I thought I had it on lock last week. Apparently, I didn't. A lot of teams disappointed last week, and it affected my percentage. I went 8-6, which isn't too shabby but it isn't impressive either. I am now 55% on the season. This week will hopefully be better, but it wasn't as easy to make picks this week. Nonetheless, here they are:
Week 5
Ravens over Broncos
Bears over Panthers
Falcons over Browns
Texans over Giants
Packers over Redskins
Titans over Cowboys
Eagles over 49ers
Jaguars over Bills
Bengals over Buccaneers
Rams over Lions
Colts over Chiefs
Saints over Cardinals
Chargers over Raiders
Jets over Vikings
The toughest picks: Titans over Cowboys and Jaguars over Bills. Also tough: Rams over Lions. Sort of tough: Jets over Vikings. The Titans and Cowboys is just a tough call. But the Titans have CJ. When in doubt, go for the team with the better Chris Johnson. I want to pick the Bills over the Jaguars. I don't know why. I just feel like the Bills are ready for a win, and the Jaguars are the team they could beat. But the Jags beat the Colts, so I have to pick them. And the Lions and Rams will be a good game. Both teams are rebuilding and look a lot better than before. I feel like the Lions could just as easily win. This is pretty much just a coin flip on my part. The Vikings and Jets game will be great, with Holmes and Moss making their new-team debuts. The Vikings need to show and prove, the Jets need to continue their "We're winning it all" campaign. I start to break this down in my head and get confused. The gut feeling is Jets, but I'm secretly (not anymore) rooting for the Vikings and Moss to beat the trash-talking, off-field problematic Jets.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Brief Thought: The Chiefs
Alright, just to discuss something briefly. Three teams entered the weekend undefeated. That is kind of a small number for just three games having been played. But this weekend ended with an even smaller number: one. Just the Kansas City Chiefs made it through the weekend with a "0" in the losses column, and that came with the help of a bye. I know that they haven't necessarily "proven" themselves yet. But they did play (and beat) the Chargers in Week One, and they held off the Browns and the talented Peyton Hillis in Week Two. And a lot of people (myself included) predicted that this was the 49ers year, that they had what it took to become a contender. Their current record is 0-4, but it was only 0-2 before the Chiefs took left the game with a commanding 31-10 win. I think a lot of people aren't giving the Chiefs the respect they deserve. Their division is kind of in shambles, and they have a chance to step up. They have a great set of RBs (especially if you include WR Dexter McCluster) and a talented team overall. I hope that they continue to go hard and give the finger to the NFL and the world, because it's fun to see and underdog win and it's fun to have a team remain unbeaten- until they play your team. They will have a lot to prove in their next game, against the Colts in Indianapolis. The Colts feel terrible for losing to the Jaguars, and look to rebound. If the Chiefs can beat the Colts, they will officially have sent a message to the world, and the middle finger will be accompanied by another hand.
Let's Talk WR Tandems
So, with the impact of the Randy Moss trade, we need to discuss the new state of WR affairs. The NFL has a handful of cities with a lack of great WR talent and a handful of cities with nice depth. The question is, which of these cities has the best Wide Receivers?
Let's go by division. The only team (now) with a semi-legit set of talented WRs in the AFC East is the New York Jets. They are about to introduce former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes to the world in green and white, and they still have the talented deep threat Braylon Edwards as well as Jerricho Cotchery. They also have a very athletic tight end in Dustin Keller. Together, they make up the best group of receivers in the AFC East.
In the AFC North there are two teams with great sets of WRs. The Ravens and the Bengals have two of the best receiving corps in the NFL. The Ravens added Anquan Boldin and Donte Stallworth in the offseason, as well as T.J. Houshmanzadeh days before the season. Those three receivers are incredibly talented, and even though Stallworth has not made an impact yet, he has as much potential as the rest. When you throw in Derrick Mason, you get possibly the greatest receiving corps in the NFL. However, the Bengals are knocking on the door. They have the always exciting Ochocinco, and he helped the team add the T.O., who is talented but in his waning years of NFL football. However, that did not stop him from putting up 222 yards on Sunday. They cut Antonio Bryant for some reason, after he managed to provide the incredible resumé of not even appearing in a preseason game for them. He would have helped them in this respect, but Jordan Shipley is a very talented rookie and a great No.3 WR.
The AFC South plays host to the Indianapolis Colts, who have great depth at WR. They have the great Reggie Wayne, and he is accompanied by Austin Collie, Pierre Garçon, and Anthony Gonzalez, who should be somebody of significance but continues to get hurt. And apparently Blair White knows a thing or two about football, as even he recorded a TD two games ago. It goes without saying, the Colts don't need to acquire a stellar WR, they have a great group of them now. Also of note in the South is the Texans, mainly because they have Andre Johnson. But Kevin Walter is having a great year (somehow) and Jacoby Jones will be a viable starter in the NFL one day.
