Thanksgiving Edition Picks 2017

Stafford looks to improve 

the Lions 3-0 division record.

Minnesota @ Detroit (+2) - The Lions already beat the Vikings on the road in a game where Dalvin Cook got knocked out with a season ending injury and Minnesota struggled to put up 7 points.

LA Chargers @ Dallas- Playing on the road may help the Chargers since they are many Cowboys fans in LA.  For the past two weeks, the Cowboys have had blowout losses against the Falcon and the Eagles who have been without Ezekiel Elliot.  The Chargers are not in that tier one category but they have been knocking on the door with some close games against the Eagles and the Jaguars earlier in the season.  

NY Giants (+7) @ Washington - This could be a relatively close game against division rivals.  While Washington should edge out the Giants, they have not beaten the Giants by a touchdown or more since 2011.  The short week should hurt both teams equally given that the Giants only have to make a short commute from New York.

Week 11 Picks Against the Spread - 8-6
Week 11 Picks Straight up - 10-4
2017-18 Against the Spread- 68-78-6
2017-18 Season Straight Up - 96-59
2016-17 Against the Spread - 141-115-7
2016-17 Straight Up - 101-41
2015-16 Against the Spread - 140-107

Bills Could Benefit by signing Owens

The Buffalo Bills have just signed T.O. to a 1 year deal worth  $6.5 million.  This isn't a bad proposition for the Bills if T.O. still has anything left in the tank at 35 years of age.  Owens should be extra motivated to prove his critics wrong and earn another big payday this following offseason.  The Bills would clearly be the beneficiaries in the 2009-10 season.  

Terrell Owens is generally regarded as a lockerroom cancer, but evidence suggests that teams play worse without him, where it matters most in wins and losses.  The San Francisco 49ers during T.O.'s last season were 7-9 but were 2-14 the following season without the disgruntled wide receiver.  The Philedelphia Eagles started the season 4-3 but after they suspended Owens for the rest of the season, the Eagles finished the season 1-8.  While the Philedelphia Eagles finished the following season 10-6, people tend to forget that the team started 5-6 and only went on winning streak with Jeff Garcia at the helm instead of Donovan McNabb.   As a Redskins fan, I hope this trend continues with the Dallas Cowboys.

Terrell Owens is generally seen as a scape goat for a team's failure in recent years.  Perhaps its easy for the national media to criticize Owens when he is often outspoken.  His brash comments usually offend his starting quarterbacks who are not used to such crticism.  

Still, it remains to be seen how Terrell Owen's is the root of all the Cowboy's problems.  For instance, I fail to see how Tony Romo's decision making will improve simply with T.O.'s departure.  Maybe the Cowboy's problems weren't a lack of chemistry but a lack of talent. 

T.O. Cut by the Cowboys

It turns out Dan Snyder didn't get 

the biggest name in free agency... yet.  

ESPN is reporting that wide receiver Terrell Owens has been cut by the Dallas Cowboys after three seasons.   T.O. has been blamed by many in the national media for Dallas's lack of chemistry, which barely missed the playoffs in tough NFC East.  It has been reported by ESPN that Ownes has been complaining about not getting as many touches and even indicated that tight end Jason Witten gets so many passes because he's good friends with QB Tony Romo.

Still, not all of Dallas's problems can be blamed on T.O.  When the team had a chance to clinch a playoff berth against the Eagles, the Cowboys ended up getting blown out 38-3.   It will be interesting to see how well Dallas can play without him.

If Dallas ends up moving on, they already have some pieces in place.  They gave up multiple picks last mid-season for 1 time Pro Bowler Roy Williams.  They already have Jason Witten and Patrick Crayton.   Look for Dallas to run the ball more with Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice.

In the meantime, Dallas has certainly hurt T.O.'s options in free agency.  Teams like Seattle and Cincinatti could have wanted the six time pro bowler but have already spent big money on other free agent wide receivers (TJ Houshmenzadah and Laverneus Coles).  I doubt teams like the Eagles and 49ers, who have plenty of cap room and have big needs to fill the wide receiver position, will recruit Owens since they have already had the pleasure of dealing with his on and off the field.  It will be interesting to see whose Owen's potential suitors will be.  

Tank Johnson Talks about Class

A mug shot of Tank Johnson:
Defensive tackle of the Dallas Cowboys

After the Washington Redskins upset the Dallas Cowboys 26-24 at Texas Stadium, special teams player Rock Cartwright stood on the star at 50-yard line and celebrated the victory. Tank Johnson had to be restrained from attacking Cartwright after the game.

When asked about it by reporters, Tank Johnson criticized Rock Cartwright:

"This is how it is. When you win, you win with class. When you lose, you lose with class. One of their guys, Cartwright, took it upon himself to celebrate on our star.

"It's the fourth game of the season. No one has accomplished anything but a win. That's just disrespectful and I don't think we'd do that to them. And I'm surprised he did that to us."

Unfortunately for Tank Johnson, his criminal record may question his ability to testify on class. In the past few years, Johnson has been arrested numerous times. He has been charged with aggravated assault on a police officer and possession of unlicensed weapons and drugs which resulted in an 8 game suspension from the NFL. . This may pale in comparison to Pacman Jones but it certainly refutes his standing to speak about class.

Tank Johnson, perhaps unknowingly, also insulted current teammate Terrell Owens and brought up more bad memories for Cowboy fans. In September 2000, Owens, then a member of the 49ers, was widely criticized for celebrating at Texas Stadium's 50 yard line. In contrast to Cartwright, Owens celebrated not once but twice at the Dallas star at midfield during the actual game. When then Cowboys' safety George Teague tried to knock him out when Owen's was running to midfield after his 2nd TD catch of the game, Owens continued to celebrate and taunt the fans at the Dallas star while the cowd booed .

Here is a clip of the celebrations posted on youtube.

Owens went to the Dallas star, not once, but twice!

As for Johnson stating this was just any other game, he has to be kidding himself. A win against your biggest rival at their home stadium is as big as they come in the regular season. And what exactly do these Dallas Cowboys know about winning bigger games? They have not won a playoff game since 1996. Maybe the Cowboys should be more concerned on what they need to improve upon to win rather than critcizing their opponent's celebrations.