Sunday Line Chatter, Week 12: Games We'll Skip in Favor of the Williamson-Childress Fight on Pay-Per-View
49ers (+10) at Cowboys
Matt Bonesteel: The niners looked pretty great in the first half against the Rams, and then decided to completely mail it in in the second half.
Matt Bonesteel: Yet they still won easily. Ah, the Rams
bielerd: I am really of two minds on this game. I could see the Niners, who look better these days, keeping it close. I could also see the resurgent Cowboys opening up a big can of whoop-offense
larimerd2000: The Cowboys sure seem resurgent on defense, but not offense
larimerd2000: How bout that spunky former terp Shaun Hill?
bielerd: If Dallas gets out to a big lead, even that spunky Shaun Hill can't help San Fran keep up
larimerd2000: But again, four straight games with 14 points or less. What big lead?
larimerd2000: I realize, three w/out Romo, of course.
bielerd: ok, yes, it does bear putting that stat into context. 3 of those low-scoring games were with the QB combination of Brooks and Done
bielerd: and Romo had one game back to test his finger against a fairly good defense at home. I can see the 'Boys finally getting Terrell Owens involved in the end zone this week
Matt Bonesteel: I'm not sure the Cowboys should be favored by double digits over anyone, and seeing as how double-digit favorites have struggled mightily to cover this season (except last night, when the Steelers rewarded my faith), I'll go with the NIners.
larimerd2000: I also think it's too many points. 49ers.
bielerd: I am also leery of big favorites, as any observant person would be. but I just have this belief that Dallas will take out some offensive frustrations this week. Cowboys
Buccaneers (-8 1/2) at Lions
bielerd: take it away, Matt
Matt Bonesteel: Actually, I'm going to apply my awesome marinelli quote to another game.
larimerd2000: tricky!
Matt Bonesteel: I will say this: The Lions are a much, much, much, much, much, much worse team at home this season.
bielerd: interesting. well, I kinda like the Lions here. The Bucs generally don't beat people by much, they were lucky to cover last week at home, and the Lions have been covering as of late
Matt Bonesteel: They've lost only one home game by less than 23 points, and that was, surprisingly, to the Redskins.
larimerd2000: i'm poo-pooing all the stars on the cowboys' offense, and i'm about to get behind the bucs' offense.
bielerd: I will apply the surely-the-Titans-must-lose-at-some-point logic in reverse here. Lions
larimerd2000: Yes, the bucs' offense that doesn't do much of anything on the road, and it's beat up at RB
larimerd2000: but the lions, as matt said, are just so, so bad.
larimerd2000: Gimme the Bucs
Matt Bonesteel: Bucs, too
Game Preview
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Bills (-3) at Chiefs
bielerd: at some point, don't the Bills have to think about giving J.P. Losman a shot again at QB?
larimerd2000: yeah, good question. is losman really that big of a jerk?
Matt Bonesteel: they really don't want to. Losman is a malcontent who is leaving after the season anyway. they think he won't bother to try all that hard because he's still pouting over his benching.
bielerd: I guess if they don't want Losman around anymore, then that's that. But I mean, the one thing Edwards had going for for a while was his care with the ball. it's not like he does anything else especially well.
Matt Bonesteel: if they had anyone else, Edwards would be on the bench. but they don't. well, there is Gibran Hamdan.
larimerd2000: i remember when the bills were 4-1 and i said in this forum that they're not 5-1 good, but i picked them. now i;m not sure they're lose-to-the-chiefs-to-make-it-five-straight-bad, but then...
Matt Bonesteel: It's weird. He had decades to throw the ball against the Browns, but kept making these baffling throws.
bielerd: I'm still dealing with the news that Hamdan is still in the league. who knew?
bielerd: but I agree, the Bills don't seem five-losses-in-a-row bad. but they might be
Matt Bonesteel: Guess the trick to stopping Edwards is to use the Tampa-2. Which prolly means Herm is gonna blitz eight players on every snap.
Matt Bonesteel: In any case, the Bills aren't good enough at the moment to be a three-point road favorite. against anyone. Chiefs.
larimerd2000: Yeah, this Troy Edwards talk has clinched it. I'm also impressed that the Chiefs still haven't packed it in. I'll take em.
bielerd: we'll probably see a lot of Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson in this game, and that's not a bad thing. Sheesh, I feel like we're agreeing too much. I'll take the Bills!
larimerd2000: you always think we agree too much!
bielerd: I agree
Bears (-8) at Rams
Matt Bonesteel: Remember when everyone was lauding Jim Haslett for righting the Rams' ship? those were the days.
bielerd: it all depends on what happens in the first half of this game. In its past three first halves, St. Louis has been outscored 99-10
larimerd2000: how's kyle feeling? amazing it seems the bears really do depend on him that much
Matt Bonesteel: He and his neckbeard are not on the Bears' injury report.
bielerd: but Steven Jackson is out again for the Rams, which won't help them at all
Matt Bonesteel: No it won't. Bears.
bielerd: Dave, your boy Richie Incognito didn't make things easier for his team by calling out the St. Louis fans for being apathetic.
