NFL Week 7: QB shuffle party

Here's who I like today...

Skins over Carolina - tough to pick against Cam the man at home but behind a tough defense and a QB that will throw more TDs than INTs, Beck leads Washinton to a narrow victory.

Browns bounce Hawks - Even without Peyton Hillis the Browns are no match for Seattle in the Dog pound. McCoy throws a score and runs for another, Browns by 10.

Falcons surprise Detroit - Still stinging from their first loss of the year, the Lions storm out of the gate but 'Matty Ice' leads Atlanta on a late drive late in the game to seal the road win for the Falcons by 3. And you thought Schwartz was ripped last week.

Tebowmania hits NFL, Miami right in the mouth - Tim Tebow finally has the reigns of the Denver offense and it comes on the same day the city of Miami is recognizing the Gators and Timmy. One of the most anticipated days in recent football history proves to be a memorable one for the Broncos and Tebow. Miami is win-less and don't expect that to change as the home team falls to a dismal 0-6. The enigmatic QB runs for over 100 yds and a couple scores. Denver wins by 7 sending the sports world into Tebow obsession.

Chargers roll over Jets - San Diego coming off a bye week, NY fresh off an ugly win on MNF over the Phins in a huge momentum game for each team. Sanchez and the Jets offense too inconsistent, Rivers & co. have enough weapons to score on Rex's D. Bolts come out on top by 10.

London special - Bears slip by Bucs - Chicago and Tampa are very similar, never know which team will show up. Defensive game, highlighted by a Devin Hester top-ten touchdown run. Da Bears win by 4.

Texans fall to Titans - Tennessee at home, Texans reeling after injury bug bites hard. Titans are a team to keep an eye on as they top Houston by 12.

Cowboys dominate Rams - Dallas still steaming mad over Brady's last second game-winning drive last Sunday, score at will over a depleted St. Louis team that can't wait for 2012 to get here. On the cusp of a World Series championship, I think the fans of St. Louis will be just fine. Romo n the Boys win by 17.

Big Ben leads Pitt to win over Cards - Even though the game is in Arizona and Pittsburgh is beat up, the O-line for the home team is putrid, leading to sacks and shots on new QB Kevin Kolb. Steelers hold off a late charge by the home team, take the win by 7.

Oakland clobbers KC, Carson shines in debut - Easy to look good when you have Darren McFadden in your backfield. The Raiders swept their division last year and could do the same this season. Freshly acquired Carson Palmer only throws 25 passes, one touchdown, one pick but the Chiefs offense suffers four turnovers. The Black Hole devours Matt Cassel, Raiders win by 14.

Packers survive Vikes, Ponder's red-hot start - When will Green Bay lose? Minnesota gets the charge they wanted from rookie QB Christian Ponder but defense can't stop Rodgers n his speedy wideouts. Packers jump out to double digit lead but Vikings storm back in 2nd half. After making a couple rookie mistakes, Ponder leads Minnesota to two TD drives in the 4th, fall to rival Pack by 7.

Colts smashed by Saints in the Bayou - You'd think it was Mardi Gras by the way the fans in the Louisiana Superdome are celebrating in the Sunday night game. Brees throws for over 400 again and the Saints roll by 18. Will the go Colts go 0-16? Only time will tell.

MNF game: Baltimore at Jacksonville - Ray Lewis will have his D fired up for rookie QB Blaine Gabbert. This season is make or break for Jags head coach Jack Del Rio and this game will not help his cause. Baltimore's defense is forcing turnovers at a ridiculous level and you know they're licking their chops heading into Jax. Ravens win by 10.

Forecast for late games Week 4

Here's the predictions for the late games...

         Giants travel to the desert to face the Cardinals. Eli takes a step back from last week's impressive performance in Philly. New York's defense gives up big plays to Fitzgerald early and often. Cards beat the Giants... Falcons fly into Seattle for a very intriguing match-up. Atlanta has gotten off to a slow start. Seahawks have gotten creamed on the road but played strong at home last week to upend Arizona. I expect the home team to pull another rabbit out of their hat and add to Atlanta's early woes. Seattle over the Falcons... The Chargers welcome the struggling Dolphins to town for Reggie Bush's homecoming party. Rivers & Co. are off to a better start this season and should overcome what I think will be a big game for Miami's prized off-season acquisition. Bush will score a couple times but not nearly enough as the Chargers win big over the Phins... Patriots look to get back on track in Oakland. Under Bill Belichick, the Pats rarely lose two games in a row. The Raiders come into this game fired up after a huge win over the Jets on the same field last Sunday. Hard to see Brady with two sub-par games in two weeks. Both secondaries are banged up so look for lots of points in this one. New England has a knack for coming up with big plays in big games. Each team desperately wants that third win. Patriots pull away in the 4th quarter, beat the Raiders by 13...
          Packers look to remain undefeated as Broncos ride into Lambeau. Aaron Rodgers looks unstoppable, the Green Bay defense continues to progress, and you never know what you'll get with Denver. All signs point to a win by the home team, Packers win big and stand as the last unbeaten team at the end of Week 4... Jets head to Baltimore for Rexy's reunion. The Ravens have shown two games of brilliance and look to place themselves as the front-runner in the AFC. New York as been to the AFC championship game two years in a row and if they want a third appearance a big road win over a quality opponent would certainly help. Last week the Raiders bullied the Jets and you have to think Ray Lewis has been pumping up his boys all week to put forth a similar effort. This should be one helluva game and definitely be decided in the final five minutes. Baltimore squeaks out the victory, forcing a late Sanchez turnover... Colts head to Tampa, still searching for first win. The Buccaneers are fresh off a huge divisional win over the rival Falcons, perhaps another let down game? Exactly what Indy needs to get a much needed victory, right? I'm afraid not. Josh Freeman is young and fast, just fast enough to escape the grasp of Freeney and Mathis. Bucs win a surprisingly close game by four, sending the Colts to 0-4.
           That does it for Week 4 everyone! As always, GO PATRIOTS!!!

