And Just Like That....

**poof**....He's gone. No, not Keyser Soze, Josh McDaniels. The short lived tenure of, now former head coach, Josh McDaniels, came to an unceremonious end on Monday when Pat Bowlen "relieved McDaniels of his head coach duties." I guess that's a nicer way to put it.

Pat Bowlen then names Running Back's coach Eric Studesville, who immediately gets points for having an awesome name, as interim head coach. This move makes sense for the time being. Studesville has a lot of experience, coaching running backs since 1997 with several teams. Wink, Denver's defensive coordinator, is too busy dealing with being in the Bronco's revolving door of defensive coordinators to possibly take on the head coaching position. And I don't know that anybody can actually name Josh McDaniel's offensive coordinator, since he was so insistent on calling all of the plays and running the offense. Plus, I don't see this as a long term move. Studesville definitely doesn't have the chops, quite yet, to hold a head coaching job, and this is pretty much a just finish things out as strongly as you possibly can situation. Nobody is expecting anything from the Broncos the rest of the way, so 4 more losses would definitely not say anything bad about Studesville.

So, now that the boy king is gone, where do the Broncos go from here? Well, the obvious names will immediately pop up. If the Broncos don't at least make a run for Bill Cowher, they are fools. One thing you can always say about a Bill Cowher coached team is that they are tough, and will be ready to play. That guy knows how to motivate a team. Next, Jon Gruden. Gruden built up the Raiders to be a dominant force in the AFC, and then was traded to Tampa Bay, where he took an already pretty loaded team to a Super Bowl Championship. He helped them get over the hump. Gruden has the same type of fire that McDaniels has, but Gruden won't be caught screaming and fist pumping after 1 touchdown early in a game. Plus, a Super Bowl ring as a head coach will earn you immediate respect.

Then, we might have the not so obvious names. Two names have come up this year as possibly being done in their respective locations. First, Jeff Fisher, another guy who prepares his teams every single week, and holds his players accountable. They guy is great defensively, which should be a HUGE attraction point for the Broncos, whose defense has been inconsistent every single year for the last 7 years. The next is a form Bronco and former Bronco coach, Gary Kubiak. Rumored to possibly be in his last year in Houston if he can't get that team into the playoffs. A Denver guy who was our offensive coordinator for 2 super bowl championships, doesn't hurt! He would be embraced by the fans and organization immediately, and might get us a running game again. Remember when everybody said that you could plug anybody into the Bronco's backfield and they could run for 1000 yards? Well, that was a Kubiak coordinated offense.

Those are my top names for possible Bronco coaches, and I would love to hear anybody else's ideas as well! I will close with the greatest image of the year thus far. Ta, ta, Josh. Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!

All Is Not Well...

Just as Marcellus, that well known Shakespearean character (you know, that guard that Horatio sort of knew in Hamlet? No?), once said about Denmark, I now say about the Denver Broncos. "Something is rotten in the state of the Denver Broncos." Doesn't have quite the same ring as Denmark, but it doesn't make it not true.

6 games into last season, everybody in Denver, including me, was made into a Josh McDaniels believer. Since that time, things have definitely changed. After their 6-0 start, the Broncos quickly regressed from their very impressive start, went 2-8 in their last 10, and missed the playoffs showing very little, if any, backbone in the process. Flash forward to this year. Not only did we not have the same great start we had a year previous, it seems this team just plain forgot how to win. After a very pathetic display in Kansas City, losing 10-6, the Broncos are now 3-9. Making us 5-17 since that amazing 6-0 start from last year. Simply put, that just won't do it. This dismal effort really needs to be credited to one man, Josh McDaniels.

Obviously, it is still the player's job to come out and play the games well, but if the coach isn't respected, and isn't able to prepare his team every single week, no matter who you're playing, then your coach bares the brunt of the responsibility. The crystal clear demonstration of this came between weeks 6 & 7for the Broncos this year. Week 6, the Broncos lost a heartbreaker the the NY Jets, whom many expect to win the AFC East, if not the AFC itself, on a last second pass interference call that put the Jets on the Broncos 1 yard line with less than a minute to play. Not disputing the call, but it was heart breaking. The following week, at home no less, the Broncos come out against a Raiders team that really wasn't showing too much to a lot of teams, and got thrashed. Gave up 59 points to a team, at home, and showed absolutely no fire at all. In fact, McDaniels left the starting team in the entire game, instead of holding them accountable for their obscene lack of effort. The team was not prepared, and that is a direct reflection of coaching.

