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Eddie and the Money, Week 2 posted on 09/10/2008

Tonight I planned on creating a podcast so that I could beat Bill Simmons at one of the other games he plays (badly), which is to guess the lines of each NFL game this week and try to do better than “Cousin Sal.”  Unfortunately, it turns out that making a podcast isn’t as simple as I hoped it would be.  So until I have more time on my hands (3 more days of full-time tax consulting!), I’ll do it the old fashioned way.  My group of friends doesn’t have a “Cousin Sal” but we do have Mo$ and Cousin Louie.  Unfortunately, neither was up to the task tonight.  They need a lesson on priorities.  So first, some comments on week 1 and then my line predictions for week 2.

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Week 1 NFL Picks posted on 09/07/2008

Bengals (-2) over RAVENS

The Bengals cannot possibly finish above .500 with Ocho Cinco still creating drama and an undermining owner bringing back Chris Henry.  That’s enough bad karma right there to doom their season.  But in week one, Cincinnati forgets about all their issues and wins on the strength of superior quarterback play (Palmer versus the rookie Flacco).

Jets (-3) over DOLPHINS

The Dolphins have a new coach, a new quarterback and a 31-year-old starting running back (who I nevertheless hope has a big season).  The Jets improved their O-line (Alan Faneca), their D-Line (Kris Jenkins) and you might have heard they also have a new quarterback.  As much as Chad Pennington would love to beat his old team, it’s not gonna happen.  Favre’s magic carries the Jets through at least week 1.

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Blame the Kicker! posted on 09/07/2008

After BYU blocked a 35-yard PAT to seal a 28-27 win over the University of Washington, the only thing I heard commentators talking about was the appropriateness of an unsportsmanlike penalty on Jake Locker.  I’m guessing if it was your team and your QB, you would think the penalty was bogus.  If your team benefitted, then rules are rules.  But why did no one choose to focus on (1) the inability of the Washington field goal unit to kick a straight-on 35-yarder, or (2) the clutch block of the PAT by BYU?  Think about it this way:  If your team only has to kick a 35-yard field goal to take the game into overtime, and the kick is from right in the middle of the field—not from either hash, then your field goal team better damn-well make that kick, right?  And if they don’t, are you blaming anyone but the field goal team and the kicker?  I say no.  The way BYU pushed back the UW line on the PAT, I don’t think the PAT result would have been any different if it was a traditional 20-yarder.  So give it a rest on the celebration, the ref and the call.  Blame the kick, credit the block. 

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Reconsider Strategy: Accurate High School Quarterbacks in Short Supply posted on 09/07/2008

One play by Danny Tuai was enough to make the difference for East High on Friday night.  After struggling for most of the game and even leaving the game at one point (unclear whether he was benched or injured), Danny was finally able to hit a receiver in stride in what was, in reality, a last gasp heave with under two minutes left in the game and trailing 10-7.  While the American Fork Cavemen did him a huge favor by failing to cover Matt Price on the play, Tuai nonetheless deserves the credit for doing what he was unable to do for most of the night—deliver an accurate pass.

The victorious outcome should not, however, encourage the East High coaches to keep calling so many pass plays.  After both East and American Fork started the first quarter with successful, run-dominated drives which led to a 7-7 tie, both teams seemed to treat the rest of the first half as a passing experiment.  (Pssst:  There’s a game going on—see if maybe you can win it…)  In spite of some great catches by Senior Captain John Webb, the East High passing game failed to produce anything but punts and interceptions in the first half.  After a Caveman interception by Mitch Harrison, a Tuai pass to an offensive lineman, and a dropped interception by #8 of American Fork, which would have been an easy touchdown, I was seriously asking:  Where’s the run game?

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First Annual First Half Predictions posted on 09/04/2008

Rather than making a feeble attempt to accurately predict the Super Bowl winner, I’ve decided that it makes a lot more sense to predict the first half of the season and then make second half predictions. I plan to discuss my thoughts in more detail, but wanted to at least post my win-loss projections before the season officially gets underway tonight. I also like the Giants -4.5 against the Redskins—I’m definitely beating Bill Simmons and his wife this year.


AFC East
New England 6-2
New York Jets 4-4
Buffalo 3-5
Miami 2-6

AFC North
Cleveland 6-2
Pittsburgh 5-3

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