Killer Move or Killer Bust

I can't tell you all how many titles I could have used for this blog post. Killer Instinct, In For The Kill, Teach Me How To Kill, etc. However, there may be one universal saying that all Gopher fans can say right now...

"Who the hell is that???"

For the second time in the past five years, Gopher fans know nothing about the guy who was just hired as the head coach of the football program. Well, let's get that out of the way...

Jerry Kill has been at Northern Illinois for the past three seasons where he went 23-16 for the Huskies. Last season, he went 10-3 and lead the Huskies to a top 25 ranking. Before that Kill posted winning records at several FCS schools. He has been a head coach for 16 seasons.

Ok, so why is he at Minnesota?

Well, first off all, Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi made a mistake by saying that he wanted to make a "Tubby Smith type hire" when replacing Tim Brewster. That made Gopher fans drool about names that were unrealistic in their coaching search. Yes, there were coaches available who were "big names", but that brings me to my next point.

University of Minnesota football is not an attractive job at the moment...

First, the university is changing presidents who, like a coaching staff, will want his own guy in there. I'm thinking that the president of the university made this decision rather than Maturi himself.

Second, the U of M has a shrinking athletic budget. They didn't have a lot of money to make a big name come to Minnesota. So if you were hoping for Chris Petersen (Boise State), Gary Patterson (TCU), or Brady Hoke (San Diego State), be aware that there were big buyouts associated with all three.

Finally, the Gophers have no recent success or tradition to speak of to make the job attractive. Yes, they have a giant stadium (which is REALLY nice, by the way.), but the product that plays in it hasn't produced a coach with a winning record since Murray Warmath left in 1971 with a 97-84-10 record. So that means that the Gophers couldn't even make Lou Holtz a winning head coach. Ouch.

Yes, the Gophers have won 18 Big Ten Championships, but the last came in 1967. The fan base is incredibly dormant. (Does anybody under the age of 80 know what SKI-U-MAH means?) The stadium they play in is half empty on Saturdays...and I could go on for a while.

All of this means a lot, but when you look at it, Kill does fit the description of the anti-Brewster, which is what Maturi wanted to hire.

1) As I mentioned before, Maturi wanted to hire a guy who had experience at the D-I level. When Brewster came on board a couple seasons ago, he had no previous head coaching experience and hadn't even been a coordinator. Kill, meanwhile, has been a head coach for 16 years coming into his new job.

2) Kill brings stability to the program, which it hasn't had in a very long time. Remember that Brewster had changed coaches almost annually, especially at the coordinator level. Kill's assistants have stayed with him for most of his coaching adventure. It's not known whether they will join him at Minnesota, but I think it's a good possibility.

3) Kill is a rebuilder. In all of his stops, Kill has rebuilt a program. His most recent stop, Northern Illinois was supposed to be on the decline. He wound up going 6-7, 7-6, and 10-3. Not terrible for a guy that has a lower level of talent. Well, supposedly.

Look, it's not a big name, but patience will be required. Kill has a solid team coming back next year as the Gophers don't lose much on either side of the football. Players should improve, and maybe those two wins at the end of the season will provide some sort of momentum. We'll see what he can do. Brewster did put some talent on this team and maybe Kill can trot the Gophers out and pick up that first win of the season in his debut!

Oh wait...they play at USC. Well, maybe the next week!

LeBitch Returns to Cleveland

Tomorrow, LeBro...I'm sorry...LeBitch James will make his long awaited return to Cleveland, and it's going to make for some damn good television.

We all know what James did last summer, when he had several NBA teams ride in on horses and wearing knight suits courting "The King's" services. However, when the smoke had cleared, not only had he left the Cleveland Cavaliers, he did it with a one hour special on ESPN to really turn the dagger in the heart of Cleveland sports fans.

Now, I am nowhere near an advocate for Cleveland sports, but they've had a lot to deal with in the sports world. A lot of people whine about Minnesota, but at least the Twins have won two World Series to salvage something. Cleveland has not won a major sports championship since the 1950's.

They've had a couple of great players, but none were able to lead Cleveland to the promised land. However, none of them left before they needed to...and then came LeBitch.

I'm not going to blame them for making "The Q" a complete riot zone tomorrow night. Hell, if Joe Mauer had left the Twins, we'd be ready to tear down Target Field. For this momentus occasion, the Cleveland faithful has been circulating a document around the internet. I was fortunate enough to hear about this on 93x this morning, and here's what the document said. (Sorry, I can't find a link to post it. Bear with me...)