Just recently, McDaniels was, once again, caught up in a scandal involving his videographer taping the 49ers practice for the game in London. Now, considering he came from the Patriots, where this is pretty common place, I suppose we should have expected something like this, but it is not something that a franchise like the Broncos has ever gotten caught up in in the past. This is a team that has been to 6 Super Bowls, and won 2 for crying out loud. This is a proud franchise, or it was, anyways, and cheating was never something it had been associated with.

Couple these two things (the horrible inability to prepare his team, and the alleged cheating), with his horrible personnel decisions, and you have possibly the worst coach in the NFL. People asked questions about trading Cutler, but not too many people would want him back after what Orton has done. But since then, there has been terrible move after terrible move. In the 2009 draft, he traded away a 2010 first round pick to move up and get Alphonso Smith, an undersized corner back who barely played last year, and then was traded to Detroit this year. Sure glad we gave that pick up. Then he traded Peyton Hillis to Cleveland for Brady Quinn. Hillis is leading the Browns in rushing and is making a SERIOUS difference for that team. The Broncos have the worst running game in the NFL, and Brady Quinn is our 3rd string quarterback. Brandon Marshall was sent to Miami for a 2nd round draft pick, which we then traded to Baltimore during the draft. And Tony Scheffler, our outstanding receiving tight end, was traded away to Detroit because McDaniels basically didn't like him. We haven't had a decent receiving tight end this year as a result of this. Let us also not forget the dismissing of Mike Nolan, the defensive coordinator that turned our laughable defense into a respectable one. Probably because Nolan was a better coach than McD was. Now, one or two of these types of moves are forgivable, but put all of these together, and you just get a guy that doesn't understand personnel. I'm not including the drafting of Tim Tebow in this because we have yet to see how that is going to play out.

Now, Pat Bowlen has said that he was going to have McDaniels as coach again next year, and then back tracked, saying that he wasn't locked in and would do what was in the best interest of the team. Well, I think it's pretty safe to say that an 11-17 record is not what this team expects. The Denver Broncos expect, and are expected, to compete for the playoffs. This is a proud franchise with a lot of really good history. This team, and its fans, do not take well to being the laughing stock of the NFL, and we generally run the people out that attempt to make us that. Dan Reeves hinted at trading John Elway, and he was run out so fast it isn't even funny. Shanny led us to 2 Super Bowls, and when he didn't get us to the playoffs 3 years in a row, he was let go, because we expect to compete for the playoffs. The Boy King has shown himself to be arrogant in his relationships with his staff and players, incapable of making personnel decisions that positively impact the team, unable to prepare his players week in and week out, and all around incapable of leadership.

People say that you need to give rebuilding time, but the time for rebuilding has just begun. The Broncos, under Shannahan, always competed for playoff spots. McDaniels's version of the Broncos barely compete in every game. The time to rebuild is here and now, and it starts with getting rid of the coach. There is some great potential for some amazing coaches to come in who will command respect from their team right away. The top of the list is Bill Cowher. He comes into the room, and you immediately listen to him. His teams are always tough, prepared, and are no nonsense. Another potential coach is Jon Gruden. Things ended badly for him in Tampa, but he led the Raiders to their only Super Bowl appearance in a long time, and won a Super Bowl with the once lowly Buccaneers. You flash your ring to these players who don't have one or haven't even seen one, and you immediately gain their respect. You have been to the promised land, so your methods are legit. There are others to look at as well, I'm sure, but those are my top 2 choices. These may also be affected by the potential work stoppage of next year, but whether there is a season next year or not, one thing is certain, Josh McDaniels should NOT be the coach of the Denver Broncos next year.

KGs week 13 picks

108-68 after another 12-4 week. Very nice. Here's hoping for another good week!!

