2015-16 NFL Week 3 Picks

Washington @ New York Giants

The Giants come in 0-2 after giving up two W's in the 4th quarter of their last two games.  Eli has something to prove, even though he hasn't thrown a pick yet this year.  Giants fans, keep praying about this.  Not sure that the Giants are going to have enough talent to beat a surprising (redacted) team with OBJ and Ben Vereen being the top targets for Eli.  Giants are going to need their TE's (Donnell and Fells) to show up in this game.

The (redacted) are 1-1 after beating the Rams last week.  That was a game that many didn't think the (redacted) could pull off but they ran the ball and dominated both lines of scrimmage and upset the Rams.  They will need to continue that domination on and it should be easy against the Giants because their defensive line is an issue.  The only thing that can mes this 'W' up for the (redacted) is if they all of a sudden start turning the ball over.  This offense seems to work for Kirk Cousins.  

Winner – (Redacted) Washington

Atlanta @ Dallas

The Cowboys made a trade to bring in backup extraordinaire Sam Cassel, wait, not Sam, but Matt. No Dez. No Romo.  I would think that the Cowboys aren't too worried.  At least they started the season 2-0 and if they lose this game they aren't in such a bad spot.  The Cowboys defense is going to have to step up and stop Atlanta's offense and hope that whomever starts at WB Weeden/Cassel can get this offense moving.

The Falcons bring in a high powered offense and this year they actually have a pretty good defense. Expect a big game from Matty Ice and Julio Jones, but I'm looking to see how dominant this Falcons defense can be against an injured Cowboys offense.  Should be fun to watch.

Winner - Falcons

Indianapolis @ Tennessee

The Titans had a rough week 2 after an exciting performance in week 1.  This is a full rebuild for the Titans and Mariota doesn't have a lot of talent to help.  Luckily they are facing a struggling Colts team at home.  They have a chance to be a spoiler at home this weekend.  

The Colts come into this game and it's a must win in my eyes.  Andrew Luck has been turning the ball over like he's taken a page from Eli Manning.  That Colts offensive line is atrocious and we may have to pray for Luck in this game.  The Falcons will probably bring the blitz on a regular.  Luck is going to have to take what the defense gives him (short passes and he's gotta hope that he'll get a few opportunities down the field with T.Y. Hilton).     

Winner - Colts

Oakland @ Cleveland

So we're gonna bench Johnny Football?  After he won you the first game of the season?  And we're starting McNown?  Good luck Browns.  Good luck.   

The Raiders look to continue the good play that they showed last week against the Ravens.  Carr was able to pass to both Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree for over 100 yards each and the Raiders ran the ball well with Murray, the only Murray who's actually having a good season so far running the ball.    

Winner - Raiders

Cincinnati @ Baltimore

My Ravens gotta find a way to slow down people.  Last week was the first week without T. Sizzle and it really showed as the Raiders pretty much did what they wanted against the Ravens.  This week they get Andy Dalton and an opportunity to show that they can get to the QB and stop someone.  On offense, the Ravens didn't look as bad as they moved the ball, had a pretty good game from Steve Smith, and they put up 33 points.  Normally when a Ravens team puts up that many points, it's a cakewalk for them.  Here's to the Ravens developing a new attitude on defense and pulling out this 'W' in their first home game of the year.  Ravens can't afford to go 0-3 to start the season.

The Bengals are looking pretty good.  They come into to this game leading the AFC North by a game and if AJ Green wasn't listed as questionable they'd be 100% ready to go.  The Bengals are healthy and they should make it tough on the Ravens.

Winner - Bengals

Jacksonville @ New England

The Patriots are rolling as usual after their win against the Bills.  Nothing has changed for the Patriots, they just bring in new players (and old) and they get them on the field and run their scheme to perfection.  More Tom Brady, more Gronk, blah, blah, blah.  Same results, W's followed by more W's, an occasional 'L' and that's it.  

Good luck Jaguars.  Good luck.  

Winner - Patriots

New Orleans @ Carolina

I don't know how Cam keeps doing it but he is the reason this team keeps putting up numbers.  The only thing concerning about this team, outside of their WR limitations, is the fact that Luke Kuechly is still not cleared to play.  They are going to need him, so hopefully he is getting better from his concussion he sustained in week 1.  