The last AFC division is the West. While I don't feel any of these teams have a chance to make the list of Top 5 Best WR Sets in the NFL, the Broncos passing game is currently leading the NFL. Eddie Royal, Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, and Demaryius Thomas are making Denver fans say, "Brandon who?" and they are doing it well. I wouldn't say they have a talented group individually, but altogether, they pull through. Same goes with the other three teams. Oakland's WRs are young and talented, just lacking a great WR; San Diego would be a lot better with Vincent Jackson in the game, and KC has Dwayne Bowe, Chris Chambers, and Dexter McCluster. None of the teams are "OMG look at their WRs" but they all have a solid set of them.
Moving on to the NFC East: There are three teams you could make a case for. Let's start with the Cowboys, who have the rising star Miles Austin, who is as fast as anyone when cutting through the defense. They also have Roy Williams and the rookie talent Dez Bryant. If those two were a little bit better, they make a very strong case. Their NY rivals, the Giants, have a good looking set of WRs. Hakeem Nicks is slowly making a name for himself, Steve Smith is a solid possesion WR, and Mario Manningham is perhaps the best No.3 guy in the league. Then there are the Philadelphia Eagles. If DeSean Jackson isn't one of the best, then I don't know who is. He is explosive, lightning fast, and a serious deep threat. He set an NFL record for most TD plays of over 50 yards in a season. He is accompanied by Jeremy Maclin, who is still gaining knowledge and growing into a mature player, but he is a great WR even now. And my case for best No.3 WR in the league is Jason Avant, although that status may be up in the air after dropping the game-winning TD pass in the end zone last week after it was placed perfectly cleanly in his hands. But most games he is coming up with all of the clutch plays, gaining 3rd downs like no other, and proving that he deserves a chance to be used more often.
The Packers have Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, but the real victor of the NFC North is the Minnesota Vikings. It's scary thinking about Randy Moss, Sidney Rice, and Percy Harvin all being on the same team. Throw in Greg Camarillo, a very good slot man, and Bernard Berrian, and you have a great mix of WRs and a great group of talent for Favre to throw to. And Vinsanthe Shiancoe is, at times, practically a WR. This team is now officially legit at WR. If they don't move the ball, something is terribly, terribly wrong.
In the NFC South, the only team worth noting is the New Orleans Saints, who have a decent, balanced group, much like the Broncos. The difference is that they have a very valuable star WR in Marques Colston; he is a threat, always the focus of the opposing defenses. This allows deep threat Devery Henderson to get open and catch the long ball, young and exciting Lance Moore to make some plays, and Robert Meachem to show that he was worth the hype. He's still working on it.
Ahh, the last division. The NFC West. This division has no real winner; they all could improve. Larry Fitzgerald sincerely helps the Cardinals, and when he was with Anquan Boldin, they may have been the winner of this category. But Steve Breaston is better as a No.3, not a number two. He is still a decent and fast WR, so they sort of make the list. The Rams are probably the highlight of this division, however. Hear me out: even though Donnie Avery is hurt, other Rams have stepped up to the plate. Mark Clayton is becoming a very relevant WR after going to St. Louis from the perfectly set-at-WR Ravens. He is the new No.1 in STL, and he is accompanied by the talented (but oft injured) Laurent Robinson, with Danny Amendola proving to be a great slot man. If Donnie Avery was included, they would have a great group of WRs. They should be excited for the future, when Bradford gets better and has a great group of WRs to throw to.
So I put some thought into it. If I had to rank the teams, I would do it in this order:
The Top 5 Best WR Sets in the NFL
1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Cincinnati Bengals
5. New York Jets
I know, I know. Cop out. The Moss trade just occurred. But seriously, how could you argue? If no one was injured, they would be the best. The Ravens are a very, very close second. But T.J. still needs to work into the system, and we haven't seen a lot from them. Break it down: Given the choice (for one year, we can't predict the future) I'd take Moss over Boldin, Rice over Mason, and (probably) Harvin over Housh. Stallworth is a great kicker to the deal, but he hasn't proved himself in a long time. And Camarillo and Berrian provide depth. It's close, but the Vikes win it.
The Colts come in second because of their depth. It could have easily been Bengals in third if they hadn't gotten rid of Bryant, but they did. And the Jets could easily have swapped with the Bengals if Cotchery had done anything incredible in the last two years and Edwards wasn't hit-or-miss. Holmes will give them a great all-around WR. They are lucky to have added him for just a 5th-rounder.
There are quite a few honorable mentions. Of note: The Eagles, Broncos, Giants, and Cowboys, and possibly the Saints and even the Rams.
Let's go by division. The only team (now) with a semi-legit set of talented WRs in the AFC East is the New York Jets. They are about to introduce former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes to the world in green and white, and they still have the talented deep threat Braylon Edwards as well as Jerricho Cotchery. They also have a very athletic tight end in Dustin Keller. Together, they make up the best group of receivers in the AFC East.
