Only 4 teams left and two great games this weekend. Let's see what my picks are looking like this week.
Baltimore @ New England - The Ravens travel to New England to face possibly the hottest team in NFL. Tom Brady had a monster game against the Broncos and it made everyone forget about the holes in this team. Six touchdowns can do that. We do know that the Patriots have Brady, Welker, and the best two tight ends in the game, Gronkowski and Hernandez, and basically not much else. The defense leaves everyone wanting and have been described as the worst pass defense in the history of football. Somehow it doesn't stop the Patriots from winning.
Against the Ravens, the Patriots have to keep the pocket clean and allow Brady time to make decisions and pick this Raven's defense apart. I don't think that they have to run the ball that much, because their short passing game is nothing more than a run game. If they get about 100-120 yards on the ground, I think they beat the Ravens. I'm still not sure how you stop that two TE set because they cause so many match up problems.
The Ravens come in with question marks. As they have all year long, the Ravens have to find the right mix of play calling. Ray Rice is the piece that stirs the pot, but they also have to have Flacco throw the rock to keep that defense honest. The issue has been and continues to be, how much can they trust Flacco? He's had his good and bad games that leave everyone, including his teammates wondering. If Flacco can have a good game against the worst passing defense in the history of the NFL, this should be an easy game for the Ravens.
On defense, the Ravens are solid and will need to get to and hit him often. Brady is good but has shown a level of frustration when you hit him on a consistent basis. If he has time to sit back there, the Ravens might get 30+ points put on them. Not sure how they handle the two TE sets, but they will have to be physical with both of them and hope that they can disguise coverage to make Brady make a few mistakes.
In the end, I gotta stick with the team that I came with,.....Winner - Ravens.
New York Giants @ San Francisco - The 49ers come off an improbable win against the Saints. They played a helluva game and they surprised many the way they won. I personally thought this was the best game that Alex Smith has ever played. The 49ers banged the Saints with the run until they finally got a big one late in the game. Smith was hitting receivers in stride and he had to mind meld with Vernon Davis because they were reading each other's thoughts.
The 49ers defense played the way they have all year long. They played hard and they hit. I mean they really hit you when you get the ball. I swear I saw Ronnie Lott out there last week in that secondary, but it was Whitner. They get pressure up front and that limits the amount of time you have to get the ball out. The Giants offensive line is going to have problems.
The Giants have the perfect mix of run and pass where they should win this game. As long as Bradshaw holds on to the ball and Jacobs stops tiptoeing through the line, the Giants should be able to set the tone. Heavy run and then Eli (Nicks, Ballard, and Cruz too) can take over from there. On the defensive side of the ball, not much needs to be said. I think the Giants front four make us remember Alex Smith of two or 3 years ago.
In the end, I don't trust that Alex Smith can have another game like he did last week and I unfortunately have put all of my eggs in to the NYG basket. Winner - Giants.
Who you got?!?!?!?
Showing posts with label Baltimore Ravens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baltimore Ravens. Show all posts
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
NFL 2010 Divisional Playoff Wrap Up
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh - How happy was I as this game went in to halftime? The Ravens had driven down the field against the Steelers and scored, caused some turnovers and scored, and basically rendered the Steelers useless. Then after halftime, a fumble by Ray Rice (12 carries, 32 yards, 7 receptions, 32 yards), an interception by Flacco, and the next thing you know the Steelers are tied, and would end up winning this game. What a turn of events. The biggest play was the 3rd and 19 that the Steelers had and somehow with only 8 guys rushing the Ravens allowed Antonio Brown (3 catches for 75 yards) to get behind them and catch the game clinching 58 yard reception. I still can't believe that Webb let ANYONE get deeper than he was and throw the safety in their too. This all came down to the Ravens offense not being able to throw (and catch) the ball. Flacco had a pedestrian outing along with Housh (3 catches for 38 yards, and the biggest drop in recent playoff history), Boldin (1 catch for -2 yards), and Mason (0 catches). Flacco even had time for the majority of the game, but they were just off.
Yes, the Steelers won, but the Ravens gave this game away. Big Ben (19 of 32, with 2 TDs) had 226 yards passing and the Steelers as a team were held to 71 yards rushing (Mendenhall 20 carries for 46 yards, 2 TDs). That tells you that there was a lot of defense when there weren't those big plays. I saw Ray Lewis' interview after the game and you could tell he wanted to blow a fuse. Sad way to end a nice playoff run. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.
Green Bay @ Atlanta - Whatever Aaron Rodgers had for a pre-game meal, please give me several servings of that. Rodgers (31 of 36 for 366 yards, 3 TDs) torched the Falcons en route to a playoff high for the Packers in points (48 points). The Falcons looked good right before halftime and then Tramon Williams' INT return for a TD sealed the deal. Yes, it was only 28 to 14 at that time, but it was over. The Falcons couldn't get it going. I think there's something about getting the bye that works against the team that has it. Matt Ryan looked lost and even the strength of the Falcons team (rushing the ball) was only able to amass 45 yards. The Atlanta defense looked outclassed and this was a terrible showing, especially at home. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 2 for the week.
Seattle @ Chicago - This was the perfect game by the Bears up until that ill advised pass by, no not Cutler (15 of 28 for 274 yards, 2 TDs, 8 carries for 43 yards, 2 TDs), but Matt Forte (0 for 1 for 0 yards, 1 INT, 25 carries for 80 yards). Why not just run the ball out of the Wildcat if there's no one to throw to? Why even call that play? You're handing the beatdown out to the Seahawks, but you decide to confuse them and run the Wildcat? The best part of this was watching the Mike Martz react on the sideline. (blank stare) Cutler had a great game, and almost made you think that he should be in the backfield as he danced into the end zone twice. The Bears defense kept the Seahawks at 34 yards rushing for the game and spent enough time in the Seahawks backfield to become drinking buddies with Hasselbeck (26 of 46 for 258 yards, 3 TDs).
After the game, I happened to be listening to some sports talk radio and one caller called in saying that he was happy the Bears won, but he was upset with the play of Julius Peppers. I almost ran off the road, because either he didn't watch the game or he just doesn't know any better. Peppers is the one guy on that defensive line that team game plan against. He was double teamed the majority of the game and in some cases there were 3 people that he had to deal with. This allowed people like Tommie Harris, Urlacher, and Briggs to make all the plays. That won't show up on the stat sheet, but I'll bet you no one in the Bears locker room will say anything differently. Inquisitive Mind 1 - 2 for the week.
New York Jets @ New England - The Jets talked the talk and they walked the walk by jumping on the Patriots and never letting up. Maybe the ghost of Randy Moss finally caught up to the Pats. After falling behind early, they weren't able to stretch the field as the Jets found ways to stop that dink and dunk offense. Mark Sanchez (16 of 25 for 194 yards, 3 TDs) looked like an NFL QB and the Jets continued to pound the ball with both LT (10 carries for 43 yards) and Greene (17 carries for 76 yards, 1 TD). Brady was sacked 5 times and hit numerous times. That's the blueprint for beating the Patriots, get Brady (29 of 45 for 299 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) uncomfortable and run the ball.
There was a lot of talk going on, with even Welker (7 catches, 57 yards) sitting at the beginning of the game for his 'foot' diatribe to the media a few days earlier. I wonder how it must feel to beat those guys, because you know it has to be something if your starting wide receiver is doing a cartwheel after the game. The week off really effected the timing of that Patriots offense, that's all I'll say. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 2 for the week.
It was a fun week, always fun when the Patriots lose, but I'm crying on the inside about my Ravens. I'm still not sure how they lost that game. We'll see what next week brings.
Yes, the Steelers won, but the Ravens gave this game away. Big Ben (19 of 32, with 2 TDs) had 226 yards passing and the Steelers as a team were held to 71 yards rushing (Mendenhall 20 carries for 46 yards, 2 TDs). That tells you that there was a lot of defense when there weren't those big plays. I saw Ray Lewis' interview after the game and you could tell he wanted to blow a fuse. Sad way to end a nice playoff run. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.
Green Bay @ Atlanta - Whatever Aaron Rodgers had for a pre-game meal, please give me several servings of that. Rodgers (31 of 36 for 366 yards, 3 TDs) torched the Falcons en route to a playoff high for the Packers in points (48 points). The Falcons looked good right before halftime and then Tramon Williams' INT return for a TD sealed the deal. Yes, it was only 28 to 14 at that time, but it was over. The Falcons couldn't get it going. I think there's something about getting the bye that works against the team that has it. Matt Ryan looked lost and even the strength of the Falcons team (rushing the ball) was only able to amass 45 yards. The Atlanta defense looked outclassed and this was a terrible showing, especially at home. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 2 for the week.
Seattle @ Chicago - This was the perfect game by the Bears up until that ill advised pass by, no not Cutler (15 of 28 for 274 yards, 2 TDs, 8 carries for 43 yards, 2 TDs), but Matt Forte (0 for 1 for 0 yards, 1 INT, 25 carries for 80 yards). Why not just run the ball out of the Wildcat if there's no one to throw to? Why even call that play? You're handing the beatdown out to the Seahawks, but you decide to confuse them and run the Wildcat? The best part of this was watching the Mike Martz react on the sideline. (blank stare) Cutler had a great game, and almost made you think that he should be in the backfield as he danced into the end zone twice. The Bears defense kept the Seahawks at 34 yards rushing for the game and spent enough time in the Seahawks backfield to become drinking buddies with Hasselbeck (26 of 46 for 258 yards, 3 TDs).
After the game, I happened to be listening to some sports talk radio and one caller called in saying that he was happy the Bears won, but he was upset with the play of Julius Peppers. I almost ran off the road, because either he didn't watch the game or he just doesn't know any better. Peppers is the one guy on that defensive line that team game plan against. He was double teamed the majority of the game and in some cases there were 3 people that he had to deal with. This allowed people like Tommie Harris, Urlacher, and Briggs to make all the plays. That won't show up on the stat sheet, but I'll bet you no one in the Bears locker room will say anything differently. Inquisitive Mind 1 - 2 for the week.
New York Jets @ New England - The Jets talked the talk and they walked the walk by jumping on the Patriots and never letting up. Maybe the ghost of Randy Moss finally caught up to the Pats. After falling behind early, they weren't able to stretch the field as the Jets found ways to stop that dink and dunk offense. Mark Sanchez (16 of 25 for 194 yards, 3 TDs) looked like an NFL QB and the Jets continued to pound the ball with both LT (10 carries for 43 yards) and Greene (17 carries for 76 yards, 1 TD). Brady was sacked 5 times and hit numerous times. That's the blueprint for beating the Patriots, get Brady (29 of 45 for 299 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) uncomfortable and run the ball.
There was a lot of talk going on, with even Welker (7 catches, 57 yards) sitting at the beginning of the game for his 'foot' diatribe to the media a few days earlier. I wonder how it must feel to beat those guys, because you know it has to be something if your starting wide receiver is doing a cartwheel after the game. The week off really effected the timing of that Patriots offense, that's all I'll say. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 2 for the week.
It was a fun week, always fun when the Patriots lose, but I'm crying on the inside about my Ravens. I'm still not sure how they lost that game. We'll see what next week brings.
Friday, January 07, 2011
NFL 2010 Wild Card Weekend Picks
Well, the season is over for most and now it's time for the real teams (well, the Seahawks did make the playoffs) to duke it out to see who will win the Superbowl. Let's see what's on tap.
New Orleans @ Seattle - The charade can now stop since we know that Hasselbeck would start this game. The Seahawks boast a pretty good running attack with Lynch and Forsett. While neither of them is great by themselves, the number of touches that each will have (and a consistent running game) could spell doom for the Saints. Look for at least 30 carries between Lynch and Forsett. Of course you start your more veteran QB and if he falters bring in Whitehurst. Matt has looked more like Tim as of late and he seems to be very fragile, so the fewer drop backs the better. Mike Williams has resurrected his career and he's the Seahawks #1 guy, but in this game I think you have to watch Obomanu. The defense has given up over 368 total yards so they will definitely have to step it up if they are looking to play next weekend.
The Saints come into this game looking for people off the streets that can run the ball. They have lost both Ivory and Thomas for the year which leaves them with Reggie Bush and a host of other people. Maybe Bush can do what he did last year in the playoffs and show up and play big for the Saints. They'll probably need him to do something because you can't risk Brees dropping back and throwing 50 times in this game. The Saints defense is opportunistic and I think they'll be able to make either of the Seahawks QBs play badly.
In the end, this may be a closer game than some think and anything can happen in a one and done situation. Winner - Saints.
New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts - The Colts come into this game with a good feeling that they finally have their quarterback back. Manning had hit a stretch of games where he was turning the ball over like he was flipping pancakes. Now, he's gotten back into the swing of things and surprise surprise, the Colts have figured out how to R-U-N the ball. Look for Addai to have another big game as the Colts will do their best to mix it up against the Jets. Manning normally plays well against Rex Ryan led defenses, so I'll expect more of the same. Reggie Wayne will have a tough time going against either corner, but he'll show up.
The Jets will have a healthy Mark Sanchez, which is something they haven't had for a few weeks. Sanchez went through his own bad stretch of games where it looked like he had regressed a little. The Jets have some pieces on offense, and I think we'll finally see a lot of LT (isn't this why they got him?) and Dustin Keller making some plays. On the defensive side of the ball the Jets have been more talk than anything this year. They have to step it up and play some defense which will mean getting hits on Manning and shutting down Wayne and or Tamme.
Who wins this one? Should be a good game and maybe the Jet's bravado actually shows in their play on Saturday. Winner - Colts.
Baltimore @ Kansas City - The Chiefs come into this game clicking. Matt Cassel and Bowe have some chemistry going on and then you add to that the running of Charles and Jones and a sometimes stingy defense, and you have a pretty solid team. The Chiefs even have a home game for the playoffs. That may not be a good thing, because of the history of old Chiefs' teams that have played well and been at home for the playoffs have lost all of those games (I think 0-8).
The Ravens come into this game still wondering why they are paying Anquan Boldin the money they are paying him and him not being able to put up any numbers this season. I don't fault Boldin for some of this, but he's gotta show up in this Ravens offense for them to roll. The Ravens have Flacco and Ray Rice, and they may have to run the ball a little more to keep that Ravens defense off the field. I say that to say that the Ravens defense isn't as good as it was in the past, and they are propping people up to play corner (Dwayne Bowe should be licking his chops to go after this secondary), so they can't allow the Chiefs to have long drives for scores.
In the end, I like the Chiefs in this game, but I can't pick against the Ravens. I'm sorry. Winner - Ravens.
Green Bay @ Philadelphia - The Eagles took last week off while starting Kevin Kolb. This will be the varsity game against the Packers. The Eagles have to get it back together, specifically Vick because this is his contract game. The better he does, the bigger his check is in the off season. They haven't looked good on offense or defense as of late. Vick is taking too many hits and to me the play calling has changed significantly over the past two weeks. The Eagles have to get McCoy going and get Vick going at the same time. Maybe the big downfield strike to Jackson within the first 10 plays needs to be taken out? All in all I think the offense will be able to right it self, but the defense is the big question. Is Samuel playing? He's GOT to have a big game with Jennings (GB) running around out there catching passes from Rodgers.