There is lots of concern about Drew Brees shoulder/rotator cuff and that's the worst thing that an older QB whose arm strength has been questioned in the past needs to have around him.  The Saints haven't looked good this year and it doesn't look good this week either.  

Winner - Panthers

Philadelphia @ New York Jets

The surprising 2-0 Jets get a chance to add insult to injury to the Eagles.  The Jets have been decent on offense and they have two big receivers to go along with a sound running game.  Did I mention the defense is suffocating.  The AFC Defensive player of the week is Teddy Pendegrass (Darelle Revis) and he and the rest of this Jets team should feast on a limping Eagles squad.  Revis is day to day with a groin, but even on a short week, I expect him to play in this game.  

The Eagles have sucked the last two weeks and I mean sucked to the highest of sucktivity (yes I know that's note a word).  Can they turn it around?  Is Chip Kelly a farce?  Is this Eagles team doomed because of some of the personnel decisions that have been made?  All these answers will be revealed this week when they play the Jets (not really, but at least one of these questions will answered).  

Winner - Jets

Tampa Bay @ Houston

The Texans are again hamstrung by their QB play, but they hope that they can find a groove on offense.  That defense will put pressure on the rookie QB in Tampa Bay, but they are going to have to cover the two big receivers for Tampa and hope for the best.  

This is Jamies' rookie year, but the hope was that he'd have a supporting cast around him to help.  He has the weapons, but the offensive line has to give Jameis some room to throw the ball and this Bucs' team will be dangerous.  

Winner - Bucs

San Diego @ Minnesota

Now that was the Vikings team that I was expecting to see in week 1 of the season.  Again, this team has a chance when they run the ball and plays defense.  Teddy Bridgewater hasn't looked good yet but if the pre-season hype does come true, this Vikings team may actually fight for their division.  

The Chargers are participating in another shootout and they just gotta hope the offense can hold together a little while longer.  They will be starting their 3rd string TE due to suspension and injury. Prayers up for the scoreboard in this game.  

Winner - Vikings

Pittsburgh @ St. Louis

The Rams gotta be pissed that they slept on the Washington (redacted) last week and I expect them to bring the pain to the Steelers.  They might want to make sure they cover #84, he's good.

The Steelers are probably still throwing hte ball and scoring points based on last week's game.  Big Ben went off and Antonio Brown was damn near unstoppable last week.  This Steelers defense has got to find a way to make some stops, but they have some time and Le'Veon Bell will be coming back soon.

Winner - Rams

San Francisco @ Arizona

This is the Cardinals team that we have hoped to see the last few years.  They are healthy (relatively) and this offense is dynamic.  We might be looking at the NFC West champion? 

As good as the 49ers looked in week 1 they looked as bad last week.  We'll see if they can turn it around and make this a game.  

Winner - Cardinals

Buffalo @ Miami

The Dolphins need to find their rhythm if this in fact the year they win the AFC East   Lamar Miller, their normal workhorse on offense, is nursing an injury. That Dolphins defense has got to find s way to stop someone. 

The Bills will try to capitalize on their good play the last two weeks. Tyron Taylor has led this team on offense and McCoy has helped with his return.  The Bills defense should play well. 

Winner - Bills

Chicago @ Seattle

I expect the Seahawks to dominate this game on both sides of the ball. Good luck Bears. 

Winner - Seahawks

Denver @ Detroit

Detroit has got to protect their QB and running the ball. Looking for s big game from the rookie Abdullah on the ground and will expect lots of screen plays. 

Denver brings a great D to Detroit and they may feast on that Lions o-line. Manning will get to play indoors so we probably won't hear a lot about his arm strength in this game. 

Winner - Broncos

Kansas City @ Green Bay

The Packers have Aaron Rodgers and your team doesn't. They just keep finding ways to move on with injuries and they keep winning. They won't have Lacy in this game so I want to see how they fare against this Chiefs defense. 

The Chiefs are clicking on all cylinders already. Charles will provide the Packers defense problems with his versatility and speed and hopefully the Chiefd finally get a WR touchdown. 