In the AFC North there are two teams with great sets of WRs. The Ravens and the Bengals have two of the best receiving corps in the NFL. The Ravens added Anquan Boldin and Donte Stallworth in the offseason, as well as T.J. Houshmanzadeh days before the season. Those three receivers are incredibly talented, and even though Stallworth has not made an impact yet, he has as much potential as the rest. When you throw in Derrick Mason, you get possibly the greatest receiving corps in the NFL. However, the Bengals are knocking on the door. They have the always exciting Ochocinco, and he helped the team add the T.O., who is talented but in his waning years of NFL football. However, that did not stop him from putting up 222 yards on Sunday. They cut Antonio Bryant for some reason, after he managed to provide the incredible resumé of not even appearing in a preseason game for them. He would have helped them in this respect, but Jordan Shipley is a very talented rookie and a great No.3 WR.
The AFC South plays host to the Indianapolis Colts, who have great depth at WR. They have the great Reggie Wayne, and he is accompanied by Austin Collie, Pierre Garçon, and Anthony Gonzalez, who should be somebody of significance but continues to get hurt. And apparently Blair White knows a thing or two about football, as even he recorded a TD two games ago. It goes without saying, the Colts don't need to acquire a stellar WR, they have a great group of them now. Also of note in the South is the Texans, mainly because they have Andre Johnson. But Kevin Walter is having a great year (somehow) and Jacoby Jones will be a viable starter in the NFL one day.
The last AFC division is the West. While I don't feel any of these teams have a chance to make the list of Top 5 Best WR Sets in the NFL, the Broncos passing game is currently leading the NFL. Eddie Royal, Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, and Demaryius Thomas are making Denver fans say, "Brandon who?" and they are doing it well. I wouldn't say they have a talented group individually, but altogether, they pull through. Same goes with the other three teams. Oakland's WRs are young and talented, just lacking a great WR; San Diego would be a lot better with Vincent Jackson in the game, and KC has Dwayne Bowe, Chris Chambers, and Dexter McCluster. None of the teams are "OMG look at their WRs" but they all have a solid set of them.
Moving on to the NFC East: There are three teams you could make a case for. Let's start with the Cowboys, who have the rising star Miles Austin, who is as fast as anyone when cutting through the defense. They also have Roy Williams and the rookie talent Dez Bryant. If those two were a little bit better, they make a very strong case. Their NY rivals, the Giants, have a good looking set of WRs. Hakeem Nicks is slowly making a name for himself, Steve Smith is a solid possesion WR, and Mario Manningham is perhaps the best No.3 guy in the league. Then there are the Philadelphia Eagles. If DeSean Jackson isn't one of the best, then I don't know who is. He is explosive, lightning fast, and a serious deep threat. He set an NFL record for most TD plays of over 50 yards in a season. He is accompanied by Jeremy Maclin, who is still gaining knowledge and growing into a mature player, but he is a great WR even now. And my case for best No.3 WR in the league is Jason Avant, although that status may be up in the air after dropping the game-winning TD pass in the end zone last week after it was placed perfectly cleanly in his hands. But most games he is coming up with all of the clutch plays, gaining 3rd downs like no other, and proving that he deserves a chance to be used more often.
The Packers have Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, but the real victor of the NFC North is the Minnesota Vikings. It's scary thinking about Randy Moss, Sidney Rice, and Percy Harvin all being on the same team. Throw in Greg Camarillo, a very good slot man, and Bernard Berrian, and you have a great mix of WRs and a great group of talent for Favre to throw to. And Vinsanthe Shiancoe is, at times, practically a WR. This team is now officially legit at WR. If they don't move the ball, something is terribly, terribly wrong.
In the NFC South, the only team worth noting is the New Orleans Saints, who have a decent, balanced group, much like the Broncos. The difference is that they have a very valuable star WR in Marques Colston; he is a threat, always the focus of the opposing defenses. This allows deep threat Devery Henderson to get open and catch the long ball, young and exciting Lance Moore to make some plays, and Robert Meachem to show that he was worth the hype. He's still working on it.
Ahh, the last division. The NFC West. This division has no real winner; they all could improve. Larry Fitzgerald sincerely helps the Cardinals, and when he was with Anquan Boldin, they may have been the winner of this category. But Steve Breaston is better as a No.3, not a number two. He is still a decent and fast WR, so they sort of make the list. The Rams are probably the highlight of this division, however. Hear me out: even though Donnie Avery is hurt, other Rams have stepped up to the plate. Mark Clayton is becoming a very relevant WR after going to St. Louis from the perfectly set-at-WR Ravens. He is the new No.1 in STL, and he is accompanied by the talented (but oft injured) Laurent Robinson, with Danny Amendola proving to be a great slot man. If Donnie Avery was included, they would have a great group of WRs. They should be excited for the future, when Bradford gets better and has a great group of WRs to throw to.
So I put some thought into it. If I had to rank the teams, I would do it in this order:
The Top 5 Best WR Sets in the NFL
1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Cincinnati Bengals
5. New York Jets
I know, I know. Cop out. The Moss trade just occurred. But seriously, how could you argue? If no one was injured, they would be the best. The Ravens are a very, very close second. But T.J. still needs to work into the system, and we haven't seen a lot from them. Break it down: Given the choice (for one year, we can't predict the future) I'd take Moss over Boldin, Rice over Mason, and (probably) Harvin over Housh. Stallworth is a great kicker to the deal, but he hasn't proved himself in a long time. And Camarillo and Berrian provide depth. It's close, but the Vikes win it.
