Reid Fischer's World of Rants

I promise once college football season is done I will start posting more than just picks again.  Let’s just say that my workload week to week is getting insane.  I do however don’t want to miss an easy chance to rip Jay Cutler, who tossed FIVE picks last night in a 10-6 loss to mediocre San Francisco (picked correctly by me on Twitter: look at the time stamp, I got it in well before kickoff).  His last one in the final seconds was a beautiful throw right to three red 49er jerseys and Greg Olsen behind all of them.  Mr. Cutler has now tossed a league high 17 picks after throwing 18 all of last season.  His nine picks in the red zone the last two seasons are far and away an NFL high.  Let’s just say I am not crying as a Broncos fan that he is gone.  I’m not sure Kyle Orton is the answer long term, but at least he doesn’t gift wrap red zone picks like Cutler.  Now, on to the picks, last night’s correct pick not included in the overall record.

Last week: 8-5 Season: 88-39

– Titans over Bills: Is there a resurgence in Tennessee behind Vince Young?  Time will tell, but as long Chris Johnson keeps running like he has the Titans may not be completely left for dead yet.  The Bills are a mess and Terrell Owens may not even play.  In any case, find the bar if you’re stuck with this snooze fest.

– Dolphins over Buccaneers: Tampa Bay got a very nice win over Green Bay.  If they don’t win again soon, petitions may start for those ugly bright orange uniforms.  Miami should get enough out of the Wildcat at home to get back on track.

– Jets over Jaguars: Maurice Jones-Drew is special, but the Jags are very mediocre.  The Jets are at home following a bye.  I like Sanchez and company here.

– Steelers over Bengals: Pittsburgh may not lose the rest of the year.  If you think I’m kidding, take a good look at their schedule.  It could pretty much be smooth sailing if they get by this one.  Cincinnati is legit, but Pittsburgh has revenge on their minds after week three.  Plus they are running the ball again, bad combo for opponents.

– Broncos over Redskins: Denver has not looked right offensively the last two weeks.  Don’t expect a blowout here considering the surprising stat that the Redskins allowed 30 points last week for the first time in three years.  The problem in Washington is the offense, especially considering Jason Campbell has ankle issues and Clinton Portis is out Sunday.  This could be very ugly, but I don’t see three losses in a row out of Denver.  The Broncos defense should be able to get a turnover or two and set up the offense with a short field.  I like Denver 13-3.

– Chiefs over Raiders:  I’ll admit it, I flipped a coin here.  Both teams stink.  The Chiefs may have found some life with new addition Chris Chambers, who had two touchdown grabs in Jacksonville last week.  Both teams are bad, but the Raiders have JaMarcus Russell, which makes them really bad.  This is another unwatchable game if you’re stuck with it.

– Eagles over Chargers: San Diego has won three straight, but I sense a letdown here since the Chargers have a showdown in Denver next week.  Philadelphia left one on the table last week against Dallas and should be motivated.  I do think the Eagles have talent offensively that is waiting to break out at any time, and they are due for a big day.  I also think they can slow down the Chargers offense.  I like Philly in a mini-upset.

– Cowboys over Packers:  Green Bay is really struggling to protect Aaron Rodgers.  If he has no time to throw, it doesn’t matter how good his arm is.  The Packers will have the home crowd behind them, but the Cowboys haven’t lost since week four.  If the Cowboys can win here, they can keep separating themselves in the NFC East.

– Vikings over Lions: I think Minnesota is every bit as talented on both sides of the ball as New Orleans.  The Vikings know they need to keep winning and have no margin for error if they want a potential playoff meeting in the Metrodome instead of in New Orleans.  This should be relatively easy for Adrian Peterson and company, and they shouldn’t have any issue slowing the Lions down either.

– Falcons over Panthers: Carolina is actually starting to show some signs of life, even having the lead much of the game in New Orleans, but I think the Falcons are ready to string some wins together.  Michael Turner is running hard again, and if they get the passing game going again along with that, look out.

– Cardinals over Seahawks: I am stunned that Arizona is in danger of a tv blackout here.  The Cardinals just made the Super Bowl last year for crying out loud.  Arizona has been really up and down offensively, but I think they will get two good games in a row from Kurt Warner here.  Seattle has been too inconsistent to rely on in an away game right now.

– Colts over Patriots: The clear game of the week should be a great Sunday nighter.  I almost went with New England as hot as they have been, but if left tackle Matt Light doesn’t play, you might need more than one hand to count the number of sacks for Dwight Freeney.  I also think Peyton Manning is absolutely at the top of his game right now, especially considering some of his inexperienced receivers.  The Colts secondary could have a difficult time covering Moss and Welker, but I think the Indy offense will be able to put up enough points to compensate, especially playing at home.  Colts in a thriller.

– Ravens over Browns:  I really want to know what idiot keeps thinking it’s a good idea to put the Browns on Monday night (they had three appearances last season).  Seriously, even in April,