Houston @ Philadelphia: I chose Philly in this game, and was right! Finally, after the first 2 Thursdays flubbing for me, I have been 4-0 on Thursday for the last 2 weeks. So good way to start the week.

Denver @ Kansas City: Denver absolutely hammered KC the last time these two played. Since then Denver has lost the last 2 in a row, in rather embarrassing fashions. KC is on the road to the playoffs, and Denver is on the road to a top 5 draft pick. Chiefs beat the Broncos in this one.

Cleveland @ Miami: Browns have been spoiling a lot of team's parties, though probably still don't have a shot at the playoffs, and the Fins are playing desperate right now because they are in a tough division and will probably be the odd team out. This is kind of a tough one to pick, because Cleveland is so surprising, yet at the same time, not really all that good. And the Fins are a team that really should be better, with all their talent, but have been a pretty big disappointment. This is kind of an eenie meenie type game for me, but I'll take the Browns in an upset. We miss you in Denver Peyton Hillis, and we'd like to trade Josh McDaniels to get you back.

San Francisco @ Green Bay: Green Bay, easy.

Buffalo @ Minnesota: This could be another very interesting game. Another team with huge expectations that has pretty much dropped the ball from the get go, and Buffalo, who has been bad, but not that bad all at the same time. They've been in most of their games of late, and have lost some serious heart breakers. I have a feeling that they could push over the Vikes here, but I just don't think they'll fully manage it. Vikes in a close one.

Chicago @ Detroit: Bears will take this one.

Jacksonville @ Tennessee: Jacksonville is playing well, and Tennessee is not doing so great. Nobody really expected to see the Jags on top of the division right now, but they are. And Moss has been a no factor for Tennessee. He's not doing a great job selling himself to other teams for the end of his contract. Jags keep going.

Washington @ NY Giants: G-men. Shanny hasn't quite gotten over the hump with these guys yet, and the giants are setting up for a playoff run. G-men should take this one down.

New Orleans @ Cincinnati: Well, once again it is time to begin calling them the Bungles. Saints should take this one. Lots of passing against a very weak secondary.

Oakland @ San Diego: I don't know what it is about San Diego and the way the play a season out, but they suck early, and they're good late. Oakland managed to take one from these guys earlier in the year, but I don't think that this is going to happen this time around. San Diego is playing too well, but they'll disappoint in the playoffs again and finally fire Norv Turner. You know, the Chargers might have actually won a super bowl if they had kept Marty Schottenheimer.

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay: Atlanta is the real deal, and has the inside track to home field advantage in the NFC playoffs, and they keep going today.

Carolina @ Seattle: Panters stink, Seahawks are ok, Hawks take this one.

St. Louis @ Arizona: St. Louis has a possible track into the playoffs, which would be amazing after their previous year. Arizona is awful, I'll take the Rams.

Dallas @ Indianapolis: Give me the Colts bouncing back in this one. They know that they have to work hard to make the playoffs this year. Manning won't let this one get by. Give me the Colts.

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore: Always a good match up between these guys. Two teams at 8-3, always running for the top of the division. Hard to pick a winner, they just know each other so well. Baltimore took the first one in a close one, and I think the same is bound to happen here. But these ones are always close games, so you never know.

NY Jets @ New England: GAME OF THE WEEK!!! Easily. Jets are the better team here, in my opinion, but the Pats are hot now, and I've rarely seen a top team so affected by playing at home versus on the road. I believe that the Jets will end up taking this one, mostly because I hate the Patriots, but Rex Ryan just seems to know how to beat these guys.

KGs week 12 picks!!

Had a much better start to my weekend this time, going 3-0 on Thursday. Had the Pats, the Saints, and the Jets winning, and they finally came through. Much better last week as well. I recovered from my pitiful 5-9 showing to go 12-4. With the exception of Thanksgiving, I have never liked Thursday night football. Wrote about that last year. Check it out if you like. Anywho, 96-64 after my 12-4 week, looking to keep on the up trend.

As I mentioned, I got New England over Detroit, the Saints over Dallas, and the Jets over Cincinnati. So 3-0 already, here are the rest.