NFL Week 4: First round of predictions

Can anyone really believe that the Lions and Bills would be two of the final three undefeated teams today? Don't worry though, both teams will suffer their first loss today. Last week the Lowcountry Sportscaster went 10-6 in his fearless forecast and in Week 4 he's looking to gain some ground! Let's get to the picks!

      Cam Newton and the Panthers visit the Windy City. The Bears can't protect Jay Cutler, the Panthers have competed well in all their games. After a humbling loss at home last week, Chicago does just enough and comes away with the win... Titans vs. Browns at the Dog Pound, Colt McCoy led his team to big win over Miami last week, Hasselbeck fresh off the loss of Kenny Britt for the year struggles. Browns win a close one over Tennessee... Toilet Bowl? Minnesota at KC, two teams that do everything in their power to give games away and one will have to come away with their first win of the year. The Vikings have held and given away double-digit leads in all three games they've played. The Chiefs have looked absolutely terrible to start the season, and after losing big-play threat Jamaal Charles for the season the worst may be yet to come. A game that starts slow and boring ends fast and exciting with the Vikes pulling away late to get in the win column... Redskins head to St. Louis to rebound from a tough MNF loss. The Rams have been pushed around a bunch to start the season. Washington has looked tough, especially in the red zone as evidenced in Dallas last week when they held the Cowboys to six field goals. I look for an angry Skins team to tear apart a bruised and broken Rams team moving to 3-1...

       The undefeated Bills hit Cincinnati this week and this matchup has letdown game written all over it for Buffalo. Last week they harassed Tom Brady into FOUR picks and they ended a 15-game losing streak to the Pats putting them in sole possession of first place in the AFC East. However, don't be deceived. New England was leading the game 21-0 at one point and even after four Patriot turnovers they only squeezed out a three point victory. I'm not trying to take anything away from Buffalo, they played better last week and that's why they won the game. At the same time, I'm not buying into the Bills just yet. Cincy lost a close game at home last week to the Niners. The Bills are flying high and just might be drinking the kool-aid that looks so tempting from the media proclaiming them as division winner favorites. I see the Bills struggling early and late. Cedric Benson returns to the field for the first time this season after serving a season-opening suspension. Look for him to run win wild today as the Bengals win a close one, knocking Buffalo from the ranks of the unbeatens... Saints at Jaguars has blowout written all over it. Jax rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert had a decent first start last week in the monsoon in Carolina but he has much to learn and he will have one of the best right in front of him to watch all day. I expect Brees and the New Orleans offense to go up and down the field with great ease. Saints silence the Jags... San Francisco takes on Eagles in Philly. Michael Vick has been all kinds of beat up to start the year. Philadelphia's all-star defense can't stop the run, can't tackle and made Eli Manning look like his big brother last week. The Niners won a low-scoring game last week against the Bengals but they didn't face a game-changer like they will today. LeSean McCoy will carry the Eagles to victory today no matter how ugly it may be... Detroit visits Dallas in what could be a potential playoff match-up down the road. The Lions have been quite impressive in 2011. They've shown they can win in a variety of ways: blowouts, comebacks, and defensive stands to name a few. Most importantly they are undefeated. That changes today. Tony Romo has the Cowboys on his back and may be on the verge of finally establishing himself as a true, respected leader in the league. Although his numbers weren't astounding last week against the rival Redskins, they came out with a huge win and handed Washington their first loss. Dallas moved the ball all over the field last week but couldn't find the endzone. That will change. A high-scoring affair ends with the Cowboys dealing the final blow to the Lions hopes of an undefeated season...

       Steelers head to Houston. Texans you have a problem. Pittsburgh is a mysterious team this year. Are they the team that got humiliated in week one at Baltimore? Maybe they're the team that crushed Seattle in the friendly confines of Heinz Field? Either way they better figure it out quick because they face a tough test today. The Texans desperately want to prove to the NFL that they are elite. They failed last week in the Superdome when they gave up big touchdowns late to the Saints remaining the same old Texans who can't take that next step. Lucky for them the schedule gives them another shot at gaining momentum today. Big Ben is notorious for winning big games but the Steelers offensive line has made life harder than normal for their QB. Latest update has Arian Foster making his season debut today. I think this game goes back and forth with the difference being turnovers. The game is in Houston and the Steelers snuck out of Indy last week with a three point win with Manning on the sideline. Texans upend Pitt 38-35 on a last second field goal... Late game forecast due in this afternoon!