Throughout the game: Laugh at LeBron as loud as you can when he is announced.

For example, the starting lineups...
Boo Dwayne Wade
Boo Chris Bosh
Boo Carlos Arroyo
Cheer Zydrunas Illgauskas (They still love him in CLE apparently...)
Laugh at James

When LeBron has the ball or is shooting free throws during these times...
12:00-6:00 in the first quarter: NO-RING-KING!! NO-RING-KING

6:00 to end of first quarter: Ak-Ron Hates-You (clap-clap-clap-clap-clap)

12:00 to 6:00 in 2nd quarter: WITNESSED NOTHING!!! (clap-clap-clap-clap-clap)

6:00 to halftime: Siiiiide-kick! Siiiiiide-kick!

Start of third quarter (My personal favorite, this is sung to My Country Tis of Thee):
Our king he betrayed thee!
Couldn't play any D!
HE HAS NO RING!
Playoffs he barely tried!
Embarrassed Akron's pride!
No doubt he really lied!
HE HAS NO RING!!!

12:00 to 6:00 in 3rd quarter: Scott-ie Pip-pen! (clap-clap-clap-clap-clap!)

6:00 to end of 3rd quarter: Traiiii-tor! Traiii-tor!

12:00 to 6:00 of 4th quarter: De-Lon-Te! De-Lon-Te! (For those of you who may not know, Delonte West, who plays for the Boston Celtics and qualifies for the ugliest man on the history of the earth, allegedly had sex with Gloria James, LeBitch's mom.)

Rest of game: Cleveland Rocks! Cleveland Rocks!!!

Some people may feel that these people need a life, but I think this is awesome. This is a NBA game I actually care about before April. This is going to be intense. A crazy man may run onto the court and may try to give LeBitch the F-U John Cena style. Should be interesting.

Week 11 Preview

If you've been reading this blog recently, you will see that I quoted Bill Simmons and his "Law of Gus" which means the game is in for an incredibly exciting ending or something close to it.

For example, Gus Johnson called the Houston-Jacksonville matchup which was ranked at three stars last week by yours truly. Of course, the game ended in a Hail Mary to Mike Thomas and helped me log the luckiest fantasy week ever.

On a sidenote, about that. Thomas had a solid game (10) before the 11-point Hail Mary touchdown (21) pushed it to a monster game. Fred Jackson saw his carries expand after C.J. "Fantasy Team Killer" Spiller hurt his hamstring. He scored 28, 20 above his fantasy average. And then there was Michael Vick. 42 POINTS!!! To show just how ridiculous his fantasy impact was last week, I entered the game with Vick and DeSean Jackson against LeSean McCoy down 19 points. One 88 yard touchdown later and I was tied with my opponent...FOUR SECONDS INTO THE GAME!!! Mix in the fact that a 58 point lead in an ESPN.com standard fantasy league, and Vick has to be one of the most dangerous players in fantasy football. But I digress...

Any game Gus Johnson calls should be automatically bumped to a five star game because of Johnson's recent body of work. Alas, I have no way of finding this out...but everyone else can? Somebody help me here!

Here's your preview for Week 11 of the 2010 NFL season...

FIVE STAR GAMES Indianapolis Colts (6-3) at New England Patriots (7-2) 3:15 Sunday CBS
Is it just me, or has it been a long time since Peyton has had to visit Foxboro? Anyways, one of the best non-division rivalries in the NFL resumes on Sunday in this matchup. As usual, both teams are on top of their divisions (the Patriots being tied with the Jets) and will be looking to get a leg up when it comes to playoff positioning. A Patriot win would give them a tiebreaker AND a two game lead with five games to play. Certainly not daunting, but it's a pretty big game for Indianapolis. Foxboro is nicer in November than it is in January.

Both teams are evenly matched and it should be a good game to watch, but the Colts are in their usual November swoon and it is Foxboro. They should get Joseph Addai back, which should help the Colts battered offense, but there are other injuries, such as the one to Gary Brackett, that will give the Patriots the advantage this time around. Come January, when the Colts get healthy, this one could be a different story.
PREDICTION: Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles (6-3) at New York Giants (6-3) 7:30 Sunday NBC
Holy Michael Vick! I have to wonder, will other teams try to frame their quarterbacks so that they can come out of prison this dominant. Vick has put in the work to become a better quarterback since his incarceration, and you have to wonder if those prison football games are super intense or something.