Green Bay @ Atlanta: Green Bay has been playing so great lately, and they have one of the better secondaries in the league, plus a good pass rush. Atlanta is also playing great, but I just think that Pack prove to be too much.

Pittsburgh @ Buffalo: Pittsburgh, no question. Though the Bills may make it closer than people think. They have surprised several teams that nobody really expected them to be much of a factor against.

Carolina @ Cleveland: Carolina stinks, and Cleveland has discovered a leader in Peyton Hillis. I look for Hillis to have a big day in beating up the Panthers.

Jacksonville @ NY Giants: The g-men should be able to take this one in what will be a pretty exciting game.

Minnesota @ Washington: This is one of those games where I really can't tell one way or the other. It is pretty much a coin flip for me, as both of these teams aren't playing very well. I gave it to the better running game, which is AP and the Vikes.

Tennessee @ Houston: This division is actually up for grabs for the first time in a really really long time. Both of these teams have a possibility of winning it. I think the Texans have to win this in order to keep their division title hopes alive, and I think that they will squeak it out.

Miami @ Oakland: Another interesting match up here. The Fins have been up and down, and now they're kinda banged up. They are struggling to find some really good consistent offense, and the Raiders are sort of surprising people with some good wins. I think that Oakland should be able to take care of business at home here.

Kansas City @ Seattle: Good game here, but I think KC is too much for the Seahawks in the end.

Philadelphia @ Chicago: Bears have a much better record than they rightfully should. Bad quarterback, old defense. They are going to get picked apart in this game. Lots of people have been throwing around Vick's name for MVP. I seriously hope not because I find him an absolutely reprehensible human being, but he's playing some seriously awesome football right now. Iggles, easy.

St. Louis @ Denver: Well, if you look at it, Denver should win this game. I have the Broncos picked to win, but I won't be shocked one bit if they blow this one too. I'd almost be happier if they did blow this one. The more they lose, the faster the boy king, who apparently wants to be so much like Bill Bellichick that he will even cheat the same way that he does, will get run out of town. At any rate, I pick the Broncos, but secretly hope that they will lose.

Tampa Bay @ Baltimore: Baltimore has let some teams stick around this year, which isn't something that they have a history of doing. Their defense hasn't been nearly as dominant as in the past, so they could have their hands full against the Bucs. Full or not, they are still a group of veterans who have been there and done that, and will end up with a W against the Bucs.

San Diego @ Indianapolis: Another tough one for me to pick. Colts are favored, and are playing at home. Colts have Peyton Manning, whom I almost NEVER bet against. Colts are, however, quite banged up and are without several of their weapons. Colts have also always had issues beating San Diego, no matter how much better they actually are than them. San Diego also has the #1 offense and defense in the league. Put all those things together, I have to pick the Chargers. I hate doing it, because I despise Phillip Rivers and Norv Turner, but that's just how it is.

San Francisco @ Arizona: This has become kind of a who cares type of game. Both teams are out of any realistic type of contention for anything. It's hard to pick this one. Tweedle Dee, or Tweedle Dumb? I'll simply take the 49ers because they are the only of these two teams that have played with any type of desperation this year. The cards have pretty much been like a balloon very quickly deflating. With the same sound as well.

Check us out on Facebook, if you haven't already!! Join our group there, and follow us on twitter @thesinbin1. Be seeing you around!

Vancouver Woes

The Avs are having issues in Vancouver. Not just troubles of the winning kind either. Though the Avs just did lose tonight, 4-2, they lost a bunch more than just a game. For the second time in as many trips to Vancouver, the Avs lost goalie Craigh Anderson, this time to an apparent groin injury. Then, later in the game, Adam Foote went down with a leg injury that sure didn't look too nice in the replay. A knee to knee incident where you immediately saw that Foote couldn't support his weight anymore, and had to be helped off of the ice.

As if that wasn't enough, the game winning goal for Vancouver was scored when Tambellini, #10 for the Cannucks, hit backup goalie, Peter Budaj, in the head with his stick, which then bopped an airborne puck straight back into the net. This was the second game in a row where Vancouver scored a goal off of Budaj's head. You just can't ask for luck this bad against a team.

