An un-Bearable performance against Saints

A photo can't do justice to how ugly a performance by a team was, but maybe that one will come close. Jay Cutler was running for his life all game, Mike Martz only called 12 running plays to take some of the pressure off him and the defense was picked apart by Drew Brees and all that was very clear in the 30-13 final.

Things started out fine for the offense, which behind Cutler, scored on its second drive of the game and took a 7-0 lead on a Cutler TD pass. What followed from there was a beat down in every sense of the word. The Saints racked up six sacks of Cutler and had him running for his life most of the game. An offense would normally keep a defense off balance by calling some running plays and letting Matt Forte get things done on the ground. Forte, who played his home games when he played at Tulane at the SuperDome, was the only player who did much of anything, catching 10 passes, as Cutler could do little more than check down time after time. That's good for no one and, while it helps Forte when he goes back to the bargaining table with Bears GM Jerry Angelo, does little to develop the offense.

Cutler looked dejected after the game. The sack pictured in the photo at the top of this post came off a blown block by tight end Kellen Davis, the player kept around because he was a better blocker than Greg Olsen. Huh? I don't think Cutler needs to defend his performance. How often can a guy get whacked and keep getting up before his actions speak for him. I wrote last week, the key was in his hands and arm, but that was me having faith in this offensive line to figure things out. Clearly that's not happening. After the injury of Cabe Carimi, things will likely get worse before they get better for Jay heading into next week (Gulp!).

And now, the injuries are starting to pile up beyond Carimi, as Earl Bennett, Roy Williams, Chris Harris and a growing number of players missed the entire or part of Sunday's game. Coach Lovie Smith expects to get most of them back, but Carimi is expected out for at least two weeks with a knee sprain and Bennett has a bruised sternum.

Yet, as rough as it were, the score was 16-13 deep into the third quarter, but then things fell apart.

As for the defense, I can't get on Brian Urlacher for a bad performance. To be clear, he didn't have a bad game at all, in fact, he played decent. But, football is team game and the other 10 guys around him had some hiccups. Specifically, Henry Melton, who I called out last week after he had a great game, to back it up with another strong showing to cement his place as a solid player. Well, no tackles means he fails. And Julius Peppers and the rest of the defensive line is right there with him. It's like a tale of two games as it was a completely different showing from the defense.

It goes beyond the line, too, as the secondary was torched for a 79-yard touchdown with Harris out and Major Wright in the game, showing he didn't have a clue what he was doing. Then, when he got injured Brandon Meriweather didn't know what was going on either.

It may come as a bit of a shock to some, but one game doesn't make a season and we knew the weakness of the team would be exposed at least a couple times throughout the season. This was just the first test, and it did not go well. Lovie has made it clear things will be addressed with the offense. Last year when he did that, the team won eight straight games. Sometimes he's got to pull the reigns on the Mad Scientist he's got for an offensive coordinator. With the Packers coming to Soldier Field next week, it has to get addressed sooner rather than later.

