Ken Hawk's Friday Huddle Quick Hits - Week 13

• Coach Hawk is back! The guy is lucky to be here, spending the Thanksgiving weekend in the hospital after receiving third degree burns to his wanger. If someone tells you to check that turkey with a "meat thermometer", think before you act.
• Week 13 of the NFL season and what do we know so far. Well, some here and there. Ken Hawk went 13-3 last week in his picks, which goes to show even a guy who drinks mustard and knows nothing about football can chose a winner.
• This weekend the Cowboys and Giants face off, and regardless of what direction each team is going this is heating up to be a statement rivalry game. Dallas says let's go. New York says no way in hell.
• There are too many names in the news, too much press and too many people voicing in the Giants camp to convince me that this team has re-focused itself for this showdown. This is an angry, confused group publicly voicing its discontent, and is becoming increasingly individual, and less a team.
• I can't see this team coming together to overcome the soaring Dallas opposition, it's that simple. There's a lack of confidence, leadership, and some send this message like they don't even care. That won't make one difference to the Cowboys.
• I could go both ways with Parcells's decision this week. Vanderjagt has a pretty accurate history behind him, but the question is what can you do for me now. I was half expecting Dallas's post-season to end with a wide kick in a windy stadium.
• Here's the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders. They give Ken that funny feeling he used to get trying to climb the rope in gym class.
• On Sunday the Seahawks will square off against the Broncos in Denver. A new era begins, as the sword is passed to Cutler, as Plummer has just run out of time.
• The day had to come, the question was when Shanahan would move on. At 7-4 in the playoff push, a victory here would undoubtedly spark this team and its fans and keep them in the wild card race. However, with the pressure on Cutler, to get it going, to turn this season around (thats why he's in now, isn't it?) I don't believe he will be able to instantly pull this offense back together in seven days. Despite the short week I'll take the 'Hawks for the upset.
• That should do it for Ken Hawk, lets do some picks for week 13 (Week 12: 13-3)
• Cincinnati > Baltimore UPSET
• St Louis > Arizona
• Atlanta > Washington UPSET
• New England > Detroit
• Ken Hawk slapped > Ken Hawk getting laid
• Indianapolis > Tennessee
• Kansas City > Cleveland
• Chicago > Minnesota
• NY Jets > Green Bay
• San Diego > Buffalo
• New Orleans > San Francisco
• Oakland > Houston
• Miami > Jacksonville
• Dallas > NY Giants
• Pittsburgh > Tampa Bay
• Seattle > Denver UPSET
• Carolina > Philadelphia

Ken Hawk's Thursday Huddle Quick Hits - Week 12

• It's Thanksgiving at the Hawks' and that means a turkey in the microwave and eating out of the neighbor's garbage.
• Last week Coach Hawk predicted the Cowboys to have the means to dominate this second half of the season and start with the Colts. Now Dallas is looking hot with the Giants and the Eagles taking losses. So have faith here, sometimes this guy's thought process is on-target. Other times, like handing his beer to the driving instructor and saying "hEy watCh tHiS", he couldn't be more wrong.
• The Colts' offense was faulted in several places last week, with three fumbles and two interceptions, Manning clearly thrown off and his receivers dropping a number of balls.
• This should be a wake up call for the Colts to get back to the basics, simple mistakes were a major factor in their loss on Sunday. How Indianapolis will regain its focus and correct its errors is to be seen, but I expect this team to eventually overwhelm a Philadelphia club missing its primary weapon.
• How about a little love for this Eagles cheerleader? How about a lot? How about I shake the paint off your walls, honey? Whoa. Too much?
• Chicago ends their three game road trip in the northeast in a Sunday afternoon showdown with one of those teams no one wants to play, the New England Patriots.
• On one hand its my Chicago Bears who have rebound from that loss to go 2-0 on the road, with defense and special teams at their top game and the offense playing smart against turning it over. There are doubts to be had with the offense, but the Bears are improving.
• On the other side, New England is a fierce AFC team. Brady is a renowned leader, Belichick is extremely strategic, the numbers do not reflect what they can throw at you. The Pats weakness may be in a beat-up secondary. I'm pulling for my Bears, but I am thinking Belichick will be the top factor in designing schemes to disrupt Grossman's attack. Tough call.
• You know what else is tough? Ken Hawk getting fired this holiday week. I'd say crapping in a trash can marked "waste" is an honest mistake, and actually a step up for Hawk, really.
• Here's a tribute to the two greatest cheerleaders in NFL history. God bless you.
• On Thursday night Denver battles Kansas City in another heated AFC West match. The first meeting in Week 2 went to Denver with a final 9-6 score in overtime. How about this, in consecutive weeks both played Oakland to a 17-13 score.
• Ken Hawk is going with Kansas City for the win, aside from the home advantage, with two well-matched defenses you have to look at the offense coming to the table. Jake Plummer just won't convince me with his inconsistency. From one game to the next its who will show up today. But at 7-3 would you shake things up? I don't think Shanahan will.
• And thats the new format. I'd love your feedback, too much or too little, I'd rather hear that than nothing at all. But its a step in the right direction. Ken Hawk hasn't been prouder since a deep search into family records revealed his full birthname. Stand tall, Kenneth Fartholomew Hawk.
• Here's Ken's picks for Week 12: (Week 11: 11-5)
• Miami > Detroit
• Dallas > Tampa Bay
• Kansas City > Denver UPSET
• Minnesota > Arizona
• Carolina > Washington
• Cincinnati > Cleveland
• N.Y. Jets > Houston
• Jacksonville > Buffalo
• New Orleans > Atlanta UPSET
• Baltimore > Pittsburgh
• San Francisco > St. Louis UPSET
• San Diego > Oakland
• New England > Chicago
• Tennessee > N.Y. Giants UPSET
• Indianapolis > Philadelphia
• Seattle > Green Bay

The Cowboys ride The Colts

The Colts are no longer undefeated. The 1972 Dolphins need to send a big THANK YOU to my Dallas Cowboys for keeping their record sacred.

