Before I get to the post with analysis from Matt Williamson and Keith Kidd, I'd like to take a minute to talk about Sean Taylor. As a diehard Cowboys fan, I never liked Taylor; I'd even go as far as saying that I despise Taylor and hoped that he would be injured so that he wouldn't play an amazing safety for the hated Washington Redskins. Sometimes I joke that it would be amazing if this guy gets harmed or that guy gets hurt, but I never really meant it or anything. So I felt bad when I heard the news that Taylor got shot, and I felt even worse when he passed away. From now on I'll try my hardest to take things into context and realize that these players on your bitter rivals have lives outside of the games on the field. They may have wives and children and parents who care for them. So the next time you talk about the certain player on your rival that you hate (everyone has them) maybe think again and remember that it's just a game and you would never want that person to actually get hurt, or worse become another needless victim like a Sean Taylor. I'm sure that many Red Sox fans hated Thurmon Munson with a passion, but never wished that he'd die in a plane crash. So let's try to take things in perspective as we mourn the loss of a damn good football player and someone who was finally coming into his own as a human being. I'll only do the Sunday and Monday games in the assault.
-The Titans are nosediving. Their defense is finally breaking, the running game is falling apart, and Vince Young cannot carry this team. The Bengals were able to stop the run, keep VY in check, dominate the clock with Rudi Johnson, and get a stellar day from Chad Johnson. Cincy had 38 passes and 36 runs, which is nearly perfect. I asked Williamson if the Bengals can go on a run starting this Sunday against Pittsburgh.
"Was thinking that. PGH is the better team, but that game is certainly winnable for Cincy next week. Under the radar-Cincy has SHUT DOWN opposing running games of late!!!"
Willie Parker should take notice, and Tennessee is playing themselves out of this playoff picture. -The Browns keep winning, and Jamal Lewis keeps their offense moving. He's the man behind the scenes with Derek Anderson getting all the headlines; impressive against a Texans team that was good against the run. Kellen Winslow was spectacular, and the Cleveland defense forced 3 turnovers. With a running game that good, it gets to be a lot easier in the 4th quarter. Lewis wore Houston down and they were able to pull away to continue one of the surprise stories.
-There's a certain reason why New York grew sour on Herm Edwards. Oh yeah, it's because his late game decision making is atrocious. He had the chance to tie the game with 4th and 1 deep in Raiders territory, went for it and missed. A field goal keeps you in the game, but Edwards decided to go for the jugular and wasn't even close and the Chiefs suffered a critical loss. His clock management has also been criticized, and now people are questioning his mental capacity. He wasted a phenomenal Kolby Smith game and a game where Brodie Croyle didn't screw everything up. Meanwhile, Justin Fargas is emerging as a really quality back and almost singlehandedly gave Oakland their first big win since the Carter administration.
-It's more than injuries and lack of talent for the Rams, it's the terrible decision making by Scott Linehan and the coaching staff. They had every single opportunity to win this game and blew it. People will look to the dropped snap on 4th down, but St Louis should have won the game wayy before that. Linehan should be canned immediately after their nightmare season is over. Pound Stephen Jackson by the goal line, not put your game in the hands of Gus Frerotte. Seattle played very well in the 2nd half, but were not impressive at all after looking good in previous weeks.
-I met Eli Manning on the street wearing a purple shirt, and he was completely freaked out. I told him that I was the Vikings and he started throwing footballs at me. It's like a reaction at this point. What really led to Manning's total collapse was that without Jacobs and Ward, Minnesota had zero respect for the run and the play-action pass, which is how the Giants get most of their big plays. In addition, Plaxico Burress cannot play effectively right now and Minnesota disguised their coverages just enough to turn the game into a purple pigskin pick six party. That was basically the game right there, and rumor has it that the Bears are adding a purple alternate jersey for next week's game.
-The Redskins were sliding even before Sean Taylor's untimely death, as they turned it over 6 times, dropping the ball more than a corporate executive with short term memory loss. The Bucs had 25 minutes of possession on mostly short fields and won without getting a first down the entire 2nd half. There's still a lot of fight in Washington, and they'll be playing a lot harder in the future. Tampa's legit, though.
-Stick a fork in John Fox and the Panthers, I'd like my piece burnt so I don't have to look at all the potential they had. Carr and Moore were awful, Steve Smith led the team in rushing with 22 yards, and they let the Saints control the ball for over 39 minutes. New Orleans punished with Carolina with the run and then hit the big plays with excellent balance. Is it too late for the inconsistent Saints? All bets are off, I can't solve these guys.
-The Bills aren't the same without Marshawn Lynch. They had to rely on JP Losman, and they can't win like that. Fred Taylor was great, and David Garrard is evolving into a real QB. Look Jeppetto, he's a real QB eat that Leftwich! Buffalo needs Lynch back if they want a shot at the playoffs, but the Jags have a shot at a first round bye and I'm not crazy.
-The Niners can't lose to the Cardinals. Kurt Warner's a good player, but sometimes he can't get out of his own way. Neil Rackers was very unclutch in OT, but the Arizona offense clicked really well. Unfortunately, the defense took a day off on Sunday. Frisco finally gave Frank Gore more than 20 yards, and the 49ers won. What a coincidence, and even Trent Dilfer had a good game. This game confuses me, let's go to the next one which actually contains meaning.
-Todd Sauerbrun insisted on kicking on kicking to Devin Hester, which is the worst decision since Herm Edwards decided to.....and the Iraq War before that. I'll give the Bears credit for the comeback in the end, but they would not have been in that position if Denver kicked it away from him. Cutler and Andre Hall had good games, but their defense imploded late. They're still in this race, but how realistic are the playoff chances for the Bears and Vikings? Williamson has the answer:
"Much better now than a week ago, but still it is a long shot; especially for Minny. How many times are they going to get 3 defensive TDs? I still like the Giants' chances. Maybe NO? What a mess in the NFC now."
-That Chargers swagger is back, and the Ravens' window of opportunity with this team they have now has slammed shut. The Bolts had good balance, and Phil Rivers tore up the Baltimore secondary. But why in the name of Rex Ryan would Antonio Gates be covered by a LB the entire game? 6-105 and two scores later, it was 29-7 and San Diego got their classy back.
-Oh man, the Patriots were nervous, the Eagles figured them out. Run inside routes down the middle of the field, and you can torch the New England secondary. It was so apparent that even Captain Obvious Frank Caliendo err John Madden was saying it 150 times. The Eagles played well, but the Pats persevered. It was a fantastic score for score game, but how will Belichik adjust to what AJ Feely and the Eagles did to his defense? Keith Kidd has the answer:
"One of the ways is to play more inside of the WR, and force more outside throws. But it is obvious if you can keep your QB upright in the pocket it causes problems for the secondary."
-The Dolphins just may pull this 0-16. Nobody could do anything last night, and the Steelers don't look as good as they did a couple of weeks ago. Miami is down to their 87th string RB, and even Ricky Williams made a guest appearance only to be out for the season roughly five minutes after his debut; word has it that he's charging a dime bag for his 2007 season cameo. Cameo Cameron may be riding this imperfect storm, but the Jets will give them a run next week.
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Showing posts with label NewYorkGiants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NewYorkGiants. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Week 12 Picks ATS- The Rest
Three for three on Turkey Day, let's keep it up on Sunday.
-The Rams have been gaining steam as of late, but Seattle seems to be coming into its own after a good win over Chicago. Mike Holmgren will have his team prepared to bottle up the pass, and the emergence of Mo Morris will continue and the Seahawks will cover the 3.
-The running games will be key at the Meadowlands. Chester Taylor has to succeed for Minnesota to have any chance, and Brandon Jacobs excelling will mean that Eli Manning can go deep on the playaction where he's at his best. Both defenses are solid againt the run but weak against the past, so the battle of the trenches will decide the contest. Give the edge to the Giants.
-Without Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo doesn't stand that much of a chance against a Jacksonville defense that could feast on a one dimentional offense. The Bills will have to come up big against Taylor and Jones-Drew and win the battles on special teams. If David Garrard takes care of the ball, there seems to be too many hurdles for the Bills to jump in order to win this game.
-This is a huge game for Washington on the road in Tampa, as they try to take advantage of a Detroit loss and get in this Wild Card race. The Bucs could create some separation in the NFC South, so the stakes are pretty high. The running games are huge here, and it may come down to which QB makes the least amount of mistakes. That's where the experienced Jeff Garcia could have the edge over Jason Campbell. That being said, I'm going to take the Redskins in the upset.
-The Browns are coming off their win over Baltimore, but can't take Houston's offense lightly by any stretch the imagination. That Schaub-Johnson connection is lethal over the top, but Romeo Crennel will have his defense ready to go. This may be closer than you might think; the Texans defense silenced the Saints last week led by Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye. I'll still give the Browns the win.
-The Bengals can't get out of their own way, and Jeff Fisher will have his defense ready after getting torched by the Broncos. LenDale White will have a big day, and the Titans will run away if Vince Young cuts down on the mistakes.
-Even without LJ and Priest, the struggling Raiders have no prayer against the Chiefs. Look for a big game from Dwayne Bowe as KC gets a big win.
-The Niners are a dead team walking, and the Cards will run all over them at home.
-The Ravens need to come back from a win that they think was taken from that, and LT will take advantage of a struggling team and San Diego will pick up a much needed victory over sinking Baltimore.
-Denver's another team riding high, and I can see Jay Cutler absoultely shredding the Bears defense en route to the win. The corners will lock the top Chicago wideouts up and Cedric Benson will remain a nonfactor.
-Pats against a McNabb-less Eagles? Belichik is already dreaming of pissing everyone off by running the score up. They'll cover the 20, perhaps twice.
-Pittsburgh's really good, Miami's really bad. ESPN will wish they had a flex package.
Enjoy football!
-The Rams have been gaining steam as of late, but Seattle seems to be coming into its own after a good win over Chicago. Mike Holmgren will have his team prepared to bottle up the pass, and the emergence of Mo Morris will continue and the Seahawks will cover the 3.
-The running games will be key at the Meadowlands. Chester Taylor has to succeed for Minnesota to have any chance, and Brandon Jacobs excelling will mean that Eli Manning can go deep on the playaction where he's at his best. Both defenses are solid againt the run but weak against the past, so the battle of the trenches will decide the contest. Give the edge to the Giants.
-Without Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo doesn't stand that much of a chance against a Jacksonville defense that could feast on a one dimentional offense. The Bills will have to come up big against Taylor and Jones-Drew and win the battles on special teams. If David Garrard takes care of the ball, there seems to be too many hurdles for the Bills to jump in order to win this game.
-This is a huge game for Washington on the road in Tampa, as they try to take advantage of a Detroit loss and get in this Wild Card race. The Bucs could create some separation in the NFC South, so the stakes are pretty high. The running games are huge here, and it may come down to which QB makes the least amount of mistakes. That's where the experienced Jeff Garcia could have the edge over Jason Campbell. That being said, I'm going to take the Redskins in the upset.
-The Browns are coming off their win over Baltimore, but can't take Houston's offense lightly by any stretch the imagination. That Schaub-Johnson connection is lethal over the top, but Romeo Crennel will have his defense ready to go. This may be closer than you might think; the Texans defense silenced the Saints last week led by Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye. I'll still give the Browns the win.
-The Bengals can't get out of their own way, and Jeff Fisher will have his defense ready after getting torched by the Broncos. LenDale White will have a big day, and the Titans will run away if Vince Young cuts down on the mistakes.
-Even without LJ and Priest, the struggling Raiders have no prayer against the Chiefs. Look for a big game from Dwayne Bowe as KC gets a big win.
-The Niners are a dead team walking, and the Cards will run all over them at home.
-The Ravens need to come back from a win that they think was taken from that, and LT will take advantage of a struggling team and San Diego will pick up a much needed victory over sinking Baltimore.
-Denver's another team riding high, and I can see Jay Cutler absoultely shredding the Bears defense en route to the win. The corners will lock the top Chicago wideouts up and Cedric Benson will remain a nonfactor.
-Pats against a McNabb-less Eagles? Belichik is already dreaming of pissing everyone off by running the score up. They'll cover the 20, perhaps twice.
-Pittsburgh's really good, Miami's really bad. ESPN will wish they had a flex package.
Enjoy football!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Analytical Assault Week 10
Oh my, how the mighty have fallen. The great sink to new lows, streaks crumble, and one old geezer QB outlasts it all. And then, there's Baltimore........
Flash Forward
"Somewhere, Mel Brooks is smiling right now."
"If the Patriots are destiny's child, then Miami could be destiny's bastard child."
"Harder to figure out than Hillary Clinton's political views."
"Grab me a mirror, I look so good when I'm right."
-Brett Favre was like a hypnotist on Sunday. Minnesota bit his every fake, were fascinated by his every move. They were so in awe of him that they forgot that they're paid large craploads of cheddar to stop him. But King Cheesehead threw for over 350 and eclipsed the 60,000 yard mark and Dan Marino still pretends not to be jealous. They finally have a running game, while the Vikes still haven't found that QB guy, and will now be without Adrian Peterson for an extended period. When you hit so hard as a player, you're bound to get hurt. Favre completed passes to 10 different players, which is impressive considering that the Vikes barely had 10 completions on offense (16). Green Bay had it for over 40 minutes, and they're heads and shoulders (knees and toes) above Minnesota.
-What happens when you're strength turns into a weakness? You lose. The Titans found that out after their vaunted run defense got trampled by Freddy T and MJD. The Jags had 44 rushes and 23 passes, and controlled the pigskin for over 34 minutes. Vince Young threw 41 times which is a lot for someone who just isn't a good QB right now. You people have to stop being enamored with the "greatness" of VY and realize that he's not a very good passer. And when the overachieving running game went back to earth yesterday, Tennessee's chances were in Young's hands. And unlike State Farm, Young was not there, and he may not ever be there. The defense will have to carry the Titans if they want to reach the postseason. Because oh great Texas savior doesn't have your back.
