By Hot Rod! The Rowdy One
Just when I
thought I was out... they pull me back in.
Michael Corleone – The Godfather, Part
III
Just when
you thought it was safe, I’m back. It's Thanksgiving, it's football, and we
have some games to discuss. This year we have three games for our viewing
pleasure. While the 12:30 PM and 4:15 PM games look to be massacres, all
eyes will be on the 8:15 PM.
Well
not all eyes considering that not everyone can get the NFL Network. Therefore, like the rest of
the nation who doesn't get the NFL Network, I'll
be following it on the Internet like everyone else. Fantastic, the best game of
the day, and I have to watch it on the computer.
Nothing
like having a great Thanksgiving dinner with friends and family, sit on the
couch, unbuckle the belt, and logging on to the NFL Network on the computer to watch the
game. It's a Thanksgiving tradition unlike any other.
Well,
since this isn't the most eventful year for Thanksgiving Football, you might as
well get stupid drunk, curse out all of your family at the dinner table, go
home, pass out, and don't remember it the following Friday when you have to
call out of work from being hung over. On the other hand, you can bite the
bullet and be thankful that there is some football on and watch. I'm going to
go with option "B". Although option "C" is do all of
the above, but I wouldn't advise it, that's too much on the heart.
I will say
this, I know it's a time-honored tradition for football fans to see the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, but like the
Obama campaign, we need a change. With match-ups like the ones we're having on
Thanksgiving, The NFL should consider alternating the games played on
Thanksgiving Day.
If the
NFL can use the flex schedule for the Sunday games, why not for Thanksgiving
and at least there would be some better matchups for viewers to watch and the
networks will get some solid ratings. In addition, you'll still have football
on the television for Turkey Day. Everybody wins. Then again, that's the
way I see it, I might be wrong. Go figure.
So
with that said, lets look at the Thanksgiving games:
Thanksgiving
Day, 11/27/08
12:30
PM, CBS
Tennessee Titans (10-1)
at Detroit Lions (0-11)
Ford Field, Detroit, MI
My Pick: Titans
This was
not the season the Lions had in mind back in Week 01. It's been one bad turn
after another and on Thanksgiving Day, things won't get any better.
Not only are they the joke of the NFL, but now they have to face the
Titans on the most bountiful of holidays. The only thing that will be bountiful
for the Lions will be the beat down they'll receive from the Titans.
Look,
there's no need to get deep in this game. The Titans are the better team
overall. They have the better offense and defense against the Lions.
They're also mad as hell after their loss
to the Jets, you can best believe that they're ready to take it out on
somebody. Too bad it's on a short week, too bad it's against the Lions.
Unless
there's some miracle of sorts, the Lions will lose this game. Only fate or the
hand of God Almighty can help the Lions win this game, everybody is betting
against them. Now, they can use that as inspiration to go out and throw
everything they have against the Titans, but I wouldn't bet the house on it.
You would be a fool to go against the Titans in this game; then again, anything
can happen. For now, the safe bet is the Titans.
4:15 PM, FOX
Seattle Seahawks (2-9)
at Dallas Cowboys (7-4)
Texas
Stadium, Irving, TX
My Pick: Cowboys
Now that the Dallas Cowboys have gotten most of their team back from injury,
they look to pick up where they left off in the middle of the season and start
winning some games. Now that the Seattle Seahawks have gotten most of
their team back from injury, they look to continue to keep losing the remainder
of their games for the season.
Like the
Titans, this is the Cowboys' game to lose. The Cowboys have the better offense
in this match-up and their defense looks like it remembered how to attack the
QB in their win against the 49ers. Kudos to all of
the Cowboys fans out there who put a hurting on my Niners by the way, much
respect due.
The
Seahawks are just having a bad year and it doesn't look to get any better. With
the nagging injuries and being a team in the midst of transition, the Seahawks
need to put this season behind them and look towards next year. They can try to
finish the season on a strong note, but it won't begin with this game.