Yesterday afternoon, Tony Romo had one of the best games of his short career in the Cowboys 21-14 win over the Colts. Our defense played an awesome game and never let Manning feel comfortable in the pocket.

All I gotta say is HELL YEAH!!!!!

Pacquiao KO's Morales!

For those of you who happen to be fans of boxing, Manny Pacquiao knocked out Erik Morales in the 3rd round tonight! The fight took place in Las Vegas to a split Mexican and Philippino crowd. Unfortunately, for me, Morales got his ass kicked. But this outcome was fairly predictable since he is no longer the fighter he used to be. Hopefully we'll get some more killer fights in the coming year. Watch out for Floyd Mayweather Jr., that dude can fight!

Big Sports Weekend

There are some great sporting events this weekend and in the week to come including the big Michigan / Ohio State game, the Colts / Cowboys game, and Nascar's Championship weekend.

First Off, congratulations to Todd Bodine for winning the Nascar Craftsman Truck Series Championship. Believe it or not, this is the first Nascar Championship for the Bodine family, and Todd has dominated this year's run for the trophy. In my opinion, the CTS is one of the most competitive and exciting racing series in all of racing.


Now, the big race. Sunday, Jimmie Johnson will try to hold off Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, and Dale Earnardt Jr. To win his first ever Nascar Nextel Cup Championship. Currently, Johnson has a comfortable 60 point lead over Kenseth and just needs to finish 12th or better to secure the Cup.





I guarantee that my remote control will be busy flipping from the race to the football games including the Colts vs. The Cowboys. This will be Tony Romo's biggest game of his short career, and I expect him to rise up and meet the challenge head on. The Colts defense is weak and watch for Julius Jones and Marion Barber to exploit the Colts' line and both should have huge games. Unfortunately, I think Manning will be the big difference in this game. He is probably the best QB in football today, and I expect the Colts to narrowly escape defeat against my Cowboys.

Now to the biggest football game of the week. The match-up between #1 Ohio State and #2 Michigan should live up to it's expectations. I personally don't care who wins, or even have a pick for this game, but I will be watching with the expectation of this being the game of the year and the game that will decide who will be this year's NCAA Champion.

OK, now go grab some beer, potato chips, and French onion dip; call the boys over; send the wife to the mall; and enjoy some great sporting events this weekend.

DA BEARS!

As a hardcore Bears fan, it's been surprising that I haven't jumped on the "Bears are going to the Superbowl" bandwagon. I'm not totally convinced that this team has what it takes to win a big playoff game. I think Rex Grossman has lots of experience to gain before the Bears can truly be contenders. Furthermore, the defense has to stop the running game. This is all changing very rapidly. Read on...

I'm beginning to BELIEVE in the Bears. I was always skeptical about the Lovie Smith regime, but their impressive wins against the NY Giants, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers has injected a shot of confidence in this team. Sure, the Arizona and Miami games were ugly, but the team showed how it can come back against the former team. The Bears have shown their weakness and their strengths, with the latter overshadowing the former.



Chicago Bears Weaknesses:

- Rex Grossman: Will the impressive one show up, or will the rookie-esque player give Chicago fans more headaches.

- Rush Defense: We saw Tiki Barber gain 8 yards per carry on Sunday. The 49ers also put up formidable numbers against the Bears rush defense. This needs to be fixed.

- Jones vs Benson: Which one of these guys can truly produce for the Bears?

- Bernard Berrian: Will he be healthy-enough to be a factor against the Jets and Patriots?

Strengths:

- Rex Grossman: If he comes to a game prepared, expect many TD passes. He can be very brilliant!

- Defense: Eli Manning had a difficult time passing the ball in the second half, thanks to the defense.

- Brian Urlacher: The face of the team, and the guy who makes the defensive plays happen.


- Safety Mike Brown: He's a key defensive player. Hopefully he'll be healthy soon.

- Defensive Line, Tommie Harris: Getting sacks like a motherfucker!

- Devin Hester and Special Teams: 108 yd return TD, forced turnovers, need I say more?

Despite these strengths, I'm not ready to begin calling a Superbowl trip for the Bears. We'll have to see if they beat the Jets (which I think will get slaughtered by the Bears) and the Pats. If the Bears win these last two games of the road trip, I'll officially be on board the bandwagon. If they split the games, I'll most likely jump aboard soon after. The NFC is grossly inferior to the AFC, so these games are important. I hold the Bears to be favorites in the NFC, but many questions remain. Let's just say I'm very close to BELIEVING!

GO BEARS!

