophy. In 2008, he coached a team to 11 wins WITHOUT Tom Brady (“franchise” player).

Belichick wants his players to fit into a system, play a role, do their job. Moss cared more about his contract than fulfilling his specific duty for the betterment of the entire team. The Patriots are a better unit without him, especially from an intangibles standpoint.

Earlier this week, I was running late for work and, in my mad dash to get ready, I forgot about my cell phone. So, for about 10 hours I didn’t have it in my pocket. The first few hours, it felt weird. I felt almost naked, kind of vulnerable, without my cell. About midway through the day, a coworker could tell that I was a little off, so she said ‘You know, about 15 years ago, we all survived and got through the day without cell phones.”

So true. And that’s how I feel about Moss. Yea, it’ll be a little weird without him for a few series, but then the offense will move on. Just look at those three Super Bowl banners. The Patriots did just fine – and thrived – before Randy Moss came to town.

WEEK 5 NFL PREDICTIONS

JACKSONVILLE AT BUFFALO: Pick – Jaguars

NEW YORK GIANTS AT HOUSTON – Texans

KANSAS CITY AT INDIANAPOLIS – Colts

TAMPA BAY AT CINCINNATI – Bengals

GREEN BAY AT WASHINGTON – Redskins

ST. LOUIS AT DETROIT – Lions

CHICAGO AT CAROLINA – Panthers

ATLANTA AT CLEVELAND – Falcons

DENVER AT BALTIMORE – Ravens

NEW ORLEANS AT ARIZONA – Saints

TENNESEE AT DALLAS – Cowboys

SAN DIEGO AT OAKLAND – Chargers

PHILADELPHIA AT SAN FRANCISCO – 49ers

MINNESOTA AT NEW YORK JETS – Jets

Last week: 9-5

Season record: 36-26

It’s well past 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, and I’m just getting home from tonight’s Sox-Yankees game at Fenway. Only Boston and New York would play more than eight hours of baseball in one day. Two extra-inning games in a doubleheader, and they’re right back at it at 1:30 p.m. later today. Potentially, these teams will have about 11-12 hours of baseball played in a 24-hour span. Unreal.

Great win by the Sox in the nightcap. They may be out of the playoff picture, but when a team full of minor-league transplants prevents the defending world champs from taking control of the AL East, it’s a good night at the ballpark. Terry Francona deserves the AL Manager of the Year award. I don’t care that Boston isn’t going to the playoffs; he’s coached a team full of nobodies to 88 (or 89) victories. It’s remarkable. Just imagine what Boston would have done with Ellsbury, Pedroia and Youkilis in its lineup the entire season?  Or if Papelbon, Beckett or Lackey decided to earn their paychecks?

Also, I thought it was interesting to see “Thank You Mike” plastered on the Green Monster. I love Mike Lowell. He was the source of a lot of great memories here in Boston, most notably a World Series MVP performance in 2007. BUT… it seems a little odd for the Sox to honor him in such a blatant manner, just a few months after they relentlessly tried to trade him. Maybe it should have read “Thank You Mike For Not Being Mad at Us After We Treated You Like an Old Piece of Furniture We Couldn’t Get Rid of at a Tag Sale.”

So, here’s hoping the Sox snag the last game of the regular season and the Yanks have to open the playoffs at Minnesota. Although, I should mention that the Yanks can beat Boston and still finish second in the division if Tampa beats Kansas City.

By the way, my favorite moment of the game (by far) came in the fourth inning when Daniel Nava took home while A.J. Burnett was arguing with the first-base umpire. Epic fail by the Yankees. Talk about undisciplined baseball. No excuse for a mistake like that in Babe Ruth League, let alone the Majors. Couldn’t have been more thrilling to see it happen to the Yanks.

Enough about baseball.

WEEK 4 NFL PREDICTIONS

Some exciting storylines this weekend. Donovan McNabb returns to Philly, the Bears have a chance to remain undefeated by handing the Giants their third loss of the season, and two big divisional matchups with Pittsburgh-Baltimore and New England-Miami. I hate – absolutely HATE – picking against the Patriots, but I don’t have enough confidence in their defensive unit playing against a pretty solid Dolphins team on the road. I hope they prove me wrong.

SAN FRANCISCO AT ATLANTA: Pick – Falcons

CINCINNATI AT CLEVELAND: Pick – Browns

NEW YORK JETS AT BUFFALO: Pick – Jets

SEATTLE AT ST. LOUIS: Pick – Seahawks

DENVER AT TENNESEE: Pick – Titans

DETROIT AT GREEN BAY: Pick – Packers

BALTIMORE AT PITTSBURGH: Pick – Steelers

CAROLINA AT NEW ORLEANS: Pick – Saints

INDIANAPOLIS AT JACKSONVILLE: Pick – Colts

HOUSTON AT OAKLAND: Pick – Texans

WASHINGTON AT PHILADELPHIA: Pick – Eagles

ARIZONA AT SAN DIEGO: Pick – Chargers

CHICAGO AT NEW YORK GIANTS: Pick – Giants

NEW ENGLAND AT MIAMI: Pick - Dolphins

Last week: 8-8

Season Record: 27-21