The Lineman took a few hard hits early last week but recovered with a couple of late scores to win my last two picks and finish with a sort of respectable 2-4. The word of the week for Week Six is “desperation” for me and several teams.
Record: 14-16; Last week: 2-4; Pick of the Week: 4-1
PICK OF THE WEEK
St. Louis Rams (0-4) at Green Bay Packers (5-0)
(Lines Packers minus-14.5)
The NFL’s best team against probably the league’s worst team (we say probably only because the Miami Dolphins have also yet to win a game).
St. Louis has had a bye week to think about their visit to Lambeau but the Rams could have had a year to prepare and it would be the same result – a blowout.
With a razor-sharp Aaron Rodgers at the controls the Packers are averaging a league best 34 points while the Rams are at the bottom of the heap averaging just 11.5.
The Packers still have a few areas they could improve on, such as pass defence after giving up an average of 299 yards per game – third worst in the league.
But Charles Woodson and Morgan Burnett are tied for the lead in interceptions with three each while Rams quarterback Sam Bradford has thrown just three touchdowns.
Danario Alexander is the Rams’ top pass catcher with a measly 196 yards.
Rodgers has thrown for 1,721 yards and a league-best 14 touchdowns and will likely add to both those numbers against a Rams secondary that has lost its two top cornerbacks to injury.
Even when they were winning last season, the Rams were crummy on the road. The Pack are great at home.
Giving up more than two touchdowns always leaves me jittery and there is always a chance the Packers could be in a generous mood and let up on their overwhelmed opponents.
But I still expect to see plenty of Lambeau Leaps this Sunday.
Take the leap. Give up the 14.5 and take the Packers.
- – - -
Philadelphia Eagles (1-4) at Washington Redskins (3-1)
(Line Eagles plus .5)
I could just cut and paste my reasons for taking the Eagles again because they are the same reasons I picked Philadelphia over the Bills a week ago (a wrong pick).
The only difference from last Sunday is that the Eagles are even more desperate for a win.
After four straight losses the “Dream Team” tag has been removed from the Eagles but is Philadelphia as bad as their 1-4 record? I think not.
The Eagles offence ranks third, averaging 445 yards per game and first in rushing but quarterback Michael Vick has been prone to the big mistake, tossing a league-high seven interceptions including four against the Bills.
Philadelphia’s more significant issues are on defence where they rank near the bottom of the league against the run, surrendering an average of 26.4 points and 140 yards on the ground.
Defence has been the Redskins strength, Washington allowing just 15.8 points per game (third best behind Baltimore and San Francisco) and leads the NFL in sacks – not good news for an
already banged up Vick.
Great defence, coming off a bye week and playing at home everything would seem to be in the Redskins’ favour.
But the Eagles are in desperation mode and so am I.
Take the Eagles and the half point.
- – - -
Carolina Panthers (1-4) at Atlanta Falcons (2-3)
(Line Falcons minus-4.5)
The Eagles and Falcons are birds of a feather – both failing miserably to live up to pre-season expectations.
The Falcons tailspin has not been nearly as dramatic as the Eagles but this is another team that needs to get things figured out in hurry (like this Sunday) or risk falling to the bottom of the NFC South.
First-year quarterback Cam Newton may not quite be ready for the Hall of Fame as some would have you believe by the lavish praise but he is a lock for rookie of the year taking command of a Panthers offence that ranks fifth in total yards and passing.
Newton has passed for seven touchdowns, run for five more and developed a special chemistry with wide receiver Steve Smith, who ranks second in pass catching with 609 yards.
Atlanta has just been out of sync on both sides of the ball.
The Falcons are a tough out at the Georgia Dome and this is the week when things finally start to click in Atlanta.
Newton is also due for a wonky game and I think this is it.
Take the Falcons and give up the 4.5.
- – - -
Houston Texans (3-2) at Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
(Line Ravens minus-7.5)
No All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson and no pass rushing maestro Mario Williams, means no chance for the banged up Texans against a well-rested Ravens team playing at home and coming off a bye week.
It is hard to give up more than a touchdown against a team that has played as well as the Texans but, with their two biggest playmakers sidelined with injuries, it is hard to see Houston having any chance here.
The Ravens defence, led by Ray Lewis (this guy still scares me), is the league’s stingiest allowing just 14.3 points a game while Joe Flacco and the Baltimore offence are starting to find their stride averaging 35 points in their three wins.
M&T Bank Stadium has been a house of pain for visitors, the Ravens going 12-1 in their last 13 home games.
The Texans have never beaten the Ravens and it won’t happen this week.
Houston we have a problem.
Take the Ravens and give up the 7.5.