Ken Hawk's Friday Huddle - Week 11

New from Ken Hawk Collectibles! Warm up on those cold winter nights with the KH Brewery's Lord Hawk's famous Scottish Ass Splitter, or keep it metal with Ken's two new Iron Maiden influenced ales, Beer of the Dark and Bring Your Lager To The Slaughter! The Ken Hawk Collectibles company would also like to remind all customers to immediately dispose of their Ronnie James Diodarant, as long term studies have shown to produce unwanted body hair and an unexplained desire to run around your neighborhood all goofy wielding a sword and shield.
So now in Week 11 while we are starting to see the shape of the division leaders in this second half of the season the underdogs have come back fighting. The Giants loss to the Bears on Sunday night keeps them in the thick of things as both the Eagles and the Cowboys won in Week 10. The AFC West is catapulted into the spotlight as the Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs all have made their cases as contenders this year. Two consecutive losses on the Patriots' board come as the Jets and the Dolphins get victories. That is the craziness that is the NFL huh? How about this? Ken Hawk got laid...... out flat when he complained about SYL / Fear Factory bassman Byron Stroud stealing his chili dog.
Week 11: how about the Colts versus the Cowboys, and oooooh damn, the Chargers at the Broncos. Someone pass me a Beer of the Dark.
On Sunday the Cowboys face their biggest fight this season when the undefeated Colts bring their game into town and BND has got his Peyton Manning voodoo doll ready. This one promises to be interesting though, and here's why: the Colts are on the road, (Manning's first time in Dallas BTW) and are lining up against a 3-4 defense with high numbers against the pass attack and good corners. In addition, Julius Jones and Marion Barber spearhead a strong Dallas rushing game, where it is universally overstated that Indianapolis is dead-last in defending against. The matchup balance teeters in the Cowboys' favor, but make no mistake, this is a formidable offense with a heavy arsenal they are up against. The Colts have scrapped against some powerful teams to start 9-0. But, Dallas, I believe, has the pieces in place to be one of these teams that soar in the second half of the season, and I am penciling them to start here with an upset over Indianapolis.
Sunday night will mark a major battle in the war of the AFC West when the Broncos take on the Chargers in what is likely the most anticipated game of the week. At stake is the lead in the AFC West with each team at a 7-2 standing. In my week 4 or 5 rant I went on about how I was seeing San Diego as one of the most complete teams in the AFC, and the team looks like its coming around with others. Now, the Chargers attack has made a name for itself, packing a high-powered offense with a confident QB and tremendous rushing game. At the same time, the defense has slipped, allowing 41 points to the Bengals, 25 points to the Browns, 30 points to the Chiefs in the middle of their season. That's a groaner, but I can't knock them for that win in Cincinnati, in all honesty I think this team could beat pretty much anyone on the map. On the other side, the great Denver debate could easily become renewed following another slow outing for Plummer against Oakland last Sunday. 2 TD's, 3 picks, the Broncos get it done, but from the looks of things Shanahan is not liking the inconsistency of the offense coming to the table. Here, I just think San Diego is the better team, the Denver offense isn't convincing me they can put up more than the Chargers can, and I'll take the Bolts to get the better of their rivals this time around.
Alright, starting Week 12, this blog will be in a new format, and we'll see how it rolls. Time for picks. (Week 10: 9-7)
Baltimore > Atlanta
Houston > Buffalo
Chicago > NY Jets
New Orleans > Cincinnati
Miami > Minnesota
New England > Green Bay
Kansas City > Oakland
Pittsburgh > Cleveland
Carolina > St. Louis
Philadelphia > Tennessee
Tampa Bay > Washington
Detroit > Arizona UPSET (?)
Seattle > San Francisco
Dallas > Indianapolis UPSET
San Diego > Denver UPSET
Jacksonville > NY Giants

Ken Hawk's Friday Huddle - Week 10

The votes are in, and the popular opinion says Ken Hawk could lose an election against a kidney stone.
More importantly, the second half of the NFL season begins in Week 10, and if you're just tuning in, you're probably less confused than the rest of us.
Perhaps its just the way of the menacing, unpredictable NFL, but I can't remember a year in the past few where there was so much inconsistency, so early in the season, among so many teams. Things are beginning to take shape in the frontrunners, most notably the Colts coming off big wins in Denver and New England to make their case as they cruise at 8-0. There were doubts concerning this team, myself included, regarding the run defense that has been exposed like a bare ass, but the shield has got it done the past two weeks. Things look good for Indianapolis, a powerful offense, a skilled mind behind it, and while that hole in the anchor leaves some doubt you have to admit this team has scrapped through some tough ones.
This week's matchups feature games between the Redskins and Eagles, the Rams and the Seahawks, and the NFC power struggle comes to a showdown Sunday night when the Bears fight the Giants.
The Eagles began an impressive start only to fall to 4-4, and on Sunday return from their bye week to square off against the rival Redskins. At the risk of infuriating BND I'll keep this to a minimum. I'm going with Philadelphia to come back out of the bye week with a victory here, a stronger D supporting McNabb's play this year has been far more convincing than either side of the Washington ball. The slide that featured two losses with last minute field goals were just that, games where the last guy with the ball would come out on top. Still some questionable play, but some excellent game as well, and as far as 4-4 teams go, this is one of the better looking.
The Seahawks and the Rams fight it out one last time on Sunday out in the NFC West. I took Seattle to upset St. Louis when they first met back in Week 6, and this time around looks to be just as close. The Rams' skid started with the 'Hawks and after defeats to San Diego and Kansas City they face the rivals that started the streak. While putting up numbers to rank at #4 on total offense the St. Louis defense is giving up plenty on the pass and the rush, and nearly 25 points a game. Seattle has tried to adjust without Hasselbeck and Alexander and basically hangs around the middle of the stats. This is a tough one, with key injuries and coming off a short week it could easily go the other way, but based on that weak Rams D I'll take the 'Hawks at home to slide by for the upset and the sweep.
By the end of Sunday Night a dominant face in the NFC will emerge when Chicago rolls into New York. The Bears are 7-1, coming off that first disappointing game to Miami last week that seemed to stop the world for a day. The Giants continue at full throttle (aside from a game last week vs. the Texans that was too close for comfort) going 5-0 after a slow start.
So let's do this and be done with it, a word regarding the Bears: jump off the bandwagon if you wish, if you got that distraught from one loss in eight weeks, from getting that caught up thinking this team was perfect, you're a fool.
Its clear that Chicago dropped one here, and its also known that the Bears' success attributed to some loss of focus during meetings and practice last week. No joking around this week, this team now knows how it feels to lose and is vowing resilience. The key is minimizing mistakes, and it starts with Grossman, and the high expectations of him.
I wanted to put this into perspective, and after much thought, I thought a good comparison wouldn't be the '85 Bears but more the '04 Steelers. You have an inexperienced quarterback with less than a season of starts, surrounded by a very good ball club. The team begins to win games, Roethlisberger and Grossman are expected to play at an optimum, and thats a lot to ask. Both have good and bad games, they endure much criticism, jeers of replacement, their team bails them out, etc. But both have flashes of great potential. Now Grossman has his turnovers drilled into his head all week, the guy is young, he will improve. So everyone take a deep breath. Chicago wasn't going to run 16-0. Like I said, if you've been paying attention, you'd know this team has its weaknesses, but you'd also know this team has its strengths. The Seahawks were 3-0 and had just destroyed the Giants when the Bears put 37 points on them. Critics of the schedule seem to forget this one.
Flash forward. The question is how the Bears offense will fare against the depleted Giants, and can the #2 defense in the league contain Tiki Barber. Chicago takes a punch with emerging deep threat Berrian out, as does New York with notable defensive ends Mike Strahan and Osi Omenyiora, and now wide receiver Amani Toomer, out of the game. Starters aside, the Bears' primary emphasis must be not giving up the turnovers. Then, protecting Grossman as he works on the Giants defense giving up 200 yds/avg a game through the air and establishing a ground game. Coughlin will not make it easy on the Bears defense, as they have been increasingly effective in their run game utilizing leading rusher Barber when Manning feels the heat. Their focus must be executing against a strong rush defense and getting in the young Grossman's face on the other side. Because of the accumulation of injuries to the Giants and the events that have unfolded this week, I am going with Chicago to strike back on Sunday night.
And now for the picks (Week 9: 9-5)
Baltimore > Tennessee
Indianapolis > Buffalo
Atlanta > Cleveland
Minnesota > Green Bay
Jacksonville > Houston
Kansas City > Miami
New England > New York Jets
San Diego > Cincinnati
Detroit > San Francisco
Philadelphia > Washington
Denver > Oakland
Dallas > Arizona
New Orleans > Pittsburgh UPSET
Seattle > St. Louis UPSET
Chicago > N.Y. Giants UPSET
Carolina > Tampa Bay

