Cohen's Week 9 NFL Picks

It is now Halloween night. Perfect for a ghoulish good time, and some really frightening, disturbing, horrifying picks!

JETS (4-3) @ BILLS (5-2): We are really going to learn a lot about both of these teams. The Jets have the biggest conundrum in all of football. Brett Favre has been horribly inconsistent; he is throwing balls up for grabs, and he is not protecting the football. Favre's erratic play is hurting the Jets. If the Jets are to turn their season around, Favre has to cut out the interceptions and become more responsible with the football. Defensively, the Jets are terrible. The have lots of sacks, but their secondary can't stop any wide receivers. The Chiefs had guys open all day long against the Jets secondary last week. That will have to change against the high-flying Bills.

As for Buffalo, they need this game to stay in front of the Patriots. Even without Tom Brady, if the Patriots move into first, they will be hard to catch, and the Bills know it. The Bills have owned the Jets recently, winning three straight dating back to 2006. Last year, Trent Edwards had his way with New York in two meetings and should have a lot of success against that poor Jets secondary. PICK: BILLS 20, JETS 10.

Packers (4-3) @ Titans (7-0): Okay, I am now convinced that the Titans are for real. Their impressive victory on Monday Night against the banged up Colts showed me that they can win games even with the old arm of Kerry Collins. Collins picked apart the Colts secondary, leading a second half comeback. The Titans scored 23 unanswered points in the second half to pull away from Indy. By the way, the Titan defense was just one drive away from holding the Colts to under 20 points. They have held six of their seven opponents under 20 points this season.

Aaron Rodgers got a new contract with Green Bay, extending the quaterback's stay in Lambeau until 2014. Rodgers has thrown for more yards and less interceptions than the man he replaced this year. He looks like the real deal. The Packers are coming off a bye, so rust may be a question here in this one. PICK: TITANS 34, PACKERS 26.

DOLPHINS (3-4) @ BRONCOS (4-3): The Dolphins are good. Last week, the fish ripped up the Bills without a big effort from Ronnie Brown. Chad Pennington picked apart a formidable Bills defense for 301 yards. Pennington has thrown seven touchdowns, and only three interceptions this year. He has protected the ball, and given Miami a chance to win every week.

The key to the game, however, will be how Brown does against the league's worst defense in the Broncos. The Broncos give up 154 yards on the ground per game, so expect Brown to have a big day. I also think that Jay Cutler will struggle against that blitz happy Miami defense. PICK: DOLPHINS 23, BRONCOS 14.

COWBOYS (5-3) @ GIANTS (6-1): A year ago at this time, the Cowboys were a juggernaut while the Giants just were starting to find themselves. A few weeks later in the playoffs, the Giants upset the world when the beat the Boys in Dallas during the divisional playoffs, en route to Super Bowl XLII. Logic would tell you that Dallas is due for some vengence, but with the Cowboys considering starting former Jets bum and reject, Brooks Bollinger at quaterback, you know the Giants are licking their chops. How does Bollinger keep finding a job?

Expect to see either Brad Johnson or Bollinger eating field turf all night long. It should be pretty cold and dark at 4:00 pm, the first night of standard time for Dallas. PICK: GIANTS 41, COWBOYS 3.

PATRIOTS (5-2) @ COLTS (3-4): Okay Indianapolis, this is your Super Bowl. Lose this game to a team that does not have: Tom Brady, Laurence Maroney, and Rodney Harrison, and you don't deserve to go anywhere but golfing this winter. The Colts have been awful this year. Peyton Manning is no longer Peyton. For a guy in his 11th season, he looks more like Dan Marino did in his 17th and final season in 1999, which means finito!

If the Colts can find a way to establish a ground game, which has been hard for them, they should be in control of this game, but you never know.

The Patriots have been a shocking suprise. Even with Brady gone, the Pats have found ways to win. Matt Cassell has been mediocre, but all he is asked to do is give the ball to Randy Moss and Wes Welker all day, and let them win the game. The Pat's defense is not as good as it used to be. Sure, they give up on 206 yards through the air, but they surrender 113 yards per game on the ground. Not exactly a formula for success. So this game will be about who wants it more. Survival is the mission. PICK: COLTS 31, PATRIOTS 24.

Buffalo Bills 1st Half Highlight Video!

Here is another video that I created on NFL.com. This one feature's the magical first half for the Buffalo Bills. The Bills are 5-2 and in a tie with the New England Patriots for first place in the AFC East.

The Bills boast a young and fiesty ballclub that showed signs of improvement in 2007, and has exploded onto the scene in 2008.

The Bills are a complete team. Trent Edwards, Marshawn Lynch and Lee Evans is a great 1,2,3 punch on offense, and the defense is as nasty as always for the Bills.

ENJOY. CLICK FOR BUFFALO ROAM!

Giants 1st Half Highlight Video

Here is another video that I created on NFL.com. This one is dedicated to the physical play of the New York Giants. The main reason Big Blue is the best team in football is the power and strength of its offensive and defensive lines.

The musical score is Sam Spence's "The Linemen" it fits perfectly.

Again, Enjoy!!!

CLICK FOR BIG BLUE BLOWOUT!

Jets 1st Half Highlight Video

Here is a highlight video I made on NFL.com. It is some of the best highlights by the Jets so far this season.

The title is Favre Magic, and it is to Sam Spence's Pony Soilders. The song fits perfectly with Favre and what he brings to the table for New York.

Enjoy!!

CLICK FOR VIDEO!

Giant Formula For Success

GIANTS 21

STEELERS 14

The 2008 Giants look like a special team. In a night when they did not play their best football; in a night where they needed four field goals and a saftey just to stay competitive, the Giants found a way to knock off the best team in football, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Now the power of the best has shifted back into the hands of Big Blue.

Eli Manning was not great on Sunday night; he completed only 19 passes on 32 attempts, but Ben Roethlisberger was just awful. Roethlisberger was under constant pressure from the Giants front seven. He couldn't handle it, and he was sacked five times and threw four interceptions on the night.

Most of Big Ben's passes were knocked at the line, or they were dropped by his receivers, who were smothered by the Giant's corners. It was as smash mouth as advertised, especially by the Giants.

With New York down 14-9 in the fourth, Manning completed a huge pass on fourth and six to Amani Toomer down the right sideline for a first down. This set up a John Carney field goal to cut the Steeler lead to 14-12.

The Steeleres went three and out on their next drive, so, on the punt, the ball was snapped over the head of punter Mich Berger. The ball rolled into the back of the end zone for a saftey, tying the game at 14.

The Giants got the ball back on the saftey kick and marched right down the field to take the lead. Manning hit Steve Smith for 25 yards down the left sideline to put the ball at the Steeler 25. Three plays later, Manning hit tight end Kevin Boss from two yards out for the touchdown.

The Steelers had no answers on two possessions, giving the Giants the victory. The Giants are now 6-1, and, quite possibly, most likely are the best in the NFL. Period.

Inspite of Win, Jets Are Mediocore

JETS 28

CHIEFS 24

Lets face it! The Jets are No Good! They are quickly becoming the worst team money can buy for $140 million dollars, and for what? Mediocrity? Losses to the Bradyless Patriots, and the awful Raiders. Trailing 24-21 late in a game against the lowley Kansas City Chiefs? This is what Jet fans get all excited about?

