The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

STILL five games behind, which in a picks column is a lot of ground to cover, but we’ll get there. Could be worse...I could be Greg Gomez.

Week 5

Arizona Cardinals at

St Louis Rams

Last week may have been the first time in NFL history that a 4-0 team lost ground in public perception with a win. I’m still completely on board with the Sam Bradford “I’m Still Around” campaign and there’s no better way to do that than to beat an undefeated team in primetime.

RAMS over Cards

Miami Dolphins at

Cincinnati Bengals

And after two weeks of almost beating mediocre teams, here comes Andy Dalton and AJ Green. The Dolphins may be this year’s best of the bad teams, but there’s no trophy for that (although their should be, you should also be awarded the general manager of the SuperBowl winners, but that’s a story for another column). Off topic, the Dolphins cut Legadu Naanee this week and you can’t convince me that it wasn’t a direct result of that God awful fumble last week in Arizona. Good call.

BENGALS over Dolphins

Green Bay Packers at

Indianapolis Colts

This is the week to officially exorcise the demons Packers. Aaron Rodgers, you throw for 500 yards and five touchdowns, rush for 50 yards and another touchdown. This needs to be a coming out party for the 2011 offense in 2012. If they want us to believe again this is the week they do it and if they can’t, we’re pretty much assured that the top four teams in the NFC are the Falcons, 49ers, Giants and Eagles. I tried to trade for Rogers two weeks in a row because I viewed him and the entire Packers team as underachieving stock but they may just be regular. Not ready to believe that yet. It’s like the girl in high school that was pretty when we graduated, but now she’s just living off reputation. If the Packers don’t explode this week that will be like looking that girl up and down and thinking, “wait a second, she’s not hot anymore she’s regular (“basic” for black people). I hope the Packers aren’t basic, it was more fun when they were a juggernaut.

PACKERS over Colts

Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs

Cassel is on the block as the first quarterback to lose his starting job this year, but that’s only because Mark Sanchez doesn’t play until Monday night.

RAVENS over Chiefs

Cleveland Browns at

New York Giants

I’m not going to take the Giants seriously until week 13. Don’t let them lull you into thinking they’re not the favourites to win this all. We’ve seen this before. Basically, Eli is Hulk Hogan in the point of the match where he’s in a sleeper hold. The next three weeks will be the ref raising his hand for the submission, by week 10 he’s up throwing haymakers and in week 17, running leg drop for the win.

GIANTS over Browns

Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers

We’ve always wanted these teams to meet in the SuperBowl. It would infuriate New Yorkers (known to them as the center of the universe) and to borrow a strategy from Sannie, aesthetically it’s a great SuperBowl. The most important thing in the big game, other than a close finish is the colour combination. We’ve been robbed of this Eagles team reaching the pinnacle ever since Andy Reid set out to write his book on “How to Mismanage Late Game Situations In the Modern NFL.” I’m picking the Eagles for no earthly reason other than this - they’ve won three games by a point. I don’t know how they’re going to pull this out, I just know they will.

EAGLES over Steelers

Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins

This could be Hip Hop’s most important game of the year. I’m going to take a look at the schedule and maybe, a strong maybe, but maybe if the Giants were involved that could beat this out. I’m sure media-takeout is going to live tweet this game. On the football side the Falcons are rolling, but Cam put a scare into them last week that Matty Ice pulled it out late. The Falcons face a faster, more charismatic Cam this week, and this one wears a glove and sleeve on his left arm, won’t be easy. While the Redskins are surprising, they don’t beat the Falcons this week. In fact, I think the Falcons go undefeated until they face the Giants on December 16, because other than that, the NFC has a fake good Packers team and an Eagles team that’s accumulating wins but not impressing anyone.

FALCONS over Skins

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers

Great young quarterback known for the numbers he puts up on the field vs. young quarterback whose greatest strength is intangibles off the field. They don’t measure intangibles on the stat sheet. Cam and his commercials win.

PANTHERS over Seahawks

Chicago Bears at Jacksonville Jaguars

Every time Brandon Marshall catches a touchdown, I hope someone turns to Jeff Ireland and says “You think he couldn’t help Tannehill out? Not even a little bit? Really?.”