...and in other Sports News

Harvey Barkenstafenstien won the North-East tiddlywinks championship with this 12" shot under the careful eye of Judge Margie Funklindurkster.

The competition was fierce, and the suspense was nearly unbearable, but in the end, Mr. Barkenstafenstien was able to pull out the victory.

Ken Hawk's Friday Huddle - Week 9

The Return of the Ken! Look at this guy, he gets more ass than a rental car. Lord Hawk is back and ready to face the second half of the 2006-07 NFL season with you. This man stands firm, even when the public disagrees with his drawing eyes and a mouth on his nadbag, with a well-placed flashlight behind them, to make the world's first Sac-O-Lantern. I want to see some legislation condemning the act to back up that Tasering.
Week 9 lies ahead and if you ask me, this has been one crazy year in the NFL. There have been the usual quarterback switches and coaching changes, but there's also inconsistencies in so many teams from one game to the next that it is truely difficult to predict which direction a club will be going a week from now.
But this is Week 9, and whether you're consistent or not is starting to become less the priority as your record is now the X factor. Desperation will set in and and the ones with their backs against the wall will strike hard to get that W.
This Sunday gives us several great rivalry matchups with a heated fight in the cold AFC North between the Bengals and the Ravens, and how about this for old enemies: the Cowboys versus the Redskins, the Colts versus the Patriots. Wow, is the heat on in here? You bet. Some like it hot. Ken Hawk heard that and thought it meant chicks like it when you microwave your wang.
Once a potential threat for the AFC crown, Cincinnati has fallen in previous weeks to New England and Atlanta, and the criticisms have begun to seep through the cracks. While the Patriots and Falcons are both heavy contenders playing very productively it has to be noted that the Bengals are failing to come out on top in the big games. Palmer still struggles with fumbling and a defense ranked 20th is still an issue. On the other side, the Ravens are one of these teams that hit the brakes and came right back at us in Week 8, taking the momentum out of the Saints and leaving one to wonder if this is the turnaround point. Was the choice to fire Fassel the right one? I feel about this the same way as I do about Dallas starting Romo. It's too early to tell what real impact it will have, but the immediate results were enough to get the confidence back among the team. Noteworthy: McNair's numbers in Week 8.
In the NFC East, the Cowboys are coming off handing the Panthers their asses to dance with the Redskins. There's plenty of history here between these two teams and good reason for Washington to want to play spoiler to Dallas's recent boost in morale. The Cowboys took the early game this season, and need another here to stay in the race with the Giants. Despite some bad choices, a few desperation tosses and some bad luck two weeks ago Romo looked steady in Carolina. This week he'll be out to prove that the win can't be all attributed to some sloppy play by the Panthers. Again, I think it's unrealistic to measure Romo by the two games he has played in thus far; as the season unfolds so will the character of Dallas's starter. What I can say is that the Cowboys needed to bench the declining Bledsoe, and at least Romo has given them hope.
At the height of the action is Indianapolis at New England. Yeah, it is the headline of the week, and maybe we talk way too much about it, but why not? In the past several years these two teams, both arguably a couple of the most dominant in the AFC if not the entire league, have played each other with fierce contest. I am thinking this duel will be a total shootout: the Colts offense holds such firepower and caliber in its attack, while the Patriots succeed so well in the strategic game, exposing weaknesses, rather than working on establishing a balanced offense. Look how New England dismantled Minnesota this past Monday. Belichick could care less if they didn't even crack 100 yards rushing, the Vikings were absolutely mangled in the air. So its the NFL's #1 offense vs. the calculating mind in New England. There's plenty to be excited about here. Keep in mind the Colts did drop the Pats last year, back in their dome, but that defense was much more steady than the one Indianapolis holds this year. In addition, the Patriots were having problems of their own, and were actually 4-3 at the time of the meeting. This time around looks to be a much more evenly matched game. New England has flown low while Chicago and Indy steal the headlines, this could be the perfect opportunity for the team to establish itself and claim the Colts' perfect record.
This weeks picks, lets do this thing:
Atlanta > Detroit
Chicago > Miami
Dallas > Washington
Buffalo > Green Bay
Baltimore > Cincinnati
Kansas City > St. Louis UPSET
New Orleans > Tampa Bay
NY Giants > Houston
Jacksonville > Tennessee
San Diego > Cleveland
Denver > Pittsburgh UPSET
Minnesota > San Francisco
New England > Indianapolis
Seattle > Oakland