Brett Favre, for all of his greatness, looked awful. In fact, he brought memories back of some of the worst QB's in Jets history, not the best. Favre threw three interceptions in this game, one of which was returned for a touchdown to give Kansas City a 24-21 lead with 7:30 to play.

Maybe the Jets will use Favre's health as an excuse. Late in the second quarter, Favre got plastered by a converging defensive end. The ball he threw was intercepted at the Kansas City 20, but Favre was on the ground for about a minute. He slowly got up and moved strolled to the sideline in considerable pain. He sat on the bench, hunched over in pain but still found a way to get back into the field.

Favre ended the day completing 28 of 40 passes for 290 yards. 290 yards against one of the worst pass defenses in the league? Embarassing.

But it was not just Favre who was at fault. The defense was terrible. The Chiefs led by some guy named Tyler Thigpen ripped up the Jets defense. Thigpen threw two touchdowns, no interceptions and had a QB rating of 110.9 in the effort. His receivers were wide open on slants and cross patterns, as they ate up huge amounts of yards to get Kansas City down the field.

With the Jets up 14-7, Thigpen moved the ball down the field for a score. He hit Tony Gonzalez for 21 yards and Dwayne Bowe for 15 more to get the Chiefs to the Jets11. Then Thigpen hit Michael Bradley for an 11 yard touchdown to tie the game at 14.

In the third, Kansas City imposed their will on the Jets again. Thigpen completed six straight passes on this opening drive. He hit Bowe for 12. He hit Gonzalez for 11, hit Bradley twice for 13 and 12 yards a piece. Unfortunately for KC, Thigpen overthrew his intended receiver on third down and it forced them to kick a field goal. Kansas City led 17-14.

Jet fans were furious, booing and booing and screaming at their underachieveing franchise. The only star of the day for New York was Leon Washington who sprinted for 60 yards for one touchdown and caught an 18 yard touchdown for another. If it weren't for Washington the Jets would have lost.

This team is clearly underachieveing. In fact, they may not be as good as we think they are. You can have all the money in the world; you can have all the talent in the world, but it doesn't matter if there is no chemistry. Brett Favre spoke to that when he arrived in August ... it looks like he might have been right.

Jets Celebrating Super Bowl III Team Is A Joke!

As most Jet fans know, the franchise is pushing two things on its fan base this season: 1) They are trying to pry as much money as possible from its fans for its PSL and Coaches Club seating in the NEW GIANTS STADIUM, set to open in two years; 2) The team is celebrating the 40th anniversery of its last and only Super Bowl victory. The Jets went as far as to invite members of the 1968 Jets to Giants Stadium for a half time ceremony for tomorrow's game against the hapless Kansas City Chiefs.

The Jets have gone so far to celebrate this single moment in the team's history that they have even decided to sell shirts, sweat shirts and jackets with a huge number 40 written on it. CLICK LINK TO SEE SHIRTS. And CLICK HERE TO SEE LINK TO JACKETS. Seeing this garbage, one would think that the Jets won the Super Bowl last year!

Here is my problem. What is there to celebrate? It's not like the Jets have the tradition and pride of the New York Giants. Hell, they don't even have the tradition and history of the Baltimore Ravens, who won the Super Bowl eight years ago.

When you see a giant number 40 written in green, with the Jets iconic football next to it, you don't think about the great memories from 1968; you think, instead of 40 years of embarrassment and futiltiy. In fact, most of the current Jet fans remember the infamous Mud Bowl in the Miami Orange Bowl, before they ever think of Super Bowl III in the Miami Orange Bowl.

The Jets should be ashamed that they have to trot out Joe Namath, if he is not sucking face with sideline reportets, Don Maynard, who noone sees in public anymore, and various others, whom most of Jet nation may not even remember.

Here are the facts. In the forty years since the Jets last Super Bowl, the New England Patriots have been to six Super Bowls, winning three; the Miami Dolphins have been to five Super Bowls winning two; the Buffalo Bills have been to four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990's, losing all four. The Indianapolis Colts, who used to be in the AFC East, have been to two Super Bowls, winning both. The New York Giants have been to four Super Bowls, winning three.

All the Jets have to show their fans since 1968 is one frustrating season after another, or one frustrating playoff loss after another. Remember the Mud Bowl, a 14-0 loss to Miami in the 1983 AFC Title game? Remember the heart-breaking 23-10 loss to Denver in the 1998 AFC Title game? Remeber Herman Edwards taking a knee at the Steeler 40 so he could kick a impossible field goal in a loss in the Divisional Round in 2004?

Yes, this is what the Jets are trying to celebrate: 40 years of futility since their last Super Bowl appearance.

So, instead of inviting the only winning Jets team to the Meadowlands tomorrow, the Jets should instead invite this list, to celebrate:

Rich Kotite: head coach who took the Jets way down the toliet, capping it with a 1-15 season in 1996.

Terry Bradway: General manger who found ways to draft some of the worst football players ever seen. He was mercifully fired after the 2005 season. Bradway spent five tortuous years as the Jets GM.

Richard Todd: quaterback, who was supposed to be the next Joe Namath, but spent most of his career chasing linebackers after interceptions and ate dirt most of the time after sacks.

Mark Gasteneau: Defensive End. Part of the Sack Exchange, who is better known for his bad temper and bad boy image.

Browning Nagle: quaterback. This is the guy the Jets decided to draft in 1991 instead of ... Brett Favre!

Ken O'Brien: quaterback. Like Chad Pennington, O'Brien had moments of success, and moment of futility; was never a winner.

Wesley Walker and Al Toon: receivers. Two good receivers who deserved to be on a better team.

Adrian Murrell: running back. Once Curtis Martin came along, everyone forgot who this guy was.

Kyle Brady: tight end. Everyone booed when the Jets drafted him. Everyone booed louder when he started playing.

Keyshawn Johnson: receiver. The biggest jerk pre-Terrell Owens. Johnson's infamous book, "Give Me The Damn Ball," spoke volumes of what KJ thought of his teammates and coaches. Johnson talked his way off the team in 2000, when his idol Bill Parcells traded him to Tampa Bay. To this day, Johnson probably still blames Al Groh for bringing down the ax.

Neil O'Donnell: quaterback. No quaterback looked more confused or baffled than O'Donnell. Whether it was an interception, a sack, or a fumble, O'Donnell was famous for giving us looks of "who me?" No wonder Bill Parcells couldn't wait to get rid of him.

Glenn Foley: quaterback. Guy had some promise but was always getting injured, costing him his starting job in 1998.

Rick Mirer: This complete fool was brought in to save the 1999 season when team MVP Vinny Testaverde went down with a Achilles' tendon injury on opening day. Mirer played with clueless and ignorant abandon. What is most troubling is the fact that Bill Parcells left Mirer in as the statrer for seven games. The Jets were 1-6 in those games, virtually killing their season.

Chad Pennington: quaterback. Speaking of getting injured a lot. Pennington spent his entire Jet career getting hurt and making excuses for his ineffective arm strength.

Dewayne Robertson: defensive tackle: Drafted by Terry Bradway in 2003. Robertson was a complete bust. He never fit into any scheme; he was undersized for a defensive tackle and not athletic enough for a defensive end. Total bust, for a guy selected number four in the '03 draft.