The Colts come in second because of their depth. It could have easily been Bengals in third if they hadn't gotten rid of Bryant, but they did. And the Jets could easily have swapped with the Bengals if Cotchery had done anything incredible in the last two years and Edwards wasn't hit-or-miss. Holmes will give them a great all-around WR. They are lucky to have added him for just a 5th-rounder.
There are quite a few honorable mentions. Of note: The Eagles, Broncos, Giants, and Cowboys, and possibly the Saints and even the Rams.
Did They Really Just Do That? (Part II of Have the [Insert city name and team name] Lost Their Minds?)
Yeah. It has been a long time since I have posted. My bad.
Anyway, this week another roster move occurred that made roughly 4% sense. Much like that previous statement. The New England Patriots decided to part ways with Randy Moss and send him somewhere else. Somewhere that he will be received warmly and enjoy moving to. Somewhere with a team in contention for the Super Bowl. Somewhere like his first NFL home, Minnesota. The Vikings just made perhaps a better move than the Pats did back in '07 when they traded a fourth-rounder for Moss. Not in terms of actual value, but in terms of impact.
The Vikings desperately needed a deep threat and a great WR after Sidney Rice got hurt. They tried a variety of things, such as trading for Greg Camarillo and signing the former Packer/Bronco/Raider/nobody Javon Walker. Those things have done nothing to spark the offense, and Brett Favre is looking like he should have just retired again... that time, for good. But now that Moss is on board, they don't need to cringe and wait for Rice to return. Suddenly they have a former Viking hero and a Top-5 WR on their team. Favre is happy, Moss is happy, the Pats are happy, and Minnesota is surely happy. Way to take the spotlight away from the beginning of hockey season for the Minnesota Wild, Randy.
But now the Patriots are looking incredibly stupid. The one redeeming factor of the deal is what I call the "Madden Factor." Just like many people often do when playing Madden, the Pats just got rid of a star player in the middle of his final contract season in order to get rid of him before they get nothing for letting him go. That may be the motive behind their move, but it's not a good one.
You see, the Pats are 3-1 and have already played two of the most key games on their schedule. They have gone to both New York and Miami to face their division rivals already. Those games are out of the way. They have a schedule that still includes games against the Browns, Lions, and Bills, as well as the Dolphins, who they already beat. They look like they have a good shot to make the postseason and clearly are not in a "rebuilding" or "taking a season to get ready" mindset. So why take away their best target for the highest paid player in the league, Tom Brady? Now the defenses can focus in on Wes Welker and the unproven Brandon Tate. Instead of being in a very good place with two superstar receivers, they have now reduced themselves to one. That one will now get the attention Moss got, such as being defended by Darrelle Revis and other top CBs. This move does not make sense. Not in Week 5, not before the season, not ever.
I smell something lurking. Randy Moss expressed his unhappiness with the team and the city after a solid Week One victory. He was clearly upset about something and it is rumored that he was the one who requested a trade in secret. I'm sure that Moss is happy about this move, and I am too. Who doesn't like it when Brett Favre gets a high-profile target (and Tom Brady loses one)?
This means a lot. If the Patriots have just lost so much from the team, then obviously, the Vikings have gained it. They need to catch up to both the Bears and the Packers in the division, and this was the week to do it. They can start by beating the Jets on Monday Night. This is will be a significant game because Revis will get to face is frenemy Moss, this time in a purple uniform. It will be a fun matchup to watch. It will also mark the rebirth of Santonio Holmes. His four-week suspension is over, and he will look to make his debut for the Jets in the same game that Moss is making his second debut with the Vikings.
Here's wishing Moss luck. He has a Hall of Fame QB throwing to him, and he has a solid team around him (again). Hopefully he can provide the spark that Minnesota needed and ignite a fire of W's. That would be a fun thing to watch, and you have to admit, everyone here is silently rooting for the Vikings to win it all so we don't have to wonder whether or not Favre is joking when he debates returning to football.
Anyway, this week another roster move occurred that made roughly 4% sense. Much like that previous statement. The New England Patriots decided to part ways with Randy Moss and send him somewhere else. Somewhere that he will be received warmly and enjoy moving to. Somewhere with a team in contention for the Super Bowl. Somewhere like his first NFL home, Minnesota. The Vikings just made perhaps a better move than the Pats did back in '07 when they traded a fourth-rounder for Moss. Not in terms of actual value, but in terms of impact.
The Vikings desperately needed a deep threat and a great WR after Sidney Rice got hurt. They tried a variety of things, such as trading for Greg Camarillo and signing the former Packer/Bronco/Raider/nobody Javon Walker. Those things have done nothing to spark the offense, and Brett Favre is looking like he should have just retired again... that time, for good. But now that Moss is on board, they don't need to cringe and wait for Rice to return. Suddenly they have a former Viking hero and a Top-5 WR on their team. Favre is happy, Moss is happy, the Pats are happy, and Minnesota is surely happy. Way to take the spotlight away from the beginning of hockey season for the Minnesota Wild, Randy.