The Packers probably would have been hosting this game or maybe even have had this week off had it not been for an injury to Ryan Grant early in the season. Rodgers has played very well all year long and even without a running game he's still performing (3922 yards passing this season). The Packers defense has two good corners and they are fast enough to keep up or get to Vick at any moment.
This is going to be a great game. Vick still has some magic left in him and the Packers have a pretty darn good QB themselves. Why didn't the Packers get the Seahawks or someone? Hard to pick because I want the Eagles to win, but I think that the Packers have a great chance to get the 'W'. Winner - Eagles.
Who you got?!?!
New Orleans @ Seattle - The charade can now stop since we know that Hasselbeck would start this game. The Seahawks boast a pretty good running attack with Lynch and Forsett. While neither of them is great by themselves, the number of touches that each will have (and a consistent running game) could spell doom for the Saints. Look for at least 30 carries between Lynch and Forsett. Of course you start your more veteran QB and if he falters bring in Whitehurst. Matt has looked more like Tim as of late and he seems to be very fragile, so the fewer drop backs the better. Mike Williams has resurrected his career and he's the Seahawks #1 guy, but in this game I think you have to watch Obomanu. The defense has given up over 368 total yards so they will definitely have to step it up if they are looking to play next weekend.
The Saints come into this game looking for people off the streets that can run the ball. They have lost both Ivory and Thomas for the year which leaves them with Reggie Bush and a host of other people. Maybe Bush can do what he did last year in the playoffs and show up and play big for the Saints. They'll probably need him to do something because you can't risk Brees dropping back and throwing 50 times in this game. The Saints defense is opportunistic and I think they'll be able to make either of the Seahawks QBs play badly.
In the end, this may be a closer game than some think and anything can happen in a one and done situation. Winner - Saints.
New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts - The Colts come into this game with a good feeling that they finally have their quarterback back. Manning had hit a stretch of games where he was turning the ball over like he was flipping pancakes. Now, he's gotten back into the swing of things and surprise surprise, the Colts have figured out how to R-U-N the ball. Look for Addai to have another big game as the Colts will do their best to mix it up against the Jets. Manning normally plays well against Rex Ryan led defenses, so I'll expect more of the same. Reggie Wayne will have a tough time going against either corner, but he'll show up.
The Jets will have a healthy Mark Sanchez, which is something they haven't had for a few weeks. Sanchez went through his own bad stretch of games where it looked like he had regressed a little. The Jets have some pieces on offense, and I think we'll finally see a lot of LT (isn't this why they got him?) and Dustin Keller making some plays. On the defensive side of the ball the Jets have been more talk than anything this year. They have to step it up and play some defense which will mean getting hits on Manning and shutting down Wayne and or Tamme.
Who wins this one? Should be a good game and maybe the Jet's bravado actually shows in their play on Saturday. Winner - Colts.
Baltimore @ Kansas City - The Chiefs come into this game clicking. Matt Cassel and Bowe have some chemistry going on and then you add to that the running of Charles and Jones and a sometimes stingy defense, and you have a pretty solid team. The Chiefs even have a home game for the playoffs. That may not be a good thing, because of the history of old Chiefs' teams that have played well and been at home for the playoffs have lost all of those games (I think 0-8).
The Ravens come into this game still wondering why they are paying Anquan Boldin the money they are paying him and him not being able to put up any numbers this season. I don't fault Boldin for some of this, but he's gotta show up in this Ravens offense for them to roll. The Ravens have Flacco and Ray Rice, and they may have to run the ball a little more to keep that Ravens defense off the field. I say that to say that the Ravens defense isn't as good as it was in the past, and they are propping people up to play corner (Dwayne Bowe should be licking his chops to go after this secondary), so they can't allow the Chiefs to have long drives for scores.
In the end, I like the Chiefs in this game, but I can't pick against the Ravens. I'm sorry. Winner - Ravens.
Green Bay @ Philadelphia - The Eagles took last week off while starting Kevin Kolb. This will be the varsity game against the Packers. The Eagles have to get it back together, specifically Vick because this is his contract game. The better he does, the bigger his check is in the off season. They haven't looked good on offense or defense as of late. Vick is taking too many hits and to me the play calling has changed significantly over the past two weeks. The Eagles have to get McCoy going and get Vick going at the same time. Maybe the big downfield strike to Jackson within the first 10 plays needs to be taken out? All in all I think the offense will be able to right it self, but the defense is the big question. Is Samuel playing? He's GOT to have a big game with Jennings (GB) running around out there catching passes from Rodgers.
The Packers probably would have been hosting this game or maybe even have had this week off had it not been for an injury to Ryan Grant early in the season. Rodgers has played very well all year long and even without a running game he's still performing (3922 yards passing this season). The Packers defense has two good corners and they are fast enough to keep up or get to Vick at any moment.
This is going to be a great game. Vick still has some magic left in him and the Packers have a pretty darn good QB themselves. Why didn't the Packers get the Seahawks or someone? Hard to pick because I want the Eagles to win, but I think that the Packers have a great chance to get the 'W'. Winner - Eagles.
Who you got?!?!
Sunday, January 02, 2011
NFL 2010 Week 17 Picks
This is it, my last chance for a perfect week. This week is probably the hardest because no one knows how long the starters play in these games because in most cases, the only thing that's in question in the seeding. Let's see if we can make this perfect thing happen.
Carolina @ Atlanta - The Falcons need a win to get their mindset ready for the playoffs, but they can't risk too many people getting hurt. Starters play a half in this one and the Panthers just aren't good enough to make this close. Winner - Falcons.
Pittsburgh @ Cleveland - The Browns want to win and the Steelers just gotta get out of this healthy. Polamalu is trying to play on his injured achilles, we'll see how long he plays if at all. Winner - Browns.
Minnesota @ Detroit - Hmmmm,...Joe Webb gets another chance to start and hopefully play well. Favre did finally pass his concussion tests, but I doubt he'll play unless it's the last play of the game. For some reason, the Lions are the team that keeps coming to mind. Winner - Lions.
Oakland @ Kansas City - The Chiefs need this win and it's against the Raiders (rivalry). Why not beat them on your way to the playoffs? Winner - Chiefs.
Miami @ New England - The Patriots have nothing to prove and I doubt the starters play more than a series or two in the second half. I expect about 24 ont he board before then. Winner - Patriots.
Tampa Bay @ New Orleans - What are the Saints playing for? This is going to be a good game. The Bucs need this one,......Winner - Bucs.
Buffalo @ New York Jets - Gotta be the Jets, or this whole season has been a waste. They have to find their rhythm on both offense and defense. Winner - Jets.
Cincinatti @ Baltimore - The Ravens gotta find their identity on offense and nothing like the Bengals, who actually played pretty well without their divas last week. Winner - Ravens.
Jacksonville @ Houston - Both teams are essentially out of the playoffs, so show really cares? No MJD and no Garrard for the Jaguars. Winner - Texans.
New York Giants @ Washington - The Shanahan Plan. Winner - Giants.
Dallas @ Philadelphia - Can the Cowboys make Vick look human and possibly get a few more hits on him? Or will Kolb look terrible? Winner - Eagles.
Arizona @ San Francisco - The 49ers could win this game and galvanize a team that could say they just weren't led the right way all year long. Will they do it? Winner - 49ers.
Chicago @ Green Bay - I'm still not sold on the Bears. They have nothing to gain in this game except to keep their rival Packers out of the playoffs. I just don't think that can be their only motivation. Lovie won't play his starters long. Winner - Packers.
Tennessee @ Indianapolis - Peyton Manning is back. Winner - Colts.
San Diego @ Denver - Nothing for either team to play for, so which team is the best? Winner - Chargers.
St. Louis @ Seattle - Should be a good game and the surprising Rams should make the playoffs. I know I'll be watching. Winner - Rams.
Who you got?!?!?
Carolina @ Atlanta - The Falcons need a win to get their mindset ready for the playoffs, but they can't risk too many people getting hurt. Starters play a half in this one and the Panthers just aren't good enough to make this close. Winner - Falcons.
Pittsburgh @ Cleveland - The Browns want to win and the Steelers just gotta get out of this healthy. Polamalu is trying to play on his injured achilles, we'll see how long he plays if at all. Winner - Browns.
Minnesota @ Detroit - Hmmmm,...Joe Webb gets another chance to start and hopefully play well. Favre did finally pass his concussion tests, but I doubt he'll play unless it's the last play of the game. For some reason, the Lions are the team that keeps coming to mind. Winner - Lions.
Oakland @ Kansas City - The Chiefs need this win and it's against the Raiders (rivalry). Why not beat them on your way to the playoffs? Winner - Chiefs.
Miami @ New England - The Patriots have nothing to prove and I doubt the starters play more than a series or two in the second half. I expect about 24 ont he board before then. Winner - Patriots.
Tampa Bay @ New Orleans - What are the Saints playing for? This is going to be a good game. The Bucs need this one,......Winner - Bucs.
Buffalo @ New York Jets - Gotta be the Jets, or this whole season has been a waste. They have to find their rhythm on both offense and defense. Winner - Jets.
Cincinatti @ Baltimore - The Ravens gotta find their identity on offense and nothing like the Bengals, who actually played pretty well without their divas last week. Winner - Ravens.
Jacksonville @ Houston - Both teams are essentially out of the playoffs, so show really cares? No MJD and no Garrard for the Jaguars. Winner - Texans.
New York Giants @ Washington - The Shanahan Plan. Winner - Giants.
Dallas @ Philadelphia - Can the Cowboys make Vick look human and possibly get a few more hits on him? Or will Kolb look terrible? Winner - Eagles.
Arizona @ San Francisco - The 49ers could win this game and galvanize a team that could say they just weren't led the right way all year long. Will they do it? Winner - 49ers.
Chicago @ Green Bay - I'm still not sold on the Bears. They have nothing to gain in this game except to keep their rival Packers out of the playoffs. I just don't think that can be their only motivation. Lovie won't play his starters long. Winner - Packers.
Tennessee @ Indianapolis - Peyton Manning is back. Winner - Colts.
San Diego @ Denver - Nothing for either team to play for, so which team is the best? Winner - Chargers.
St. Louis @ Seattle - Should be a good game and the surprising Rams should make the playoffs. I know I'll be watching. Winner - Rams.
Who you got?!?!?
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
NFL 2010 Week 14 Wrap Up
Indianapolis @ Tennessee - Peyton Manning (25 of 35 for 319 yards, 2 TDs) looked like he got back on track against the Titans this week. He had some semblance of a running game, but it was really Manning looking good that got the Colts this win. Kerry Collins (28 of 39 for 244 yards, 3 TDs) and Chris Johnson (22 carries for 111 yards, 1 TD, 8 rec for 68 yards) did what they could to keep the Titans in the game, but their defense was terrible. This was definitely a good game, but better for the Colts as they look to put some pressure on division leading Jacksonville. Inquisitive Mind 1 - 0 for the week.
Cleveland @ Buffalo - I guess this is the end of the Mangini era in Cleveland. They had been playing well but then they lose to this terrible Bills team. For some reason the Browns couldn't hold onto the ball (5 fumbles, 2 lost) and in a tight game, you can't turn the ball over. Inquisitive Mind 1 - 1 for the week.
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh - This game started well for the Bengals with a TD pass from Palmer to Andrew Whitworth, but from there it was all downhill. The Steelers went on a 23-0 run and that was it. Palmer (20 of 32 for 178 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs) was doing his best to find Steelers defensive players when they were open, and Big Ben (21 of 33 for 258 yards) provided the catalyst for the Steelers on offense to get this one done. As always, another good game from the Steelers and another bad game from the Bengals. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 1 for the week.
Green Bay @ Detroit - The Lions finally won a big one. It only took them knocking Aaron Rodgers out of the game. After that, this looked like a bad pickup football game with no one really knowing the other people on their team. My biggest question is why don't they teach QBs in Green Bay how to slide? There's gotta be an out of work baseball player in Minnesota that can teach these guys how to slide and not take hits. I'm just sayin'. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 2 for the week.
Tampa Bay @ Washington - WOW!!!! This was a back and forth game that the Redskins should have won. It had to be heartbreaking, especially after fighting all the way back and scoring a TD with nothing left on the clock. An extra point ties the game and we go into overtime, and then,........ missed extra point and it's all over including the crying. Josh Freeman (15 of 25 for 266 yards, 1 TD) looked good again and shows that the Bucs got it right with their selection for their franchise QB. Inquisitive Mind 3 - 2 for the week.
Atlanta @ Carolina - Wasn't really a contest. Michael Turner (28 carries for 112 yards, 3 TDs) had a wonderful game and the Falcons are 11-2 and they are the best team that is flying under the radar right now. They are truly a complete team with Ryan at QB, Turner at RB, White at WR, and a ball hawking defense. If you haven't figured it out, the Falcons are real. Inquisitive Mind 4 - 2 for the week.
Oakland @ Jacksonville - Good old fashioned shootout and the Raiders just ran out of bullets. Jason Campbell 21 of 30 for 324 yards, 2 TDs), how can you look this good and then look so bad on certain days? I can't put my finger on what makes him inconsistent. I don't know what the Jaguars have done or whose soul they have sold, but they are a game away from winning their division and I doubt many outside of that locker room had even a remote idea that it was possible. David Garrard (11 of 22 for 159 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) had a nice game along with MJD (23 carries for 101 yards, 1 TD). Inquisitive Mind 5 - 2 for the week.
Seattle @ San Francisco - My very bad pick made Alex Smith (17 of 27 for 255 yards, 3 TDs) look like he is actually a viable option for a team at the QB spot. The sad part is that the 49ers have a chance to win their division. There is something wrong with that, very wrong. Inquisitive Mind 5 - 3 for the week.
St. Louis @ New Orleans - This was a team win for the Saints as they got ok play from Brees, but add in Michael Jenkins 2 INTs (one returned for a TD) and the Saints had a cakewalk. I did think that the Rams could have pulled this one off, but alas, I was wrong. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 3 for the week.
Miami @ New York Jets - What do you do after an a$$ whuppin? Well, I guess you go back and get another. The Jets looked terrible as they not only had a coach cheat, had several dropped balls, lost a lineman, and put themselves in a position to miss the playoffs. Chad Henne threw for a total of 55 yards (1 TD), the Dolphins ran (as a team) for a total of 101 yards, and they also turned the ball over 3 times (lost fumbles) and they won the game. Explain that to me. I'm waiting. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 4 for the week.
Denver @ Arizona - They scored how many points? 43? Did Kurt Warner sneak into the game for the Cardinals? Jay Feely (5 field goals, 1 TD run, 4 XPs for a total of 25 points) was responsible for how many points? And he's the kicker? This should have gotten the new Denver coach fired. I'm sorry, this was a terrible outing. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 5 for the week.
Kansas City @ San Diego - Hi Brodie Croyle, welcome to the pressure cooker. And the pressure made Croyle (7 of 17 for 40 yards) pop or at least perform like a beaten up can. Jamaal Charles (10 carries for 40 yards), fresh off of signing a new $32+M deal had a total of 40 yards. Please get Matt Cassel healthy and back on the field. I can't even believe I said that. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 6 for the week.