Plus, after the Avs had pulled back to within one goal, they managed to give the puck away at their own blue line which lead from one Sedin, to the other, then the Alex Burrows, and then to the back of the net. This was definitely more about poor puck possession than bad luck, but the whole night was just off for the Avs. Poor play in their own zone, constantly making bad attempts to clear the puck which resulted in several shifts where they were pretty much just running around in their own zone, not getting enough offensive pressure, and still taking too many penalties (though they did manage to keep Vancouver's #1 rated power play off of the score board tonight) led to this loss.

The Avs play tomorrow in Edmonton, and they had better look better than they did tonight. Joe Sacco said in the teams pre-game skate that these three games, which started with the Cannucks tonight, should be easy ones to motivate for. Well, while they weren't as horrible as they were the last time they played the Cannucks, they sure didn't look as if they were ready to come out and beat the Cannucks tonight. Tomorrow against the Oilers, a team that they should definitely beat, and then again on Saturday against the Wild, another team that has been bottom dwelling, that they should beat. Let's see how motivated and prepared this team is, because games against those kinds of teams, the teams that you really should be whenever you play them, is one of the things that will make you or break you when it's time to see who makes the playoffs.

History to be Made in College Football

Not so much that it looks like a PAC-10 team is going to be represented in the national championship game, we've seen that a lot, though rather exclusively with one team in recent history. But it does look as if Oregon is going to be making its first ever appearance in the BCS Championship game. The biggest questions, and possibly the most history making answer, will come in who is going to be their opponent?

I went to school in Washington, so I knew a lot of people who were very passionate about Oregon college football, but it has really been a long time since I have had a team to care about. As a kid, growing up in Colorado, I definitely had a thing for CU, and remember watching the amazing Orange Bowl game in which CU won its first, and only, national championship. That lasted up until the days of Kordell Stewart, and the Miracle in Michigan, and Rashan Salaam winning the Heisman Trophy. Since then Colorado College football has been kind of boring. I do always like to watch the bowl games on New Years, and saw the Oregon vs. Ohio State game last year. Even though Oregon lost that game last year, I could not get over how much fun it was to watch that team. So, since then, Oregon has become my college football team of choice. So I am quite happy to see Oregon sitting atop the college football rankings.

Now, if I had my choice of teams to pick for who I would want to play against Oregon in the national championship game, it would be Boise State. Not a hugely flashy team, but they do have some very fun trick plays up their sleeves that just makes things fun to watch. I mean, who can forget that hook and ladder play against Oklahoma that put them on the map. They still pull out some gems every now and their unpredictability, against the speed and excitement of an Oregon team would make for the most interesting game.

The most likely game to happen, and this pretty much depends entirely on what happens this week against Alabama, is Oregon vs. Auburn. Now, Auburn's QB, Cam Newton, has been in the news a lot recently about possible violations while he was at Florida. Depending on the outcome of these allegations, as well as whether or not they are able to beat the defending national champs, could definitely affect whether or not Auburn makes it that far. We must, of course, remember that Auburn does still need to play a South Carolina team that handed Bama its first loss of the year in the SEC championship. Auburn, while I believe the most likely choice, is still far from a sure thing, and will have to continue to play its impressive brand of football in order to get there, especially if they may end up without their team leader at QB. It's definitely hard to picture Auburn winning out without Cam Newton.

Now, should Auburn lose, we could see TCU end up in the national championship game, which would still provide us the history that so many people are aching for when it comes to the BCS system never giving non-automatic teams the time of day, but it lacks quite the following that Boise State has. TCU is a great team, but just aren't quite as sexy as Boise State is. I mean, it isn't like TCU plays on purple turf or anything like that.

Potential darkhorse teams. Other than Boise State and TCU, the only other team that really has much of a chance to squeak in, and they would need a lot of help from all the teams in front of them, is Wisconsin. Wisconsin is looking to assure themselves of the Big 10 Title with a win over Northwestern this week. If nothing else, Wisconsin, with a win, will manage to make it back to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2000. Considering that Northwestern is a far inferior team, there is not much of a reason for Wisconsin to not claim the Big 10 Title this year, but most likely will fall short of the national championship game.

