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NFL Preseason Picks

Thursday Game

The 49ers had a bad game against Oakland, then did everything right in last week's 34-6 victory over the Green Bay Packers at home. So who are the real 49ers? HC Mike Nolan Nolan said that J.T. O'Sullivan will start for the third straight exhibition game against the Bears in Chicago on Thursday. Alex Smith again will provide middle relief in the third quarter, and Shaun Hill will be the closer. For this game their wide receivers are thin: WRs Arnaz Battle, Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Jerard Rabb won't play in Chicago because of injuries. They face a Chicago Bear offense and defense that has looked positively awful through two preseason games. Lovie Smith played much of the first team the entire first half in the opener against rebuilding KC, and still trailed 14-3 at the half! He did the same thing last week and they trailed 9-5 at the half at Seattle, ending up with 205 total yards. They hoped to have either Kyle Orton or Rex Grossman move noticeably ahead during training camp, but it hasn't happened, though Orton will start as the Bears opening day quarterback, beating out Rex Grossman.  
Projected Score: CHI Bears 16, SF 49ers 13

Friday Games

Neither team has looked sharp in preseason, especially on offense. The Eagles had a 16-10 loss at Pittsburgh in the opener, then won 24-13 over Carolina last week, but trailed 13-0 in the 4th. The Eagles will rotate QBs Donovan McNabb, A.J. Feeley, and Kevin Kolb. The problems in New England (0-2 SU/ATS) are the health of QB Tom Brady and the offensive line. Brady (foot) has yet to play and with several O-linemen out, the offensive line has been awful, along with the backup QB play. It's hard to believe coach Bill Belichick would risk Brady against a strong defense like Philadelphia, especially one that likes to blitz behind DC Jim Johnson. QBs Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez and rookie Kevin O'Connell are all battling for the No. 2 QB job.....and playing lousy. The trio has combined to go 29 of 58 for 262 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions. Despite two losses, Belichick wasn't as frustrated with the team's play as you might think, pointing how he's seen many good things and that they're not that far away. Still, don't look for much offense with these backup QBs and offensive line problems.
Projected Score: PHI Eagles 17, NE Patriots 16

The battle of the running teams! Tennessee (2-0 SI, 1-1 ATS) has a terrific offensive line and RB depth. They rolled up 495 yards (340 rushing) in destroying St. Louis, 34-13, in the opener, then ran for 140 in a 17-16 win over the Raiders. This is a decent QB rotation with Vince Young, Kerry Collins and Ingle Martin, plus they like rookie RB Chris Johnson. Rebuilding Atlanta has a new head coach Mike Smith and a young QB rotation of Chris Redman, Joey Harrington, rookie Matt Ryan, and D.J. Shockley. QB Matt Ryan will start Friday’s preseason game Chris Redman started the preseason-opening loss at Jacksonville. Joey Harrington started last Saturday's 16-9 loss against visiting Indianapolis. For Ryan, this will be his first test facing complex defensive looks at the outset. Atlanta has run for 115 and 166 yards in two games. 
Projected Score: ATL Falcons 20, TEN Titans 16

The preseason battle for the pride of Texas. The Texans (2-0 SU/ATS) ran for 140 yards in topping Denver, 19-16, and the QBs were 18-of-25 in their short, safe passing attack. They looked sharp in Week 2 in a 31-27 win at New Orleans, with 405 yards (116 rushing). QB Matt Schaub is the starter, but notice that backup QB Sage Rosenfels completed 10 of 15 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown against Denver and was 6-of-8 for 94 yards last week. Coach Gary Kubiak said he wants to get rookie running back Steve Slaton some playing time with the first team Friday at Dallas. Chris Brown will start against the Cowboys, and Slaton will come off the bench. Cowboys coach Wade Phillips wants to see the Cowboys clean up the sloppy play that has been present in the first two games. It's possible he will play all of the regulars for the first three quarters Friday. "I do think we need more playing time to come together as a team at this point," Phillips said. 
Projected Score: DAL Cowboys 21, HOU Texans 17

Green Bay will rotate QBs Aaron Rodgers, rookie Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn. Green Bay is reshuffling the offensive line and health along the defensive line is a concern. Also, running back Ryan Grant (hamstring) is hurting. The Denver Broncos got things rolling at home last week, topping the disinterested (and road weary) Cowboys, 23-13. The Broncos will rotate QBs Jay Cutler, Patrick Ramsey and Darrell Hackney. 
Projected Score: DEN Broncos 20, GB Packers 16

