Date: Fri 08-Sep-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

NFL-Picks-Sept.-8-1995

Full Text:

In my absence last week, Kim Harmon took the stage and wrote my season-opening

NFL picks column prompting this year's name change.

Though Harmon showed me up - picking eight winners to my five - we have a

Giant 9 sub from Jersey Mike's riding on the season's outcome.

He hasn't got a prayer.

SUNDAY

Miami (-1 1 / 2 ) at New England: After sitting and watching every play of the

Dolphins' pasting of the Jets last week I'm far to biased to predict this game

with a level head. My hatrid for these two teams can't be measured. Too bad

they can't both lose.

TW: DOLPHINS KH:DOLPHINS

Pittsburgh (-3 1 / 2 ) at Houston: Who thought up this line, Heckle and

Jeckle? TW:STEELERS KH:STEELERS

NY Giants (+6 1 / 2 ) at Kansas City: I'll be the first non-Giant fan to admit

that the team isn't as bad as its 35-0 loss to Dallas last week. I expect the

Big Blue to put at least a field goal on the board this week. They're being

manhandled on both lines of scrimmage.

TW:CHIEFS KH:GIANTS

Detroit (+3) at Minnesota: Three-and-a-half is a lot to lay in this

black-and-blue division rivalry, but after starting the season with a humbling

loss, I look for the PP eaters to come back with a vengance.

TW:VIKINGS KH:LIONS

LA Raiders (-4 1 / 2 ) at Washington: Maybe trips into RFK Stadium will start

to get as tough as they used to be in years past. I don't predict the Skins to

have a juggernaut season, but I think they'll cover as the Raiders come east.

TW:REDSKINS KH:RAIDERS

Tampa Bay (+8 1 / 2 ) at Cleveland: Vinny Testeverde going up against his

former team in the Dawg Pound. The thought would put any football fan to

sleep. The Browns are better this season than they were last year, but won't

get to the promised land until they get Vinny out of there. Maybe Hardy

Nickerson and the Tampa defense will have a say in that.

TW:BUCCS KH:BUCCS

New Orleans (+2) at St Louis: St Louis, Phoenix, Cardinals, Rams, I've never

been more confused. I don't think I'll ever get that straight. One thing I am

sure of, though, is that the St Louis whatever they are will get untracked in

front of their new (old) crowd.

TW:RAMS KH:RAMS

Carolina (+9) At Buffalo: Even though the Bills aren't the same nasty boys

they used to be, old Marv Levy will be knocking over a few trash cans in the

locker room after last week's embarrasment at Denver. The Panthers will have

ex-Bills Frank Reich and Pete Metzulaars looking for a little revenge, but

they're going to be on the business end of this spanking.

TW:BILLS KH:PANTHERS

Denver (+10) at Dallas: The Broncos played a pretty good possession game last

week against a pretty good defense. I look for Mike Shanahan's new team and

the revitolized John Elway to open some eyes in Irving.

TW:BRONCOS KH:BRONCOS

Atlanta (+13 1 / 2 ) at San Francisco: You don't have to tell me that the

Niners covered the spread about 99 percent of the time last season. I know

that. And you don't have to tell me that they thrashed the Falcons 50-14 the

last time these two met in Candlestick. I know all that too.

TW:FALCONS KH:FALCONS

Seattle (+9) at San Diego: I honestly thought that both these teams would do a

better job in their games last week. The Charger's defense will be fired up at

home, for sure, but that offense still isn't capable of putting up big numbers

against a defense that's almost as good.

TW:SEAHAWKS KH:CHARGERS

Indianapolis (-2) at NY Jets: This is the first football season since I was

five years old that I didn't expect the Jets to go undefeated and win the

Super Bowl. But you know what? It didn't make me any less angry when I watched

the fools lay down for Miami in what was supposed to be a rivalry game. The

Colts on the other hand, have always given the Jets trouble. That all adds up

to another dent in my wall.

TW:COLTS KH:COLTS

Jacksonville (+8) at Cincinnati: The Jags held Houston to 80 passing yards

last week and the Bengals have no ground game to speak of. This one won't be

the NBC game of the week, but it's an easy one to pick. The Bengals aren't

covering this spread against anybody, anywhere.

TW:JAGUARS KH:BENGALS

Philadelphia (+3 1 / 2 ) at Arizona: Neither team had much going for it last

week both getting squashed by sub-par 1994 teams. I don't look for either team

to break out in the 100-plus degree Arizona terrain, but if anybody does it

will be Cunningham. The line's too high. This one comes down to a field goal

and that's it.

TW:EAGLES KH:EAGLES

MONDAY NIGHT

Green Bay (+3) at Chicago: I'm still undefeated on Monday Night Football this

year. Who isn't? Hopefully this week's featured division rivalry will be a

little more interesting than last week's laugher. I still have a hard time

admitting that the Bears are a good football team. But they are.

TW:BEARS KH:PACKERS