-Running back reliance is very important in football (unless you're Favre). And when your top back is out, someone needs to step up and carry the load. Selvin Young did that for Denver in place of Travis Henry, Priest Holmes could not do that for an injured Larry Johnson. That was the difference, plain and simple. None of the QB's were very good, but the good offensive player from Texas came through when his team needed it, and Denver is back in the saddle again trying to go straight as piss to the promised land. Somewhere, Mel Brooks is smiling right now. I have now associated him with being a Broncos fan. That has nothing to do with this game, but Denver is definitely in this bad boy.
-If the Dolphins were gonna win a game this season, that might have been it. They owned a 10-2 lead over Buffalo, and everything looked good. But those scrappy Bills came back and won despite Miami having posession of the ball for almost 37 minutes. Jesse Chatman allowed the Phins to control the clock, and they played a very good game. But it looks like they could be a team of destiny. If the Patriots are destiny's child, then Miami could be destiny's bastard child. We'll see if Buffalo can keep this up against the Pats, of course Lynch will have to be back for them to have a chance. Miami will get there...one day.
-The Saints are harder to figure out than Hillary Clinton's political views (are they even there??). They reel off four straight wins and then get beat by a previously winless Rams team. St Louis had perfect run-pass balance and Steven Jackson and Antonio Pittman helped the Rams have ball possession for almost 40 minutes. Marc Bulger managed the game well, and Tory Holt had a very solid outing. New Orleans had an almost 4:1 pass to run ratio and that is clearly unacceptable. Drew Brees were picked off twice and will have to regain their momentum.
-The Steelers haven't hired too many head coaches in their history, and it looks like they've found another really good one in Mike Tomlin. Cleveland got great plays on defense and special teams in the first half, and connected on shots down the field led by Derek Anderson. But It may not be about the way the Browns played yesterday, It's probably about the way Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh defense adjusted in the second half. They closed off all the deep routes and forced Anderson to settle for check downs underneath. This strategy forces three and outs and allowed the Steelers to come back. Then you give the credit to Ben Roethlisberger for leading his team back, and to the Pittsburgh defense for shutting the Browns down in the 2nd half. The Steelers are an elite team, and played an superb 2nd half.
-The Redskins consistently fail to close out games. It's just not in their DNA, and the Eagles took advantage with a 20 point 4th quarter to save their season and reinvigorate a franchise that needed a jump start. Campbell, Thrash, and Portis did a great job of putting their team in a position to win. But Brian Westbrook was tremendous at the end of the game, and Washington helped the Eagle cause by committing more stupid penalties than a dyslexic accountant doing your taxes. It was a huge road win for Philly, as new life has been breathed into their season.
-Grab me a mirror, because I look so good when I'm right. I called the Falcons upset win over the Panthers, because the Panthers have fallen off the face of the earth. I wonder if Stephen Hawking ever looks at himself in the mirror and robotically types to himself "who's....the...man?" Well that's me right now without the science and with much more normal. Vinny Testaverde finally played like his age, and the running game was basically a nonfactor. Did you know that Vinny was college roommates with Thomas Jefferson? Atlanta didn't make any mistakes, and had a big drive late that ended with Joey Harrington coming through with a huge TD to Alge Crumpler. The last time Harrington and big drive late were said in the same sentence was Joey's tee shot on the 16th hole last winter. But I digress, good Falcons win, Panthers are underachieving more than the NYC Public School System.
-How pathetic are the Ravens? 6 turnovers again, and a loss to the Bengals who can barely get out of their own way. In fact, to make the players more comfortable with their surroundings, the coaches are now referred to as wardens, and locker rooms are holding cells. Steve McNair has hit the end of the road. He's fumbling more than Tiki Barber and Kerry Collins used to combined, and he isn't making good football decisions anymore. The defense can only do so much, I'm with Ray Lewis on this one. Brian Billick is once again under fire. Cincy scored their 21 points on 7 field goals. It's almost like they're allergic to the end zone, much like the Knicks who are allergic to making sense. I mean they break out in good decisions and wins, I mean who in their right mind would want that? Bottom line, both teams are awful but the Bengals are less terrible. The Ravens have some serious changing to do before they can show up on a consistent basis again.
-Rex to the rescue? It's been a wild ride for the Bears QB, but he came in for an injured Brian Griese and saved the Chicago season with a big win over Oakland. If Rex is actually successful getting the snap, he has the arm to hit the deep play and did so with Bernard Berrian. Josh McCown was brutal as usual, but Justin Fargas had a very solid day, but Chicago had that one quarter that saved their season (for now). We'll see if they can keep their momentum going.
-All the Cowboys had to do to beat the Giants and take a stranglehold of the NFC East was to stop making the critical mistakes. They made numerous penalties in the first half including just an insanely stupid taunting penalty. But the Giants evened it out with mistakes of their own, and the Cowboy talent prevailed late, as Tony Romo and Terrell Owens provided the fireworks in the win. What the Giants can't do is let this loss snowball, because they're still one of the best teams in the conference. They have a huge game at Detroit and need to be ready.
-Speaking of the Lions, I was shocked at the way them and the Cards played on Sunday. There were 9 combined turnovers, but Kurt Warner bounced back with a tremendous game, and they were able to control the clock for the win. The Arizona defense had 4 sacks and force a bunch of fumbles for the win. But the Lions rushed for negative 18 yards, and completely gave up on it. To win in this league, you have to be able to run the ball and the Lions won't be able to take it to the next level if they can't run the ball. Jon Kitna isn't mobile, and the defense can just go right after him if there's no remote threat of a running play. This was a terrible job by Detroit, and they have to regroup fast.
-We all know Peyton Manning had the worst game of his life, but they had a good chance to win because the Chargers defense was almost as dreadful. Darren Sproles and Antonio Cromartie were the main reasons that San Diego came up with the win, because Phil Rivers is just not a good QB this year. The Colts didn't deserve to win the game, but they came very close. But the Chargers offense needs to get into gear otherwise there's no way they can make the postseason. Maybe the AFC isn't as deep as we once thought. These were two of the best? Oy.
-I think Gardner-Webb could beat the 49ers in football. Alex Smith is terrible, but I put a lot of blame on Mike Nolan for not giving it to Frank Gore so much. He had 13 carries for 5.5 per rush, so why not give it to him more if your QB blows. The Seahawks were able to dominate with Alexander and Branch out, which shows how bad the Niners are.
Flash Forward
"Somewhere, Mel Brooks is smiling right now."
"If the Patriots are destiny's child, then Miami could be destiny's bastard child."
"Harder to figure out than Hillary Clinton's political views."
"Grab me a mirror, I look so good when I'm right."
-Brett Favre was like a hypnotist on Sunday. Minnesota bit his every fake, were fascinated by his every move. They were so in awe of him that they forgot that they're paid large craploads of cheddar to stop him. But King Cheesehead threw for over 350 and eclipsed the 60,000 yard mark and Dan Marino still pretends not to be jealous. They finally have a running game, while the Vikes still haven't found that QB guy, and will now be without Adrian Peterson for an extended period. When you hit so hard as a player, you're bound to get hurt. Favre completed passes to 10 different players, which is impressive considering that the Vikes barely had 10 completions on offense (16). Green Bay had it for over 40 minutes, and they're heads and shoulders (knees and toes) above Minnesota.
-What happens when you're strength turns into a weakness? You lose. The Titans found that out after their vaunted run defense got trampled by Freddy T and MJD. The Jags had 44 rushes and 23 passes, and controlled the pigskin for over 34 minutes. Vince Young threw 41 times which is a lot for someone who just isn't a good QB right now. You people have to stop being enamored with the "greatness" of VY and realize that he's not a very good passer. And when the overachieving running game went back to earth yesterday, Tennessee's chances were in Young's hands. And unlike State Farm, Young was not there, and he may not ever be there. The defense will have to carry the Titans if they want to reach the postseason. Because oh great Texas savior doesn't have your back.
-Running back reliance is very important in football (unless you're Favre). And when your top back is out, someone needs to step up and carry the load. Selvin Young did that for Denver in place of Travis Henry, Priest Holmes could not do that for an injured Larry Johnson. That was the difference, plain and simple. None of the QB's were very good, but the good offensive player from Texas came through when his team needed it, and Denver is back in the saddle again trying to go straight as piss to the promised land. Somewhere, Mel Brooks is smiling right now. I have now associated him with being a Broncos fan. That has nothing to do with this game, but Denver is definitely in this bad boy.
-If the Dolphins were gonna win a game this season, that might have been it. They owned a 10-2 lead over Buffalo, and everything looked good. But those scrappy Bills came back and won despite Miami having posession of the ball for almost 37 minutes. Jesse Chatman allowed the Phins to control the clock, and they played a very good game. But it looks like they could be a team of destiny. If the Patriots are destiny's child, then Miami could be destiny's bastard child. We'll see if Buffalo can keep this up against the Pats, of course Lynch will have to be back for them to have a chance. Miami will get there...one day.
-The Saints are harder to figure out than Hillary Clinton's political views (are they even there??). They reel off four straight wins and then get beat by a previously winless Rams team. St Louis had perfect run-pass balance and Steven Jackson and Antonio Pittman helped the Rams have ball possession for almost 40 minutes. Marc Bulger managed the game well, and Tory Holt had a very solid outing. New Orleans had an almost 4:1 pass to run ratio and that is clearly unacceptable. Drew Brees were picked off twice and will have to regain their momentum.
-The Steelers haven't hired too many head coaches in their history, and it looks like they've found another really good one in Mike Tomlin. Cleveland got great plays on defense and special teams in the first half, and connected on shots down the field led by Derek Anderson. But It may not be about the way the Browns played yesterday, It's probably about the way Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh defense adjusted in the second half. They closed off all the deep routes and forced Anderson to settle for check downs underneath. This strategy forces three and outs and allowed the Steelers to come back. Then you give the credit to Ben Roethlisberger for leading his team back, and to the Pittsburgh defense for shutting the Browns down in the 2nd half. The Steelers are an elite team, and played an superb 2nd half.
-The Redskins consistently fail to close out games. It's just not in their DNA, and the Eagles took advantage with a 20 point 4th quarter to save their season and reinvigorate a franchise that needed a jump start. Campbell, Thrash, and Portis did a great job of putting their team in a position to win. But Brian Westbrook was tremendous at the end of the game, and Washington helped the Eagle cause by committing more stupid penalties than a dyslexic accountant doing your taxes. It was a huge road win for Philly, as new life has been breathed into their season.
-Grab me a mirror, because I look so good when I'm right. I called the Falcons upset win over the Panthers, because the Panthers have fallen off the face of the earth. I wonder if Stephen Hawking ever looks at himself in the mirror and robotically types to himself "who's....the...man?" Well that's me right now without the science and with much more normal. Vinny Testaverde finally played like his age, and the running game was basically a nonfactor. Did you know that Vinny was college roommates with Thomas Jefferson? Atlanta didn't make any mistakes, and had a big drive late that ended with Joey Harrington coming through with a huge TD to Alge Crumpler. The last time Harrington and big drive late were said in the same sentence was Joey's tee shot on the 16th hole last winter. But I digress, good Falcons win, Panthers are underachieving more than the NYC Public School System.
-How pathetic are the Ravens? 6 turnovers again, and a loss to the Bengals who can barely get out of their own way. In fact, to make the players more comfortable with their surroundings, the coaches are now referred to as wardens, and locker rooms are holding cells. Steve McNair has hit the end of the road. He's fumbling more than Tiki Barber and Kerry Collins used to combined, and he isn't making good football decisions anymore. The defense can only do so much, I'm with Ray Lewis on this one. Brian Billick is once again under fire. Cincy scored their 21 points on 7 field goals. It's almost like they're allergic to the end zone, much like the Knicks who are allergic to making sense. I mean they break out in good decisions and wins, I mean who in their right mind would want that? Bottom line, both teams are awful but the Bengals are less terrible. The Ravens have some serious changing to do before they can show up on a consistent basis again.
-Rex to the rescue? It's been a wild ride for the Bears QB, but he came in for an injured Brian Griese and saved the Chicago season with a big win over Oakland. If Rex is actually successful getting the snap, he has the arm to hit the deep play and did so with Bernard Berrian. Josh McCown was brutal as usual, but Justin Fargas had a very solid day, but Chicago had that one quarter that saved their season (for now). We'll see if they can keep their momentum going.
-All the Cowboys had to do to beat the Giants and take a stranglehold of the NFC East was to stop making the critical mistakes. They made numerous penalties in the first half including just an insanely stupid taunting penalty. But the Giants evened it out with mistakes of their own, and the Cowboy talent prevailed late, as Tony Romo and Terrell Owens provided the fireworks in the win. What the Giants can't do is let this loss snowball, because they're still one of the best teams in the conference. They have a huge game at Detroit and need to be ready.
-Speaking of the Lions, I was shocked at the way them and the Cards played on Sunday. There were 9 combined turnovers, but Kurt Warner bounced back with a tremendous game, and they were able to control the clock for the win. The Arizona defense had 4 sacks and force a bunch of fumbles for the win. But the Lions rushed for negative 18 yards, and completely gave up on it. To win in this league, you have to be able to run the ball and the Lions won't be able to take it to the next level if they can't run the ball. Jon Kitna isn't mobile, and the defense can just go right after him if there's no remote threat of a running play. This was a terrible job by Detroit, and they have to regroup fast.
-We all know Peyton Manning had the worst game of his life, but they had a good chance to win because the Chargers defense was almost as dreadful. Darren Sproles and Antonio Cromartie were the main reasons that San Diego came up with the win, because Phil Rivers is just not a good QB this year. The Colts didn't deserve to win the game, but they came very close. But the Chargers offense needs to get into gear otherwise there's no way they can make the postseason. Maybe the AFC isn't as deep as we once thought. These were two of the best? Oy.
-I think Gardner-Webb could beat the 49ers in football. Alex Smith is terrible, but I put a lot of blame on Mike Nolan for not giving it to Frank Gore so much. He had 13 carries for 5.5 per rush, so why not give it to him more if your QB blows. The Seahawks were able to dominate with Alexander and Branch out, which shows how bad the Niners are.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Week 8 ATS
My quick picks, plus Chris Mortensen from ESPN.
