Year Odds and Ends

As 2016 comes to a close, it has certainly been an interesting year. One year ends and another begins. I hope 2017 will be a better year and I hope I have the time to make more entries here. My current job takes up the vast majority of my time, but sooner or later, that will change.

A year ago, I figured Second Chance would have been published by now. Little did I know that my sixth book, Justice, will end up being my fifth published book. Justice is still in the editing process, but it's looking much better. After this post, I'm making the time to get some significant work done on it.

Since I haven't made a post since July, let's get down to business.

Congrats to the 59-103 Minnesota Twins. You are the 2016 MLB Kings of the Cellar. Even though you ended the year on a two game winning streak, you dominated the runner-up 68-94 Cincinnati Reds by nine games!

This week's NFL Kings of the Cellar, the 1-14 Cleveland Browns, are one loss away from the winning the beer in the NFL cellar. They face a playoff bound Pittsburgh Steelers team on the road, so their title is all but earned. Their only competition, the 2-13 San Francisco 49ers, will host the Seattle Seahawks. The title will go to who wants the beer more.

Now for some trivia. On December 22, 1979, the LSU Tigers faced off against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the Tangerine Bowl (now the Citrus Bowl). LSU won easily, 34-10. Here's some trivia about the players in that game.

• Wake Forest's head coach was John Mackovic. He had a 34-14 record there and went on to coach at Illinois (1988-91), Texas (1992-97), and Arizona (2001-03). His record was 95-82-3. 
• Mackovic was also a QB for the team from 1962-64. As QB, he threw 6 TD's and 26 INTs. This was his only bowl appearance with the Demon Deacons.
• Wake Forest WR Kenny Duckett was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1982 Draft.  He played for the Saints from 1982-85 and the Dallas Cowboys in 1985. Over his career, he caught 36 passes for 503 yards and 4 TD's.
• The was LSU head coach Charlie McClendon's last season with the Tigers. He coached the team for 18 seasons with a 137-59-7 record. His bowl record was 7-6.
• LSU QB David Woodley went on to get drafted in the 8th round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He played for Miami from 1980-83, including an appearance in Super Bowl XVII, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1983-85. Over his career, he passed for 8,558 yards 48 TD's and 63 INT's.
• LSU RB Hokie Gajan went on to get drafted in the 10th round of the 1981 Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He played for the team until 1985, when a knee injury ended his playing career. Over his career, he rushed 252 - 1358 yds and 11 TD's, for a Saints record of 5.4 yards per carry. He also caught 63 passes for 515 yards and 2 TD's. He went on to be a scout for the team and later, the color analyst for WWL radio. He passed away in 2016.
• LSU RB Carlos Carson was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 5th round the the 1980 Draft. He played from 1980-89 with the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles (1989). He played WR and caught 353 passes for 6,372 yards and 33 TD's.
• LSU WR Tracy Porter was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 4th round of the 1981 Draft. He played for the Lions (1981-82) and the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (1983-84). He caught 79 passes for 1,161 yards and 3 TD's.
• LSU WR Orlando McDaniel was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1982 Draft by the Denver Broncos. This was his only season in the NFL. He played in 3 games, with no statistics.
• LSU TE Greg LaFleur went on to get drafted in the 3rd round of the 1981 Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. However, he never played for the team. Instead, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1981-86) and the Indianapolis Colts (1986). He caught 64 passes for 729 yards and 3 TD's.
• LSU TE Malcolm Scott was drafted by the New York Giants in the 5th round of the 1983 Draft. This was his only year with the team. He played again during the 1987 players' strike with the Saints. Over his brief career, he caught 23 passes for 241 yards and no TD's.
• LSU DB Willie Teal went on the play for the Minnesota Vikings from 1980-86 and the Los Angeles Raiders in 1987.
• LSU DB Chris Williams went on to play for the Buffalo Bills from 1981-83.
  
  Here is a link to the video of the 1979 Tangerine Bowl on YouTube. Enjoy.
  
  Have a great day and Happy New Year!!!

2015 NFL Kings of the Cellar

Wow, start a new job and it takes up most of your time. I apologize for the delay.

Well, it appears once again that the 3-13 Cleveland Browns snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by losing the first pick in the draft. Close, but no cigar.  They will have to watch while another team enjoys the beer in the cellar.

Congrats to the 3-13 Tennessee Titans! They are the 2015 NFL Kings of the Cellar and winners of the coveted first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Their four game losing streak and loss to the Browns in Week 2 sealed the Cellar door and the win.

There are a few honorable mentions this year. The first one goes to the Dirty Birds themselves, the 8-8 Atlanta Falcons. They started 5-0 and forgot how to play winning football, finishing the season at 3-8. The second one goes to 4-12 Dallas Cowboys for their collapse when Tony Romo went down. Finally, the last honorable mention goes to the New Orleans Saints defense, especially CB Brandon Browner, who was the most penalized player in the league and whose penalties at key points during the season cost the 7-9 Saints at least three wins.

As much fun as we have with the updates, it's important to remember that the Last Place Updates are a tongue-in-cheek look at teams with the worst records in the featured sports on this blog. However, only a tiny percent of the population is good enough to even be a professional athlete. It's also important to remember and appreciate that it takes that special kind of athlete to earn the privilege to play for a professional sports team, whether it's for only a few games or a long Hall of Fame career. The rest of us can only dream of the life these people live, regardless of how good or bad their team is.

Congrats to the NFL for a good season!!!

Last Place Update - December 24

Merry Christmas everybody! It appears the 4-10 San Diego Chargers wanted something other than the beer in the Cellar when they beat the 5-9 Miami Dolphins. Henceforth (at least this week), this week's Kings of the Cellar are the 3-11 Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns. Why? As the great John Blutarski once said, "Why not?" The Titans have only one division and home win and Cleveland is...well,...just Cleveland.

Move over Dirty Birds. You're out as this week's honorable mention. That distinction now goes to the 6-8 Indianapolis Colts. Why? Because they're sporting a three game losing streak after sporting a three game winning streak after sporting a three game losing streak, while sporting...well, you get the picture. What's worse, they scored over 30 points only once this season and that was in week 3. This week, Indy visits the Miami Dolphins. Will this begin another win streak?

