New York Giants at New Orleans
The Giants had a beaten up Eagles team at home last week. They had a worse version of Michael Vick going up against them in Vince Young, and to top it all off the game was at home. The Giants were a huge disappointment last week, and they fell over themselves as they only put up ten points against a defense that hasn’t been anything spectacular this season. Eli has some great deep threats in Cruz, Manningham, and Nicks, all of which could definitely play a big part in their game plan against a Saints team that is known to give up big plays through the air. The Saints are coming off of a bye week and have had two weeks to prepare for the Giants. Drew Brees has had two weeks of film on the Giants great pass rush and he’s had the time to study their defenses schemes. Brees is always one of the best at reading defenses after just one week of preparation – giving him an extra week will allow him to exploit a defense just that much more. Both defenses have their weaknesses, and both offenses rely on a heavy pass attack. Being at home, and coming off of a bye I have to give this one in favor of Drew Brees’ Saints.
Saints win 31-24
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Week 12 - Sunday Night Football
Pittsburgh at Kansas City
The Steelers have Big Ben, Mendenhall, and Wallace on the offensive side of the ball. Three of the most dangerous players in the game all add up to one of the most explosive attacks. The offense is enough to beat some of the best defenses, and their defense is great enough to best some of the greatest offenses in the National Football League. There isn’t much that needs to be said about this game despite it being the Sunday Night game this week. The Chiefs have been anything but good these last couple of weeks, and without Matt Cassel they don’t stand a chance against the Steelers. If the horrid Pats defense could hold the Chiefs to just three points it will be interesting to see what a great Blitzburgh defense can do.
The Steelers win this one easily 35-3
The Steelers have Big Ben, Mendenhall, and Wallace on the offensive side of the ball. Three of the most dangerous players in the game all add up to one of the most explosive attacks. The offense is enough to beat some of the best defenses, and their defense is great enough to best some of the greatest offenses in the National Football League. There isn’t much that needs to be said about this game despite it being the Sunday Night game this week. The Chiefs have been anything but good these last couple of weeks, and without Matt Cassel they don’t stand a chance against the Steelers. If the horrid Pats defense could hold the Chiefs to just three points it will be interesting to see what a great Blitzburgh defense can do.
The Steelers win this one easily 35-3
Week 12 - 4 O'Clock
Washington at Seattle
The Washington Redskins finally get Santana Moss back this week. Santana has been one of my favorite players for a few years now, he always gets decent numbers despite having a horrendous team in place around him. I think Moss has been a very underrated player, and it should be interesting to see if his return to the lineup can swing this Redskins team back into the win column. Seattle does little that impresses me every week. Marshawn Lynch has shown up a little bit over the last few weeks along with Sidney Rice, but I still have just not been impressed with them this season, and I don’t think that this week is going to be any different. Rice and Lynch can’t be enough to win week after week.
Santana’s return sparks the ‘Skins back into winning – 24-16
Chicago at Oakland
Jay Cutler is out which definitely hurts the Bears a little bit, but truly the Chicago offense is one of the few where the quarterback isn’t as influential as one of the other players. The Bears have relied on Matt Forte to win games this year. They’ve relied on Matt Forte to run the ball, they’ve relied on Matt Forte to catch the ball, they’ve relied on Matt Forte to put his body on the line during play action fakes, and defending Jay Cutler against the pass rush. Forte has been the direct target of just under 45 percent of the plays the Bears have run, but that doesn’t count all of the play actions and big blocks that he’s made. As long as Forte is still on the field Chicago isn’t in that bad of shape. The Raiders have evolved into a much better team with the addition of Carson Palmer, and if he can become the man they are expecting him to be then Oakland will be a force to be reckoned with for a few years. With one of the deadliest one two punches in the backfield with Darren McFadden and Michael Bush the Raiders are definitely a very dangerous smash-mouth kind of team, but will that be enough to derail a very impressive Bears team?
Matt Forte and the Bears win a close one 28-27
New England at Philadelphia
Going into the season I honestly thought that this was going to be a prequel to the Super Bowl. This season has been a let down for the Eagles though, and the Patriots have definitely had a few hiccups of their own. The Patriots secondary has been less than good more games than not, and hope that Brady can put up more points than they give up. To be fair, the Patriots give up a lot of yards between the twenties, but once they get into the redzone they can usually tighten it up and hold the opposition to a field goal. The bright side for the Patriots is Tom Brady and the versatility of the New England attack. They are the most fortunate team when it comes to tight ends in the NFL and they are blessed with incredible talent in the slots. Gronkowski, Hernandez, and Welker are going to need to do some big things this week and as long as they don’t get too beat up on the line I think they will be okay. The Eagles have had quite a few set backs. Early in the year they were 1-4 and no one was taking them seriously. Now they have a few more wins, but they are without Michael Vick, as one thing starts to get better for the Eagles it seems like something else has to fall. The Eagles have great players on either side of the ball. Their offense goes through LeSean McCoy, and their defense has one of the most dangerous secondaries on paper. If the Eagles could figure themselves out, I still think they can be one of the scariest teams in the league. I think the Pats attack is too strong this week, especially if the Eagles aren’t going to put up as many numbers with Vince Young throwing the ball.
The Patriots take one in Philly 34-24
Denver at San Diego
Simply put – I don’t know. Tebow is a player that doesn’t put his team in a good position until the last minutes of the game. The Broncos defense has completely turned their game around and is putting up some impressive numbers. But it all comes back to Tim Tebow. He doesn’t throw the ball a lot, and he doesn’t make a lot of completions or touchdown passes. Somehow throughout the game Tebow will make one or two big passes, and it’s enough to put his team in the position that they need to be. It doesn’t make sense, but somehow it has been working. Taking the snaps on the other side we have Philip Rivers – a guy who has always been good – until this year. Rivers has thrown pick after pick, and given the ball away far too many times to be a good player this year. In a game that should have been so easily in favor of the Chargers I can’t help but doubt this team after everything that they have done recently. One of my friends says “You don’t bet against Jesus,” and this week I’m going to follow him and go with Tim Tebow and the Broncos.
Broncos beat a weak Chargers team 20-13
The Washington Redskins finally get Santana Moss back this week. Santana has been one of my favorite players for a few years now, he always gets decent numbers despite having a horrendous team in place around him. I think Moss has been a very underrated player, and it should be interesting to see if his return to the lineup can swing this Redskins team back into the win column. Seattle does little that impresses me every week. Marshawn Lynch has shown up a little bit over the last few weeks along with Sidney Rice, but I still have just not been impressed with them this season, and I don’t think that this week is going to be any different. Rice and Lynch can’t be enough to win week after week.
Santana’s return sparks the ‘Skins back into winning – 24-16
Chicago at Oakland
Jay Cutler is out which definitely hurts the Bears a little bit, but truly the Chicago offense is one of the few where the quarterback isn’t as influential as one of the other players. The Bears have relied on Matt Forte to win games this year. They’ve relied on Matt Forte to run the ball, they’ve relied on Matt Forte to catch the ball, they’ve relied on Matt Forte to put his body on the line during play action fakes, and defending Jay Cutler against the pass rush. Forte has been the direct target of just under 45 percent of the plays the Bears have run, but that doesn’t count all of the play actions and big blocks that he’s made. As long as Forte is still on the field Chicago isn’t in that bad of shape. The Raiders have evolved into a much better team with the addition of Carson Palmer, and if he can become the man they are expecting him to be then Oakland will be a force to be reckoned with for a few years. With one of the deadliest one two punches in the backfield with Darren McFadden and Michael Bush the Raiders are definitely a very dangerous smash-mouth kind of team, but will that be enough to derail a very impressive Bears team?
Matt Forte and the Bears win a close one 28-27
New England at Philadelphia
Going into the season I honestly thought that this was going to be a prequel to the Super Bowl. This season has been a let down for the Eagles though, and the Patriots have definitely had a few hiccups of their own. The Patriots secondary has been less than good more games than not, and hope that Brady can put up more points than they give up. To be fair, the Patriots give up a lot of yards between the twenties, but once they get into the redzone they can usually tighten it up and hold the opposition to a field goal. The bright side for the Patriots is Tom Brady and the versatility of the New England attack. They are the most fortunate team when it comes to tight ends in the NFL and they are blessed with incredible talent in the slots. Gronkowski, Hernandez, and Welker are going to need to do some big things this week and as long as they don’t get too beat up on the line I think they will be okay. The Eagles have had quite a few set backs. Early in the year they were 1-4 and no one was taking them seriously. Now they have a few more wins, but they are without Michael Vick, as one thing starts to get better for the Eagles it seems like something else has to fall. The Eagles have great players on either side of the ball. Their offense goes through LeSean McCoy, and their defense has one of the most dangerous secondaries on paper. If the Eagles could figure themselves out, I still think they can be one of the scariest teams in the league. I think the Pats attack is too strong this week, especially if the Eagles aren’t going to put up as many numbers with Vince Young throwing the ball.
The Patriots take one in Philly 34-24
Denver at San Diego
Simply put – I don’t know. Tebow is a player that doesn’t put his team in a good position until the last minutes of the game. The Broncos defense has completely turned their game around and is putting up some impressive numbers. But it all comes back to Tim Tebow. He doesn’t throw the ball a lot, and he doesn’t make a lot of completions or touchdown passes. Somehow throughout the game Tebow will make one or two big passes, and it’s enough to put his team in the position that they need to be. It doesn’t make sense, but somehow it has been working. Taking the snaps on the other side we have Philip Rivers – a guy who has always been good – until this year. Rivers has thrown pick after pick, and given the ball away far too many times to be a good player this year. In a game that should have been so easily in favor of the Chargers I can’t help but doubt this team after everything that they have done recently. One of my friends says “You don’t bet against Jesus,” and this week I’m going to follow him and go with Tim Tebow and the Broncos.
Broncos beat a weak Chargers team 20-13
Week 12 - 1 O'Clock
Minnesota at Atlanta
The Vikings are in a very tough spot with their best player being out of this game. If they wanted to have any chance of winning it was going to be with Adrian Peterson on the field. The Vikings season is pretty much over though, there’s no reason for the team to risk further injury of their franchise player by playing him in a game and in a season that is already lost. The Falcons have a very potent attack with Michael Turner leading the way on the ground, and Matt Ryan launching an impressive aerial attack. I think this games pretty easily won by Matty Ice’s Atlanta Falcons.