-Despite the loss of Marvin Harrison, the Colts offense is still the Colts offense. They'll still have Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark as receiving options, and Tony Dungy's mouth is watering at the thought of sending his defense after Vinny Testaverde. As long as the Indianapolis corners can keep up with Steve Smith and prevents the big play, the Colts should win by a healthy margin. Colts by TD+.
-I don't trust the Rams at all, but I can definitely see them beating Cleveland today. But until
they actually get a win, my pick is with the Browns plus a field goal. Jamal Lewis will be a big factor in this game if he plays.
-I'd like to be seeing eye dog optimistic about the Dolphins across the pond against the Giants, but my realism sticks out like Joe Theisman's leg when LT broke it in half. The Dolphins are banged up and awful, and the Giants could enjoy tea and warm beer on the sidelines as they celebrate their double digit win.
-Tarvaris is benched! There is hope in the greater Twin Cities area. Kelly Holcomb gives this team a chance to win, and Chris Mortensen believes that Adrian Peterson will carry the ball a lot more this week after Brad Childress was heavily criticized last Sunday for his play calling:
"After catching so much heat for this past week, I would bet Peterson gets 20-plus carries. But he can't lose a fumble inside his own red zone and expect to be rewarded."
But does Minnesota have a choice besides living and dying with Peterson? Given the Eagles' poor run defense, expect the AP train to blast full steam ahead and the Vikes will pull the upset.
-Pittsburgh really played well last week, but a loss will have Mike Tomlin's team motivated to give it their all in a contest where they could put the Bengals away. Cincy cannot expect another great output from Kenny Watson against the Steelers defense, and Carson Palmer does not have a good history against the Black & Gold. I'll take the Steelers, and the thermostat to turn up the heat on Marvin Lewis' seat.
-I am a believer in Jon Kitna. I am not a believer in the Bears. I do think that Cedric Benson could have a really good game against Detroit, but Chicago will fail in pass coverage and the Lions will pull the upset, if they stay away from Devin Hester.
-The Titans will neutralize the ground game and force Daunte Culpepper to throw. 7.5 is a large spread for this game, but I'm taking Tennessee to cover it anyway, but it wouldn't shock me if the Raiders kept this pretty close.
-Vilma is now out for the season, and Marshawn Lynch will bust a big one today. The Jets should look at the Bills as a team they should emulate. They're giving it their all every week despite several season ending injuries, and they made a change to a young, up and coming QB. Gimme the Bills, they scrap, the Jets are crap.
-The Bucs won't be able to run against the Jags defense, and Tampa will get blown out if they have as many turnovers as they did against Detroit last week. J-Ville needs to get their ground game going, because they don't want to have Quinn Gray throw on 3rd and longs. It'll be a close one, but I'll take the Jags on the road.
-San Diego will be charged up at home after the wildfires, and the city will rally around the team and scorch a helpless Houston team plus the 10.
-The Niners is another team I don't trust, especially since their going against a New Orleans team with a head of steam after a big division win against Atlanta.
-I may even pick New England to win on their bye week. The Redskins may have good corners, but they won't be able to keep up vertically with Moss, Stallworth, or Hester. Bill Bellichik will call more over the top than a hoops referee not betting on the game. But if I had to take Joey Crawford into my favorite casino, I'd tell him to put his Spurs money on New England.
-Isn't the Packers-Broncos game on Monday a really interesting one, Chris?
"It really is. The Packers are fresh off a bye and the Broncos made some nice adjustments during their bye week. I probably would lean toward the Broncos on this one, especially if Champ Bailey is healthy at CB for Denver."
This is a Denver secondary that will feed off of Brett Favre's gunslinger mentality. They have 2 stud corners which is important against a Green Bay team that has little to no running game. If Denver keeps the Pack passing attack and Jay Cutler under control, they'll come away with the win, and Denver will once again be a Broncos town again. (sorry, rox)
-Despite the loss of Marvin Harrison, the Colts offense is still the Colts offense. They'll still have Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark as receiving options, and Tony Dungy's mouth is watering at the thought of sending his defense after Vinny Testaverde. As long as the Indianapolis corners can keep up with Steve Smith and prevents the big play, the Colts should win by a healthy margin. Colts by TD+.
-I don't trust the Rams at all, but I can definitely see them beating Cleveland today. But until
they actually get a win, my pick is with the Browns plus a field goal. Jamal Lewis will be a big factor in this game if he plays.
-I'd like to be seeing eye dog optimistic about the Dolphins across the pond against the Giants, but my realism sticks out like Joe Theisman's leg when LT broke it in half. The Dolphins are banged up and awful, and the Giants could enjoy tea and warm beer on the sidelines as they celebrate their double digit win.
-Tarvaris is benched! There is hope in the greater Twin Cities area. Kelly Holcomb gives this team a chance to win, and Chris Mortensen believes that Adrian Peterson will carry the ball a lot more this week after Brad Childress was heavily criticized last Sunday for his play calling:
"After catching so much heat for this past week, I would bet Peterson gets 20-plus carries. But he can't lose a fumble inside his own red zone and expect to be rewarded."
But does Minnesota have a choice besides living and dying with Peterson? Given the Eagles' poor run defense, expect the AP train to blast full steam ahead and the Vikes will pull the upset.
-Pittsburgh really played well last week, but a loss will have Mike Tomlin's team motivated to give it their all in a contest where they could put the Bengals away. Cincy cannot expect another great output from Kenny Watson against the Steelers defense, and Carson Palmer does not have a good history against the Black & Gold. I'll take the Steelers, and the thermostat to turn up the heat on Marvin Lewis' seat.
-I am a believer in Jon Kitna. I am not a believer in the Bears. I do think that Cedric Benson could have a really good game against Detroit, but Chicago will fail in pass coverage and the Lions will pull the upset, if they stay away from Devin Hester.
-The Titans will neutralize the ground game and force Daunte Culpepper to throw. 7.5 is a large spread for this game, but I'm taking Tennessee to cover it anyway, but it wouldn't shock me if the Raiders kept this pretty close.
-Vilma is now out for the season, and Marshawn Lynch will bust a big one today. The Jets should look at the Bills as a team they should emulate. They're giving it their all every week despite several season ending injuries, and they made a change to a young, up and coming QB. Gimme the Bills, they scrap, the Jets are crap.
-The Bucs won't be able to run against the Jags defense, and Tampa will get blown out if they have as many turnovers as they did against Detroit last week. J-Ville needs to get their ground game going, because they don't want to have Quinn Gray throw on 3rd and longs. It'll be a close one, but I'll take the Jags on the road.
-San Diego will be charged up at home after the wildfires, and the city will rally around the team and scorch a helpless Houston team plus the 10.
-The Niners is another team I don't trust, especially since their going against a New Orleans team with a head of steam after a big division win against Atlanta.
-I may even pick New England to win on their bye week. The Redskins may have good corners, but they won't be able to keep up vertically with Moss, Stallworth, or Hester. Bill Bellichik will call more over the top than a hoops referee not betting on the game. But if I had to take Joey Crawford into my favorite casino, I'd tell him to put his Spurs money on New England.
-Isn't the Packers-Broncos game on Monday a really interesting one, Chris?
"It really is. The Packers are fresh off a bye and the Broncos made some nice adjustments during their bye week. I probably would lean toward the Broncos on this one, especially if Champ Bailey is healthy at CB for Denver."
This is a Denver secondary that will feed off of Brett Favre's gunslinger mentality. They have 2 stud corners which is important against a Green Bay team that has little to no running game. If Denver keeps the Pack passing attack and Jay Cutler under control, they'll come away with the win, and Denver will once again be a Broncos town again. (sorry, rox)
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Analytical Assault Week 5
Lots of great games, key injuries, and a modern mystery. A 6 turnover QB who wins? Only in the NFL. Matt Williamson, Ken Moll, and Jeremy Green of Scouts' INC chime in.
- Joey Harrington, welcome back to being you. You got benched for Byron Leftwich and you returned as everyone favorite football failure since Leaf. This was actually a pretty porrly played game. VY threw 3 picks, nobody was able to get into a rhythem, there were defensive TD's on each side. The one positive that I could get is that the Titans defense looks good, and they came out with a win over a bad team. Just take the win and get back to work.
- If I had ties to the mafia and rooted for the Chiefs, I would arrange the death of Herm Edwards. Let's do some elementary football math: Croyle + LJ= pounding the football down the throats of the J-Ville D right? Not to Herm. They rushed the ball 10 times! 10 TIMES! They threw 43 times, and it was no wonder that they had to score their only points on the last play of the game. Gonzalez and Bowe had nice games, but that doesn't solve the problem of a more than 4:1 ratio with one of the best backs in the game. You have to use LJ as much as OJ uses alibis. The Jags know how to use their running game, with Freddy T and MJD and controlled the ball for over 36 minutes. Garrard played nicely and Dennis Northcut caught a 40 yard bomb to seal the deal.
- Props to the Rams for putting up 31 points with Gus Ferrotte and Brian Leonard. Holt had a nice game, but the defense didn't hold up their end of the bargain. Kurt Warner will be the QB of this team, now that Matt Leinart's hurt. And it serves him right too, don't whine about PT when you're winning. Karma 1 Whineart 0. Edge James had a servicable performance, and Fitzgerald blew up as per usual. The Cards defense scored twice, and could be an NFC West dark horse. Arizona is believing in Ken Whisenhunt.
- Give the Patriots an opportunity, and they'll take advantage of it faster than you could say "Anucha Browne Sanders". Derek Anderson threw 3 first half picks, and New England led 20-0 at the half. Game, set, match. Take note Tony Romo, the Pats 'aint Buffalo. Sammy Morris is looking like an all-pro with his 2nd week above the century mark. The Browns couldn't stop Ben Watson, who's quickly emerging as a stud TE. I knew they let Dan Graham go for a reason. Braylon Edwards was a bright spot for Cleveland, but that may be it.
- Jeremy Green (who will be quoted later) had a fantastic line about the Saints: They're this year's Vanilla Ice, one hit wonders. I hate having to say the same thing every single week! Reggie Bush isn't a durable back, and you can't win when Drew Brees throws it 47 times. And the Panthers weren't a well oiled machine either. They're gonna have David Carr for the rest of the year, and that's not very good. Matt Moore impressed me. When Carolina plays to their potentials, call me. Until then, the NFC South is just plain awful.
- I'm not a Jets fan, but Chad Pennington had me screaming at the TV like some middle aged housewife at a soap opera. I said last week that he should've been yanked, and now Gang Green fans are looking at painfully early mock drafts. 2 days and 4 Advil later, I asked Matt Williamson how Pennington is still starting over Kellen Clemens?
"It is hard to believe. The Jets are horrible and are not going anywhere this year. Get the kid in there. Not to mention, Clemens might be the better guy to win now with anyways."
Please read this Mangini, for the sake of thousands of Jets fans ready to puke every time they play. The Jets secondary would be quite good at flag football, but unfortunately people have to tackle. That means YOU Andre Dyson, who decided to let Plaxico Burress make you look like a mime with an invisible door in front of the wideout. The Giants defense didn't really impress me that much, but their upcoming schedule is so easy, that they'll have a fairly gaudy first half record. Brandon Jacobs finally lived up to his potential of breaking defenses down in the 4th quarter, but he needs to cure his fumblitis.
- A championship caliber team ratchets it up against a quality opponent, and the Steelers defense was dominant without Polamalu, and the o was very good without Hines Ward. Parker and Davenport were perfect compliments to each other, and Big Ben threw 22 times, which is optimal for the type of player he is. One stat tells it all, the Steelers had the ball for 40 minutes and 45 seconds. That's sickdiculous! I asked Ken Moll if Seattle could regroup after this loss, and about their chances in a battle with Arizona for the division crown:
"Sprung, They can regroup but they need to get more consistent on both sides of the ball. The Steelers put it too them but they should get right when back in the NFC. Yes it will be a dog fight with the Cards as Whisenhunt has his team believing. "
- I'll admit when I'm wrong, and on the Redskins-Lions game, I was more wrong than Iranian Nuclear policy and the Eagles Parakeet jerseys combined. I said that Washington would have no chance against the Air Martz offense, and it could not have been more 180 degree opposite. They pressured Jon Kitna and sacked him 5 times, and completely stymied both the air and ground attack. Jason Campbell ate up the poor Detroit defense, and Antwaan Randle El may end up living up to his ludicrous contract after all. Even the reincarnated Keenan McCardell had a couple of catches, and the Lions have to regroup. I asked Jeremy Green about the real scoop on Detroit:
"(The) Lions are overrated. They play better at home because the offense is better in the dome and the D feeds off the fans. They are a bad defensive football team."
In past games, the offense made up for their D's shortcomings. Not yesterday, they ran into a buzzsaw.
-What will happen first, a New England loss or a Miami win?? The hapless Phins not only lost on a game winning 57 yard field goal, they lost Trent Green possibly forever. Neither tean played particluarly well, but Matt Schaub hooked up with Owen Daniels consistently and they were able to win a close game. Ronnie Brown continues to be a stud this season, but that's it. The Texans are clearly improved.
-No Harrison? No Addai? No problem for a team that can run well with numerous interchangable parts. Canadian Football League import Kenton Keith tore up what was a stout Tampa defense, and Gonzalez, Wayne, and Clark each had 7 catches. The Colts are slowly turning into more of a ball control offense, as they held it for more than 38 minutes. Jeff Garcia played OK, but they need an answer at RB. Caddy Williams is out for the year, Michael Pittman is out 6-8 weeks, and they have everyone's favorite Ganga Guru Ricky Williams on speed dial live from drug laced yoga and pilates (that's 2 CFL players in one game recap). And it may be time for some new tools in the shed at WR when your leading receivers are Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard. But on the bright side, they play in the NFC South!
