by BRYAN LAIL   
Intern Sports Reporter  

That point has finally been reached, football season just started, now it feels like it’s almost over. Well, there is one good thing about the NFL’s mid-point – it usually falls right around the time that NASCAR’s annoyingly long season is finally winding to a close. What a wonderful sport when the most uninteresting man involved in it can take the championship for four straight years. I think NASCAR may be taking this consistency thing a bit too far. Left turn, left turn, left turn, Jimmie Johnson wins another cup! On to next season! Left turn, left turn, left turn…..

Oh, yeah, back to football. 

Overall record to this point, 76-37

Last Week: 8-5

This week’s fantasy steal: Ryan Moats, RB, Houston Texans

Steve Slaton had endeared himself so starkly to the Texans coaching staff that it seemed his fumbling troubles could continue without end before he was finally pulled. Yet, he was pulled, and Moats took over, rushing for three touchdowns in the process. Who knows how long it will last, but if you need a new option at running back, Moats is the best, albeit temporarily, pick-up in deeper leagues this week. 

On to the picks. 

(H)Cincinnati > Baltimore

Flops- Baltimore has a way of letting themselves down this season, and after knocking the Broncos from the ranks of the unbeaten last week, they could certainly be in for another disappointment.

Arizona > (H)Chicago

Props- Talent has a way of showing itself when most needed. Just ask the Panthers, it was there all along. Arizona has a league’s worth of talent stockpiled on their roster, and despite an embarrassing performance against Carolina last week, Arizona has everything it needs to make another playoff run.

(H)Atlanta > Washington

Flops- Another Sunday, another loss for the Redskins.

Green Bay > (H)Tampa Bay

Flops- Yep, Detroit was only the second team to ever go winless in a season. The first? Why that was Tampa Bay.

(H)New England > Miami

Props- Bill Belichick took his knocks when the Dolphins first unleashed their new wild-cat offense to the world last season. ‘Fooled me once, shame on you’ was as far as the Dolphins got with that old saying.

(H)Jacksonville > Kansas City

Flops- Seriously, your ‘star’ running back is averaging less than three yards per carry through seven weeks and it takes a racial slur hurled from his big mouth to finally unseat the guy? Larry Johnson earned a two-week suspension for his comments, and now that he’s whined again he actually gets paid for one of those weeks. Lose him, Chiefs fans deserve a win, but not one that Johnson is any part of.

(H)Indianapolis > Houston

Flops- Houston just lost Owen Daniels. This may look like a team that has a dozen legitimate weapons on offense, but they don’t, really. Daniels led all tight-ends in catches to this point of the season, he is a gargantuan loss with a slightly banged up Andre Johnson and a running back with fumble-itis as other issues. Perhaps those dreams of unseating the Colts will have to wait till next year, again.

Carolina > (H)New Orleans

Props- Sure, any defense can look great when the other half of the team is putting up 50 in support. But, what I saw Monday night against Atlanta was a vulnerable Saints defense, vulnerable to the run.

(H)Seattle > Detroit

Flops- Who cares. Seattle obviously doesn’t, and it is becoming clear that Detroit may be content with that one win.

Tennessee > (H)San Francisco

Props- OK, last week I buried both Carolina and Tennessee, and they both went on to big wins. These two teams are tied at the hip in terms of talent, the problem now is that the Titans opened with six straight losses, so yeah, in terms of playoffs, they’re still buried. The problem for teams like the 49ers, who desperately need this win, is that the Titans are dangerous, they know how good they were last year, and now they see a fresh revival of that in a big win over Jacksonville. That spells trouble for anyone in their path the rest of the way.

(H)New York Giants > San Diego

Flops- Phillip Rivers may have cause to be fired up for this game, after all, the two quarterbacks involved here were swapped on their draft day and Eli Manning has since gone on to get win a Super Bowl. Yet, it’s the team as a whole that usually rules the day, right now, the Giants are the better team.

Dallas > (H)Philadelphia

Flops- The Eagles have been riding the big-play wave for weeks now behind the speedy DeSean Jackson, as soon as a team gets wise and covers him up while bottling in McNabb, the Eagles will be in trouble. Dallas can do both.

Pittsburgh > (H)Denver

Flops- Whether it be Brandon Marshall at receiver, Eddie Royal on returns, or a rejuvenated defense, Denver has been capable of big plays that have put them ahead. They won’t have those opportunities against the sound Steelers.

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