Atlanta wins 27-13
Carolina at Indianapolis
Carolina is always a fun team to watch, and it looked like they were going to be a handful for the Lions last week. DeAngelo Williams finally did something on the ground, and despite Cam Newton’s four interceptions I still think he’s one of the more dangerous guys on the field on Sundays already in his young career. The Colts are doing a very good job at securing the number one spot in next years draft and giving themselves the predicament of sticking with ol’ reliable in Peyton Manning or the highly touted Andrew Luck. The best thing about Indy this season is their future. Carolina shouldn’t have too much trouble beating up on a very disheartened Colts franchise.
Carolina wins 24-10
Cleveland at Cincinnati
Cleveland has the misfortune of playing in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. The past few seasons have been rough as they’ve faced the difficult Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, but they usually had a partner in losing with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns are still really good at losing with the lack of versatility on offense, and the inability to stop the big plays on defense. The Bengals have turned to a new chapter in their franchise though with the drafting of two very impressive rookies Andy Dalton and AJ Green. These two have opened up a wave of possibilities for the future of the Bengals franchise. I talk about the future in this write up because I think it’s a pretty big pushover and I don’t see any chance in the Browns leaving Cincinnati with the victory.
Cincy wins 27-9
Buffalo at New York Jets
Buffalo was one of my most favored teams early in the year. I was loving what they could do on either side of the ball with Fred Jackson turning into a feature back, while Stevie Johnson and Fitzpatrick led the way through the air. This week Jackson is out and the Bills rely on CJ Spiller to finally live up to his potential. As of late Fitzpatrick and Johnson haven’t been able to get back into rhythm and it has hurt the Bills offense terribly. The Jets defense has the opportunity to continue to shut down this once impressive attack and really make an impact on their place in the AFC East. The Jets might not be in the place to take first from the Pats, but Sanchez has a chance to turn this around and get a grasp on one of the wild card spots and it could start this week.
The Jets defense leads them to victory 20-10
Houston at Jacksonville
Matt Schaub might be out, and the Texans are definitely taking a hit there, but they still have Arian Foster who I think is one of the best and most dangerous guys in the backfield. Foster, when healthy, can do damage both running the ball and catching the quick dump routes. With a new quarterback under center expect some more of these dump routes and Foster to get a much bigger workload. Andre Johnson is also back this week, which makes the Texans attack dangerous even with the absence of their starting quarterback. Jacksonville confused me more than anything last week when they had the victory one yard away last week and passed the ball three times in a row while Maurice Jones-Drew did nothing. MJD is a great running back and all the Jags had to do was let him get one more yard and the game would have been theirs. A team that can’t do a simple thing like that isn’t going to win a lot of games in the league especially against a team as good as the Texans.
(thanks for the heads up Shane!)
Houston wins this one 31-16
Tampa Bay at Tennessee
In a battle of the Bays last week the Buccaneers gave the Packers a pretty good run for their money. Guys like LaGarrette Blount and Mike Williams really stepped up and produced for a team that wasn’t expected to hold a candle to the undefeated Packers. If Tampa can play with as much heart this week against a lowly Titans team the game could be a steal in Tennessee. The Titans once again got nothing out of Chris Johnson as he rushed for only thirteen yards on twelve carries. Nate Washington showed up as rookie Jake Locker stepped in to take the reigns from a beaten up Matt Hasselbeck and the Titans almost stood a chance against the Falcons. This week Hasselbeck will be back, and if CJ can show up then maybe the Titans stand a chance.
Tampa shuts down CJ and the Titans in a 31-17 victory
Arizona at St. Louis
Arizona versus St. Louis is probably the game a least look forward to. Sure there are a couple of guys on each team that I don’t mind watching, some guys that can actually make some big plays, but all of these guys are right now being brought down by teams that can’t perform. Arizona has maybe one of the best wide-receivers in the league in Larry Fitzgerald, but his production and ability is being destroyed by not having a good quarterback throwing him the ball. On the other side we have Steven Jackson, a man that is an absolute monster. For years now Jackson has been stuck with a team that can’t win in a very weak division of football. He’s had a porous line with a beaten up quarterback, and it’s been a huge detriment to everything that he could be.
In a battle of the beaten I’m going to go with Arizona and Fitzgerald winning 20-17
The Vikings are in a very tough spot with their best player being out of this game. If they wanted to have any chance of winning it was going to be with Adrian Peterson on the field. The Vikings season is pretty much over though, there’s no reason for the team to risk further injury of their franchise player by playing him in a game and in a season that is already lost. The Falcons have a very potent attack with Michael Turner leading the way on the ground, and Matt Ryan launching an impressive aerial attack. I think this games pretty easily won by Matty Ice’s Atlanta Falcons.
Atlanta wins 27-13
Carolina at Indianapolis
Carolina is always a fun team to watch, and it looked like they were going to be a handful for the Lions last week. DeAngelo Williams finally did something on the ground, and despite Cam Newton’s four interceptions I still think he’s one of the more dangerous guys on the field on Sundays already in his young career. The Colts are doing a very good job at securing the number one spot in next years draft and giving themselves the predicament of sticking with ol’ reliable in Peyton Manning or the highly touted Andrew Luck. The best thing about Indy this season is their future. Carolina shouldn’t have too much trouble beating up on a very disheartened Colts franchise.
Carolina wins 24-10
Cleveland at Cincinnati
Cleveland has the misfortune of playing in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. The past few seasons have been rough as they’ve faced the difficult Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, but they usually had a partner in losing with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns are still really good at losing with the lack of versatility on offense, and the inability to stop the big plays on defense. The Bengals have turned to a new chapter in their franchise though with the drafting of two very impressive rookies Andy Dalton and AJ Green. These two have opened up a wave of possibilities for the future of the Bengals franchise. I talk about the future in this write up because I think it’s a pretty big pushover and I don’t see any chance in the Browns leaving Cincinnati with the victory.
Cincy wins 27-9
Buffalo at New York Jets
Buffalo was one of my most favored teams early in the year. I was loving what they could do on either side of the ball with Fred Jackson turning into a feature back, while Stevie Johnson and Fitzpatrick led the way through the air. This week Jackson is out and the Bills rely on CJ Spiller to finally live up to his potential. As of late Fitzpatrick and Johnson haven’t been able to get back into rhythm and it has hurt the Bills offense terribly. The Jets defense has the opportunity to continue to shut down this once impressive attack and really make an impact on their place in the AFC East. The Jets might not be in the place to take first from the Pats, but Sanchez has a chance to turn this around and get a grasp on one of the wild card spots and it could start this week.
The Jets defense leads them to victory 20-10
Houston at Jacksonville
Matt Schaub might be out, and the Texans are definitely taking a hit there, but they still have Arian Foster who I think is one of the best and most dangerous guys in the backfield. Foster, when healthy, can do damage both running the ball and catching the quick dump routes. With a new quarterback under center expect some more of these dump routes and Foster to get a much bigger workload. Andre Johnson is also back this week, which makes the Texans attack dangerous even with the absence of their starting quarterback. Jacksonville confused me more than anything last week when they had the victory one yard away last week and passed the ball three times in a row while Maurice Jones-Drew did nothing. MJD is a great running back and all the Jags had to do was let him get one more yard and the game would have been theirs. A team that can’t do a simple thing like that isn’t going to win a lot of games in the league especially against a team as good as the Texans.
(thanks for the heads up Shane!)
Houston wins this one 31-16
Tampa Bay at Tennessee
In a battle of the Bays last week the Buccaneers gave the Packers a pretty good run for their money. Guys like LaGarrette Blount and Mike Williams really stepped up and produced for a team that wasn’t expected to hold a candle to the undefeated Packers. If Tampa can play with as much heart this week against a lowly Titans team the game could be a steal in Tennessee. The Titans once again got nothing out of Chris Johnson as he rushed for only thirteen yards on twelve carries. Nate Washington showed up as rookie Jake Locker stepped in to take the reigns from a beaten up Matt Hasselbeck and the Titans almost stood a chance against the Falcons. This week Hasselbeck will be back, and if CJ can show up then maybe the Titans stand a chance.
Tampa shuts down CJ and the Titans in a 31-17 victory
Arizona at St. Louis
Arizona versus St. Louis is probably the game a least look forward to. Sure there are a couple of guys on each team that I don’t mind watching, some guys that can actually make some big plays, but all of these guys are right now being brought down by teams that can’t perform. Arizona has maybe one of the best wide-receivers in the league in Larry Fitzgerald, but his production and ability is being destroyed by not having a good quarterback throwing him the ball. On the other side we have Steven Jackson, a man that is an absolute monster. For years now Jackson has been stuck with a team that can’t win in a very weak division of football. He’s had a porous line with a beaten up quarterback, and it’s been a huge detriment to everything that he could be.
In a battle of the beaten I’m going to go with Arizona and Fitzgerald winning 20-17
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Week 12 - Thanksgiving Football!
Green Bay at Detroit
Green Bay has been unstoppable all year. They have the best quarterback in the league, they have probably the best offense in the league, and they have some incredibly good playmakers on the defensive side of the ball – leading the league in interceptions. When it comes down to which offense is going to score points everyone knows that Aaron Rodgers and his Pack-Attack are going to do just that. Whether it’s the ever reliable Greg Jennings having a huge week, the wily veteran Donald Driver, or the young guys like Jordy Nelson, the Packers put up numbers. Matthew Stafford’s Lions do the same thing. Calvin Johnson, Titus Young, the rebirth o Kevin Smith? The Lions came roaring back for what feels like the hundredth time last week. At one point they were down 28-7. This team has no fear, they think anything is possible to overcome, and nearly every week they prove that they are capable of doing just that. 39 years the Packers arrived in Detroit undefeated, the Lions beat them, and that ended up being the only loss the Packers brought home for the entire season. Can it happen again? I believe it can. I think on Turkey Day, when the Lions finally have a team that brings meaning to the game, and brings fans to the seats, and in a city that needs some incredible things to happen so they can have some hope again, the Lions give their city and their fans a big win. It’s not going to be easy, probably a big shootout with a ton of points on the board, but I think the Lions squeak it out for and show all of their fans how thankful they are that they stuck around.