But now the Patriots are looking incredibly stupid. The one redeeming factor of the deal is what I call the "Madden Factor." Just like many people often do when playing Madden, the Pats just got rid of a star player in the middle of his final contract season in order to get rid of him before they get nothing for letting him go. That may be the motive behind their move, but it's not a good one.
You see, the Pats are 3-1 and have already played two of the most key games on their schedule. They have gone to both New York and Miami to face their division rivals already. Those games are out of the way. They have a schedule that still includes games against the Browns, Lions, and Bills, as well as the Dolphins, who they already beat. They look like they have a good shot to make the postseason and clearly are not in a "rebuilding" or "taking a season to get ready" mindset. So why take away their best target for the highest paid player in the league, Tom Brady? Now the defenses can focus in on Wes Welker and the unproven Brandon Tate. Instead of being in a very good place with two superstar receivers, they have now reduced themselves to one. That one will now get the attention Moss got, such as being defended by Darrelle Revis and other top CBs. This move does not make sense. Not in Week 5, not before the season, not ever.
I smell something lurking. Randy Moss expressed his unhappiness with the team and the city after a solid Week One victory. He was clearly upset about something and it is rumored that he was the one who requested a trade in secret. I'm sure that Moss is happy about this move, and I am too. Who doesn't like it when Brett Favre gets a high-profile target (and Tom Brady loses one)?
This means a lot. If the Patriots have just lost so much from the team, then obviously, the Vikings have gained it. They need to catch up to both the Bears and the Packers in the division, and this was the week to do it. They can start by beating the Jets on Monday Night. This is will be a significant game because Revis will get to face is frenemy Moss, this time in a purple uniform. It will be a fun matchup to watch. It will also mark the rebirth of Santonio Holmes. His four-week suspension is over, and he will look to make his debut for the Jets in the same game that Moss is making his second debut with the Vikings.
Here's wishing Moss luck. He has a Hall of Fame QB throwing to him, and he has a solid team around him (again). Hopefully he can provide the spark that Minnesota needed and ignite a fire of W's. That would be a fun thing to watch, and you have to admit, everyone here is silently rooting for the Vikings to win it all so we don't have to wonder whether or not Favre is joking when he debates returning to football.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
My Picks Last Week and This Week's Picks
In Week 3, I went 7-9 on my predictions. That was not the kind of outcome I was looking for, but then again, it will only help me improve and help everyone collectively get a better look at the league. This week, I've got a new set of picks and hopefully I'll be above .500.
Falcons over 49ers
Bengals over Browns
Saints over Panthers
Seahawks over Rams
Colts over Jaguars
Eagles over Redskins
Bears over Giants
Jets over Bills
Packers over Lions
Steelers over Ravens
Broncos over Titans
Texans over Raiders
Chargers over Cardinals
Patriots over Dolphins
These picks are a lot more straightforward then last week's picks, I believe. The three games that look closest are Ravens at Steelers, Patriots at Dolphins, and Broncos at Titans.
The Steelers seem to be unstoppable thanks to their defense, and Joe Flacco hardly needs another reason to have a poor performance like he did in the first two weeks. If the Ravens are going to win this game, they are going to need to be agressive on defense, shutting down Rashard Mendenhall on the run and Pittsburgh's passing game, particularly the deep ball. Flacco will need to give his best game, because his best game against the Steelers D is probably going to net him something like a 70 passer rating. If he and Boldin can attack Ike Taylor and the Steelers secondary, they will have a better chance to win, because a banged-up Ray Rice and a washed-out Willis McGahee are not going anywhere against the Steelers front seven (plus Polamalu).
The Broncos are going into a fired-up Tennessee crowd looking to win one. They have what it takes. Their defense is good enough to "shut down" Chris Johnson for somewhere right around 100 yards. But when Kenny Britt and Nate Washington are your top two receivers, and they are being thrown to by Vince Young, you're not winning against the Broncos. I like the way Denver looks in this game because they can bounce back after C.J. scores a couple and respond through the air. They have a very capable QB in Kyle Orton, and four receivers who are on an above-average level. They'll attack through the air and on the ground with Knowshon Moreno and pull out a close victory in Tennessee.
The game of the week could be either McNabb's return to Philly, the Steelers vs. Ravens matchup without Big Ben, or MNF, Pats at Dolphins. This is going to be a very, very close game. The Dolphins finally looked like they could move the ball efficiently against the Jets last week, and they'll have a variety of options when New England comes to town. Their best bet is to run well, but remember to put it in Brandon Marshall's hands. He came up with a big performance last week and he always will if the ball is there. The physical Dolphins defense can take advantage of the loss of three of New England's RBs (Maroney in a trade, Kevin Faulk and Fred Taylor to injuries) and stuff the run. They will then have to use the young secondary to stop Tom Brady and his stellar receiving corps, which sounds scary but the experienced front seven will apply pressure to Brady and make it hard for him to have an All-Star day.