John Abraham: defensive end: Good player. He could get off the ball real fast and get to the quaterback. However, years of injuries and lack of commitment makes Abraham a bust in Jets history.

Damion Robinson: saftey: Was one of Herman Edwards' cronies from Tampa Bay. Robinson was a total bust as a player and is best known for carrying a shotgun inside the trunk of his car to a game. Nice guy.

Herman Edwards: head coach. Oh, wait, he'll be there anyway as he leads the Kansas City Chiefs to a destined 1-15 record. Edwards', only bright spot in New York, was saying, "You play to win the game," but his conservative and clueless approach to coaching made you wonder if he was instead playing not to lose the game.

Cohen's NFL Week 8 Picks

Halloween is now a week away, and so is the half way point of the NFL season. Hard to believe; isn't it. Week eight is here and this is a huge swing week. Win this week, and teams can begin to think about postseason opportunities. Lose and the time will come when a team needs to panic that its season is slipping away.

BUCCANEERS (5-2) @ COWBOYS (4-3): The Cowboys are a mess. Tony Romo announced to the world that he will sit out for the next month because of his broken pinkie, meaning that Brad Johnson will get at least three more starts to stink it up for Dallas. Wade Phillips is now on the hook. He has to turn this ship around or he could be fired. Owner Jerry Jones is very unhappy with the play of this ballclub and he wants to see big returns on his risky multi-million dollar investment.

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers are rolling into this game. A win here and the Buccaneers can really take off the rest of the way. This is a big week for both teams, a huge swing game that will determine the fortunes of both for the rest of the season. BUCCANEERS 34, COWBOYS 24.

BILLS (5-1) @ DOLPHINS (2-4): This should be fun! The Bills have yet to play a divisional game this year, so it should be intriguing to see how they matchup against some real hard-hitting rivals, especially a rival that likes to run a wildcat offense, with Ronnie Brown playing running back and quarterback. The key will be how the Bills handle Brown. If they can shut him down and force Chad Pennington to beat them, then Buffalo should win the game ... if not, it will be a long day.

Offensively, the Bills have to keep Joey Porter off quarterback Trent Edwards. Given time, Edwards can pick apart even the best defenses. PICK: BILLS 20, DOLPHINS 17.

CHARGERS (3-4) vs. SAINTS (3-4): Okay, another editon of the NFL's stupid attempt to brainwash Europe with pro football. Last year, the NFL got rid of its NFL Europe league in order to send its major teams overseas in the middle of the season to play a game that should be played in the continental United States.

This year, the NFL sends the San Diego Chargers all the way across the Big Pond to play this game. If they don't suffer major jet lag, I'm a monkey's uncle. The Saints also winged it to the Motherland to play what would have been a Saints home game. Not exactly good PR to remove a home game from a city that was once ravaged by the worst natural disaster in the history of the U.S.

Anyway, politics and no-clue-isms aside, the Chargers and Saints both need this game. A loss for either, and that team can kiss its season bye-bye. The intrigue of the game will be built around Saints QB Drew Brees matched up against his former team, the Chargers, that basically kicked him out of town in favor of Phillip Rivers after the 2005 season. PICK: SAINTS 31, CHARGERS 28.

CHIEFS (1-5) @ JETS (3-3): Hey Jet fans, Brett Favre will be late to this week's game against Kansas City; he has to call the Tennessee Titans so he can help them game plan for the Packers on November 2. The Jets have returned to the dictionary reference for joke. First, they choked against the Raiders, as they did everything in their power to either not lose or tie the game. I thought in football, you are supposed to play to win the game.

Speaking of playing to win the game, Herman Edwards leads his pee-wee league football team into the Meadowlands. This should be a layup for the Jets. The Chiefs have literally no talent on their team. In fact, Rutgers could beat the Chiefs, that's how bad Kansas City is. If the Jets play it conservatively and close to the vest this week, Eric Mangini and Brian Shottenheimer may not make it out of Giants Stadium alive. PICK JETS 27, CHIEFS 7.

GIANTS (5-1) @ STEELERS (5-1): Ahhh. Now, football fans, some real football. You know, it's football season when it's crisp outside, and the leaves are turning hues of red, orange and yellow. You really know it's football when two smash mouth teams get together for a Sunday evening clash. The Giants travel to Pittsburgh a little blue (no pun intended). Plaxico Burress and Tom Coughlin have been going at it on the sidelines, and it has created the kind of distraction the media can feast upon. Top that off with the fact that New York hasn't played well lately. Eli Manning looked awful against Cleveland and looked mediocre against the 49ers. He is going have a tough time standing upright against that Pittsburgh defense.

The Steelers are the BEST team in the league. They have fought off the toughest schedule and Ben Rothlisberger's lingering injuries to get to this point. A win here, and the Steelers can really establish themselves as the number one seed in the AFC. Sorry, Giant fans, no helmet catches tonight. PICK: STEELERS 20, GIANTS 17.

COLTS (3-3) @ TITANS (6-0): The Colts are in desperate straits right now. They have played their worst football in ten years, and somehow find themselves at 3-3. Peyton Manning has looked inconsistent all season; the Colt running game is not as lethal as it has been in years past and receiver Marvin Harrison has basically disappeared this year. Yet, a win in Tennessee, and the Colts are right back in the playoff race.

The Titans have taken advantage of an easy schedule to boast the league's best defense. However, the Titans offense leaves a lot to be desired. The Titans will have to run the ball if they are to remain unbeaten. Anything else could put a number in the loss column. PICK: There is still some magic in Manning's arm. COLTS 27, TITANS 20.

"Big Game James" Gets Rays Even

RAYS 4

PHILLIES 2

Series Tied 1-1

It's now a brand new series. The Tampa Bay Rays, behind the efforts of their ace, James Sheilds, have evened up the 2008 World Series at a game apiece with a 4-2 victory over Philadelphia. The win was Tampa's first ever World Series game victory.

Even though Shields was solid tonight for Tampa, it was the Ray offense that set the tone early in this one. Phillies pitcher Brett Myers showed some early wildness as he walked Akniora Iwamura to start the bottom of the first. B.J. Upton followed with a single to right. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, Jayson Werth made a fielding error on the relay throw, allowing Iwamura and Upton to advance.

Carlos Pena followed with a RBI groundout to give Tampa a 1-0 lead. Evan Longoria, who has struggled in this series, grounded out into an RBI as well, 2-0 Tampa Bay.

In the second, the Rays got to Myers again. Duaner Navarro singled and Rocco Baldelli walked to get things started. Jason Bartlett followed with a single to load the bases. Clearly, Myers had nothing in this game. Myers is known for his wildness, but this was just unacceptable for the Phillies and it raises a huge concern about his mental makeup if there is a game six. Upton singled to right to drive in Navarro. Baldelli also tried to score, but he was tagged out at home.

Myers found a way to get through seven innings, but his early wildness cost his Phillies any hopes of winning the game.

Shields went five and two-thirds, scattering seven hits with four strikeouts.

Still, things got interesting in the eighth. With Rays de facto closer David Price now pitching, Eric Bruntlett blasted a solo homerun to left to cut the Rays lead to 4-1. In the ninth, Carlos Ruiz led off with a double and was later brought in after Werth reached on a throwing error by third baseman Evan Longoria. It was 4-2 Tampa, but somehow, Price found a way to get Chase Utley to strike out swinging, and Ryan Howard to ground out to end the game.