Lions hand the Packers their first loss 38-35
Miami at Dallas
Miami has been looking really good since coming off of their bye week. Matt Moore has exceeded everyone’s expectations and has led his team to three straight victories. Reggie Bush has come alive, and although he didn’t put up huge numbers last week he still found his way into the end zone on the ground. The Dolphins have turned a new page and it looks as though they’ve forgotten how bad they were in the first half of the season and they believe that they can hang with some of these tougher teams. We’ll see. Dallas has been incredibly hot too. We’re bringing into this game two teams that are rolling right now, and it’s going to be a good one. Sure Dallas just barely nudged out their victory last week, but sometimes in a divisional rivalry game that is just what happens. Dallas has discovered the hidden talent off DeMarco Murray and can now rely on his wheels to gain some big yards on the ground, in turn giving Tony Romo the room he needs in the pocket to make the big plays he’s capable of. The newly balanced attack of the Dallas Cowboys is scary. Scary enough to beat some of the best teams, scary enough to beat some of the hottest teams, and scary enough to win at home on Thanksgiving.
The Dallas Cowboys enjoy a mini-bye after beating the Fish at home 28-20
San Francisco at Baltimore
I can’t decide which game is going to be more fun to watch, this one or the Packers Lions on Thanksgiving, but I’m heavily leaning towards this one which of course I am unable to watch. BUT! That’s a different story NFL Network, that’s a different story…
The 49ers have done nothing but impress me this season. Alex Smith has shown that he actually might have been taken as a number one overall pick for a reason, and offensive juggernauts like Vernon Davis and Frank Gore have really helped carry their bulk of the work too. The strength of the 49ers though lies in their defense. Seldom do they win by a ton of points, or really blow out their competition, but their defense can always keep the point total low, or within shooting range come the end of the game, and the offense has been able to get just enough to walk away with the win. Joe Flacco and his Ravens sometimes have trouble putting up the numbers that everyone expects them to get. The Ravens have lost some pretty silly games this year – Seattle, Jacksonville – but they tend to win the big ones and the ones that matter most – Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati – and this is a hard game to peg. The Niners are the more consistent, you know what you’re going to get when you watch them play. Frank Gore is going to pound the ball up the middle 20-30 times and give his team great field position and the defense is going to not allow big plays to happen. The Ravens are much more sporadic. When their offense is cooking you’ve got Flacco throwing to a dangerous Boldin and the stupidly fast Torrey Smith, along with Ray Rice cruising for some big yards. Everyone knows how good the Ravens defense can be, and if they turn it on for Thanksgiving it’s going to be one very interesting game. In a league defined by quarterbacks both of these two teams have underperforming players at that position. These two teams rely on their defenses to put them in a position where victory is still possible, and that is how this game is going to play out.
In a defensive battle the 49ers and Coach Jim Harbaugh outlast the Ravens and Coach John Harbaugh in a battle of the brothers Thanksgiving Night Family Reunion Special 17-13
Thank you to everyone that gives me a piece of their day and reads, skims, or just checks this out. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Green Bay has been unstoppable all year. They have the best quarterback in the league, they have probably the best offense in the league, and they have some incredibly good playmakers on the defensive side of the ball – leading the league in interceptions. When it comes down to which offense is going to score points everyone knows that Aaron Rodgers and his Pack-Attack are going to do just that. Whether it’s the ever reliable Greg Jennings having a huge week, the wily veteran Donald Driver, or the young guys like Jordy Nelson, the Packers put up numbers. Matthew Stafford’s Lions do the same thing. Calvin Johnson, Titus Young, the rebirth o Kevin Smith? The Lions came roaring back for what feels like the hundredth time last week. At one point they were down 28-7. This team has no fear, they think anything is possible to overcome, and nearly every week they prove that they are capable of doing just that. 39 years the Packers arrived in Detroit undefeated, the Lions beat them, and that ended up being the only loss the Packers brought home for the entire season. Can it happen again? I believe it can. I think on Turkey Day, when the Lions finally have a team that brings meaning to the game, and brings fans to the seats, and in a city that needs some incredible things to happen so they can have some hope again, the Lions give their city and their fans a big win. It’s not going to be easy, probably a big shootout with a ton of points on the board, but I think the Lions squeak it out for and show all of their fans how thankful they are that they stuck around.
Lions hand the Packers their first loss 38-35
Miami at Dallas
Miami has been looking really good since coming off of their bye week. Matt Moore has exceeded everyone’s expectations and has led his team to three straight victories. Reggie Bush has come alive, and although he didn’t put up huge numbers last week he still found his way into the end zone on the ground. The Dolphins have turned a new page and it looks as though they’ve forgotten how bad they were in the first half of the season and they believe that they can hang with some of these tougher teams. We’ll see. Dallas has been incredibly hot too. We’re bringing into this game two teams that are rolling right now, and it’s going to be a good one. Sure Dallas just barely nudged out their victory last week, but sometimes in a divisional rivalry game that is just what happens. Dallas has discovered the hidden talent off DeMarco Murray and can now rely on his wheels to gain some big yards on the ground, in turn giving Tony Romo the room he needs in the pocket to make the big plays he’s capable of. The newly balanced attack of the Dallas Cowboys is scary. Scary enough to beat some of the best teams, scary enough to beat some of the hottest teams, and scary enough to win at home on Thanksgiving.
The Dallas Cowboys enjoy a mini-bye after beating the Fish at home 28-20
San Francisco at Baltimore
I can’t decide which game is going to be more fun to watch, this one or the Packers Lions on Thanksgiving, but I’m heavily leaning towards this one which of course I am unable to watch. BUT! That’s a different story NFL Network, that’s a different story…
The 49ers have done nothing but impress me this season. Alex Smith has shown that he actually might have been taken as a number one overall pick for a reason, and offensive juggernauts like Vernon Davis and Frank Gore have really helped carry their bulk of the work too. The strength of the 49ers though lies in their defense. Seldom do they win by a ton of points, or really blow out their competition, but their defense can always keep the point total low, or within shooting range come the end of the game, and the offense has been able to get just enough to walk away with the win. Joe Flacco and his Ravens sometimes have trouble putting up the numbers that everyone expects them to get. The Ravens have lost some pretty silly games this year – Seattle, Jacksonville – but they tend to win the big ones and the ones that matter most – Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati – and this is a hard game to peg. The Niners are the more consistent, you know what you’re going to get when you watch them play. Frank Gore is going to pound the ball up the middle 20-30 times and give his team great field position and the defense is going to not allow big plays to happen. The Ravens are much more sporadic. When their offense is cooking you’ve got Flacco throwing to a dangerous Boldin and the stupidly fast Torrey Smith, along with Ray Rice cruising for some big yards. Everyone knows how good the Ravens defense can be, and if they turn it on for Thanksgiving it’s going to be one very interesting game. In a league defined by quarterbacks both of these two teams have underperforming players at that position. These two teams rely on their defenses to put them in a position where victory is still possible, and that is how this game is going to play out.
In a defensive battle the 49ers and Coach Jim Harbaugh outlast the Ravens and Coach John Harbaugh in a battle of the brothers Thanksgiving Night Family Reunion Special 17-13
Thank you to everyone that gives me a piece of their day and reads, skims, or just checks this out. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Week 11 - Monday Night Football
Kansas City at New England
Yet another game that could have been a lot better if everyone that was supposed to be playing was going to be playing. This game looked great on paper during the preseason, you’ve got Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel going up against Tom Brady and his incredibly wide receiver depth. Right? Wrong. Charles and Cassel, probably the two best offensive players are out against the Pats this week, and are being replaced by a few guys that no one has ever really heard of before this week. So as the Chiefs look to be on a quick downward spiral the Pats look to be picking it up. New England handled a great Jets defense last week, and although Mark Sanchez’s offensive tendencies aren’t anything to brag about, the Patriots shut him down too. I think the Patriots are on a big upwards swing right now, and again we are going to see some great things out of them.
Patriots win 35-17
Yet another game that could have been a lot better if everyone that was supposed to be playing was going to be playing. This game looked great on paper during the preseason, you’ve got Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel going up against Tom Brady and his incredibly wide receiver depth. Right? Wrong. Charles and Cassel, probably the two best offensive players are out against the Pats this week, and are being replaced by a few guys that no one has ever really heard of before this week. So as the Chiefs look to be on a quick downward spiral the Pats look to be picking it up. New England handled a great Jets defense last week, and although Mark Sanchez’s offensive tendencies aren’t anything to brag about, the Patriots shut him down too. I think the Patriots are on a big upwards swing right now, and again we are going to see some great things out of them.
Patriots win 35-17
Week 11 - Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football
Philadelphia at New York Giants
This game was supposed to be one of the best games of the week, but with injuries riddling both sides of the ball for both teams it’s a crap shoot. The Eagles are newly without quarter back Mike Vick, wide out Jeremy Maclin and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. All of these players have been keys for the Eagles week in and week out, and although Philly still has some great athletes playing in guys like LeSean and DeSean and a defense that has a wealth of talent, they still are missing some key guys. The Giants have been winning week after week with a team that has had injuries messing with them all year. Somehow Eli Manning has led his team to victory a handful of times, surmounting some pretty incredibly odds. I think this game comes down to the fact of both teams key injuries, and the fact that the Giants are more used to playing without some of their better players, they’ve had to adjust almost every week. But Philly is going in blind, not knowing really how to play without Vick playing commander for their team.
The Giants win 28-20
Philadelphia at New York Giants
This game was supposed to be one of the best games of the week, but with injuries riddling both sides of the ball for both teams it’s a crap shoot. The Eagles are newly without quarter back Mike Vick, wide out Jeremy Maclin and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. All of these players have been keys for the Eagles week in and week out, and although Philly still has some great athletes playing in guys like LeSean and DeSean and a defense that has a wealth of talent, they still are missing some key guys. The Giants have been winning week after week with a team that has had injuries messing with them all year. Somehow Eli Manning has led his team to victory a handful of times, surmounting some pretty incredibly odds. I think this game comes down to the fact of both teams key injuries, and the fact that the Giants are more used to playing without some of their better players, they’ve had to adjust almost every week. But Philly is going in blind, not knowing really how to play without Vick playing commander for their team.
