Does this front page make you cringe? Or is all it all in good pun?

I want you to do 5 things:

1. Bookmark this post

2. Put in alarm in your phone to go off on February 13th, 2010

3. When the alarm goes off, make sure you have purchased something for the lady/man in your life for Valentine’s day.

4. Then come back and read this post.

5. Finally, marvel at my wisdom.

Why? Because I’m standing here between Week 10 and Week 11 of the NFL Season, and I’m going to tell you how it’s going to end.

First here’s how the AFC Playoff picture will sort out:

1. IND (14-2) – Bet you can’t guess which team has given up the least amount of points in the league this year? Nope, not the Lions…it’s the Colts, believe it or not. That being said, their lack of a healthy Bob Sanders and a healthy running game will cost them 2 wins.

2. CIN (11-5) – Perfect on the road so far this year, the Bengals’ sweep of the Ravens and Steelers has them in position to win the AFC North for the first time since…1995 Ever. (they last won the AFC Central in 1990). (Thanks for the correction Tim)

3. SD (11-5) – Other than the undefeateds, the Chargers are the hottest team in the league right now with consecutive wins over KC, OAK, NYG, and PHI. And with the Chiefs, Browns and Redskins still on their schedule, the West is theirs for the taking.

4. NE (10-6) – The Pats are 1-3 on the road this year, with games in New Orleans, Miami, Buffalo, and Houston left on their docket. And for the record, I didn’t mind Belicheck’s call on Monday night. Just saying.

5. PIT (10-6) – When was the last time the Steelers finished the year with a losing record in their division? It could happen this year, but they’ll find a way to make it to the post-season.

6. DEN (9-7) – Last week’s embarrassment in Washington aside, the Broncos tough schedule finally catches up to them. They still have games against Indy, Philly, and the Giants ahead of them, but they will stumble into the post-season.

Here’s my take on the NFC:

1. NO (14-2) – No division leader in the NFL has given up as many points as the Saints have, but it just doesn’t matter. Brees and company will slip up against New England or Dallas, and then lose a meaningless game in Week 17.

2. MIN (13-3) – The only team in the league whose offense can hang with New Orleans, and a defensive front four that changes games. They should sit Favre as soon as they can to protect his health heading into the playoffs.

3. ARI (11-5) – No team finishes the year with an easier schedule: at SF, at DET, home STL, home GB. Like the Vikes, Arizona needs Old Man Warner to stay healthy to make their run.

4. NYG (10-6) – Which 3 teams have current losing streaks 4 games or longer? The Lions, Browns, and Giants. But thanks to their strong start they’re right in the thick of things, and thanks to a Week 2 win in Dallas, they still can win the East.

5. DAL (10-6) – Tony Romo, aka Mr. November, might get his shot at late season redemption when the Eagles come to town in Week 17. A repeat of last year could keep the Boys out of the playoffs, but I think he finally comes up big.

6. ATL (9-7) – I think this last playoff spot comes down to the Week 13 matchup between the Eagles and Falcons, and since the game is in Atlanta, I’m giving it to the dirty birds.

While we’re here, let’s play out the playoffs…

Wild Card Weekend

DEN@SD – Home cooking and Phil Rivers lead the Chargers to a win over McRookie’s Broncos.

PIT@NE – Where I can sign up for this matchup in January? Brady-Welker for 3 TDs & a win.

ATL@ARI – In a rematch of last year’s playoff game, Tony Gonzalez makes all the difference. Atlanta wins on the road.

DAL@NYG – As bad as Eli can be in cold weather, I don’t see Romo winning this game.

Divisional Weekend

NE@IND – This time Belicheck punts, but it doesn’t matter because New England is up by 17.

SD@CIN – I will not jinx my buddy Geof, I will not jinx my buddy Geof. Bengals lose at home.

ATL@NO – Saints 114, Atlanta 31.

NYG@MIN – Can Eli rob the people of the Vikings-Saints matchup they want? Nope. Peterson runs for 220, Vikes win.

Conference Championship Weekend

NE@SD – Norv Turner goes for it on his own 28 with a 4-point lead to be like Belicheck. It fails and the Pats come back to win. EUREKA! Belicheck was setting up Norv this whole time and reclaims his “genius” tag. Pats 27, Chargers 24.