Whichever way it ends up, the road up to the national championship game is going to be one that is filled with twists and turns, and some seriously exciting football! I know that I am looking forward to it.

KGs week 11 picks!

Trying to get my picks in, and I have had wine, so we'll see how well these come out in my slightly tipsy version of my picks. Please excuse any typos that you might see. :-) 84-60 after a horrible 5-9 week last week. Looking for an improvement.

Miami @ Chicago: I chose Miami in this one, and missed. 0-2 in my Thursday picks. Boo.

Buffalo @ Cincinnati: This is an interesting match up. I honestly wouldn't be that surprised if Buffalo wins, but I just think that Cinci's receivers are too good for Buffalo's secondary. I'll take the Bengals.

Detroit @ Dallas: Sometimes a change in coach will light a fire under the player's rear ends to. Seems that that happened in Dallas. I think the boys will win 2 in a row, but still won't be going too far too fast. Cowboys.

Washington @ Tennessee: Skins are in disarray. Titans will take this one, but it could be a pretty close game.

Arizona @ Kansas City: Arizona is in transition, and KC needs to rebound after a horrible week against the Broncos last week. I think that KC will bounce back and take this one.

Green Bay @ Minnesota: Favre is still hobbled, and Green Bay has the NFL's sack leader. I think the Pack are finally ready for a regular season win against their arch rivals. Give me Aaron Rodgers and the cheese heads.

Houston @ NY Jets: Tough one here. Both of these teams have been making it hard for people to decide which way they are going. The Jets are doing well, and Houston should definitely be a threat in the playoffs, but both teams have had some let downs in the not too disatant pass. I'll give the edge to the Jets since they are playing at home, but won't be surprised if the Texans take this one. Jets.

Oakland @ Pittsburgh: Steelers. No question.

Baltimore @ Carolina: Ravens, not even a small hesitation. This one will get ugly fast.

Cleveland @ Jacksonville: This one could be deceptive. Jacksonville is a traditional run team that seems to be moving towards more passing. And Cleveland now has a pretty stellar run game, led by Peyton Hillis (whom I still desperately wish was in Denver.). I have a funny feeling about this one. I've picked against Cleveland the last 2 weeks, and been punished for it, so I will stop. Give me the Browns.

Atlanta @ St. Louis: St. Louis is much improved, but not enough to take out a very talented Falcons team. Atlanta.

Seattle @ New Orleans: Seattle needs to get better fast, but won't happen against the Saints.

Tampa Bay @ San Fran: I believe that Vegas has San Fran as the favorite in this one. If I'm a betting man, give me that bet. I'll take the Bucs in this one, easily.

Indianapolis @ New England: The one that everybody will be worried about. I'll tel you my main reason for this pick, injuries. I almost never will pick against Peyton Manning, especially against the Pats, but I just think that Colts have too many injuries to overcome the Pats this time. It makes me feel dirty, but give me the Pats.

NY Giants @ Philadelphia: A very good game in the making here. G-men looking to rebound against a Philly team that DESTROYED the Skins last week. If there is a D that is good enough to stop Vick, it's the G-men, but Vick is too hot right now. Give me the Iggles.

Denver @ San Diego: Denver played great last week, stemming the tide of McDaniels hot seat talk, but that won't continue. I forsee another pretty bad beating from the Chargers in this one against my home town boys. Please, fire McD. The Broncos run game is a disgrace because of this guy, get him the hell out of town. Chargers.

The Avs Start to Get Healthy

10 games after my last post on the Avs, and a lot has gone on. The night I made my last post, Craig Anderson went down with a knee injury and nobody knew how long he would be out. Well, he returned tonight and helped the Avs to a 5-1 victory over the New York Rangers.

Over the past 10 games, the Avs have seen a lot of faces come up and contribute, due to necessity from injury. Adam Foote went out, Kyle Quincy, Kyle Cumiskey, TJ Galliardi, Craig Anderson, David Koci (though nobody really noticed his absence as all he does is come out for a couple of minutes and then sits for 5 minutes). Normally, a team this hit by injury, you would expect to crash and burn, but in the last 10 games, that have been without Craig Anderson, the Avs are 7-3. Why the success? The young blood that has come in, and, strangely enough, Peter Budaj. I mean, this is the guy that didn't manage to stay ahead of Jose Theodore, and assisted the Avs to a 14th place Western Conference finish, yet he's helped the Avs to a 7-3 record in their last 10. Why?