The Giants win 28-20
Week 11 - 4 O'Clock Games
Seattle at St. Louis
This is another one of those games that I’m not really excited for. Seattle is a huge let down. I didn’t have high expectations for them going into this season, but I also didn’t believe that they were going to be just this bad. Jackson and Rice and the transplanted Vikings combination hasn’t been enough to give this offense the kick it needs. Marshawn Lynch shows up every now and then to play, but he isn’t consistent enough. The Rams on the other side of the ball have one player that I absolutely love to watch run the ball in Steven Jackson. Year after year Jackson takes hit after hit and tries his hardest to bring this Rams franchise back to where it once was. The man just never quits. I think this is Jackson’s game to run with, and I think he does it well.
Jackson and the Rams win 24-16
Arizona at San Francisco
Arizona hasn’t done much to impress me this season. I thought Kolb was before getting hurt, and although this Skelton kid has had a couple of decent plays he’s nothing spectacular. Unfortunately for this rundown Cardinals team they are going up against arguably one of the best teams in the NFL this week as they walk on to a field armed with barbarians like Frank Gore and Patrick Willis. These two men would absolutely scare the hell out of me if I were to ever see either of them running at me with their shoulders lowered. Gore does it to get his team points, Willis does it to get his team the ball, and they both do it well. Very well.
The 49ers are too good winning 28-10
Tennessee at Atlanta
Chris Johnson finally showed up to run this ball last week for just the second time this season CJ hit the century mark. This is the same guy that got 2000 yards from scrimmage a couple of years ago? I don’t see it. Yeah so Chris had his second good game of the season, he should have been having these games all year long. Going up against this Atlanta team is going to be tough this week, too. Atlanta has a lot to answer for, to both their fans and football analysts everywhere. Atlanta went for it on 4th and 1 in overtime against the Saints deep in their own territory. Do I blame them? Not one bit. They have Michael Turner, one of the absolute best running backs in the league right now, a running back that averages 4.4 yards a carry. I’d give him the ball ten times out of ten right there, especially knowing you’ve got Drew Brees waiting on the other side waiting to get back in. I agree with the Atlanta call, and I expect them to come out playing angry.
Atlanta defends themselves and rebounds with a big win 31-17
San Diego at Chicago
I’m over the Chargers. Every now and then I hold on to a team for too long because of how they should be playing, instead of how they are. Rivers is just not on lately, and the Chargers continue to do little things wrong that give the other team the game. Going into Chicago the Chargers are going to need to do everything right to stand a chance. Jay Cutler may not be the best quarterback in the league right now, but he does have one of the guys that I think is one of the best offensive players in the league standing with him – Matt Forte. Forte continues to dominate in every aspect of the game offensively, and if Michael Bush was allowed to run for well over one hundred yards last week I can only imagine what Forte is going to do.
Chicago wins this one 30-16
This is another one of those games that I’m not really excited for. Seattle is a huge let down. I didn’t have high expectations for them going into this season, but I also didn’t believe that they were going to be just this bad. Jackson and Rice and the transplanted Vikings combination hasn’t been enough to give this offense the kick it needs. Marshawn Lynch shows up every now and then to play, but he isn’t consistent enough. The Rams on the other side of the ball have one player that I absolutely love to watch run the ball in Steven Jackson. Year after year Jackson takes hit after hit and tries his hardest to bring this Rams franchise back to where it once was. The man just never quits. I think this is Jackson’s game to run with, and I think he does it well.
Jackson and the Rams win 24-16
Arizona at San Francisco
Arizona hasn’t done much to impress me this season. I thought Kolb was before getting hurt, and although this Skelton kid has had a couple of decent plays he’s nothing spectacular. Unfortunately for this rundown Cardinals team they are going up against arguably one of the best teams in the NFL this week as they walk on to a field armed with barbarians like Frank Gore and Patrick Willis. These two men would absolutely scare the hell out of me if I were to ever see either of them running at me with their shoulders lowered. Gore does it to get his team points, Willis does it to get his team the ball, and they both do it well. Very well.
The 49ers are too good winning 28-10
Tennessee at Atlanta
Chris Johnson finally showed up to run this ball last week for just the second time this season CJ hit the century mark. This is the same guy that got 2000 yards from scrimmage a couple of years ago? I don’t see it. Yeah so Chris had his second good game of the season, he should have been having these games all year long. Going up against this Atlanta team is going to be tough this week, too. Atlanta has a lot to answer for, to both their fans and football analysts everywhere. Atlanta went for it on 4th and 1 in overtime against the Saints deep in their own territory. Do I blame them? Not one bit. They have Michael Turner, one of the absolute best running backs in the league right now, a running back that averages 4.4 yards a carry. I’d give him the ball ten times out of ten right there, especially knowing you’ve got Drew Brees waiting on the other side waiting to get back in. I agree with the Atlanta call, and I expect them to come out playing angry.
Atlanta defends themselves and rebounds with a big win 31-17
San Diego at Chicago
I’m over the Chargers. Every now and then I hold on to a team for too long because of how they should be playing, instead of how they are. Rivers is just not on lately, and the Chargers continue to do little things wrong that give the other team the game. Going into Chicago the Chargers are going to need to do everything right to stand a chance. Jay Cutler may not be the best quarterback in the league right now, but he does have one of the guys that I think is one of the best offensive players in the league standing with him – Matt Forte. Forte continues to dominate in every aspect of the game offensively, and if Michael Bush was allowed to run for well over one hundred yards last week I can only imagine what Forte is going to do.
Chicago wins this one 30-16
Week 11 - 1 O'Clock Games
Carolina at Detroit
If you’ve been following my blog, and reading what I’ve got to say each week then you know I’m a fan of Cam Newton. I think Cam is already a great player, and he’s just going to keep on getting better. However, this week Cam Newton is going up against a team that is already great. The young Matt Stafford is already playing very well, and with the offensive weapons that the Lions have I see them running wild all over a weak Carolina defense. Detroit has playmakers on both sides of the ball, and with Calvin Johnson holding down the fort on the offensive and Ndamukong Suh beasting through any offensive wall thrown in front of him, I don’t see how Detroit loses this one.
Detroit wins at home 31-21
Oakland at Minnesota
Oakland pulled out a good win last week and completely surprised me as Michael Bush ran wild all over the Chargers defense. Apparently this Oakland team is just breeding running backs right now, and whether its Michael Bush or Darren McFadden back there they aren’t afraid to jam the ball up the gut. Carson Palmer gives the team some confidence through the air even though he has been throwing interceptions he still has the mental capability to get over the few mistakes he does have. Minnesota is coming off of a savage beating courtesy of undefeated Green Bay. Although the Vikings are playing at home, and they’ve got some great threats with Peterson running and Jared Allen taking out any opposing quarterback, I just have a gut feeling that it’s not enough this week.
The Raiders win 28-17
Dallas at Washington
Dallas made Buffalo look silly last week. Romo was on fire to start the game, and DeMarco Murray continues to be a surprise breakout player. The rookie runningback out of Oklahoma has run for over 600 yards in the last four games, with his lowest yards per carry average during that span coming in at a 6.3 against the Seahawks. I think DeMarco is one of the biggest surprises to come out midseason, and going up against Washington it’s just going to keep on getting better. The Redskins give up an average of 4.3 yards per carry to opposing running backs, and I think this is Murray’s game from the get go. Romo is going to excel with a new running game dominating the Cowboys attack.
Dallas wins 38-10
Buffalo at Miami
This is an intriguing match-up. Buffalo started the season incredibly hot, and they looked like they were going to be a force to be reckoned with in the AFC East. Since then the Bills have cooled off. They haven’t been forcing the turnovers they were early on in the season, and their offensive attack has dwindled. The Dolphins have been exactly the opposite. They started their season cold, and I mean ice cold. But since their bye week it looks as if the Dolphins have figured something out. Their offense has been putting up some very nice numbers from none other than Matt Moore under center, and Reggie Bush finally playing like a first round pick after half a dozen years in the league. This is one of those must win games for Buffalo though, and I don’t think they take the fish lightly. I think Fred Jackson and Fitzpatrick come in this one to play, and the Bills defense starts getting the ball back.
Buffalo takes one at Miami 24-13
Jacksonville at Cleveland
I’m not a big fan of either of these teams. I think Blaine Gabbert could eventually be good. I think Maurice Jones-Drew is a great running back, but he’s plagued by the fact that the entire offense rests on his short shoulders. The Jags defense isn’t anything spectacular as they give up an average of 4.8 yards to opposing offenses per play. I think that Cleveland is even worse though. They do very little every game. Occasionally either of these teams will do something out of the ordinary, but for the most part I don’t have high expectations for either of these teams for a year or two, but definitely not during this game. I think it comes down to the point that the Jags have the best player on the field in MJD and he carries the ball for victory
Jaguars win at Cleveland 17-9
Cincinnati at Baltimore
The Bengals have really grown on me this year. I respect their system quite a bit more, and I love the potential that the franchise now has for years down the road. Dalton and Green have given the team a revitalization that they have truly needed, while their defense continues to make some pretty big plays. Baltimore on the other hand seems to choose the games that they want to come out and play for. The Ravens continue to win against the big teams, the games that they “need” to win, but they also continue to lose against the teams that they are supposed to roll over. Luckily for Ravens fans this week Cincy is one of those games that they need to win, and Baltimore always seems to show up for these ones.
Somehow the Ravens pull one out 24-21
Tampa Bay at Green Bay
Tampa is put in a hard place. They’ve taken major hits to their defensive line, and their incredibly young offense seems to be showing its inexperience this season. The biggest thing in this game is going to be if this beaten and battered Buccaneers defensive front can get any pressure on the incredible Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has done phenomenal things all season, and if he has time to sit in the pocket and not need to worry about the rush then it’s going to be just that much better. In a battle of the bays I don’t see just how Tampa could plan on pulling this one off. Green Bay is just too good right now to be slowed down by this young Tampa team.
Green Bay wins another 35-24
If you’ve been following my blog, and reading what I’ve got to say each week then you know I’m a fan of Cam Newton. I think Cam is already a great player, and he’s just going to keep on getting better. However, this week Cam Newton is going up against a team that is already great. The young Matt Stafford is already playing very well, and with the offensive weapons that the Lions have I see them running wild all over a weak Carolina defense. Detroit has playmakers on both sides of the ball, and with Calvin Johnson holding down the fort on the offensive and Ndamukong Suh beasting through any offensive wall thrown in front of him, I don’t see how Detroit loses this one.