Bears success in Week 2 lies on Jay Cutler's shoulders

After making a statement that they should not be overlooked this season back in Week 1, the Bears go on the road this week to take on the New Orleans Saints.
All of the talk this week revolves around the noise in the SuperDome and the blitzes the Saints and defensive coordinator Greg Williams will send at Jay Cutler. That makes Cutler's game Sunday the most important of any other player on the field, or maybe a close second to the five guys on the offensive line in picking up those rushers and dealing with the noise.
It's an area, that could get rough considering the three sacks the Bears gave up last week without much blitzing from the Falcons. If the Saints are able to load up on one side and the linemen are a couple paces slow in getting off the ball because they can't hear the snap count, things could get dicey. I put things then on Jay's shoulders to make the quick reads and calls to get the ball out of there in time from the play calls of Mike Martz.
As I wrote Monday, Martz showed some signs of helping out his quarterback in Week 1 with short passes mixed with the down-the-field routes and Jay hit them, specifically the touchdown pass to Matt Forte and the long pass and run by Devin Hester that set up another touchdown. He'll have to adapt the same way this week. A change this year is his playcalling from the booth, which gives a different vantage point and focusing on the weapons this offense has next to Jay.
Martz seemed to do a decent job calling plays that featured each of those weapons in Matt (Pay the man!) Forte, Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Roy Williams. All four guys, and I could throw Matt Spaeth in the mix, too, had an impact last week. How often has a Bears fan been able to say that of four and maybe five receivers? The credit for that goes to both Martz and Cutler for getting them in position to make the right plays.
Will that pay off this week in New Orleans? With the blitzers coming from all angles, it will if Jay get's that extra second over the middle to get the ball out and let those receivers run after the catch. That's the one area the sending of blitzers from all angles allows. If Hester catches a ball in space and has a chance to turn on the jets, he can run away from anyone.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bears got a great performance from their front four and saw Brian Urlacher have one of his better games in the last couple years. If the line can have a similar effort this week, they will be in a great spot to win.
It's no secret Drew Brees can pick a defense apart if he has time to survey the field and find an open receiver. If the Bears are able to get pressure on him with the likes of Julius Peppers, Harry Melton, Anthony Adams and Israel Idonoje they could have a good shot at winning.
The one question mark is what they do about the Saints' running backs of Darren Sproles and Mark Ingram. Ingram would be a more conventional back, but Sproles ripped apart the Packers defense at times and I'd be tempted to put a safety or a defensive back on him if he splits out wide. There really isn't another way to keep up with him. I'm not sure Lance Briggs can keep up with him and I know Nick Roach can't, which is why the DB option makes sense. The Bears will have to find a way to quiet that down, as you'd expect Sean Payton to exploit that matchup in some way.
The biggest thing that might propel this defense is having the heart and soul of it back in Urlacher who left to lay his mother to rest in Texas Wednesday, after she passed away Monday. You know he is going to play possessed and I expect the other 10 guys on the field to play for him. Knowing this unit, they are very close knit and have been together for a long time. I heard it in an interview with Lance Briggs today and he was feeling for Lac and it just seems like a week for this unit to have one of those games where they make the great plays. It is just meant to be.
The Pick: I see a few scores in this game and it will be a close one. But I'm confident the Bears line can continue to improve and, if they can get out front early in this game to take the crowd out of things a bit, can get the job done against the blitzes. On defense, I know Julius Peppers will have a great game, but would expect someone else to emerge on the line. Adams? Maybe.
That's why I see Bears 30, Saints 27 as the final score. It's that close and if the Bears can come away with this road win, they have to be taken very seriously heading into Week 3.

NFL Picks
Last week I went 10-6, which for the first week wasn't that bad. Once the landscape of the league gets laid out, it will get better. Let's jump right into Week 2. My picks are in bold, as always.
Raiders at Bills
Bears at Saints
Browns at Colts
Chiefs at Lions
Packers at Panthers
Ravens at Titans
Bucs at Vikings
Jaguars at Jets
Cardinals at Redskins
Seahawks at Steelers
Cowboys at 49ers
Bengals at Broncos
Texans at Dolphins
Chargers at Patriots
Eagles at Falcons
Rams at Giants

The picks are in for Week 1 of the NFL season

Week 1 of the NFL season is finally upon us! Yes I'm excited and you probably are too. So let's get right into it. Here are my NFL Week 1 picks with the winners in bold. This season I will keep a running tab of how I'm doing on the blog and not just on my ESPN.com pick-'em league. That way, I can make fun of you every week for picking more than you.
Vikings at Saints (Yes I made this pick before the game. Here's the proof.)
Dolphins at Bills
Lions at Bears
Raiders at Titans
Bengals at Patriots
Panthers at Giants
Falcons at Steelers
Browns at Bucs
Broncos at Jaguars
Colts at Texans
49ers at Seahawks
Packers at Eagles
Cardinals at Rams
Cowboys at Redskins
Ravens at Jets
Chargers at Chiefs

Alright, time to jump right in it and get to the Nussie Hunter pick of the day. Figured we had to have some football tie-in and the one and only Sara Jean Underwood was more than willing to help us out with some bodypainting. there's more of that, here!

Who Dat, winning that Super Bowl 44?!