New England @ Chicago - Are there awards for running the score up on opponents, because if there is, the Patriots get that award two weeks in a row. The Patriots dominated the Bears at Soldier Field, in the snow. This was a TKO at halftime when Brady (27 of 40 for 369 yards, 2 TDs) dropped that sweat pass into Branch's (8 recs for 151 yards, 1 TD) arms as he waltzed into the end zone with no time on the clock. Note to Brian Urlacher, let your play do the talking. Inquisitive Mind 7 - 6 for the week.
Philadelphia @ Dallas - This Eagles team is explosive on the offensive side of the ball, but they are truly a sieve on the defensive side of the ball. Samuel didn't play for the Eagles and they NEED him back healthy if they want a punchers chance to get to the Superbowl. Vick (16 of 26 for 270 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) and McCoy (16 carries for 149 yards) showed up big time, but I was impressed with this Cowboys team too. Kitna (24 of 35 for 242 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) found Witten (7 recs for 69 yards, 2 TDs) on a few occasions and if the Dallas defense could have had a little more time, maybe, just maybe, they would have won this game. Inquisitive Mind 8 - 6 for the week.
New York Giants @ Minnesota - Well the dome fell and so did the Brett Favre streak. Maybe he should have played if this is the type of game Tavaris is going to give the Vikings. I can't even blame it all on him because this one vaunted defense of the Vikings gave up 213 yards (Bradshaw 103 yards, Jacobs 116 yards) on the ground. It's over this year for the Vikings and the long term plan just doesn't seem to be there. Maybe they'll go after another old QB next year. McNabb are you listening? Inquisitive Mind 9 - 6 for the week.
Baltimore @ Houston - My main man Ray Lewis almost let the Texans come back and win that game. The Ravens defense isn't as good as it once was and they will need to find some corners if they are going to do anything in the playoffs. Flacco (22 of 33 for 235 yards, 2 TDs) and Mason (6 recs for 78 yards, 2 TDs) must have made up because they connected a lot last night. I'm still worried about this team and their inability to make that offense work on a consistent basis. It's another win though. Inquisitive Mind 10 - 6 for the week.
Not a bad week and that brings the season total to 124 - 83. Not too bad for an amateur. But still in the chase.
Cleveland @ Buffalo - I guess this is the end of the Mangini era in Cleveland. They had been playing well but then they lose to this terrible Bills team. For some reason the Browns couldn't hold onto the ball (5 fumbles, 2 lost) and in a tight game, you can't turn the ball over. Inquisitive Mind 1 - 1 for the week.
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh - This game started well for the Bengals with a TD pass from Palmer to Andrew Whitworth, but from there it was all downhill. The Steelers went on a 23-0 run and that was it. Palmer (20 of 32 for 178 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs) was doing his best to find Steelers defensive players when they were open, and Big Ben (21 of 33 for 258 yards) provided the catalyst for the Steelers on offense to get this one done. As always, another good game from the Steelers and another bad game from the Bengals. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 1 for the week.
Green Bay @ Detroit - The Lions finally won a big one. It only took them knocking Aaron Rodgers out of the game. After that, this looked like a bad pickup football game with no one really knowing the other people on their team. My biggest question is why don't they teach QBs in Green Bay how to slide? There's gotta be an out of work baseball player in Minnesota that can teach these guys how to slide and not take hits. I'm just sayin'. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 2 for the week.
Tampa Bay @ Washington - WOW!!!! This was a back and forth game that the Redskins should have won. It had to be heartbreaking, especially after fighting all the way back and scoring a TD with nothing left on the clock. An extra point ties the game and we go into overtime, and then,........ missed extra point and it's all over including the crying. Josh Freeman (15 of 25 for 266 yards, 1 TD) looked good again and shows that the Bucs got it right with their selection for their franchise QB. Inquisitive Mind 3 - 2 for the week.
Atlanta @ Carolina - Wasn't really a contest. Michael Turner (28 carries for 112 yards, 3 TDs) had a wonderful game and the Falcons are 11-2 and they are the best team that is flying under the radar right now. They are truly a complete team with Ryan at QB, Turner at RB, White at WR, and a ball hawking defense. If you haven't figured it out, the Falcons are real. Inquisitive Mind 4 - 2 for the week.
Oakland @ Jacksonville - Good old fashioned shootout and the Raiders just ran out of bullets. Jason Campbell 21 of 30 for 324 yards, 2 TDs), how can you look this good and then look so bad on certain days? I can't put my finger on what makes him inconsistent. I don't know what the Jaguars have done or whose soul they have sold, but they are a game away from winning their division and I doubt many outside of that locker room had even a remote idea that it was possible. David Garrard (11 of 22 for 159 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) had a nice game along with MJD (23 carries for 101 yards, 1 TD). Inquisitive Mind 5 - 2 for the week.
Seattle @ San Francisco - My very bad pick made Alex Smith (17 of 27 for 255 yards, 3 TDs) look like he is actually a viable option for a team at the QB spot. The sad part is that the 49ers have a chance to win their division. There is something wrong with that, very wrong. Inquisitive Mind 5 - 3 for the week.
St. Louis @ New Orleans - This was a team win for the Saints as they got ok play from Brees, but add in Michael Jenkins 2 INTs (one returned for a TD) and the Saints had a cakewalk. I did think that the Rams could have pulled this one off, but alas, I was wrong. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 3 for the week.
Miami @ New York Jets - What do you do after an a$$ whuppin? Well, I guess you go back and get another. The Jets looked terrible as they not only had a coach cheat, had several dropped balls, lost a lineman, and put themselves in a position to miss the playoffs. Chad Henne threw for a total of 55 yards (1 TD), the Dolphins ran (as a team) for a total of 101 yards, and they also turned the ball over 3 times (lost fumbles) and they won the game. Explain that to me. I'm waiting. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 4 for the week.
Denver @ Arizona - They scored how many points? 43? Did Kurt Warner sneak into the game for the Cardinals? Jay Feely (5 field goals, 1 TD run, 4 XPs for a total of 25 points) was responsible for how many points? And he's the kicker? This should have gotten the new Denver coach fired. I'm sorry, this was a terrible outing. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 5 for the week.
Kansas City @ San Diego - Hi Brodie Croyle, welcome to the pressure cooker. And the pressure made Croyle (7 of 17 for 40 yards) pop or at least perform like a beaten up can. Jamaal Charles (10 carries for 40 yards), fresh off of signing a new $32+M deal had a total of 40 yards. Please get Matt Cassel healthy and back on the field. I can't even believe I said that. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 6 for the week.
New England @ Chicago - Are there awards for running the score up on opponents, because if there is, the Patriots get that award two weeks in a row. The Patriots dominated the Bears at Soldier Field, in the snow. This was a TKO at halftime when Brady (27 of 40 for 369 yards, 2 TDs) dropped that sweat pass into Branch's (8 recs for 151 yards, 1 TD) arms as he waltzed into the end zone with no time on the clock. Note to Brian Urlacher, let your play do the talking. Inquisitive Mind 7 - 6 for the week.
Philadelphia @ Dallas - This Eagles team is explosive on the offensive side of the ball, but they are truly a sieve on the defensive side of the ball. Samuel didn't play for the Eagles and they NEED him back healthy if they want a punchers chance to get to the Superbowl. Vick (16 of 26 for 270 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) and McCoy (16 carries for 149 yards) showed up big time, but I was impressed with this Cowboys team too. Kitna (24 of 35 for 242 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) found Witten (7 recs for 69 yards, 2 TDs) on a few occasions and if the Dallas defense could have had a little more time, maybe, just maybe, they would have won this game. Inquisitive Mind 8 - 6 for the week.
New York Giants @ Minnesota - Well the dome fell and so did the Brett Favre streak. Maybe he should have played if this is the type of game Tavaris is going to give the Vikings. I can't even blame it all on him because this one vaunted defense of the Vikings gave up 213 yards (Bradshaw 103 yards, Jacobs 116 yards) on the ground. It's over this year for the Vikings and the long term plan just doesn't seem to be there. Maybe they'll go after another old QB next year. McNabb are you listening? Inquisitive Mind 9 - 6 for the week.
Baltimore @ Houston - My main man Ray Lewis almost let the Texans come back and win that game. The Ravens defense isn't as good as it once was and they will need to find some corners if they are going to do anything in the playoffs. Flacco (22 of 33 for 235 yards, 2 TDs) and Mason (6 recs for 78 yards, 2 TDs) must have made up because they connected a lot last night. I'm still worried about this team and their inability to make that offense work on a consistent basis. It's another win though. Inquisitive Mind 10 - 6 for the week.
Not a bad week and that brings the season total to 124 - 83. Not too bad for an amateur. But still in the chase.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
NFL 2010 Week 14 Picks
Quick week again. Let's get to the picks.
Cleveland @ Buffalo - The Browns are just playing too well. The Bills are looking to have the worst record to possibly get a QB next year, via the draft. Delhomme will get another start, so hopefully the old QB can get one more win out of him. Winner - Browns.
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh - Tough division game. The Bengals have been playing better the last two weeks, but the Steelers need to play well but minimize the hits to Big Ben. I'll look for a lot of Mendenhall on the ground and then the Steelers defense to finish this one off. Winner - Steelers.
Green Bay @ Detroit - I like what the Lions have done in the past weeks, but they are going up against a team that has to win to try and keep pace with the Bears in the division. It's indoor and the Packers HAVE to find a way to run the ball. They are similar to the Colts, if they can get some semblance of a running game going, the Packers should have a cakewalk. Winner - Packers.
Tampa Bay @ Washington - This one is a tough one. I will say that the Bucs are the better team but something about the Redskins sending Haynesworth home will galvanize this Redskins team. I'm not even sure why that makes sense because he really hasn't played much the entire year. I'm supposed to pick the Redskins, but I can't in good faith. Winner - Bucs.
Atlanta @ Carolina - Shouldn't be a contest. The Panthers are that bad and the Falcons want this win to hopefully end up with the best record in the NFL. Winner - Falcons.
Oakland @ Jacksonville - This game is going to be close. The Jaguars are showing everyone that they truly belong. They have to win these games because the Colts looked energized and back on their good foot, with a mathematical chance to sneak up on the Jaguars and win the division. Look for a lot of MJD and minimizing the mistakes on offense. Winner - Jaguars.
Seattle @ San Francisco - Two very bad teams. With news that the 49ers are going to start Alex Smith, they are making this pick easy for me. What does Troy Smith have to do to start the remainder of the season? Seattle in (hopefully) a blowout. Winner - Seahawks.
St. Louis @ New Orleans - This is a tough one. The Rams have played well, but are they good enough to beat the Saints at home? The Saints haven't blown anyone out in a while and this Rams team can run the ball well enough to keep them in the game. Hmmmm,.......tough one,.....Winner - Saints.
Miami @ New York Jets - What do you do after an a$$ whuppin? Well, I guess we'll see when the Jets take the field on Sunday. Miami needs help at the QB spot, because Henne probably isn't the answer. Jason Taylor is looking to play more in this game since he'll be playing against his former team (Dolphins) and I expect him to wreak havoc. Winner - Jets.
Denver @ Arizona - Kyle Orton, it's time to get back on the horse. Orton had a nice few games of throwing for over 300 yards a game and last week was pitiful. Arizona is just that bad so I expect a big game from Lloyd and Orton. Winner - Broncos.
Kansas City @ San Diego - Hi Brodie Croyle, welcome to the pressure cooker. The Chargers are looking to make their normal push into the playoffs with the loss last week being a slight blow, but beating the Chiefs would be a pretty big deal if they can pull it off. Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, I hope that you've rested those legs. Winner - Chiefs.
New England @ Chicago - There's snow on the ground and more coming. All in all I don't think that will be an issue for either team. The question is how do you beat a Tampa 2 defense? You dink and dunk the ball up and down the field. Does that tell you who I'm picking? Winner - Patriots.
Philadelphia @ Dallas - The Cowboys are playing inspired ball and this will definitely be a test for their defense with the Eagles coming to town. Remember that the Bears 'stopped' Vick and he still threw for 300 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, and ran for another TD. The Eagles just need this game too bad to lose this one. No Dez Bryant for the Cowboys and the Eagles get Samuel back. Winner - Eagles.
New York Giants @ Minnesota - If this game is played, yes I say that because more snow expected in the midwest and the dome can't be cleaned off with the high winds that are presently blowing through the Land of 10,000 lakes. It will get played at some point, but I doubt Monday. Anyway, this gives Favres shoulder a chance to heal (maybe God is a Favre fan) which may or may not be a good thing. The Vikings need this win, but I think for some reason the Giants find a way to win this game. Winner - Giants.
Baltimore @ Houston - My main man Ray Lewis takes his Ravens team to Houston. Houston is a dangerous team because of their balance on the ground and in the air. I've been waiting for Flacco to have a breakout game, more importantly having that big game with Anquan Boldin. Will this be the night? Closer game than most think, but again, in Ray I trust. Winner - Ravens.
Who you got?!?!
Cleveland @ Buffalo - The Browns are just playing too well. The Bills are looking to have the worst record to possibly get a QB next year, via the draft. Delhomme will get another start, so hopefully the old QB can get one more win out of him. Winner - Browns.
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh - Tough division game. The Bengals have been playing better the last two weeks, but the Steelers need to play well but minimize the hits to Big Ben. I'll look for a lot of Mendenhall on the ground and then the Steelers defense to finish this one off. Winner - Steelers.
Green Bay @ Detroit - I like what the Lions have done in the past weeks, but they are going up against a team that has to win to try and keep pace with the Bears in the division. It's indoor and the Packers HAVE to find a way to run the ball. They are similar to the Colts, if they can get some semblance of a running game going, the Packers should have a cakewalk. Winner - Packers.
Tampa Bay @ Washington - This one is a tough one. I will say that the Bucs are the better team but something about the Redskins sending Haynesworth home will galvanize this Redskins team. I'm not even sure why that makes sense because he really hasn't played much the entire year. I'm supposed to pick the Redskins, but I can't in good faith. Winner - Bucs.
Atlanta @ Carolina - Shouldn't be a contest. The Panthers are that bad and the Falcons want this win to hopefully end up with the best record in the NFL. Winner - Falcons.
Oakland @ Jacksonville - This game is going to be close. The Jaguars are showing everyone that they truly belong. They have to win these games because the Colts looked energized and back on their good foot, with a mathematical chance to sneak up on the Jaguars and win the division. Look for a lot of MJD and minimizing the mistakes on offense. Winner - Jaguars.
Seattle @ San Francisco - Two very bad teams. With news that the 49ers are going to start Alex Smith, they are making this pick easy for me. What does Troy Smith have to do to start the remainder of the season? Seattle in (hopefully) a blowout. Winner - Seahawks.
St. Louis @ New Orleans - This is a tough one. The Rams have played well, but are they good enough to beat the Saints at home? The Saints haven't blown anyone out in a while and this Rams team can run the ball well enough to keep them in the game. Hmmmm,.......tough one,.....Winner - Saints.
Miami @ New York Jets - What do you do after an a$$ whuppin? Well, I guess we'll see when the Jets take the field on Sunday. Miami needs help at the QB spot, because Henne probably isn't the answer. Jason Taylor is looking to play more in this game since he'll be playing against his former team (Dolphins) and I expect him to wreak havoc. Winner - Jets.
Denver @ Arizona - Kyle Orton, it's time to get back on the horse. Orton had a nice few games of throwing for over 300 yards a game and last week was pitiful. Arizona is just that bad so I expect a big game from Lloyd and Orton. Winner - Broncos.