Detroit wins at home 31-21
Oakland at Minnesota
Oakland pulled out a good win last week and completely surprised me as Michael Bush ran wild all over the Chargers defense. Apparently this Oakland team is just breeding running backs right now, and whether its Michael Bush or Darren McFadden back there they aren’t afraid to jam the ball up the gut. Carson Palmer gives the team some confidence through the air even though he has been throwing interceptions he still has the mental capability to get over the few mistakes he does have. Minnesota is coming off of a savage beating courtesy of undefeated Green Bay. Although the Vikings are playing at home, and they’ve got some great threats with Peterson running and Jared Allen taking out any opposing quarterback, I just have a gut feeling that it’s not enough this week.
The Raiders win 28-17
Dallas at Washington
Dallas made Buffalo look silly last week. Romo was on fire to start the game, and DeMarco Murray continues to be a surprise breakout player. The rookie runningback out of Oklahoma has run for over 600 yards in the last four games, with his lowest yards per carry average during that span coming in at a 6.3 against the Seahawks. I think DeMarco is one of the biggest surprises to come out midseason, and going up against Washington it’s just going to keep on getting better. The Redskins give up an average of 4.3 yards per carry to opposing running backs, and I think this is Murray’s game from the get go. Romo is going to excel with a new running game dominating the Cowboys attack.
Dallas wins 38-10
Buffalo at Miami
This is an intriguing match-up. Buffalo started the season incredibly hot, and they looked like they were going to be a force to be reckoned with in the AFC East. Since then the Bills have cooled off. They haven’t been forcing the turnovers they were early on in the season, and their offensive attack has dwindled. The Dolphins have been exactly the opposite. They started their season cold, and I mean ice cold. But since their bye week it looks as if the Dolphins have figured something out. Their offense has been putting up some very nice numbers from none other than Matt Moore under center, and Reggie Bush finally playing like a first round pick after half a dozen years in the league. This is one of those must win games for Buffalo though, and I don’t think they take the fish lightly. I think Fred Jackson and Fitzpatrick come in this one to play, and the Bills defense starts getting the ball back.
Buffalo takes one at Miami 24-13
Jacksonville at Cleveland
I’m not a big fan of either of these teams. I think Blaine Gabbert could eventually be good. I think Maurice Jones-Drew is a great running back, but he’s plagued by the fact that the entire offense rests on his short shoulders. The Jags defense isn’t anything spectacular as they give up an average of 4.8 yards to opposing offenses per play. I think that Cleveland is even worse though. They do very little every game. Occasionally either of these teams will do something out of the ordinary, but for the most part I don’t have high expectations for either of these teams for a year or two, but definitely not during this game. I think it comes down to the point that the Jags have the best player on the field in MJD and he carries the ball for victory
Jaguars win at Cleveland 17-9
Cincinnati at Baltimore
The Bengals have really grown on me this year. I respect their system quite a bit more, and I love the potential that the franchise now has for years down the road. Dalton and Green have given the team a revitalization that they have truly needed, while their defense continues to make some pretty big plays. Baltimore on the other hand seems to choose the games that they want to come out and play for. The Ravens continue to win against the big teams, the games that they “need” to win, but they also continue to lose against the teams that they are supposed to roll over. Luckily for Ravens fans this week Cincy is one of those games that they need to win, and Baltimore always seems to show up for these ones.
Somehow the Ravens pull one out 24-21
Tampa Bay at Green Bay
Tampa is put in a hard place. They’ve taken major hits to their defensive line, and their incredibly young offense seems to be showing its inexperience this season. The biggest thing in this game is going to be if this beaten and battered Buccaneers defensive front can get any pressure on the incredible Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has done phenomenal things all season, and if he has time to sit in the pocket and not need to worry about the rush then it’s going to be just that much better. In a battle of the bays I don’t see just how Tampa could plan on pulling this one off. Green Bay is just too good right now to be slowed down by this young Tampa team.
Green Bay wins another 35-24
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Week 11 - Thursday Night Football
New York Jets at Denver
For the past few weeks I’ve been hearing about how “Tim Tebow wins games.” Trust me when I say this, in the NFL so far it has not been Tim Tebow that wins those games. Maybe he puts his team in a decent position with his feet, and maybe just maybe he makes one good throw a game, but so far this team under Tim Tebow’s wing has led him to victories, not the other way around. I know the Jets just got swamped by the Patriots, and LT got hurt by a wide receiver playing corner. I still think that the Jets are more than capable of trouncing a very one dimensional Broncos attack. Revis – maybe the best corner in the game is going to be matched up against Decker? Who? Good luck Denver, you’re going to need it.
Jets win this one 27-10
For the past few weeks I’ve been hearing about how “Tim Tebow wins games.” Trust me when I say this, in the NFL so far it has not been Tim Tebow that wins those games. Maybe he puts his team in a decent position with his feet, and maybe just maybe he makes one good throw a game, but so far this team under Tim Tebow’s wing has led him to victories, not the other way around. I know the Jets just got swamped by the Patriots, and LT got hurt by a wide receiver playing corner. I still think that the Jets are more than capable of trouncing a very one dimensional Broncos attack. Revis – maybe the best corner in the game is going to be matched up against Decker? Who? Good luck Denver, you’re going to need it.
Jets win this one 27-10
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Week 10 - Monday Night Football
Minnesota at Green Bay
Minnesota and Christian Ponder look like the perfect match for the first few weeks that they’ve been playing together. Ponder has taken the mess that McNabb left behind and already worked out a few kinks during his brief starts in the rookie season. The biggest difference is the play style that the Vikings have changed to once they put Ponder under center. At the start of the season it was looking more like a pass first run later approach to the game, but now it has turned into giving the ball to Adrian Peterson and letting him do what he can before relying on the rookies arm. The Packers are the Packers are the Packers. It’s the same story week in and week out with these guys. Last week it was Aaron Rodgers again doing everything he could as the Pack Attack rolled on. Rodgers threw four touchdowns, just under 250 yards, and completed eighty-percent of his passes. If one player in this league looks stand-out incredible this year it is Aaron Rodgers. The Packers are looking unstoppable and I think that playing at home, with one of the biggest rivalries in the NFL coming into their place I can’t see it going any other way than Rodgers. Rodgers did get sacked four times last week, and the Vikings bring one of most dominant pass rushers in Jared Allen. Things could get tough, but in the end on Monday night it will fall the Packers way.
Aaron Rodgers has another great game as the Packers win 30-24.
Minnesota and Christian Ponder look like the perfect match for the first few weeks that they’ve been playing together. Ponder has taken the mess that McNabb left behind and already worked out a few kinks during his brief starts in the rookie season. The biggest difference is the play style that the Vikings have changed to once they put Ponder under center. At the start of the season it was looking more like a pass first run later approach to the game, but now it has turned into giving the ball to Adrian Peterson and letting him do what he can before relying on the rookies arm. The Packers are the Packers are the Packers. It’s the same story week in and week out with these guys. Last week it was Aaron Rodgers again doing everything he could as the Pack Attack rolled on. Rodgers threw four touchdowns, just under 250 yards, and completed eighty-percent of his passes. If one player in this league looks stand-out incredible this year it is Aaron Rodgers. The Packers are looking unstoppable and I think that playing at home, with one of the biggest rivalries in the NFL coming into their place I can’t see it going any other way than Rodgers. Rodgers did get sacked four times last week, and the Vikings bring one of most dominant pass rushers in Jared Allen. Things could get tough, but in the end on Monday night it will fall the Packers way.
Aaron Rodgers has another great game as the Packers win 30-24.
Week 10 - Sunday Night Football
New England at New York Jets
If Tom Brady isn’t the angriest person in the NFL right now, I don’t know who is. Brady has looked off for the last few games. He has the occasional great pass down to Welker or Gronkowski, but he doesn’t have any deep threat. Ochocinco was supposed to fill that spot, and so far it just hasn’t worked out. If there’s ever a week where Brady’s bunch needs to piece it all together it’s this one. The Jets shut down the Bills attack, they took one of the hottest offenses in the league and held them to just 11 points. On top of that Sanchez and his crew of receivers have looked like they’re starting to piece their own blunders together. The Patriots offense is the polar opposite of what the Bills put on the field every week though, so it’s going to be interesting to see if the Jets can contain a potent passing attack compared to a ground and pound offense that the Bills have been running with lately.
The Pats piece this one together and eek one out at 31-28
If Tom Brady isn’t the angriest person in the NFL right now, I don’t know who is. Brady has looked off for the last few games. He has the occasional great pass down to Welker or Gronkowski, but he doesn’t have any deep threat. Ochocinco was supposed to fill that spot, and so far it just hasn’t worked out. If there’s ever a week where Brady’s bunch needs to piece it all together it’s this one. The Jets shut down the Bills attack, they took one of the hottest offenses in the league and held them to just 11 points. On top of that Sanchez and his crew of receivers have looked like they’re starting to piece their own blunders together. The Patriots offense is the polar opposite of what the Bills put on the field every week though, so it’s going to be interesting to see if the Jets can contain a potent passing attack compared to a ground and pound offense that the Bills have been running with lately.
The Pats piece this one together and eek one out at 31-28
Week 10 - 4 O'Clock
Baltimore at Seattle
The Ravens are one of my favorite teams in the league to watch. They have a great defense with guys that can not only stop big plays from happening, but make them happen on their own. If Flacco can become the player that he was in their closing drive last week for an entire game then Baltimore could be one of the biggest threats in the NFL on both sides of the ball. Seattle isn’t doing much for me this season. Occasionally one of their players will do something that makes it look like he could be a great player, but then the next few weeks he’ll drop off. I don’t see any of these one week players are going to do anything against such a strong defense.
Baltimore takes this one 31-10
Detroit at Chicago
Detroit took a week off last week after they got back on the winning end of the ball in a 45-10 trouncing of the Broncos. Matt Stafford threw for over 250 yards again alongside his three touchdown passes. Throughout Calvin Johnsons five year career he’s scored on forty-four touchdown receptions – eleven of those have come this year – only eight games in. The trouble with all of this is that Detroit is going into a very hostile Bears territory, a team that just shutdown and beat the Eagles. Matt Forte is second in rushing behind LeSeasn McCoy by only twenty yards. Forte has gained 805 yards on the ground and 436 through the air. The Bears rely on Forte and his versatility to dominate games. This matchup is going to come down to the Lions defensive front against the Bears lone threat.