Next losses...

Tennessee hosts the division rival 7-7 Houston Texans. The Titans lead the series 15-12, but are 5-10 against Houston since 2008. Indy hasn't swept a season series against the Titans since 2007 and it won't happen this year either. They first met in 2002, when the Titans won 17-10. They never played against each other in the postseason, but did go to overtime twice. That series is tied 1-1. The last OT have happened in 2013 when the Texans won 30-24. There is only one shutout in the series. In 2010, Tennessee got blanked 20-0.

Cleveland will invade Arrowhead Stadium to take on the 9-5 Kansas City Chiefs. The series is tied 11-11-2. They first met after the NFL/AFL merger in 1971, when Len Dawson and the Chiefs won 13-7. They never met in the postseason, but went to overtime twice. The Chiefs won the last one in 2006, 31-28, but their first overtime game ended in a 10-10 tie in 1989, which was their last tie. Again, there is only one shutout in the series, After the 1989 tie, Kansas City spanked Cleveland in 1990, 34-0.

Here are a few historical scores for teams playing each other this week, on December 24,

2006  Carolina 10 - Atlanta 3
2006  Baltimore 31 - Pittsburgh 7
2006  Denver 24 - Cincinnati 23

On a different note, my ebook, Rickshaw, New Mexico will be free for the Kindle through Christmas weekend. If you haven't already, click the link, download your copy, and tell a friend.

Now to the burning questions of the week.

Will Tennessee wrest control of the Cellar from Cleveland? Will Cleveland win another game? Will Indy break the streaks of 3 and hold on to the honorable mention?

Stay tuned.

Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update - December 16

So much for the crowd thinning out. Once again, there's a three-way tie and this week, the 3-10 San Diego Chargers are Kings of the Cellar. It's true that the 3-10 Cleveland Browns and 3-10 Tennessee Titans deserve a seat in the Cellar, but the Chargers earned the title this week, because they have no division wins. That and they're 1-8 since October 4. Had the Browns lost last week, they would be in sole possession of last place. Oh well.

Okay Dirty Birds, break time's over. That's right. The 6-7 Atlanta Falcons rose up and are once again this week's honorable mention. They snatched the mention from the 8-5 Minnesota Vikings by getting shut out 38-0 by the 13-0 Carolina Panthers, Carolina's first ever shutout victory over the Dirty Birds. It's the first time Atlanta has been shut out since 2004, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers spanked them 27-0. The last time Atlanta was shut out 38-0 was in 1987 by HOFer Rickey Jackson, HOF nominee Sam Mills (who should be in the Hall of Fame) and the New Orleans Saints.

Next loss...

The San Diego Chargers will host the 5-8 Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Miami leads the series 16-14 and are 2-9 against the Dolphins since 1995. They first met in 1966, back in the AFL, when the Chargers spanked Miami 44-10. Every postseason game these two teams played in was in the divisional round. Their last playoff game was in the 1994 season, when San Diego won 22-21 and went on to lose Super Bowl XXIX. That series is tied 2-2. They went to overtime three times and the Chargers won every one. They last time the two teams went to overtime was in 1984, a 34-28 Chargers win. The last time Miami shut out San Diego was 37-0 in 2014. The last time San Diego shut out Miami was 24-0 in 1967.

Here are some historical scores for games being played this week, from December 16,

1962  St. Louis Cardinals 45 - Philadelphia 35
1978  Pittsburgh 21 - Denver 7
2002  Tennessee 24 - New England 7
2012  Houston 29 - Indianapolis 17

Will San Diego hold on to their place in the Cellar? Will Atlanta rise up and lose the rest of their games? Will Cleveland even score against Seattle?

Stay tuned.

Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update - December 9

The crowd has thinned this week, because we have only one team by the beer. That's right. The 2-10 Cleveland Browns are this week's Kings of the Cellar, kicking out the 3-9 Tennessee Titans over their shootout win over the 4-8 Jacksonville Jaguars. The Titans finally got their first home, division, and conference win of the season. However, breathing down Cleveland's necks are the Titans and the 3-9 San Diego Chargers, so the Brownies had better be vigilant if they want the first pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.

The 6-6 Atlanta Falcons get a break this week, so the honorable mention goes to the 4-8 St. Louis Rams. The Rams are losers of five straight and lost their last two games by a score of 58-10. Their last two wins came against teams with losing records as does this week's opponent, the 4-8 Detroit Lions. Can St. Louis bring back The Greatest Show On Turf this week?

Next loss...

Cleveland will host the 4-8 San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Believe it or not, the Browns lead the series 11-7 and are 3-1 against the Niners since 1993. Then again, there was that hiatus when the original Browns moved to Baltimore, but that's another story for another day. They first met in the AAFL in 1946, when the 49ers won 34-20. They never met in overtime, but they did meet in the postseason. In 1949, the Browns won the final All-American Football League championship over the Niners 21-7. The last time Cleveland shut out San Francisco was 7-0 in 1974. San Francisco has never shut out Cleveland.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, December 9,

1951  Detroit 24 - Los Angeles Rams 22
1990  Washington 10 - Chicago 9
2012  Carolina 30 - Atlanta 20

Okay, since there are only three, here some more historical scores from December 10,

1961  Houston Oilers 48 - New York Titans 21
1977  Cincinnati 17 - Pittsburgh 10
1995  Indianapolis 41 - Jacksonville 31
2006  Jacksonville 44 - Indianapolis 17
2012  New England 42 - Houston 14

Much better.

Will Cleveland provide the 49ers with their first ever shutout of the Browns? Will the Titans and Chargers barge into the Cellar? Will Atlanta lose again to be next week's honorable mention?

Stay tuned.

Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update - December 2

Okay, it's a little tight, but there's enough room. This week, we'll honor two teams. The 2-9 Cleveland Browns and 2-9 Tennessee Titans are this week's Kings of the Cellar. Cleveland is sporting a six game losing streak, while the Titans haven't won any home, division, or conference games. That and they're on a three game skid. Neither team should get comfortable, because the 3-8 Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, and San Francisco 49ers are a game back.

This week's honorable mention goes once again to the 6-5 Atlanta Falcons. Once again, the Dirty Birds rose up and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Now Atlanta is 1-5 since losing to my Saints. Can they beat an improving Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

Next loss...

Cleveland will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Browns trail the series 39-45 and are 7-16 since 2004. They first met in 1970 when Cleveland won 30-27. Paul Brown's Bengals won their second ever meeting and he called it the greatest win of his career. They never played each other in the postseason, but they did go to overtime four times. The overtime series is tied 2-2, with their last OT game being a 23-20 Cleveland loss in 2009. The last time Cincinnati shut out Cleveland was 30-0 last season. In fact, the Bengals shut out the Brownies 30-0 before, in 2006, and 14-0 in 2008. The last time Cleveland shut out Cincinnati was 18-0 in 2001.

Tennessee will go for their first win at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Titans lead the series 23-19 and are 8-7 against the Jags since 2008. They first met in 1995 when the then Houston Oilers won 10-3. They met only once in the posteason. In the 1999 AFC Championship game, the Titans went on to Super Bowl XXXIV with a 33-14 victory. They never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Here are some historic scores from teams playing each other this week, December 2,

1945  Detroit 14 - Green Bay 3
1984  New York Giants 20 - New York Jets 10
1984  Cincinnati 20 - Cleveland 17 (OT)
1990  Atlanta 23 - Tampa Bay 17
2001  New Orleans 27 - Carolina 23
2001  Dallas 20 - Washington 14

Who will break the tie to take the Cellar? Will the Dirty Birds win another game? Will Dallas remain winless without Tony Romo at quarterback?

Stay tuned.

Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update - November 24

It's getting a little crowded in the Cellar. However, there can only be one this week. The 2-8 Cleveland Browns get the boot in favor of this week's Kings of the Cellar, the 2-8 San Diego Chargers. Although the 2-8 Tennessee Titans have no division, conference, or home wins, the Chargers have something the other two 2-8 teams don't have: a six game losing streak. Cleveland is right behind San Diego with a five game losing skid, but it's not enough to take the Cellar.

This week's honorable mention goes to the Dirty Birds themselves, the 6-4 Atlanta Falcons. After going 5-0, the Falcons went 1-4 and will host an improved Minnesota Vikings this week. NFL analysts say the Matt Ryan has regressed in recent weeks. Let's see which Matty Ice shows up this week.

Next loss...

San Diego will host the 4-6 Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chargers lead the series 5-2 and are on a four game winning streak against Jacksonville. They first met in 2003, when the Jags won 27-21. They have never gone to overtime nor have they played each other in the postseason. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week from November 24,

1940  New York Giants 21 - Washington 7
1974  New York Jets 17 - Miami 14
1986  Miami 45 - New York Jets 3
2013  Tennessee 23 - Oakland 19
2013  New England 34 - Denver 31 (OT)

Will San Diego hold on to the Cellar? Will Cleveland or Tennessee make a move? Will the Dirty Birds continue their collapse by letting Adrian Peterson run all over them?

Stay tuned.

Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update - November 17

Meet the new Kings of the Cellar; definitely not the same as the old Kings, thanks to the 2-7 Detroit Lions' win over the Green Bay Packers. This week's Kings of the Cellar are the 2-8 Cleveland Browns. The Browns are enjoying a 5 game losing streak and been scored on by 30 or more points over the last three games. Five teams are a half game back, including the division rival 2-7 Baltimore Ravens and evicted Kings of the Cellar 2-7 Detroit Lions.

This week's honorable mention goes to the 4-6 New Orleans Saints defense. Over the past three games, the sieve of a defense allowed 1,425 yards, 526 of them came courtesy of the 5-5 Washington Redskins, hence costing defensive coordinator Rob Ryan his job. Remember, the Saints passed over Super Bowl winning defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel for Ryan. New Orleans has an bye this week, so maybe the defense will show some improvement.

Next loss...

The team named after legendary coach Paul Brown has a bye this week, so the 2-7 former Houston Oilers go to sunny Florida to take on the 3-6 Jacksonville Jaguars in a divisional matchup. The now Tennessee Titans lead the series 23-18, but the Titans are 8-6 against Jacksonville since 2008. They first met in Jacksonville's inaugural season of 1995, when the Oilers won 10-3. There are no overtime or postseason games in the series. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, November 17,

1974  Green Bay 19 - Minnesota 7
1974  Baltimore Colts 17 - Atlanta 7
1991  Minnesota 35 - Green Bay 21
2002  Minnesota 31 - Green Bay 21

Will Cleveland's off week cost them them their spot in the Cellar? Will the 2-7 Dallas Cowboys win now that Tony Romo is back? Will the Baltimore continue to collapse their way to the Cellar?

Stay tuned.

Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update - November 11

Before we get started, I have a message for all of you who served or are serving our country. THANK YOU!!!!! Thank you for your service and sacrifice. You are most definitely appreciated. Now let's have some fun.

This week's Kings of the Cellar did not lose last week. Then again, they didn't play either. Hence, the 1-7 Detroit Lions hold on to the Cellar for one more week. The 2-6 Tennessee Titans had a chance to kick out the Lions, but their overtime win over my New Orleans Saints ruined that opportunity. The 2-7 San Diego Chargers and Cleveland Browns round out the bottom three. Cleveland is sporting a four game losing streak, but San Diego does one better by losing their last five games.

Today's honorable mention goes once again to the 2-6 Dallas Cowboys, losers of their last six. Say what you want about QB Tony Romo, but the Cowpokes are not the same team without him. This week, Dallas visits the New Sombrero to take on the 3-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unless the former America's Team can play 60 minutes of good football, Jameis Winston and the Bucs will notch win #4.

Next loss...