- Denver resident Mark Schlereth pointed out that when people bring up the Broncos, all people can say is "go Rockies". Um, that's not good, especially after you got slaughtered 41-3 at home against the rival Chargers. Whatever Denver had on defense in the past, they dont have it, and need to find it quick or the season will be over faster than you could say "he killed Kenny". Young QB trend alert! Phil Rivers threw it 18 times, and San Diego won by 38. And this may be the only time where Norv Turner doesn't get destroyed. You're a loser, Norv! Damn, so close. Turner and Tomlinson were trouble for the terrible defense, and Antonio Gates just quietly puts out another monster effort. And Travis Henry could join the Ricky Williams year suspension club soon. It doesn't look good for Shanny and the Mile Highs.
-Too believe that a 9-7 game wasn't the ugliest game of the week is pretty amazing. The Niners offense just doesn't have enough weapons to succeed, and the Baltimore defense took it throwback style and the offense did enough to record the dubya. I don't know who gave Steve McNair permission to throw the ball 43 times, but whoever it was should be tasered (a study finally showed that cops do it too often. really??). McGahee pounded the rock well, and Mason had a nice day. It was refreshing to see the B'More defense take it old school, but it was unfortunate that the old school offense came with it.
-I don't know if it was season changing, but Chicago really needed that win over Green Bay. A big reason for the Packers success was their ability to take care of the ball. 5 turnovers isn't doing the job, and they paid for it with the loss. Greise played well for the Bears, and he had to considering that Cedric Benson is running like similarly surnamed Anna would. And she's much better looking than Ceddy is. Chicago did a good job getting the ball to the tight ends, and got a much needed win over the gunslingers.
-Imagine Comic Book Guy saying the following statement: Worst winning performance ever. I don't know how many more ways the Cowboys could've gave the Bills to win. Romo turned the ball over 6 times, but the offense couldn't do jack. They had the game in the bank in the 4th quarter with 3rd and goal up 8. But Dick Jaraun decided to pass instead of run and take the game sealing points, and young Trent Edwards got picked. To the Dallas' credit, they came up big at the end of the game, especially Nick Folk who not only executed a perfect onsides kick, but launched two great game winning 53 yard field goals for the win. Folk was iced with a time out right before the first kick, something that has become a hot button issue across league circles this season. What's Matt Williamson's take on the issue?
"Against how it is being used this year. Just seems in poor taste to me. Not the nature of the rule."
Agreed, the Cowboys need to regroup for their epic showdown with New England. Until then, bench Chad, fire Herm, and enjoy the assault.
- Joey Harrington, welcome back to being you. You got benched for Byron Leftwich and you returned as everyone favorite football failure since Leaf. This was actually a pretty porrly played game. VY threw 3 picks, nobody was able to get into a rhythem, there were defensive TD's on each side. The one positive that I could get is that the Titans defense looks good, and they came out with a win over a bad team. Just take the win and get back to work.
- If I had ties to the mafia and rooted for the Chiefs, I would arrange the death of Herm Edwards. Let's do some elementary football math: Croyle + LJ= pounding the football down the throats of the J-Ville D right? Not to Herm. They rushed the ball 10 times! 10 TIMES! They threw 43 times, and it was no wonder that they had to score their only points on the last play of the game. Gonzalez and Bowe had nice games, but that doesn't solve the problem of a more than 4:1 ratio with one of the best backs in the game. You have to use LJ as much as OJ uses alibis. The Jags know how to use their running game, with Freddy T and MJD and controlled the ball for over 36 minutes. Garrard played nicely and Dennis Northcut caught a 40 yard bomb to seal the deal.
- Props to the Rams for putting up 31 points with Gus Ferrotte and Brian Leonard. Holt had a nice game, but the defense didn't hold up their end of the bargain. Kurt Warner will be the QB of this team, now that Matt Leinart's hurt. And it serves him right too, don't whine about PT when you're winning. Karma 1 Whineart 0. Edge James had a servicable performance, and Fitzgerald blew up as per usual. The Cards defense scored twice, and could be an NFC West dark horse. Arizona is believing in Ken Whisenhunt.
- Give the Patriots an opportunity, and they'll take advantage of it faster than you could say "Anucha Browne Sanders". Derek Anderson threw 3 first half picks, and New England led 20-0 at the half. Game, set, match. Take note Tony Romo, the Pats 'aint Buffalo. Sammy Morris is looking like an all-pro with his 2nd week above the century mark. The Browns couldn't stop Ben Watson, who's quickly emerging as a stud TE. I knew they let Dan Graham go for a reason. Braylon Edwards was a bright spot for Cleveland, but that may be it.
- Jeremy Green (who will be quoted later) had a fantastic line about the Saints: They're this year's Vanilla Ice, one hit wonders. I hate having to say the same thing every single week! Reggie Bush isn't a durable back, and you can't win when Drew Brees throws it 47 times. And the Panthers weren't a well oiled machine either. They're gonna have David Carr for the rest of the year, and that's not very good. Matt Moore impressed me. When Carolina plays to their potentials, call me. Until then, the NFC South is just plain awful.
- I'm not a Jets fan, but Chad Pennington had me screaming at the TV like some middle aged housewife at a soap opera. I said last week that he should've been yanked, and now Gang Green fans are looking at painfully early mock drafts. 2 days and 4 Advil later, I asked Matt Williamson how Pennington is still starting over Kellen Clemens?
"It is hard to believe. The Jets are horrible and are not going anywhere this year. Get the kid in there. Not to mention, Clemens might be the better guy to win now with anyways."
Please read this Mangini, for the sake of thousands of Jets fans ready to puke every time they play. The Jets secondary would be quite good at flag football, but unfortunately people have to tackle. That means YOU Andre Dyson, who decided to let Plaxico Burress make you look like a mime with an invisible door in front of the wideout. The Giants defense didn't really impress me that much, but their upcoming schedule is so easy, that they'll have a fairly gaudy first half record. Brandon Jacobs finally lived up to his potential of breaking defenses down in the 4th quarter, but he needs to cure his fumblitis.
- A championship caliber team ratchets it up against a quality opponent, and the Steelers defense was dominant without Polamalu, and the o was very good without Hines Ward. Parker and Davenport were perfect compliments to each other, and Big Ben threw 22 times, which is optimal for the type of player he is. One stat tells it all, the Steelers had the ball for 40 minutes and 45 seconds. That's sickdiculous! I asked Ken Moll if Seattle could regroup after this loss, and about their chances in a battle with Arizona for the division crown:
"Sprung, They can regroup but they need to get more consistent on both sides of the ball. The Steelers put it too them but they should get right when back in the NFC. Yes it will be a dog fight with the Cards as Whisenhunt has his team believing. "
- I'll admit when I'm wrong, and on the Redskins-Lions game, I was more wrong than Iranian Nuclear policy and the Eagles Parakeet jerseys combined. I said that Washington would have no chance against the Air Martz offense, and it could not have been more 180 degree opposite. They pressured Jon Kitna and sacked him 5 times, and completely stymied both the air and ground attack. Jason Campbell ate up the poor Detroit defense, and Antwaan Randle El may end up living up to his ludicrous contract after all. Even the reincarnated Keenan McCardell had a couple of catches, and the Lions have to regroup. I asked Jeremy Green about the real scoop on Detroit:
"(The) Lions are overrated. They play better at home because the offense is better in the dome and the D feeds off the fans. They are a bad defensive football team."
In past games, the offense made up for their D's shortcomings. Not yesterday, they ran into a buzzsaw.
-What will happen first, a New England loss or a Miami win?? The hapless Phins not only lost on a game winning 57 yard field goal, they lost Trent Green possibly forever. Neither tean played particluarly well, but Matt Schaub hooked up with Owen Daniels consistently and they were able to win a close game. Ronnie Brown continues to be a stud this season, but that's it. The Texans are clearly improved.
-No Harrison? No Addai? No problem for a team that can run well with numerous interchangable parts. Canadian Football League import Kenton Keith tore up what was a stout Tampa defense, and Gonzalez, Wayne, and Clark each had 7 catches. The Colts are slowly turning into more of a ball control offense, as they held it for more than 38 minutes. Jeff Garcia played OK, but they need an answer at RB. Caddy Williams is out for the year, Michael Pittman is out 6-8 weeks, and they have everyone's favorite Ganga Guru Ricky Williams on speed dial live from drug laced yoga and pilates (that's 2 CFL players in one game recap). And it may be time for some new tools in the shed at WR when your leading receivers are Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard. But on the bright side, they play in the NFC South!
- Denver resident Mark Schlereth pointed out that when people bring up the Broncos, all people can say is "go Rockies". Um, that's not good, especially after you got slaughtered 41-3 at home against the rival Chargers. Whatever Denver had on defense in the past, they dont have it, and need to find it quick or the season will be over faster than you could say "he killed Kenny". Young QB trend alert! Phil Rivers threw it 18 times, and San Diego won by 38. And this may be the only time where Norv Turner doesn't get destroyed. You're a loser, Norv! Damn, so close. Turner and Tomlinson were trouble for the terrible defense, and Antonio Gates just quietly puts out another monster effort. And Travis Henry could join the Ricky Williams year suspension club soon. It doesn't look good for Shanny and the Mile Highs.
-Too believe that a 9-7 game wasn't the ugliest game of the week is pretty amazing. The Niners offense just doesn't have enough weapons to succeed, and the Baltimore defense took it throwback style and the offense did enough to record the dubya. I don't know who gave Steve McNair permission to throw the ball 43 times, but whoever it was should be tasered (a study finally showed that cops do it too often. really??). McGahee pounded the rock well, and Mason had a nice day. It was refreshing to see the B'More defense take it old school, but it was unfortunate that the old school offense came with it.
-I don't know if it was season changing, but Chicago really needed that win over Green Bay. A big reason for the Packers success was their ability to take care of the ball. 5 turnovers isn't doing the job, and they paid for it with the loss. Greise played well for the Bears, and he had to considering that Cedric Benson is running like similarly surnamed Anna would. And she's much better looking than Ceddy is. Chicago did a good job getting the ball to the tight ends, and got a much needed win over the gunslingers.
-Imagine Comic Book Guy saying the following statement: Worst winning performance ever. I don't know how many more ways the Cowboys could've gave the Bills to win. Romo turned the ball over 6 times, but the offense couldn't do jack. They had the game in the bank in the 4th quarter with 3rd and goal up 8. But Dick Jaraun decided to pass instead of run and take the game sealing points, and young Trent Edwards got picked. To the Dallas' credit, they came up big at the end of the game, especially Nick Folk who not only executed a perfect onsides kick, but launched two great game winning 53 yard field goals for the win. Folk was iced with a time out right before the first kick, something that has become a hot button issue across league circles this season. What's Matt Williamson's take on the issue?
"Against how it is being used this year. Just seems in poor taste to me. Not the nature of the rule."
Agreed, the Cowboys need to regroup for their epic showdown with New England. Until then, bench Chad, fire Herm, and enjoy the assault.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Week 5 ATS
Week five, how the season if flying by. I shall make my selections rhyme this week, and hopefully you'll hop and skip all the way to the bank.
- The Dolphins defense has been less than stellar, that's why you'll find them in the cellar. Schaub and Johnson will do well for coach Kubiak, Houston takes the 4.5 and never looks back.
- Joey Harrington has been playing out of his mind, so this week I'll say he makes it 3 of a kind. VY may need a heroic 4th quarter or a sort of TD drive, by George I'll take Atlanta to cover 7.5.
- Was that Damon Huard playing like Unitas? Everything he touched, turned to gold like Midas. Don't expect that to happen a 2nd time, the Jags D hits so hard that it should be a crime. The running game will pound it out, and J-Ville will show LJ what it's about. Give me Jacksonville on the road plus 3, in fact I'd give it to them easily.
- This week, Chadwick Pennington will meet the floor. Soon the Jets fans will show him the door. The Giants D will be a wrecking crew, and will have Gang Green feeling black & blue. Revis against Burress? That's not fair play! Giants plus the three, have a good day.
- The dying Saints had a week to prepare, so they better play like a team in despair. Brees will not fair well without his Deuce, and I'll bet that for the Panthers, last week was a ruse. Not they're style, a farce, just a mirage. Watch Smith pair with Foster lead the Carolina barrage. Give me the Panthers on the road plus the 3, watch out New Orleans it's about to get ugly.
- If Arizona had a heart, they'd lend the Rams Warner or Leinart. St Louis may have to settle for Gus Ferrotte, and it sure does seem like half their offense has been shot. Similarly the Rams have been left for dead, and the Cards dizzying O will have STL seeing red. It doesn't matter what QB the Cards use, Arizona will give the Rams a lot of abuse. 1.5 seems like a joke, but it's found money for someone who may be broke.
- It seems that in odd weeks, Cleveland reeks. And with a game against the Patriots the trend won't end. Oh wherefore art thou Romeo, come crane your neck. It's Moss, and Brady, and coach Bellichik. Come Cleveland Browns to Foxboro Mass, where your team will be harshly kicked in the...2 TD plus win for New England.
- Confodence was lost losing to your old mates, and the Seahawks look confident and somewhat irate. The run will be stopped and Big Ben will make mistakes, Alexander will scamper and Branch make your heart break. Have you seen Seattle entrenched in war? Take the Seahawks to cover, Pittsburgh doesn't know what it's in for.
- Santana Moss is quite a big loss, and Jason Campbell may find it hard for whom to toss. Look at Kitna, McDonald, Furrey, Johnson, and Roy, to show the Redskins D who's the real McCoy. The Lions will not be stopped by some Soulja Boy, and the Redskins will be knocked around like a soldier toy. Detroit with the points, I'm accurate like a dart and to all you Skins fans, Hail To Air Martz!
- The Bucs haven't seen an offense led by someone like Manning, the whole D may be frightened like Dakota Fanning. The Colts are well oiled, Tampa's stiff in the joints, it may take 120 minutes for the Bucs to keep up in points. Indy will score with Harrison, Wayne, Clark, and Addai, and please coach Chucky, please don't cry. Colts plus 10.
- The Broncos never beat the Bolts, just like Shanny can never defeat the Colts. So rest easy coach Norv Turner, the Denver rush D is weak, and LT's a burner. In the 4th quarter he'll turn into a churner, and Shanny will be mad, yes even sterner. So give the rock to LT and master the clock, win the game outright and improve your stock.