Suh versus Forte could be a primetime fight, but I’ll give it to Suh and the Lions winning 28-24
New York Giants at San Francisco
The Giants looked pretty surprising against the Patriots last week, and I think that they shocked everyone as they won on their fifth game winning drive of the season. Eli looked strong on that last drive, and Ballard – a tight end that’s come out of nowhere – made many big catches. The difference between the Patriots and the Niners is their defensive capabilities. Just having Willis on the defensive side of the ball is incredibly helpful compared to a battered and beaten up Patriots defense. Frank Gore is one of the strongest running backs in the league, and I think he’s going to take the ball and run all over the Giants defense.
Gore wins this one 24-21
The Ravens are one of my favorite teams in the league to watch. They have a great defense with guys that can not only stop big plays from happening, but make them happen on their own. If Flacco can become the player that he was in their closing drive last week for an entire game then Baltimore could be one of the biggest threats in the NFL on both sides of the ball. Seattle isn’t doing much for me this season. Occasionally one of their players will do something that makes it look like he could be a great player, but then the next few weeks he’ll drop off. I don’t see any of these one week players are going to do anything against such a strong defense.
Baltimore takes this one 31-10
Detroit at Chicago
Detroit took a week off last week after they got back on the winning end of the ball in a 45-10 trouncing of the Broncos. Matt Stafford threw for over 250 yards again alongside his three touchdown passes. Throughout Calvin Johnsons five year career he’s scored on forty-four touchdown receptions – eleven of those have come this year – only eight games in. The trouble with all of this is that Detroit is going into a very hostile Bears territory, a team that just shutdown and beat the Eagles. Matt Forte is second in rushing behind LeSeasn McCoy by only twenty yards. Forte has gained 805 yards on the ground and 436 through the air. The Bears rely on Forte and his versatility to dominate games. This matchup is going to come down to the Lions defensive front against the Bears lone threat.
Suh versus Forte could be a primetime fight, but I’ll give it to Suh and the Lions winning 28-24
New York Giants at San Francisco
The Giants looked pretty surprising against the Patriots last week, and I think that they shocked everyone as they won on their fifth game winning drive of the season. Eli looked strong on that last drive, and Ballard – a tight end that’s come out of nowhere – made many big catches. The difference between the Patriots and the Niners is their defensive capabilities. Just having Willis on the defensive side of the ball is incredibly helpful compared to a battered and beaten up Patriots defense. Frank Gore is one of the strongest running backs in the league, and I think he’s going to take the ball and run all over the Giants defense.
Gore wins this one 24-21
Week 10 - 1 O'Clock
Arizona at Philadelphia
Last week Arizona had a pretty lucky win while St. Louis missed a game winning field goal as time expired. Patrick Peterson continues to look impressive in the return game during his rookie career especially as he returned a 99 yard punt for the win just a week ago. The Eagles continue to look strong, despite a late loss to the Bears in week nine. Michael Vick is always a handful, LeSean McCoy is a dominant running back, and the core of wide receivers that Andy Reid’s Eagles contain is astounding.
Expect Michael Vick to bounce back with a decisive win over the Cardinals 31-17
Buffalo at Dallas
Fred Jackson and the Buffalo Bills have been one of the more surprising teams of the year. With some big wins over some pretty good teams throughout the first half of the season the Bills have put themselves in a pretty strong position going through the rest of the year, but this week is going to be tough. After the Jet’s showed what it takes to beat the Bills last week expect the Cowboys to pick up on the same defensive schemes to pick apart Buffalo’s offense and contain them to some pretty small yardage. I think Tony Romo will be just okay against this Bills secondary, but Demarco Murray is going to have another great day.
Demarco runs over the Bills as Dallas wins 24-17
Denver at Kansas City
To quote a friend, “last week was a fluke for both of these teams.” Denver isn’t good. They have a couple of decent players on either side of the ball, and McGahee seems to look like he’s having a rebirth in the mile high air, but besides that the Broncos’ offense doesn’t seem too impressive. Kansas City is better than they played last week, and by a lot. I think KC was looking past the winless Dolphins and expected the game to be a pushover as they prepared for this week and the Chiefs. The running back situation is questionable down in Arrowhead Stadium, but Matt Cassel is growing into his young wideouts and things are looking up.
Kansas City takes one at home 27-20
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
This game is going to come down to whether or not Maurice Jones-Drew can outrun the outside rush of Freeney and Mathis. MJD is consistently a great back in the NFL but this week he needs to lower his shoulders and break through the line for the Jags to get another win on the year. Indianapolis just isn’t good. It’s the same thing week in and week out, a soft run game, and a quarterback that just still doesn’t quite get it. Maybe Painter finally starts to step it up a little bit, and maybe he gets a touchdown or two, but it just isn’t going to be enough for the Colts to get their first win of the season.
Maurice runs wild over a soft Colts run defense as the Jags win 20-17
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
Pittsburgh fell short last week against the Ravens as Joe Flacco led a 92 yard drive and a game winning touchdown. The Steelers defense hasn’t looked as impressive as it has in years past this season, but they’re still pretty tough. Pittsburgh’s offense has some strong characters, and some big playmakers that can really change the game. On the other side in this game we’ve got Dalton who continues to impress through the air and get big touchdowns when they matter. With Cedric Benson being a balance for the aerial game that the Bengals have adopted the balanced Cincy offense seems to be on the right track to be successful for years. We’ve got two of the best defenses playing in this game, and it’s going to come down to who can shut down who.
The Bengals d holds Big Ben in check as Cincy wins 24-17
New Orleans at Atlanta
New Orleans has everything it takes to be a great franchise again this season but as they consistently give up big plays through the air it’s going to be an uphill battle. Sure they have the weapons on offense with Brees, a slew of running backs, and a handful of guys that can catch the ball, but with the lack of standout defensive players its hard to say they aren’t going to give up a lot of yards in any game. Atlanta looked great last week granted they were playing the lowly Colts. As Julio Jones stormed downfield a few times for a couple of huge touchdown receptions it leaves me with the thoughts of exactly the same things happening against the Saints this week. Matt Ryan and his offensive threats soaring through the secondary are just too dangerous for the New Orleans defense to handle.
Atlanta wins this through the air 31-28
Tennessee at Carolina
Tennessee is a team that I have no faith in any week. Chris Johnson is the biggest let down in the entire league this season, no one has made as big of demands as he did just to come back and do nothing for his team. With Hasselbeck under center maybe the Titans have a chance here and there, but for the most part I have no faith. Carolina on the other hand is exactly the opposite. Rookie sensation Cam Newton is impressive almost every week, and him throwing the ball downfield to Steve Smith is one of the highlights I look for week in and week out. Even with a weak ground attack this year the Panthers are starting an upwards swing that’s going to keep increasing for the next few seasons.
Panthers and Cam take one at home 24-13
Houston at Tampa Bay
Arian Foster is one of the best players in the game, and Tampa Bay is down to a defensive tackle that is brand new to their system and only played a select handful of downs before being shipped out by the Patriots in Albert Haynesworth. If previous games are how you look to pick your game for the week then think about this – Arian Foster has over 100 yards and a combined five touchdowns in the last three games. Foster is hot. With a Tampa defensive line that looks questionable at best it’s hard not to pick the Texans in this one. On the other hand you have young standouts like Freeman and Blount who are looking good, but I just don’t think that it is enough.
Foster takes this one 28-21
St. Louis at Cleveland
Bradford and Jackson got robbed last week as the Rams missed their game winning field goal. I like the Rams young attack this year, sure they don’t have a lot of wins, but they’ve got potential and I think that there are going to be a few games this year where the Rams just take it and run with it – literally. Steven Jackson is an absolute BEAST when he’s healthy, and he is healthy now. Last week SJax had 130 yards on 29 carries and the week before he had a monstrous 159 on 25 carries. Give Jackson the ball twenty-plus times and watch magic happen. Cleveland is okay, I’ve said it for a few weeks now that I like Colt McCoy, but besides that there isn’t much going for them lately. With a continued absence of Peyton Hillis I don’t see this game falling the way of the Browns.
Jackson runs wild for the Rams as they win 21-10
Washington at Miami
Washington is very banged up and very injured with some of their biggest players going down a few weeks ago. With Beck being their best offensive weapon it’s very dangerous to put your pick in the hands of the Redskins. The Dolphins actually looked very impressive last week as they went off against the Chiefs. Matt Moore looked really good, and Reggie Bush looked surprisingly like a starter as he ran for over 100 yards. If the Dolphins can keep this streak going the second half of their season could be drastically different than the first.
Matt Moore leads the Dolphins to their second in a row 17-10
Last week Arizona had a pretty lucky win while St. Louis missed a game winning field goal as time expired. Patrick Peterson continues to look impressive in the return game during his rookie career especially as he returned a 99 yard punt for the win just a week ago. The Eagles continue to look strong, despite a late loss to the Bears in week nine. Michael Vick is always a handful, LeSean McCoy is a dominant running back, and the core of wide receivers that Andy Reid’s Eagles contain is astounding.
Expect Michael Vick to bounce back with a decisive win over the Cardinals 31-17
Buffalo at Dallas
Fred Jackson and the Buffalo Bills have been one of the more surprising teams of the year. With some big wins over some pretty good teams throughout the first half of the season the Bills have put themselves in a pretty strong position going through the rest of the year, but this week is going to be tough. After the Jet’s showed what it takes to beat the Bills last week expect the Cowboys to pick up on the same defensive schemes to pick apart Buffalo’s offense and contain them to some pretty small yardage. I think Tony Romo will be just okay against this Bills secondary, but Demarco Murray is going to have another great day.
Demarco runs over the Bills as Dallas wins 24-17
Denver at Kansas City
To quote a friend, “last week was a fluke for both of these teams.” Denver isn’t good. They have a couple of decent players on either side of the ball, and McGahee seems to look like he’s having a rebirth in the mile high air, but besides that the Broncos’ offense doesn’t seem too impressive. Kansas City is better than they played last week, and by a lot. I think KC was looking past the winless Dolphins and expected the game to be a pushover as they prepared for this week and the Chiefs. The running back situation is questionable down in Arrowhead Stadium, but Matt Cassel is growing into his young wideouts and things are looking up.