BND's Sunday Predictions

OK, I've got no expert analysis, no match-up despriptions, no pictures of Ken in the huddle, and all the cheerleader picsks have already been posted. But here are my predictions for today's games:

Jacksonville > Houston
Philadelphia > Tampa Bay
Detroit < NY Jets
Green Bay > Miami
San Diego > KC
Carolina < Cincinnati (sorry Bushwack)
New England > Buffalo
Pittsburg < Atlanta
Denver > Cleveland
Missesota < Seattle
Arizona > Oakland
Washington < Indianapolis
NY Giants <<<<< Dallas

World Series
Tigers < Cardinals

Nascar at Martinsville
Jeff Burton will win and stretch his points lead

On Vacation : Hell, this page needs more of these

Ken Hawk - Out 'Til Week 9

Ken Hawk's Tuesday Morning Quarterback - Week 6

Week 6 of the NFL is over and Ken Hawk couldn't be happier. I went 6-7 in my picks, and this guy stood his own last night, and stuck it out, as humiliating as it was, and I'll leave it at that. If you find it out there, you can read all about it. But the week is over, and I'm on my way down to Jamaica for two weeks off, plenty of sun and scenery. Oh, and in true Ken Hawk fashion I'll be donning the Rasta tam hat and dreads for my pecker and cruising for the beach babes. Early forecast is calling for 512 stitches over the vacation.
What a week for upsets, three of the four winless teams would finally walk away without a loss, 6 of the 8 morning games were decided by 3 points or less, the champs win, the Bears, well, let's just say there was some crazy shit going on out there today. Some will shake their heads at this game, while others will point out that the defense and special teams found a way to win, and that's the sign of a great team. My thoughts: this is a good time to be heading into a bye week to re-evaluate ourselves. 4. interceptions. is. no. good.
The Saints matched the Eagles down to the final minutes and pulled away with the upset on Sunday, and this should be the one that makes believers of many. In the end, either team could have come away with the win in this one, but the Saints took the day. New Orleans goes into the bye week in first place at 5-1, but most importantly they took down one of the most dominant NFC teams on Sunday. A victory over the soaring Philadelphia offense made a statement, really, the fact that they kept up with the Eagles said enough, regardless of the win. In no way am I slighting the Eagles. I was a believer in the NO attack but other facets following the Panthers and Buccaneers games gave me some doubts, but this game was a wake-up call. The Saints DO have the capacity to take on the NFL.
The Seahawks edged the Rams with a last minute field goal to win 30-28. This was the morning game I watched, and I was convinced Holmgren would have an Alexander-less plan to attack coming off the bye week. The first half was all St. Louis, the second Seattle. That's really the only way I can see it, St. Louis couldn't even be consistent through one game. With talent like Bulger, Bruce and Holt I've never said this was a bad bunch, but this team can really change from one game to the next. There's little to conclude with a 2 point victory, they could pull off the next match vs. Seattle, though it would be an entirely different situation.
The certain defeat Sunday morning came with the Giants taking down the Falcons in a highly anticipated NFC battle. Whatever Coughlin did during the bye week must have worked, New York has really clicked back into gear these past two weeks. After all the talk and numbers surrounding the Atlanta defense they allowed a huge running game by the Giants. This leaves a big question mark in the NFC East. The 'Skins (2-4) and Eagles (4-2) lose today, the Giants (3-2) and 'Boys (3-2) win. This is a different kind of division, there is clearly a genuine power struggle.
To finish this off, it's been a fun season thus far, I've gone 58-29 in my picks. As for the season itself , there's a lot of game left, many questions to be answered, rivalries to settle, and room for teams to rise. Props to the Titans, Buccaneers, and.... Lions for not giving up, and coming away with your first this week. I watched the finals to the Tennessee and Tampa Bay matches, and they were really a sight to behold. At the same time, congrats to the Steelers on a menacing game vs. Kansas City, this was very impressive and a totally different Steelers team than we have been seeing these past few weeks, I was glad to see this great team pull it back together.
While there are some holding their throats around the water cooler, describing the Arizona team's final minutes last night, I have to point out how prominent a game Matt Leinart played. The rookie did was he was asked and lead the offense to two early scores in the first quarter, and he looked like a damn good veteran leader doing it. Laugh at the Cardinals now, but I think given a few years the NFC West will rise again into a big division.
Ken Hawk will return in Week 9 for the Saturday Morning Huddle. Until then, keep the firecrackers out of your ass.