Kansas City @ San Diego - Hi Brodie Croyle, welcome to the pressure cooker. The Chargers are looking to make their normal push into the playoffs with the loss last week being a slight blow, but beating the Chiefs would be a pretty big deal if they can pull it off. Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, I hope that you've rested those legs. Winner - Chiefs.
New England @ Chicago - There's snow on the ground and more coming. All in all I don't think that will be an issue for either team. The question is how do you beat a Tampa 2 defense? You dink and dunk the ball up and down the field. Does that tell you who I'm picking? Winner - Patriots.
Philadelphia @ Dallas - The Cowboys are playing inspired ball and this will definitely be a test for their defense with the Eagles coming to town. Remember that the Bears 'stopped' Vick and he still threw for 300 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, and ran for another TD. The Eagles just need this game too bad to lose this one. No Dez Bryant for the Cowboys and the Eagles get Samuel back. Winner - Eagles.
New York Giants @ Minnesota - If this game is played, yes I say that because more snow expected in the midwest and the dome can't be cleaned off with the high winds that are presently blowing through the Land of 10,000 lakes. It will get played at some point, but I doubt Monday. Anyway, this gives Favres shoulder a chance to heal (maybe God is a Favre fan) which may or may not be a good thing. The Vikings need this win, but I think for some reason the Giants find a way to win this game. Winner - Giants.
Baltimore @ Houston - My main man Ray Lewis takes his Ravens team to Houston. Houston is a dangerous team because of their balance on the ground and in the air. I've been waiting for Flacco to have a breakout game, more importantly having that big game with Anquan Boldin. Will this be the night? Closer game than most think, but again, in Ray I trust. Winner - Ravens.
Who you got?!?!
Friday, December 03, 2010
NFL 2010 Week 13 Picks
Ok, we started the week off with the Eagles and a win, so let's see if we can keep it up.
New Orleans @ Cincinnati - It's time for the movers and shakers to move and shake. The better teams (the Saints) are trying to shore up their playoff position in the NFC, while the terrible teams (the Bengals) are quietly doing quarterback and head coach searches. The Saints are starting to get their backfield in order and healthy and I imagine that the Bengals won't put up much of a fight. Carson Palmer, this is your audition for your next team. Winner - Saints.
Chicago @ Detroit - The Bears, as a collective unit should play the lottery because they have been THE luckiest team this season. They get to go against another 3rd string quarterback in Drew Stanton. The Bears are positioning themselves to win their division and this is a division game. The Lions have played well, but I don't think they have enough bullets in their guns to pull off this upset. Cutler will make this interesting though. Winner - Bears.
San Francisco @ Green Bay - The Packers are trying to keep pace with the Bears and they get a softie this week with 49ers coming to town. The 49ers are without Frank Gore for the year, but they do have Troy Smith who has played well. I expect that Smith will see lots of blitzes and the Packers have the corners to cover the 49ers receivers. Both teams are essentially pass oriented at this point and without a decent ground game on either side, always go with the best defense. This should be a blow out by the Packers, but I think I'll just take a nice win. Winner - Packers.
Jacksonville @ Tennessee - The Titans have to do better than last week. Chris Johnson has to get more than 10 yards. Jacksonville took an 'L' last week, but this is their bounce back week. A win here could almost guarantee that the Jaguars will be going to the playoffs. The pressure is on. Winner - Jaguars.
Denver @ Kansas City - Which team will show up? The Broncos have been playing well, led by Kyle Orton of all people. The Chiefs have been playing well due to the play of Dwayne Bowe (and to a lesser extent, Matt Cassel). The game is in Denver and the Broncos normally play well there. I told the fellas that I would pick the Chiefs, or at least I was leaning that way, but for some reason my hands want to type,......Broncos. Bad hands. Winner - Chiefs.
Cleveland @ Miami - Tough game to pick. Cleveland is the team that Miami should be, a grind it out running team. Miami will have problems (as do most teams) with Peyton Hillis and a healthy Jake Delhomme. Somebody from Cleveland has to beat a Miami team this year,....at least once. Winner - Browns.
Buffalo @ Minnesota - Why do I still like the Vikings? Favre is declining, AP is coming off a sprained ankle, and Buffalo has played pretty decently as of late. The Bills re one dropped pass from beating the Steelers last week. Maybe the Vikings' defense steps up at home and makes this game tough for the Bills? Winner - Vikings.
Washington @ New York Giants - This should be an easy game for the Giants. The Redskins offense is unimaginative and mostly ineffective, but with a wily QB (McNabb) and an opportunistic defense (sometimes), the Redskins COULD win this game, but I think that the Giants are just too good to let that happen, especially at home. Winner - Giants.
Oakland @ San Diego - Well the Raiders were hot for a second, but now they aren't even lukewarm. Somehow this team fell off (maybe the constant switching of quarterbacks can do this you) and I don't see them getting it all back together any time soon. The Chargers are starting their regular late season push as they are concentrated on making the playoffs after their terrible start. Antonio Gates will probably play again in this game but he won't be 100%, and even that didn't hurt them last week. If the Raiders do wake up, this would be the game to do it. Winner - Raiders.
Carolina @ Seattle - Two bad teams. The Panthers have to travel across the country and the Seahawks need a win. This one should be easy. Winner - Seahawks.
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay - This one ought to be interesting. Both teams are playoff bound and this is a division game. The Bucs have played well most of the season and they will sneak up on you if don't watch them. The Falcons are one of the most complete teams in the NFL and they will need that balance to beat this Bucs team at home. Winner - Falcons.
St. Louis @ Arizona - Derek Anderson ought to try and hit a few more receivers instead of blowing up on the media. That will be harder with the Rams defense coming at him. The Rams offense will have some problems with a motivated Cardinals defense. I have no confidence in anyone the Cardinals put under center, sorry. Winner - Rams.
Dallas @ Indianapolis - No Marion Barber for the Cowboys, which may not be a big issue, but the Colts are missing a lot of players too. The Colts offensive line doesn't allow Manning to get touch most of the time, so it will be up to the Cowboys defensive front to get to Manning. The Cowboys offense will have to find Dez Bryant again, because he's too good to go catchless in a game. Winner - Colts.
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore - If you like football, you should like this game. Two teams who don't like each other and love show that dislike on the field. This game is a divisional game and a rematch which the Ravens won earlier in the year. Normally I go with a split between these teams, but if Big Ben can't move, he'll definitely be a sitting duck. Winner - Ravens.
New York Jets @ New England - The game of the week and it's fitting that it's on Monday Night. The Jets get a chance to get a crack at the suddenly hot Patriots. The Jets seem to have lost some of their mojo as of late or they actually have stopped all of the talking. The Patriots are slowly killing teams with Brady making lots of short passes and then every now and then going deep. The Jets are looking good because they are leaning on the veteran legs of LT, their defense and their QB who isn't turning the ball over a lot. Tough game to pick, but I gotta go with,.......Winner - Patriots.
Who you got?
New Orleans @ Cincinnati - It's time for the movers and shakers to move and shake. The better teams (the Saints) are trying to shore up their playoff position in the NFC, while the terrible teams (the Bengals) are quietly doing quarterback and head coach searches. The Saints are starting to get their backfield in order and healthy and I imagine that the Bengals won't put up much of a fight. Carson Palmer, this is your audition for your next team. Winner - Saints.
Chicago @ Detroit - The Bears, as a collective unit should play the lottery because they have been THE luckiest team this season. They get to go against another 3rd string quarterback in Drew Stanton. The Bears are positioning themselves to win their division and this is a division game. The Lions have played well, but I don't think they have enough bullets in their guns to pull off this upset. Cutler will make this interesting though. Winner - Bears.
San Francisco @ Green Bay - The Packers are trying to keep pace with the Bears and they get a softie this week with 49ers coming to town. The 49ers are without Frank Gore for the year, but they do have Troy Smith who has played well. I expect that Smith will see lots of blitzes and the Packers have the corners to cover the 49ers receivers. Both teams are essentially pass oriented at this point and without a decent ground game on either side, always go with the best defense. This should be a blow out by the Packers, but I think I'll just take a nice win. Winner - Packers.
Jacksonville @ Tennessee - The Titans have to do better than last week. Chris Johnson has to get more than 10 yards. Jacksonville took an 'L' last week, but this is their bounce back week. A win here could almost guarantee that the Jaguars will be going to the playoffs. The pressure is on. Winner - Jaguars.
Denver @ Kansas City - Which team will show up? The Broncos have been playing well, led by Kyle Orton of all people. The Chiefs have been playing well due to the play of Dwayne Bowe (and to a lesser extent, Matt Cassel). The game is in Denver and the Broncos normally play well there. I told the fellas that I would pick the Chiefs, or at least I was leaning that way, but for some reason my hands want to type,......Broncos. Bad hands. Winner - Chiefs.
Cleveland @ Miami - Tough game to pick. Cleveland is the team that Miami should be, a grind it out running team. Miami will have problems (as do most teams) with Peyton Hillis and a healthy Jake Delhomme. Somebody from Cleveland has to beat a Miami team this year,....at least once. Winner - Browns.
Buffalo @ Minnesota - Why do I still like the Vikings? Favre is declining, AP is coming off a sprained ankle, and Buffalo has played pretty decently as of late. The Bills re one dropped pass from beating the Steelers last week. Maybe the Vikings' defense steps up at home and makes this game tough for the Bills? Winner - Vikings.
Washington @ New York Giants - This should be an easy game for the Giants. The Redskins offense is unimaginative and mostly ineffective, but with a wily QB (McNabb) and an opportunistic defense (sometimes), the Redskins COULD win this game, but I think that the Giants are just too good to let that happen, especially at home. Winner - Giants.
Oakland @ San Diego - Well the Raiders were hot for a second, but now they aren't even lukewarm. Somehow this team fell off (maybe the constant switching of quarterbacks can do this you) and I don't see them getting it all back together any time soon. The Chargers are starting their regular late season push as they are concentrated on making the playoffs after their terrible start. Antonio Gates will probably play again in this game but he won't be 100%, and even that didn't hurt them last week. If the Raiders do wake up, this would be the game to do it. Winner - Raiders.
Carolina @ Seattle - Two bad teams. The Panthers have to travel across the country and the Seahawks need a win. This one should be easy. Winner - Seahawks.
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay - This one ought to be interesting. Both teams are playoff bound and this is a division game. The Bucs have played well most of the season and they will sneak up on you if don't watch them. The Falcons are one of the most complete teams in the NFL and they will need that balance to beat this Bucs team at home. Winner - Falcons.
St. Louis @ Arizona - Derek Anderson ought to try and hit a few more receivers instead of blowing up on the media. That will be harder with the Rams defense coming at him. The Rams offense will have some problems with a motivated Cardinals defense. I have no confidence in anyone the Cardinals put under center, sorry. Winner - Rams.
Dallas @ Indianapolis - No Marion Barber for the Cowboys, which may not be a big issue, but the Colts are missing a lot of players too. The Colts offensive line doesn't allow Manning to get touch most of the time, so it will be up to the Cowboys defensive front to get to Manning. The Cowboys offense will have to find Dez Bryant again, because he's too good to go catchless in a game. Winner - Colts.
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore - If you like football, you should like this game. Two teams who don't like each other and love show that dislike on the field. This game is a divisional game and a rematch which the Ravens won earlier in the year. Normally I go with a split between these teams, but if Big Ben can't move, he'll definitely be a sitting duck. Winner - Ravens.
New York Jets @ New England - The game of the week and it's fitting that it's on Monday Night. The Jets get a chance to get a crack at the suddenly hot Patriots. The Jets seem to have lost some of their mojo as of late or they actually have stopped all of the talking. The Patriots are slowly killing teams with Brady making lots of short passes and then every now and then going deep. The Jets are looking good because they are leaning on the veteran legs of LT, their defense and their QB who isn't turning the ball over a lot. Tough game to pick, but I gotta go with,.......Winner - Patriots.
Who you got?
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
NFL 2010 Week 12 Wrap Up
New England @ Detroit - Suh had his big game but the Lions weren't able to hold on for this win. For a second there I was like, this might have been the upset special for Turkey Day, but in the end the old reliable Patriots won the game. Finally Tom Brady put up a monster performance (21 of 27 for 341 yards, 4 TDs) and the Patriots defense finished this blowout. The Lions played pretty well though, can't knock them for trying. Inquisitive Mind 1 - 0 for the week.
New Orleans @ Dallas - Arrrggghhhh. The Cowboys had this game and lost it late. I just knew that they were going to win. The fact that they were thatclose and Dez Bryant didn't record a catch has to say something about this team. Yes, the Saints played well and Brees was able to lead his team down for a late win. For some reason the Cowboys still can't run the ball, why? Inquisitive Mind 1 - 1 for the week.
Cincinnati @ New York Jets - The Bengals should just call it quits because they suck. From their head coach on down to the players, this team needs to be blown up. Carson Palmer should just sit down so that his brother can play and find me some guys off the street that want to play wide receiver. The Jets looked bad in this game and still won by 16. I think that's the most telling stat. I didn't even wait for TO's press conference, this was snooze city all the way. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 1 for the week.
Green Bay @ Atlanta - This was a close one. The Falcons looked like they were going into another overtime game when Rodgers found Nelson for a 10 yard touchdown, but they found a way. They drove down and Matt Bryant hit a 47 yard field goal to win this game. Rodgers had another great game (26 of 35 for 344 yards, 1 TD) but it was the combo of Ryan (24 of 28 for 197 yards, 1 TD) and Turner (23 carries for 110 yards, 1 TD) that turned the tide for the Falcons. The Falcons haven't lost a game at home and are 9-2. Someone better recognize. Inquisitive Mind 3 - 1 for the week.
Pittsburgh @ Buffalo - You're kidding me right? I just knew that someone had gotten hurt in this game since it took the Steelers well in to overtime to handle the Bills. (GJ, I was right, Big Ben sprained his foot). The Steelers defense has been abused as of late as the Bill did pretty much what they wanted to do in the 2nd half. IF Steve Johnson makes that catch in the end zone (all by himself) this is a loss for the Steelers. Thank God for small miracles. Note to Steve Johnson, great for manning up and admitting fault on that drop, but don't take it too hard. You've had a great season and we expect more from you in the future. Inquisitive Mind 4 - 1 for the week.
Carolina @ Cleveland - You're kidding me right? The Panthers almost stole one here. The Browns beat the Panthers with Peyton Hillis (26 carries for 131 yards, 3 TDs) and (gulp) former Panther Jake Delhomme (24 of 35 for 245 yards, 2 INTs). Malik, I know you're somewhere today still crying in your beer from the hyperbole that is the Carolina Panthers. Inquisitive Mind 5 - 1 for the week.
Jacksonville @ New York Giants - This just came down to the league righting itself. This was a game of two average teams playing each other and one of the average teams had to win. It took a late TD pass from Manning (the not so good one) to Boss for the Giants to go ahead and then a fumble recovery to clinch. My biggest question is why are the Giants average when they have LOTS of talent on both sides of the ball? I just don't get it. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 1 for the week.