- Dilfer against the Ravens, how ironic, his terrible play will make Baltimore look iconic. This might be ugly for Niner fans, so pass the gin and tonic and watch your team get smashed like a slush at Sonic. Don't you dare bring that weak Dilfer action, and watch McGahee and the defense be the main attraction. So give me Baltimore plus the four, and let EAP scream never more.
- Favre is hot, the Bear pass D is not. This game may not turn into a jester, but this game could see a lot of Devin Hester. Griese and Benson will likely be dead meat, as Hawk and co will devour them like venison. Chicago has been dethroned, long live the king! Pack by over 4, this one may sting.
- Ah memory lane! Super Bowl lore! Too bad the Buffalo Bills can't score. The Bills on prime time seems like a crime, but never fear it's Tony Romo time. This one will be over by the end of the 3rd quarter, so you can change the channel to reruns of Law & Order. 'Boys plus 10.
- The Dolphins defense has been less than stellar, that's why you'll find them in the cellar. Schaub and Johnson will do well for coach Kubiak, Houston takes the 4.5 and never looks back.
- Joey Harrington has been playing out of his mind, so this week I'll say he makes it 3 of a kind. VY may need a heroic 4th quarter or a sort of TD drive, by George I'll take Atlanta to cover 7.5.
- Was that Damon Huard playing like Unitas? Everything he touched, turned to gold like Midas. Don't expect that to happen a 2nd time, the Jags D hits so hard that it should be a crime. The running game will pound it out, and J-Ville will show LJ what it's about. Give me Jacksonville on the road plus 3, in fact I'd give it to them easily.
- This week, Chadwick Pennington will meet the floor. Soon the Jets fans will show him the door. The Giants D will be a wrecking crew, and will have Gang Green feeling black & blue. Revis against Burress? That's not fair play! Giants plus the three, have a good day.
- The dying Saints had a week to prepare, so they better play like a team in despair. Brees will not fair well without his Deuce, and I'll bet that for the Panthers, last week was a ruse. Not they're style, a farce, just a mirage. Watch Smith pair with Foster lead the Carolina barrage. Give me the Panthers on the road plus the 3, watch out New Orleans it's about to get ugly.
- If Arizona had a heart, they'd lend the Rams Warner or Leinart. St Louis may have to settle for Gus Ferrotte, and it sure does seem like half their offense has been shot. Similarly the Rams have been left for dead, and the Cards dizzying O will have STL seeing red. It doesn't matter what QB the Cards use, Arizona will give the Rams a lot of abuse. 1.5 seems like a joke, but it's found money for someone who may be broke.
- It seems that in odd weeks, Cleveland reeks. And with a game against the Patriots the trend won't end. Oh wherefore art thou Romeo, come crane your neck. It's Moss, and Brady, and coach Bellichik. Come Cleveland Browns to Foxboro Mass, where your team will be harshly kicked in the...2 TD plus win for New England.
- Confodence was lost losing to your old mates, and the Seahawks look confident and somewhat irate. The run will be stopped and Big Ben will make mistakes, Alexander will scamper and Branch make your heart break. Have you seen Seattle entrenched in war? Take the Seahawks to cover, Pittsburgh doesn't know what it's in for.
- Santana Moss is quite a big loss, and Jason Campbell may find it hard for whom to toss. Look at Kitna, McDonald, Furrey, Johnson, and Roy, to show the Redskins D who's the real McCoy. The Lions will not be stopped by some Soulja Boy, and the Redskins will be knocked around like a soldier toy. Detroit with the points, I'm accurate like a dart and to all you Skins fans, Hail To Air Martz!
- The Bucs haven't seen an offense led by someone like Manning, the whole D may be frightened like Dakota Fanning. The Colts are well oiled, Tampa's stiff in the joints, it may take 120 minutes for the Bucs to keep up in points. Indy will score with Harrison, Wayne, Clark, and Addai, and please coach Chucky, please don't cry. Colts plus 10.
- The Broncos never beat the Bolts, just like Shanny can never defeat the Colts. So rest easy coach Norv Turner, the Denver rush D is weak, and LT's a burner. In the 4th quarter he'll turn into a churner, and Shanny will be mad, yes even sterner. So give the rock to LT and master the clock, win the game outright and improve your stock.
- Dilfer against the Ravens, how ironic, his terrible play will make Baltimore look iconic. This might be ugly for Niner fans, so pass the gin and tonic and watch your team get smashed like a slush at Sonic. Don't you dare bring that weak Dilfer action, and watch McGahee and the defense be the main attraction. So give me Baltimore plus the four, and let EAP scream never more.
- Favre is hot, the Bear pass D is not. This game may not turn into a jester, but this game could see a lot of Devin Hester. Griese and Benson will likely be dead meat, as Hawk and co will devour them like venison. Chicago has been dethroned, long live the king! Pack by over 4, this one may sting.
- Ah memory lane! Super Bowl lore! Too bad the Buffalo Bills can't score. The Bills on prime time seems like a crime, but never fear it's Tony Romo time. This one will be over by the end of the 3rd quarter, so you can change the channel to reruns of Law & Order. 'Boys plus 10.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: NFL Analytical Assault Week3
There were great performances, awful jerseys, and surprises from 3-0 all the way down to 0-3. Scouts INC analysts Ken Moll and Matt Williamson chime in as well.
- Two surprises hit the first game of the week, Green Bay's great 3-0 start led by a stout defense and a good ball moving offense led by 420 TD passer Brett Favre who led a furious comeback ending in a Greg Jennings score. Then there are the 1-2 Chargers who can't seem to get LaDanian Tomlinson in any kind of rhythm, and he fought on the sideline with Phil Rivers to boot, who played catch well with Gates until the final drive where Nick Barnett picked him off to seal the deal. The big question is how much do the Bolts miss Marty Schottenheimer. Considering their 14-2 mark last year and their current status, I'd say a whole hell of a lot. A trend is starting for the Chargers that no team will run on them because they're just awful against the pass. New England was first to exploit this, and then Green Bay only ran the ball 13 times compared to throwing it 45 times. A 3-1 pass-run ratio should probably clue Ron Rivera in that the pass coverage is costing them games, and more trouble will arise if the problem can't be quelled.
- What wasn't a surprise was how the Vikings offense disappeared in the 2nd half against Kansas City, which allowed the Chiefs to come back and take Minnesota 13-10. Larry Johnson can't for the life of him get it going on offense, but still won despite a ghastly 1.6 yards per rushing attempt. That's because Damon Huard stepped up and threw for a high percentage (20/29) including the game winning strike to emerging rookie Dwayne Bowe. The Chiefs were also a decent 6/15 on 3rd downs and just got by with a win.
- New England may have gotten down early in the game, but was there realy a doubt to this outcome? JP Losman got hurt and was replaced by rookie Trent Edwards, who may have a better chance at leading this Buffalo team than Losman. I don't care if Marshawn Lynch played like Barry Sanders, your team can't win with 83 total passing yards. This team's in trouble, and it may be a good time to give Edwards a chance. I may not be a Stanford man like Edwards was, but I know enough to realize that the Bills are going nowhere. Tom Brady was magnificent, only throwing 6 incompletions and averaging over 10 yards per attempt. Maroney broke 100 on less then 20 carries, and were able to get Sammy Morris a good amount of touches to keep the defense honest. It was just like Christmas in April for Brady when the Pats traded for Randy Moss and Wes Welker, as the team has more weapons than a certain visiting Middle Eastern President. 34 minutes with the ball and very good secondary play holding Lee Evans to one reception allowed New England to once again dominate.
- The Jets finally got a win as Thomas Jones and Leon Washington were factors in a win over Miami. New York however, allowed the Dolphins to come back in the 4th after Gang Green seemingly put the game away at 31-13. Trent Green performed very well, and Ronnie Brown accounted for over 200 yards total offense and 3 scored. Chris Chambers continues to play well also. Matt Williamson commented on the Miami offense and the two teams in general:
"They did (a nice job on offense) and R Brown had a real big game. Still, I thought that was a close game between two pretty bad teams with poor talent in the trenches."
- With ugly jerseys and high scores, I thought that the Arena League came a bit early to the Linc, but that was Donovan McNabb coming up with a huge game to silence his critics and hooking up with Kevin Curtis to the tune of 42 first half points in a huge win over a Lions defense that got more scorched than the Russian soil during the Napoleonic Era. Westbrook also had a monster game, as did Kitna and Williams for Detroit. Can the Eagles attack perform even half as well against the Giants next week? But back to the jerseys, were those the ugliest duds ever worn in a game, Matt Williamson?
"Not sure on that one, but those Eagles' throwbacks really made my head hurt."
The Philly offense made my head spin, and may have given a migraine or two to the Lions staff.
- Is it just me, or is Pittsburgh making it look easy? Mike Tomlin did a tremendous job opening up the offense, Willie Parker was a beast, and the defense and special teams each had a TD. If a Steelers fan can't smile about that, his mouth must be wired shut. Alex Smith looked puzzled in the 4th quarter, and Frank Gore couldn't really get anything going. The 49ers shouldn't be discouraged though, they were flat out beat by a black and gold machine.
- Perhaps one discouraged team should be the Rams. Bulger has bad ribs, the offensive line is a MASH unit, Steven Jackson will miss at least a week, and you're 0-3. Tampa Bay got great running games from Michael Pittman and the unlikely Earnest Graham who scored 2 TD's in the 4th to seal the deal. Are the Bucs for real? There has been a recent trend over the years of cellar dwellers winning the NFC South the next year, you never know in this division.
- Ken Whisenhunt went back to college on Sunday, putting Kurt Warner in on no huddle situations and leading a furious comeback that almost materialized against Baltimore. The coach obviously knows what works against the Ravens D from his years at Pittsburgh, but what does it say about Matt Leinart, when he was yanked twice during the contest? The plan is fantastic in a vacuum, but not when emotions and confidence levels are put into the equation. The McNoller QB combo did well for Baltimore, but not as well as Willis McGahee or Anquan Boldin, who lit up the B'More back 4. Ken Moll talked about the Ravens chances this season:
"They have a chance if they can continue to play solid defense. I Know the Cardinals came back but Lewis and the Boys are excellent and they have a chance to be a wild card team. Steelers win the division if they continue to play (well)."
- You almost feel that the Colts never feel that they're going to lose, despite the close results of the games they play. Their special teams allowed another kickoff return to the house to open the game, but Manning and co never panicked, and Addai ran for 2 scores. Schaub played decently, but you can't expect him to do it all himself. The Texans had 40 total rushing yards, and that's why they lost. Unacceptable!
- If you wanna talk about a team dominating the line of scrimmage, you'll talk about what Jacksonville did to Denver on Sunday. The Jags had the ball for almost 39 minutes, rushed the ball 47 times at exactly 4 yards a rush, and held the Broncos to 47 yards rushing. The only reason why Denver was in the game was because of Brandon Marshall, who had a monster game. The Denver rush D needs to perform better or this team won't be reaching the postseason.
- What goes around comes around, right Raiders? The timeout that doomed them against Denver, saved them in a tight one against Cleveland? If this timeout thing is some sort of chain, then the Ravens should watch out next week. McCown and co started off with a 16-0 lead, and then the Browns came storming back with special teams and good days from Winslow and Edwards. But both teams aren't that good, and a time out was the difference. It looks like ice is hot, especially with the game on the line.
- The Bengals converted 11 times on 18 3rd downs and lost, because they turned the ball over 4 times. Rudi Johnson had 17 carries for 9 yards, and Seattle was able to escape with a win because nobody decided to cover Nate Burleson. Alexander had a nice game, and it looks like the Seahawks are back on track.
- If the Falcons still can't win when Joey Harrington has a monster day, I don't know when they'll get a victory. Foster played well to help out a team that had to change QB's because of an injury, and the Falcons are incredibly pathetic. I don't want to get cursed out like a Cubs fan did to me yesterday, so I'll stop here. I'll just say that the Falcons will be on the clock in April.
- The Giants knew that they're season was on the line, and they responded in the 2nd half. Tom Coughlin hasn't lost his team yet, and the Redskins have finally gone back down to earth where they belong. In the 4th quarter, either Joe Gibbs forgot how to coach, had a bad day, can't coach anymore, or had a stroke close to the goal line. There was no need to rush, especially with an inexperienced QB, and they missed a golden opportunity to go to 3-0. If the Giants played like they did in the 2nd half all the time, they could be good but this looks like a lost cause. So after this game, are the Redskins contenders or pretenders? Ken Moll has the answer:
"I tend to believe that they are Pretenders as they just don't have enough continutiy yet on either side of the ball. "
I tend to believe that you're right.
- It was pretty bad in the 2nd half for the Bears. Grossman was awful, they lost defensive players to injuries, and they got their behinds handed to them by Dallas, who were firing on all cylinders again. They realized that the run wasn't working, so they chucked it. I like to call it anti-Charger technology, but it applied to Chicago as well. You think Mike Martz saw this game and had a sick, sadistic smile on his face? You know he did.
- The Saints have crumbled. Drew Brees is not a good QB when he has to throw too many times, and he may have to now that Deuce McAllister is out for the year. They tried to make all the big plays instead of using a power running game more. ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth described the Saints offense as "Too much icing, not enough cake." I could not have said it better myself and gotten hungry at the same time. The Titans were also hungry, as Keith Bullock had 3 picks, controlled the clock, and allowed VY to manage the game well. Tennessee could be this year's Saints, and I gotta go grab some cake.
- Two surprises hit the first game of the week, Green Bay's great 3-0 start led by a stout defense and a good ball moving offense led by 420 TD passer Brett Favre who led a furious comeback ending in a Greg Jennings score. Then there are the 1-2 Chargers who can't seem to get LaDanian Tomlinson in any kind of rhythm, and he fought on the sideline with Phil Rivers to boot, who played catch well with Gates until the final drive where Nick Barnett picked him off to seal the deal. The big question is how much do the Bolts miss Marty Schottenheimer. Considering their 14-2 mark last year and their current status, I'd say a whole hell of a lot. A trend is starting for the Chargers that no team will run on them because they're just awful against the pass. New England was first to exploit this, and then Green Bay only ran the ball 13 times compared to throwing it 45 times. A 3-1 pass-run ratio should probably clue Ron Rivera in that the pass coverage is costing them games, and more trouble will arise if the problem can't be quelled.