Saturday Games

After falling behind 30-3 at the NY Giants Monday, Cleveland made a spirited comeback, but fell short. " Even worse, QB Derek Anderson left Monday's game with a concussion and bruised hand. The Lions looked fast on defense while disrupting the Bengal's offense last week, winning, 27-10. The Lions also got a perfect game from starting quarterback Jon Kitna and big throws from backups Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton. The young, hungry Detroit defense is 2-0 in preseason and should be able to handle the young Browns who have a banged up first-string QB.
Projected Score: DET Lions 24, CLE Browns 20

The NY Giants have QBs Eli Manning, Anthony Wright, rookie Andre Woodson and David Carr. Coughlin said WRs Amani Toomer (knee), Steve Smith (hamstring) and Mario Manningham (quad) are "supposed" to return to full activity. Brett Favre spoke to coach Eric Mangini about trying to pare down the number of offensive plays in order for him to get comfortable as he crams for the start of the season. He said the Jets offense "is totally different" from the Packers system he was in the last 16 years. Who's in the visitors locker room, as this one at the Meadowlands has two home teams. 
Projected Score: NYJ Jets 20, NYG Giants 17

WAS Redskins  35
CAR Panthers   2

Jason Campbell started for the Redskins and stayed under center until the first play of the second quarter last week. Campbell was 4-of-10 for 28 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and led Washington to its first points, a 30-yard field goal by Shaun Suisham, before departing. Suisham connected from 36 yards later in the second quarter to make it 7-6. Washington running back Rock Cartwright gained 90 yards on six carries, including a 73-yard burst in the second quarter that brought the ball to the Jets 11. After a penalty and a two-yard run, the Redskins' Todd Collins was sacked and left the game for one play. Derek Devine replaced Collins and was intercepted at the goal line by James Ihedigbo. John Kasay kicked two field goals to for Carolina's last week. Jake Delhomme played a half and completed 9-of-14 passes for 54 yards. He looks like he's rounding back into shape and that will spell trouble for the Skins. Expect Delhomme to go into the second half.
Projected Score: CAR Panthers 24, WAS Redskins 20

NOR Saints  3
CIN Bengals 42

The list of high-profile aches and pains keeps growing for the Bengals.Chad Johnson left with a shoulder injury early in the first quarter as the Lions  downed the Bengals, 27-10, in preseason action last Sunday. Chad Johnson's injury was also symbolic of the team's early struggles. Cincinnati had a field goal attempt blocked on its second drive and saw Palmer go 6-of-13 for 50 yards in four series without regular starters T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Rudi Johnson, both of whom were resting sore hamstrings. Drew Brees connected on touchdown passes to Marques Colston and Reggie Bush and finished 12-of-17 for 147 yards for the Saints (1-1) who got torched by the Texans Matt Schaub 31-27 last week. Bush, who has been nursing a sore knee, caught a 12-yard touchdown pass in the second from Brees and also carried the ball seven times for 24 yards. The third-year running back missed one practice after he first experienced some swelling in his left knee and said he had an MRI earlier this week, but it revealed no damage, according to a report in the Times-Picayune. This is the same knee that sidelined Bush at the end of last season, when he tore his posterior cruciate ligament. But he has been healthy and full speed throughout the offseason, and he thinks the swelling is just a result of the heavy camp workload. Expect the Saints to limit his action this week, but it will not matter, because the injury plagued Bengals will be hard pressed to match points with the Saints.
Projected Score: NOR Saints 27, CIN Bengals 21

JAC Jaguars  3
TAM Bucs      35

Backup quarterbacks Brian Griese and Luke McCown both were impressive as the Bucs defeated the Pats last week 27-10. Griese and McCown both directed long touchdown drives as the Bucs easily handled the Patriots, who were playing without quarterback Tom Brady. Griese finished 9-for-10 for 44 yards while McCown was 7-for-10 for 79 yards and a touchdown pass to Byron Storer. Both are battling to be the backup to starter Jeff Garcia, who didn't play. Michael Bennett finished with 57 yards rushing on eight carries for the Bucs, who also scored on Sabby Piscitelli's 24-yard fumble return. Jaguars starting quarterback David Garrard completed just 4-of-10 passing attempts for 44 yards, but ended a nine-play, 78-yard first quarter drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown last week. He was under center for the first three possessions before being removed after the first quarter. Maurice Jones-Drew gained 23 yards on five carries and Greg Jones rushed five times for 39 yards and a touchdown for Jacksonville. Expect the Jags to play most of the starters at least a half. Nevertheless, the Bucs are clicking now and this one should go down to the wire.
Projected Score: JAC Jaguars 24, TAM Bucs 23

