I don't like the spreads this week. I am nervous my hot streak will come to an end. Here goes nothing (11-4 last week; 80-63 on the season)...

-Carolina (-3) over Miami: The Panthers are playing well and at home. The Dolphins will be without Ronnie Brown. This almost seems too easy.

-New York Giants (-6.5) over Atlanta: I think the Giants will win the NFC East. For that to happen, they need to punish the Michael Turner-less and thoroughly mediocre Falcons.

-Jacksonville (-9) over Buffalo: Wow that is a big number. However, the Bills are terrible and in the midst of a coaching change. Jags in a rout.

-Cleveland (+3.5) over Detroit: The worst game ever played? I have no idea who to pick. The half a point forces me to go with Cleveland. The Lions have lost six in a row and the closest they've gotten is 17-10 to St. Louis. The Browns have at least taken Cincy to overtime and their defense isn't abysmal. With that said, it wouldn't shock me if Detroit lit them up. I can't believe I've written this much about this game.

-Ravens (+2) over Colts: I am not a big fan of this year's Ravens team. But I am not enamored with the Colts and they are due. They beat the 49ers 18-14, the Texans 20-17 and we all know what happened against New England last week. Baltimore is good enough to hand them their first loss. Look for a huge week from Ray Rice.

-Tampa (+11.5) over New Orleans: The Saints have been falling behind more and more recently, played a tough one with the Rams last week and Drew Brees has thrown 6 TD's and 7 INT's in the last four games. Meanwhile, the Bucs have been competitive since their bye week. The Saints should win but I'll take the points.

-Kansas City (+11) over Pittsburgh: The Steelers are a different team without Troy Polamalu (2-2 in games he has missed). Once again, too many points.

-San Francisco (+6.5) over Green Bay: I don't believe in the Packers. I don't believe in the 49ers either but they've been in tight ones the last four weeks.

-Minnesota (+11) over Seattle: The Vikings are very good. The Seahawks are not.

-Washington (+11) over Dallas: I swore I wouldn't pick with the Redskins again. I lied. The Cowboys win by 10.

-Arizona (-9.5) over St. Louis: The Cardinals are dangerous. This one still scares me because you never know when they (Kurt Warner) will lay an egg.

-Cincinnati (-10) over Oakland: Another one that frightens me. I could see the Bengals, fresh off a win over Pittsburgh, underperforming on the west coast. Yet, I think the Bengals are one of the best teams in the league. If that is the case, they should take this one going away.

-New England (-10.5) over New York Jets: I'd like the Jets to cover if not for the way last Sunday night's game went down. This will be the revenge of Bill Belichick.

-San Diego (-3.5) over Denver: The Broncos run is over, the Chargers are in the middle of theirs.

Philadelphia (-3) over Chicago: The Eagles need this one and they are more talented than the Bears.

-Tennessee (+4.5) over Houston: Still rolling with V.Y.

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I originally wrote this supportive entry about Allen Iverson in July. Before the season started I changed my mind. I have changed it again.

Ideally, A.I. is a scoring sixth man on a contending team at this point. The problem with that is he doesn't seem willing to accept that kind of role. He says he is not a bench player. This sort of thought process is a microcosm of his entire career. If he were willing to swallow his sizable pride and provide a potent spark off the pine for a team like Cleveland, he could sway media opinion in his favor, define the latter portion of his career and enhance his legacy. It is the right move.

With that said, I see where he is coming from (in his own mind at least). He is one of the greatest players of all time. He singlehandedly took a hard-nosed but not very talented Sixers team to the Finals. The ironic thing is that it was the perfectly constructed team for him. Iverson needs to play with tough guys who rebound, defend, take open shots and don't ask for the ball (this does not exactly describe the current Knicks). He is an unbelievable individual talent. That is who he is and it seems that is who he always will be.

So where does a guy like that fit at this point in his career? The answer remains the Knicks. The situation really couldn't be better. The Knicks take A.I. on a one-year rental. They put the ball in his hands. They put a better product on the floor and give the fans something to watch leading up to the summer of LeBron. They compete and attempt to avoid handing the Jazz a top-five pick. They are watchable. Yes, they are 2-9. But they could be a 2-9 team that adds A.I.

The Answer indeed (all I ask of him is that he passes the ball to Gallinari).

Find my original post from July below. The guy can still play...

Allen Iverson to the Knicks on a one year deal? I think I can talk myself into that one. I know that Iverson monopolizes the ball. I know that Iverson acted like a brat last year in Detroit. But I also know that Iverson has something to prove and A.I. with a chip on his shoulder has been known to stick it to the haters in the past.