- What wasn't a surprise was how the Vikings offense disappeared in the 2nd half against Kansas City, which allowed the Chiefs to come back and take Minnesota 13-10. Larry Johnson can't for the life of him get it going on offense, but still won despite a ghastly 1.6 yards per rushing attempt. That's because Damon Huard stepped up and threw for a high percentage (20/29) including the game winning strike to emerging rookie Dwayne Bowe. The Chiefs were also a decent 6/15 on 3rd downs and just got by with a win.
- New England may have gotten down early in the game, but was there realy a doubt to this outcome? JP Losman got hurt and was replaced by rookie Trent Edwards, who may have a better chance at leading this Buffalo team than Losman. I don't care if Marshawn Lynch played like Barry Sanders, your team can't win with 83 total passing yards. This team's in trouble, and it may be a good time to give Edwards a chance. I may not be a Stanford man like Edwards was, but I know enough to realize that the Bills are going nowhere. Tom Brady was magnificent, only throwing 6 incompletions and averaging over 10 yards per attempt. Maroney broke 100 on less then 20 carries, and were able to get Sammy Morris a good amount of touches to keep the defense honest. It was just like Christmas in April for Brady when the Pats traded for Randy Moss and Wes Welker, as the team has more weapons than a certain visiting Middle Eastern President. 34 minutes with the ball and very good secondary play holding Lee Evans to one reception allowed New England to once again dominate.
- The Jets finally got a win as Thomas Jones and Leon Washington were factors in a win over Miami. New York however, allowed the Dolphins to come back in the 4th after Gang Green seemingly put the game away at 31-13. Trent Green performed very well, and Ronnie Brown accounted for over 200 yards total offense and 3 scored. Chris Chambers continues to play well also. Matt Williamson commented on the Miami offense and the two teams in general:
"They did (a nice job on offense) and R Brown had a real big game. Still, I thought that was a close game between two pretty bad teams with poor talent in the trenches."
- With ugly jerseys and high scores, I thought that the Arena League came a bit early to the Linc, but that was Donovan McNabb coming up with a huge game to silence his critics and hooking up with Kevin Curtis to the tune of 42 first half points in a huge win over a Lions defense that got more scorched than the Russian soil during the Napoleonic Era. Westbrook also had a monster game, as did Kitna and Williams for Detroit. Can the Eagles attack perform even half as well against the Giants next week? But back to the jerseys, were those the ugliest duds ever worn in a game, Matt Williamson?
"Not sure on that one, but those Eagles' throwbacks really made my head hurt."
The Philly offense made my head spin, and may have given a migraine or two to the Lions staff.
- Is it just me, or is Pittsburgh making it look easy? Mike Tomlin did a tremendous job opening up the offense, Willie Parker was a beast, and the defense and special teams each had a TD. If a Steelers fan can't smile about that, his mouth must be wired shut. Alex Smith looked puzzled in the 4th quarter, and Frank Gore couldn't really get anything going. The 49ers shouldn't be discouraged though, they were flat out beat by a black and gold machine.
- Perhaps one discouraged team should be the Rams. Bulger has bad ribs, the offensive line is a MASH unit, Steven Jackson will miss at least a week, and you're 0-3. Tampa Bay got great running games from Michael Pittman and the unlikely Earnest Graham who scored 2 TD's in the 4th to seal the deal. Are the Bucs for real? There has been a recent trend over the years of cellar dwellers winning the NFC South the next year, you never know in this division.
- Ken Whisenhunt went back to college on Sunday, putting Kurt Warner in on no huddle situations and leading a furious comeback that almost materialized against Baltimore. The coach obviously knows what works against the Ravens D from his years at Pittsburgh, but what does it say about Matt Leinart, when he was yanked twice during the contest? The plan is fantastic in a vacuum, but not when emotions and confidence levels are put into the equation. The McNoller QB combo did well for Baltimore, but not as well as Willis McGahee or Anquan Boldin, who lit up the B'More back 4. Ken Moll talked about the Ravens chances this season:
"They have a chance if they can continue to play solid defense. I Know the Cardinals came back but Lewis and the Boys are excellent and they have a chance to be a wild card team. Steelers win the division if they continue to play (well)."
- You almost feel that the Colts never feel that they're going to lose, despite the close results of the games they play. Their special teams allowed another kickoff return to the house to open the game, but Manning and co never panicked, and Addai ran for 2 scores. Schaub played decently, but you can't expect him to do it all himself. The Texans had 40 total rushing yards, and that's why they lost. Unacceptable!
- If you wanna talk about a team dominating the line of scrimmage, you'll talk about what Jacksonville did to Denver on Sunday. The Jags had the ball for almost 39 minutes, rushed the ball 47 times at exactly 4 yards a rush, and held the Broncos to 47 yards rushing. The only reason why Denver was in the game was because of Brandon Marshall, who had a monster game. The Denver rush D needs to perform better or this team won't be reaching the postseason.
- What goes around comes around, right Raiders? The timeout that doomed them against Denver, saved them in a tight one against Cleveland? If this timeout thing is some sort of chain, then the Ravens should watch out next week. McCown and co started off with a 16-0 lead, and then the Browns came storming back with special teams and good days from Winslow and Edwards. But both teams aren't that good, and a time out was the difference. It looks like ice is hot, especially with the game on the line.
- The Bengals converted 11 times on 18 3rd downs and lost, because they turned the ball over 4 times. Rudi Johnson had 17 carries for 9 yards, and Seattle was able to escape with a win because nobody decided to cover Nate Burleson. Alexander had a nice game, and it looks like the Seahawks are back on track.
- If the Falcons still can't win when Joey Harrington has a monster day, I don't know when they'll get a victory. Foster played well to help out a team that had to change QB's because of an injury, and the Falcons are incredibly pathetic. I don't want to get cursed out like a Cubs fan did to me yesterday, so I'll stop here. I'll just say that the Falcons will be on the clock in April.
- The Giants knew that they're season was on the line, and they responded in the 2nd half. Tom Coughlin hasn't lost his team yet, and the Redskins have finally gone back down to earth where they belong. In the 4th quarter, either Joe Gibbs forgot how to coach, had a bad day, can't coach anymore, or had a stroke close to the goal line. There was no need to rush, especially with an inexperienced QB, and they missed a golden opportunity to go to 3-0. If the Giants played like they did in the 2nd half all the time, they could be good but this looks like a lost cause. So after this game, are the Redskins contenders or pretenders? Ken Moll has the answer:
"I tend to believe that they are Pretenders as they just don't have enough continutiy yet on either side of the ball. "
I tend to believe that you're right.
- It was pretty bad in the 2nd half for the Bears. Grossman was awful, they lost defensive players to injuries, and they got their behinds handed to them by Dallas, who were firing on all cylinders again. They realized that the run wasn't working, so they chucked it. I like to call it anti-Charger technology, but it applied to Chicago as well. You think Mike Martz saw this game and had a sick, sadistic smile on his face? You know he did.
- The Saints have crumbled. Drew Brees is not a good QB when he has to throw too many times, and he may have to now that Deuce McAllister is out for the year. They tried to make all the big plays instead of using a power running game more. ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth described the Saints offense as "Too much icing, not enough cake." I could not have said it better myself and gotten hungry at the same time. The Titans were also hungry, as Keith Bullock had 3 picks, controlled the clock, and allowed VY to manage the game well. Tennessee could be this year's Saints, and I gotta go grab some cake.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Thunder Thursday
Adam Ehrenriech provides today's Thunder.
Arizona @ Baltimore: Arizona's surprise victory against Seattle last week starts a trend, Arizona wins.
San Diego @ Green Bay: Super Chargers bounce back strong to beat the 2-0 Packers.
Colts @ Texans: An early 1st place battle ends in tight fashion as the Colts win this one by a field goal.
Vikings @ KC: Adrian shows Larry how its done, Vikes win.
Buffalo @ New England: Next question: Pats
Miami @ Jets: One team need to get a win, I say home field advantage to NY.
Detroit @ Philly: Lions go 3-0 for the first time in a while.
49ers @ Steelers: Steelers lose their first as the Niners go 3-0 for the first time since the Young era.
St. Louis @ Tampa: Steven Jackson needs to show what he could do. Rams wins this one for a much needed victory.
Jags @ Broncos: Broncos win this one big after two very close calls.
Cleveland @ Oakland: Doesn't get much better than this: Browns win.
Bengals @ Seahawks: Bengals win but Palmer only throws 3 touchdowns.
Carolina @ Atlanta: Panthers continue to show that Mr. Smith is good.
Giants @ Washington: Surprise 2-0 start turns into a one game losing streak as the Giants come out winners.
Dallas @ Chicago: Bears show they still have a defense, even though Owens has another touchdown, Bears win.
Titans @ Saints: Vince comes up short, again, to a Reggie Bush Monday Night Party. Saints
Arizona @ Baltimore: Arizona's surprise victory against Seattle last week starts a trend, Arizona wins.
San Diego @ Green Bay: Super Chargers bounce back strong to beat the 2-0 Packers.
Colts @ Texans: An early 1st place battle ends in tight fashion as the Colts win this one by a field goal.
Vikings @ KC: Adrian shows Larry how its done, Vikes win.
Buffalo @ New England: Next question: Pats
Miami @ Jets: One team need to get a win, I say home field advantage to NY.
Detroit @ Philly: Lions go 3-0 for the first time in a while.
49ers @ Steelers: Steelers lose their first as the Niners go 3-0 for the first time since the Young era.
St. Louis @ Tampa: Steven Jackson needs to show what he could do. Rams wins this one for a much needed victory.
Jags @ Broncos: Broncos win this one big after two very close calls.
Cleveland @ Oakland: Doesn't get much better than this: Browns win.
Bengals @ Seahawks: Bengals win but Palmer only throws 3 touchdowns.
Carolina @ Atlanta: Panthers continue to show that Mr. Smith is good.
Giants @ Washington: Surprise 2-0 start turns into a one game losing streak as the Giants come out winners.
Dallas @ Chicago: Bears show they still have a defense, even though Owens has another touchdown, Bears win.
Titans @ Saints: Vince comes up short, again, to a Reggie Bush Monday Night Party. Saints
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: The NFL Analytical Assault
Lots of week 2 surprises. Let's see what went down.
- Let's start with the shocker of shockers. The Bengals were so unbelievably overconfident that they got lit up by Derek Anderson and LOST to their rival Browns 51-45, a score usually seen by my home town Dragons. Carson Palmer threw 6 TD passes and lost. For being a defensive coach. Marvin Lewis' defense is quite the smelly, funky swiss cheese. That's the difference between Lewis and Tony Dungy, a defensive coach who's defense is actually succeeding. For someone over the hill, Jamal Lewis sure killed it. And a note to Chad Johnson, don't jump into the arms of your enemies. Can't end up well.
- The loss of Orlando Pace and a Special Teams fumble killed the Rams in their 17-16 loss against the Niners. And I'm calling out St Louis head coach Scott Linehan who down by 1 went for it 4th and 7 on their own 43 and failed, and tried a 56 yard field goal at 4th and 3 on the 49er 38 with 1:08 and missed it for the loss. If you have the offensive weapons like the Rams do, you take your chances, get 5 wide in there and get closer to the game winning score. Gotta give props to the 49er defense, their offense is last in the league and they're 2-0. Bravo to Mike Nolan.
- How bad is the Giants defense? I'm a journalist, and words can't describe it. 2 weeks, 80 points, zero passion, and one big fat forthcoming pink slip for the head coach. Even Pam Oliver was dishing out the smack against th Little Blue d. They had Bubba Franks and Donald Lee playing like Gonzalez and Gates. Brett Favre was tremendous and the youngry Green Bay D was outstanding, especially the vastly underrated CB duo of Harris and Woodson which is probably the best corner tandem in the NFC.
- Buffalo was either going to play inspired or expired, the latter was the case in their blowout loss to Pittsburgh. JP Losman was OK, but the Steelers held the ball 35 minutes, Willie Parker had another good rushing week, and Big Ben did a marvelous job of distributing the ball and is really embracing his role in Mike Tomlin's new opened up offense. The AFC North is getting interesting.
- Grab a carton of milk, you'll likely see the Saints offense front and center on it. And 31 points to Tampa? Joey Galloway threw it back 7 years and was really good and Caddy Williams found the end zone twice. McAllister and Bush were awful, and the New Orleans offense isn't going to work when Drew Brees has to chuck the rock 44 times. Maybe 30 rock, but not 44. Sean Payton needs to switch things up, or K-Ville may be down in the dumps again and not just because your best copper is Anthony Anderson.
- Carolina looked so good last week, but the Texans are the league's biggest surprise. Matt Schaub looks like a brilliant move by this team, and Gary Kubiak is the insanely early frontrunner for coach of the year. Best start in franchise history. They rushed the ball a lot to allow Schaub to manage the game, and Andre Johnson looks like he's elevated his game to a new level. Steve Smith may have scored 3 TD's, but the Panthers only ran it 18 times. Any offense needs to keep the defense honest, and they didn't. The Texans were able to stay back in coverage and easily fended off the Panthers. Is it hot in here, or is it just John Fox's swivel chair?
- If Jacksonville is a depressing team to watch, (which they are) Atlanta is suicide. It was bad versus worse here, a stinkfest. Joey Harrington was sacked 7 times, as many points as they scored. Jacksonville had 11 penalties, 2 shy of their point total. David Garrard was the lone bright spot.
- Tennessee always plays Indianapolis tough, but Vince Young has to complete his game. He has to realize that he has to use his arm in the 4th quarter and not his feet. Adam Vinatieri was uncharacteristically bad, missing a field goal and an extra point. It was a pretty even game throughout, and Tennessee has to grab a moral victory here.