The series now moves to Philadelphia for games three, four and five. There is the possibility for rain on Saturday, which could push the series back a day, and possibly put Philadelphia in the splendid position of having Cole Hamels return to the mound for game four.

Phillies Win Game One

PHILLIES 3

RAYS 2

PHI leads 1-0

The Philadelphia Phillies are showing their potential in 2008. A team loaded with young talent the likes of Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels, has finally hit its stride. The Phillies held off the stubborn upstart Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in game one of the 2008 World Series to take a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series.

The Phillies did it as they have all year with good hitting, good defense, and great pitching.

Cole Hamels, who was brilliant against the Dodgers in the NLCS, was solid against a tricky Rays lineup. Hamels worked seven strong innings and overcame two runs to get the victory. Hamels is now 4-0 in the postseason. He has pitched 29 innings, surrendered only 18 hits and four runs. In addition, he has walked eight and struck out 27 this fall. Clearly, Hamels is the MVP of October baseball in 2008.

The Phillies got off to a fast start. In the first, with Jayson Werth on first on a walk, Chase Utley blasted a two-run homerun to right to give Philadelphia a 2-0 lead. Former Mets prospect Scott Kazmir was shaky in the big moment yet again for Tampa Bay. Kazmir struggled with his control, walking four batters while throwing 110 pitches in just six innings.

Tampa made it interesting in the fourth when Carl Crawford homered to cut the Phillies lead to 3-1. Later, in the fifth, Akinori Iwamura doubled into the left center gap to drive home Jason Bartlett to cut the deficit to 3-2.

But, the Phillies bullpen shut down the Tampa Bay lineup. Brad Lidge notched his 50th consecutive save with a easy 1 - 2 - 3 ninth to nail down the game. Lidge has yet to blow a save in 2008! Game two is tomorrow night before the two teams jet to Philadelphia for games 3, 4, and 5 over the weekend.

Cohen's NFL Power Rankings

As Halloween nears, some teams received some pretty nasty tricks last week, so much so that they fell big time in the power rankings. On the other hand, others received enough treats to garner high ratings.

1) PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5-1): The only reason Pittsburgh is number one, and not the Tennessee Titans, is that Pittsburgh is 5-1 while playing the toughest schedule in the league this year. The Steelers beat up on the bumbling Bengals and will rudely welcome in the New York Giants in what could be a Super Bowl XLIII preview.

2) TENNESSEE TITANS (6-0): Okay, the Titans are 6-0. Their defense is fantastic amassing third position in the NFL in total defense and first in the NFL in points allowed (66). But the Titans have no offense. I know Chris Johnson and LenDale White ran all over the Chiefs, but that was the Chiefs, so take it for what it is. Kerry Collins is doing just enough not to lose the game. Eventually, he is going to have to win a game, and that might not be good for Tennessee. The Titans schedule gets a lot tougher with games against the Colts, Packers, Jaguars, Bears and Jets on the horizon. We will find out who the Titans really are during this stretch.

3) N.Y. GIANTS (5-1): Are the G-Men self-destructing? Plaxico Burress and coach Tom Coughlin have been going at it for weeks now. The latest episode was Coughlin screaming at Burress after a offensive pass interference call during last week's lackluster win against the 49ers. The Giants haven't been playing well lately, and it won't get any better with a extremely difficult schedule for the rest of the season.

4) BUFFALO BILLS (5-1): The Bills are for real. Buffalo ran over the Chargers at home in a huge victory to stay in first place. Trent Edwards gets better with each game, and the Buffalo defense stopped a once high-powered Charger offense in its tracks. It seems like Ralph Wilson Stadium is becoming a great home field again. The Bills seem unbeatable up there, just like the good-ole-days. Imagine January football in Buffalo N.Y.? And you thought Green Bay was cold.

5)TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-2): The Bucs rolled past a bad Seahawk team, looking poised to be one of the NFC's best teams this year. This could be a huge year for Tampa, considering that the Super Bowl is in their stadium. Extra motivation? May-haps.

6) WASHINGTON REDSKINS (5-2): The Skins bounced back nicely against the Browns in a 14-11 victory. Clinton Portis ran all day long, rushing for 175 yards in the effort. Portis is by far the best back in the NFL this season. Watch out for the Skins with the Cowboys falling apart, the Giants going through some turmoil, and the Eagles struggling to find themselves, Washington could win the NFC East.

7) CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-2): The Panthers like blowouts. Three of their five victories have been by 15 or more points. You can credit this to a fifth ranked defense, second against the pass, with 11 sacks. Julius Peppers is having a comeback year, a contract year no less, with four sacks to lead the team. Offensively, the Panthers can run the ball and throw it on anyone. DeAngleo Williams and Jon Stewart are both averaging four yards a carry. Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad both have close to 500 yards receiving. The Panthers are a contender.

8) ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-2): The Cards are coming off a bye week where they basked in the glory of a big victory over the Cowboys. Now they have to get ready for the Panthers. This could be a tricky week for Arizona. They have gotten off to a great start and are, by far, the best team in the NFC West.

9) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-2): Is it just me or is anyone else suprised that New England is 4-2 without Tom Brady. Everytime I look at Matt Cassell, he is eating dirt with one sack after another after another after another. Yet the Patriots find ways to win. I can't explain how they beat Denver other than the fact that the Broncos turned it over five times. The Patriots lost running back Lawrence Maroney and saftey Rodney Harrison for the season. Eventually, these problems will come back to bite the Patriots. Right?

10) GREEN BAY PAKCERS (4-3): Miss Brett Favre, Green Bay? Don't think so. Aaron Rodgers has been brilliant. He has thrown for 1668 yards, 12 touchdowns and only four interceptions. That is better than Favre's statistics with the Jets. In spite of a putrid start, the Packers might be figuring it out. They beat up two bad teams in consecutive weeks, the Seahawks and the aging Colts. Green Bay gets the week off to heel and will face a tough second half with games against the Bears, Vikings, Titans and Panthers coming up. We will learn a lot about this team by Thanksgiving.

49ers Fire Coach Nolan Amid PR Nightmare

The 49ers sure get points for finding ways to make a simple firing of a bad head coach into a public relations disaster.

Early Monday evening there was a report from ESPN claiming that the 49ers were set to fire head coach Mike Nolan after next week's game against the Seattle Seahawks. Even if San Francisco went out and thumbed the Seahawks 70-0, Nolan's goose would be cooked.

What a joke.

Why would anyone wait a whole week to fire someone, when, in fact, the decision to fire had already been made? The 49ers are stupid and should not have thrown Nolan under the bus like that. If you going to fire someone do it face to face!

Since this information became public, the 49ers had no choice but to officially fire Nolan at around 8:07 pm ET, Monday night. This ended any speculation and torture that the 49ers would put Nolan and the team through.

Mike Singletary, who is a legendary linebacker, who played for the 1985 World Champion Chicago Bears, will become the interim head coach. No word if Singletary will be the full time coach.

This is the third coaching change this season, which is unprecedented. Usually teams let the season play out before firing a coach. The Rams fired Scott Linehan two weeks ago and replaced him with Jim Hasslet. Hasslet is on pace to remove the word "interim" from his name after big victories against the Redskins and Cowboys in consecutive weeks. Meanwhile, Lane Kiffin was fired by the Raiders four weeks ago, because of a conflict of interest between him and owner Al Davis.