Well, here's my theory. Last year the Avs allowed more shots on goal than any other team in the NHL. And Craig Anderson bailed them out A LOT! There were very few games in which the Avs actually out shot their opponents last year, and they were quite frequently badly outshot. In the last 10, the Avs out shot their opponents 4 times, were exactly even in shots twice, and really only badly outshot once, against the Sharks in an OT victory. Something seems to have happened to this Avs team that took a full season and 20 games to catch on.

In the last 10 games, the Avs have scored 40 goals, and only given up 24. Once Craig Anderson went down, then Adam Foote, and other defensemen, it seems as if this team realized that they couldn't actually rely on their goalie to steal games for them, and realized that some serious offense was in order. Suddenly, the Avs have realized that the best way to win the games is to score against your opponents. And the young blood that was brought in has definitely helped.

Kevin Porter has scored some great goals, and actually has the GWG in the last 2 games for the Avs. Kevin Shattnekirk has proven to be very effective defensively, and has 2 goals in his last 2 games. Colby Cohen was involved in a lot of scraps in the time that he spent, and even managed to get under the skin of Jarome Iginla. Jonas Holos jumpstarted the Avs power play with his big shot, and helped with his physical play.

Now, the Avs are getting healthy. Adam Foote is back in the line-up, Craig Anderson is back in the line up, and it is obvious that those two should be brought right back into the line-up. Both great leaders for this team, but now there is a real question about what to do with the 2 Kyles, Cumiskey and Quincey, when they get back. If you ask me, at least one of them needs to go. We have a better offensive defensemen right now, and it would be a huge mistake to send him back down. Shatty is ready for the big time, and has already proven that he is more reliable than both of the Kyles in his own zone. I'm quite interested to see where this Avs team goes. They are now tied for first in the NW division, and if the type of offense keeps coming around that we have seen in the last 10, and Andy and Boods actually get the support that they have needed, we could possibly see a big move up in the standings for these Avs.

As the giant homer that I am, I will keep rooting for my Avs to make a return to the top of our division.

KGs week 10 picks!

9-4 last week, not half bad. My fantasy teams continue to tank, with the exception of my pick'em league. Grand total of 79-51. Hoping to keep my rolls going.

Baltimore @ Atlanta: Happened Thursday. I chose Baltimore, and was wrong. **sigh**, oh well.

Cincinnati @ Indianapolis: Cinci has been so inconsistent this year, and Indy has been hammered by the injury bug. Cinci's inconsistency is worse in the end. Colts win this one.

NY Jets @ Cleveland: Cleveland pulled off another huge win last week. They are better than people give them credit for, and have a strong possibility of winning another big one. I think the Jets come well prepared enough to squeak out a close win. But give the Browns their due. They have risen about the poor Cleveland designation.

Minnesota @ Chicago: Well, 2 teams that both aren't playing very well. Bears have definitely slowed since their hot start, and the Vikes have never really gotten going, but with that exciting come from behind victory they got over Arizona last week, they may have found a rallying point. Their defense especially seemed to have gotten a shot in the arm. I think they will ride that momentum past the Bears this week.

Tennessee @ Miami: Randy Moss's debut with the Titans. He has played the Fins very well in the past. The Fins have also had a very difficult schedule, and the Titans won't make things any easier. Fins will keep it close, but will fall short again.

Houston @ Jacksonville: Houston got screwed on a bad call last week. That full catch rule is ridiculous. If it is no longer a touchdown when a guy catches the ball, crosses the plane of the goal line, and has control of the ball the entire time he's crossed the goal line, then I don't know what is. Jacksonville still isn't very good, and Houston is on the rise. They have to show that they can bounce back, and they will.

Detroit @ Buffalo: Bufallo stinks, Detroit is flirting with relevance. I'll take the Lions.