- – - -
New Orleans Saints (4-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
(Line Saints minus-4.5)
New Orleans let me down last week when they failed to cover against the Panthers but I am giving them another shot this Sunday because 4.5 points seems to a little light against a Saints offence that is starting to fire on all cylinders.
Drew Brees is the NFL’s second ranked quarterback tossing 1,789-yards and 12 touchdowns and is at the controls of a Saints attack that sits second in total yards (452 yards per game) and passing yards (336).
Last week the Buccaneers were spanked 48-3 by the San Francisco 49ers, matching their worst loss in club history.
Both defences have struggled giving up an average of 25 points a game but it is hard to see Tampa Bat quarterback Josh Freeman keeping pace with Brees.
The Saints quarterback has an arsenal of weapons to choose from while the Bucs lost one of their biggest threats last Sunday when running back LeGarrette Blount went down with a knee injury.
New Orleans should also be very motivated this week with a win allowing them to open up a two-game cushion on their NFC South rivals at the top of the division standings.
Bucs stopped here.
Take the Saints and give up the 4.5.
- – - -
Miami Dolphins (0-4) at New York Jets (2.3)
(Line Jets minus-7.5)
For me, a week off in Miami would never seem like a bad thing.
Not sure, however, the winless Dolphins enjoyed their bye week as much I would have.
So it’s back to work for the Fish and a visit to the Big Apple for the Monday Nighter against a Jets team that finally appears ready to take flight.
Dolphins have a new look coming out of the break but it is a scary one, with backup Matt Moore in at quarterback for injured Chad Henne.
Miami ranked near the bottom of the league averaging just 17 points a game with Henne calling plays so it is difficult to see Moore as any kind of upgrade – especially going against a Jets defence that ranks fifth against the pass.
New York quarterback Mark Sanchez continues to come under scrutiny but expect him to silence his critics, for one day at least, with a big day against the NFL’s second worst pass defence.
Both teams are desperate (see, I told you that was word of the week) for wins.
Miami coach Tony Sparano likely needs one to keep his job while the Jets need a victory to stay in touch with the 4-1 New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills in the AFC East.
The Dolphins have a history of playing the Jets tough, but give me the improving Jets against Matt Moore in the Monday Night prime time spotlight.
Jets cleared for takeoff.
Take the Jets and give up the 7.5
Investors worried about crumbling consumer spending, a darkening economic outlook and the rapid expansion of Google Inc’s Android mobile software got some assurance after the company moved 4 million iPhone 4S units in three days — more than double its predecessor — despite lukewarm reviews.Apple’s shareholders have had plenty to fret about since August, when Steve Jobs handed the reins to Tim Cook.The company then lost its leading visionary and co-founder when he died October 5. Some analysts say the short-term disruption offered a brief window for rivals like Google and its foremost Android partner, Samsung, to swoop in.But the world’s largest technology company by market value is expected to present a positive short-term picture — sparked by roaring sales of its iPhone and iPad — when it reports results for the July-September period Tuesday.The iPhone 4S sales numbers catapulted Apple’s shares to a record high last week, even though some of that rally rested on the iPhone 4S being available in two additional countries and more telecoms carriers from launch day.The record sales have heightened expectations for the current quarter, which many investors expect will be enormous for Apple.”The quarter we are focusing on is the holiday quarter,” said Channing Smith, co-manager of the Capital Advisors Growth Fund, which owns Apple shares.”We expect Apple to absolutely blow the doors off during Christmas.”Still, Apple has encountered a few uncharacteristic glitches or hiccups since Jobs exited in August. While the iPhone 4S rode pent-up demand and wider availability to record numbers, the initial response was disappointment over a lack of design changes.And while the woes of rivals such as Research in Motion — which experienced its severest outage last week — appear to benefit Apple, the impending re-launch of Microsoft Corp and Nokia into the mobile arena and the increasing footprint of Android could hit Apple’s sales.Others worry that Apple’s shares have gone too far, too fast.On Monday, BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis lowered his recommendation on Apple to hold, citing a steep run-up in price and some short-term turbulence such as some risk to profit margin from education pricing discounts offered on some Apple products and competition to the iPad from low-cost manufacturers.”The company has to constantly set records just to meet expectations,” Gillis said. “There is nothing wrong with Apple’s business model or execution, but we do see that sentiment is overwhelmingly positive.”