Minnesota @ Washington - No AP (injured in 2nd quarter), an old QB, a defense that isn't playing well, and somehow the Vikings met a team that is worse than they are. Toby Gerhart played for the injured AP with a 22 carry (for 76 yards, 1 TD) performance that wasn't spectacular but it at least let the Vikings know they have a solid backup that can handle a pounding. Favre gave (Leslie) Frazier the game ball, how nice. Inquisitive Mind 7 - 1 for the week.
Tennessee @ Houston - Chris Johnson, 7 carries for 5 yards. That's all I have to understand. Time to blow up the Titans too. Sorry Fisher, but you'll find greener pastures real soon. Waiting to see if Andre Johnson gets suspended (I doubt it) for his fight with Courtland Finnegan. At most I expect his wallet to be about $100K lighter. Inquisitive Mind 8 - 1 for the week.
Kansas City @ Seattle - Cassel didn't have to throw for a lot of yards (233), but his 4 TDs led the way to a dismantling of the Seahawks. Charles (22 carries, 173 yards, 1 TD) and Bowe (13 catches, 170 yards, 3 TDs) had banner days and this is what Scott Pioli was looking for out of this team. Now if they could only do this against one of the better teams in the league. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 1 for the week.
Miami @ Oakland - Chad Henne did his best Dan Marino impersonation (17 of 30 for 307 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) and the Williams/Brown combo combined for 44 carries for 180 yards and 1 TD. The Gradkowski led Raiders were again terrible and no running game to speak of (16 total rushing yards) means that the Raiders have got to pick a QB and stick with him. I personally think Campbell is the better of the two, but it's not my pick. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 2 for the week.
St. Louis @ Denver - The Rams are for real. They are on top of the NFC West at 5 and 6. They are going to make the playoffs. Write it down and take a picture of it. Bradford threw for 308 yards and 3 TDs, on the road. I am just amazed by this. Yes, the NFC West is weak, but this team shouldn't be in the hunt and they are. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 3 for the week.
Philadelphia @ Chicago - I can honestly say this, the Bears won this game. They played the BEST game of their season in slowing down Vick. Their ends didn't get greedy and try to increase their sack totals, they stayed in their lanes and made it a rough night for Vick and company. Jay Cutler looked about as good as I've EVER seen him. His 14 of 21, 247 yard, 4 TD performance was almost as amazing as Vicks' play against the Redskins, more so because of who Cutler is. I've always said that he has interceptions in him and since he didn't throw any in this game,...look out. The Bears are 8-3 and in position to go back to the playoffs. I'll lose a bet if they win 3 more games, but they could end up getting Lovie and extension or at least working during the final year of his contract. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 4 for the week.
Tampa Bay @ Baltimore - This game was a lost closer than I thought it'd be. I thought the Ravens offense would top the 30 point plateau but 17 was enough. The Ravens defense pretty much held suit as they stopped LeGarrette Blount and Josh Freeman. I am a little concerned with the Ravens with the loss of Le'Ron McClain and the offense not using Boldin. What's going on here?!?!? Still a win for the Ravens, which pushes them to 8-3 and 5-0 at home this year. The AFC is going to be tough this year. Inquisitive Mind 10 - 4 for the week.
San Diego @ Indianapolis - That old New Edition song rang in my ears last night 'Is this the End?' while I was watching Peyton Manning get hit. He's just not the same QB when you're able to hit him and hit him hard like the Chargers did for the majority of the night. Rivers didn't have a big stat game (185 yards passing) but he showed us how he can pick apart a defense. The Chargers defense returned two picks (out of the 4 total) for TDs and Tolbert added an additional one. Both teams are 6-5 now, but unless the Colts get some of their injured players back, I think the Colts are thisclose to being done for the season too. Inquisitive Mind 11 - 4 for the week.
San Francisco @ Arizona - Troy Smith had a good game and the 49ers improved to 3-1 with him at the helm which begs to question why he wasn't playing before now? Yes he was sick and was out of commission for a while, but he is by far the best QB on the roster. Now with Frank Gore done for the season, we'll see if this 49ers team has any heart and if Smith can lead them to some more wins. They aren't mathematically out of the NFC West running. Inquisitive Mind 12 - 4 for the week.
Another great week as we head toward the finish line. I'm solidly at 100-75 for the year, but still behind the masses at ESPN. Gotta try and catch them.
New Orleans @ Dallas - Arrrggghhhh. The Cowboys had this game and lost it late. I just knew that they were going to win. The fact that they were thatclose and Dez Bryant didn't record a catch has to say something about this team. Yes, the Saints played well and Brees was able to lead his team down for a late win. For some reason the Cowboys still can't run the ball, why? Inquisitive Mind 1 - 1 for the week.
Cincinnati @ New York Jets - The Bengals should just call it quits because they suck. From their head coach on down to the players, this team needs to be blown up. Carson Palmer should just sit down so that his brother can play and find me some guys off the street that want to play wide receiver. The Jets looked bad in this game and still won by 16. I think that's the most telling stat. I didn't even wait for TO's press conference, this was snooze city all the way. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 1 for the week.
Green Bay @ Atlanta - This was a close one. The Falcons looked like they were going into another overtime game when Rodgers found Nelson for a 10 yard touchdown, but they found a way. They drove down and Matt Bryant hit a 47 yard field goal to win this game. Rodgers had another great game (26 of 35 for 344 yards, 1 TD) but it was the combo of Ryan (24 of 28 for 197 yards, 1 TD) and Turner (23 carries for 110 yards, 1 TD) that turned the tide for the Falcons. The Falcons haven't lost a game at home and are 9-2. Someone better recognize. Inquisitive Mind 3 - 1 for the week.
Pittsburgh @ Buffalo - You're kidding me right? I just knew that someone had gotten hurt in this game since it took the Steelers well in to overtime to handle the Bills. (GJ, I was right, Big Ben sprained his foot). The Steelers defense has been abused as of late as the Bill did pretty much what they wanted to do in the 2nd half. IF Steve Johnson makes that catch in the end zone (all by himself) this is a loss for the Steelers. Thank God for small miracles. Note to Steve Johnson, great for manning up and admitting fault on that drop, but don't take it too hard. You've had a great season and we expect more from you in the future. Inquisitive Mind 4 - 1 for the week.
Carolina @ Cleveland - You're kidding me right? The Panthers almost stole one here. The Browns beat the Panthers with Peyton Hillis (26 carries for 131 yards, 3 TDs) and (gulp) former Panther Jake Delhomme (24 of 35 for 245 yards, 2 INTs). Malik, I know you're somewhere today still crying in your beer from the hyperbole that is the Carolina Panthers. Inquisitive Mind 5 - 1 for the week.
Jacksonville @ New York Giants - This just came down to the league righting itself. This was a game of two average teams playing each other and one of the average teams had to win. It took a late TD pass from Manning (the not so good one) to Boss for the Giants to go ahead and then a fumble recovery to clinch. My biggest question is why are the Giants average when they have LOTS of talent on both sides of the ball? I just don't get it. Inquisitive Mind 6 - 1 for the week.
Minnesota @ Washington - No AP (injured in 2nd quarter), an old QB, a defense that isn't playing well, and somehow the Vikings met a team that is worse than they are. Toby Gerhart played for the injured AP with a 22 carry (for 76 yards, 1 TD) performance that wasn't spectacular but it at least let the Vikings know they have a solid backup that can handle a pounding. Favre gave (Leslie) Frazier the game ball, how nice. Inquisitive Mind 7 - 1 for the week.
Tennessee @ Houston - Chris Johnson, 7 carries for 5 yards. That's all I have to understand. Time to blow up the Titans too. Sorry Fisher, but you'll find greener pastures real soon. Waiting to see if Andre Johnson gets suspended (I doubt it) for his fight with Courtland Finnegan. At most I expect his wallet to be about $100K lighter. Inquisitive Mind 8 - 1 for the week.
Kansas City @ Seattle - Cassel didn't have to throw for a lot of yards (233), but his 4 TDs led the way to a dismantling of the Seahawks. Charles (22 carries, 173 yards, 1 TD) and Bowe (13 catches, 170 yards, 3 TDs) had banner days and this is what Scott Pioli was looking for out of this team. Now if they could only do this against one of the better teams in the league. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 1 for the week.
Miami @ Oakland - Chad Henne did his best Dan Marino impersonation (17 of 30 for 307 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) and the Williams/Brown combo combined for 44 carries for 180 yards and 1 TD. The Gradkowski led Raiders were again terrible and no running game to speak of (16 total rushing yards) means that the Raiders have got to pick a QB and stick with him. I personally think Campbell is the better of the two, but it's not my pick. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 2 for the week.
St. Louis @ Denver - The Rams are for real. They are on top of the NFC West at 5 and 6. They are going to make the playoffs. Write it down and take a picture of it. Bradford threw for 308 yards and 3 TDs, on the road. I am just amazed by this. Yes, the NFC West is weak, but this team shouldn't be in the hunt and they are. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 3 for the week.
Philadelphia @ Chicago - I can honestly say this, the Bears won this game. They played the BEST game of their season in slowing down Vick. Their ends didn't get greedy and try to increase their sack totals, they stayed in their lanes and made it a rough night for Vick and company. Jay Cutler looked about as good as I've EVER seen him. His 14 of 21, 247 yard, 4 TD performance was almost as amazing as Vicks' play against the Redskins, more so because of who Cutler is. I've always said that he has interceptions in him and since he didn't throw any in this game,...look out. The Bears are 8-3 and in position to go back to the playoffs. I'll lose a bet if they win 3 more games, but they could end up getting Lovie and extension or at least working during the final year of his contract. Inquisitive Mind 9 - 4 for the week.
Tampa Bay @ Baltimore - This game was a lost closer than I thought it'd be. I thought the Ravens offense would top the 30 point plateau but 17 was enough. The Ravens defense pretty much held suit as they stopped LeGarrette Blount and Josh Freeman. I am a little concerned with the Ravens with the loss of Le'Ron McClain and the offense not using Boldin. What's going on here?!?!? Still a win for the Ravens, which pushes them to 8-3 and 5-0 at home this year. The AFC is going to be tough this year. Inquisitive Mind 10 - 4 for the week.
San Diego @ Indianapolis - That old New Edition song rang in my ears last night 'Is this the End?' while I was watching Peyton Manning get hit. He's just not the same QB when you're able to hit him and hit him hard like the Chargers did for the majority of the night. Rivers didn't have a big stat game (185 yards passing) but he showed us how he can pick apart a defense. The Chargers defense returned two picks (out of the 4 total) for TDs and Tolbert added an additional one. Both teams are 6-5 now, but unless the Colts get some of their injured players back, I think the Colts are thisclose to being done for the season too. Inquisitive Mind 11 - 4 for the week.
San Francisco @ Arizona - Troy Smith had a good game and the 49ers improved to 3-1 with him at the helm which begs to question why he wasn't playing before now? Yes he was sick and was out of commission for a while, but he is by far the best QB on the roster. Now with Frank Gore done for the season, we'll see if this 49ers team has any heart and if Smith can lead them to some more wins. They aren't mathematically out of the NFC West running. Inquisitive Mind 12 - 4 for the week.
Another great week as we head toward the finish line. I'm solidly at 100-75 for the year, but still behind the masses at ESPN. Gotta try and catch them.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
NFL 2010 Week 12 Picks
Yes, we're running late this week, but all of that sleep from the turkey is the only reason. Let's see what we have on tap for the rest of this week.
Green Bay @ Atlanta - A very interesting game. One team that's all pass and defense, the Packers, against a well rounded team at home, the Falcons. I keep saying that the Packers can't keep this up, but for some reason they continue to win. Winner - Falcons.
Pittsburgh @ Buffalo - Unless the Steelers bus has an accident en route to the stadium, this one is easy. Winner - Steelers.
Carolina @ Cleveland - Talk about another easy one. The Browns should be able to run the score up on this bad Panthers team and it's in Cleveland,.......Winner - Browns.
Jacksonville @ New York Giants - Ok, this is it. The Jaguars can not win this game. They have been playing some good football as of late and have gotten some pretty lucky bounces, but there's no way they go to the New Meadowlands and win this game. Bradshaw lost his starting spot and this Giants team has to be steamed with the way they played last week. Winner - Giants.
Minnesota @ Washington - Is this the old QB Bowl? McNabb isn't quite 40 yet, although his body might beg to differ, but this is a bad game and hopefully not too many people have to watch. The Vikings have been my pick all year, but they have let me down at every turn. Again, I don't know why I pick them, but maybe they answer the bell for Leslie better than they do Childress. Winner - Vikings.
Tennessee @ Houston - No VY, and we're getting a third stringer starting. This is just the type of game that the Titans would man up and win. The Texans need this win badly and I could imagine Jeff Fisher taking a head coaching position in Houston next year with all of the craziness that's going on in the Titans locker room. Note to Vince Young, if you are man enough to cuss someone out, be man enough to apologize in the same manner, to his face. Winner - Texans.
Kansas City @ Seattle - This is the statement game of the year for the Chiefs, are they for real? I think so. Seattle has played well about half the season and you never know which team will show up, but this Chiefs team has the playoffs in their grasp and this is one of those gotta win games. Winner - Chiefs.
Miami @ Oakland - More Gradkowski for the Raiders and I think I'm going to try out for the Dolphins starting QB spot. Miami has the long road trip this week and if they game plan like they did against the Bears (not one Wildcat formation) then this game is already over. Going with the Silver and Black. Winner - Raiders.
St. Louis @ Denver - Cheaters never win!!! Well sometimes they do (ask the Patriots) and sometimes the fruit from those teams fall very close to the tree (ask Denver). The Rams are just too young and I imagine that the Mile High air is going to hurt the Rams especially this late in the season. Winner - Broncos.
Philadelphia @ Chicago - I can guarantee one thing, Cutler won't throw a pick to Asante Samuels because he'll be out of this game with a knee injury. I imagine that Cutler will still try to find him on the sidelines though. This is the game for the Bears to show whether they are real or if this is all a facade and smoke and mirrors. They have the defensive front to keep Vick in check, but everyone if going to have to play well. Briggs is the man that will shine if the Bears win. Winner - Eagles.
Tampa Bay @ Baltimore - This game screams defense but I'm not sure if the Bucs can hold up their end of the bargain. It's late in the year and the Ravens don't usually play badly because this is moving time (moving up the ranks). LeGarrette Blount, meet the Ravens defense, we'll have the Epsom salt ready for you after the game. Winner - Ravens.
San Diego @ Indianapolis - Can Rivers do it two weeks in a row? He had a spectacular game last week, but this Colts team is hungry and both teams need a win to keep up with the Patriots. Manning just isn't the same guy without his full complement of receivers, but he's still going to stick it to the Chargers defense. The Colts defense can get to Rivers and Gates is out yet again. Rivers' options appear to be similar to Manning. Which QB is better? Winner - Chargers.
San Francisco @ Arizona - Is anyone going to be watching this game? I mean most people in Arizona and California won't so I expect to have a Monday Night Football black out. Of course it will be on, but I'm not tuning in to watch Derek Anderson and whomever the 49ers trot out there to play this game. Hopefully Troy Smith has a great game on Monday Night so that Chucky and Jaws don't have to go on and on with filler for this game. Winner - 49ers.
Who you got?
Green Bay @ Atlanta - A very interesting game. One team that's all pass and defense, the Packers, against a well rounded team at home, the Falcons. I keep saying that the Packers can't keep this up, but for some reason they continue to win. Winner - Falcons.
