Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
The Lineman is back! Week One NFL picks
The Lineman is back for a new season with his weekly Pick Six tips. Have fun and good luck.
PICK OF THE WEEK Carolina Panthers (0-0) at Arizona Cardinals (0-0) (Line Cardinals minus-6.5)
Welcome to the NFL Mr. Cam Newton. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback is sure to be the man in the spotlight for both TV talking heads and a Cardinals defence that will try to pressure the Panthers rookie into mistakes and turnovers of which there should be plenty.
Newton takes control of an offence that finished last in scoring and total yards last season and it’s hard to see Carolina improving on those numbers this year.
With Newton facing a steep learning curve, the Panthers are likely to rely on running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams to carry the load.
The Cardinals were not much better offensively but the addition of quarterback Kevin Kolb from the Philadelphia Eagles is a huge upgrade over a trio of flops, Derek Anderson, John Skelton and Max Hall.
Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is a game breaker supreme and tight end Todd Heap a big sure handed target.
The Lineman’s NFL picks — Still backing the Pack
That was another great football weekend made all the more exciting for the Lineman by going a very respectable 3-1. Only two games this week and both look like crackers. Enjoy.
Playoffs: 5-3. Pick of the Week 1-1.
Last week: 3-1
Regular Season Record: 53-49
PICK OF THE WEEK:
Green Bay Packers (12-6) at Chicago Bears (12-5) (Line Packers minus-3.5): I backed the Pack to get to the Super Bowl when the season started and there is no reason to slip off the Green Bay bandwagon now.
The Bears and Packers have clashed 181 times since 1921 but number 182 promises something special as the NFL’s two most storied franchises renew a rivalry that is as old as the league itself.
The Lineman’s NFL picks — classics on the cards
The Lineman is only sure of one thing this weekend and that is that football fans are in for a real treat with all four games shaping up as potential classics.
It was a rough ride for home teams last weekend with only the Seattle Seahawks surviving and who says you need an elite quarterback to win in the playoffs.
Saints Drew Brees and Colts Peyton Manning will watch this weekend’s action from the couch while Jets’Mark Sanchez and Seahawks Matt Hasselbeck moved on.
Yes indeed, shaping up as another wild and wonderful weekend in the NFL.
Playoffs: 2-2. Pick of the Week 0-1.
Regular Season Record: 53-49
PICK OF THE WEEK:
The Lineman’s NFL playoff picks — Saints march on
Well, the Lineman sneaks into the playoffs with a solid but unspectacular finish to the regular season. OK, so we were not the New England Patriots of predictions but neither were we the Seattle Seahawks.
But this is the start of the real season, when things really count. Super Bowl here we come.
Regular Season Record: 53-49
Last week: 4-2. Pick of the Week: 9-8
PICK OF THE WEEK:
New Orleans Saints (11-5) at Seattle Seahawks (7-9) (Line Saints minus-10.5): Picking this one was the Big Easy. The defending Super Bowl champs roll into Seattle to face the first ever NFL team with a losing record to qualify for the post-season.
Qwest Field can be a hostile place for visitors and the Seahawks received a bit of good news on Thursday learning that banged up QB Matt Hasselbeck is fit enough to get the start.
The Lineman’s NFL picks
Big shout out to all those who came through with Christmas gift picks last week, especially the G-Man, Fine Tooner and the Bark with big wins.
But here we are in the final week of the season and the Lineman is going it alone.
At this time of year the Lineman leans towards teams that are still playing for something but then again as the Philadelphia Eagles demonstrated going down to the Vikings on Tuesday, there are no sure things this wacky NFL season.
Record: 49-47. Last week: 3-3. Pick of the Week: 8-8.
PICK OF THE WEEK:
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) at Cleveland Browns (5-10) (Line Steelers minus-5.5): The Steelers are playing for a first round bye, the AFC North crown and the second seed, which would guarantee them a second round home playoff date.
The Browns are playing to save coach Eric Mangini’s job. Ummmm, it seems the Steelers have a little more incentive this week.
Welcome as always the insightful and entertaining picks by the esteemed Lineman — but disappointed the Great One has not taken a position on the most decisive game of the day — Seattle hosting the Rams with a playoff berth going to the winner. Wish he had cast his critical eye on a showdown that really matters (even if it for honors in the woeful NFC West. (I’d take the Rams, strictly as a fan)
The Lineman’s NFL picks — week 14
Tis the season, to be jolly and a 4-2 Week 13 has put the Lineman in the holiday spirit, The Lineman is also feeling pretty good about Week 14 because it looks like there are a few gifts. So in the spirit of giving, here are Week 14′s winners.