Carolina @ Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay has shown that they have a legit chance to win their division. Carolina has shown that they can't really do much of anything this year, I'll take the Bucs.

Kansas City @ Denver: I love my Broncos, but they have no ability to really do anything this year, other than get hammered. They couldn't stop the Raiders run game, and they won't be able to stop the Chief's run game. Broncos take another step towards a new head coach this week, and lose another division game at home.

St. Louis @ San Francisco: Rams have played very well this year, far exceeding expectations. San Fran has been the exact opposite, and are coming off a bye after beating the Broncos in England. This could be a close one, but the Rams should be able to pull this one out.

Dallas @ NY Giants: Dallas is going nowhere fast, but down. The G-men are moving closer to another division title. G-men.

Seattle @ Arizona: Arizona totally blew it last week. They had the Vikes right where they wanted them, and, in the immortal words of Dennis Green, they let them off the hook. They can't do that again. I do, however, believe that the Seahawks will take this one down.

New England @ Pittsburgh: New England can't play on the road against anybody, and the Steelers are much tougher than Cleveland. She Said No will definitely have his way with the girl in the Pat's huddle (apologies for that).

Philadelphia @ Washington: Good win for Philly last week, and maybe Vick will finish this game out this time. I think that if Vick stays in all 4 quarters they will take this one. Too much drama in D.C., Iggles prevail.

Here's hoping things go well this week!

KGs week 9 picks

Crazy NFL season continues!! My fantasy teams have been a pretty huge disappointment at this point in time. The only exception has been the excellent picks that I have made. I am currently number 1 in my yahoo pick'em league. Very happy about that! So, with that said. Here are my picks for week 9 of the NFL season. By the way, 8-5 from last week, not great but still a winning record, puts me at 70-47 for the season. Just barely under 60% correct. Hoping to get better!

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta: Tampa has played quite well this year, but Atlanta is really starting to find their rhythm. Atlanta will take this one in a very good game.

Chicago @ Buffalo: Buffalo has shown some life in this season, but never on defense. Bears should win this one.

New England @ Cleveland: Cleveland has the biggest shocker win of the year when they beat the Saints. I think they will be more competitive than people expect during this game, but still can't take down the Pats.

NY Jets @ Detroit: Detroit finally got a win last week, but are they able to win 2 in a row for the first time in what seems like a decade? Not this time. Jets bounce back and take this one.

Arizona @ Minnesota: Inconsistent vs. inconsistent. The inconsistent Vikes will take this one.

New Orleans @ Carolina: Saints got a HUGE win last week against a very good Steelers team. I think that they will keep things rolling against a not very good Carolina team. Saints.

Miami @ Baltimore: Miami has been so up and down this year. They can play tough teams, as shown against the Steelers, when a very questionable call kept them from winning the game. So don't rule them out against Baltimore. But, I do think that Baltimore is going to take this one. Ed Reed will ball hawk like he always does and will make a big play against Chad Henne.

San Diego @ Houston: San Diego showed some heart last week, coming back to beat the Titans. Houston needs to bounce back after losing to Indy. Houston has shown great resolve this year, and I just haven't seen much of anything that has shown San Diego is consistent enough to hold the Texans offense down. This will be a good one, but I have a feeling Houston will take this one late.

NY Giants @ Seattle: Seattle needs to show what they are made of after getting killed by Oakland. They may play decently, but will still not beat the G-men.

Kansas City @ Oakland: Oakland has tons of confidence after scoring a total of 92 points in the last 2 weeks. Kansas City needs this win to keep moving a head of the rest of the very mediocre AFC West. Oakland will probably lead early, but KC will prevail in this one.

Indianapolis @ Philadelphia: This will be a great game. Vick is coming back for the Iggles. And the Colts are still short a lot of people. But, if there is a person who can deal with injuries in their team, it is Peyton Manning. This guy is just so efficient. Had some tough games this year, but I just can't pick against Peyton Manning. Give me the Colts.

Dallas @ Green Bay: Cowboys are going nowhere fast, except for down. Packers win this one.

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati: Cinci has so many question marks, just can't really ever seem to put the whole thing together. They will play the Steelers tough, just like always, but She Said No and crew will take this one down. Steelers.