STONE COLD LEAD PIPE DOCKS

Word up playaz!!! We're back this week with our picks, and we hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving with their friends and families this week. This week my buddy and a fellow DSS writer, Suman, is filling in with his picks for IP. This is his first time, but Suman knows his NFL, so let's see how he does. Gluck playaz...

Suman's Pix:

Saints at Bucs (Saints +4)

Maybe I'm making a rookie mistake since the Saints have a short week, are coming off a big emotional win, and have to travel to Tampa Bay, but I think 4 points is too much to give either way. I think the game comes down to the final possession. Drew Brees is playing out of his mind, and gets Reggie Bush back this week. I'll take the MVP candidate and the points.

Steelers at Pats (Patriots -1)

Now that Matt Cassell has the full "Tom Brady Playbook" at his disposal, and Peyton Manning is starting to get more and more of his pieces back together doesn't a traditional Pats/Colts AFC championship look more and more probable? The Cassell audition for a huge offseason contract continues and I like him to perform well in this big game, at home. Meanwhile, the Steelers seem to have a huge game every week, and that's got to take an emotional toll eventually. I think the Steelers have to play a perfect game to steal this one with all the injuries they have, and I don't see that happening.

Broncos at Jets (Jets -8)

Thomas Jones. Playing as good as any running back in the league, and against one of the most porous defenses in the league. The Jets are maybe the hottest team in the league, and the Broncos pass D is terrible. Even if they get back Champ this week, the Jets have too many weapons in this one, and I think they run away with this one.

Fins at Rams (Dolphins -8)

The Rams are playing horrible ball right now. I don't like taking big favs like this on the road, but I'm pretty sure the Rams are starting my boy Tony Pittman at RB. Marc Bulger is a mess, Torry Holt officially got old and almost fucked up my fantasy team, and the Rams D can't tackle. On the flip side, Chad Pennington has been stringing along good game after good game. Look for a wildcat revival this week, as I see Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams or maybe both having a huge day. Of course, if Steven Jackson comes back to play this week this could all change.

Falcons at Chargers (Falcons +5)

This is going to prove whether the Falcons are for real or not. The Chargers are a team that are right on the brink of folding for the season, and not making the playoffs. They've lost quite a few tough games, and LDT seems to have lost a step. If the Falcons are for real they will stomp on the Charger throats and finish them off. Michael Turner makes his return to The Whale's Vagina, and I see him outplaying LDT. More important than all this, Matt Ryan and Phillip Rivers look exactly alike.

Vik's Pix:
(Last week 2-2-1)
(Overall 30-22-2)

Colts at Browns (Colts -4)

I'm definitely giving the pts in this game. In my opinion, this game is a battle of two teams completely headed in opposite directions. The Browns last week proved to me the hard way (I bet on them), that their season is officially a wrap. They couldn't even beat the Texans at home, so I just don't see how they are going to stop a streaking Colts team, and Peyton Manning this weekend. The Browns secondary is weak, and I look for Peyton to exploit them. The Colts also have won 4 in a row, and Manning is 4-0 vs the Browns in the past team matchups. The Colts are also 2-0 vs the AFC North this season, already beating the two best teams in the division, the Steelers, and the Ravens. Both those teams in my opinion are a lot better than the Browns. On the injury front, the Colts are a lot healthier than the Browns as well. On the QB front, Derek Anderson is back at the helm for the Browns, but he has struggled all season long, and it even seems to me that the team has kind of given up on him. Overall, the Browns biggest weakness all season long has been their defense in my opinion, and I think they get torched this weekend by one of the best in the game. All the numbers point to the Colts in this one, and with them needing every win they can get being the hunt for the wild card, I will ride with the Colts in this one.

Ravens at Bengals (Ravens -7)

The Ravens really need this win to stay in the playoff hunt, and I don't think they will have a let down in this game. All season long, the Ravens have beaten every single team they have faced vs a losing record. They are actually 5-0 in that spot, and that shows me that their coach has them extremely focused, they don't underestimate anyone, and that they ready to play every single week. That is exactly how they have to play this weekend, and they will beat the Bungles by a couple of touchdowns. With some hard games coming up for the Ravens, they can not afford to struggle tomorrow. We all know about the Ravens defense, so I don't even need to talk about them here. But, their offense has been surprisingly good all season long, especially their QB Joe Flacco. The Ravens are 5-1 in their last six games, and Flacco has been great with 9 touchdown passes. With the Bungles secondary in shambles, look for Flacco and the Ravens to have a field day passing the ball in this game. I have ultimate confidence in their D shutting down the Bungles, especially their run defense which hasn't given up a running td in 9 of 11 weeks. The Bungles offense has struggled the past few weeks, and it doesn't get any easier for them vs this Ravens D. Look for this defense to abuse Fitz all day. This will be a waxing from the get go, I'll definitely give the pts.