Speaking of McNabb's return to Philadelphia, this game will be emotional and exciting to watch. On paper, you have to go with the Eagles to win this one, but McNabb will have something to prove, and the Redskins are finally realizing that they need to cut back on Clinton Portis' playing time and have been splitting his carries with the younger, faster Ryan Torian, giving the Redskins a better grade at the RB position and allowing the Redskins to have the underdog advantage for this game. Hey, I'm not saying they are going to win it, but I am saying that they realize this division is weak and they need to send a message. Anything could happen.
Falcons over 49ers
Bengals over Browns
Saints over Panthers
Seahawks over Rams
Colts over Jaguars
Eagles over Redskins
Bears over Giants
Jets over Bills
Packers over Lions
Steelers over Ravens
Broncos over Titans
Texans over Raiders
Chargers over Cardinals
Patriots over Dolphins
These picks are a lot more straightforward then last week's picks, I believe. The three games that look closest are Ravens at Steelers, Patriots at Dolphins, and Broncos at Titans.
The Steelers seem to be unstoppable thanks to their defense, and Joe Flacco hardly needs another reason to have a poor performance like he did in the first two weeks. If the Ravens are going to win this game, they are going to need to be agressive on defense, shutting down Rashard Mendenhall on the run and Pittsburgh's passing game, particularly the deep ball. Flacco will need to give his best game, because his best game against the Steelers D is probably going to net him something like a 70 passer rating. If he and Boldin can attack Ike Taylor and the Steelers secondary, they will have a better chance to win, because a banged-up Ray Rice and a washed-out Willis McGahee are not going anywhere against the Steelers front seven (plus Polamalu).
The Broncos are going into a fired-up Tennessee crowd looking to win one. They have what it takes. Their defense is good enough to "shut down" Chris Johnson for somewhere right around 100 yards. But when Kenny Britt and Nate Washington are your top two receivers, and they are being thrown to by Vince Young, you're not winning against the Broncos. I like the way Denver looks in this game because they can bounce back after C.J. scores a couple and respond through the air. They have a very capable QB in Kyle Orton, and four receivers who are on an above-average level. They'll attack through the air and on the ground with Knowshon Moreno and pull out a close victory in Tennessee.
The game of the week could be either McNabb's return to Philly, the Steelers vs. Ravens matchup without Big Ben, or MNF, Pats at Dolphins. This is going to be a very, very close game. The Dolphins finally looked like they could move the ball efficiently against the Jets last week, and they'll have a variety of options when New England comes to town. Their best bet is to run well, but remember to put it in Brandon Marshall's hands. He came up with a big performance last week and he always will if the ball is there. The physical Dolphins defense can take advantage of the loss of three of New England's RBs (Maroney in a trade, Kevin Faulk and Fred Taylor to injuries) and stuff the run. They will then have to use the young secondary to stop Tom Brady and his stellar receiving corps, which sounds scary but the experienced front seven will apply pressure to Brady and make it hard for him to have an All-Star day.
Speaking of McNabb's return to Philadelphia, this game will be emotional and exciting to watch. On paper, you have to go with the Eagles to win this one, but McNabb will have something to prove, and the Redskins are finally realizing that they need to cut back on Clinton Portis' playing time and have been splitting his carries with the younger, faster Ryan Torian, giving the Redskins a better grade at the RB position and allowing the Redskins to have the underdog advantage for this game. Hey, I'm not saying they are going to win it, but I am saying that they realize this division is weak and they need to send a message. Anything could happen.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
What We Learned from Green Bay vs. Chicago
This week's Monday Night Football game was a divisional matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. Before the game, it probably seemed like more of a matchup than it was supposed to be, as many had anointed the Packers as the winners of the NFC in the preseason, and the Chicago Bears seemed like an afterthought in a division with both Green Bay and the Minnesota Vikings. Through two weeks both teams were leading the division at 2-0, and it was a showdown to get an early lead in the division as well as to become the only undefeated team in the conference. The home team Bears were looking like geniuses for signing Julius Peppers in the offseason, and the Packers had seemingly gotten lucky that the Eagles hadn't played Vick for all four quarters of the season opener, because the Eagles pressured them in a 27-20 victory by the Packers. Now the two teams looked a lot closer than was expected.
The game was memorable for three reasons: the first of those reasons is that the Bears beat the Packers in a tight game, 20-17. The second reason is that Devin Hester once again showed us his record-setting ability as a kick returner. The third reason, and probably the most discussed, was the remarkable, in fact record-setting, number of penalties by the Green Bay Packers.
The win by the Bears was a direct response of the second two factors. The Bears had a good game, but the other two things we learned were definitely influential in the victory. The whole game was pretty much close. Neither team did exceptionally well on offense; Aaron Rodgers was statistically the better QB, throwing for over 300 yards with one score and one interception. Jay Cutler wasn't far behind, going for 221 yards with a score and a pick. But the difference in QBs was that Rodgers played well on 45 attempts, connecting on 34. Jay Cutler connected on 16 of his 27 throws. Both teams finished under 100 yards rushing, and they were relatively even at 21 and 18 first downs, 18 being by the Bears. While the Packers defense may have been better overall, the difference maker in the game was Devin Hester.
