The Games
| Favorite | Line |
Dog
|
| JETS | 7 1/2 |
Patriots
|
| BUCS | 5 1/2 |
Giants
|
| Chiefs | 3 |
BEARS
|
| PACKERS | 9 |
Raiders
|
| Bills | 2 1/2 |
COLTS
|
| SAINTS | 3 1/2 |
Panthers
|
| Cardinals | 3 |
EAGLES
|
| RAMS | Pk |
Ravens
|
| TITANS | 9 |
Bengals
|
| REDSKINS | 2 1/2 |
Cowboys
|
| Vikings | 4 |
FALCONS
|
| JAGUARS | 5 1/2 |
49'ers
|
| SEAHAWKS | 9 1/2 |
Lions
|
| Steelers | 6 |
BROWNS
|
| BRONCOS | 6 |
Dolphins
|
The Picks
LONG ISLAND SLIM
Steelers (giving 6.5) over Browns. Cleveland's lovely new glass-and-steel Dawg House and a city that has dearly missed its football isn't worth more than a field goal; this is still an expansion team we're talking about, and Ty Detmer ain't Doug Flutie. Look for the defection-gutted Steelers to get 75 yards from nimble newcomer Amos Zereoue and grimace their way to a two-touchdown win. Unless Kordell Stewart gets emotional.
Jets (giving 7.5) over the Patriots. The Pats aren't that bad, but the J-E-T-S just might be that good. The revenge of Curtis Martin and a Meadowlands full of Big Apple faithful salivating over the prospect of a postseason without John Elway ought to cover this fleshy spread without too much nail-biting. Parcells will miss injured plugger Wayne Chrebet but not this week.
BUCS (giving 5.5) over the Giants. L.I. Slim figures these teams are favored for a reason. By all accounts, the Jints are headed for a very respectable season, but those same accounts say Tony Dungy's Buccaneers are finally ready to assume the Packers' mantle for the next millennium. An undefeated, defense-heavy preseason means the boys in gold make Giants QB Kent Graham look like Dave Brown and stuff the G-men, say, 20-7.
The rest:
Chiefs -3 BEARS
Raiders +9 PACKERS
COLTS +2.5 Bills
Panthers +3.5 SAINTS
Cardinals -3 EAGLES
Ravens Pk RAMS
TITANS -9 Bengals
REDSKINS -2.5 Cowboys
Vikings -4 FALCONS
JAGUARS -5.5 49ers
SEAHAWKS -9.5 Lions
Dolphins +6 BRONCOS
"MEAN" JOSIE GREENE
Steelers over Browns As a Pittsburgh native, Ive missed this rivalry, and Ive also missed chuckling derisively at Cleveland fans each time the Steelers win. Look for me to be laughing my socks off this Sunday, as Kordell dries his eyes and gets down to business, and Detmer gets distracted by the age-old conundrum: Why are the Browns uniforms so darn ugly? Bernie will be there, but hell be too far away from the action to do the Browns much good, as the Steelers finish with a comfortable 10-point lead.
Redskins over Cowboys The Cowboys play Wheres Deion? and the Redskins Brad Johnson settles into his new role without a hitch. Keep an eye out for the Skins newly svelte (!!) DT Dana Stubblefield he just may surprise some people this year, starting this weekend. The Cowboys will face a final one-touchdown deficit.
Eagles over Cardinals Im probably the only person in the world who thinks this could be a good year for the Eagles, but there you have it. The Cards are not in good shape, mentally or physically. They are also not incidentally entirely lacking in soul. The Eagles will trot out Donovan McNabb and try to pass him off as a passer, but he should keep his eyes peeled for the blitz. This will be a close one, with the Eagles eking out a 3-point win.
The rest:
JETS +3 Patriots
BUCS -10 Giants
Chiefs -6 BEARS
PACKERS -7 Raiders
Bills +2 COLTS
SAINTS +10 Panthers
RAMS -1 Ravens
TITANS (who cares?) Bengals
Vikings +4 FALCONS
JAGUARS +3 49ers
SEAHAWKS -6 Lions
BRONCOS -14 Dolphins
K.C. LINE
Things we learned in the off-season: 1) The Kansas City Chiefs are going to be really bad this year; 2) Warren Moon still at least looks like a football player and 3) The Kansas City Chiefs are going to be even worse than we thought. Which brings us to Sunday, and Soldier Field, Chiefs vs. Bears in a match that's definitely old-school say circa 1978, when 4-12 looked like a decent year to both squads. It looks that way again the Chiefs have lost both starting cornerbacks, their coach and probably what's left of their dignity after an awful preseason, while the Bears are pinning their hopes on the flaccid left arm of Cade McKnown. Still, Bears getting three points in front of the home folks against the Griefs is irresistible.
Speaking of irresistible, don't turn down the Ravens in a pick'em over the Rams. Normally, we'd say stay away from any Baltimore team that doesn't have a horseshoe on the helmet. But put them up against a Rams team that belongs in the World League (and that's starting a quarterback fresh out of Arena Ball) and it's Baltimore with a bullet.
We know Seattle will be good. The big question this week: Are the Seahawks good enough to cover 9 1/2 points against a Barry-less Lions team? The answer is yes. Oh, yes.
The rest
Steelers 6.5 BROWNS
JETS 7.5 Patriots
BUCS 5.5 Giants
PACKERS 9 Raiders
COLTS +2.5 Bills
SAINTS -3.5 Panthers
Cardinals 3 EAGLES
TITANS 9 Bengals
REDSKINS 2.5 Cowboys
Vikings 4 FALCONS
JAGUARS 5.5 49'ers
BRONCOS 6 Dolphins