Steelers at Pats (Pats -1)

I hate betting against the Steelers, because if they win, my friend Cohin will write 24 comments on this post, and he will send 22 emails about how the Steelers won the game and I suck, but even with all of that, I am willing to go with the Pats in this one. I really think they win this game, as they are peaking at the right time. Cassel has been on fire the last two weeks, with back to back 400 yard games. Take a second to think about this, even Tom Brady has never done that in the past with this Pats squad, so that is sick. The Main question is how will Cassel handle the Steelers blitzing defense and pressure. I personally think he will do well, and his legs and brains will be the deciding factor in that matchup. Also, the Hoody monster will have a solid gameplan ready for this matchup, like always, especially on how to pressure Big Ben. That being said, the coaching matchup is another advantage for the Pats in this game. On the Steelers side, they are hurting right now. They have been resilient all year long, but they have struggled through a lot of games. Their Oline is absolutely horrendous, and poor Big Ben has literally been getting murdered all year long. That will definitely continue this weekend, with Richard Seymour looking to feast on Steelers LT Marvel Smith. Look for a big game from him tomorrow. Big Ben has still been great this season, but I think his run stops this weekend in New England. The Steelers are also missing one of their most important weapons in FWP, and that really hurts them this weekend, especially if there is bad weather during the game like predicted. Look for this to be a close, hard fought game, between two great Rivals in the League, but I see the Pats pulling away late in this one.

Falcons vs Chargers (Falcons +5)

I've been fading the Chargers pretty much every single weekend this year, and it has been very profitable. Especially since they are Ip's favorite team, and he jinxes them every weekend. But real talk here, The Chargers are just not that good of a football team, even with all that talent on the offensive side of the ball. The reason they are so bad is their defense. They are the worst pass defense in the game, and that is bad news for them this weekend facing a nice QB in Matt Ryan. The Chargers also have real difficulty getting pressure on their opposing QB's, and the Falcons already have a good offensive line, which could spell doom for this Chargers team in this game. No matter how good the Chargers offense is, and how badly they need to win this game, their Defensive shortcomings are not going overnight. This weakness will lead to their demise. For the Falcons, I think they proved last weekend that they are here to stay, and that they are not a fluke. They got a huge win vs division rival Carolina last weekend, which will definitely build some confidence for this solid, young team. I also like the Falcons in this game for a couple of other reasons. I know the Charges run defense is good, but I think Turner the Burner is going to have a huge game in this one, because he will want to show up his old team, and prove to them that he is a big time runner. The other reason I love the Falcons in this game, is the battle in the trenches. The Falcons have the better and more physical lines on both side of the ball, especially on the Defensive side. They have been great all year long, and I really think they will dominate this game. Overall I think RWhite, Douglas, and Jenkins are going to tear up this weak Chargers secondary all game long, and that will keep them in the game all day. I will gladly take the points in this one.

Panthers at Packers (Packers -3) - I think I am making this pick strictly for jinxing purposes, hoping the Packers lose this game!!! Naw, I actually think the Packers win this game by at least a touchdown, so I am taking them in this spot. I see them bouncing back at home this weekend, in basically what becomes a must win game for them if they want to stay in the NFC North division race. The Panthers will look to run the ball vs a struggling Packers run defense, but the Panthers run defense is just as bad on their side of the ball, allowing five rushing TD's to the Falcons just last week. I also think AR will have a good bounce back game in this one, especially with James Jones back as WR3. I look for the Packers to exploit the Panthers Nickel D going with a lot of 3 and even 4 WR sets throughout the game. The Packers got absolutely embarrassed on Monday Night, but that was on the road, vs a jacked up team and a rowdy crowd. Being at home will definitely help the Packers in this game. The Panthers have struggled on the road this year, and in the bad weather and cold tomorrow, I got to stick with the home team in this one.

Remember we bought the hooks with all our bets, and good luck to everyone this weekend. GO BEARS!!!