When you think about it, Vick seems to be the real life version of Paul Crue, the quarterback in The Longest Yard who was thrown into jail for a gambling scam. There are people who will not forgive Vick for the dogfighting ring, but there is no doubt he is one of the most exciting quarterbacks to watch in the NFL right now.

This week, Vick will matchup against one of the best defenses in the league. The Giants have looked pretty good every week they haven't played the Cowboys, and they have one of the leagues most fearsome defensive lines, but can they get to Vick, who has become a master of extending the play. The secondary for the Giants also has some question marks for me when it comes to the offensive weapons Philly has at wide receiver.

It's not that the Giants have an offense that isn't capable of keeping up with Vick and company, it's that I think the Eagles are playing too well to lose this game...even on the road.
PREDICTION: Eagles

FOUR STAR GAMES Oakland Raiders (5-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) 12:00 Sunday CBS
Woah, what happened Pittsburgh? You seemed like such a lead pipe lock to whomp the Steelers and then you just came out flat. Seriously, what happened? The league's best defense gave up 39 points and gave up three touchdowns to something called Rob Gronkowski. Wow.

Well, this week they'll get a lighter test, but a test nonetheless. This week they host the Oakland Raiders who have won three straight and lead the AFC West for the first time since 2002. Yes, the OAKLAND RAIDERS. Perhaps Tom Cable knows what he's doing after all. The draft class has contributed (Jacoby Ford) and they possess one of the league's best rushing attacks (Darren McFadden and Michael Bush). However, that is their strength and downfall this week.

The Steelers will be angry and ready to stop the run at all costs. Having Jason Campbell beat you isn't a bad strategy. Also, Rashard Mendenhall should have a better game than he did last week as Oakland's run defense is middle of the pack. The only hope for the Raiders is for Nhamdi Asomough to blanket emerging deep threat Mike Wallace, but since the Steelers are built on running the football and defense, I pick the Steelers in this one.
PREDICTION: Steelers
Denver Broncos (3-6) at San Diego Chargers (4-5) 7:30 Monday ESPN
It's really hard to follow the AFC West at this point. The best team in the division appeared to be the Kansas City Chiefs who got destroyed by the Broncos, who got destroyed by the Raiders, have yet to play the Chargers, who got beat by the Chiefs. What the hell?

Well, the Broncos have an opportunity to climb back in to the race, and if all falls into place, San Diego could be tied for the AFC West lead after a slow start. It's looking like the Chargers will get Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd back for this game, and if Ryan Matthews practices this week, he will go up against one of the worst rushing defenses in the league.

Add in the fact that Vincent Jackson will return next week for the Chargers, and they could be the NFL's sleeper team from here on out.
PREDICTION: Chargers

THREE STAR GAMES
Chicago Bears (6-3) at Miami Dolphins (5-4) 7:20 Thursday NFL Network
Team Smoke and Mirrors faces off against Team Boredom on Thursday Night Football. The Bears are coming off a whomping of a lifeless Vikings team and the Dolphins are coming off their first home victory of the season against a good Titans team.

It seems like the Bears can pick up a victory easily, but it always seems like there is a quirky bounce, missed call, or something else that gives them a win. Jay Cutler has limited his interceptions and is leading this Bears team to heights I didn't see coming (I tagged six wins for the Bears all season, FYI).

And then we have team boredom. The Dolphins are the San Antonio Spurs of the NFL. Play defense, grind it out, get a win. Tony Sparano has implemented the four corners offense and it's resulted in some really boring television. Even with the addition of Brandon Marshall, I would rather watch paint dry than watch this team. Ok, maybe not, but they don't blitz like Pittsburgh does, and they don't have anything that gets out from behind Sparano's sunglasses.

The Dolphins will start Tyler Thigpen in this game in part because Chad Henne sucks. They were so desperate that they tried Chad Pennington at quarterback last Sunday and, as predicted, Pennington tore the last thread in his throwing shoulder. Unless, Thigpen can get the ball to Marshall, I see a low scoring game and a Bears victory. (7-3????)
PREDICTION: Bears
Cleveland Browns (3-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4) 12:00 Sunday CBS
Interesting comes to mind with this matchup. The Browns are improved, and I've been really impressed with Colt McCoy. However, something tells me the Browns aren't quite there. That could change if Bad Jacksonville shows up.