Kansas City takes one at home 27-20
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
This game is going to come down to whether or not Maurice Jones-Drew can outrun the outside rush of Freeney and Mathis. MJD is consistently a great back in the NFL but this week he needs to lower his shoulders and break through the line for the Jags to get another win on the year. Indianapolis just isn’t good. It’s the same thing week in and week out, a soft run game, and a quarterback that just still doesn’t quite get it. Maybe Painter finally starts to step it up a little bit, and maybe he gets a touchdown or two, but it just isn’t going to be enough for the Colts to get their first win of the season.
Maurice runs wild over a soft Colts run defense as the Jags win 20-17
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
Pittsburgh fell short last week against the Ravens as Joe Flacco led a 92 yard drive and a game winning touchdown. The Steelers defense hasn’t looked as impressive as it has in years past this season, but they’re still pretty tough. Pittsburgh’s offense has some strong characters, and some big playmakers that can really change the game. On the other side in this game we’ve got Dalton who continues to impress through the air and get big touchdowns when they matter. With Cedric Benson being a balance for the aerial game that the Bengals have adopted the balanced Cincy offense seems to be on the right track to be successful for years. We’ve got two of the best defenses playing in this game, and it’s going to come down to who can shut down who.
The Bengals d holds Big Ben in check as Cincy wins 24-17
New Orleans at Atlanta
New Orleans has everything it takes to be a great franchise again this season but as they consistently give up big plays through the air it’s going to be an uphill battle. Sure they have the weapons on offense with Brees, a slew of running backs, and a handful of guys that can catch the ball, but with the lack of standout defensive players its hard to say they aren’t going to give up a lot of yards in any game. Atlanta looked great last week granted they were playing the lowly Colts. As Julio Jones stormed downfield a few times for a couple of huge touchdown receptions it leaves me with the thoughts of exactly the same things happening against the Saints this week. Matt Ryan and his offensive threats soaring through the secondary are just too dangerous for the New Orleans defense to handle.
Atlanta wins this through the air 31-28
Tennessee at Carolina
Tennessee is a team that I have no faith in any week. Chris Johnson is the biggest let down in the entire league this season, no one has made as big of demands as he did just to come back and do nothing for his team. With Hasselbeck under center maybe the Titans have a chance here and there, but for the most part I have no faith. Carolina on the other hand is exactly the opposite. Rookie sensation Cam Newton is impressive almost every week, and him throwing the ball downfield to Steve Smith is one of the highlights I look for week in and week out. Even with a weak ground attack this year the Panthers are starting an upwards swing that’s going to keep increasing for the next few seasons.
Panthers and Cam take one at home 24-13
Houston at Tampa Bay
Arian Foster is one of the best players in the game, and Tampa Bay is down to a defensive tackle that is brand new to their system and only played a select handful of downs before being shipped out by the Patriots in Albert Haynesworth. If previous games are how you look to pick your game for the week then think about this – Arian Foster has over 100 yards and a combined five touchdowns in the last three games. Foster is hot. With a Tampa defensive line that looks questionable at best it’s hard not to pick the Texans in this one. On the other hand you have young standouts like Freeman and Blount who are looking good, but I just don’t think that it is enough.
Foster takes this one 28-21
St. Louis at Cleveland
Bradford and Jackson got robbed last week as the Rams missed their game winning field goal. I like the Rams young attack this year, sure they don’t have a lot of wins, but they’ve got potential and I think that there are going to be a few games this year where the Rams just take it and run with it – literally. Steven Jackson is an absolute BEAST when he’s healthy, and he is healthy now. Last week SJax had 130 yards on 29 carries and the week before he had a monstrous 159 on 25 carries. Give Jackson the ball twenty-plus times and watch magic happen. Cleveland is okay, I’ve said it for a few weeks now that I like Colt McCoy, but besides that there isn’t much going for them lately. With a continued absence of Peyton Hillis I don’t see this game falling the way of the Browns.
Jackson runs wild for the Rams as they win 21-10
Washington at Miami
Washington is very banged up and very injured with some of their biggest players going down a few weeks ago. With Beck being their best offensive weapon it’s very dangerous to put your pick in the hands of the Redskins. The Dolphins actually looked very impressive last week as they went off against the Chiefs. Matt Moore looked really good, and Reggie Bush looked surprisingly like a starter as he ran for over 100 yards. If the Dolphins can keep this streak going the second half of their season could be drastically different than the first.
Matt Moore leads the Dolphins to their second in a row 17-10
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Week 10 - Thursday Night Football
Oakland at San Diego
In two weeks with the Raiders Carson Palmer hasn’t done anything outstanding. He has six interceptions to just three touchdowns. Can this be blamed on the fact that not only was there a lockout this year, but he also didn’t play for the entire preseason or first six weeks of the season? Maybe, but that depends on what you think would have happened during those weeks. I think Palmer is going to need some time to develop chemistry with these young wide-receivers. No longer does Carson have staple players that he has gone to for years in the past, there’s no more Ochocinco for him, no T.O this year, no Jermaine Gresham, even no Cedric Benson. Palmer doesn’t have any of the players he’s used to playing with, all he has are three and a half short weeks with his new team under his belt, two losses, and six interceptions. What could make this week look even more ominous for the Raiders? They sat McFadden last week in hopes that he’d be ready for tonight, but unfortunately DMC hasn’t been able to practice and he’s out again this week – ouch.
San Diego put up a fight last week. They only lost to the undefeated Green Bay Packers by a touchdown, and Rivers had more touchdowns than interceptions for the second time this season. Antonio Gates looks to be turning it on again, he had eight catches for 96 yards and a touchdown against the Packers, alongside Vincent Jackson’s three scoring receptions on seven catches for 141 yards. Tolbert picked up a good chunk of yards, 83, on 19 carries while he brought one into the end zone. The Chargers offense looked good last week if you can forget about their turnovers. This game is going to come down to their defense and whether or not it can hold back Carson Palmer’s aerial attack.
The Raiders have given up just under 250 yards through the air a game, as well as 14 passing touchdowns throughout their first eight. The Raiders defense needs to lock it down if they expect to contain the Chargers offense. The Chargers pass attack hits at just about 295 yards a game, and when matched up against this Raiders defense it’s the point to watch throughout the game. If the Raiders can get into Rivers’ head and control the tempo of the game, they stand a good chance. But if Philip is given the time and makes the throws he’s capable of making this games going to be won by the home team.
Watch this video and remember what Rivers and Jackson have done in the past.
Rivers’ air strike wins this one for the Chargers 31-24
In two weeks with the Raiders Carson Palmer hasn’t done anything outstanding. He has six interceptions to just three touchdowns. Can this be blamed on the fact that not only was there a lockout this year, but he also didn’t play for the entire preseason or first six weeks of the season? Maybe, but that depends on what you think would have happened during those weeks. I think Palmer is going to need some time to develop chemistry with these young wide-receivers. No longer does Carson have staple players that he has gone to for years in the past, there’s no more Ochocinco for him, no T.O this year, no Jermaine Gresham, even no Cedric Benson. Palmer doesn’t have any of the players he’s used to playing with, all he has are three and a half short weeks with his new team under his belt, two losses, and six interceptions. What could make this week look even more ominous for the Raiders? They sat McFadden last week in hopes that he’d be ready for tonight, but unfortunately DMC hasn’t been able to practice and he’s out again this week – ouch.
San Diego put up a fight last week. They only lost to the undefeated Green Bay Packers by a touchdown, and Rivers had more touchdowns than interceptions for the second time this season. Antonio Gates looks to be turning it on again, he had eight catches for 96 yards and a touchdown against the Packers, alongside Vincent Jackson’s three scoring receptions on seven catches for 141 yards. Tolbert picked up a good chunk of yards, 83, on 19 carries while he brought one into the end zone. The Chargers offense looked good last week if you can forget about their turnovers. This game is going to come down to their defense and whether or not it can hold back Carson Palmer’s aerial attack.
The Raiders have given up just under 250 yards through the air a game, as well as 14 passing touchdowns throughout their first eight. The Raiders defense needs to lock it down if they expect to contain the Chargers offense. The Chargers pass attack hits at just about 295 yards a game, and when matched up against this Raiders defense it’s the point to watch throughout the game. If the Raiders can get into Rivers’ head and control the tempo of the game, they stand a good chance. But if Philip is given the time and makes the throws he’s capable of making this games going to be won by the home team.
Watch this video and remember what Rivers and Jackson have done in the past.
Rivers’ air strike wins this one for the Chargers 31-24
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Shorter Posts
First things first – This week I didn’t have enough time to do as long of write-ups as I have for the previous weeks, real life took some control this week. I still put as much thought into each pick, I just never had the time to write them down. Secondly there are some very tough games this week, and I think many of them could go either way. Now lets pick-em.
Week 9 - Monday Night Football
Chicago at Philadelphia
Another very hard game to pick. I’ve been going back and forth on this one in my head all week. It’s “Forte can run forever against this defense. Demarco Murray had almost 80 yards on eight carries! And he’s a rookie!” Back to “Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson are just so explosive.” The internal battle in my brain has never lasted so long for any game and I think both sides have a very good chance of winning. I think the home field plays a bit in favor of Philly, and I think their win last week gives them a little more of an edge too.
Philly wins this one 34-27
Another very hard game to pick. I’ve been going back and forth on this one in my head all week. It’s “Forte can run forever against this defense. Demarco Murray had almost 80 yards on eight carries! And he’s a rookie!” Back to “Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson are just so explosive.” The internal battle in my brain has never lasted so long for any game and I think both sides have a very good chance of winning. I think the home field plays a bit in favor of Philly, and I think their win last week gives them a little more of an edge too.
Philly wins this one 34-27
Week 9 - Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football
Baltimore at Pittsburgh
In one of the harder games to pick of the week, it’s another must win for both teams. I think the Ravens are a little shook up right now and they’re going to be trying harder than normal to get back on a dominant track Sunday night. Flacco has to settle down, and Ray Rice needs to get the ball and run it up the gut on this injured linebacker core. The Steelers are on a bit of a high after taking out the Pats last week, and I think it’s going to cost them more than help them this week. I think the confidence level is going to be a bit too high, and the Ravens are going to swoop in and take it.
