By Bob Bonett
It’s begun.
Shortly after my roommate declared a hunger strike when the Jets were still stuck at 3 points in the third quarter against the lowly Bills, coach Eric Mangini finally sent Chad Pennington to the bench in favor of second-year soon-to-be phenom-okay, I’m overly excited-Kellen Clemens.
Yet, even with my beloved Gang Green finally slotting in KC behind center, there is a more intriguing storyline this week, as the NFL’s two best teams face off shortly after 4 p.m. on Sunday.
That’s right, Week 9 has arrived; time for Bill Belicheat and the Pats to take on Hollywood Manning and the Colts.
That being said, I’ve got some bad news for all you football fans out there:
This one isn’t going to be close.
I know that Indy is the defending champ, that Manning is a top-five quarterback of all time, that Joseph Addai and Kenton Keith are the new Edgerrin James and Dominic Rhodes, thatReggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison are a two-headed monster and, of course, that Bob Sanders is the AFC’s version of Brian Dawkins.
Despite all that, though, it is going to be another high-scoring, easy victory for Brady and the Pats.
Look at the progression of the amount of points New England has put up; as they have increased from five to seven touchdowns per game, their defense has actually started allowing fewer and fewer points.
Forgetting about garbage time touchdowns the last two weeks, New England has essentially beaten Miami 49-7-okay, not that big of a deal-and Washington-a true contender-52-0.
Now I know what everybody’s gripe is; New England is running up the score.
Consider this, though. If your home team was beating teams by 40 points per week, and your starting quarterback was yanked in the fourth quarter of every game, wouldn’t you be a little wary when your team took on a true contender, and your team’s star offensive players hadn’t yet played a full 60-minute game?
I’m not looking to defend Belichick here, because he has proved that he has absolutely no football morals. However, by playing a complete game, and going for first down on 4th-and-3 when your team is literally winning by five touchdowns, Belichick is forcing his team to play a complete game, thus preparing the Brady Bunch for when they have to face a legitimate power, such as the Colts.
Yes, ESPN and other sports media outlets have touted this game as one of the biggest regular season contests in NFL history. And yes, America will be watching the best football players in the league Sunday afternoon.
Yet, as many weapons as Indianapolis may have, and as great as their team may be, they pale in comparison to the Patriots. Remember, New England is 8-0 without a healthy running back, without getting projected No. 1 wide receiver Donte Stallworth much involved and without Rodney Harrison for four games.
And this week? New England has all the tools in place.
Harrison and Wayne? Meet Stallworth, Randy Moss and Wes Welker.
Addai and Keith? Look out for Laurence Maroney and one of the NFL’s best receiving backs, Kevin Faulk.
Sanders? Sorry, bud, but look at what the Patriots defense has done this year.
And Peyton Manning? How does 30 touchdowns with only two interceptions sound.
I’m excited for this game, and I will undoubtedly by listening to it on the radio on the way home from Gang Green’s win over the Redskins. However, at half time, when New England has a three touchdown lead, don’t at all be surprised; expect it.
That being said, your Las Vegas cheat sheet:
BEST BET
New England (-6) at Indianapolis: I know, favored road teams never cover the spread, especially against teams undefeated through 8 weeks. Then again, quarterbacks aren’t supposed to be on pace for 60 touchdown passes halfway through the season. Pick: Patriots
GAME OF THE WEEK
Dallas (-3) at Philadelphia: Key game for each team; the Cowboys need to keep pace with the streaking Giants, while Philly’s time to make a run in the NFL’s best division is running out. Pick: Cowboys
J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS
Washington (-3.5) at New York Jets: Let me preface this by saying a team that just lost 52-7 is favored on the road against Gang Green. That’s how bad the situation in New Jersey is. Thomas Jones, not Kellen Clemens, will key the Jets’ second victory; an easy win over the ‘Skins. Pick: Jets
THE REST
Green Bay (+2.5) at Kansas City: Very intriguing game here. Herm Edwards has somehow made a team out of the lowly Chiefs, while Brett Favre is coming off a lucky win over the Broncos. Even without DeShawn Wynn, though, the Pack will beat another AFC contender. Pick: Packers
Arizona (+3.5) at Tampa Bay: It doesn’t matter how many tools you give the Cardinals. They will never be a successful NFL franchise. Pick: Buccaneers
Carolina (+4) at Tennessee: Vince Young looked awful last week, but escaped with a win. Carolina won’t let that happen. Pick: Panthers
San Francisco (+3) at Atlanta: When in doubt, pick against the ‘Niners. Pick: Falcons
Jacksonville (+3.5) at New Orleans: Marques Colston-from HOFSTRA-is back. Don’t look now but Sean Payton’s rebuilt this team into a contender. Pick: Saints
Denver (+3) at Detroit: For some reason, each week, I can’t bring myself to pick against the Broncos, or invest any trust in the Lions. Pick: Broncos
Cincinnati (PK) at Buffalo: What a downer this is; two pathetic teams coming off wins over the Jets. J.P. Losman has got something to prove for if he wants to keep his job in Buffalo. Pick: Bills
San Diego (-7.5) at Minnesota: Pretty soon, New England won’t be the only team giving 17 points on a consistent basis. Pick: Chargers
Seattle (+1) at Cleveland: Things are bad in Seattle. Real bad. Pick: Browns
Houston (+3) at Oakland: Any time the Raiders cover the spread, immediately thank their halfway decent defense. Pick: Raiders
Baltimore (+9) at Pittsburgh: This is going to be a boring, low-scoring Monday night game. I think nine points is too many to give a stringent defense. Pick: Ravens

Move over, Priceless Peptalk Peyton; GQ’s World’s Best Dressed Man is coming to town. And he means business. (sports.yahoo.com)