Oh yeah, Good Jacksonville is the team that runs the ball, gets a solid performance from David Garrard, and plays great defense. Bad Jacksonville is when they come out looking like zombies from Thriller. I think Good Jacksonville shows up this week.
PREDICTION: Jaguars
Houston Texans (4-5) at New York Jets (7-2) 12:00 Sunday CBS
You expect this Jets team to stumble at this point, but they're very headstrong. They had back-to-back overtime efforts against mediocre teams and now they get another one in the Texans.

Yes, folks the Texans are a mediocre team. Gary Kubiak has gotten away from what the Texans do the best and that's throw the football. Don't get me wrong, you need to give Arian Foster the rock, but it's hurt their offense to suddenly go run heavy. This team is losing momentum, and their defense is something out of a Rob Zombie horror movie.
PREDICTION: Jets
Atlanta Falcons (7-2) at St. Louis Rams (4-5) 12:00 Sunday FOX
So you want to be a playoff team, St. Louis? Remember, the Rams had the number one pick in the draft and are still in playoff contention. That's pretty good. I like Sam Bradford a lot and he should continue to develop into a franchise QB. However, they're a couple good pieces away from knocking off a good team like the Falcons, who seem to be getting hotter and hotter every week. This is my sleeper matchup of the week.
PREDICTION: Falcons

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3) at San Francisco 49ers (3-6) 3:15 FOX
San Francisco can't get any more magic could they? After an improbable World Series victory, the 49ers seem to be a team of destiny suddenly. They showed great grit in picking up a win against the Rams last Sunday, and Troy Smith seems to be filled with enough piss and vinegar to turn in a gritty effort every week.

However, they're not playing someone from the NFC West this week. Those three touchdowns that were called back won't be able to be made up against a Tampa Bay team that beats bad teams who make mistakes, which is exactly the category that the 49ers fall under.
PREDICTION: Buccaneers
Seattle Seahawks (5-4) at New Orleans Saints (6-3) 3:15 FOX
Suddenly, the Saints have come back from the sleepwalking. They come off a bye and will get Reggie Bush back after a fibula break in Week 2. This should help the Saints offense which takes on a gritty Seahawk defense. However, Bush will probably get the best of his former college coach, Pete Carroll, and the Saints will move further to a playoff spot.
PREDICTION: Saints
TWO STAR GAMES Arizona Cardinals (3-6) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) 12:00 FOX
The Chiefs have struggled the past two weeks after a 5-2 start, but here comes the NFC West team on the road to cheer them up! The Cardinals will go to Arrowhead, where the crowd blows a collective .25 BAC every home game. Pack a lunch.
PREDICTION: Chiefs
Green Bay Packers (6-3) at Minnesota Vikings (3-6) 12:00 FOX
Brad Childress said after the Vikings last home game that fans came "expecting an execution." Well, they might get it this week. Chilly has lost his players, and that's not good. Aaron Rodgers will get the last laugh on Brett Favre and it's possible that Childress and Favre see their last game in purple on Sunday. This will be a rout.
PREDICTION: Packers

ONE STAR GAMES Buffalo Bills (1-8) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-7) 12:00 CBS
Fred Jackson could have a big game, but there's too much talent on the Bengals to lose this game.
PREDICTION: Bengals
Washington Redskins (4-5) at Tennessee Titans (5-4) 12:00 FOX
So the Redskins say hello to another running QB? What did the last one do against them again? Oh, that's right.
PREDICTION: Titans

Baltimore Ravens (6-3) at Carolina Panthers (1-8) 12:00 FOX
Ray Lewis vs. Jimmy Claussen. Uh oh.
PREDICTION: Ravens

Detroit Lions (2-7) at Dallas Cowboys (2-7) 12:00 FOX
Jason Garrett seems to have sparked his team after a coaching change. ARE YOU LISTENING ZYGI???
Prediction: Cowboys

Jenna Nelson's Birthday Present

Now for you religious readers of The Crishad Experience out there, and I know there aren't that many of you, but regardless. I would like to do something a little bit different today. Usually, I come on here and go crazy about how much of a moron Brad Childress is, or how much I hate or love some sports figure. However, today, I would like to give a shoutout to one of my best friends.

That lovely girl in the picture next to me is Jenna Nelson who is celebrating her birthday today. Of course you have to say happy birthday to your friends and there are many ways you can do it.

There's the birthday card approach. There's the texting approach. There's the typical Facebook wall-post approach. And finally, there is the Dwight Schrute "It is your birthday." statement approach.

