And Down the Stretch they Come - The Week 15 Picks

News flash – I’m not black.

Maybe that’s why I can’t understand the comments made by J. Whyatt “Jerry” Mondesire, the head of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, in which he criticized Eagles QB Donovan McNabb for not running the ball more, adding that McNabb’s failing to scramble “not only amounts to a breach of faith but also belittles the real struggles of black athletes who've had to overcome real racial stereotypcasting in addition to downright segregation.”

Um, Jerry, what the hell are you talking about?

Perhaps, in the grand scheme of things, McNabb running less this season had something to do with the bruised sternum, sports hernia, and groin injuries he was playing through. Maybe it’s not about race, but rather it’s about wins and losses. McNabb didn’t run as much last year, but the Eagles were 13-3 and a Super Bowl team. Coincidentally, there were no complaints from the NAACP about him selling out. If the Eagles were 8-5 and in the playoff hunt as opposed to 5-8 and eliminated from playoff contention, would we even know who Jerry Mondesire is?

Look, I don’t know ‘5’ personally, but I can pretty much guarantee you that when he dropped back in the pocket and saw a lane to run through, his thought process did not involve retarding the progress of black athletes across the globe. Think of it this way – did Steve Young set white people back because he was a scrambling quarterback and not the typical pocket passer? Of course not.

In case you were unaware, the last three letters of the acronym “NAACP” stand for “Advancement of Colored People.” I’m not sure how Mondesire’s comments do anything to foster the advancement of black athletes. Don’t get me wrong, he’s as entitled to his opinion as I am to mine, but it would seem to me that using the forum he did might lead someone to believe that his opinion is that of the NAACP and not that of a bitter Eagles fan.

Speaking of which, how about a little slack for the Eagles? This is a team that went to four straight NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl in the last four seasons. They have a down year, and now all of a sudden they need a new coach, a GM, a new quarterback, and new ownership. Come on, people. The reality of the situation is that the Eagles have had a lot to deal with this year (including significant injuries and a clubhouse cancer that, thankfully, was eradicated), and they slipped a little. But they don’t need to blow the whole thing up and start over. There is still a nucleus of talent with this team (McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Jevon Kearse, Jeremiah Trotter, Brian Dawkins, Sheldon Brown, Lito Sheppard, Michael Lewis, David Akers) and there are some young players in place who look like legitimate NFL players (Trent Cole, Reggie Brown, Ryan Moats, Shawn Andrews). Believe me, the Eagles will be back.

Alright, that’s enough soap box for this week. I like that the NFL starts playing on Saturdays now that college football is into the Bowl season. It gives the marginal basketball fans (like myself) something to watch on a Saturday afternoon. It’s one reason why the NFL is so popular. Another reason? Parity. That said, there are a few games that are tough to call this week, as detailed below in the Week 15 picks. Here they are.

The Match-up: Tampa Bay (+4.5) @ New England
The Skinny: If Brady was healthy, I’d probably take the Pats because of Tampa’s history in cold weather. But the Bucs impressed me by going into Carolina and dominating last week against one of the best defenses in the league.
Straight up: New England
Against the Spread: Tampa Bay

The Match-up: Kansas City (+3.0) @ New York Giants
The Skinny: The G-Men got all they could handle from the Eagles practice squad last week, and they won’t sleep on a team like K.C. Eli Manning is a much better QB at home, and since this game is in the swamps of Jersey, I like big blue.
Straight up: New York Giants
Against the Spread: New York Giants

The Match-up: Denver (-8.5) @ Buffalo
The Skinny: If only the Bills had a QB that could take advantage of the injured Broncos secondary…
Straight up: Denver
Against the Spread: Denver

The Match-up: San Francisco (+15.5) @ Jacksonville
The Skinny: Jacksonville’s last three games of the season are against Frisco, Houston, and Tennessee. In other words, there’s no need for Byron Leftwich to hurry back from his broken ankle.
Straight up: Jacksonville
Against the Spread: San Francisco

The Match-up: Arizona (-1.5) @ Houston
The Skinny: Anybody else think the Texans are tanking it to get Reggie Bush? Me too.
Straight up: Houston
Against the Spread: Houston

The Match-up: Seattle (-7.0) @ Tennessee
The Skinny: The Seahawks have had their problems on the road, but shouldn’t on Sunday.
Straight up: Seattle
Against the Spread: Seattle

The Match-up: San Diego (+7.5) @ Indianapolis
The Skinny: The Chargers need this game, and there’s no telling how long Tony Dungy will play his starters. I don’t know if San Diego will win this game, but they’ll play like it’s the post-season.
Straight up: Indianapolis
Against the Spread: San Diego

The Match-up: Philadelphia (+3.5) @ St. Louis
The Skinny: I guess Ryan Fitzpatrick is not the next Kurt Warner.
Straight up: Philadelphia
Against the Spread: Philadelphia

The Match-up: New York Jets (+8.5) @ Miami
The Skinny: The Dolphins are an early contender for a 2006 sleeper team.
Straight up: Miami
Against the Spread: Miami

The Match-up: Pittsburgh (-3.0) @ Minnesota
The Skinny: The Vikings’ winning streak has to come to an end sometime.
Straight up: Pittsburgh
Against the Spread: Pittsburgh

The Match-up: Carolina (-9.0) @ New Orleans
The Skinny: The Saints shocked the Panthers in the season opener. Don’t think that the Panthers forgot that.
Straight up: Carolina
Against the Spread: Carolina

The Match-up: Cincinnati (-8.0) @ Detroit
The Skinny: Early congratulations to the Bengals for ending their 15-year playoff drought. Here’s hoping they don’t make any more music videos.
Straight up: Cincinnati
Against the Spread: Cincinnati

The Match-up: Cleveland (+3.0) @ Oakland
The Skinny: First coach to get fired in the off-season? My money is on Norv Turner. I wonder if the Browns would have been better suited playing Charlie Frye all season.
Straight up: Oakland
Against the Spread: Oakland

The Match-up: Dallas (+3.0) @ Washington
The Skinny: Since the Eagles have been eliminated from the playoffs, I’ve adopted the “ABC” philosophy – Anybody But the Cowboys.
Straight up: Washington
Against the Spread: Washington

The Match-up: Atlanta (+3.0) @ Chicago
The Skinny: Dome teams in Chicago in December usually don’t fare well.
Straight up: Chicago
Against the Spread: Chicago

The Match-up: Green Bay (+3.5) @ Baltimore
The Skinny: As bad as the Packers are, it’s Monday Night Football and its Brett Favre. I just can’t bring myself to take the Ravens.
Straight up: Green Bay
Against the Spread: Green Bay