MIN@NO – Too much purple offense for the Saints to handle. A late Saints comeback isn’t enough to keep Favre from winning indoors. Vikes 48, Saints 31.

The Super Bowl

New England vs. Minnesota – Not sure why, but I’ve just got this feeling that Brett Favre is going to win it all this year. and THEN, when everyone thinks he should actually come back and try to repeat…he’ll finally hang it up.

Or maybe not…

Ladies and Gentlemen, your Super Bowl Winners: The Minnesota Vikings.

What do you think?

Give me your Super Bowl predictions and tell me where I went wrong in the comments.

Is there anyone as uncomfortable looking in the press box than John Gruden? One of these days he’s going to go postal. I’m feeling it.

If he does decide to go postal, can we please make sure Matt Millen is in the booth? After the way that man disgraced the Lions, he shouldn’t be allowed around a football, much less a broadcast. If you missed his commentary during the OSU/PSU game on Saturday, consider yourself lucky. Not only does he get College Football games, he does NFL coverage on the Monday Night pregame? Why couldn’t that go to Chris Spielman instead?

Speaking of Penn State, they’re awful. They may be the most overrated team I’ve seen in a very long time in NCAA Football. When you let TP and the Buckeyes make you look that bad, you’re bad. That’s coming from a Buckeye fan.

Is Rich Rodriguez on the hot seat in Ann Arbor? That seems to be a rumor that’s gaining a lot of steam. I believe Rodriguez is a solid coach, but the alumni at Michigan aren’t going to put up with him much longer. He brought a pretty bad reputation to Michigan, and then followed up by two losing seasons. He may have been able to build a program in Morgantown, but WVU wasn’t the power Michigan once was. I see the alumni pushing him out if he loses the next two games. Who do they bring in? None other than Cincinnati Bearcats headman, Brian Kelley.

This may be the most wide open NCAA season I’ve seen in a long time. If you would’ve told me five years ago that Oklahoma, Michigan and Notre Dame would be out of the top 25 and teams like Cincinnati, TCU and Houston would be in, I would’ve told you you’re out of your freaking mind. In this season, nothing surprises me.  I’m going to go ahead and say it, Alabama is my pick to play in the National Championship this year –and bring home the trophy to the Bama faithful.

Hey, speaking of Notre Dame, I’m very convinced Charlie Weiss is on his way out. Where’s his next stop? Back in Foxboro, of course. There seems to be a little bit of an opening left in New England ever since Josh McDaniels left for Denver. Unlike a certain “Genius”, Charlie didn’t go against the family, and the Godfather would welcome him back with open arms.

So who will replace Weiss at Notre Dame? If you believe what everyone tells you, it’ll be Urban Myer. I’m not going to go that route. Instead, I think it could be one of a few coaches.  Buffalo coach, Turner Gill could be a real possibility.  However, I would look no further than to Monday Night and John Gruden for the answer. Gruden is a proven winner (although not on the NCAA level), who I’m sure could very easily recruit. If not Gill or Gruden, don’t forget about the bloodline of Notre Dame, Skip Holtz.

Rumors are running rampant that Mike Holmgren is on his way to Cleveland.  I think it would be a step in the right direction for the Browns. Let Holmgren run your team in a Tuna way. Mangini has got to go, though.  Bring in a solid coach, like Arizona assistant Russ Grimm, and try to rebuild.  Let me give you some advice though, Randy Lerner. If you want the Browns to succeed, you need to bring in Mike Holmgren and keep Bernie Kosar very far away from your franchise.

Are the New Orleans Saints really for real? I just can’t seem to buy it. I know how amazing Drew Brees is. I know how athletic they are. However, I think the conference belongs to Minnesota. Brees vs. Favre in the NFC Playoffs? That sounds great to me.

Speaking of big games between big QB’s, how about next Sunday night, when the New England Patriots invade Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indianapolis Colts? Can the Colts continue their unbeaten streak against the last team to go all 16 games undefeated? It pains to say yes…so instead I’m going to say no comment.