Ravens win a nail-biter 20-17
Baltimore at Pittsburgh
In one of the harder games to pick of the week, it’s another must win for both teams. I think the Ravens are a little shook up right now and they’re going to be trying harder than normal to get back on a dominant track Sunday night. Flacco has to settle down, and Ray Rice needs to get the ball and run it up the gut on this injured linebacker core. The Steelers are on a bit of a high after taking out the Pats last week, and I think it’s going to cost them more than help them this week. I think the confidence level is going to be a bit too high, and the Ravens are going to swoop in and take it.
Ravens win a nail-biter 20-17
Week 9 - 4 O'Clock
Cincinnati at Tennessee
Dalton and AJ Green. Earlier this year I said its going to take them a year or two to figure it out. I was wrong. These guys are getting some chemistry together very quickly, and I think it’s going to look even better against this Tennessee defense. Chris Johnson has under 60 yards in all but one game and I think he’s one of the biggest busts for the season if not the very biggest. If the Titans want to turn this around, it’s on Johnson’s shoulders.
Cincy takes one on the road 24-21
Denver at Oakland
Tim Tebow isn’t good enough yet to start in the NFL, sure he can get a win in his first start – but look at who it was against and what he did. It was against the Dolphins, and they were shut out for all but four minutes. Yes it was a great comeback, but the Dolphins have choked all year. Can we get some Brady Quinn? Can we get a real first round draft pick at QB Denver? Oakland doesn’t have McFadden but it doesn’t matter, Bush is just as capable, and Denver isn’t a big threat.
Oakland wins 24-13
New York Giants at New England
The Giants have a good pass rush, and Brady isn’t good when he’s pressure or out of the pocket. The Giants don’t have Hakeem Nicks or Ahmad Bradshaw which really hurts their offensive performance and its going to come down to their defense. Tom Brady is Tom Brady though. He’s got massive weapons in Gronkowski and Welker, and it doesn’t matter who goes down with an injury, almost all of those offense guys know the system and can fill in anywhere.
The Pats take this one 31-24
St. Louis at Arizona
St. Louis upset the Saints under QB A.J Feeley and a massive game by Steven Jackson. They also had a good turn out from their defense and shut down that Saints attack. If they could contain Drew Brees and that offense I think they’re going to handle a Cardinals attack relying on a backup QB. I don’t think Arizona has enough strong players on either side of the ball to take this one.
The Rams ride Steven Jackson to victory 27-14
Green Bay at San Diego
Green Bay is still incredible. I’m sure they won in they’re bye week too, that’s how good they are. Aaron Rodgers is going to take this game and just have some fun with it. Matt Cassel and the Chiefs beat these Chargers last week, and I’m sure the Packers have found the holes that the Chiefs exploited and they’re going to open them up even more. San Diego needs to start doing the small things right, get their collective heads leveled, and forget last week. I don’t think they rebound right away, despite how much they need to.
The Packers continue rolling 31-21
Dalton and AJ Green. Earlier this year I said its going to take them a year or two to figure it out. I was wrong. These guys are getting some chemistry together very quickly, and I think it’s going to look even better against this Tennessee defense. Chris Johnson has under 60 yards in all but one game and I think he’s one of the biggest busts for the season if not the very biggest. If the Titans want to turn this around, it’s on Johnson’s shoulders.
Cincy takes one on the road 24-21
Denver at Oakland
Tim Tebow isn’t good enough yet to start in the NFL, sure he can get a win in his first start – but look at who it was against and what he did. It was against the Dolphins, and they were shut out for all but four minutes. Yes it was a great comeback, but the Dolphins have choked all year. Can we get some Brady Quinn? Can we get a real first round draft pick at QB Denver? Oakland doesn’t have McFadden but it doesn’t matter, Bush is just as capable, and Denver isn’t a big threat.
Oakland wins 24-13
New York Giants at New England
The Giants have a good pass rush, and Brady isn’t good when he’s pressure or out of the pocket. The Giants don’t have Hakeem Nicks or Ahmad Bradshaw which really hurts their offensive performance and its going to come down to their defense. Tom Brady is Tom Brady though. He’s got massive weapons in Gronkowski and Welker, and it doesn’t matter who goes down with an injury, almost all of those offense guys know the system and can fill in anywhere.
The Pats take this one 31-24
St. Louis at Arizona
St. Louis upset the Saints under QB A.J Feeley and a massive game by Steven Jackson. They also had a good turn out from their defense and shut down that Saints attack. If they could contain Drew Brees and that offense I think they’re going to handle a Cardinals attack relying on a backup QB. I don’t think Arizona has enough strong players on either side of the ball to take this one.
The Rams ride Steven Jackson to victory 27-14
Green Bay at San Diego
Green Bay is still incredible. I’m sure they won in they’re bye week too, that’s how good they are. Aaron Rodgers is going to take this game and just have some fun with it. Matt Cassel and the Chiefs beat these Chargers last week, and I’m sure the Packers have found the holes that the Chiefs exploited and they’re going to open them up even more. San Diego needs to start doing the small things right, get their collective heads leveled, and forget last week. I don’t think they rebound right away, despite how much they need to.
The Packers continue rolling 31-21
Week 9 - 1 O'Clock
Miami at Kansas City
The Chiefs hot streak remains at home, they took out the Chargers here last week and now they have a reeling Dolphins team coming into town. I don’t think the abysmal Dolphins have what it takes to knock of such a soaring team.
Kansas City enjoys the home crowd winning 24-10
Atlanta at Indianapolis
With the Colts most dangerous weapons coming on the outside rush the Falcons are going to need to shut down both Mathis and Freeney. The good news for Atlanta is that if one of those guys breaks through Turner is good enough to see it and break it the other way or just go up the middle.
Turner for more than 100 again as the Falcons win 42-13
Tampa Bay at New Orleans
It’s a must win for both teams, but I think New Orleans has more to lose. I think Drew Brees starts to turn it around after throwing ten picks in the last six games. Although Ingram is ruled out I still think the Saints have the weapons that they need, and I think the wide-receivers make some big plays to get this offense rolling.
New Orleans wins a tough one 24-21
New York Jets at Buffalo
Sanchez and the Jets going rolling into Buffalo with hopes that they can quiet down the Bills, but the Bills have shown lately that they have more weapons than I lot of people thought they did. Fred Jackson is a complete running back, Stevie Johnson is a great wide-out, Fitzpatrick is awesome. I don’t think the Jets have the defense to contain everything the Bills have to offer, and I think the Buffalo Defense gets a few interceptions to seal the victory.
Bills take a division game 21-17
Seattle at Dallas
I don’t think Seattle is good, I don’t think that they have what it takes to be a winning franchise right now. I don’t think Jackson, Rice, and Lynch can do anything great, maybe some good things yes, but not enough to get big wins. On the other hand you have Romo, Bryant and new standout running back Demarco Murray. Murray set a Dallas record two weeks ago with 253 yards, and last week he had 74 yards on eight carries. Get Demarco the ball!
Dallas wins this one 31-14
Cleveland at Houston
Hillis is out again, Colt is possibly turning something around, but there’s not really much else to say about Cleveland. Houston on the other hand it doesn’t matter if Andre Johnson is out, sure it helps when he plays it opens up the field and lets them spread the ball a little bit more, but Arian Foster is good enough to carry this team as far as it needs to go. Whether running or receiving Foster has been effective since his return and I don’t think that changes against the Browns.
Houston wins 27-14
San Francisco at Washington
San Francisco is one of the best teams in the league right now. Everyone in that franchise has flipped a switch this year and taken control of their game to better it for the team, Alex Smith is finally becoming the first round draft pick they were hoping for, and Frank Gore is continuing to be a beast. Washington is on a downward spiral and running out of time quickly. It doesn’t help with injuries to some of their major players and the season looks to be almost over very early for them.
Frank Gore dominates the line again winning 31-17
The Chiefs hot streak remains at home, they took out the Chargers here last week and now they have a reeling Dolphins team coming into town. I don’t think the abysmal Dolphins have what it takes to knock of such a soaring team.
Kansas City enjoys the home crowd winning 24-10
Atlanta at Indianapolis
With the Colts most dangerous weapons coming on the outside rush the Falcons are going to need to shut down both Mathis and Freeney. The good news for Atlanta is that if one of those guys breaks through Turner is good enough to see it and break it the other way or just go up the middle.
Turner for more than 100 again as the Falcons win 42-13
Tampa Bay at New Orleans
It’s a must win for both teams, but I think New Orleans has more to lose. I think Drew Brees starts to turn it around after throwing ten picks in the last six games. Although Ingram is ruled out I still think the Saints have the weapons that they need, and I think the wide-receivers make some big plays to get this offense rolling.
New Orleans wins a tough one 24-21
New York Jets at Buffalo
Sanchez and the Jets going rolling into Buffalo with hopes that they can quiet down the Bills, but the Bills have shown lately that they have more weapons than I lot of people thought they did. Fred Jackson is a complete running back, Stevie Johnson is a great wide-out, Fitzpatrick is awesome. I don’t think the Jets have the defense to contain everything the Bills have to offer, and I think the Buffalo Defense gets a few interceptions to seal the victory.
Bills take a division game 21-17
Seattle at Dallas
I don’t think Seattle is good, I don’t think that they have what it takes to be a winning franchise right now. I don’t think Jackson, Rice, and Lynch can do anything great, maybe some good things yes, but not enough to get big wins. On the other hand you have Romo, Bryant and new standout running back Demarco Murray. Murray set a Dallas record two weeks ago with 253 yards, and last week he had 74 yards on eight carries. Get Demarco the ball!
Dallas wins this one 31-14
Cleveland at Houston
Hillis is out again, Colt is possibly turning something around, but there’s not really much else to say about Cleveland. Houston on the other hand it doesn’t matter if Andre Johnson is out, sure it helps when he plays it opens up the field and lets them spread the ball a little bit more, but Arian Foster is good enough to carry this team as far as it needs to go. Whether running or receiving Foster has been effective since his return and I don’t think that changes against the Browns.
Houston wins 27-14
San Francisco at Washington
San Francisco is one of the best teams in the league right now. Everyone in that franchise has flipped a switch this year and taken control of their game to better it for the team, Alex Smith is finally becoming the first round draft pick they were hoping for, and Frank Gore is continuing to be a beast. Washington is on a downward spiral and running out of time quickly. It doesn’t help with injuries to some of their major players and the season looks to be almost over very early for them.
Frank Gore dominates the line again winning 31-17
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