Other coaches on the hot seat this Halloween holiday, how fitting at this time of the year: Herman Edwards (Kansas City), Eric Mangini (New York Jets), Wade Phillips (Dallas Cowboys), Mavin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals), Rod Marinielli (Detroit). There could possibly be 10 new head coaches in the NFL going into 2009. Incredible!

Sneeky Favre Tried To Trick Packers

In a story from Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, Jets quaterback Brett Favre has been selling out his former team, the Green Bay Packers, at different occasions this year.

In week two, instead of focusing on the New England Patriots, Favre spent over an hour on the phone with coaches from the Detroit Lions telling them how to game plan and beat up the Packers.

"Other teams the Packers have played had also heard about the Favre coaching clinic with Detroit. In addition, there have been rumors that Favre has spoken to other teams giving them information, but most of those teams insist they have not heard from the famed gunslinger." (Glazer). READ GLAZER's Blog.

The Lions lost to Green Bay 48-25 in week two, while Favre and the Jets played uninspired football in a 19-10 loss to New England.

It is not against league rules for insider's information to be shared; still, it is a sneaky move by Favre who is not known for being one to hold a grudge. Could Favre's grudge be clouding his focus with the Jets? Maybe, maybe not. We will never know.

Raiders Ravage Punchless Jets

RAIDERS 16

JETS 13

OVERTIME

When your opponent commits 14 penalties, you are supposed to win the game. When you tie the game in the final minute, you are supposed to win the game. When you win the coin toss in overtime, more times than not, you are supposed to win the game. And when you go up against a young team with little self-confidence, you are supposed to win the game.

But don't tell that to the Jets. The Jets did everything in their power to either lose or tie Sunday's game in Oakland. Offensively, the Jets, once again, kept the reins on Brett Favre, not allowing the three time MVP to win the game with his mighty arm and heart.

The multi-million dollar offensive line was putrid, allowing the Raiders to jump up and down on Favre's body like a pack of wolves on a wounded moose.

The Jet receivers dropped every key pass that they could have used to help their team win. Chansi Stuckey stayed in bounds in the final 30 seconds and tried to be the hero. If it weren't for Favre rushing to the line to spike the ball, the game would have been over in regulation. Chris Baker was wide open with at least 30 yards ahead of him if he made the catch. Instead, he decided to tackle himself, as he collapsed to the ground as Favre's ball came within reach of him.

No wonder Favre spent most of his time in the final two quarters (4th quarter and OT) grabing his head as if he needed a aspirin.

The Jets were simply uncompetitive in this game. They allowed the Raiders to run all over them. Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas ate up the Jets defensive line on the ground, and Jamarcus Russell picked apart the Jets, at times looking really comfortable.

The only reason the Jets didn't lose this game 13-10, was because Raider coach Tom Cable decided to call a timeout just as Jets kicker Jay Feeley missed a 52 yard field goal. Thus, Feeley got one more shot and barely made it. In overtime, the Jets didn't play for the win, they played for tie. As a result, Sebastion Janikowski won the game with a 57 yard field goal to give Oakland an uplifting and needed victory.

The Jets didn't deserve to win this game. They didn't want to be there; they didn't want to win; they didn't care. Click to watch a video; it's a metaphor for the game!

Fright Fest '08: Giants Survive vs. Niners

GIANTS 29

49ERS 17

The Giants are lucky that they were playing the San Francisco 49ers today. In fact, they were lucky they were not playing the 49ers teams of the 1980's and 1990's. The Giants put forth a lackluster effort against the lousy 49ers and almost blew the game late in the second half.

Eli Manning was underwhelming. Most of his passes were either tipped at the line of scrimmage, or he made some bad reads. Overall, Manning was 16 for 31, 161 yards and a touchdown. Not exactly the kind of game he needed after last Monday's meltdown.

Still, the Giants found a way to rely on Brandon Jacobs power and speed. Late in the first quarter, Jacobs got some room down the sideline as he tiptoed his way into the endzone for a touchdown. Jacobs would score again in the second, this one from two yards out to give New York a 14-3 lead.

But the 49ers would not go away. J.T. O'Sullivan hit a wide open Josh Morgan from 30 yards out to cut the lead to four, 14-10.

The Giants built back their lead to 24-10 and had a chance to put the game away with a late field goal, but the attempt was blocked by Manny Lawson. Lawson jumped over the Giants offensive line and ran right into the ball. Nate Clements scooped it up and ran 74 yards for the score to make it 24-17 Giants.

Yet the Giants defense would not relent. They harrassed O'Sullivan all day, sacking him six times. Late in the game, O'Sullivan was sacked in the back of his own endzone for a saftey to all but end the game.

Bills Roll Past Chargers

BILLS 23

CHARGERS 14

Speaking of ascendency, the Buffalo Bills continue their ascent as one of the league's best teams. The Bills are now 5-1 after a convincing victory over the San Diego Chargers Sunday. It is the best start Buffalo has had since the 1995 season.

Yet, this game will be most remembered for the hour long power outage early in the first quarter that suspended the game for a good 25 minutes and blacked out CBS's coverage of the game for a whole hour. By the time CBS came back to the game, there was 7:20 in the second quarter, and Buffalo had built a 10-7 lead.

With Buffalo up 13-7 in the third, San Diego put together a 12 play 6:17 drive for a go-ahead touchdown. Phillip Rivers was solid on the drive, completing six of seven passes, capping it off with a 12 yard touchdown to Vincent Jackson.

The Bills would not be denied. Marshawn Lynch and Trent Edwards marched the Bills right down the field to put Buffalo back in front. Key plays incldued a 12 yard scamper on third and seven by Edwards to keep the drive alive. Edwards later found Rosco Parrish for 22 yards to set up Buffalo at the San Diego 14. Lynch took it in from nine yards out for the score 20-14.

The game really came to an end when Rivers threw a rather unauthorized pass into coverage in the endzone, only to have it picked off by Kiwaika Mitchell late in the third quarter.

Ditka Had A Shot At Obama?

In an interesting blog post from Matt J. Darnell on Yahoo Sports.com, former Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints head coach Mike Ditka could have beaten soon-to-be-President Barack Obama in the Illinois senate election in 2004.

As improbable and ridiculous as it sounds, Darnell claims that the previous Republican candidate bailed out after he was caught in a scandal.

"The vacancy left GOP leaders in the state scrambling to find a replacement. With fears that the election was all but lost, Republicans wanted a major name to turn the tide. Ditka was that name." (Darnell).

Read this interesting Post from Yahoo right now.

Anyway, speculation of past events aside, Obama won that election in 2004 against Alan Keyes, and, if the polls are accurate, is well on his way to becoming the 44th President of the United States.

Joba The Jerk

Is it just me or do the Yankees enjoy making news in the middle of every Red Sox World Championship run?

Last year, Alex Rodriguez made news when he initally opted out of his contract with the Yankees, creating a huge firestorm during game 4 of last year's World Series between Boston and Colorado.

This year, Joba Chamberlin decided to make some news, and none of it is any good. Chamberlin was pulled over and arrested for driving under the influence in Nebraska late Saturday night. The report said that Chamberlin was speeding and had a container of alcohol next to him.