Well, let me start by saying my Super Bowl XLIV pic was way off. But I like being pleasantly surprised. That's exactly what the Saints did for me last night.
I'll say this, the Saints came out in the second half, after finding a way to get points at the end of the first half, and got it done. That's when games are won and Sean Payton was gutsy as hell. Yes Drew Brees executed the win, but Payton won it. That onside kick takes balls and is amazing. That was one of the most impressive second halves by a team I have seen. As much as you don't want to say it, sometimes confidence and believing you're going to do something can mean so much more than ability. That's what the Saints did. Sean Payton showed those guys they were going for it and they believed in it and got the win. It was damn impressive.
Tracy Porter's pick-six that sealed the win was just the punctuation on a great game. It shifted the discussion on whether Peyton Manning belonged in the big game. Really? The guy is ridiculous. Yes he belongs in the big game. He lost the Super Bowl. One game. Yes it's a big game, but the Saints as a team played great. And that's what beat Peyton in this one.
The scene after the game was great too. How awesome is that photo of Drew and his son? So awesome! That's truly enjoying the moment and his son doesn't know exactly what is happening, but he was having a blast with his father. So great!
Judging by the fact that this was the most watched television show EVER, most all of you watched the game. So I won't bore you with my breakdown of the action. I will leave you with this though.




Of course I will give my take on the commercials. I grew up on the Golden Girls, so seeing Betty White was great. I'm thinking "You're playing like Betty White" might make my sports vernacular. Haha.


Bud Light had a couple funny ones. I like the "House of Bud" and the "AutoTune" How great is T-Pain to make fun of himself? ... And here's the AutoTune!


Of course, I'm also a hawk for ones that feature some of our faves her on "The Way" When I saw my girl Megan Fox in a spot, you can bet I was excited.  But take a look when they do a close up of the phone and show her hands. Umm, I know for a fact that's not her hand because her thumbs look like big toes. Here's proof. That doesn't take anything away from the commercial though. So good!


The SI swimsuit issue does get unveiled tonight when the cover model is released on Letterman and tomorrow when it hits newstands. So I have a couple things to get you ready for that. Of course, the lovely ladies of SI Swim were mingling with NFL players last week. Another one of my faves, Marissa Miller, gave Matthew Stafford a thrill. Take a look at this.


That was not today's Nussie Hunter. I'm better to you than that. Last year's cover model was Bar Refaeli. And yes, she's looking good again this year. I'm done talking, just look!

Who dat! Going to the Super Bowl?

Judging by the ratings Sunday's AFC and NFC title games were some of the most watched non Super Bowl games in 30 years. And with the great story lines coming in, it is hard to argue with that.
I'll say Peyton's great comeback against the Jets was great and was topped by the great game that finished the night. I'll say the Saints and Vikings delivered more twists and turns than Road America race track in Elkhart Lake, Wis. (That means a lot!)
I'll have to say it was right here where I correctly picked the winners of both games. My first perfect week of the playoffs. Yeah, it was a rough one. But when it mattered most I came though.
I'd have to say I was pretty happy to see the Saints win probably more than Peyton and the Colts. Almost because that win almost seemed like a no-brainer.  But the Saints, with that certain quarterback playing for the Vikings had a bit of a story to go against and a damn good team.
I am alone in being tired of the Katrina story? Now I'm all for getting the city back together and the people being happy, but that was about four years ago. Maybe it's because instead of talking about talent on the team, everything is about the people of the city. I feel like we got to know more about the PLAYERS  on the Vikings as much as we did the PEOPLE of New Orleans. Guess that's just a gripe I have with media.


January 26 is also a pretty special day. It is the birthdate of one Bob Uecker, aka "Mr. Baseball" aka the voice of MY Milwaukee Brewers. The man has spent 55 years in baseball. The 2010 season will be his 29th as play-by-play man of the Brewers and turned 75 today.
Yeah, I'd have to say he is back in rare form. I was a bit critical of him a couple years ago. He had been calling such a bad team he just let his stories take over the game. Then when the Brewers started winning, he had to find a good mix. Well, he's figured it out and is back on point.
I'm sorry for doubting you. I loved Mr. Belvadere! Haha. That pic above, by the way, is from a couple years back. There was a furry convention at the same hotel the Brewers were staying at. Comedy ensued on the air that day, too.
A couple rare baseball facts for you, he caught the game that made Warren Spahn the winningest left handed pitcher in MLB history. Also, he's a career .200 hitter. That would be why he jokes about his on-field shortcomings all the time.
He's a good pitchman....