Pittsburgh @ Buffalo - Unless the Steelers bus has an accident en route to the stadium, this one is easy. Winner - Steelers.
Carolina @ Cleveland - Talk about another easy one. The Browns should be able to run the score up on this bad Panthers team and it's in Cleveland,.......Winner - Browns.
Jacksonville @ New York Giants - Ok, this is it. The Jaguars can not win this game. They have been playing some good football as of late and have gotten some pretty lucky bounces, but there's no way they go to the New Meadowlands and win this game. Bradshaw lost his starting spot and this Giants team has to be steamed with the way they played last week. Winner - Giants.
Minnesota @ Washington - Is this the old QB Bowl? McNabb isn't quite 40 yet, although his body might beg to differ, but this is a bad game and hopefully not too many people have to watch. The Vikings have been my pick all year, but they have let me down at every turn. Again, I don't know why I pick them, but maybe they answer the bell for Leslie better than they do Childress. Winner - Vikings.
Tennessee @ Houston - No VY, and we're getting a third stringer starting. This is just the type of game that the Titans would man up and win. The Texans need this win badly and I could imagine Jeff Fisher taking a head coaching position in Houston next year with all of the craziness that's going on in the Titans locker room. Note to Vince Young, if you are man enough to cuss someone out, be man enough to apologize in the same manner, to his face. Winner - Texans.
Kansas City @ Seattle - This is the statement game of the year for the Chiefs, are they for real? I think so. Seattle has played well about half the season and you never know which team will show up, but this Chiefs team has the playoffs in their grasp and this is one of those gotta win games. Winner - Chiefs.
Miami @ Oakland - More Gradkowski for the Raiders and I think I'm going to try out for the Dolphins starting QB spot. Miami has the long road trip this week and if they game plan like they did against the Bears (not one Wildcat formation) then this game is already over. Going with the Silver and Black. Winner - Raiders.
St. Louis @ Denver - Cheaters never win!!! Well sometimes they do (ask the Patriots) and sometimes the fruit from those teams fall very close to the tree (ask Denver). The Rams are just too young and I imagine that the Mile High air is going to hurt the Rams especially this late in the season. Winner - Broncos.
Philadelphia @ Chicago - I can guarantee one thing, Cutler won't throw a pick to Asante Samuels because he'll be out of this game with a knee injury. I imagine that Cutler will still try to find him on the sidelines though. This is the game for the Bears to show whether they are real or if this is all a facade and smoke and mirrors. They have the defensive front to keep Vick in check, but everyone if going to have to play well. Briggs is the man that will shine if the Bears win. Winner - Eagles.
Tampa Bay @ Baltimore - This game screams defense but I'm not sure if the Bucs can hold up their end of the bargain. It's late in the year and the Ravens don't usually play badly because this is moving time (moving up the ranks). LeGarrette Blount, meet the Ravens defense, we'll have the Epsom salt ready for you after the game. Winner - Ravens.
San Diego @ Indianapolis - Can Rivers do it two weeks in a row? He had a spectacular game last week, but this Colts team is hungry and both teams need a win to keep up with the Patriots. Manning just isn't the same guy without his full complement of receivers, but he's still going to stick it to the Chargers defense. The Colts defense can get to Rivers and Gates is out yet again. Rivers' options appear to be similar to Manning. Which QB is better? Winner - Chargers.
San Francisco @ Arizona - Is anyone going to be watching this game? I mean most people in Arizona and California won't so I expect to have a Monday Night Football black out. Of course it will be on, but I'm not tuning in to watch Derek Anderson and whomever the 49ers trot out there to play this game. Hopefully Troy Smith has a great game on Monday Night so that Chucky and Jaws don't have to go on and on with filler for this game. Winner - 49ers.
Who you got?
Friday, November 19, 2010
NFL 2010 Week 11 Picks
At least we started out on the good foot with the Bears game this week. I was surprised that some folks actually picked the Dolphins, even I couldn't do that in good faith. Let's finish up the week strong.
Buffalo @ Cincinnati - I almost think that the Bills should win this game. The Bengals have sucked this year and there's really nothing that is redeeming about this team. They lost their kicker for the year, they have a QB who is struggling to get back to being the QB that many thought he would be, they can't seem to run the ball, and the TO/Ocho combination is terrible. BUT, they are playing the Bills and they are playing this game in Ohio. Why am I doing this? I'm going to say this now, if they don't win, I will not pick them the rest of the year, period. Winner - Bengals.
Detroit @ Dallas - Jason Garrett is 1-0 for the year and he's done a great job of motivating this team to actually showing up for a game. The Lions are a dangerous team as long as Megatron is on the field and they have proven that I could start at QB and he'll still get the ball. The Cowboys' corners have been terrible for most of the year and this will definitely be a test for them. Both defensive lines are good and should provide each offense with their own issues. I expect that Suh will help the Cowboys continue the string of not being able to run the ball effectively. This is at Jerry's World, so gotta go with the home team. Winner - Cowboys.
Washington @ Tennessee - You have a Redskins defense that is still giving up points to the Eagles and Mike Vick, and a Titans squad that really underachieved last week by losing to the Dolphins (even though the Dolphins almost ran out of players). Which team has the gumption to step up and make it two bad weeks in a row. Randy Moss had 1 catch last week in his debut and we know he's better than that. They have had some time and I expect Moss to show out this weekend against this weak Redskins secondary. For the Redskins, I'm just waiting for Shanahan to pull McNabb again. Does it happen this week? Winner - Titans.
Arizona @ Kansas City - The Cardinals are terrible and it's time for this Chiefs team to show me something or I will revert back to calling them the Chefs. Dwayne Bowe seems to be able to catch balls as of late and the defense has got to make a run back to the first four games of the season. They were pretty much in a groove up until the loss against Indy, but they played well even then. If they can turn the clock back, just a little, and play some defense, this should be an easy game for the Chiefs. Winner - Chiefs.
Green Bay @ Minnesota - Another 'job' game for Childress and a must win for the Vikings if they have ANY hope of making it to the playoffs. If the Vikings lose this game, I'm pretty sure Childress is done, but so is the team for this year. The Packers are coming off a bye week and hopefully they were able to find the fountain of recovery because they needed it badly. The sad thing is that I think Favre will see a younger version of someone resembling him, behind a decent offensive line, throwing the ball all over the field, and he may come to tears. Maybe the Vikings drop Rodgers and start a blowout and we see a little of Tavaris Jackson in this game? I doubt it. Winner - Vikings.
Houston @ New York Jets - The Jets come off of a close win against the Browns and now they get a Texans team that is looking for some respect. The Texans are coming off of a lost game to the Jaguars on a hell mary and they needed a win last week, so the urgency is there. All of the luster has worn off of this team since their great start, including a win over the Colts. The Jets have been quiet, which is something I never thought I'd say. The bravado that the Ryan led Jets were talking has toned down a lot. Can they get it all back together and start the talking again? Winner - Jets.
Oakland @ Pittsburgh - How do you make up for losing a close game against the Patriots? You get a chance to prove to the world that you can beat the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders aren't the sacrificial cow that they have been over the last few years and they come to Pittsburgh with a good running game (Bush and DMC) and Jason Campbell peaking. This will be a closer game than most think if Campbell doesn't regress. Again, it's hard to beat Pittsburgh at home (although the Patriots did). Winner - Steelers.
Baltimore @ Carolina - Baltimore, easy. Winner - Ravens.
Cleveland @ Jacksonville - The Jaguars aren't that good, but sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, ask the Bears about that. The Jaguars snuck a win last week and they have been playing pretty well as of late following the lead of David Garrard. The Browns have also shown a pulse these past few weeks and they seem to be coming together on the defensive side of the ball at the very least. This is a coin toss. Winner - Jaguars.
Tampa Bay @ San Francisco - I would normally say that this is a win for the 49ers and easy, but the Bucs are not laying down for anyone. With a youth enthused team led by Josh Freeman and LeGarrette Blount, this Bucs team is dangerous. The 49ers have been given a shot in the arm by searching and finding a QB on their roster in Troy Smith. Smith has been able to lead this 49ers squad to some wins and he may get another this weekend. This ought to be a hard fought game and a good one to watch. Winner - 49ers.
Seattle @ New Orleans - The return of Reggie Bush? Bush is trying to make his return from breaking a leg earlier in the season and going against his old coach my be the best opportunity for success. The Seahawks have been up and down all year and I think (let me count here,.......) it's time for them to be up this game. They should be able to play with the Saints for at least a quarter or two but in the end, the better team should win. Winner - Saints.
Atlanta @ St. Louis - I know which team better win. The Falcons, as I repeat here often, are one of the best teams in the NFC. They can run with Turner, throw with Ryan, and they have Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez to catch the ball. The defense is one of the better ones in the league and they are playing a Rams team that is struggling just to keep players on the field. Even with that said, the Rams have been a team that will take a win from you if you let them stay in the game. Atlanta will have to jump out early and try to put any fire that this Rams team has out. Winner - Falcons.
Indianapolis @ New England - Two of the games best QBs face off against each other: Brady vs. Manning. Manning is dealing with not having his usual targets on the field, but he's made it work with the fill ins that the Colts have. The Patriots are riding high after beating the Steelers at home and they get to stay at home and welcome the Colts. The Patriots young defense was able to make some plays in Pittsburgh and the question now is will they be able to do the same thing against a Manning led offense. My money is on Manning. Winner - Colts.
New York Giants @ Philadelphia - Is Mike Vick still on fire? The Giants defense will find out. The Giants have the personnel upfront to keep Vick in check, but I'm not sure if their second level (LBs) is good enough. They also have to worry about McCoy and Jackson who are explosive also. The Giants can grind the ball with Jacobs and Bradshaw, which could limit Mr. Vick's touches. The more Vick is on the sidelines, the better chance the Giants have. Can they pull off the upset? Winner - Eagles.
Denver @ San Diego - This has shootout written all over it and that's hard to say when you have Kyle Orton as your starting QB. Orton has played, by far, his best season as a QB. The Chargers don't really scare you on defense so I expect that the Orton to Lloyd combo will be ordered up several times this game. Philip Rivers has shown that he too has an arm and is willing to throw to anyone with a Chargers jersey on since the Chargers have had problems from injuries and holdouts all year long. Do the Broncos have enough to keep pace? Winner - Chargers.
Who you got?
Buffalo @ Cincinnati - I almost think that the Bills should win this game. The Bengals have sucked this year and there's really nothing that is redeeming about this team. They lost their kicker for the year, they have a QB who is struggling to get back to being the QB that many thought he would be, they can't seem to run the ball, and the TO/Ocho combination is terrible. BUT, they are playing the Bills and they are playing this game in Ohio. Why am I doing this? I'm going to say this now, if they don't win, I will not pick them the rest of the year, period. Winner - Bengals.
Detroit @ Dallas - Jason Garrett is 1-0 for the year and he's done a great job of motivating this team to actually showing up for a game. The Lions are a dangerous team as long as Megatron is on the field and they have proven that I could start at QB and he'll still get the ball. The Cowboys' corners have been terrible for most of the year and this will definitely be a test for them. Both defensive lines are good and should provide each offense with their own issues. I expect that Suh will help the Cowboys continue the string of not being able to run the ball effectively. This is at Jerry's World, so gotta go with the home team. Winner - Cowboys.
Washington @ Tennessee - You have a Redskins defense that is still giving up points to the Eagles and Mike Vick, and a Titans squad that really underachieved last week by losing to the Dolphins (even though the Dolphins almost ran out of players). Which team has the gumption to step up and make it two bad weeks in a row. Randy Moss had 1 catch last week in his debut and we know he's better than that. They have had some time and I expect Moss to show out this weekend against this weak Redskins secondary. For the Redskins, I'm just waiting for Shanahan to pull McNabb again. Does it happen this week? Winner - Titans.
Arizona @ Kansas City - The Cardinals are terrible and it's time for this Chiefs team to show me something or I will revert back to calling them the Chefs. Dwayne Bowe seems to be able to catch balls as of late and the defense has got to make a run back to the first four games of the season. They were pretty much in a groove up until the loss against Indy, but they played well even then. If they can turn the clock back, just a little, and play some defense, this should be an easy game for the Chiefs. Winner - Chiefs.
Green Bay @ Minnesota - Another 'job' game for Childress and a must win for the Vikings if they have ANY hope of making it to the playoffs. If the Vikings lose this game, I'm pretty sure Childress is done, but so is the team for this year. The Packers are coming off a bye week and hopefully they were able to find the fountain of recovery because they needed it badly. The sad thing is that I think Favre will see a younger version of someone resembling him, behind a decent offensive line, throwing the ball all over the field, and he may come to tears. Maybe the Vikings drop Rodgers and start a blowout and we see a little of Tavaris Jackson in this game? I doubt it. Winner - Vikings.
Houston @ New York Jets - The Jets come off of a close win against the Browns and now they get a Texans team that is looking for some respect. The Texans are coming off of a lost game to the Jaguars on a hell mary and they needed a win last week, so the urgency is there. All of the luster has worn off of this team since their great start, including a win over the Colts. The Jets have been quiet, which is something I never thought I'd say. The bravado that the Ryan led Jets were talking has toned down a lot. Can they get it all back together and start the talking again? Winner - Jets.
Oakland @ Pittsburgh - How do you make up for losing a close game against the Patriots? You get a chance to prove to the world that you can beat the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders aren't the sacrificial cow that they have been over the last few years and they come to Pittsburgh with a good running game (Bush and DMC) and Jason Campbell peaking. This will be a closer game than most think if Campbell doesn't regress. Again, it's hard to beat Pittsburgh at home (although the Patriots did). Winner - Steelers.
Baltimore @ Carolina - Baltimore, easy. Winner - Ravens.
Cleveland @ Jacksonville - The Jaguars aren't that good, but sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, ask the Bears about that. The Jaguars snuck a win last week and they have been playing pretty well as of late following the lead of David Garrard. The Browns have also shown a pulse these past few weeks and they seem to be coming together on the defensive side of the ball at the very least. This is a coin toss. Winner - Jaguars.
Tampa Bay @ San Francisco - I would normally say that this is a win for the 49ers and easy, but the Bucs are not laying down for anyone. With a youth enthused team led by Josh Freeman and LeGarrette Blount, this Bucs team is dangerous. The 49ers have been given a shot in the arm by searching and finding a QB on their roster in Troy Smith. Smith has been able to lead this 49ers squad to some wins and he may get another this weekend. This ought to be a hard fought game and a good one to watch. Winner - 49ers.
Seattle @ New Orleans - The return of Reggie Bush? Bush is trying to make his return from breaking a leg earlier in the season and going against his old coach my be the best opportunity for success. The Seahawks have been up and down all year and I think (let me count here,.......) it's time for them to be up this game. They should be able to play with the Saints for at least a quarter or two but in the end, the better team should win. Winner - Saints.
Atlanta @ St. Louis - I know which team better win. The Falcons, as I repeat here often, are one of the best teams in the NFC. They can run with Turner, throw with Ryan, and they have Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez to catch the ball. The defense is one of the better ones in the league and they are playing a Rams team that is struggling just to keep players on the field. Even with that said, the Rams have been a team that will take a win from you if you let them stay in the game. Atlanta will have to jump out early and try to put any fire that this Rams team has out. Winner - Falcons.
