Dallas -7 over WASHINGTON -104  (2 units)

PHILADELPHIA -7 over Denver +104  (1 unit)

Jacksonville +10 over NEW ENGLAND -103  (2 units)

GREEN BAY -14 over Seattle +107  (1 unit)

MIAMI -1.5 over Houston +100  (1 unit)

Guess who's back. Back again. Bowe's back. Tell a friend.

NFL picks went 6-4 for +7.20 units in the last 14 days.  Really glad I didn’t go with my gut and post a Saints pick for tonight’s embarrassment.  All lines and odds published are from matchbook.com and current as of the time of writing.  Home teams are capitalized.

KANSAS CITY -2 over Cleveland -113  (1 unit)

Green Bay +2 over PITTSBURGH +108  (3 units)

TENNESSEE -4.5 over Miami -111  (1 unit)

PHILADELPHIA -7.5 over San Francisco +109  (2 units)

SEATTLE -6.5 over Tampa Bay -106  (1 unit)

Atlanta +6 over NEW YORK JETS -102  (3 units)

Minnesota -7.5 over CAROLINA -107  (1 unit)

Striking that Heismann pose for the top of your league trophy

Jerome Harrison RB CLE

Jamal Lewis has decided to call it a career opening the door for Jerome Harrison to take over the duties.  He has good hands and is a must add in most leagues especially if you are playing in a point per reception league.  This week isn’t a great matchup with the Steelers, but after that it’s very, very advantageous and Jerome will make a great flex start.

Chris Brown RB HOU

The Texans just made it official and put Steve Slaton on the IR with a spinal cord injury.  Chris Brown got the start last week, but didn’t do much with it.  He should get more comfortable with the Moats platoon and should get the better part of it.  If Brown is still out on the wire, smack that bitch up.

Davone Bess WR MIA

Chad Henne has decided to gain a pulse and the Dolphins offense is going with it.  He threw 52 times last week and 10 of those receptions went to Bess.  He’ll be a popular pickup this week and could be worth a flex start in the playoffs.

Jason Campbell QB WAS

For those Peyton Manning owners, you better start planning for the future.  Normally with Manning I don’t even carry a second QB after the bye week but he’s going to start getting some bench time any day soon.  Jason Campbell is a good pickup if you have nobody else out there for ya.

Jared Allen will make Orlando Pace a human turnstile on Sunday afternoon.

Survivor Poolers have been waiting for a week like last one all season.  The week to clear the flotsam and narrow the leagues down to the final stretch.  Injuries played large roles in the losses for both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh but it’s hard to believe that either team would have lost had they been at home.  Let this be a lesson to stick with home teams whenever possible in Survivor Pool play.  Without point spreads home field still counts. 

There are way too many easy games this week.  Pick strategically to save the best matchups for later. 

Locks:

Dallas over Oakland:  The Cowboys offense has stalled that last two weeks.  I’m not concerned this week.  The Cowboys have lit up three straight turkey day opponents and Bruce Gradkowski on the road doesn’t inspire the least bit of fear from me.  The Cowboys get back on track and win going away to cap off the most boring afternoon of football ever.  I hope you are drunk by the time this game kicks off.

Green Bay over Detroit:  Just look at what Brady Quinn did to the Lions last week.  Aaron Rodgers should throw for 8 TD’s in this game.  Fears about injuries to the Green Bay defense should be lessened by word that Matt Stafford will most likely miss the game with a separated shoulder and Calvin Johnson is questionable.

Atlanta over Tampa Bay:  The Bucs recent spasm of competence seems to have been short lived after getting flogged by the Saints last week.  Coach Raheem Morris responded by firing his defensive coordinator making him probably the only coach ever to fire both of his coordinators during a season.  Throw in the fact that Morris is a first year coach and you have a completely dysfunctional organization on your hands.  Jason Snelling filled in admirably for Michael Turner last week and Matty Ice had his best game in a month.  Take the Dirty Birds if you haven’t already.  

Cincinnati over Cleveland:  Benson is back, the Bengals are pissed, and the Browns offense blew their load last week.  This one should be ugly.  The only reason not to use the Bengals this week is if you are saving them for next week and a home game against the Lions. 

Minnesota over Chicago:  The Bears are a complete mess.  Their best player may be kicker Robbie Gould.  The Vikings present a matchup that is a nightmare for the Bears.  If Jay Cutler isn’t in a wheelchair by the end of the game it should be considered a victory.  The Vikes win 35-10. 

San Diego over Kansas City:  The Chiefs still aren’t good and this version of the Chargers doesn’t seem to play down to it’s competition like recent versions.  This feels like a safe play this week.  The Chargers play at Cleveland next week if you have the luxury of saving them. 

Caution:

Philadelphia over Washington:  The Bears are not good but had the ball with a chance to win on Sunday night despite Jay Cutler looking like an unholy hybrid of all Rex Grossman and Johnathon Quinn.  This Eagles are average and no better.  They should beat the Redskins but there are better options this week. 