However, none of these will work for today. Oh no, you see, Chris Schad not only over thinks things, but he likes these things to be explosive, colorful, and exciting, like a fourth of July firework display. Yet, since I'm pretty poor these days I couldn't get any fireworks AND unlike my yelling which could be heard in Mason City, Iowa...my fireworks would be like John Cena. You can't see them.

So, I decided this. Jenna is having a good old fashioned bar crawl for her birthday on Saturday. It's known as Jenna's Bar Crawl. But I've been calling it by a different name: Jennamania XXIII. Just try this phenomenon with your name. Take your name and add "amania" to the end of it. It's spectacular.

To get ready for this out-of-control-all-day-Russian-Liver-Training adventure, I thought that I could show all of my loyal readers (and get a good laugh out of Jenna) by telling some classic stories about Jennamanias past. Here we go...

Jennamania XXI: Ah, the first birthday after you turn 21. Remember that feeling when you walked into the bar for the first time. Yeah...Jenna didn't either. This was one of Jenna's first encounters with alcohol and it turned out memorable for everyone else in the bar.

I was not lucky enough to attend this year, as Jenna and I would meet and break the ice because of this story I heard. Jenna drank it up at her house with a couple of Smirnoff Grape and a myriad of other delicious options when she went to Ground Zero. For those of you not familiar with Ground Zero, they serve gigantic liter drinks. You may go sober...but when you walk up those stairs, your wondering what side of the street you're on, what day it is, and convinced that you can drive to Florida by the time the sun comes up.

So Jenna decided to get this magical drink after a night of drinking. Why you ask? 1) She loves to party. 2) Her friends made her a 50 dollar bet that she could chug that liter of booze in less than 5 minutes...and she did my friends, she did (in about 3:00...I'm telling you...this girl is AWESOME!!!).

Well, we all know what happened next. Jenna found herself on her knees throwing up in the middle of the bar when some guy thought "Hey, I just found myself an escort home." (He must have been afraid of the dark or something.) and decided to hit on Jenna, who probably used this lean and meant it more than she has than at any point in her lifetime: "It's not you, it's me."

(Actually, I'm impressed with how this turned out. My first long island resulted in me with piss rolling down my leg, blood running down my lip, and some guy throwing dollar bills at me and saying "go get your life together")

Jennamania XXII: Jenna made a return the next year, and this one involved less vomit. Jenna danced her face off at Boomers (then called The Library), and wound up making out in the corner. After all of this, Jenna was shaken up about something, but then was told about her making out. As mass chaos ensued with someone else (I will not mention names) standing on top of a table at South Fork Cafe screaming "WE NEED MOZZERELLA STICKS NOW!", I walked Jenna home for her to say "I can't belive I did that. I'm not that kind of person." Repeatedly.

(This one is short because I balled just as hard and wound up forgetting most of the night. But man was it fun!)

So who knows what will happen here as we start at 1:00 Saturday afternoon. Will we wind up at McDonalds searching for Ronald McDonald? Will Jenna not wait for Boomers and start dancing on a table at Bo's and Mine? Will I pass out in the middle of the street, prompting Jenna to write a similar post on her blog for my birthday next year? Or will I have to give Jenna a piggyback ride to get her away from the River Falls Police Department? (Wait, I've done that before...oh that was someone else. My bad! :) )

There is one thing for certain. I'm excited to see one of my best friends, and I hope she has a great birthday!

Happy Birthday, Jenna!
From The Crishad Experience aka Chris :)

Gus Johnson Is Awesome

As a prospective broadcaster, I tend to have a couple of favorite announcers. It's kind of like the little kid who has a poster of Michael Jordan on his wall. Well, I guess there aren't posters of announcers, but just follow me here.

When I first decided I wanted to become an announcer, I was a big fan of Viking play-by-play announcer Paul Allen. Then, I found out about Packer play-by-play announcer Wayne Larivee and became an admirer of him as well.

However, today we have a new champion for broadcasting excellence. That man's name is Gus Johnson.

Johnson is a combination of Allen's enthusiasm and Larivee's professionalism. He seriously could make anything sound exciting. We'll get to that later.

If you don't know who I'm talking about, here's just a sample. I guarantee you, if you've ever watched a NCAA basketball tournament game, you've heard this man nearly reach orgasm on national TV.

Johnson calls everything too. He calls football. He calls college basketball. He was the voice of the New York Knicks. Over the summer, Yankee public address announcer Bob Sheppard was called "the voice of God." Um, no. It's just like New York to be that arrogant.