Indianapolis @ New England - Two of the games best QBs face off against each other: Brady vs. Manning. Manning is dealing with not having his usual targets on the field, but he's made it work with the fill ins that the Colts have. The Patriots are riding high after beating the Steelers at home and they get to stay at home and welcome the Colts. The Patriots young defense was able to make some plays in Pittsburgh and the question now is will they be able to do the same thing against a Manning led offense. My money is on Manning. Winner - Colts.
New York Giants @ Philadelphia - Is Mike Vick still on fire? The Giants defense will find out. The Giants have the personnel upfront to keep Vick in check, but I'm not sure if their second level (LBs) is good enough. They also have to worry about McCoy and Jackson who are explosive also. The Giants can grind the ball with Jacobs and Bradshaw, which could limit Mr. Vick's touches. The more Vick is on the sidelines, the better chance the Giants have. Can they pull off the upset? Winner - Eagles.
Denver @ San Diego - This has shootout written all over it and that's hard to say when you have Kyle Orton as your starting QB. Orton has played, by far, his best season as a QB. The Chargers don't really scare you on defense so I expect that the Orton to Lloyd combo will be ordered up several times this game. Philip Rivers has shown that he too has an arm and is willing to throw to anyone with a Chargers jersey on since the Chargers have had problems from injuries and holdouts all year long. Do the Broncos have enough to keep pace? Winner - Chargers.
Who you got?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
NFL 2010 Week 10 Wrap Up
I am really not looking forward to this one. As I watched the games yesterday I just felt worse and worse as I thought about the teams I picked. Please avert your eyes, this could get ugly.
Ravens @ Falcons - Wrap up is here. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.
Ravens @ Falcons - Wrap up is here. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.
Detroit @ Buffalo – Well I leaned towards the Lions and I got bit. This was in fact an ugly game but the Bills looked hungry and wound up winning this one. Fred Jackson did his best OJ Simpson impersonation with a 25 carry, 133 yard, 1 TD performance and that was the difference. The Lions got a great game from Shaun Hill (29 of 50 for 323, 1 TD, 1 INT) but his two point conversion pass that sailed out of the end zone was the dagger. Quick question: Why do you not just lob the ball in the air if the other team can't get any points for intercepting the ball (and returning for a TD), instead of throwing it out of bounds? Maybe it's just me. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 2 for the week.
Minnesota @ Chicago – The Bears actually played pretty well for the majority of this game. I still have questions. 1) Why do you try to incorporate Hester in the offense when he's best served as a return man. At one point yesterday, Hester had over 150 return yards, but then got dinged up on an offense play for 5 yards. If the Bears got a #1 receiver, they would be much better off. Favre looked bad yesterday with 4 turnovers. Two weren't his fault (slipping receivers), but I am still questioning the lack of creativity with the Vikings offense. Is it me or do they have about 20 plays, and about 7 of them look the same? The good news is that the Bears won, but the bad news is that the Bears won. If they aren't careful, Lovie is going to be retained for another 3 years. As of right now Childress is still employed, but the clock is starting to tick on him. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 3 for the week.
New York Jets @ Cleveland – Cleveland might be for real, at least next year. They gave the Jets everything they could handle. I thought that the younger Ryan had his defense ready for the Jets and one or two plays going the other way would have given the Browns the win. I will say this, I'm not sure what has happened to the Jets or their bravado, but something better change quick or they are in trouble. Inquisitive Mind 1 - 3 for the week.
Carolina @ Tampa Bay – Bucs win, Bucs win. Can the Panthers go down a division to 5A or something? They look awful and it's only week 10. There's a lot more work that needs to be done to this franchise and based on how they have performed this year, I'm not sure any of the high profile coaches want this job. LeGarrette Blount turned in another good outing with his 19 carry, 91 yards and 1 TD performance. Also, because it's been mentioned here before, Josh Freeman is the real deal. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 3 for the week.
Houston @ Jacksonville – Put a fork in the Texans. They are officially done and I think that I am officially done with them. How in the world do you play as hard as they did and come thisclose to overtime, only to knock the ball into the hands of your opponent at the 1 yard line and watch him walk in for the game winner? I think that the Jaguars need to check the souls on their team because someone has already sold theirs' to continue to get wins like this. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 4 for the week.
Cincinnati @ Indianapolis – Arrrrgh!!!! How quickly can you get rid of an organization? This is something that the Bengals need to look in to. They played pretty well, but in the end, they gave the game away, literally with a fumble. I imagine that we'll start hearing some TO chatter in the next few days as the Bengals season is pretty much on ice. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 5 for the week.
Tennessee @ Miami – 1 catch for Moss and the rest of the Titans didn't even show up. The Dolphins lost two QBs in this game and the Titans still couldn't beat them. Think about that for a second. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 6 for the week.
Kansas City @ Denver – What I said on Friday 'AFC Rivalry in the Mile High City. We know a few things: 1) Kyle Orton will throw for 300+ yards 2) Charles will have 20-25 carries for 100+ yards 3) Bowe will drop 2 passes 4) Cassel will make us question his $60M contract 5) Brandon Lloyd will make every Bears fan cringe has he catches passes from Orton for TDs (about 2 this game). In the end, this one is coming down to a kicker.' Ok, 1) Orton threw for 296 yards. 2) 14 carries for 41 yards 3) 13 catches for 186 yards, 2 TDs 4) Cassel was 33 of 53 for 469 yards, 4 TDs 5) Lloyd, 6 catches for 90 yards and 2 TDs. The only thing that was way out of wack was that this would come down to a kicker. The only question was whether Prater's leg was going to actually fall off as the Broncos scored at will. Inquisitive Mind 2 - 7 for the week.
Dallas @ New York Giants – The Cowboys played with a pulse and they (gulp) won a game. Jerry Jones is probably somewhere smiling, although I think he wishes he would have pulled the plug on Wade Phillips about 4 weeks ago. Jon Kitna looked like Tony Romo (minus the brace) and had a 327 yard, 3 TDs, 1 INT outing. The Cowboys played well on defense and they even gained over 100 yards rushing. The Giants came out and played like the Gnats. Manning was average and the defense, which had been beast over the last few weeks, gave up points quickly. Are the 'Boys back? Inquisitive Mind 2 - 8 for the week.
Seattle @ Arizona – This is depressing. The Seahawks woke up and brought it to the Cardinals. Hasselbeck played ok, but this was more of a team win without any one person, Mike Williams being the exception (11 catches for 145 yards). Inquisitive Mind 2- 9 for the week.
St. Louis @ San Francisco – I guess Troy Smith should have been an option as the starter for the 49ers from game 1. He's not the best QB, but he gets the job done and it seems as though this 49ers team responds to him. Thank you Troy Smith for giving me at least 1 other win this week. Inquisitive Mind 3 - 9 for the week.
New England @ Pittsburgh – Belicheat schemed and the Patriots whooped some butt. They dominated the Steelers (strange to write that) from the jump. Tom Brady and his long flowing hair had a great game, 350 yards and 3 TDs. What was more impressive is that the Patriots were able to stop the Steelers from running the ball, holding the team to under 100 yards. Inquisitive Mind 3 - 10.
Philadelphia @ Washington – Wow!!! There's not much you can say about the performance that Mike Vick had last night. In one game he 1) showed us all how good he is and could have been. Remember, this is a guy only 1 year removed from being in jail for 18 months. 2) that he can play the QB position and well. Vick has never been known for his accuracy, but last night I'm not sure that I've seen anyone better. 3) Mike Vick just got Mike Vick P-A-I-D. He's going to have to get some Peyton Manning/Tom Brady money for not only last night, but his performance all year. 4) Mike Vick is now one of the people in the running for the NFL MVP. Can you imagine it, from sugar to isht and back to sugar in 2 1/2 years. Vick final stat line: 20 of 28, for 333 yards, 4 TDs (passing), 8 rushes for 80 yards, 2 TDs (rushing). Not only that but he saved a baby from choking, rescued a bear, and sold popcorn at FedEx Field during the 4th quarter. Inquisitive Mind 4 - 10 for the week.
It was a terrible week that puts me at 77-66 for the year. I'm looking at everyone's back so hopefully I can have the memory of an NFL corner and I'll just forget week 10. I need to, but after Vick's performance last night it really doesn't even matter.
Friday, November 12, 2010
NFL 2010 Thursday Night Wrap Up
Baltimore @ Atlanta – This game pretty much went as I thought it would all the way up to the end. The Falcons were able to move the ball against the Ravens defense in the air, but not on the ground as we saw Turners' numbers (17 carries, 39 yards). Roddy White did indeed play and play well he did. White ended the game, literally, with 12 receptions for 138 yards, and 2 TDs (with his last one being the game winner). The Ravens scored a TD with 1:05 left on the clock in the 4th quarter and we (yes, you did too) all thought that it was over. Well, the Ravens defense choked and after some incidental contact, White walked into the end zone for the game winner. The Ravens played pretty well for the majority of the game, with that bend, but don't break mentality. Joe Flacco led the Ravens with a good game (22 of 34, for 215 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT) and thought he had a game winner in hand. Normally, scoring the go ahead points and then putting the Ravens defense on the field means a 'W' for the Ravens, but Matty 'Ice' Ryan (32 of 50 for 316 yards, 3 TDs) quickly led his team to the 'W' at home. One team had to win. Great way to step up for the Falcons. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
NFL 2010 Week 10 Thursday Night Pick
Welcome to Thursday Night Football!!!!! I don’t know if the wife is going to be able to stand it. She’s already on me about too many sports going on in the house, NBA, NFL, College Basketball, and occasionally a College Football game. Well, I’ve only got my picks for the Thursday Night game so here we go.
Baltimore @ Atlanta – Well Ray Lewis leads his Ravens team into the dirty south. Not the best town for Ray based on previous history, but let’s talk about football. The Falcons have been up and down all season. They have all of the tools in place to be a force in the NFC, but with Roddy White nursing an injured knee (possibly won’t play), the Falcons are going to have to step it up on offense. With White out and the Ravens able to handle Gonzalez at the TE spot, who can be the catalyst for the Falcons? Matt Ryan, you better be raising your hand. The Ravens have the running and passing game going (with the exception of TJ 'Who's Your Mama', where you at?), and we always can count on the Ravens defense showing up. The Ravens are enjoying the return of Ed Reed. It'll take about 4 weeks for him to be 'back', but this will be an important game for him too. You all know that ‘In Ray, I trust’, so……Winner – Ravens.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
NFL 2010 Week 5 Wrap Up
Whew,…Week 5 was a tough one. More close games than I thought. Let’s see how we did.
Jacksonville @ Buffalo – This is what happens when you bring in Trent Edwards as your backup. No QB worth his salt would ever want to lose his spot to Edwards. I will say this again, Garrard is playing as well as I’ve ever seen him play. Maybe he’s found a way to turn back time. MJD had a decent game before leaving with an injury, so let’s hope it’s not too serious. The Bills seemed to perform well with Fitzpatrick at the helm. Can you imagine that a QB from Harvard is actually playing in the NFL? Inquisitive Mind 1 – 0 for the week.
Tampa Bay @ Cincinnati – Ok, I’m done. I don’t know if I can continue to pick these guys and get games like this. It’s almost as if the Bengals feel like they should have won this game by scoring the first TD and then they let up. Benson had a big game with 144 yards (on 23 carries), but the rest of this team stunk it up (well, excluding TO – 7 catches for 102 yards and a TD). Palmer had 3 picks against that defense? I’m done. Count me as one of those who say it’s over for Marvin Lewis and that they should just go ahead and blow it all up. Inquisitive Mind 1 – 1 for the week.
Atlanta @ Cleveland – It took a while for this one to happen, but the Falcons finally pulled this out. The Browns played them a lot tougher than I think many thought. I did like the fact that the Falcons got Turner involved for his 140 yards (on 19 carries), but Matt Ryan’s struggles (the last two weeks) have got me nervous. The Falcons can say that they are 4-1 though, which is about all you can expect. We need to watch this team, but they have got to be more consistent. Inquisitive Mind 2 – 1 for the week.
St. Louis @ Detroit – Shaun Hill where have you been all of my life? That’s got to be what the Lions have been thinking since Matthew Stafford got hurt. This was a blowout of epic proportions. I’m not even sure that this team could score 44 points on their practice field against the practice players. Hill was an efficient 21 of 32 (I thought he was better than that) for 227 yards and 3 TDs. The Lions weren’t able to run the ball but their defense stepped up including an INT (first of his career) by Ndamukong Suh (a defensive tackle for those who don’t know). Inquisitive Mind 3 – 1 for the week.
Kansas City @ Indianapolis – Oh so close!!!! The Chiefs came out and played a pretty good game against the Colts, but lost down the stretch. They made Peyton Manning look pedestrian but their own QB, Matt Cassel looked worst. I think we can honestly say that this Matt Cassel experiment is the worst thing ever for the Chiefs. I think Joe Montana and his Sketchers would be a good pick up right now. Inquisitive Mind 3 – 2 for the week.
Green Bay @ Washington – It’s hard to feel sorry for people in Green Bay, but I think it’s time we take up a goodwill offering for them. This team had Superbowl aspirations, but it looks like they won’t have enough players by the end of the season to even dress 22. Yes, the Redskins are beat up too, but even if they were healthy, many never expected this (except me, ha!!!!). Redskins escape with a win and the Packers take another loss that’s going to hurt them more than they think as the Bears seem to be running away with the division. Inquisitive Mind 4 – 2 for the week.
Chicago @ Carolina – Again, I must be on a roll. The Bears pulled Collins and put in Hanie and let the Hanie Experiment go, except this time, no Charles Barkley. This was about what you expected out of the game. The Panthers suck and they showed it on Sunday. I almost started to feel sorry for Jimmy Clausen, although he did go to Notre Dame. With the game over, I will say this: The Panthers need a good #1 receiver (get healthy Steve Smith) and a decent #2 and they will be able to play. Their defense kept an inept Bears offense in check, but at least they hustled and made some plays. It didn’t turn into that 44-6 debacle in Detroit. So, Malik, there is hope for your Panthers, but it just looks very dim right now. Inquisitive Mind 5 – 2 for the week.
Denver @ Baltimore – We knew that the Ravens struggled in the passing game, both their own and defending one, but that defense got stops when they needed to. Kyle Orton threw for 300+ yards again (take that in for a second). To make matters worse he has thrown for 300+ in 4 out of the 5 games Denver has played this year and he missed the other one by 5 yards (he threw for 295 against the Jaguars). Joe Flacco, please take notes or something because the Ravens need you in the 240+ yards per game passing area for them to win. This game the Ravens got 233 yards on the ground, with the majority coming from Rice (133 yards) and McGahee (67 yards). Where did this version of Brandon Lloyd come from? Inquisitive Mind 6 – 2 for the week.
New York Giants @ Houston – Matt Schaub made it out of Houston alive. The Giants didn’t have the number of sacks that they had against the Bears, but they got to Schaub and just made everyone’s life with a Texans jersey horrible. Arian Foster looked like an undrafted free agent with 25 yards, and Eli Manning was his brother for Halloween, or at least for this game, with a 27 of 42 for 297 yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INT performance. Inquisitive Mind 7 – 2 for the week.