Balls of Steel:

Miami over Buffalo:  The Dolphins are better team as evidenced by their 38-10 heavy sack beating of the Bills in Miami in Week 3, but I don’t trust the Dolphins in a Week 12 road game.  Tony Sparano is a terrible game coach.  This was in full view on Thursday night against the Panthers and a couple of weeks earlier against the Jets when they went for 2 in a situation that could have cost them.  The Bills showed a little more life in the first week without Deadwood Dick Jauron and even managed to get Terrell Owens prominently involved.  The Bills offense was better earlier in the year with Fred Jackson as the feature back and it looks like he will be back in that role this week as Marshawn Lynch may miss the game.  Miami should win but you would need Balls of Steel to take them now. 

Avoid like canned Cranberry Sauce:

NY Giants at Denver, Seattle at St. Louis, Carolina at NY Jets, Indy at Houston, Jacksonville at SF, Arizona at Tennessee, Pittsburgh at Baltimore, New England at New Orleans

So anyway here we have the Panthers at home against the beaten and battered Dolphins.  The most dangerous Wildcat threat, Ronnie Brown, is out for the year with a mysterious foot injury.  Ricky Williams and Pat White will try their best to carry the weight, but I’m betting that they can’t shoulder the responsibility.  If Delhomme can keep from throwing 3 or 4 of his patented INTs, they should be able to carry the day.

I have an under lean in this game too, but it was much better at 45.5 than it is now at 42.5 so I’m staying away.  What the hell, I’ll throw in an NBA and college football play so you parlay junkies can have something to put it with.

Panthers -3 over Dolphins -120  (1 unit)

Spurs -5 over Jazz +101  (1 unit)

Colorado / Oklahoma State UNDER 48 +102  (2 units)

Turner hurt his ankle on Sunday and not his head.

Yesterday was a brutal day for Fantasy Football owners.   Fantasy stars were dropping like Pro Wrestlers all day.  Starting running backs Michael Turner, Cedric Benson, Julius Jones, Brian Westbrook and Ronnie Brown were all knocked out of their respective games and their status for next week is unknown.  Consider it a cruel irony that the bye weeks have ended only to be followed up by Injury Sunday.

Here is a quick status update and guys you may need to consider adding.

Atlanta: Cue the “Psycho” music and a blood curdling scream.  Michael Turner and the phrase “high ankle sprain” are being thrown around in the same sentence.  (Wait for it…..AAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!)  Other than maybe “turf toe” there isn’t a worse fantasy injury than the high ankle sprain.  The recovery time is somewhere between two weeks and next season.  It also assures you of seeing that damn “Q” next to his name each and every week until the season ends or his leg is amputated.  The Falcons were already without Jerious Norwood due to a hip flexor injury leaving them thin at RB.  Jason Snelling did run for 50 yards and a TD making him the guy you need to add if you are a Burner owner.

Cincinnati: The early word on Benson is that the hip injury isn’t that serious and he is expected to practice in a limited fashion this week.  His status will need to be monitored as the week progresses.  If he can’t go Bernard Scott got 13 carries but was as productive as the Chicago Bears version of Cedric Benson, running for only 33 yards.  We have our first white running back alert of the season as Brian Leonard could get some carries in relief of Scott.  Don’t touch any of these guys, or Larry Johnson if he signs, unless you get word that Benson can’t go.  (The fact that Ced is this good makes me want to die on the inside.)

Philadelphia: Westbrook suffered another concussion putting his season in doubt.  While his season maybe in doubt, your fantasy roster no longer is.  McCoy is the man and you can set your lineup with confidence.  This injury may be a blessing for fantasy owners.  You can now focus your attention on to why Leonard Weaver is getting goal line carries over Westbrook or McCoy.  Seriously, what the hell is wrong with the Eagles?

Miami: Ronnie Brown looked the most hurt of all limping off the field on crutches.  It sure had the look of a ….. I can’t say it…. a high ankle sprain.  (AAAHHHHHHH!!!!)   The RB situation in Miami will stay relatively stable as Ricky Williams and Brown made up the most effective and fantasy friendly RB platoon in football.  (Who would have thought an offense that was invented in the era of Pop Warner would pay fantasy dividends in the era of the forward pass?  It still seems ridiculous to me.  Just tackle the guy with the ball!)  There isn’t anyone to recommend here.

Seattle: Julius Jones sucks.  He has since the day he entered the league.  Jones slowed Marion Barber’s rise to fantasy prominence and he again appears to be blocking the way of a more talented player in the shifty Justin Forsett.  With Jones most likely out with a bruised lung we can only hope that this is Forsett’s big break.  He showed more upside with 113 yards on 16 carries than Jones has shown since he was at Notre Dame.   This week is a lousy matchup at the surging Vikings but Week 12 brings on the St. Louis Lambs.  Pick up Forsett and hope he keeps the job.

Larry Johnson: Stay away.  While 2006 seems recent to you and me, it’s an eternity ago in the life of a running back.  Running backs age faster than dogs or porn stars.