KAN Chiefs   33
MIA Dolphins 3

Larry Johnson carried the ball 14 times for 61 yards for the Chiefs (1-1), who managed three field goals last week against the Card. Two FG's by Nick Novak - from 32 and 40 yards - and a 35-yarder by rookie Connor Barth. Except for the opening drive of the game, in which Brodie Croyle completed 5-of-7 passes for 26 yards, Kansas City did little else on offense. Croyle completed 7-of-13 passes for 38 yards, giving him 13-of-23 for 120 yards in two preseason contests. Chad Pennington completed 5-of-6 passes for 55 yards and led the Fish on two scoring drives en route to a 19-14 victory over the Jags last week. Released by the New York Jets after they acquired Favre in a trade, Pennington takes over the reins for first-year coach Tony Sparano. "It was really nice to see him get the ball in the middle of the field and run with it," Sparano said. "I thought Chad did a nice job of managing the game all around." The veteran quarterback, who also rushed twice for 18 yards, led Miami (1-1) on an eight-play scoring drive, capped off by a 4-yard rushing touchdown by Ricky Williams. Williams, who played in just one game last season because of a drug suspension and shoulder injury, carried 10 times for 43 yards and a score. Dolphins second-round pick Chad Henne had an impressive performance as well. The Michigan product completed 17-of-26 for 133 yards. Fish QB's playing well in contrast to the Chiefs look like fishbait.
Projected Score: MIA Dolphins 17, KAN Chiefs 13

PIT Steelers  3
MIN Vikings 37

Tarvaris Jackson was off to a marvelous start for second straight week before a knee injury abruptly ended his stint in the Vikes 23-15 preseason victory over the Ravens last Saturday night. Second-year running back Adrian Peterson made his preseason debut for the Vikings, rushing eight times for 30 yards in the first half. Jackson was injured with 3:27 remaining in the first quarter. The third-year quarterback scrambled and was hit by Baltimore's Antwan Barnes, Ray Lewis and Dawan Landry, knocking him from the game shortly afterward. During the second quarter, Jackson stood along the Minnesota (1-1) sideline with a protective brace on his knee. He completed 7-of-11 passes for 82 yards including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Martin Nance. He also ran twice for 22 yards. Minnesota coach Brad Childress called Jackson's injury a contusion and expect limited action from Jackson this week. Ben Roethlisberger also completed 9-of-11 passes for 142 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Pittsburgh last week. Rookie Rashard Mendenhall carried 11 times for 30 yards and scored from six yards out in the third quarter. Byron Leftwich, who was signed after backup Charlie Batch broke his collarbone, completed 5-of-11 passes for 41 yards. With Jackson possible limited this week and Big Ben expected to play a half, we'll back the Steelers to snatch a victory in the noisy dome.
Projected Score: PIT Steelers 17, MIN Vikings 13

BAL Ravens  35
STL Rams     2

Ravens Troy Smith, the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, got the nod against Minnesota last week. Smith was inconsistent, throwing just five times and completing three for 23 yards. He was intercepted once and sacked twice. Kyle Boller, who's had a rocky six-year career with the Ravens, had a much easier time with New England's first-team defense last week than with Minnesota's second-teamers. He finished 8-for-12 for 40 yards and was sacked twice. Joe Flacco, Baltimore's first-round draft choice, played late in the fourth quarter and completed 10-of-15 passes for 74 yards. He also was sacked twice. Running back Willis McGahee was among a number of key starters out for the Ravens and expected to see much more action this week. Travis Minor's 3-yard run in the third quarter provided the only touchdown of the game as the St. Louis Rams defeated the Chargers, 7-6, last Saturday. Minor rushed for 18 of the 71 yards the Rams covered in the 13-play drive. Quarterback Marc Bulger had another poor start for St. Louis. The seven-year veteran, who was just 3-of-9 against Tennessee last week, completed 7-of-14 attempts for 56 yards with two interceptions. Points will at a premium in this game, so look for a low scoring battle of FG's.
Projected Score: BAL Ravens 15, STL Rams 12