It was not reported what Chamberlin's blood alcohol level was, but if the drunk fits, you must not indict. Chamberlin is an fool, and he is lucky he didn't kill anyone.

This incident should put the Yankees on notice that Joba might need some help, especially if they are investing so much in him for 2009 and beyond.

Cohen's Week 7 Picks

Halloween is just around the corner, and some teams are hoping for some treats, while others are hoping to deliever some tricks and destroy someone else's season.

CHARGERS (3-3) @ BILLS (4-1): When you look up the definition of weird, you will see a reference to the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers are hard to figure. One week they look dreadful (a 17-10 loss to Miami); the next week, they look like world beaters (a 30-10 romp over the Patriots). So who are the Chargers? This week they play their final game against the AFC East, and, once again, will have to travel across the country for the game. That's not good news for San Diego; in recent years, the Chargers have really struggled on the East coast, most recently falling to the Dolphins two weeks ago.

The Bills are coming off a bye week, licking their wounds from a drubbing against the Cardinals. The Bills have a fast and enegetic offense led by Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch. Also Rosco Perrish is one of the league's best return men, and could break out at any time. Key note: Buffalo defenseive end Aaron Schobel could miss the game due to a foot injury. Just a hunch, I don't like San Diego's chances on the road, even if Schobel doesn't play. PICK BILLS 27, CHARGERS 24.

VIKINGS (3-3) @ BEARS (3-3): Talk about weird: the Vikings fit the bill. Minnesota continues to struggle offensively. Even though Gus Ferrote is better than Travaris Jackson, he is definatley not the long term answer for the Vikings, especially with a 55 percent completion percentage. This adds pressure to running back Adrian Peterson, who, despite rushing for 563 yards this season, has not been as spectacular as he was last year. This year Peterson has already fumbled three times, losing all three.

The Bears are getting better and might be the best team in the NFC North division. There is not much to say about how good quaterback Kyle Orton and running back Matt Forte have been. They have given Chicago the offense they never had. In fact, this offensive group is better than the Chicago team that miraculously made it to Super Bowl XLI. Defensivley, the Bears are the Bears. They surrender only 74 yards a game on the ground, but are vulnerable through the air. PICK: BEARS 20, VIKINGS 17.

49ERS (2-4) @ GIANTS (4-1): The Giants got a much needed wake up call last week against the Browns. That mouthful of humble pie should go a long way to making this game as lopsided as possible. Last year, when the G-Men and Niners met at the Meadowlands, the Giants rolled over Trent Dilfer and Co. in a blowout win. This should be a replay, only this time J.T. O'Sullivan is the QB and not Dilfer. PICK: GIANTS 37, 49ers 7.

COLTS (3-2) @ PACKERS (3-3): The Colts and Packers are both desperate football teams. Neither played well early in the season and are trying their best to make up ground. Luckliy for Green Bay, they play in a division where almost everyone is 3-3. The Colts are not so fortunate, having to play catchup with the surging Titans and play keep away from the stubborn Jaguars.

That being said, the Packers continue to trot out an injured Aaron Rodgers to prove that he can be Brett Favre, but eventually that will blow up in their faces. To risk the health of a young player just to keep the fans quiet is as dumb a move as one can imagine.

Still the Colts are no better. They are still trying to recover from all of their lingering injuries. Last week against Baltimore, the Colts actually looked healthy, as they put up 31 points in the win. But I am not convinced that the Colts are all the way back this year. PICK: PACKERS 34, COLTS 27.

JETS (3-2)@ RAIDERS (1-4): Is this a trap game for New York? Not exactly, when you consider Kansas City is on the horizon after this one. Still, this is a scary game. The Raiders have a new coach and faced adversity all season, like Cincinnati a week ago; the Raiders are desperate for a win, especially at home. Plus, the Raider running game is not that bad. Darren McFadden, the player that many thought would have been drafted by the Jets, is having an okay rookie campaign, rushing for 302 yards. McFadden and rookie Michael Bush have rushed for a combined 504 yards, which is good enough to make Oakland the league's fourth best rushing offense.

That being said, Jamarcus Russell has really struggled at quarterback, completing exactly fifty percent of his passes this season and throwing for only 827 yards on the year. Therefore,the real test for the Jets defense is the running defense. The Jets are one of the league's best against the run, surrendering only 69 yards per game on the ground. If they can stop McFadden and put pressure on Russell than the Jets should win this game. I have feeling that this one will be close and could come down to the final minute. PICK: JETS 24, RAIDERS 21.

SEAHAWKS (1-4) @ BUCCANEERS (4-2): The Buccaneers are for real. In fact, they might be the second or third best team in the NFC. The Bucs have the league's 11th ranked offense, averageing 344 yards per game, and the league's 13th ranked defense. That spells success. Jeff Garcia and Brian Griese have done a capable job leading the offense. They haven't lost games for Tampa and that is key. Ernest Grahmn and Warrick Dunn have been the best one-two punch in the league at running back, and six different receivers have over 110 yards receiving this year.

The Seahawks are in big trouble. They can't stay healthy and are showing their age. Matt Hasselbeck will miss his second straight with a knee injury. Seneca Wallace, who is a better receiver than a quaterback, will get the start. This will be a long night for Seattle. A looooooonnnngggg night. PICK: BUCCANEERS 34, SEAHAWKS 16.

PHILLIES MOVE ON TO WORLD SERIES

PHILLIES 5

DODGERS 1

Take that, New York Mets!

The Phillies are moving on to the World Series for the first time since 1993 after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in game five of the NLCS. The Phillies won four of the five games.

Cole Hamels was named the series MVP, after he posted a sparking 2-0 record against LA, with a 1.93 ERA. Hamels was brilliant tonight, going seven strong innings, surrendering only five hits and a run. The run was a solo shot by Manny Ramirez in the sixth.

Hamels baffled the Dodgers lineup; the Bums left 12 men on base on the night.

The Phighten Phils got it going early. Real early. Jimmy Rollins led the game off with a solo homerun to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead. In the third, the Phillies padded their lead. Ryan Howard laced a single to right, allowing Rollins to score the second run of the night. Pat Burrell, who seems to be in the middle of every key rally for Philadelphia, singled to left to drive in Chase Utley.

The Phillies got two more in the fifth, thanks to errors by Dodgers shortstop Rafeal Furcal, who threw the ball right past catcher Russell Martin, and bounced a throw to firstbaseman James Loney.

The Phillies cruised the rest of the night. There was never a doubt that Philadelphia would get the job done and move on to the big show. The Phillies will await the winner of the Tampa Bay/Boston series. The Tampa Bay Rays hold a 3-1 lead on Boston and are one win away from their first ever trip to the Fall Classic.

Cohen's NFL Rankings

Perhaps being seeded number one on my top ten is equivalent to the kiss of death. I had Pittsburgh ranked number one after the first two weeks, and they proceeded to get destroyed by the Eagles. I had Tennessee ranked number one, and they barely got past Baltimore. I even had Dallas ranked number one, and they have not been the same since. Last week, the Giants were ranked number one, and, as a result, they got destroyed by the Browns. So whichever team is ranked number one from here on out, be forewarned: Go with the opposite.

1) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1): This is the third time this season they are ranked numero uno, and why not? The Steelers have fought off injuries and a tough schedule to get to 4-1, and are clearly the toughest team in the AFC. This week they get a gift in the Cincinnati Bengals, but, as most fans know, the Bengals are a tough out.

2) Tennessee Titans (5-0): The last undefeated team in football. Will they go 16-0? Humm? No! The Titans are a nice story, but with erratic Kerry Collins leading the way for a shaky offense, it is a matter of time before the Titans hit a major losing streak.

3) N.Y. Giants (4-1): Well at least they got that one out of their system! What a disaster on Monday night against Cleveland. The Browns gave it to the Giants, and that should constitute a wake up call for Big Blue that it is, indeed, a long season before Super Bowl XLIII. This loss is a chance for the Giants to refocus and get back on track.

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2): Watch out for Tampa Bay. No, not the Rays, who are going to their first World Series. The Buccaneers are the best team in the South after dismantling the Panthers 27-3 last week. It appears it just doesn't matter who the QB is in Tampa, whether it is Brian Griese or Jeff Garcia ... they can get the job done. Earnest Grahmn and Warrick Dunn have been the quietest one-two punch in the league rushing for 790 combined yards this year. Moreover, the Bucs are 2-1 in the division with blowout wins agaisnt Atlanta and Carolina.

5) Buffalo Bills (4-1): The young and fiesty Bills will finally get tested as to how good they really are. The Bills play San Diego at home this week, and a win against the confusing Chargers will go a long way to paving a road to the postseason for Buffalo.

6) Arizona Cardinals (4-2): The Cards are a good team; in fact, they will likely win the NFC West, because Seattle, St. Louis and San Francisco can't get out of their own ways. Kurt Warner has been great this year, passing for a 102 QB rating, 12 touchdowns and only five picks. The Cardinals are also a tough team, beating up the Cowboys in all phases of the game last week.

7)Washington Redskins (4-2): Talk about a wake up call. The Redskins got one last week losing to the lowly Rams in the final seconds, 19-17. Still you have to be impressed by the Skins start this year; no would have predicted it. They should rebound this week against the Browns.

8) Denver Broncos (4-2): Is it just me or do these guys not remind me of the 2000 and 2001 Rams? Those Ram teams could score at any time, anywhere on the field. But their defense was always terrible, allowing opponents to run all over them. Well, that's the 2008 Broncos, who continue to baffle everyone. One week they look dominant; the next, they lose to the likes of Kansas City. Who are the Broncos this year? An 8-8 or 9-7 team?

9) Atlanta Falcons (4-2): Let's give a hand to the Falcons. No one on the face of the earth thought that Atlanta with a rookie quarterback and a franchise in total rebuilding mode would look this good. They have had gut-check victories in Green Bay and at home against Chicago in consecutive weeks. Matt Ryan has been solid as the new quarterback and Michael Turner has been the best running back in the league with 597 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Will the good fortune continue?

10) Carolina Panthers (4-2): Even though they got blasted by Tampa Bay, the Panthers are a solid team. They have good players and should rebound from the loss and push for that NFC South title all year long.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (A.K.A The Next Five)

11) Dallas Cowboys (4-2): These guys are falling, and falling, fast. First, they lost Terrence Newman for the year with hernia surgery; then they lost their punter, Matt McBriar, for the year, Adam Jones due to assault charges, and now Tony Romo for four weeks because of a broken pinkie. Oh, and by the way, Terrell Owens is unhappy. What a shock.

12) N.Y. Jets (3-2): The Jets are on their way up. New York should have pounded the Bengals but decided to play it safe against a desperate football team and it worked out. Hey, they all count in the end. Brett Favre has given this club life on the offensive side of the ball, but the key for them is the run. If the Jets can start to move the ball on the ground, they will be almost unstoppable.

By the way, their defense is relentless. Calvin Pace, Bryan Thomas and Shaun Ellis all have three or four sacks each this season! Keep an eye on this trio for a pro-bowl appearences.

13) Chicago Bears (3-3): Kyle Orton is the answer for the Bears. The once bumbling offense that was led by the bumbling Rex Grossman, now knows how to score points. Matt Forte, the rookie running back, has been a breath of fresh air in Chi-Town after the busts of Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson.

14) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3): Who are these Jaguars, really? First, they beat the Colts in the waning seconds in week 3 to save their season; then they go out and get embarrassed by Pittsburgh at home. Finally, the Jaguars find a way to stop a highly talented Broncos team in Denver no less. Will the real Jags please step up!

15) Minnesota Vikings (3-3): This has been a weird year for Minnesota. Adrian Peterson is having a down year, yet the Vikings are finding ways to win. Whether it is taking advantage of turnovers from the Saints in week 5 or taking advantage of the buffoonery by the Lions, the Vikings are .500. If Minnesota is truly deserving of winning the NFC North, they have to start winning games on their own and not rely on other people's mistakes.

John Madden To Skip Calling A Football Game

Legendary broadcaster and Hall of Fame coach, John Madden will miss out on calling NBC's telecast of Sunday Night Football next Sunday, due to the long trek from California to Florida. The Sunday game will be in Tampa Bay, where the Buccaneers play host to the Seattle Seahawks.

Madden went from Jacksonville, after covering the Jaguar/Steeler game on October 5, all the way to San Diego to cover Sunday's Charger/Patriot game.

As most football fans know, Madden travels around the country in his gigantic luxury bus, since he fears flying.

Madden, who is 72 years old, will end his iron-man streak of 476 consecutive games by skipping out this weekend. Chris Collinsworth will fill in for Madden this Sunday.

Browns End Giants 11 Game Road Winning Streak

BROWNS 35

GIANTS 14

New Yorkers should think before purchasing any Super Bowl tickets this year. The Giants not only got beaten by the Cleveland Browns, they got completely exposed by a Browns offense that committed about eight illegal procedure and false start penalties.

Hard to do, but the Giants allowed Cleveland to regroup after all of their penalties to chew up huge amounts of yards and clock as the Browns romped 35-14.

The Browns were able to take advantage not only of a porous Giants defense, they bullied and harrassed quaterback Eli Manning. The Super Bowl MVP threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a 94 yard touchdown by saftey Eric Wright.

Derek Anderson showed glimpses that he can return to his 2007 form, throwing for 310 yards and two touchdowns. In the second quarter, Anderson threaded the needle to Darnell Dinkins for a 22 yard TD to give Cleveland a 17-7 lead.

In the fourth, Anderson found Braylon Edwards from 11 yards out, to complete a incredible 20 play,8:16, 87 yard drive. On that drive Cleveland committed five offensive penalites, but Anderson found ways to make up the lost yardage hitting Edwards, Steve Heiden and James Wright on a consistent basis.

The Giants are in big trouble. Their secondary was exposed as unable to stop a big passing game. There were hints of it when the Bengals almost beat New York in week 3, and it was even clearer Monday night. The Giants will be playing big play offenses for the rest of the season, so they are going to have to shore up their pass defense if they are going to get back to playing at a high level.

The loss also hurts the Giants from the standpoint that they cannot separate themselves from the rest of the teams in the NFC. Now they are one of many contending teams in the conference, not the best team as many thought earlier in the week.