- Props to the Cardinals, for a big division win in the wiiiiiiide open NFC West. Edge James has regained his mojo in Ken Whisenhunt's offense, and the team now has the balanced attack they envisioned when they pried James away from the Colts. This was a really well played game, and this time it was Arizona that put a final drive together to win it. Good football, good division.
- What's the opposite of good football? Why, Vikings-Lions of course. 10 turnovers, 19 penalties, 1 concussion, numerous cases of headaches and heartburn. There were more wasted opportunities then there are troops in Iraq, and thankfully the Lions finally ended it. The Mike Martz offense seems to be working, and Jon Kitna is closer to proving everyone wrong.
- Trent Green allowed the Cowboys to pull away late, and Marion Barber and the defense guided Dallas to a 37-20 win. 4 picks, 1 fumble, 1 insanely embarrassing fumbled spike, and 1 terrible game for Green. The Dolphin running attack was held in check, as was Tony Romo for the most part but he was able to get the throws in when he needed including a 34 yard TD to TO.
- Justin McCareins had a sure TD to tie the game and let the ball, and a potentially uplifiting, season making, awe inspiring comeback led by Kellen Clemens. He later threw a pick to lose it, and Gang Green left Baltimore with a sour taste in their mouth. McGahee and Boller were impressive, as was Jerricho Cotchery, Thomas Jones was not. It was a wasted opportunity to bring the Jets team back to life, instead they'll be fighting for theirs next week.
- Combined with how much the Chiefs suck and a great day from Cedric Benson, the bad outing by Rex Grossman wasn't enough to keep Chicago from winning. Devin Hester also broke one for a score, and an offensive lineman caught a TD. What was also masked was that an offensive skill player doesn't have a TD this season. There are problems in the Second City, one week they may come to the forefront.
- The Broncos game ended in controversy, but I call it good 'ol fashioned icing the kicker. That's why I picked Mike Shanahan for coach of the year, he won it for Denver on Sunday. What lost it for Oakland was 53 yards passing, 46 came on one play to Joey Porter. That's pathetic and should bring Culpepper into the fold. Henry and Walker were superb for Denver, who keeps winning close games. This will bode well for later.
- San Diego failed to adjust in the first half, and it cost them the game early. New England knew that the Bolts rush D was legit, so they threw on 13 of their first 19 plays and the Chargers looked painfully puzzled. LT was shut down again, and the Patriots cemented their status as the team to beat,
- Boomer Esiason and Mark Schereth sang the praises of Jason Campbell in their big win over the Eagles, Donovan McNabb was blasted by Philly fans and some are already calling for Kevin Kolb. The Skins defense was very good in a very evenly played match. Maybe Washington could hang around for a while.
- Let's start with the shocker of shockers. The Bengals were so unbelievably overconfident that they got lit up by Derek Anderson and LOST to their rival Browns 51-45, a score usually seen by my home town Dragons. Carson Palmer threw 6 TD passes and lost. For being a defensive coach. Marvin Lewis' defense is quite the smelly, funky swiss cheese. That's the difference between Lewis and Tony Dungy, a defensive coach who's defense is actually succeeding. For someone over the hill, Jamal Lewis sure killed it. And a note to Chad Johnson, don't jump into the arms of your enemies. Can't end up well.
- The loss of Orlando Pace and a Special Teams fumble killed the Rams in their 17-16 loss against the Niners. And I'm calling out St Louis head coach Scott Linehan who down by 1 went for it 4th and 7 on their own 43 and failed, and tried a 56 yard field goal at 4th and 3 on the 49er 38 with 1:08 and missed it for the loss. If you have the offensive weapons like the Rams do, you take your chances, get 5 wide in there and get closer to the game winning score. Gotta give props to the 49er defense, their offense is last in the league and they're 2-0. Bravo to Mike Nolan.
- How bad is the Giants defense? I'm a journalist, and words can't describe it. 2 weeks, 80 points, zero passion, and one big fat forthcoming pink slip for the head coach. Even Pam Oliver was dishing out the smack against th Little Blue d. They had Bubba Franks and Donald Lee playing like Gonzalez and Gates. Brett Favre was tremendous and the youngry Green Bay D was outstanding, especially the vastly underrated CB duo of Harris and Woodson which is probably the best corner tandem in the NFC.
- Buffalo was either going to play inspired or expired, the latter was the case in their blowout loss to Pittsburgh. JP Losman was OK, but the Steelers held the ball 35 minutes, Willie Parker had another good rushing week, and Big Ben did a marvelous job of distributing the ball and is really embracing his role in Mike Tomlin's new opened up offense. The AFC North is getting interesting.
- Grab a carton of milk, you'll likely see the Saints offense front and center on it. And 31 points to Tampa? Joey Galloway threw it back 7 years and was really good and Caddy Williams found the end zone twice. McAllister and Bush were awful, and the New Orleans offense isn't going to work when Drew Brees has to chuck the rock 44 times. Maybe 30 rock, but not 44. Sean Payton needs to switch things up, or K-Ville may be down in the dumps again and not just because your best copper is Anthony Anderson.
- Carolina looked so good last week, but the Texans are the league's biggest surprise. Matt Schaub looks like a brilliant move by this team, and Gary Kubiak is the insanely early frontrunner for coach of the year. Best start in franchise history. They rushed the ball a lot to allow Schaub to manage the game, and Andre Johnson looks like he's elevated his game to a new level. Steve Smith may have scored 3 TD's, but the Panthers only ran it 18 times. Any offense needs to keep the defense honest, and they didn't. The Texans were able to stay back in coverage and easily fended off the Panthers. Is it hot in here, or is it just John Fox's swivel chair?
- If Jacksonville is a depressing team to watch, (which they are) Atlanta is suicide. It was bad versus worse here, a stinkfest. Joey Harrington was sacked 7 times, as many points as they scored. Jacksonville had 11 penalties, 2 shy of their point total. David Garrard was the lone bright spot.
- Tennessee always plays Indianapolis tough, but Vince Young has to complete his game. He has to realize that he has to use his arm in the 4th quarter and not his feet. Adam Vinatieri was uncharacteristically bad, missing a field goal and an extra point. It was a pretty even game throughout, and Tennessee has to grab a moral victory here.
- Props to the Cardinals, for a big division win in the wiiiiiiide open NFC West. Edge James has regained his mojo in Ken Whisenhunt's offense, and the team now has the balanced attack they envisioned when they pried James away from the Colts. This was a really well played game, and this time it was Arizona that put a final drive together to win it. Good football, good division.
- What's the opposite of good football? Why, Vikings-Lions of course. 10 turnovers, 19 penalties, 1 concussion, numerous cases of headaches and heartburn. There were more wasted opportunities then there are troops in Iraq, and thankfully the Lions finally ended it. The Mike Martz offense seems to be working, and Jon Kitna is closer to proving everyone wrong.
- Trent Green allowed the Cowboys to pull away late, and Marion Barber and the defense guided Dallas to a 37-20 win. 4 picks, 1 fumble, 1 insanely embarrassing fumbled spike, and 1 terrible game for Green. The Dolphin running attack was held in check, as was Tony Romo for the most part but he was able to get the throws in when he needed including a 34 yard TD to TO.
- Justin McCareins had a sure TD to tie the game and let the ball, and a potentially uplifiting, season making, awe inspiring comeback led by Kellen Clemens. He later threw a pick to lose it, and Gang Green left Baltimore with a sour taste in their mouth. McGahee and Boller were impressive, as was Jerricho Cotchery, Thomas Jones was not. It was a wasted opportunity to bring the Jets team back to life, instead they'll be fighting for theirs next week.
- Combined with how much the Chiefs suck and a great day from Cedric Benson, the bad outing by Rex Grossman wasn't enough to keep Chicago from winning. Devin Hester also broke one for a score, and an offensive lineman caught a TD. What was also masked was that an offensive skill player doesn't have a TD this season. There are problems in the Second City, one week they may come to the forefront.
- The Broncos game ended in controversy, but I call it good 'ol fashioned icing the kicker. That's why I picked Mike Shanahan for coach of the year, he won it for Denver on Sunday. What lost it for Oakland was 53 yards passing, 46 came on one play to Joey Porter. That's pathetic and should bring Culpepper into the fold. Henry and Walker were superb for Denver, who keeps winning close games. This will bode well for later.
- San Diego failed to adjust in the first half, and it cost them the game early. New England knew that the Bolts rush D was legit, so they threw on 13 of their first 19 plays and the Chargers looked painfully puzzled. LT was shut down again, and the Patriots cemented their status as the team to beat,
- Boomer Esiason and Mark Schereth sang the praises of Jason Campbell in their big win over the Eagles, Donovan McNabb was blasted by Philly fans and some are already calling for Kevin Kolb. The Skins defense was very good in a very evenly played match. Maybe Washington could hang around for a while.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
NFL Daily Presents- The SOS Week 2 ATS Picks
10-6 is respectable for week 1, but I expect better from myself from here on out.
- Let's use some logic here, shall we. If Cleveland couldn't stop the offense of the Steelers, then they most likely won't be able to stop the vaunted Bengals attack. Though I think Winslow and Edwards could have nice games for the Browns, they don't really have a QB to keep them in the game. Carson Palmer and co. should run wild like stallions in the open field. As beautiful and poetic as that sounds, the result will be just about the opposite for Cleveland. 4.5 is a giveaway for Cincy, and I'll gladly accept. Don't be surprised if Mr. Quinn makes an appearance in the 4th.
- Something tells me that the Titans offense won't rush for 275 yards for a 2nd consecutive week. Just a hunch. And just like Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne stuck it to former Indy starter Jason David last week, they get to do the exact same thing to 2006 Colts starting corner Nick Harper. Peyton Manning still remembers getting upset by Tennessee last year, and revenge will be sweet especially when Bob Sanders gets to VY in the open field. Like Joseph Addai scampering off into the sunset, I'll take the Colts and 7.5 with me to the bank.
- The Niners and Rams is the toughest game of the week in my mind. I've been going back and forth all week, but I believe that the deciding factor in my mind will be that Alex Smith has to go on the road and beat a division opponent. Now that's a tall task for a young QB, and I think that Stephen Jackson will have a nice performance. This game for the Rams offense could be a preview of what's to come for the rest of the season. The young St Louis offensive line will be put to the test to protect Marc Bulger without Orlando Pace. This is a huge game with huge question marks, and the conservative in me will side with the home club, Rams and the 3.5.
- Will the Giants have week 1 stud Eli Manning under center this week against a young and hungry (youngry, just thought of that one) Packers defense? Will it risk further injury to Manning's shoulder, or will it add insult to injury if the team goes to 0-2 with fat camp failure Jared Lorenzen at the helm? These are the questions posed to embattled Giants coach and taskmaster Tom Coughlin against a Green Bay club high off their win over Philly last week. Because of the injuries at RB with Jacobs and Jackson injured on both sides, the contest may turn into an air affair. And when a passing battles ensues, SOS will put his money on the side of the gunslinger Brett Favre. But Cheese Heads should not overlook the talent of Derrick Ward, who will have to be the x-factor if Big Blue wants to even their record. There are too many questions surrounding the Giants for me to side with them, so I'll go with the youngry Packers.
- As impressive as Pittsburgh was last week against the Browns, Buffalo showed me something in defeat last week. They showed me that they can hang with a tough Broncos team and that a 9.5 point spread is inflated like an NBA contract due to the pounding that Pittsburgh put on Cleveland last week. I think that the Bills will hang tough if JP Losman manages the game, and doesn't put out an absolute stinker like he did last week. I'll take Buffalo to cover here.
- If y'all haven't noticed, Tampa Bay's not very good. If you want to jump on the Saints Are Finished Bandwagon, go right ahead. Since I like being correct, I'll stay off of it and point out that the Saints are a lot more then 3.5 points better then the Bucs. That offensive performacne against Indy was a fluke, a one week stroke of utter failure. Don't be fooled by the people who say that New Orleans is in for a down year, Sean Payton will light a fire under their asses and the Saints will romp to victory plus 3.5.
- Carolina-Houston is another interesting game. Matt Schaub impressed me last week, but the Panthers defense did a hell of a job against the Rams O last week. Look for Peppers and Jenkins to have big days with a little Jon Beason on the side. Look for the Carolina running game to continue their good run, and the Panthers should win comfortably plus the 6.5.
- Jacksonville and Atlanta both played really poorly last week, and for some reason I expect the Falcons to cover 10 points. If they can't do that, they'll be the first team on my s-list.
- I'll give Arizona credit for hanging tough with the Niners last week, but Alex Smith was pretty bad and I don't expect Matt Hasslebeck to play that poorly. Alexander will pound the rock, and the new Safety acquisitions of Seattle will pay dividends this week. 'Hawks plus the 3.5.
- I'll take favorites Detroit, Dallas, Denver, Baltimore, Chicago, and New England, and I'll take 'dog Washington to cover the 7.5 against Philly.
- Let's use some logic here, shall we. If Cleveland couldn't stop the offense of the Steelers, then they most likely won't be able to stop the vaunted Bengals attack. Though I think Winslow and Edwards could have nice games for the Browns, they don't really have a QB to keep them in the game. Carson Palmer and co. should run wild like stallions in the open field. As beautiful and poetic as that sounds, the result will be just about the opposite for Cleveland. 4.5 is a giveaway for Cincy, and I'll gladly accept. Don't be surprised if Mr. Quinn makes an appearance in the 4th.
- Something tells me that the Titans offense won't rush for 275 yards for a 2nd consecutive week. Just a hunch. And just like Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne stuck it to former Indy starter Jason David last week, they get to do the exact same thing to 2006 Colts starting corner Nick Harper. Peyton Manning still remembers getting upset by Tennessee last year, and revenge will be sweet especially when Bob Sanders gets to VY in the open field. Like Joseph Addai scampering off into the sunset, I'll take the Colts and 7.5 with me to the bank.
- The Niners and Rams is the toughest game of the week in my mind. I've been going back and forth all week, but I believe that the deciding factor in my mind will be that Alex Smith has to go on the road and beat a division opponent. Now that's a tall task for a young QB, and I think that Stephen Jackson will have a nice performance. This game for the Rams offense could be a preview of what's to come for the rest of the season. The young St Louis offensive line will be put to the test to protect Marc Bulger without Orlando Pace. This is a huge game with huge question marks, and the conservative in me will side with the home club, Rams and the 3.5.