BEARS over Jags

Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings

The greatest backfield matchup of Madden 11. Everyone is writing about how great the Vikings are, how they’re the team on the rise, how they may be sneaky good, this year’s version of the Lions. The worst thing to do is for a young team to believe that. It’s why all the girls here that are actually 6s act like 10s, too many people have told them how good they are, and at some point the bottom falls out.

VIKINGS over Titans

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots

The greatest quarterback battle of our generation. Brady leads series 8-4, but Peyton has won four of the last six. This game reminds me of leaving for college and and you come back home on break and everything is the same. It makes you feel comfortable and warm inside like Zach Braff felt in Garden State. But just like Garden State taught us, you realise that things have changed and your home may not be your home. Well that’s the Pats/Broncos. We’re home again with Manning vs Brady, except this time Brady has a superior complimentary cast and Manning is wearing a Broncos uniform. Everytime I see that I think “where did my childhood/young adulthood go?” I hope Peyton’s arm isn’t a noodle and we get a good old fashioned “Im the best quarterback of this era” game.

PATS over Broncos

Buffalo Bills at San Francisco 49ers

An ailing backfield with both Spiller and Jackson hurt, losing two starting offensive lineman and giving up 52 to the Patriots at home probably could be the worst series of events to happen to the Bills. Just when you’re thinking it can’t get worse, they head to San Francisco to face a 49ers defense that scared Santonio Holmes into an injury without even touching him.

NINERS over Bills

San Diego Chargers at. New Orleans Saints

Brees vs. the “younger, better, quarterback that ran him out of town.” If that isn’t motivation for the Saints to get their first win of the season then I don’t know what is. It seems unreal that an elite quarterback could possibly be 0-5, but here we are.

SAINTS over Chargers

Houston Texans at New York Jets

What’s happening to the Jets makes me smile inside. Objectivity be damned. The most interesting thing about this game is waiting on the “Tebow” chants, almost certainly followed by a three and out or a turnover.

TEXANS over Jets

Sannie’s Picks

CARDS over Rams

“Larry Fitzgerald has a huge, mesmerising smile. I love that. If they win I get to see him smile more.”

GIANTS over Browns

“Tried to stick with the Browns but they are making a mockery of the name. Can we do something about forcing them to change that?”

FALCONS over Redskins

“I just love Atlanta. The city, the fashion…and of course Love and Hip Hop Atlanta.”

STEELERS over Eagles

“Didn’t like the quarterbacks but this was still a tough choice because both wide receivers are cute. In the end, Mike Wallace’s mohawk beats Desean Johnson’s horrendous goatee.”

COLTS over Packers

Donald Brown from the Colts is so cute and he is a Brown!! Of course he wins.”

RAVENS over Chiefs

“Ravens haven’t let me down yet.”

BENGALS over Dolphins

“I will NEVER pick the Dolphins again. No matter who they play!”

PANTHERS over Seahawks

“Cam Newton was on the cover of GQ, and the spread inside was even better. He is so cute. He gets my vote.”

BEARS over Jaguars

“Bears (the animal) just sound like they can beat a Jaguar (the animal).

TITANS over Vikings

“Just happened to watch Clash of the Titans last night. “

49ers over Bills

“Patrick Willis looks so angry, I have to pick him. I’m scared not to.”

PATRIOTS over Broncos

“Tom Brady is EVERYTHING. I need to say nothing more.”

CHARGERS over Saints

“I just loved watching “Where in the world is Carmen San Diego” growing up. Whenever I hear San Diego it still makes me smile.”

TEXANS over Jets

“Arian Foster is such a cutie. I think I love him”

Fisher’s Picks

CARDS over Rams

BENGALS over Dolphins

PACKERS over Colts

RAVENS over Chiefs

GIANTS over Browns

STEELERS over Eagles

SKINS over Falcons

PANTHERS over Seahawks

BEARS over Jags

VIKINGS over Titans

PATS over Broncos

NINERS over Bills

SAINTS over Chargers

TEXANS over Jets