Ken Hawk's Friday Huddle - Week 6

Welcome to Week 6 of the NFL season, your trusted compadre Coach Hawk is here, a week after going 13-1, telling you how it is and telling the rest to get in the back of the bus and sit down. A round of Tasering won't stop this guy, though he may drop the "Does this smell like chloroform?" pick-up line with the ladies; it does in fact get you Tasered fast, and often.
This week's matchups include several with the NFC's top division leaders, including Philadelphia and New Orleans, a West rivalry between the Seahawks and Rams, and the Big Blue at Atlanta. The "appealing" games are limited this week, but a real tug-of-war exists in the NFC, as several teams look to dethrone the Seahawks.
Eagles haters may not like it, but as a fan of the game I see McNabb playing some of his best football ever. The offense ranks #1 in the league and why not, McNabb has always played a good game and makes choice decisions. Despite some injuries and a day-to-day running game, Philadelphia has truly resurfaced since that awful 2005 season. At the same time, the Saints continue to be the feel-good story of the NFL following an incredible 4-1 start. I never understood trading Drew Brees though I can't say San Diego is complaining now, and Brees has recovered and played damn well in New Orleans. And does it get much better than the one-two punch of McCallister and Bush? The Saints I think have the talent to keep up in battle with the Eagles, but I don't see them upsetting this soaring offense. While the defense has improved immensely the pieces aren't all here yet, New Orleans would have to have lucky bounces to take on some of the NFL elite.
The Seahawks return from their bye week after that loss to DA BEARS and face division rival St. Louis. The Rams kicked off their season with a thrashing of Denver followed by a loss to San Francisco, and now have won 3 in a row by a touchdown or less vs. Detroit, Green Bay, and Arizona. OK, so the play is actually fairly good, but wins against under .500 teams, two being close wins involving last minute fumbles, well, they don't gotten me on board with some saying to watch for this team as the season progresses. I watched the Arizona game, and I didn't see it. The defense is decent but the wins have come with last minute luck, and I've already gone through this with the Ravens. When scoring in the final second becomes a habit, it will be exposed. The Rams' numbers are increasing but this is a tough, talented Seattle club, and you can bet this is also an angry Seattle club.
The other NFC East vs. NFC South game on Sunday comes with Giants against the Falcons. I was a bit shocked to see NY beat back the Redskins last week following a near collapse going into their bye week. But the defense rallied, Manning threw well, and the Giants put a brake on the 'Skins who only a week before had topped the Jaguars. I still believe that this is a growing team capable of doing great things, though what with their shaky start and a tough schedule this may not be their year. The story in Atlanta this year hasn't been Mike Vick so much as the tremendous defensive power they have assembled. Aside from the loss to the Saints in that MNF return the Falcons haven't allowed an offensive touchdown and are ranked up at #3 for overall defense. The offensive rush is producing big time, though there have been some problems getting the whole job done; coming off a bye week it may take this match to fully assess how Atlanta will finish on the attack.
What stinks in here, is that Coach Hawk thundershitting himself eyeing this lovely lady? Nah, its that I have been doing fairly well in my picks, but not posting them on the site. A 13-1 week is pretty damn cool, but nothing to get a boner about if you have no proof. I have nothing to show for it other than the USA Today Friday edition sports section where I mark my picks. Well that changes here folks:
Seattle > St Louis
Philadelphia > New Orleans
Atlanta > New York Giants
Baltimore > Carolina
Cincinnati > Tampa Bay
Washington > Tennessee
Dallas > Houston
San Diego > San Francisco
NY Jets > Miami
Oakland > Denver... NOT!
Chicago > Arizona
Buffalo > Detroit
Kansas City > Pittsburgh = Upset of the Week
This is pretty much the only upset I can see happening, I think KC couldn't be finding the champs at a better time. As the mandatory upset pick goes, here it is.