Record: 39-39.
Last week: 4-2. Pick of the Week: 6-7
PICK OF THE WEEK:
Atlanta Falcons (10-2) at Carolina Panthers (11-1) (Line Falcons minus-7.5): The Falcons share the best record in the NFL, the Panthers own the worst.
What more can you say.
Merry Christmas everyone. Take this gift and give up the 7.5. Ho Ho Ho.
I am sort of SUPERSTITIOUS about the NUMBER 13 Bret Farve breaks 18 year record streak on December13 2010 Nothing profound it could have happened yesterday. I do as little as possible with many good reasons on the 13th. Meaningless comment but that was on my mind Sorry Brett
The Lineman’s NFL picks — week 13
Another tough week made tougher by losing two games by a half-point each. Ouch.
If you believe in such things, this should be unlucky Week 13 but with the results last week, my luck cannot be any worse this Sunday.
Record: 35-37.
Last week: 2-4. Pick of the Week: 5-7
PICK OF THE WEEK:
Chicago Bears (8-3) at Detroit Lions (2-9) (Line Bears minus-3.5): The Bears have come out of their mid-season hibernation stringing together four straight wins, including last week’s impressive decision over the high-flying Eagles.
At the same time, the wheels have started to fall off in the Motor City following four straight losses.
Super Bowl XLV: Jets v Falcons?
The NFL’s website really is a model in what a modern sports league should offer its fans and among the many handy features is a playoff picture that shows exactly what the situation would be if the season ended now.
As it stands, the top team in the AFC is the 9-2 New York Jets while in the NFC, the Atlanta Falcons are in control with 9-2. Both teams are almost assured a place in the playoffs but have they got what it takes to go all the way to Dallas?
What tends to indicate they have an opportunity is that in a season full of surprises, the Jets and the Falcons each have one elusive ingredient which is absolutely essential to reaching the Super Bowl.
For the Jets, whose last four games have included two overtime wins on the road and a late, late game-winning touchdown at home to Houston, it is their uncanny ability to come out winners when staring defeat in the face that makes them a team that is so hard to bet against.
Combined with a road record of eight straight regular season wins, a quarterback in Mark Sanchez who is coming of age and a head coach, Rex Ryan, who clearly gets the very best out of his players, the New York team, beaten by the Colts in last season’s AFC Championship game, have good cause for their oft-declared confidence.
This Sunday’s big game against the Patriots will provide a very useful gauge as to whether those factors are now enough to deal with one of the league’s established powerhouses.
When you look at Atlanta, the one word that springs immediately to mind is completeness. The NFL is rightly proud of the unpredictability in the league but one of the reasons for this year’s particularly inconsistent performances is the amount of incomplete teams competing.
The Lineman’s NFL picks — week 12
Well, a 3-3 Week 11 keeps us at .500 but we need to make a big move to get up the standings — and get ahead of Ms. Lineman who is leading by one game. Ouch.
Record: 33-33. Last week: 3-3. Pick of the Week: 4-7
PICK OF THE WEEK:
Tennessee Titans (5-5) at Houston Texans (4-6) (Line Texans minus-3.5): First off, it is difficult to back any team with a quarterback named Rusty and with Vince Young injured and in Jeff Fisher’s doghouse and backup Kerry Collins on the limp Rusty Smith will make his first career NFL start for the Titans.
Houston has the NFL’s worst pass defense and the Titans have Randy Moss, one of the league’s top wide receivers.
But Moss has just one catch in two games since the Vikings dropped the whiny wide out and the Rusty to Randy connection… well, it doesn’t sound nearly as scary as the Tom Brady or Brett Favre to Moss connection.
This game will feature two of the NFL’s top running backs and Rusty is likely to spend a good part of the game handing the ball to Chris Johnson, who sits third in the league in rushing yards (968).
The Lineman’s NFL picks — week 11
Big pat on the back for the ‘Wichita’ Lineman, who came in off the bench last week and produced a solid 4-2 that got our overall record back to .500.
So, as the ‘Wichita’ Lineman says, let’s look into the crystal pigskin and see where Week 11 leads us.
Record: 30-30. Last week: 4-2. Pick of the Week: 4-6
PICK OF THE WEEK:
Washington Redskins (4-5) at Tennessee Titans (5-4) (Line Titans minus-6.5): If you are still having trouble forgetting about that Monday Night massacre think how the Redskins are feeling after the record whooping they took from the Eagles.
The Titans did not do all that much better losing to the Dolphins last week leaving us with two teams looking to make amends.
Tennessee has dropped two straight road games and now return home needing a win to keep pace in a very tough AFC South race that includes the Indy Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans.