In a rivalry that goes back to the Great Depression, the former Portsmouth Spartans will travel to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. The now Detroit Lions trail the series 67-97-7 and are 7-25 against the Packers since 1999. They first met in 1930, when Green Bay spanked the former Spartans 47-13. The teams met in the postseason twice and the Packers lead that series 2-0. Both games were in the Wild Card round in 1993 and 1994. They went to overtime four times and the series is tied 2-2. The last overtime game was a 16-13 Detroit loss in 2005. The last time Green Bay shut out Detroit was 26-0 in 2009. The last time Detroit shut out Green Bay was 34-0 in 1973. Their last tie was 13-13, also in 1973.

Here are some historic scores from games played today, November 11,

1979  Chicago 27 - Los Angeles Rams 23
1979  Buffalo 14 - New York Jets 12
1984  Miami 24 - Philadelphia 23
1984  Los Angeles Rams 29 - Chicago 13
2001  Pittsburgh 15 - Cleveland 12 (OT)
2007  Denver 27 - Kansas City 11
2007  Pittsburgh 31 - Cleveland 28

Will Detroit hold on to the Cellar? Will the Browns and Chargers continue their collapse and take the Cellar? Will Dallas ever get a win without Tony Romo this season?

Stay tuned...

Have a great day!!!!

Counting the Days...

With eight days to go for NaNoWriMo, I have a good idea what story wants to be told. It lost the battle for July's Camp NaNoWriMo, but the story that wants to be told is one I started over three years ago, Return To Origin. The story is inspired by one of my favorite History Channel shows, Ancient Aliens.

I started writing this story soon after finishing the first draft of The Curse. Then I made the worst mistake involving Return To Origin. I stopped less than halfway through to begin editing The Curse. Since then, the writing process has sputtered at best. There were other issues, but they're mostly resolved now. However, that's no excuse to stop writing a novel in favor of editing another one.

In December, I have another decision to make. With four novels somewhere in the editing pipeline, should I participate in the April and July Camp NaNoWriMo? If I had to decide now, the answer would be no. However, it depends on how much time the upcoming edits and revamps take.

Speaking of, I'm currently revamping my novella, Rickshaw, New Mexico. So far, there are some minor rephrases and clarifications that were needed. The challenge will be my novel, The Curse, which is getting an overhaul. The story will remain intact. However, as my two-star reviewer said, it needed another edit. He was right and that's what's happening. After Rickshaw, The Hunted is next, followed by The Acts of 1.


Now for some sports trivia...

• Congrats to the Kansas City Royals for winning Game 1 of the World Series. This is their first World Series game they won in 10,587 days.
  
• Since we're counting days, here's another one. It has been 38,725 days since the Chicago Cubs last won the World Series (1908). The days continue.
  
• There are quite a few for football. Here are the teams who never made it to the Super Bowl, with the number of days since their last championship: Detroit Lions - 20,752 days (1957) and the Cleveland Browns - 18,197 (1964). The Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars were born in the Super Bowl era, but never played in one.
  
• For one of the Super Bowl contenders, it has been 19,659 days since the Philadelphia Eagles won an NFL championship (1960).
  
• It's also been a long drought for three former AFL champions. The Buffalo Bills last won the AFL title 17,833 days ago (1965). It's been 18,554 days for the 1963 AFL Champion San Diego Chargers. Finally, the Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans) won their last AFL title 19,296 days ago (1961).
  
• One of the most famous Super Bowl games, Super Bowl III, it has been 16,720 days since the New York Jets won their only championship.

Counting all these days makes one thirsty. So who's drinking the beer in the cellar in the NFL? Why that would be this week's Kings of the Cellar, the 0-6 Oakland Raiders, who are on a 12 game losing streak and haven't won one since November 17 against the Houston Texans. This week's honorable mention goes to my 2-4 New Orleans Saints. This is a talent laden team who has performed like the New Orleans Saints teams of the 1970's. By no means is the season over nor have the Saints collapsed as past teams have. Unless they get their act together, they will be mentioned here again.

Here are historic scores for teams playing each other this week, October 23,

1955  Chicago Cardinals 24 - Philadelphia 24
1983 - Denver 14 - San Diego 6
1988  Minnesota 49 - Tampa Bay 20
1994  Denver 20 - San Diego 15
2011  Atlanta 23 - Detroit 16
2011  Houston 41 - Tennessee 7


Have a great day!!!

Almost That Time of Year & A Pair of Kings

It's almost that time of year again. No, it's not Halloween, Thanksgiving, or even Christmas. In a few weeks, NaNoWriMo begins. For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, which occurs each November. Last year, I wrote Second Chance, which is in (I hope) the final editing stages. April and July are Camp NaNoWriMo months and I participated in each, writng Justice in April and Timewatch in July. Both novels are only completed first drafts.

Back in June, I struggled with what I wanted to write versus what wanted to be written. However, this time is much easier. Although I do have a couple of story ideas, such as the sequel to Justice and a story I've been mulling over for some time, there are short stories and two unfinished novels I could complete or transcribe. If I had to decide now, the choice would be to finish and transcribe handwritten stories. I have enough short stories for another book, plus a couple of others I'm thinking about writing. This was the other choice for July's Camp NaNoWriMo.

And then there's the third choice: Don't participate. As previously stated, I have two novels in first draft form that need editing. I'm also revamping or overhauling the books I already published. There's a LOT of editing to do and it may be a better idea to focus on that. There's still time to think about it and I may write one story and edit another.

Let's get to some sports.

Alas, there will be no three-peat. Congratulations to the 64-98 Arizona Diamondbacks. They are the 2014 Kings of the Cellar and all the beer goes to them. The 66-96 Colorado Rockies lost by two games. The 2012 and 2013 champion Houston Astros won enough games to end the season at 70-92.

And now for some football. The 0-5 Jacksonville Jaguars are this week's Kings of the Cellar. They are searching for their first win since December 5. The 0-4 Oakland Raiders are on Jacksonville's tail, going after their first win since November 17. Neither team is expected to win on Sunday. This week's honorable mention goes to the 1-4 Tennessee Titans, who the Jaguars play this week. This should be a fun game to watch. After winning the first game of the season, Tennessee hasn't won since.