New Orleans @ Arizona – Maybe all Fitzgerald needed to do was to not get first downs and keep the Cardinals defense on the field. The Cardinals defense held the Saints to 20 points and intercepted Drew Brees 3 times to get this win at home. The Saints are done. Can you say that? Done!! Inquisitive Mind 7 – 3 for the week.
San Diego @ Oakland – Yes this was a showdown and this underscores the need for the Chargers to get a new head coach. Yes, in these division rivals, you pretty much can’t bet on a win, but with this game, the Chargers had won the last 13 in a row. How do you lose to this Raiders team? I can say that I was happy to see Jason Campbell back on the field looking good. It helps when you have a running game (Michael Bush – 104 yards on 26 carries and 1 TD). Inquisitive Mind 7 – 4 for the week.
Tennessee @ Dallas – This was a dismantling of the Cowboys. The Titans beat them every which way possible and even when the Cowboys scored to tie the game (celebration penalty), they still had something bad happen to them (Mariani’s big return that setup the last TD for the Titans). I think you can pretty much cancel the Cowboys playing in the Superbowl in Dallas until the next time they host it. At least I did predict a big game for Miles Austin. Dayum Cowboys!!! Inquisitive Mind 7 – 5 for the week.
Philadelphia @ San Francisco – Ok, there are only 2 things I can say about this game: 1) Kolb didn’t look that bad (but it was one week, let’s see about next week) and 2) Alex Smith is a starter for an NFL team? That’s really a question and a statement. Carr should have been benched. I think I was excited as the entire Bay Area when I saw Chris Carr start warming up, but Singletary stuck with Smith. Hey, this might end up being a feel good story if Smith performs well the rest of the season, but in my opinion, we should only be able to see that if Carr gets injured. In other words, bench that trick!!!! Inquisitive Mind 7 – 6 for the week.
Jacksonville @ Buffalo – This is what happens when you bring in Trent Edwards as your backup. No QB worth his salt would ever want to lose his spot to Edwards. I will say this again, Garrard is playing as well as I’ve ever seen him play. Maybe he’s found a way to turn back time. MJD had a decent game before leaving with an injury, so let’s hope it’s not too serious. The Bills seemed to perform well with Fitzpatrick at the helm. Can you imagine that a QB from Harvard is actually playing in the NFL? Inquisitive Mind 1 – 0 for the week.
Tampa Bay @ Cincinnati – Ok, I’m done. I don’t know if I can continue to pick these guys and get games like this. It’s almost as if the Bengals feel like they should have won this game by scoring the first TD and then they let up. Benson had a big game with 144 yards (on 23 carries), but the rest of this team stunk it up (well, excluding TO – 7 catches for 102 yards and a TD). Palmer had 3 picks against that defense? I’m done. Count me as one of those who say it’s over for Marvin Lewis and that they should just go ahead and blow it all up. Inquisitive Mind 1 – 1 for the week.
Atlanta @ Cleveland – It took a while for this one to happen, but the Falcons finally pulled this out. The Browns played them a lot tougher than I think many thought. I did like the fact that the Falcons got Turner involved for his 140 yards (on 19 carries), but Matt Ryan’s struggles (the last two weeks) have got me nervous. The Falcons can say that they are 4-1 though, which is about all you can expect. We need to watch this team, but they have got to be more consistent. Inquisitive Mind 2 – 1 for the week.
St. Louis @ Detroit – Shaun Hill where have you been all of my life? That’s got to be what the Lions have been thinking since Matthew Stafford got hurt. This was a blowout of epic proportions. I’m not even sure that this team could score 44 points on their practice field against the practice players. Hill was an efficient 21 of 32 (I thought he was better than that) for 227 yards and 3 TDs. The Lions weren’t able to run the ball but their defense stepped up including an INT (first of his career) by Ndamukong Suh (a defensive tackle for those who don’t know). Inquisitive Mind 3 – 1 for the week.
Kansas City @ Indianapolis – Oh so close!!!! The Chiefs came out and played a pretty good game against the Colts, but lost down the stretch. They made Peyton Manning look pedestrian but their own QB, Matt Cassel looked worst. I think we can honestly say that this Matt Cassel experiment is the worst thing ever for the Chiefs. I think Joe Montana and his Sketchers would be a good pick up right now. Inquisitive Mind 3 – 2 for the week.
Green Bay @ Washington – It’s hard to feel sorry for people in Green Bay, but I think it’s time we take up a goodwill offering for them. This team had Superbowl aspirations, but it looks like they won’t have enough players by the end of the season to even dress 22. Yes, the Redskins are beat up too, but even if they were healthy, many never expected this (except me, ha!!!!). Redskins escape with a win and the Packers take another loss that’s going to hurt them more than they think as the Bears seem to be running away with the division. Inquisitive Mind 4 – 2 for the week.
Chicago @ Carolina – Again, I must be on a roll. The Bears pulled Collins and put in Hanie and let the Hanie Experiment go, except this time, no Charles Barkley. This was about what you expected out of the game. The Panthers suck and they showed it on Sunday. I almost started to feel sorry for Jimmy Clausen, although he did go to Notre Dame. With the game over, I will say this: The Panthers need a good #1 receiver (get healthy Steve Smith) and a decent #2 and they will be able to play. Their defense kept an inept Bears offense in check, but at least they hustled and made some plays. It didn’t turn into that 44-6 debacle in Detroit. So, Malik, there is hope for your Panthers, but it just looks very dim right now. Inquisitive Mind 5 – 2 for the week.
Denver @ Baltimore – We knew that the Ravens struggled in the passing game, both their own and defending one, but that defense got stops when they needed to. Kyle Orton threw for 300+ yards again (take that in for a second). To make matters worse he has thrown for 300+ in 4 out of the 5 games Denver has played this year and he missed the other one by 5 yards (he threw for 295 against the Jaguars). Joe Flacco, please take notes or something because the Ravens need you in the 240+ yards per game passing area for them to win. This game the Ravens got 233 yards on the ground, with the majority coming from Rice (133 yards) and McGahee (67 yards). Where did this version of Brandon Lloyd come from? Inquisitive Mind 6 – 2 for the week.
New York Giants @ Houston – Matt Schaub made it out of Houston alive. The Giants didn’t have the number of sacks that they had against the Bears, but they got to Schaub and just made everyone’s life with a Texans jersey horrible. Arian Foster looked like an undrafted free agent with 25 yards, and Eli Manning was his brother for Halloween, or at least for this game, with a 27 of 42 for 297 yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INT performance. Inquisitive Mind 7 – 2 for the week.
New Orleans @ Arizona – Maybe all Fitzgerald needed to do was to not get first downs and keep the Cardinals defense on the field. The Cardinals defense held the Saints to 20 points and intercepted Drew Brees 3 times to get this win at home. The Saints are done. Can you say that? Done!! Inquisitive Mind 7 – 3 for the week.
San Diego @ Oakland – Yes this was a showdown and this underscores the need for the Chargers to get a new head coach. Yes, in these division rivals, you pretty much can’t bet on a win, but with this game, the Chargers had won the last 13 in a row. How do you lose to this Raiders team? I can say that I was happy to see Jason Campbell back on the field looking good. It helps when you have a running game (Michael Bush – 104 yards on 26 carries and 1 TD). Inquisitive Mind 7 – 4 for the week.
Tennessee @ Dallas – This was a dismantling of the Cowboys. The Titans beat them every which way possible and even when the Cowboys scored to tie the game (celebration penalty), they still had something bad happen to them (Mariani’s big return that setup the last TD for the Titans). I think you can pretty much cancel the Cowboys playing in the Superbowl in Dallas until the next time they host it. At least I did predict a big game for Miles Austin. Dayum Cowboys!!! Inquisitive Mind 7 – 5 for the week.
Philadelphia @ San Francisco – Ok, there are only 2 things I can say about this game: 1) Kolb didn’t look that bad (but it was one week, let’s see about next week) and 2) Alex Smith is a starter for an NFL team? That’s really a question and a statement. Carr should have been benched. I think I was excited as the entire Bay Area when I saw Chris Carr start warming up, but Singletary stuck with Smith. Hey, this might end up being a feel good story if Smith performs well the rest of the season, but in my opinion, we should only be able to see that if Carr gets injured. In other words, bench that trick!!!! Inquisitive Mind 7 – 6 for the week.
Minnesota @ New York Jets – Well, I guess we had it all last night. The rain, the Vikings forgetting how to block a simple blitz, the Vikings defense playing lights out, the Jets defense playing pretty well themselves, Santonio Holmes reminding people how much of a threat he’s going to be over the rest of the season, Randy Moss playing in his old 84, and another Brett Favre crying episode (before the game). That pretty much explains it all. Favre had a terrible time last night doing the easy stuff, like holding on to the ball. He ended up not only eclipsing the 70,000 yard mark (think about that for a second or two) and the most fumbles (he is now on 161 for his career). Cromartie played Moss pretty well while Revis looked a little pedestrian and may have re-injured himself. The Jets snuck this one out and that’s all it’s about. Inquisitive Mind 7 – 7 for the week.
Another .500 week? This is getting pathetic. I may have to solely pay attention to the day job after a performance like this. This puts me squarely behind (at 42-34 for the season) half of the crew at ESPN, but we got a long way to go baby!!!!!
Friday, October 08, 2010
NFL 2010 Week 5 Picks
Bad week last week, but you have to be like a corner, you have to have a bad memory. Let's get it going this week. Good games are on tap.
Jacksonville @ Buffalo – On the surface, this looks like an easy win for the Jaguars. They are going up against a terrible Bills team that is already in rebuilding mode for the next two years. After beating the Colts last week, this could be a let down game, but I hope not. Winner – Jaguars.
Tampa Bay @ Cincinnati – I don’t know what to say about this game. The Bengals have to start getting some W’s or they are done for the playoffs (already?). They have to get back to the ground game with Benson and with the Bucs defense not necessarily a good run stopping D, I expect a big game from Benson. Although I know he’s all Mr. Reality Show now, Ochocinco has got to do something on the football field. Tampa Bay could sneak this one if the Bengals come out lackadaisical. Winner – Bengals.
Atlanta @ Cleveland – The Browns are coming off of their win in the battle of Ohio last week and I’m not even sure who’s starting at QB. I said last week it shouldn’t matter (I was wrong because they beat the Bengals) and I’ll say it again this week, it shouldn’t’ matter. The Falcons are slowly trying to turn the corner and get them in the drivers’ seat in the NFC. With teams like the Packers (injuries) and the Vikings (injuries) holding out hope of a M.A.S.H. unit this is the time to get ahead in the standings. Winner – Falcons.
St. Louis @ Detroit – This should actually be a good game. I don’t think that either team is good, but it seems as though both of them are really competing. The Rams are looking good with a banged up Stephen Jackson and Calvin Johnson could probably catch passes from me and that makes the Lions dangerous. The Lions are the home team and that’s where I have to go with my pick. Winner – Lions.
Kansas City @ Indianapolis – The only undefeated team left in the league and they get the Colts after the Colts got embarrassed last week by Jacksonville. The Colts defense is struggling with their injuries, while the Chiefs defense has had two weeks to prepare and play the way that they have been playing. If the Chiefs win this game, they have to be the feel good team of the year. I know better than picking the Chiefs, but you know what,…I’m riding. Winner – Chiefs.
Green Bay @ Washington – Will the Packers be able to dress enough starters? It seems as though everyone is dinged up on this team and over the past two weeks they have had problems closing people out and finishing games. This is not the game they want to play against a Redskins team that always seems to be one big play away on offense and they are playing decent ball on defense. If the Packers can run the ball, they will win. That’s a big IF. Winner – Redskins.
Chicago @ Carolina – Let me get this right, Peppers felt that he was mistreated by the Panthers over his contract requests, the Panthers are starting a rookie QB, the Panthers have no running game, the Bears have no passing game with Todd Collins back there (please get Hanie in the game), the Bears have no running game, and people are expected to watch this? I could actually see this game ending in a 5-0 score. An opportunity to get the Bears back winning over that debacle from last week and maybe get Cutler healthy. Winner – Bears.
Denver @ Baltimore – Well, we know the formula to beat the Ravens, and that’s run the ball against them. Most of the time it works, even though the Steelers lost to the Ravens by executing that same game plan. The problem is that Peyton Hillis is hurt and we’re not sure who the Broncos are going to trot out there on Sunday to run the ball. The game is in B-more and the Ravens offense HAS to get clicking. That means you TJ. Winner – Ravens.
New York Giants @ Houston – If I’m Matt Schaub, I really consider wearing a flack jacket from Friday until Monday. If last week was any indication, the Giants are hungry and they are all about hitting the QB. The Texans offensive line is better than the Bears that gave up 10 sacks last week, but the Giants have the pieces to at least put up 4 or 5. Eli Manning may consider a similar type jacket because half of his offensive line is presently being shifted around to fill in the holes. That doesn’t bode well for him either. This may be the time for more Brandon Jacobs for the Giants since Bradshaw is a little beat up. No Andre Johnson for the Texans, gotta go with the….Winner – Giants.
New Orleans @ Arizona – Lance Moore has already scored a TD. It’s time for Brees and company to rebound. After a good game against the Vikings opening weekend, they have almost played down to their competition. I feel sorry for Fitzgerald having to play with this crew. The defense is decent, but the offense is horriawful. Save Fitz!!!! Winner – Saints.
San Diego @ Oakland – A good ole AFC West Showdown. The Chargers go into Oakland with a red hot Antonio Gates and hopefully a two headed monster at RB with Tolbert and Matthews (coming back from a bad ankle sprain). The Raiders are just the Raiders right now. They don’t instill any fear and Bruce Gradkowski is starting for the Raiders. Run DMC (McFadden) is out for this game so happy returns to Michael Bush in the Raiders backfield. The Raiders just don’t have enough offense for this one. Winner – Chargers.
Tennessee @ Dallas – The Titans have not been able to run the ball that well and Chris Johnson is looking more and more like he’s barely going to break 1600 or 1700 yards this year (no where near the 2000+ that many predicted). Dallas has had a week to breathe and make some minor changes to their offense, but more importantly they should be healthy coming in to this game. I’m still not sold on Roy Williams, but it’s time for Miles Austin to have a breakout game. Dez Bryant is probably hurting from the $50K+ dinner bill he paid, but he should be playing. Winner – Cowboys.
Philadelphia @ San Francisco – Ok, this is it. The 49ers first win of the season. I’m not going to say much more but this is their game. LeSean McCoy is dinged up and will actually be wearing a flak jacket for his ribs. Kolb is not that good, and I think that we’ll see that this week. Can anyone get Andy Reid a cab outta town? Kolb is his guy, right? Winner – 49ers.
Minnesota @ New York Jets – Gotta save the best for last. The Jets have been talking all year long and now with a trade to the Vikings, Randy Moss gets an opportunity to play against the Jets again this year. Moss will have an opportunity to go after Revis (maybe) and Cromartie who have both talked trash this week about Moss and their ability to frustrate him into ‘taking his foot off the pedal’. All I have to say is if Revis plays, I expect him to be going long with Moss because Favre is going to test that hamstring. This is a big game for the Vikings because they need this win, but I will say this again (take a picture): If the Vikings can play .500 ball until they get Rice back, Shiancoe healthy, Harvin healthy, and then add Moss and AP they will be my pick for the NFC Champions. Winner – Vikings.
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