Shockey....big head, big muscles, big tattoos, big presence.....while Rivers, Gates and Floyd are all huge   Photo by Kevin C. Cox - Getty Images                                        Photo by Jeff Gross - Getty  Images

Payoffs week 1 went as well as could be expected.  The Jets won and I went 3 and 1 on my picks against the spread.  What could be better?  Not even if Carlos Beltran were to come back in April from his latest surprise surgery and just start acting as a member of the team again, not even that would make me happier than that the Jets actually won a playoff game. 

 

Can the Jets beat San Diego?  Of course they can.  Anything can happen in the NFL.  If Rivers goes down, if LaDainian goes down, if Gates and Jackson and Sproles all turn in clunkers, the Jets can win again.  But I don’t expect it.  They’ll cover the spread though, which is currently at 7 ½ but had been even higher.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Taking things in order:

 

Sat 4:30 – New Orleans Superdome

SAINTS -7 Cardinals

 I’m still mad.  That the Cardinals beat the Packers at all is still killing me.  The Packers played a stupid defense and stayed in it.  It had to be heartbreaking for the Pack.  I say it’s time to sweep out the old and bring in the new blood.  Kurt Warner had his day.  Saturday won’t be another for him. 

When the Saints come marching in, they’ll be doing so at full strength.  The Saints are back.  Their defense will be intact for the first time in a long time.  Jeremy Shockey will be back too.  Shockey of the big mouth, big biceps, big tattoos and more important, big blocking ability and big receiving threat, will be on the field.  Shockey makes a difference on that offensive line. 

Drew Brees will finally get the time he needs to look downfield, the running game should get a boost, and the Cardinals will have every reason to quit, something they’ve shown themselves only too willing to do at times in the past. 

A 7-point spread is big though and the over/under of 57 is huge.  If the whistles stay quiet, this could be quite a different game.  I look for the Saints to play a keep-away game, something they should be able to re-establish on Saturday.  Look for the Saints to establish Pierre Thomas in the running game, something they haven’t been able to do since Week 13. 

Since Week 13, the Saints haven’t run the ball.  Their points scored suffered dramatically as a result.  An offense that had been scoring in the 30’s and 40’s scored 17, 17 and 10 points respectively in Weeks 15 through 17.  They managed to win against Atlanta in Week 14 with Shockey in the lineup.  The Saints are undefeated with Shockey and 0-3 without him.

The Dome will be rockin’……Saints 30-17.

Sat 8:15 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis 

COLTS  -6 ½ Ravens

The Colts are tough and they may win this one but it won’t be a romp for sure.  The Colts took their first contest by a score of 17-15.  They’re rested but have absolutely no momentum going into this game.  But guess what?  The Colts have an offensive line second to none.  They’ll protect Manning, who, by the way, has never lost to the Ravens.

But the Ravens are playing better than ever.  Both Ray Rice and Willis McGahee are pounding that rock and everybody’s playing inspired behind gimpy-hipped Joe Flacco.  They have all the momentum in the world going into this one. 

But Flacco made the big mistake in their first contest.  He was intercepted in the final minutes after having negotiated a long drive to the Colts 12-yard line. 

This will be a war……..Ravens 24-22

 

Sunday 1PM – Mall of America Field, Minneapolis

VIKINGS -2 ½ Cowboys

Out with the old, in with the new.  Favre will find he’s got Boyz in his face.  There’ll be none of the pump-fake nonsense he’s perpetrated against a lot of teams.  Before pounding the hapless Giants, who could never defend anything, the Vikes had lost to the Panthers and Bears.  The Panthers held the Vikes to 7 total points while the Bears simply outscored them 36-30. 

Wade Phillips knows defense.  Tony Romo knows offense.  It’s Romo’s time.  Favre has had his moments and Sunday looks to not be one of them.  Look for the Boyz to stop Adrian Peterson, take an early lead, and then take a few INT’s from a desperate Favre down the stretch.

Look for the Vikes to put 20 on the board.  Look for the Boyz to get a few more.

Cowboys 27-20

 

Sunday, 4:40 PM – Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego

 

CHARGERS -7 ½  Jets

 

While I’d love to say  “out with the old, in with the new” once again, we have Phillip Rivers, who isn’t that old, going against Mark Sanchez, who’s a little too young.  As well as the Jets have been playing, the Chargers have been doing it better and longer.  The Chargers have just the type of versatile offense to give the Jets fits.

The Bengals didn’t have enough weapons.  Carson Palmer had no time and Ochocinco was blanketed by Revis.  Their second wide-out was Laverneus Coles.  There were no other targets to speak of and the Bengals missed two field goals. The Jets running backs ran wild and a great offensive game plan worked to perfection but under no real duress.

I’m expecting a great deal of duress Sunday afternoon.  Although the Chargers haven’t been able to get their running game going, their passing offense hasn’t been stopped.  The Chargers are for real with Vincent Jackson on one side and Malcolm Floyd on the other.  Then there is Antonio Gates.  They’re all tall and can catch the ball, unlike one Braylon Edwards, who’ll drop anything he has to think about.

 

All that being said, the Chargers will be facing a fired-up young squad that won’t quit.  The Jets will undoubtedly have some success on the ground, but unless they can take and hold the lead against one of the NFL’s finest offenses, they’ll have to throw.  It won’t work.

Chargers 24-20, Jets cover

 

 

 

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