The 3-2 Green Bay Packers travel to Miami to take on the 2-2 Dolphins. Miami leads the series 10-3. They last met in 2010, when the Dolphins won in the only overtime game in the series, 23-20. Green Bay last played in Miami in 2006, when Brett Favre led the Packers to its last victory over Joey Harrington and the Dolphins, 34-24. They first met in 1971, when the Dolphins trounced the Packers 27-6. Neither team has ever shut out the other nor have they met in the postseason.

The 2-2 Cleveland Browns, fresh off their record setting comeback win, host the 3-2 Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers lead the series 68-57 and barely survived last month's game in Pittsburgh, 30-27. The Browns last beat Pittsburgh in 2012, 20-14. They first met in 1950, when Cleveland won 30-17. They also faced each other in the playoffs twice. The Steelers won the 1995 AFC Divisional Round game 29-9 and the 2003 Wild Card round 36-33. Pittsburgh is 4-1 against the Browns in overtime. They first went to OT in 1978, when the Steelers won 15-9. Their last overtime game was in 2002, when the Steelers won 16-13. Cleveland's only OT victory was in 1986, 37-31. The last time Pittsburgh shut out Cleveland was 31-0 in 2008. The last time Cleveland shut out Pittsburgh was 51-0 in 1989.

If you haven't done so already, please visit my Facebook author page and my Amazon author page, and put a like on each. Thank you for reading my post and thank you for your support.

Until next time...have a great day!!!

Last Place Update - Week 13

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Today's entry begins on a somber note.  This past Saturday, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher murdered the mother of his three month old daughter and later committed suicide at the Chiefs' practice facility. Thoughts and prayers go out to Belcher's family, Kasandra Perkins and her family, and the Kansas City Chiefs organization.

   Now to the update...

   The 2-10 Chiefs played an inspiring game and beat the Carolina Panthers 27-21. Because of that and a Jacksonville loss, making both teams 2-10, the Chiefs are not Kings of the Cellar this week. The Jags' loss breaks the tie, so that honor goes to the Jacksonville Jaguars. After beating the Tennessee Titans at home, the Jags went to Buffalo and were dominated by the Bills. In both of their wins, Jacksonville kept the opposing teams to less than twenty points. However, in all of their losses, the opposing teams scored more than twenty points.

   And the broken record continues. This week's honorable mention, once again, goes to the 4-8 Arizona Cardinals and the 3-9 Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams lost games they could have or should have won. Their losing streak is now at eight games. Philly's new starting quarterback, Nick Foles had respectable numbers against the Dallas Cowboys, but it wasn't enough. It appears Philly's weakness is defense and Arizona's weakness is offense. The Eagles go to Tampa Bay to face an improved Buccaneers team. They have a chance for an upset, but it's only a toss-up. The Cardinals go to Seattle to play the Seahawks. Seattle is 5-0 at home. Upset Special? Maybe, but it's doubtful. Chances are, Seattle will avenge their Week 1 loss to the Cardinals.

Next Loss...

   Jacksonville hosts the New York Jets. Upset Special? Actually, the Jags have a real chance here. If the Jets continue to have quarterback problems, then Jacksonville could take advantage. The Jets are 2-2 since their bye week and have scored more than twenty points only once in that stretch. If the Jags play like they did against Tennessee, they will win. Otherwise, it's an easy loss.

   These are usually fun, but not this one...not today. The Chiefs go to Dawg Pound to face the Cleveland Browns. Upset Special? As much as it should be one, it probably isn't. Kansas City beat a Carolina team that's 3-9 and Cleveland, although 4-8 and 2-1 since their bye week,  is clearly playing better than Carolina. If the Chiefs show up with their running game, a good defense, and the same level of intensity, then they could pull off a win in the Dawg Pound. Otherwise, as with the Jags, it's an easy loss.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, on December 4:

1977  Green Bay 10 - Detroit 9
1988  Detroit 30 - Green Bay 14
1988  Los Angeles Raiders 21 - Denver 20
1994  Detroit 34 - Green Bay 31
2005  Carolina 24 - Atlanta 6
2005  Indianapolis 35 - Tennessee 3

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. The race for the first pick in the 2013 draft is among four teams. Although the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs are both 1-8, there will be no tie this week. Kansas City put up a valiant fight, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime. Because of that, the Jags are this week's Kings of the Cellar. The 2-7 Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers only trail by a game.

   Although the New Orleans Saints' defense once again allowed over 400 yards, they made key stops which led to their victory over the no longer undefeated Atlanta Falcons. Therefore, no honorable mention for them. Since starting the season at 0-4, they have gone a respectable 4-1.

   Since the Arizona Cardinals had a bye, they get a pass on the mention. This week's honorable mention goes to Arizona's former NFC East rival, the 3-6 Philadelphia Eagles. Their implosion has been remarkable, with losses that could have been wins with Detroit, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Dallas. In head-to-head competition, they lost to the multiple honorable mention Cardinals 27-6 in Week 3. Philly has scored no more than 23 points in each loss. Then again, they have scored no more than 24 points in each win. Now that Michael Vick is out with a concussion, will Nick Foles lead the Eagles to their first win since September 30? We'll find out on Sunday.

Next Loss...

   Jacksonville has the dubious assignment of going to Houston to take on the Texans. Upset special? Uh...no. Houston will roll over the Jags. Houston has won the last four games against Jacksonville and until the Jags get their act together, the Texans will make it five in a row.

   Kansas City hosts the Cincinnati Bengals who are fresh off their victory over the New York Giants. The Bengals are 4-2 against the Chiefs since 2003, but are 1-2 in Kansas City during that stretch. This is my Upset Special. Yes, I called an upset special for the Chiefs against the Chargers and lost, but KC is at home against a Bengals team who is vulnerable against the run and allow more rushing yards than they gain.


Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, November 13:

1949  Philadelphia 44 - Washington 21
1960  Philadelphia 19 - Washington 13
1966  San Francisco 30 - Chicago 30
1977  Denver 17 - San Diego 14
1977  Washington 17 - Philadelphia 14
1983  Kansas City 20 - Cincinnati 15
1988  Kansas City 31 - Cincinnati 28
2005  Chicago 17 - San Francisco 9
2006  Carolina 24 - Tampa Bay 10

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. For the fourth week in a row, there is a new King of the Cellar. With a close loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the 1-6 Cleveland Browns retake their place on this week's throne, beating out the 1-5 teams, such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers, and Jacksonville Jaguars. To their credit, the Browns have lost only two games by more than ten points. The Panthers lost only one game by more than eight points. The same can't be said for Jacksonville, who lost three games by at least 17 points.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the 4-3 Arizona Cardinals, who started off the season 4-0. What happened? The injury to Kevin Kolb made their quarterback controversy even more mediocre. However, the offense has risen to the occasion in terms of yardage. The Cardinals' offense has outgained the opposing offenses in all three losses at an average of 323 to 252 yards. However, the Cards, like their baseball counterparts, didn't win the battle of scores, which is what matters most, thus earning them this week's mention.

Next loss...

   Cleveland hosts the recent honorable mention San Diego Chargers. This is my Upset Special. Maybe the bye will help the Chargers this week and their last win was at Kansas City. However, Cleveland's lone win came at home and San Diego has not been able to shut down good quarterbacks. Cleveland has beaten San Diego only twice since 1987. If rookie Brandon Weeden can get on track, then Cleveland will beat the Chargers for the first time since 2001.

   Carolina goes to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears. Carolina trails in the series 2-4 and have not beaten the Bears since 2008. Also, the Panthers have not won on the road this season. To complicate matters, their defense has allowed at least 300 yards per games in all but the first game. Carolina also have to face former Panther defensive great Julius Peppers, who will be highly motivated for this game. The Panthers have also not played well against teams outside of the NFC South, losing at an average score of  24-11. Facing the combination of Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Matt Forte, and Peppers, the Panthers will skate to 1-6.

   After a week off, the Kansas City hosts the Oakland Raiders. This is one of those games where the win/loss records mean little. The Chiefs are 3-6 against the Raiders since 2007, with two overtime losses. So far, Brady Quinn has proven nothing as the Chief's starting quarterback and a near loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars could be the wake-up call Oakland needs. Jamaal Charles must have the same kind of game against the Raiders as he did against the New Orleans Saints or this will be yet another Kansas City loss.

   Speaking of that OT game in Oakland, the Jacksonville Jaguars will invade the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. This will be only the fifth time these two teams have ever played each other and the Jags are 1-0 at Lambeau and haven't lost to the Packers since 2001. However, that was a different time and these are different teams going in different directions. This will be an easy Jacksonville loss.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week on October 23:

1960  Washington 27 - Pittsburgh 27
1988  Minnesota 49 - Tampa Bay 20
1988  New York Jets 44 - Miami 30
2000  New York Jets 40 - Miami 37 OT
2006  New York Giants 36 - Dallas 22
2011  Kansas City 28 - Oakland 0

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Once again, there is a new King of the Cellar. This week, for getting their first win of the season, the 1-5 Cleveland Browns got knocked off the throne by the 1-5 Kansas City Chiefs. Ever since Jamaal Charles put up Walter Payton type numbers against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3, that second victory has been as elusive as Charles is in the open field. The last time the Chiefs started off 1-5 was in 2009, when they finished with a 4-12 record. The last time the Browns started off 1-5 was in 2010, when they finished the season 5-11.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the San Diego Chargers. After blowing certain victories against the Saints and Denver Broncos, they turned a good 5-1 record into a mediocre 3-3 record. The last time San Diego started the season at 3-3 was in 2009, when they finished with a 13-3 record. Will they get into gear or compete for Kings of the Cellar?

Next Loss...

   Here's a bold prediction. The Chiefs will not lose this week. Okay, it's no prediction at all. Kansas City has a bye this week. They will host the Oakland  Raiders next week.

   Cleveland will visit the Indianapolis Colts, the defending Kings of the Cellar champions. Indy is doing better at 2-3, but the Browns could pull an upset here, too. Cleveland won two in a row once last season and it started at Indy. However, although both teams are better at quarterback, Indy is third against the pass, so the Browns should get the loss.

Let's look at the other 1 win teams...

   The New Orleans Saints will visit sunny Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fresh off their win over the Chiefs. As with the Browns and Colts, this is a toss-up. The Saints are 31st against the run and the Bucs are 31st against the pass. The is a game the Bucs should win, but the Saints have won their first game after the bye week the last three seasons. The team whose running game and defense shows up will win.

   The Carolina Panthers will host the Dallas Cowboys. This is the best defense the Panthers will face so far this season. After a heartbreak in Baltimore, the Cowboys should keep a struggling Cam Newton in check and get the win. If Newton plays like he did last season, this could be an upset.

   In a battle of 1-4 teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars will invade the Raider Nation to play the Oakland Raiders. This is Oakland's game to lose. Both teams have only been in contention for two games, including their lone victories. However, the Raiders have the better offense and should keep the Jags at one win.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week on October 16:

1955  Green Bay 30 - Los Angeles Rams 28
1960  Washington 24 - New York Giants 24
1966  New York Giants 13 - Washington 10
1983  Detroit 31 - Chicago 17
1994  New York Jets 24 - New England 17
1994  Pittsburgh 14 - Cincinnati 10
2011  Tampa Bay 26 - New Orleans 20
2011  Baltimore 29 - Houston 14
2011  Green Bay 24 - St. Louis 3

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Congrats to Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints for breaking a once considered unbreakable record of throwing a touchdown pass in 48 straight games. Job well done!! Tom Brady owns the next longest streak, which is less than a season of games behind Brees. Trivia note: Johnny Unitas wore number 19. His number was called in the record breaking play, as Brees threw a touchdown pass to number 19, Devery Henderson. Unitas' son Joe handled Brees surpassing his father with class, by attending the game and supporting Brees with his accomplishment. Now to the Update.