Hester ran for his first touchdown return in three years on a punt in the fourth. He changed the scored from 7-10 to 14-10, giving the Bears the lead. This was reminiscent of his rookie season, when he set a record with three punt returns for TDs and two kick returns for TDs, making him the most productive kick returner in a single season. His electrifying ability to evade tackles and use his speed to bolt into the end zone was realized again by the Packers on Monday night, and the lead was in the hands of the Bears.
The Bears ended up winning after more mistakes by the Packers and a forced fumble by Brian Urlacher. But the "Super Bowl contending Packers" should have a lot more on their minds than just losing to their division rivals. They committed penalties ranging from small false starts to a head-to-head collision laid on to Jay Cutler to nullify an interception. Their 18 penalties, a team record, cost them a total of 152 yards. That's not the way a team wins games. The Bears defense may have played a good game, but perhaps the best defense in this one was the Packers' ability to commit penalties.
Overall, the game showed that the Bears might actually be contenders; they are the only 3-0 team in the NFC and one of just 3 teams in the league at 3-0 (the others are Kansas City and Pittsburgh). I for one feel as though any team that can make it to 3-0 should be viewed as a threat, and I'm sure the Bears feel that way about themselves. Despite the penalties committed by the Packers, they still played Bears football, grinding out a win and sending a message to the league.
The game was memorable for three reasons: the first of those reasons is that the Bears beat the Packers in a tight game, 20-17. The second reason is that Devin Hester once again showed us his record-setting ability as a kick returner. The third reason, and probably the most discussed, was the remarkable, in fact record-setting, number of penalties by the Green Bay Packers.
The win by the Bears was a direct response of the second two factors. The Bears had a good game, but the other two things we learned were definitely influential in the victory. The whole game was pretty much close. Neither team did exceptionally well on offense; Aaron Rodgers was statistically the better QB, throwing for over 300 yards with one score and one interception. Jay Cutler wasn't far behind, going for 221 yards with a score and a pick. But the difference in QBs was that Rodgers played well on 45 attempts, connecting on 34. Jay Cutler connected on 16 of his 27 throws. Both teams finished under 100 yards rushing, and they were relatively even at 21 and 18 first downs, 18 being by the Bears. While the Packers defense may have been better overall, the difference maker in the game was Devin Hester.
Hester ran for his first touchdown return in three years on a punt in the fourth. He changed the scored from 7-10 to 14-10, giving the Bears the lead. This was reminiscent of his rookie season, when he set a record with three punt returns for TDs and two kick returns for TDs, making him the most productive kick returner in a single season. His electrifying ability to evade tackles and use his speed to bolt into the end zone was realized again by the Packers on Monday night, and the lead was in the hands of the Bears.
The Bears ended up winning after more mistakes by the Packers and a forced fumble by Brian Urlacher. But the "Super Bowl contending Packers" should have a lot more on their minds than just losing to their division rivals. They committed penalties ranging from small false starts to a head-to-head collision laid on to Jay Cutler to nullify an interception. Their 18 penalties, a team record, cost them a total of 152 yards. That's not the way a team wins games. The Bears defense may have played a good game, but perhaps the best defense in this one was the Packers' ability to commit penalties.
Overall, the game showed that the Bears might actually be contenders; they are the only 3-0 team in the NFC and one of just 3 teams in the league at 3-0 (the others are Kansas City and Pittsburgh). I for one feel as though any team that can make it to 3-0 should be viewed as a threat, and I'm sure the Bears feel that way about themselves. Despite the penalties committed by the Packers, they still played Bears football, grinding out a win and sending a message to the league.
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Buffalo Bills Have Lost Their Minds
In a somewhat shocking move, the Buffalo Bills released Trent Edwards today. This is perhaps one of the least productive moves in the history of the NFL. The Bills have been at the bottom of the AFC East for a long time now, being constantly lost in the depths of a division that includes the New England Patriots, the New York Jets, and the Miami Dolphins. Now, even when the Jets and the Dolphins were nothing to talk about, the Patriots were doing things like winning Super Bowls and going 16-0. But despite that, the Dolphins managed to go from 1-15 in 2007 to 11-5 in 2008 while becoming the Division Champs. So, clearly, it is possible to turn around in that or any division.