Did you guys see Chad Ochocinco walk towards the refs yesterday with a wad of ones? I don’t expect 85 to get into too much trouble – however, the local CBS employee who gave Chad the dough will probably be stuck covering something really depressing now. Like Cincinnati Reds baseball.

The Bengals? They’re for real.  It seems Marvin Lewis keeps doing enough to save his job. He should’ve been fired a few times by now. However, the real test is going to be now that Chris Henry is finished.  I think they’re solid enough to wrap up the AFC North however.

Speaking of AFC North, next week’s Monday Night game is the Baltimore Ravens invading Cleveland. Instead of this game, you should watch How I Met Your Mother, Greek or paint dry.

Special congratulations to Real Salt Lake for playing in the MLS Eastern Conference Championship against the Chicago Fire. Please, for the love of Joseph Smith, beat the Fire. Please.

That’s all for now. See you folks later.

One of my favorite hobbies is playing fantasy baseball and football with my friends and family.  I have been playing fantasy sports since middle school, when my Dad and I would check through the box scores and fill out our excel-like sheets.  We’d compile all the stats and send off these huge envelopes to our friends giving them the information of who won the games and how their players did that week.  Now, websites like ESPN.com and Yahoo have enabled my father and our friends to continue to play in at least one fantasy baseball and one fantasy football league each year together, even though we live in different states.

But, there is one thing I miss is that we aren’t able to discuss our teams much anymore like we did when we had our school lunches together.  So, in an effort to connect you and me with our inner child and hopefully our friends and family, pull up a chair and get out your brown bagged lunch.  Let me tell you about my two fantasy football teams for this year, feel free to heckle, jump on the bandwagon or simple remember the days when you discussed fantasy football over a PB&J and were checking over your shoulder to make sure no girls were listening.

Team:  Hey You Geis

Record: 4 – 3 (11 team league, each team has one bye)

Bummer Bust:  Has been the combination of Anquan Boldin and Darren McFadden who I drafted in 4^th and 5^th round respectively.  In 2008, Boldin caught 89 passes for 1,038 and 11 TDs, so far this year 35, 404 and 1.  I hope you understand my disappointment.  McFadden on the other hand didn’t do much last year in his rookie year but was expected to double his 2008 output but instead has gone backward.  Would McFadden performance due to the inept Oakland offense or is he destiny to be a first round bust?  All I know is that 2 years in row he has not performed up to the high expectations of fantasy owners.

Simply a Surprise: Cedric Benson, I drafted Cedric in the 12^th round.  He was the fourth running back I selected and I wasn’t expecting much but he has out preformed everyone on my team, which includes Reggie Wayne the top WR in our league.

Crystal Ball:  I really believe that I have the team to beat in this league.  My weak position is QB where I have Donovan McNabb, as long as he does above average, this team should be in it til the end.

Team:  Front Royal Bert

Record: 4 – 3 (15 team league, each team has one bye)

Bummer Bust:  Where do I start, my first two picks were Calvin Johnson and then Steve Slaton both haven’t lived up to my high expectations.  Slaton was even sat down last week due to his fumbling problem, I am hopefully that he’ll return and have a few more 20 pts games.  “Megatron” (Johnson) has had two decent games all year (12 pts and 14 pts) and the rest of his games have either been disappointments or he has been on the bench injured.

Simply a Surprise:  Jeremy Shockey, I picked him up off the waiver wire a few weeks ago and have been pleasantly surprised.  In our league he is rated as the 8^th best TE and his last 3 weeks have been right around 10 pts a game.  It shows you how disappointed I am with this team due to Shockey’s presence here.

Crystal Ball:  In this 15 team league, 12 teams make the playoffs; it’s kind of like the NHL.  This helps me out this year as I am able to make the playoffs but I see my team making a first round exit.  I am having trouble believe they are 4 – 3 right now.  The only thing good about this team is it didn’t lose to my wife earlier in the season.  Don’t tell her but her team is definitely better than mine, did I really just write that?

So, what about you, how are your fantasy football teams doing?  Who’s been your bust or your surprise player?  Do you think your team is going to bring home the cash/pride or are you already looking ahead to next year?  Do you have any interest in parting with your PB&J for a ham and cheese?