“It is possible shares pull back below $400, possibly even this week after the earnings report,” he added.For Cook and his executive bench, quarterly results offer what some analysts say is a welcome opportunity to focus on business, after headlines were dominated for a fortnight by Jobs’ passing, which ignited a spontaneous outpouring of grief and sympathy from heads of state, Silicon Valley royalty and across the Internet.Apple’s iPhone delivers more than 40 percent of its revenue and provides much of the growth momentum. Wall Street has begun building in projections for up to 30 million of the smartphones sold in the December quarter, the crucial holiday period.As with previous quarters, Apple — which provides current-quarter estimates that Wall Street says are typically conservative — needs to truly surpass expectations to drive a share rally, analysts said.Current average projections put fiscal fourth-quarter revenue at $29.6 billion and earnings per share at $7.38.But according to StarMine SmartEstimates, which places more emphasis on the timeliest forecasts by the most historically accurate analysts, Apple is expected to post earnings of $7.47 per share — about 2.4 percent above the average estimate.Revenue could come in at $29.8 billion — about 1 percent above the average expectation.BEYOND IPHONESSome investors recommend looking beyond merely iPhones and looking at Apple’s other main devices: the two-year-old iPad, and the stalwart Macintosh line of desktop and laptop computers.Wall Street in general expects sales somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 million to 22 million iPhones in the September quarter, north of 4 million Macs, and about 10 million iPads.”Investors have plenty to look forward to from Apple as the year comes to a close, including stronger than expected demand for the new iPhone 4S, a strengthened digital ecosystem with the recent launch of the iOS 5 and iCloud, the continued momentum around the iPad 2,” Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White said.Beyond 2011, the picture is less clear. Many analysts expect Apple, sustaining its long-established product cycle, to unveil the third version of the iPad, which helped create the tablet computing market that it still dominates.But rivals aren’t sitting still. Microsoft is gearing up to launch Windows 8 for tablets, and its new phone operating software will soon debut on new partner Nokia.Google, whose Android is already the world’s most-used mobile software, continues to score partners. And Samsung, riding Android’s success, may overtake Apple as the world’s bestselling smartphone brand in the fourth quarter and beyond.Still, investor enthusiasm for Apple continues for now.”It’s very hard to find any type of problem in the business,” Capital Advisors Growth Fund’s Smith said.
Clapper, in a speech at the GEOINT conference in Texas, said his office had “handed in our homework assignment” to the Office of Management and Budget, “and it calls for cuts in the double-digit range, with a B (for billion), over 10 years.”In February the DNI had requested $55 billion in appropriations for fiscal year 2012, which started October 1. Congress has not given final approval to any of the regular full-year spending bills and the government is being funded by short-term measures.”We too in the IC (Intelligence Community) are going to contribute to reducing the deficit which itself poses a profound threat to national security,” Clapper said.The DNI oversees 17 intelligence agencies and only publicly releases an aggregate budget figure for intelligence programs without a breakdown for the different agencies.Clapper did not give a precise percentage figure for the proposed cuts. Because of that and the secretive nature of the intelligence budget, it was unclear how much total savings over 10 years he was promising.He said the budget cuts would mainly focus on efficiencies in information technology but would include cuts in contractors and that he would investigate whether some overseas facilities could be closed.There was “huge potential” for savings in information technology, as about 20-25 percent of the 2012 budget request was in that area. He said it would mean making use of technological advances such as in cloud computing.The goal over the 10-year period would be to accomplish half of the needed savings through information technology efficiencies, Clapper said.
* Bo lerenius to step down as chairman* Defers intended publication date of FY report and accountsLONDON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - British infrastructure and
maintenance group Mouchel said it was in talks with
its lending banks regarding expected covenant breaches caused by
a profit warning last week and named Grant Rumbles as its new
Chief Executive.”The board is encouraged that the banks have been supportive
and the discussions continue to be constructive with the
objective of providing Mouchel with a stable funding structure,”
a company statement read, adding that the banks had asked KPMG
to provide a report to help the process.Richard Cuthbert had quit as chief executive of the
beleaguered firm a week ago after it revealed a statistical
error and mounting risks to contracts would slice about 60
percent off this year’s profits, halving its shares on the day.In early 2010, Mouchel rejected a 330 million pound ($520
million) cash and shares offer from VT Group, and this year
fended off takeover bids from Costain and Interserve
valuing it at around 120 million pounds.Shares in the group, which analysts now expect to post
full-year pre-tax profit of around 5 million pounds, were
trading down 7.7 percent at 12 pence at 0728 GMT, valuing
Mouchel at 16.5 million pounds.As well as appointing former Serco Group Chief
Operating Officer Rumbles as CEO, Mouchel said Chairman Bo
Lerenius had resigned and its non-executive director David
Sugden would step in as interim chairman.Mouchel, which builds and maintains infrastructure such as
roads, railways and schools, said it would defer the intended
publication date of its report and full-year accounts to Nov.
30.