This would obviously not be a long-term fix. However, Utah has the Knicks next draft pick so the lottery is not an exciting proposition and Iverson could be got on the cheap ($5.8 mil for one year). It is clear that his style of play is not conventionally condusive to winning basketball but the lastest things written and said about him have seemed to undermine his career achievements. Allen Iverson is not a bum and I guarantee you he is dying to shut those people up. Plus, it is not like the guy is washed up. Yes, his last season was a debacle but the year before he shot the highest percentage of his career while scoring 26 points and dishing out seven assists on a 50-win Denver team. The year before that? How does 31 points a game sound? I'll answer that for you&way better than anything the Knicks have had since the mid-nineties.

Iverson does need the ball in his hands. I say give it to him. Let him go up and down the floor in D'Antoni's system and dare guys to try and stay in front of him. What do they have to lose, other than 50+ games again? Allen Iverson is not the solution, but he could be a good short-term answer (at least I can talk myself into thinking that).

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I've got it all figured out and I'm really starting to feel myself (figuratively). Proceed with caution...

-As I said last week, the Giants are very much alive.

-The Cowboys' performance was troubling against a mediocre Green Bay team. Though, I expect nothing less from Dallas. The Eagles are the same team they've been over the last few years. Anything from 8-8 to SuperBowl is possible for them. On a sad note, shout out to Brian Westbrook. He may have suffered a career threatening concussion yesterday. He revolutionized the flex style position in the NFL and I wish him all the best.

-The Chargers appear to be entering their customary midseason stride. Expect them to win the division and possibly one playoff game.

-The Dolphins proved once again why they are just good. Nothing more, nothing less.

-Call 18-12 ugly if you want but I think that was an 18-12 game played between the two best teams in the AFC (assuming Polamalu's knee is ok).

-I really like the Vikings. Gunslung count: Favre 8, Lundberg 1

-Vince Young is now 21-11 as a starter and he and Chris Johnson are killing fools running the option. I'm just saying...

-I know it was Thursday but I just wanted to mention that Jay Cutler is reckless and I wouldn't want him as my quarterback. Dude has 17 picks. Already.

-The Saints are headed in the wrong direction. Trust me. Meanwhile, Steven Jackson needs a real team. Imagine him on the Saints or Colts or Patriots. You get the point.

-The Panthers are more dangerous than the Falcons going forward (the rest of this season).

-The Chiefs and Raiders played yesterday?

-We don't need to make up reasons why the Jets lose to teams like the Jaguars. The Jets lose to teams like that because once everything is weighed in, the Jets just aren't very good. Maurice Jones-Drew was running right where Kris Jenkins used to be.

-The Broncos had a nice run. It is over. I still really like what I have seen from Josh McDaniels.

-The Arizona Cardinals are the same team they were a season ago. They are a serious threat. However, I will never fully trust Kurt Warner.

-The Colts beat the Patriots? That happened? I am riding for Bill Belichick. He went for that 4th down because he is Bill Belichick and has the balls to make the right move. They got the first down by the way...

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I refuse to be hoodwinked. The Saints and Colts are both 8-0. Neither will win the Super Bowl. I am almost positive. I have been down this road before.

People love to anoint passing teams that put up a ton of points (not that this is a negative). They like to believe that what looks good is what wins, no matter how many times that theory is rebuked. Sometimes it is true but that is the exception rather than the rule. The two specific examples I can cite off hand are the Rams and Colts. In both cases, the offense wasn't alone. The Rams actually had a top five defense that year and the year the Colts won they had their best defense and just happened to draw Rex Grossman in the Super Bowl. I take nothing away from the Saints (they have slaughtered some good teams) or the Colts, they are both contenders. But I'd be surprised if either took the whole thing (Is it possible for the man-love for Drew Brees and Peyton Manning to get any stronger?).

My pick at this point? The Pittsburgh Steelers. With Troy Polamalu in the lineup, there isn't an offense that can light them up (Saints and Colts included). On the offensive side, Ben Roethlisberger and the passing game have never been better and the emergence of Rashard Mendenhall has given them another dimension.

Here is how I would size up the league...

Bona Fide Contenders:

Pittsburgh-See above.

New England-Beware the Patriots. I'd take them over the Saints and the Colts.

Minnesota-A complete team. I like everything about them except for Brett Favre in a big game.