- Will the Giants have week 1 stud Eli Manning under center this week against a young and hungry (youngry, just thought of that one) Packers defense? Will it risk further injury to Manning's shoulder, or will it add insult to injury if the team goes to 0-2 with fat camp failure Jared Lorenzen at the helm? These are the questions posed to embattled Giants coach and taskmaster Tom Coughlin against a Green Bay club high off their win over Philly last week. Because of the injuries at RB with Jacobs and Jackson injured on both sides, the contest may turn into an air affair. And when a passing battles ensues, SOS will put his money on the side of the gunslinger Brett Favre. But Cheese Heads should not overlook the talent of Derrick Ward, who will have to be the x-factor if Big Blue wants to even their record. There are too many questions surrounding the Giants for me to side with them, so I'll go with the youngry Packers.
- As impressive as Pittsburgh was last week against the Browns, Buffalo showed me something in defeat last week. They showed me that they can hang with a tough Broncos team and that a 9.5 point spread is inflated like an NBA contract due to the pounding that Pittsburgh put on Cleveland last week. I think that the Bills will hang tough if JP Losman manages the game, and doesn't put out an absolute stinker like he did last week. I'll take Buffalo to cover here.
- If y'all haven't noticed, Tampa Bay's not very good. If you want to jump on the Saints Are Finished Bandwagon, go right ahead. Since I like being correct, I'll stay off of it and point out that the Saints are a lot more then 3.5 points better then the Bucs. That offensive performacne against Indy was a fluke, a one week stroke of utter failure. Don't be fooled by the people who say that New Orleans is in for a down year, Sean Payton will light a fire under their asses and the Saints will romp to victory plus 3.5.
- Carolina-Houston is another interesting game. Matt Schaub impressed me last week, but the Panthers defense did a hell of a job against the Rams O last week. Look for Peppers and Jenkins to have big days with a little Jon Beason on the side. Look for the Carolina running game to continue their good run, and the Panthers should win comfortably plus the 6.5.
- Jacksonville and Atlanta both played really poorly last week, and for some reason I expect the Falcons to cover 10 points. If they can't do that, they'll be the first team on my s-list.
- I'll give Arizona credit for hanging tough with the Niners last week, but Alex Smith was pretty bad and I don't expect Matt Hasslebeck to play that poorly. Alexander will pound the rock, and the new Safety acquisitions of Seattle will pay dividends this week. 'Hawks plus the 3.5.
- I'll take favorites Detroit, Dallas, Denver, Baltimore, Chicago, and New England, and I'll take 'dog Washington to cover the 7.5 against Philly.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Tuesday Football Frenzy
Frenzy Time!
Lance Briggs abandoned a vehicle that he smashed into a light pole. His $350k Lamborghini was reported stolen after he abandoned the scene and then he called a tow truck. Tell me if what Briggs did made sense? Did the tow truck Briggs called steal his totaled vehicle? Why would the truck steal a mangled car, and why would he risk framing an innocent person?
"When it happened, the first thing I did was, obviously, I panicked,"
Yeah, panicking may be an understatement. Next time you drive like a fool, use your brain. Does Drew Rosenhaus purposely hire the biggest idiots in football to be their clients?
Cowboys top CB Terrence Newman has a small tear in his plantar fascia, according to the Dallas Morning News which is bad especially for backpedaling corners. This could be a big issue for the Cowboys if he can't be as effective, because Anthony Henry and Aaron Glenn probably can't do the job as the starters. One red flag in the Big D.
Corey Simon is now a man on a mission. He signed a one year deal with the Titans today, and will face the Colts twice a year, the team that dropped him for almost no reason at all. Even owner Jim Irsay said that it was a mistake. Simon will likely make Indy pay this coming season.
Asante Samuel signed a 1 year contract tender worth 7.79 million dollars, officially ending his holdout. With that kind of cheese, what took him so long to sign? New England is always non-committal on long term deals, and Samuek may not have a bigger chance to win anywhere but with the Patriots. As always, Samuel will play lockdown jail cell defense and I expect him to match his total of 10 picks from 2k6.
The Giants went from no discussion to production with Michael Strahan. Why the double-take? Because Strahan now said that he'd like to come back, thus getting his wish (albeit a costly one) to skip camp altogether. Strahan will tell Big Blue within 2 days of whether he'll play football this year. Tom Coughlin wanted Training Camp to be quiet, but his team ended up with one large gap-toothed sideshow.
Jonathan Ogden was activated from the PUP list, and practiced today for the first time this season. As one of the greatest offensive linemen ever, I'm sure that Steve McNair and Willis McGahee are overjoyed to have seen their mammoth body guard on the field. He may not play Friday against Atlanta, but should be good to go for the season opener.
The PUP list seems to be a revolving door as Cleveland placed OL LeCharles Bentley on the list today. Bentley has been in the shop way too often for the Browns, who missed all of last season. With barely any protection, perhaps Brady Quinn should be happy that he won't start the season as the starter. Cleveland QB's better get used to being sacked more than budget conscious government workers.
Hines Ward had surgery to repair a broken nose, but will be ready for the opener. Washington released veteran DT Joe Salave'a, and placed Ross Tucker on IR. Buffalo placed OL Aaron Merz on IR with a shoulder injury.
Lance Briggs abandoned a vehicle that he smashed into a light pole. His $350k Lamborghini was reported stolen after he abandoned the scene and then he called a tow truck. Tell me if what Briggs did made sense? Did the tow truck Briggs called steal his totaled vehicle? Why would the truck steal a mangled car, and why would he risk framing an innocent person?
"When it happened, the first thing I did was, obviously, I panicked,"
Yeah, panicking may be an understatement. Next time you drive like a fool, use your brain. Does Drew Rosenhaus purposely hire the biggest idiots in football to be their clients?
Cowboys top CB Terrence Newman has a small tear in his plantar fascia, according to the Dallas Morning News which is bad especially for backpedaling corners. This could be a big issue for the Cowboys if he can't be as effective, because Anthony Henry and Aaron Glenn probably can't do the job as the starters. One red flag in the Big D.
Corey Simon is now a man on a mission. He signed a one year deal with the Titans today, and will face the Colts twice a year, the team that dropped him for almost no reason at all. Even owner Jim Irsay said that it was a mistake. Simon will likely make Indy pay this coming season.
Asante Samuel signed a 1 year contract tender worth 7.79 million dollars, officially ending his holdout. With that kind of cheese, what took him so long to sign? New England is always non-committal on long term deals, and Samuek may not have a bigger chance to win anywhere but with the Patriots. As always, Samuel will play lockdown jail cell defense and I expect him to match his total of 10 picks from 2k6.
The Giants went from no discussion to production with Michael Strahan. Why the double-take? Because Strahan now said that he'd like to come back, thus getting his wish (albeit a costly one) to skip camp altogether. Strahan will tell Big Blue within 2 days of whether he'll play football this year. Tom Coughlin wanted Training Camp to be quiet, but his team ended up with one large gap-toothed sideshow.
Jonathan Ogden was activated from the PUP list, and practiced today for the first time this season. As one of the greatest offensive linemen ever, I'm sure that Steve McNair and Willis McGahee are overjoyed to have seen their mammoth body guard on the field. He may not play Friday against Atlanta, but should be good to go for the season opener.
The PUP list seems to be a revolving door as Cleveland placed OL LeCharles Bentley on the list today. Bentley has been in the shop way too often for the Browns, who missed all of last season. With barely any protection, perhaps Brady Quinn should be happy that he won't start the season as the starter. Cleveland QB's better get used to being sacked more than budget conscious government workers.
Hines Ward had surgery to repair a broken nose, but will be ready for the opener. Washington released veteran DT Joe Salave'a, and placed Ross Tucker on IR. Buffalo placed OL Aaron Merz on IR with a shoulder injury.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Tuesday Football Frenzy
I'll first recap the first week of the preseason, look at the latest news, and discuss some pressing topics on and off the field.
Week 1 Preseason Recap
The Bengals blew a 26-10 lead as Detroit edged Cincy 27-26. Dan Orlovsky threw 2 late TD's for the win. Dallas pulled away from Indianapolis 23-10. Keith Davis returned a pick for a score that put the game out of reach. Kellen Clemens threw for 3 TD's as the Jets thrashed Atlanta 31-16. Matt Bryant's 32 yard FG as time expired lifted Tampa Bay past New England 13-10. St Louis beat Minnesota by the same score. Buffalo beat New Orleans, also 13-10. Chris Barclay returned a kick 88 yards for the game winning score with 1:36 left as Cleveland knocked off the Chiefs 16-12. Patrick Cobbs had a 3 yard TD run to get within 1, and then ran the 2 point conversion to win it as Miami bested Jacksonville 18-17. Green Bay scored 10 unanswered points in the 3rd as the Packers stifled the Steelers 13-9. Washington scored 2 TD's in 30 seconds late in the 4th as the Redskins beat the VY-less Titans 14-6. Taye Biddle caught 2 TD passes as Carolina nipped the Giants 24-21. Chicago scored 13 straight points in the 4th quarter as the Bears edged the Texans 20-19. Oakland beat Arizona 27-23, Seattle charged San Diego 24-16, Baltimore crushed Philadelphia 29-3, and Denver defeated the 49ers 17-13.
Latest News
- Raiders coach Lane Kiffin missed another practice as he's recovering in the hospital from a viral infection.
- The Jets are closing in on a deal with first round pick Darrelle Revis. JaMarcus Russell on the other hand, is pretty far away according to John Clayton.
- Plaxico Burress hasn't practiced since August 2nd with a sprained ankle, and is in no rush to get back.
- Jason Glenn retired from the Vikings.
- Eagles backup RB Ryan Moats broke his ankle and will likely miss the entire season.
SprungOnSports Question of the Week
Should Michael Vick plead guilty to dogfighting charges??
- Avi from Brooklyn, New York said, "Yes, because (there would be) less time in jail."
There could be 7 witnesses to testify against Vick if he decides to take the case to a jury. Keep reading the blog for more feedback on the question of the week.
One major story during the preseason has been the emergence of the Bears offense. Rex Grossman is showing a lot of improvement, and Devin Hester is making a lot of noise in his first year as a wide reciever. Hester will definitely be someone to watch, but Matt Sohn of Pro Football Weekly knows that Cedric Benson will be the key to the Chicago offense:
"I can't wait to see Hester take the field on offense." Sohn said. "He should've been doing this since his college days at Miami. The key for the Bears offense will be whether Benson can revert to being the workhorse he was at Texas. He's had a good camp thus far, but still has a lot of people skeptical about his desire with his abrupt exit from the Super Bowl." If Benson didn't have the fire on the biggest stage on earth, how will he be able to sustain a starting role through an entire grueling season? Sohn also mentioned that rookie Greg Olson will be heavily featured in the offensive attack. It's yet to be seen whether Chicago made a wise choice in dealing Thomas Jones to the Jets.
Week 1 Preseason Recap
The Bengals blew a 26-10 lead as Detroit edged Cincy 27-26. Dan Orlovsky threw 2 late TD's for the win. Dallas pulled away from Indianapolis 23-10. Keith Davis returned a pick for a score that put the game out of reach. Kellen Clemens threw for 3 TD's as the Jets thrashed Atlanta 31-16. Matt Bryant's 32 yard FG as time expired lifted Tampa Bay past New England 13-10. St Louis beat Minnesota by the same score. Buffalo beat New Orleans, also 13-10. Chris Barclay returned a kick 88 yards for the game winning score with 1:36 left as Cleveland knocked off the Chiefs 16-12. Patrick Cobbs had a 3 yard TD run to get within 1, and then ran the 2 point conversion to win it as Miami bested Jacksonville 18-17. Green Bay scored 10 unanswered points in the 3rd as the Packers stifled the Steelers 13-9. Washington scored 2 TD's in 30 seconds late in the 4th as the Redskins beat the VY-less Titans 14-6. Taye Biddle caught 2 TD passes as Carolina nipped the Giants 24-21. Chicago scored 13 straight points in the 4th quarter as the Bears edged the Texans 20-19. Oakland beat Arizona 27-23, Seattle charged San Diego 24-16, Baltimore crushed Philadelphia 29-3, and Denver defeated the 49ers 17-13.
Latest News
- Raiders coach Lane Kiffin missed another practice as he's recovering in the hospital from a viral infection.
- The Jets are closing in on a deal with first round pick Darrelle Revis. JaMarcus Russell on the other hand, is pretty far away according to John Clayton.
- Plaxico Burress hasn't practiced since August 2nd with a sprained ankle, and is in no rush to get back.
- Jason Glenn retired from the Vikings.
- Eagles backup RB Ryan Moats broke his ankle and will likely miss the entire season.
SprungOnSports Question of the Week
Should Michael Vick plead guilty to dogfighting charges??
- Avi from Brooklyn, New York said, "Yes, because (there would be) less time in jail."
There could be 7 witnesses to testify against Vick if he decides to take the case to a jury. Keep reading the blog for more feedback on the question of the week.
One major story during the preseason has been the emergence of the Bears offense. Rex Grossman is showing a lot of improvement, and Devin Hester is making a lot of noise in his first year as a wide reciever. Hester will definitely be someone to watch, but Matt Sohn of Pro Football Weekly knows that Cedric Benson will be the key to the Chicago offense:
"I can't wait to see Hester take the field on offense." Sohn said. "He should've been doing this since his college days at Miami. The key for the Bears offense will be whether Benson can revert to being the workhorse he was at Texas. He's had a good camp thus far, but still has a lot of people skeptical about his desire with his abrupt exit from the Super Bowl." If Benson didn't have the fire on the biggest stage on earth, how will he be able to sustain a starting role through an entire grueling season? Sohn also mentioned that rookie Greg Olson will be heavily featured in the offensive attack. It's yet to be seen whether Chicago made a wise choice in dealing Thomas Jones to the Jets.
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