   The 0-5 Cleveland Browns fought the good fight against the New York Giants, but they are now this week's Kings of the Cellar. They are the lone winless team in the NFL. The San Diego Chargers made key mistakes against the Saints and Brees made them pay the price, which were the first victory of the season and the record. Cleveland is 0-5 for the first time since 1999, their first year back after the original club moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens in 1996. The 1999 Browns started 0-7. The Browns are also sporting a 11 game losing streak, their last win coming in Week 11 last season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

  There are five teams with a 1-4 record and the loser of that group is the Carolina Panthers, who lost three straight, including a 16-12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Although the Panthers were 4-2 in the final six games of last season, that promise was broken by not being able to overtake or put teams away. They also started the season 1-4 last year and went 1-5 before beating the Washington Redskins. At least they last beat a team with a winning record last season.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the 2-3 Buffalo Bills. Although the showed a spark by beating the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland, other opponents exposed they weaknesses. The New York Jets (honorable mention runner-up), New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers all spanked the Bills by scoring a minimum of 45 points, with the Pats putting up 52 on them.

Next Loss...

   Cleveland returns home to face their cross-state rivals the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals swept the series last season. The Browns have beaten the Bengals only three times since 2004, the last time in 2010. The last time Cleveland swept Cincinnati was in 2002, the Browns' first winning season since their return in 1999. However, this could be an upset special and if there is to be one, this is it.

   Since Carolina,  New Orleans, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have a bye this week, let's focus on the other 1-4 teams.

   The Kansas City Chiefs travel to sunny Florida to take on the 1-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This could be an upset special and if Jamaal Charles runs against the Bucs like he did against the Saints, then it will be a definite upset. However, Tampa Bay's defense is much better than the Saints' defense, which makes the upset less likely.

    The Tennessee Titans will host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. Much like the Saints-Falcons rivalry, the records don't matter much for this game. Pittsburgh swept the series last year. but if the Titans can get their running game in gear, this too, could be an upset special. Tennessee has never swept a Pittsburgh season series with Ben Roethlisberger as Steelers' quarterback. In fact, the last time the Titans swept the Steelers was in 2000. As with the Saints, Lions, and Packers, the Titans are a better team than their record indicates, but until they show up for sixty minutes, the Steelers will emerge victorious on Thursday.

   Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, today in:

1977  New England 31 - Seattle 0
1977  Houston Oilers 27 - Pittsburgh 10
1994  New York Jets 16 - Indianapolis 6
2011  San Diego 29 - Denvver 24
2011  Pittsburgh 38 - Tennessee 17

Last Place Update

Welcome to the first Last Place Update for the 2012 NFL season. Things are definitely much different than they were at this time last year.

   Although there are two 0-4 teams, this week's Kings of the Cellar go to the New Orleans Saints, who have gone 0-4 for the first time since 1996. This is a team that should be at least 2-2, or even 3-1, but after four games, the defense has allowed more yards than the 1-15 1980 team, 1,853 to 1,517. Because of the sheer amount of talent on the team, with a grossly underachieving defense and mediocre running game, I've chosen my beloved Saints to dominate the cellar.

  The other 0-4 team, the Cleveland Browns are by far a worse team than the Saints, but they're expected to lose. Once the Saints win a game, the cellar will belong to the Browns. What's worse than being 0-4 is that Cleveland have lost 13 of their last 15 games, including 10 straight. The last time Cleveland beat a team with a winning record was in Week 9 of the 2010 season when they beat the New England Patriots 34-14, handing the Pats their second and last loss of the regular season.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the 1-3 Detroit Lions. After winning their first game of the season, the Lions have lost three straight, making them the lone occupants of the NFC North cellar. As with the Saints, Detroit is a better team than their record indicates. The Lions losses are by a touchdown or less. On a positive note, they have a bye this week.

   Next Loss...

   The Saints will host the San Diego Chargers in the Superdome on Sunday night. This is my Upset Special. The Saints' defense had its best outing of the season against a high powered Green Bay Packer offense, losing on a missed field goal attempt. Drew Brees shines in prime time and he is playing his old team.

   Cleveland will go to The Meadowlands to face their former NFL Century Division rivals, the New York Giants. The Browns won their last meeting in 2008, but they won't this time. Their best chances are if Eli Manning has a bad day or if the Browns' defense rises to the occasion. This should be an easy loss for the Browns.

Last Place Update

December 27, 2011 – Welcome to this week’s Last Place Update.  The 2-13 Indianapolis Colts’ two game lead is gone.  They went off on a two game winning streak and are now tied with the St. Louis Rams.  And for the first time this season, the Colts are no longer Kings of the Cellar.  That honor now goes to the Rams for getting shut out by the Pittsburgh Steelers (minus Ben Roethlisberger…Charlie Batch was the Steeler QB) 17-0.  The last time Pittsburgh shut out the Rams was in 1981, 24-0.

The Colts beat the Houston Texans 18-16 and will not have a honorable mention this week.  Congrats on two straight wins.  And congrats to the Minnesota Vikings for pulling off the upset special over the Washington Redskins.  You too, will not have an honorable mention.

This week’s first honorable mention goes to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  True, there are teams with fewer wins, but nobody has a longer losing streak, which is now at nine straight.  It’s one thing to lose close games to good teams, but the Bucs got spanked by a losing team, the 4-11 Jacksonville Jaguars.  The Bucs even got swept and dominated by the 6-9 Carolina Panthers.

This week’s second honorable mention barely goes to the Cleveland Browns, who just edged the Chicago Bears for the honor.  Cleveland lost five straight and ten out of their last twelve, but the Browns have not been blown out during this stretch.  However, their wins were against opponents with losing records.  Even Tampa Bay beat two playoff teams.

Before we go to the next loss, I want to make a couple of comments.