Alright, a bit of a random video here. But hey, this is quite funny. Note to the City of Grand Forks.


Alright, time for the Nussie Hunter portion of the show. Andy Roddick fell this morning in the Aussie Open. With the loss I couldn't help but think of his wife and how much she must feel bad. Yeah, when it's none other than SI swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker, you think about this sort of thing... Check it!

Championship Sunday is just around the corner!

First off, I'd like to say my apologies for all of the photos turning into "Bandwidth Exceeded" graphics the last couple of days. I got an E-mail yesterday that said I had exceeded my 10 GB bandwidth at Photobucket. I think that means the site is doing pretty good and I had to upgrade my photo hosting to allow for an unlimited bandwidth.

Now that we got that out of the way, lets' get into making my Super Bowl picks. Now that both of my preseason picks (the Chargers and the Bears. Yes I know. Thought we had a shot to get one right), it's back to the drawing board. I like both matchups Sunday and should be two great games.
Let's start with the 2 p.m. game that has the Jets going to Indy to play the Colts. A lot is being made of the history of these franchises, but to be honest, that means nothing to the guys on the field. It's great history, but will have no effect on what happens Sunday.
Was looking over this week's Sports Illustrated, I am a subscriber, and they break things down. Looking at how the Colts did what they had to do to the Ravens, I'm saying we get more of that this week. Peyton is too smart and will find the holes in this defense to get the Colts out front. On the other side of the ball, the Colts D has been playing great and if they can get to Mark Sanchez and knock him out of his game, they'll make it easy. This will be about stopping the run for them and if they can keep Thomas Jones quiet for the day. The Colts are pretty one-dimensional relying on the pass almost exclusively and that should allow the Jets to put Reggie Wayne out on Revis Island for the day and let them keep a the extra safety deep to keep an eye on Dallas Clark.
I must say though, I really like the Colts to earn this win. Remember, the only reason the Jets are here is because the Chargers lost that game. They beat themselves. The Jets just lucked out. Yes I just said that.
On the NFC side, its the Vikings and Saints. I think everyone is expecting this game to be a shootout. I'd say if it becomes that, the Saints will be right at home. Putting pressure on Brett Favre to have to score points usually leads to turnovers. The fact that the Vikings have lost their last three home games plays a part in this, too. I don't really like anyone going into the Superdome and getting a win. Now if the game were in the Humpty Dump, I'd probably be saying the Vikes have the upper hand, but we're in Nawleans and for that it's time for the Saints to March on. Drew Brees is just cool in the big games and if he can get production out of Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush like he got last week, the Saints will give that vaunted Minnesota D fits.
For the Vikings, finding a way to get Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor off and running is going to be a key for them. Take pressure off Favre until he has to make the play. He seems to play within himself more in those situations. Not to mention the Saints defense isn't that good and getting them to bring that extra guy into the box will allow "Brent" to play the 1-on-1 matchups that could lead to big plays.
Like I said, I like this being a close game. I'm not so sure it will be as high scoring as people think, but I like the Saints.

Here we go, the official picks...
AFC Title Game: Colts over Jets, 20-17. Jets D will make some plays to keep it close, but not enough of them.
NFC Title Game: Saints over Vikings, 24-20. Another close one with the Saints making the big plays let and Favre making at least one of his patented "dumb" plays that costs the Purple Dumpster Divers the ballgame.

Keeping it on the Vikings, did you hear this awful Prince fight song he was inspired to write after going to the game last week? Eesh! Stick to Purple Rain!



This next item is something from last night's Conan. Tonight is his last Tonight Show and if he brings guys like Pee Wee, then it's going to be good. If you know me, you know I love PW and he was awesome on this. Check it!



Alright boys and girls, time for today's Nussie Hunter. Was checking something on Asylum today, who counted down the most exposed women of the last decade. Remarkably one of them hasn't graced our pages. Yep, Jessica Alba. She is part of the Jessica trifecta and somehow the Nussie Hunter has gone over 100 posts without her. Well, not anymore. Guess I'm helping in the over exposure, but hell. She looked good in that cat suit in Fantastic 4! ... And here.