Rangers 5-0 for first time in 25 years

The New York Rangers beat their cross-river rivals, the New Jersey Devils, in convincing fashion, 4-1 on Monday night. The win puts New York at 5-0, which is the first in 25 years. READ ARTICLE.

Aaron Voros scored two power-play goals in the effort.

The win is bittersweet for the Rangers, after word came that 19 year-old Alexei Cherepanov died of a sudden heart attack while playing in a minor league hockey game.

Romo Out 4 Weeks With Hand Injury

Well you can begin to kiss any Super Bowl hopes away Cowboy belivers. The leader of the clowns, Tony Romo ,is out for four weeks after he suffered a broken pinkie fingure in yesturday's disastrous 30-24 loss to Arizona.

Romo was beaten up by the Cardinals defense; he fumbled five different times and was sacked three times in the game.

This means that Brad Johnson will get a chance to start. You have to feel good for Johnson who has been a back-up to the pompus Romo for two years running. Johnson is a good quarterback; he won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2002 and was a starter for the Vikings, Bucs and Redskins during his 17 year career.

I can only imagine how pumped Johnson must be to get a second chance to start again.

Don't feel sorry for Romo; this fellow is long overdue for some bad luck. He gets away scott free from the media because he is nice to them and dates Jessica Simpson. In truth, Romo hasn't won a thing in the NFL and is NOT an elite QB in the league.

The question remains: what is Terrell Owens' reaction this Cowboy tragedy? Remember a few weeks ago, T.O. criticized Romo for not throwing to him more often, even though Owens had 20 balls thrown his way in a loss to the Redskins. Well, in this video let's venture a guess shall we...WATCH T.O.'s POSSIBLE REACTION!!! Hope you all enjoyed that one!!

Cowboys Fall Hard vs. Cardinals

CARDINALS 30

COWBOYS 24

Can we stop pronouncing the Dallas Cowboys as "THE" best team in the NFL? Please?

Once again, the Cowboys showed the world why they are the most overhyped, overrated team in the league, dropping a crucial game to the Arizona Cardinals in overtime by a score of 30-24.

The Cowboys lost complete control of this game in the third quarter as the Cards went on a 17 point run to take a 24-14 before anyone knew what had happened. First, in the third quarter, Kurt Warner hit Larry Fitzgerald in the back of the endzone for the tying score with 3:21 to go in the quarter.

After Dallas failed to do anything on their next drive, the Cardinals took it right to Dallas with another touchdown. Sean Breatson was Warner's favorite receiver on the drive, making three catches 37 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was an 11 yard pass down the middle to make it 21-14 Arizona.

Still, the Cowboys would not go away. Tony Romo hit Marion Barber in the flat, and Barber took the ball down the sideline for a 70 yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 24-21.

Then, in what could have been the biggest blunder of the year, Arizona coach Ken Wisenhunt decided to call a timeout as a potential game-tying field goal by Dallas was blocked by the Cards. If Wisenhunt had not called a timeout, the Cardinals would have held on at 24-21; instead, Dallas got one more chance. This time Nick Folk was able to nail the kick from 52 yards out to tie the game.

In Overtime, the Cowboys got the ball first and could do nothing with it. Romo was 0-2 on the drive and was even sacked by Chris Okeafor for a seven yard loss. Matt McBriar came out to punt the ball to Arizona, but the punt was blocked by Matt Biesel, who rolled over the ball and crawled into the endzone for the winning score.

The Cardinals have sole possesion of the putrid AFC West with a 4-2 record. They are the only team over .500 in that divison. The Cowboys fall to 4-2 and a game behind the unbeaten New York Giants.

Blowouts & Upsets Highlight Week 6

It was a really wild and wooly week 6 in the NFL this weekend. First, let's begin in Atlanta where the Falcons are starting to show the world that they might indeed be for real.

The Falcons found a way to stave off a Chicago Bears comeback to win the game 22-20. Jason Elam, the former Denver Broncos kicker was the star of the show, converting on five field goals, including the game winner from 48 yards out.

Matt Ryan continues to impress in his rookie year. Ryan went 22 for 30 for 301 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons are now 4-2 on the season!?!?!?!?!? Yes, the Falcons are 4-2 on the season.

Meanwhile in Houston, the Chad Pennington/Ronnie Brown show came to a crashing halt as the Texans pulled one off in the final minutes. The game was a seesaw affair with six different lead changes.

First Houston's Jacoby Jones returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown to cut the Dolphin lead to 14-13. Later, Matt Shaub connected with Andre Johnson from 12 yards out for the go ahead touchdown. 20-14 Texans.

Miami's Ricky Williams ran it in from five yards out to make it 21-20 Miami, but that was not enough. Houston would get a field goal to take a 23-21 lead with 6:04 to go. As a result, the Dolphins made one last drive in the wanning minutes, and Ronnie Brown was able to socre from six yards out with 1:45 to to give Miami a 28-23 lead.

Now the Texans had to respond. Shaub drove the Texans all the way to field goal range, with a 23 yard completion to Kenny Walter and a 30 yard completion to Johnson to put the ball at the Miami 11. Shaub proceeded to take it in himself with a 3 yard touchdown to give Houston a 29-28 victory.

In other scores, Tampa Bay blew out Carolina 27-3; Indianapolis got back on track with a 31-3 victory over Baltimore. Peyton Manning had three touchdown passes in the win. St. Louis got their first victory over the year, holding off the Redskins 19-17.

Jets Play It Safe Against Fiesty Bengals

JETS 26

BENGALS 14

It was not the offensive output that the Jets displayed two weeks ago against the Arizona Cardinals, but it was enough. The Jets did just enough to hold off the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, beating the winless team 26-14.

Things did not get off to a great start for Gang Green (or, should I say, The Blue's Brothers, because the Jets were once again decked out in navy jerseys and helmets for the second straight game). On the first play of the game, Brett Favre was sacked and sripped of the football by Chinedum Ndukwe, who picked up the loose ball and walked in from 15 yards out for the touchdown.

The Jets quickly answered. Favre drove the Jets down the field on a 13 play drive that took almost six minutes. When the Jets got to the Cincy 10 yard line, it got a little crazyy. First Favre threw a touchdown pass to Dustin Keller, but the play was flagged because Favre stepped over the line of scrimmage and then threw the ball, a five yard infraction. Next, Farve hit a wide open Jerricho Cothery on a cross pattern for the TD, but that was called back for offensive pass interference. Finally, Favre connected with Thomas Jones for a two yard touchdown. Three's a charm!

Defensively, the Jets dominated the Bengals. They shut down the Bengal running game and proceeded to torment backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The overall total was five sacks and a two fumbles.

The Bengals went almost an entire half without getting a first down. The Bengals only substantial drive of the day came at the end of the second quarter when Fitzpatrick hit Chad Johnson and T.J. Housmanzadah on slant patterns towards the sideline to get the Bengals within range for a possible score. Fitzpatrick took it in from one yard out to get the Bengals to within 17-14.

The Jets offense went into a shell for most of the game. They played it really close to the vest with a conservative gameplan. The Jets held a slim 20-14 lead, until they finally put together a solid drive at the end of the fourth quarter. The Jets executed a nice 10 play drive that ate up 6:18, as Thomas Jones scored his third touchdown of the day to seal the deal for New York.

The Jets travel to Oakland to play the hapless Raiders next weekend.