Johnson just has that charisma that's through the roof. On some plays, Johnson will just about blow out your television speakers, but then on other plays with a "woah, he has that many catches?" he'll put your arm around you and tell you about the player like you're just chilling in a basement.

How awesome is Gus Johnson? Bill Simmons claims that he has a law in effect when he announces football games.

"I keep mentioning the Law of Gus without ever really defining it, so let's do it right now. If Gus Johnson is calling an NFL game, the odds quintuple that (A) the lead will change hands in the fourth quarter; (B) someone will complete a long pass in a big moment that will make Gus' voice hit an octave only dogs can hear; and (C) the game will go into overtime or at least come damned close. It seems impossible that the mere presence of an announcer would alter the course of the game, but here's my theory: I think God sits in his Man Cave on Sundays and says, "Which game is that Gus Johnson calling? I get a kick out of that guy. I think I'll make his game exciting and see if he completely loses his mind."" - Bill Simmons

As a matter of fact, earlier today A,B, and C took place in Jacksonville. Consider your ear drums satisfied (copyright of Adam Lee and the River Falls Renegades)!

Simply put, I would love to see this guy announce anything. He could make anything exciting.

- Two girls playing with Barbies
- A porno
- A wedding
- Your dinner
- Wrestlemania 27 (@#$% you, Michael Cole)
- Our tippy cup games
- A person doing laundry
- Somebody taking a roadside sobriety test
- An episode of Man vs. Food
- A highly constipated person taking a dump.

And many, many more.

So, if you're looking for some quality announcing, just look for this guy. Or just listen.

Week 10 Preview

Believe it or not, there are just seven weeks left in the National Football League season and for many teams, this could be the last stretch of football they can really enjoy for at least a year with the impending lockout coming.

So, I decided to turn back the clock a bit. Last year, I started doing previews for each week and ranking each matchup in the remaining weeks. I didn't do the games for the first 10 weeks because those are almost impossible to predict. (Example: Did you see the Cowboys going 1-7 to start the year?)

FIVE STAR GAMES
Baltimore Ravens (6-2) at Atlanta Falcons (6-2) 7:20 Thursday; NFL Network
One of two games between six win teams in Week 10. The Ravens just seem to do just enough to win every week. Very rarely will they blow someone out, but they usually come out on top. Their last two wins against Buffalo and Miami are fair examples of that. But then there's the Atlanta Falcons who have one of the best home field advantages in the league. The Falcons are heating up and so is Michael Turner, who has posted back to back multiple touchdown games. The Ravens defense is starting to come together with the return of Ed Reed, so it will be interesting if the Ravens can stop the Falcons rushing attack on the road.
PREDICTION: Falcons
New England Patriots (6-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) 7:20 Sunday; NBC
A battle for the early season lead in the AFC takes place Sunday as two of the better teams in the entire league go head to head. For Pittsburgh, they held on for dear life against Cincinnati, but they dominated for almost the entire game. In my mind, they're the hottest team in the league right now and the best team in the NFL. The Patriots meanwhile have had significant personnel turnover the past couple of weeks, with the subtraction of Randy Moss, but the addition of Logan Mankins. They've had to go back to the same style of offense that was used during their three Super Bowl titles, and that's not a bad thing. However, when you're up against a Pittsburgh defense, you need all the help you can get. Expect a low scoring game.
PREDICTION: Steelers

FOUR STAR GAMES Philadelphia Eagles (5-3) at Washington Redskins (4-4) 7:30 Monday; ESPN
If it weren't for the Vikings, the Redskins may have the most drama in the NFL. The Redskins started the season with Albert Haynesworth showing up fat and unhappy to work. That carried on for a couple weeks, but then it died down. But now we have quarterback controversy. Mike Shanahan has apparently turned his back on Donovan McNabb. He pulled McNabb out their last game with 2 minutes to go and a chance to win because McNabb had fitness issues. So...Rex Grossman is better? Things are unraveling, but a win for the Skins would help. Too bad their facing one of the most potent offenses in the NFL Monday night. Vick lasted about 7 minutes in the last meeting before injuring his ribcage, but I don't think he's going to try and make up for that. If the Eagles can score against a mediocre Redskin defense, they'll win the game.
PREDICTION: Eagles