First, congrats to Drew Brees for breaking Dan Marino’s single season passing yards record while leading the New Orleans Saints to a dominating win over the Atlanta Falcons.  He did it in fifteen games versus Marino’s sixteen games.  The only downside is if they have to play again in the playoffs.  Not only is it hard to beat the same team three times in a season, but some of the Atlanta players didn’t like the drive for the record and are itching for a rematch.  Here's the link to WWL Radio’s Jim Henderson’s call on the record-breaking play.

Jim Henderson's Call When Brees Passed Marino

Second, congrats to the Detroit Lions for making the playoffs for the first time since 1999, when Barry Sanders ran the ball all over the place.  And who was one of their quarterbacks?  Current Steelers backup quarterback Charlie Batch.  He and kicker Jason Hanson are the only two players from the 1999 team who are still playing in the NFL and Hanson is still with the Lions.

Next Loss

St. Louis hosts their divisional rival of over 60 years, the San Francisco 49ers.  Upset Special?  Only if the Rams play the Niners like they played the Saints.  Although San Francisco struggles to score touchdowns in the red zone, St. Louis doesn’t have the offensive firepower without Sam Bradford.  Now if Bradford is healthy enough to play, then this will be an upset special.  If he isn’t, then this will be an easy Niners win, who will clinch the #2 spot in the playoffs

Indy goes to Jacksonville to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Upset special?  Why not?  If the Colts play like they did the last two weeks, they should win their first road game.  Indy will finish the season on a positive note with another upset win.

Minnesota takes on their divisional rival for over 50 years, the Chicago Bears, at home.  Could this be a third upset special?  Not this time, even at home.  The Vikings will put up a good fight, but Chicago should end the season with a win.

Here are some historical scores on this day for teams facing each other this week: December 27,

1987 – San Francisco 48 – Los Angeles Rams 0

1992 – Kansas City 42 – Denver 20

1992 – Pittsburgh 23 – Cleveland 13

1998 – San Francisco 38 – St. Louis 19

1999 – New York Jets 38 – Miami 31

2003 – Philadelphia 31 – Dallas 7

2003 – New England 31 – Buffalo 0

Some Random Musings

November 11, 2011 - Just have some random thoughts:

• First of all, thank you veterans!!  Thank you for serving our country and for protecting our freedoms!!  You stepped up when others didn’t and we appreciate your sacrifices.
  
  
• The Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers are playing each other for only the fourth time ever.  Carolina won the first meeting in 1996, when Tennessee was still the Houston Oilers, but the Titans won the other two.  They last played each other in 2007.
  
  
• As with Tennessee and Carolina, the Baltimore Ravens play the Seattle Seahawks for the fourth time ever this week.  Baltimore also leads 2-1 and they last played each other in 2007.
  
  
• The Washington Redskins play the Miami Dolphins this week.  Miami leads the series 11-7, but the series is 3-3 since 1987.  They faced each other in two Super Bowls.  Miami won Super Bowl VII over the Skins 14-7 to cap off their perfect season.  Washington beat Miami ten years later in Super Bowl XVII 27-17.
  
  
• In another multiple Super Bowl rematch, the Dallas Cowboys host the Buffalo Bills.  Dallas leads the series 5-3 and hasn’t lost to the Bills since 1996. The Cowboys faced the Bills in two consecutive Super Bowls.  Dallas won Super Bowl XXVII over Buffalo 52-17 and Super Bowl XXVIII over the Bills 30-13.
  
  
• Since we’re talking about NFL Championship rematches, let’s go old school.  The team once from Cleveland, the St. Louis Rams go to the Dawg Pound to take on the Cleveland Browns.  Including the NFL Championship games, Cleveland leads the series 11-10.  Cleveland beat the Rams for the NFL Championship in 1950 and 1955.  The Rams beat the Browns for the NFL Championship in 1951.
  
  
• I haven’t talked about this in a while.  The Valparaiso Crusaders own NCAA Division I’s longest active losing streak.  They’ve lost 29 games in a row and go for number 30 this Saturday against the Campbell University Fighting Camels.  Valpo's last win came in their second game of the 2009 season when they beat Concordia University of Wisconsin 20-17.

Have a great weekend everybody!!

Last Place Update

November 8, 2011 – The 0-9 Indianapolis Colts have secured their first losing season since 2001, when they went 6-10.  It breaks a streak of nine consecutive seasons of 10 wins or more.  They are a game and a half ahead of the 1-7 Miami Dolphins and St. Louis Rams for the first pick of the 2012 draft.

The Colts got their rear ends handed to them by the Atlanta Falcons, losing 31-7.  Again, it begs the question, what would Indy’s record be if Peyton Manning was healthy?  A quarterback does not a team make, but Manning’s talents could have made a difference in several of the games.  But Manning doesn’t play defense and they’re trolling the bottom, too.

This week’s honorable mention goes to the St. Louis Rams.  I picked the Rams to beat the Arizona Cardinals, but they learned what many SEC teams already knew, that Patrick Peterson can score on special teams.  However, this is a game the Rams should have won, hence earning them the honorable mention.  Don’t worry, Washington.  A loss next week may earn you the honorable mention.

Hats off to the Miami Dolphins for getting their first win of the season.  They played the Kansas City Chiefs the same way they played the New York Giants, except they never let the Chiefs in the game, dominating them 31-3.

Next Loss

The Colts host the struggling 2-6 Jacksonville Jaguars.  Could this be an upset special?  Maybe, but until the Colts prove they can win, I’ll continue to pick against them.  They question is which quarterback will struggle more: Painter or Gabbert?  That may depend on Joseph Addai and Maurice Jones-Drew.  The nod goes to Indy to get its tenth loss and a strong lead in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.

The Dolphins host the Washington Redskins in humid Miami.  The Skins started fast, but have since collapsed.  This is my Upset Special.  Miami seems to be getting its act together and I’ll give Washington the nod to give Miami its second win.

The Rams go to the Dawg Pound to take on the Cleveland Browns.  Cleveland got rolled at home by the Houston Texans, but the Rams aren’t the Texans.  Cleveland’s wins came against losing teams, but I’ll go out on a limb and call a second Upset Special.  Cleveland doesn’t have a Patrick Peterson on its team, so they should get their second win.