Ken Hawk's Tuesday Morning Quarterback - Week 5

Week 5 of the NFL season comes to a close and Coach Hawk, who goes 13-1 (his only loss due to his mandatory upset pick) in his picks this week, is all over the X's and O's in this edition of Tuesday Morning QB.
The defending champs hit a three game losing slump upon falling to the Chargers Sunday Night. Rusty has been the word people have been using for the Steelers this season but I struggle to see what is really happening here; the offense hasn't been consistent in it's running or receiving, even with the veterans like the great Hines Ward there's dropped passes and people failing to come up with the ball. In the past three games Ben has thrown 0 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Overall it looks like there's a loss of confidence on both sides of the Pittsburgh game and I'm really hoping this team can pull itself out of this hole; this is far from the club that took down Cincinnatti, Indianapolis and Denver on its way to the Super Bowl.
At the same time, San Diego looked GOOD. Despite a slow start Philip Rivers gave doubters a show by tearing through a physical Pittsburgh defense. I'm interested in seeing more of Rivers, though you have to give him credit for the primetime performance on Sunday, but the strength of the Chargers run game and the stiff defense has convinced me over the past several weeks. Last week, I didn't take away from the Chargers after that loss, and at the moment, I am thinking San Diego might be the best looking team in the AFC. It isn't about records or win streaks, its all about substance.
Elsewhere the Giants returned from their bye week to hold the Redskins to a field goal in their victory. After three declining performances I was thinking my original NFC Super Bowl pick was a bust. The criticism amongst the team and staff following that loss to the Seahawks wasn't quite at mutiny, but it made news, and that got louder. From the way the Giants handled things yesterday it appears these ripples have been settled for the time being. It will take a few weeks to see how this NY team will move ahead.
Indianapolis ended up with the win at the end of the day yesterday but their defense's performance over the season isn't fooling anyone, the rigid shield that the Colts amassed last year after years of problems with the D is simply not there anymore. Not to take away from the Titans, at all, who shut down the Indianapolis offense for a good slice of the game. And not too bad for a team who suffered such a humiliating round against Dallas last week, how about Young's TD run there? It's too bad there's some poor decision making here, maybe the Titans could pull it together in the next few years.
Indianapolis hasn't really clicked for me lately. You will see peoples power rankings each week (which I think would be a awesome thing to implement at this site) where the winners rise and the losers drop, and I mean, what the hell is that? Don't be fooled by the buzz, this is not the way to look at things, why do you think these guys move their #1 teams and apologize every week? Honestly, the Colts defense problems have stuck with me for weeks, and yesterday was enough for me to take them down a notch in my personal power rankings. This is a great team, but the defense problems will expose them this season. There are better rounded teams out there. Upcoming contests against the Redskins, Broncos, and Patriots will test that undefeated record of the Colts.
As a Chicagoan, and as a fan of the game, I was very impressed by the Bears' victory over the Bills. There is much talk out there of "the best team in the league" and already there are Bears fans buying Super Bowl tickets, and while I agree the Bears have found a successful offensive attack while holding one of the most vicious defenses in the league, I'm interested in seeing a match against a formidable AFC team. The Week 12 game against New England will be interesting. I don't look to be a downer but a voice of common sense with Chicago football fans. Hey, I'm all about the Bears. I love Chicago. The Bears could well be bound to win the NFC, I've been backing them every week! My point: enjoy the ride, but don't support yourself underneath hype you don't understand. There's too many folks reading the papers saying 5-0, hey, the Bears are perfect this year!
Monday night gave us an inside look at one of the breakthrough teams of the season, the Baltimore Ravens, when they headed to Denver for a primetime showdown. For the past few weeks I have been critical of the team's last-minute comebacks that some claim are the makings of a great QB while others simply claim it a bad habit. This was the epitome of a defensive game, you can't take away from either teams D with what an unrelenting contest both gave. In the end, the Broncos would come away with the victory and spoil the Ravens' undefeated season, and we would have some insight into the core of the Baltimore game. My conclusions, the Ravens defense IS that good. They were over Denver all night and only showed some weakness through hesitation and the rushing up the gut (and that TD in the last 2 mins). The talent on the Baltimore D is unquestionable, "unorganized chaos" is actually a fair description. However, I still have my doubts of the Baltimore attack. Steve McNair is a terrific athlete and a great complement to this Ravens team, but I had my doubts early and I hold them now, I do not see this team yet as the one that looks to suprise the AFC. One can't but help reminisce of the 2000 Ravens who took the season by storm despite a lackluster offense however this is a new year, and as I said these past few weeks, last minute luck will only get you so far.

Ken Hawk's Friday Huddle - Week 5

After going 8-6 in Week 4, Ken Hawk's manning the wheel in Week 5 and getting the word out on the top games while toughing it out through his latest injury. Hey, if you got a massive gum wad tangled in your pubic hair, wouldn't your methodology for removing it be freezing and a hammer? No? Me neither.
The talk of the week centers around Philadelphia where on Sunday the Cowboys and that funny little football guy visit their rival Eagles. The other NFC East teams clash in NY as the Giants look to save the ship, the undefeated Bears host the Buffalo Bills, the mighty Steelers hope to rebound in San Diego, and the Ravens look to make it 5-0 when they meet the Broncos.
I am looking forward to the Baltimore-Denver match as I hope this will be the one where one of these teams convinces me, barring a sloppy game. The Ravens come in 4-0 with a tremendous defense and a new head at offense who has lead them to last-second comebacks in the past two weeks. The Broncos have their own issues, what with constant (and really unnecessary) media scrutiny of quarterback Jake Plummer. Give the guy a break. Three games into the season and a 2-1 record? It just doesn't seem the place to be shutting down shop on the guy who hasn't been perfect. Every game won't be the best of your life. Concerning the Ravens: I can't take away from their 4-0 record, and some say the last-minute comeback is a sign of a great quarterback. Still, what I've seen hasn't shown me enough to make me a believer. Monday night, at Mile High Stadium, is a big task. On the other hand, one bad half and the Denver fans will probably be booing Plummer. Nevertheless, I'm going Denver; if the Ravens can pull off a good match, consider me a believer.
The Giants look to turn out of the spiral when the Redskins come into town on Sunday. New York, you may remember, was thrown to the trash quicker than a Dustin Diamond video by Seattle two weeks ago, and immediately emotions erupted. Outplayed, outcoached, whatever, you all lost because you lose together. This is by no means a bad team, numbers against the Colts earlier this season were encouraging and there's planty of talent here. At the same time, the Redskins seemed to have gotten on track and are gaining speed, with victories in the past two weeks, this past win against the Jaguars especially impressing. I'm not feeling the NY defense as I was last year, and I don't think they'll be holding Washington on Sunday, put me down for the 'Skins as my upset this week.
At noon the Bills take to Soldier Field to - OK, does anyone really care about any story here? I'm going Chicago, and thats all you need to know. This says it all: Daaa Bearssse.
Last year, Pittsburgh and San Diego collided hard, with the black and gold taking a two point victory. The year before, the Chargers' breakthrough season was halted in the playoffs when the Steelers beat them in a first round overtime game. This time around, both are coming off of losses. The defending champs haven't looked so in the past few games, emphasis on the offense, what with Ben Roethlisberger's unusual proneness to injuries and bad luck. There have been some poor decisions here. On the other side, the Shockers are looking to regroup after blowing that lead to the Ravens last week. All the talk has been concerning "Martyball" and its uber-conservativeness. Fair enough, but its football, sometimes you take risks and fail. This is still one of the best all-arounders in the AFC. I say the Chargers win this round in a close game, but I'll be rooting for the Steelers. On one hand, as a kid I always thought they had the coolest name. On the other, this is a critical game for them and they are aware of it; falling to 1-3, what with the Bengals and Ravens providing some serious contention in the AFC North, might be too deep a hole to recover from.
Raiders and 49ers? Please.
I'm going to skip the drama fucking circus that we're all aware of and get straight to the point with Dallas at Philadelphia. This is actually a matchup I like, both teams putting up similar numbers, both coming off big wins and looking to carry the momentum into this rivalry. You have the Eagles with a short week from the Monday Night game, but also having home-field advantage, and I'm thinking those bleachers will get LOUD. You have the Eagles numbers adding up to the top offense of the past four weeks, but you also have some key injuries adding up on that side of the Philadelphia squad. I could really see this one going either way, I believe it is that good of a match. However, for the sake of having fun with the game, and to keep things interesting, I'll take the Eagles to win this one against BND's boys. What do you say bud? Joke's on you, you haven't even read any of this. HEY! DUDE! OVER HERE, HEY! STOP STARING AT BOOBIES FOR A SEC!