Minnesota Vikings (3-5) at Chicago Bears (5-3) 12:00 Sunday; FOX
There might be a little bit of home cooking with this ranking, but it's a little bit intriguing. This is another win-or-die game for the Vikings and if they look flat as they did in the first 55 minutes of last Sunday's win over Arizona, it could still be the end of Brad Childress' tenure in Minnesota. The Vikings could get Sidney Rice back, but Chili is keeping a tight lid on that one. For Chicago, they win ugly, but they win. The Soldier Field magic may be enough to keep the Vikings at bay, but I think it's an important game for both teams as the Packers are on bye this week.
PREDICTION: Bears

THREE STAR GAMES Houston Texans (4-4) at Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) 12:00 Sunday; CBS
The Texans were the toast of football early in the season, and suddenly, they find themselves in a 1-3 slump after a 3-1 start. Don't blame it on Arian Foster, who has lead the Texans to multiple victories on his own this year, it may be in the passing game. Kyle Shanahan left for Washington last offseason and it's showing. Mix in injuries to Owen Daniels and Andre Johnson, and the Texans are suddenly a one dimensional team again except on the opposite end of the spectrum. Mix in the dire need for secondary help, and it's not a good time to be facing a hot quarterback such as David Garrard. The crazy thing about this matchup? The loser will be in last place of the AFC South...
PREDICTION: Jaguars

Seattle Seahawks (4-4) at Arizona Cardinals (3-5) 3:15 Sunday; FOX
...while if they were in the NFC West, they would be in second place regardless of this matchups outcome. If Seattle and St. Louis both lose, there will be a under .500 division leader in the division. Yuck. And that would also bring a three way tie between three 4-5 teams with the 49ers being A GAME OUT OF FIRST PLACE AT 3-6!!! I think the Vikings would love to be a part of this division. But, the Seahawks have surprised as I didn't think they'd be close to having four wins at this point of the year. The Cardinals also played the Vikings tough, but we aren't talking about last week's matchup. So how do we determine a winner. Home field advantage. The NFC West is a combined 2-14 on the road this season. Ouch.
PREDICTION: Cardinals

Tennesee Titans (5-3) at Miami Dolphins (4-4) 12:00 Sunday; CBS
They say to make the playoffs, you need to win your home games and go .500 on the road. Well, Tony Sparano must have flipped the script. The Dolphins are 4-1 on the road this season, but 0-3 at home. To make matters worse, they seem to be declining. Chad Henne has regressed since a strong week 3 showing against the Jets and Brandon Marshall has scored one touchdown all season. The running game isn't much better, as Ronnie Brown is averaging about 56 yards a game. For the Titans, chapter 3 of Randy Moss' 2010 season begins. My Uncle Timm had a very interesting point. In 1976, the New York Yankees acquired a loud mouthed, self absorbed all-star that lead them to the World Series. Reggie Jackson infamously referred to himself as "the straw that stirs the drink." angering players such as Therman Munson, who were mainstays on the Yankees. The Yankees won a World Championship, while Moss continues to have no rings on his fingers. Why is this? Well, the Yankees had Billy Martin. Simply put, Moss needs to find his Billy Martin to channel his shananigans. Bill Belicheck came close, but after a terrible experience with Brad Childress, the ball is now in Jeff Fisher's court.
PREDICTION: Titans

TWO STAR GAMES Cincinnati Bengals (2-6) at Indianapolis Colts (5-3) 12:00 Sunday; CBS
It hasn't been a pretty season, but the Colts have been themselves. No matter who is on the field offensively, the Colts win because of Peyton Manning. They've also struggled on the road, but are 3-0 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mix in the fact that Carson Palmer is not himself and Chad Ochocinco is pouting, and you may see this one turn ugly.
PREDICTION: Colts
New York Jets (6-2) at Cleveland Browns (3-5) 12:00 Sunday; CBS
Eric Mangini got revenge against one former employer, now he may be gearing up for his second slice in two weeks. While the Jets have a good record, they barely got past Detroit and Denver on the road. Not to mention that Mangini might know a thing or two about the personnel on the Jets. I smell an upset.
PREDICTION: Browns

St. Louis Rams (4-4) at San Francisco 49ers (2-6) 3:15 Sunday; FOX
I talked about the ridiculousness of the NFC West earlier, and here's another example of it. The Rams could pick up a victory and, with a Seattle loss, could find themselves in first place after picking first overall in the draft last year! The numbers say to go with the 49ers, but I have a hard time trusting Troy Smith to get the job done.
PREDICTION: Rams

ONE STAR GAMES Detroit Lions (2-6) at Buffalo Bills (0-8) 12:00 Sunday; FOX
Bad and worse. Matthew Stafford is now out for the season after hurting his shoulder again. Is this franchise truly cursed? This is also the time where the winds start to swirl in Buffalo and that means that the running game will be important. Another upset coming here.
PREDICTION: Bills

