Second thoughts

First, I would like to thank all loyal readers for not ridiculing me for my preseason NFL picks for the Super Bowl. For the record, I picked Dallas, Jacksonville, and Tennessee.

The Jags? Okay, what in the wide wide world of sports is going on here? I could simply say, “it was a typo, folks.” Or “the NFL is unpredictable.” Actually of the two, only the second is true.

Who picked the NY Giants to go all the way last season? Only those in the insane asylum. Even Giants fans weren’t sure then that Eli Manning had the Right Stuff.

It’s the same thing every year. No one can predict injuries and the Jags have been decimated by injuries. My rationale was that a defensive juggernaut from the AFC would sneak into the Big Dance. I had the right idea and I got the South Division, but the Titans are the team to watch out for. Jacksonville would have a chance only if they were playing in the Sisters of Eternal Mercy Hospital League. And then they might have trouble covering the spread.

The TT’s are allowing the fewest points in the NFL in 2008, a measly 13 points per game. While offensive players get the glory, it’s Albert Haynesworth, Keith Bullock and Chris Hope who are winning games.

Kerry Collins is now mentioned as an MVP candidate. That’s nice except the Titans are a run-first team and it’s their defense carrying them. Taking over for Vince Young (does a mental problem count as an injury?) after the season started is, to be sure, laudable but hardly the elevation needed to get him in the same discussion as Kurt Warner.

Collins is the 21st rated quarterback, right behind the immortal Joe Flacco. KC has thrown only five touchdown passes, same as Dan Orlovsky. Brett Favre threw for more TD passes in one game than Collins has all season. Collins is a nice story; he just doesn’t belong in the MVP story.

The Steelers and Ravens are the other defensive teams that could go all the way. Notice I wrote “could”, not “would”. I am getting out of the prediction business.

Each year the Las Vegas Hilton sponsors a season-long NFL prediction contest. A few years ago, it was won by a woman who never watched the games. She said she picked the teams based on their uniforms. Presumably she picked against the Bengals.

Okay, I like the Cowboys uniforms. What happened to them? After Week 3, they were the best team …. maybe. Not all the blame can be laid on Tony Romo’s pinkie. Well, some of it can. What kind of team with serious title hopes doesn’t have a decent backup QB? Dallas had Brad Johnson who should be drawing retirement checks these days.

For the record, Romo was 4-2 before going down, and 1-2 in his last three games. And he doesn’t play defense. Theoretically, the Boys could re-ignite and make a run. All a team has to do is get hot in December and January (see Steelers and Giants) to make the wild card and win four in a row.

I wouldn’t bet on it. But then, I wouldn’t bet on the NFL as I don’t have a lot of money to throw away.

****
[I] Coldeen is a longtime journalist in the CNMI and is currently the news director of KSPN2[/I]