But the Bills have had years and years to try to contend, and have not succeeded at all. The closest they came was a few years back, when they had a pretty respectable defense (some may even argue that it isn't that bad nowadays either). But their offense has not been great despite high draft picks and a handful of more-than-capable running backs and above average receivers. Their line was never as bad as, say, the Pittsburgh Steelers', and they won two Super Bowls. The truth is that in the NFL today, you need a good quarterback to really contend. Lets look at the last five Champion QBs:
1. Drew Brees (XLIV)
2. Ben Roethlisberger (XL and XLIII)
3. Eli Manning (XLII)
4. Peyton Manning (XLI)
5. and of course, Tom Brady (XXXVI, XXXVII, and XXXIX)
And now the Super Bowl-losing teams' QBs:
1. Peyton Manning (XLIV)
2. Kurt Warner (XLIII)
3. Tom Brady (XLII)
4. Rex Grossman (XLI)
5. Matt Hasselbeck (XL)
Of those eight QBs (Tom Brady and Peyton Manning both won and lost), you could make a case for at least five of them to become Hall of Famers. Rex Grossman was the only real fluke, but he played a very good season, hence reiterating the point that you need a good QB to win in this league. So, what do the Bills do? They refuse to draft a real QB. They've been trying Trent Edwards for a few years, but they were obviously fed up with him last year when they ceded his starting job to Ryan Fitzpatrick. This offseason, instead of getting a good QB in the first round, they spend a pick on C.J. Spiller. Yes, he was a great running back in college, but they already have a very capable duo in Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson. So they spent the offseason with a "quarterback controversy," allowing both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards to do their best to try and win the job. They said they were set with Trent Edwards.
Then before just the third game of the season, they benched Edwards for Fitzpatrick. After Fitzpatrick had a very respectable performance against the Patriots, they decided to stick with him as the starter. That was a very good decision for the team and its fans. But clearly Fitzpatrick is not the long-term solution. If he had been, they wouldn't have given the job to Edwards again after he was outplayed by Fitzpatrick last season. But instead of keeping Edwards around, they decided to cut him. Not trade, despite the fact that teams like Jacksonville and Arizona are in need of an experienced backup, but simply cut. He was set to make less than 2 million this season; now they will pay him that to not be on the team. How does that help in any way? What happens if Fitzpatrick begins to play poorly? What was the purpose of getting nothing out of Trent Edwards for the rest of the season, despite paying him money while he's not on the roster? These are all very legitimate questions that probably have very poor answers.
The Bills are in bad shape. They will most likely finish as one of the worst teams in the league, and yet again at the bottom of their division. They would be wise to realize that they have been making mistakes for years, and to make a play for a new QB soon, whether it be this season or during the offseason. If they could land a seasoned veteran that will help the team out (either through a trade or free agency) that may be an annual solution, but they need to find a young guy that they can put their trust in for years to come, and they need to do it quickly.
But the Bills have had years and years to try to contend, and have not succeeded at all. The closest they came was a few years back, when they had a pretty respectable defense (some may even argue that it isn't that bad nowadays either). But their offense has not been great despite high draft picks and a handful of more-than-capable running backs and above average receivers. Their line was never as bad as, say, the Pittsburgh Steelers', and they won two Super Bowls. The truth is that in the NFL today, you need a good quarterback to really contend. Lets look at the last five Champion QBs:
1. Drew Brees (XLIV)
2. Ben Roethlisberger (XL and XLIII)
3. Eli Manning (XLII)
4. Peyton Manning (XLI)
5. and of course, Tom Brady (XXXVI, XXXVII, and XXXIX)
And now the Super Bowl-losing teams' QBs:
1. Peyton Manning (XLIV)
2. Kurt Warner (XLIII)
3. Tom Brady (XLII)
4. Rex Grossman (XLI)
5. Matt Hasselbeck (XL)
Of those eight QBs (Tom Brady and Peyton Manning both won and lost), you could make a case for at least five of them to become Hall of Famers. Rex Grossman was the only real fluke, but he played a very good season, hence reiterating the point that you need a good QB to win in this league. So, what do the Bills do? They refuse to draft a real QB. They've been trying Trent Edwards for a few years, but they were obviously fed up with him last year when they ceded his starting job to Ryan Fitzpatrick. This offseason, instead of getting a good QB in the first round, they spend a pick on C.J. Spiller. Yes, he was a great running back in college, but they already have a very capable duo in Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson. So they spent the offseason with a "quarterback controversy," allowing both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards to do their best to try and win the job. They said they were set with Trent Edwards.
Then before just the third game of the season, they benched Edwards for Fitzpatrick. After Fitzpatrick had a very respectable performance against the Patriots, they decided to stick with him as the starter. That was a very good decision for the team and its fans. But clearly Fitzpatrick is not the long-term solution. If he had been, they wouldn't have given the job to Edwards again after he was outplayed by Fitzpatrick last season. But instead of keeping Edwards around, they decided to cut him. Not trade, despite the fact that teams like Jacksonville and Arizona are in need of an experienced backup, but simply cut. He was set to make less than 2 million this season; now they will pay him that to not be on the team. How does that help in any way? What happens if Fitzpatrick begins to play poorly? What was the purpose of getting nothing out of Trent Edwards for the rest of the season, despite paying him money while he's not on the roster? These are all very legitimate questions that probably have very poor answers.
The Bills are in bad shape. They will most likely finish as one of the worst teams in the league, and yet again at the bottom of their division. They would be wise to realize that they have been making mistakes for years, and to make a play for a new QB soon, whether it be this season or during the offseason. If they could land a seasoned veteran that will help the team out (either through a trade or free agency) that may be an annual solution, but they need to find a young guy that they can put their trust in for years to come, and they need to do it quickly.
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