There’s two things that pastor and author Mark Batterson is known for around these parts:

1 – losing to Andy Osenga (like we all did) in the 2008 NFL Predictions Game.

and

2 – claiming to be a fan of the Vikings, Packers, and Redskins all at the same time.

We love Mark here at PFB, and figured we’d pass along his thoughts on Favre going to the Vikes, since that kinda involves 2 of his 3 favorite teams.

I can’t keep silent any longer. As a life-long Vikings and Packers fan I have to go on record. And, no, that wasn’t a misprint. I was born in Minneapolis and lived in Wisconsin as a kid. I’ve got purple and green in my veins. How can I love two rivals? I have no idea, but I do. I just hate it when they play each other.

Here’s the bottom line: I hope Brett Favre comes back for another season. If he does, I predict the Vikings will win the NFC North with a record of 11-5. The Packers will improve to 10-6 and earn a wild card. And the Vikings will be playing in the Superbowl. There you have it.

If Favre doesn’t return? This blog post will self-destruct.

By the way, I’m actually waiting until Favre makes a decision to make my decision on whether or not to get the NFL Sunday Ticket.

Gotta admit, the thought of a conflicted Mark trying to watch a Packers-Vikings game is kinda funny.

Remember, a house divided against itself can not stand.

Cincinnati Bengals Tight End Ben Utecht sings a duet with Sandi Patty on his new album, the self-titled Ben Utecht.

This should go over well in the Bengal locker room.

Ben Utecht [Myspace Music]
Debut CD from Ben Utecht [Christianity Today]

If you’re in the D.C. Area this weekend, former NFL running back Shaun Alexander will  be speaking at National Community Church on Sunday (Evotional.com).

I’ve got a new guest post up today at Stuff Christians Like today that breaks down the 5 Tiers of Christian End Zone Celebrations.

See if you can guess which 3 celebrations are in the top two tiers. Here they are in alphabetical order:

• Being taken away like Enoch
• Force the TV Announcers to Speak in Tongues
• Going to the Ground to Pray
• Make a Dove Descend on You
• Making the Crucifix
• Perform Healing on Injured Teammate
• Pointing to the Sky
• Reenact a Famous Bible Story
• Slay Your Teammates in the Spirit
• Take Communion in the End Zone
• Turn the Football into a Swine

You can read the full post here to see how I slotted them.

Final Four games and MLB Opening night…have a great sports weekend everyone!

The PFB Micro-Sermon: where we take a Bible verse, add a dash of sports, and whip up a sermon in 100 words or less.

“Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.” – Philemon 1:11

The “he”: Terrell Owens. He’s taking his muscular physique and below-average hands to North America and the home of the tastier chicken wing.

The “you”: The Dallas Cowboys, who were not going to win as long as T.O. and his me-first attitude were clogging the vibes in the Dallas locker room. Now that he’s gone, look for Tony Romo to be the leader everyone expects him to be. (and look for Miles Austin to replicate T.O.’s production with ease.)

The “me”: The Buffalo Bills, who are now relevant in the AFC East again. Does this make them a playoff team? Probably not. Does it make them winners? Definitely not. Does it make them a story? Absolutely.

Dick Jauron, meet thy life verse.

a few things to check out while you scrub the ashes off your forehead…

+ BIG NEWS ALERT! Our very own Chad Gibbs has signed a book deal with Zondervan for a book due out next summer! I’ve had the privilege of reading bits and pieces of the manuscript, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Please join me in congratulating Chad by telling him just how wonderful the University of Alabama’s football program is.

+ Former Eagles All-Pro Defensive Back Roynell Young tells the story of how he found that his life had a bigger purpose, and how he’s now helping young people in Houston do the same thing. (Guideposts.com)

+ Public school coaches are prohibited by law to initiate prayer with their teams. According to Mike Organ of the Tennessean, a case is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court that could prevent coaches of public schools from praying with their teams, even if the players are the ones who initiate the prayer. The ramifications of the decision will be huge, no matter which way it falls. (h/t: Deadspin)

What do you think? Should coaches be allowed to bow in prayer when it is led by students? Should they be allowed to LEAD optional prayers? Before you answer be sure to consider the possibility that the coach might have a completely different faith than your own.