Now I know
the Cowboys have won two games since their bye week, but they fought, and won,
a hard battle against the Redskins in the Sunday Night Game from two weeks ago,
and put a hurting on the 49ers last week. That’s what you need to do with four
weeks left in the season.
They look
to be on the right path as the season is winding down to make that playoff push
and no
distractions will interfere with what they are trying to accomplish
towards the end of the season. They're ready to make that run, and although they
may not win the NFC East, we'll see them playing some football in January.
With the
Seahawks still hurting with injuries and the Cowboys finding their rhythm in
the past two weeks, I have to go with the Cowboys in this game.
Thursday
Night Game, 8:15 PM, NFL Network
Arizona Cardinals (7-4)
at Philadelphia
Eagles (5-5)
Lincoln Financial Field,
Philadelphia, PA
My Pick: Eagles
This is a
must win game for both teams. The Cards need to win this game because they're
on the verge of winning the NFC West title and head to the playoffs. They have
to prove they can win on the road if they plan on advancing in the playoffs.
The Cards have to take their loss to the Giants, put it behind
them, and take it to the Eagles if they want to make a statement.
The Eagles
are discombobulated right now. In my
opinion, one of two things will happen at the end of the season; Andy Reid or
Donovan
McNabb will not be back in Philly next season. I'm going with
McNabb's departure. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if both men were out of
there at the end of the season and the Eagles decide to start fresh. We'll have
to wait and see. What I do know is that the Eagles need the win just as bad as
the Cards.
Like the
Colts, the Eagles are desperate for a win. They need to win bad just to stay
alive in the competitive NFC East. Desperate times, call for desperate
measures. With so much on the line, and having the home-field advantage in this,
look for the Eagles to pull out a “bountiful” and “thankful” win against on
Thursday Night.
Since it’s
the Thanksgiving Weekend, the old Hot Rod has already started throwing down
some of the delicious turkey Mrs. Hot Rod has made and the L-tryptophan
has kicked in. Therefore, I have “The Itis”.
With “The Itis”
and Georgia Tech
playing Georgia this weekend, I’m gonna hit yall with some quick
picks for the weekend because I can’t focus for the moment. Gonna take a nap
now and get ready for the games. Until we meet again, see ya when I see ya.
Sunday,
11/30/08, 1pm games
San Francisco 49ers (3-8) at Buffalo Bills (6-5)
Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY
My Pick: Bills
Baltimore Ravens (7-4) at Cincinnati
Bengals (1-9-1)
Paul Brown
Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
My Pick: Ravens
Indianapolis Colts (7-4) at Cleveland
Browns (4-7)
Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland,
OH
My Pick: Colts
Carolina Panthers (8-3) at Green Bay
Packers (5-6)
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
My Pick: Packers
Miami
Dolphins (6-5) at St. Louis Rams (2-9)
Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO
My Pick: Dolphins
New Orleans Saints (6-5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3)
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
My Pick: Buccaneers
New York Giants (10-1) at Washington
Redskins (7-4)
FedEx Field,
Landover, MD
My Pick: Giants
4pm
games
Atlanta Falcons (7-4) at San Diego
Chargers (4-7)
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
My Pick: Falcons
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) at New England
Patriots (7-4)
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
My Pick: Patriots
Denver Broncos (6-5) at New York Jets (8-3)
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
My Pick: Jets
Kansas City Chiefs (1-10) at Oakland
Raiders (3-8)
McAfee
Coliseum, Oakland, CA
My Pick: Raiders
Sunday
Night Football, 8pm
Chicago Bears (6-5) at Minnesota Vikings (6-5)
Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN
My Pick: Vikings
Monday
Night Football, 12/01/08, 8:30pm
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7) at Houston
Texans (4-7)
Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
My Pick: Jaguars
Have
a Safe, Blessed, and Happy Thanksgiving