Matt Bonesteel: They're too busy joining Pujols in the city's push for an MLS franchise.
larimerd2000: Richie Incognito, already at the top of the list of incongruously named people, is high on my list of least favorite Huskers.
bielerd: I bet, somewhere behind Lawrence Phillips
larimerd2000: No, behind Christian Peter and Steve Taylor, for two. Lawrence Phillips has his very own list.
bielerd: Incognito said, "It's nice to have the other fans here. At least they cheer." Geez, Richie, I dunno, maybe your team should give them something to cheer for
larimerd2000: I was a little tempted to take the Rams at home, b/c the Bears aren't one of those speed teams that can run wild in a dome.
larimerd2000: Anyway, Lawrence Phillips was a Ram, too. I'll take the Bears.
bielerd: anyway, I think the Bears will want to bounce back in a big way from last week's crushing loss to the Packers, and the rams are just the team to bounce back against, especially with hordes of Bears fans cheering wildly at the Jones Dome. Bears
Raiders (+9) at Broncos
Matt Bonesteel: Instead of my usual one-act vignette, this week I cede the floor to Lions Coach Rod Marinelli, who sums up my feelings succinctly. Take it away, Rod.
bielerd: we're all ears, Rod
Matt Bonesteel: "You're in this dark tunnel and you've got no way out. You're waiting for light, and you see that light, what do you do? What do you do?"
Matt Bonesteel: "You start digging and getting out....I've always believed you stay in the tunnel and you keep digging when you expect no light."
bielerd: the Raiders know all about dark tunnels
Matt Bonesteel: "You have the same faith when you expect no light. You have the same belief in what you're doing when you expect no light....It's dark and I'm going to dig through. MY SHOVEL IS SHARP AND MY PICK IS SHARP AND MY WILL IS OUTSTANDING"
larimerd2000: I wonder if Marinelli ever saw the original version of "The Vanishing."
larimerd2000: Also, that quote is outstanding
Matt Bonesteel: The Raiders haven't scored a touchdown in 40 CONSECUTIVE POSSESSIONS!
Matt Bonesteel: Shanny always likes TO BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF THE RAIDERS.
Matt Bonesteel: MY PICK IS SHARP AND MY WILL IS OUTSTANDING! I will lock the Broncos.
larimerd2000: Yes, this is what Shanny does: Lose in the playoffs w/out Elway and thump, thump, thump the Raiders
bielerd: And Shanahan went WAY out of his way to butter up Dave's boy, Nnamdi Asomugha (not Richie Incognito). I think he's got something up his sleeve
larimerd2000: I believe Bonesy has covered it. I too take the Broncos
bielerd: hmmm, it is a big number, but Matt's pick does seem rather sharp. Okay, I'll take the Broncos
Matt Bonesteel: MY PICK IS SHARP
bielerd: gotcha
larimerd2000: And Asomugha is SO much more my boy than Incognito. I wish Asomugha went to Nebraska
Matt Bonesteel: MY WILL IS OUTSTANDING
larimerd2000: but how's your shovel?
Matt Bonesteel: My shovel is merely adequate.
Matt Bonesteel: oh wait. MY SHOVEL IS SHARP
bielerd: I like Brandon Marshall's bravado about going against Nnamdi: "As a receiver, you've got to love this type of challenge. This is where you can say, 'I'm good' "
Game Preview
Matt Bonesteel: Goodness, I feel like running through a cement barrier or something right now. Instead, I have to go clean our bathrooms. But with my outstanding will, I will get through this.
larimerd2000: Okay, then, that's enough of that for one week. We should let our 10-to-12 readers know that we'll be posting our chat on Wed. next week
larimerd2000: So until then. keep in your tunnel and keep reaching for your pick!
By
David, Des and Matt
|
November 21, 2008; 1:47 PM ET
| Category:
Game Previews Week 12
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Next: Sunday Line Chatter, Week 12: Games We Might Want to Watch
Posted by: Henry | November 21, 2008 5:15 PM
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Wednesday, got it.