BND's Update:

Huh? Did you say something. You forgot to talk about the eagles vs. The cowb....BOOBIES!!!!!!!!! uh, I mean eagles vs. cowboys.

Ken Hawk's Tuesday Morning Quarterback - Week 4

Boy did my picks go to hell this week! Several unbeatens would fall in Week 4: the AFC dominating Bengals met a fierce element called reality when the Patriots put an end to their winning ways, the Saints were upended by the Panthers in Carolina, and the Chargers fell to a Ravens squad boasting a familiar swarming defense and an offense that finds a way to get things done. Elsewhere, the Colts overcame a scare from - the Jets?!? The Redskins surmounted a powerful Jaguars team in overtime, and the CHICAGO BEARS dominated the reigning NFC champion Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night and gave answers to the inquiries of this team's core.
A quarter through the season and we are beginning to see which clubs out there are for real and which will be at the Super Bowl - up in the box seats. A suprise came in a bolt of black and orange last year when a resurgent Cincinnatti squad took the AFC North by storm. Out for revenge after the rival Steelers ended their breakthrough season, this year the Bengals have looked more poised to take a swipe at the throne in an AFC that sees no ruling king at the moment. A New England team who we thought may be in the sunset days of its dynasty clearly exposed the Bengals on Sunday and slapped their hand away from the AFC crown. 10 sacks and 5 fumbles by your quarterback in two games is a red flag, it was enough to hamper the Bengals last week, and it killed them yesterday. On the other side, the numbers done by Brady and his backs raise several questions about a shaky Cincinnatti defense. In fact, this game may be the one that brought about more inquiries than answers, clearly this was not the Cincinnatti that looks to take over in the AFC. A big question mark is waiting in this conference.
Baltimore has staked its ground at 4-0 after defeating San Diego on Sunday. Following a near slip to the Browns last week, I was waiting for this team to convince me. Holding back the Charger's running game is no small task, nor taking the game from them in the final drive. While I don't look to take from their win (or from a 4-0 start), I am still interested in seeing more of this Baltimore team before making any calls; last minute wins from behind can only get you so far in a division where the Bengals and Steelers play.
If anyone picked the NY Jets as a sleeper this year they probably would have ended up groining my knee. A 4-12 team that in 2005 had a disasterous year with injuries and started five quarterbacks, now under a new coach? But this team kept up with the Colts yesterday, outwitted Indianapolis and caught them off guard several times during the game, including an onside kick during the second quarter. Make no mistake, there is a such thing as an impressive loss.
The game I had my eyes all over was the Sunday night match between Seattle and Chicago. The Bears had risen to 3-0 through kicking over the divisional rivals and looked to test their mettle against the NFC Champion Seahawks, who just last week delivered a colossal blow to the Giants that sent NY spinning into their bye week. But Sunday night, it was Seattle who would go home wearing a black eye. The Bears defense was as unrelenting as it ever has been, assaulting and sacking Hasselbeck all night to the point Holmgren would have gotten him killed had he stayed in, intercepting twice and forcing the Seahawks to stay conservative, giving up only two field goals; Chicago was all over Seattle's offense, who were clearly frustrated and off their mark. Yes, unquestionably Alexander's injury was the factor of the week, the reason the Bears wouldn't "truely" win in a close game, but hey, this wasn't a close game, and he couldn't help the defense out an inch. The Chicago offense that we thought we saw clicking was a machine at full speed Sunday night. Grossman was in great form, and really on target with some dead-on throws, and at the same time the Bears were able to hit the ground game and chew up stretches of yards there. There's no question, this team that has struggled for years to raise an offense pulled it together last night and proved they are more than a mediocre team in the NFC.
P.S. Packers suck.

BND's Bloggin for the 'Boys

The cowboys come into today's match-up at 1-1, but overshadowed by this weeks unfortunate series of events involving Terrell Owens. Tennessee's record is a dismal 0-3, and made the decision to start rookie quarterback Vince Young. I am huge Longhorns fan and a huge Vince Young fan, so I think it is a shame for him to make his first NFL start against the Cowboys.

Putting aside T.O.'s problems this week, we need to remember that he had surgery less than two weeks ago and has a plate in his hand. He still started the game, and as of now (midway through the 4th qtr), he has had a big game. Julius Jones and Marion Barber have rushed for over 150 yards combined and the Cowboys are winning 31-14. Scratch that! Interception ran back for a touchdown 38-14.

One of the ugliest displays of lack of sportsmanship was witnessed after an earlier touchdown when the Titans Defensive Tackle Albert Haynesworth ripped the helmet off of Cowboys center Andre Gurode, kicked him in the back, then stomped on his exposed head. This resulted in a 30 yard penalty, Haynesworth's ejection from the game, and several stitches in the head of Gurode. There is no room in football for this type of behavior. The NFL must, and I believe will, make an example of Haynesworth with a very lengthy suspension if not expulsion from the league.

Damn, we scored again 45-14. Now, all three of or running backs have scored touchdowns. And that is how the game will end. Time to watch the rest of the NASCAR race at KC.