Carolina Panthers (1-7) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-3) 12:00 Sunday; FOX
The Panthers are in trouble. Matt Moore is out for the season, and Jimmy Claussen looks like he's being thrown into the fire. Also DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are both hurt, which leaves Mike Goodson to man the running game. Oh boy.
PREDICTION: Bucs

Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) at Denver Broncos (2-6) 3:15 Sunday; CBS
The Chiefs were a freak play and 20 seconds away from becoming 6-2. Their pass defense is spectacular, and that's all Denver seems to want to do with Josh McDaniels at the helm. This is also the team that gave up 180 yards and 4 TD to Darren McFadden earlier this year. The Chiefs have a better rushing attack. Uh oh.
PREDICTION: Chiefs

Dallas Cowboys (1-7) at New York Giants (6-2) 3:15 Sunday; FOX
"America's Game of the Week" huh? Not only do we get to see this massacre on national television, we have to hear Joe Buck's monotonous voice and Troy Aikman's non-sensical reasons on how the Cowboys could still reach the Super Bowl. You thought last Sunday was bad? Welcome to the head coaching profession, Mr. Jason Garrett.
PREDICTION: Giants

A Need For A Change

As Minnesotans, we have mastered the chant of "Fire _____." We could be chanting to unseat a crappy District Attourney, a slacker in the office, or, most likely, a head coach who isn't performing up to capabilities.

In Minnesota, we've already seen one coach get the ax when Tim Brewster was fired in the middle of October. Get ready for round two folks as the next one to go is Brad Childress.

"Chili" does not have thick skin apparently. We've seen him get into shouting matches on the sideline with Brett Favre, and wanted Terrell Owens to talk to him so bad in Philadelphia, that Owens eventually yelled at him "I don't know you and I don't want to know you."

The latest escapade of Childress's insecurity was with Randy Moss. Moss, who was acquired for a third round draft pick from New England last month, was released by the Vikings on Monday and can go wherever he wants, possibly to a NFC rival.

Some people would say that it doesn't matter where Moss goes because he's washed up. I say, there's more to this than meets the eye.

The word on the street is that Moss was released because Moss vented frustrations about Sunday's loss to New England. Apparently, Moss was giving Childress suggestions about how to beat the Patriot defense, the same defense he went up against daily in practice for the past three seasons. Childress ignored this...

We've seen this story before. Brett Favre changed plays at the line of scrimmage and Childress nearly crapped a chicken. It's apparent that when you're Brett Favre, you get some leeway. You can do anything, including take a picture of your cash and prizes, and get away from it. But if you're anyone else, you're looking for work.

People will say that Moss is a cancer in the locker room. It seems to me like he pressed the right buttons during his time in Minnesota. Yes, there was the boat quote at the end of his introductory conference, and it was blown up about how he wasn't going to talk to the media, but when the media blows up everything Moss says in a negative light, why should he talk to them?

And on the other side, Childress continues to be a control freak. Coronel Klink has made mistake after mistake, but lives to tell about it because he has fallen into extraordinary talent. Don't think so? During Childress' tenure, he's received Chad Greenway, Percy Harvin, Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen, and Brett Favre to name a few. The previous coach, Mike Tice, who was hired in a "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" sort of way, had one big acquisition: Antoine Winfield. After that, the Vikings relied on the likes of Denard Walker to provide hope.

Childress has also made stupid decisions on the field. He obviously thinks the red challenge flag is a toy. Why did he challenge the Brandon Tate reception in the 2nd quarter? Does he like burning timeouts?

And finally, Childress is starting to lose this team. The players are not happy about cutting Moss, and the only reason they got is that it was "not the way we do things around here." I have a strong feeling is that this team is going to quit on Childress very soon, possibly as soon as Sunday at the Metrodome against Arizona.

I'm sure no move will be made before the end of the season, as even at 2-5, the Vikings still have a chance to make the playoffs in the weak NFC. But that wasn't the goal. This was a team that was supposed to go to the Super Bowl, and The Klink has ran this team straight into the ground. People may say this team isn't that good to begin with, but seriously. This team went to the NFC Championship game and returned EVERY starter.

This team is underachieving, and usually the hammer falls on the coach (unless you're the Minnesota Twins). If the ship doesn't get turned around quick (and it won't), the hammer needs to fall down on The Klink.