New Orleans and Indianapolis-They are both 8-0. Brees and Manning are superb. I can't diss them through this whole blog.

Cincinnati-Can throw, can run, can play D. They have a win over the Steelers, two over the Ravens and a should-have-won over the Broncos.

Could Be Contenders:

Philadelphia-Inconsistent but they can score in bunches and are aggressive on defense. Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid have played this game before.

New York Giants-Writing them off is ridiculous. They are standing on a fault line but still have the talent (if healthy) and a winning formula.

Denver-I think the Broncos talent level is starting to catch up with them. They are well coached and will play hard but they don't have the horses (yay, pun) to get it done. Look out for them in the future with the prospects they get from the Jay Cutler trade.

Dallas-I hesitate to put them here but they are 6-2 and atop the NFC East. I have no faith in Tony Romo or Wade Phillips in a big spot.

Arizona-Same deal as Dallas. It will be tough for Kurt Warner to duplicate his consistent run from last year.

San Diego-They will be in the same situation they have been over the past few years. The ghost of L.T., no running game and Norv Turner give me caution.

Mediocre:

Baltimore-Better offense, worse defense. I think their reign of terror is over until they retool a bit.

Miami-Good, not great. One of my favorite teams to watch but they don't have the receivers or overall talent to overcome 3-5.

Houston-The definition of a tease.

Atlanta-A solid but unimpressive 5-3.

Jacksonville-They are 4-4. Really?

Green Bay and Chicago-Not awful, not good.

New York Jets-Defense and running offense keep them in games.

Carolina-Back to competitive, not a threat.

Go Away:

Tennessee (though I am extremely interested in Vince Young's performance), Tampa, Detroit, Oakland, Kansas City, Cleveland, St. Louis, Buffalo, Washington, and the NFC West (excluding the Cardinals).

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I had a great week picking against the spread. I will now write some thoughts as if I am a prognosticating genius (false)...

-Someone please euthanize the Redskins. Now. For the Falcons, the Michael Turner from last year is back and he still has incredible thighs *pause*.

-The Arizona Cardinals (and especially Kurt Warner) are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. But Dr. Jekyll is pretty good. Larry Fitzgerald is always very good. And by very good I mean frickin' awesome. Beanie Wells might just give their offense another dimension. Either way, Warner will cost them at some point.

-The Cincinnati Bengals are Super Bowl contenders. They can do everything. Cedric Benson went from laughingstock to animalistic beast, their scoring defense is top five and Carson Palmer and the passing game are back. Throw in the most entertaining player in the league, Ocho Cinco, and you have a serious threat. Meanwhile, I do not expect the Ravens to make the playoffs this year.

-I hate teams like the Texans. They like to flirt with being kind of good. On the other side, how can the Colts be 8-0 and still not impress me? That is probably a problem with me, not them.

-Please forgive me for not caring about the Jacksonville-Kansas City game. At all.

-The Packers just aren't very good. The Vikings are the only real team in that division. Also, I have never seen a grosser sight than the uniform combination between Green Bay and Tampa. Ugh. They looked like regurgitated autumn leaves.

-The Dolphins and Patriots was a matchup of my two favorite coaching staffs (I never thought I would write that sentence). Miami is a good team; nothing more, nothing less. New England is back to being more. Is Randy Moss the most dangerous quick-strike player in NFL history?

-Damn the Saints. I am officially hating on them. They stick it to me every week. Lately, it has been after playing possum for awhile. For Carolina, DeAngelo Williams is back to being electrifying. The Panthers are nowhere near the overall team they were last year though.

-I really, really can't stand the NFC West. Seattle is trying to make a run at second place (second place in that division is not a good thing). The Lions are the most improved, truly awful team, ever.

-Vince Young=20-11 as a starter (he and Chris Johnson are a deadly combo). I'm just saying...

On the other side, the 49ers skill position players are pretty stellar at this point. Do they have a quarterback?

-That one had to hurt the Giants. They played much better than they have in prior losses and Brandon Jacobs looked like the Juggernaut again but they still dropped their fourth in a row. How did they not go for the kill? You had the field goal either way, why settle for it? The G-Men need to get more than health out of this upcoming bye week. Good win for San Diego, however, their running game is non existent with the ghost of LaDainian Tomlinson back there.

-The Cowboys are unquestionably in the driver's seat in the NFC East. I'm still not sure how the refs didn't overturn that spot on the McNabb sneak on 4th and 1 though. What is the point of replay if you still get it wrong? The second meetings between the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants should all be fun (and meaningful).

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