ARZ Cardinals  37
OAK Raiders     3

Quarterback Matt Leinart and rookie running Tim Hightower came off the bench to lead the Cards to a 27-17 preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs in front of 70,203 at Arrowhead Stadium last Saturday night. After replacing Kurt Warner for the third series of the game, Leinart completed 7-of-11 passes for 62 yards, including a 14-yard scoring strike to Steve Breaston on the opening drive of the second half, giving the Cardinals a 13-6 lead. In two preseason games, Leinart is 14-of-19 passes for 153 yards. Hightower took over for Edgerrin James, carrying the ball nine times for 28 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown run to give Arizona (1-1) a 6-3 lead early in the second quarter. The Cardinals added a third-quarter touchdown pass from Brian St. Pierre to Tim Castille, then capped their scoring on an 84-yard interception return by Dennis Keyes with 1:14 left in the game. Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell looked sharp on the Raiders' first-half scoring drive last week, completing 5-of-6 passes for 61 yards. He scrambled out of the pocket on 3rd-and-7 to hit tight end Zach Miller, who made a diving catch for a 10-yard touchdown that gave the Raiders a 7-0 lead on the second play of the second quarter. Miller had four receptions for 48 yards in the first half. Russell, the top pick in the 2007 draft, completed 10-of-17 passes for 75 yards and one touchdown as he played the entire first half. He will play into the third quarter this week, and combined with the Cards offense, should make for a higher scoring game this week. 
Projected Score: OAK Raiders 27, ARZ Cardinals 24

Sunday Games

BUF Bills  37
IND Colts   5
Trent Edwards threw touchdown passes in each of his two series and first-round pick Leodis McKelvin returned a kickoff for a TD as the Bills edged the Steelers, 24-21, in Toronto last Thursday. It was the first of an eight-game series (three preseason, five regular season) that runs through 2012 and makes the Bills the first NFL team to play annual regular-season games outside of the United States. "It's a good atmosphere," Bills defensive end Chris Kelsay said. "The pep rally last night, the support we get from the fans up here has been phenomenal. It feels great to know we have fans all around the country and in Canada as well." Edwards and company put on a show for the Canadian fans. The second-year starter looked sharp in his limited time, completing 9-of-11 passes for 104 yards. He connected with Robert Royal TD strikes of 7 and 13 yards. Indianapolis' Marvin Harrison, who missed the final 10 games last season with a knee injury, had three receptions for 22 yards. Colts receiver Jacob Tamme, a 2008 fourth-round draft pick out of Kentucky, where he set the school's record for most career receptions (133) and yards (1,417) by a tight end, caught two TD passes from backup QB Jared Lorenzen, also a former Wildcat. This game will see a spirited Bills team vs a Colts team that does not care about preseason wins. Nevertheless, in the Dome, in front of the home fans, the Colts will do enough to squeak out a victory.
Projected Score: IND Colts 21, BUF Bills 16

Monday Game

SEA Seahawks  39
SAN Chargers   6
Rookie Brandon Coutu kicked a 36-yard field goal 3:28 into overtime to give Seattle a 29-26 victory over Da Bears last Saturday. It was Coutu's fifth field goal. He previously had been successful from 48, 26, 46 and 21 yards. Earlier in the fourth quarter, T. J. Duckett had powered in from a a yard out to tie the game at 19. Two minutes later Justin Forsett rumbled around left end for 10 yards to put Seattle up, 26-19. With starter Matt Hasselbeck sitting out due to back tightness, Frye went the whole way, finishing 20-of-35 for 209 yards and three interceptions for Seattle. You can expect Hasselbeck to be doubtful again this week and Frye will play the whole game again. The Chargers took an early lead last week, turning first-quarter interceptions by first-round pick Antoine Carson and Cletis Gordan into Nate Kaeding field goals of 27 and 31 yards in a boring 7-6 loss to the Rams. Cason, who on Thursday agreed to a five-year contract, also contributed three first-half tackles. Third-round pick Jacob Hester gained 59 yards on 12 carries for the Chargers (1-1). Even though this is the week most starters get plenty of action, the Charges seem to be protecting and healing their wounded. With Frye playing most of the game, this gives the Seahawks a bit more of consistency at QB. This one will be decided late.
Projected Score: SAN Chargers 24, SEA Seahawks 20

Happy Handicapping From The Gridiron Gold Staff