Winner - Chiefs

2015-16 NFL Week 1 Results

Pittsburgh @ New England 

Welp, I guess Tom Brady (25 of 32, 281 yds, 4 TDs) wanted to prove to all of us that it’s not the amount of air in the balls, but what you do with the balls that count.  The Patriots blasted the Steelers and what makes it worse if that they seem to do it with ease.  Both of their tight ends (Gronk 5 rec, 94 yds, 3 TDs; Scott Chandler 1 rec, 1 yd, 1 TD) were responsible for the 4 TDs that they scored in this game.  The defense played well until late when Big Ben’s (26 of 38, 351 yds, 1 TD, 1 Int) pass to Antonio Brown (9 rec, 133 yds, 1 TD) made the score look respectable.  We’re done with all of the whispers of the Patriots cheating and now we can move one with all of this,………or so we thought.  The Steelers’ coach Mike Tomlin went on record to say that they always have issues with their communications when they go to Foxboro and the fact that the entire first half all they could hear on their headsets was the Patriots radio coverage of the game.  It wasn’t until the Steelers reported it and the Patriots were told that they would have to stop using their headsets, was the problem all of a sudden fixed.  Are you surprised about more whispers of Patriot infidelity?  If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, ladies and gentlemen, it’s probably a duck.  We’ll see how long this remains an issue and we’ll also see how much better each of these teams can get. 

Inquisitive Mind 1-0 for the week

Green Bay @ Chicago

The Bears start the season 0-1 but, they actually looked like a football team.  They actually played well,…including Cutler (18 of 36, 225 yds, 1 TD, 1 Int).  Hear me out, the Bears ran the ball well with Forte (24 carries, 141 yds, 1 TD), had great play calling, and Cutler minimized his chances on making the ‘bad’ play.  The only issue on the play calling is getting down in the red zone and not calling Forte’s number, not even once.  That drive ended with a high pass over the head of Royal (Jay had a guy in his face and didn’t have a chance to really do anything but sling the ball).  They had 4 out of 5 drives early that ended in points.  The biggest issue is that they were playing the Packers.  Aaron Rodgers (18 of 23, 189 yds, 3 TDs) is the baddest man on the planet and he proved that in this game.  James Jones (4 rec, 51 yds, 2 TDs) showed up like he never left the team and the defense finally made a play on the interception by Clay Matthews. 

All in all, this is a huge step forward for the Bears even though the season will start 0-1.  I blame the Bears for talking about switching Kyle Long to tackle and waiting until the first game of the season to actually move him to right tackle was stupid, as they should have gotten him some reps in the preseason.  The Bears had a new attitude and the arrow, at least for now is pointing up.  One bad thing for the Packers is that they weren’t able to stop the run and next up is the Seattle Seahawks and their running game.   

Inquisitive Mind 2-0 for the week

Kansas City @ Houston

Is it too late to make those ‘Free JJ Watt’ t-shirts?  This Texans team really looked like they are a QB away from being very dangerous and as we know, getting that QB is tough.  Hoyer (18 of 24, 236 yds, 1 TD, 1 Int) was terrible and Ryan Mallett (8 of 13, 98 yds, 1 TD) wasn’t much better to go along with a weak ground game (21 car, 98 yds).  Yes, the Texans were down big early, but that defense finally showed up and slowed down the Chiefs or they might have scored 60 yesterday.  When will this team be able to match the defense with performance? 

The Chiefs looked great.  They got out to a big early lead with Travis Kelce (6 rec, 106 yds, 2 TDs) leading the way.  Jamaal Charles had over 100 yards combined and this defense looked suffocating at times.  Let’s see what Andy Reid has in store for us in week 2 as we know the Broncos will make a much more difficult foe. 

Inquisitive Mind 3-0 for the week

Cleveland @ New York Jets

We actually did see Johnny Football (13 of 24, 182 yds, 1 TD, 1 Int, 2 fumbles lost) and we also saw that there isn’t much out there for the Browns on offense.  McCown thought he was John Elway in the Superbowl and got knocked out of the game and Manziel came in and threw a TD and we all thought from there, that this could go well.  3 turnovers later and lots of disappointment and now we’re looking at Week 2.  The Jets did what we expected, run the ball (C. Ivory – 20 car, 91 yds, 2 TDs; team had 36 car, 154 yds,  2 TDs) and play defense.  Ryan Fitzpatrick (15 of 24, 179 yds, 2 TDs, 1 Int) wasn’t that bad out there, but he’s gotta get better for this team to keep it up.  Good win for the Jets. 

Inquisitive Mind 4-0 for the week

Indianapolis @ Buffalo

I don’t think anyone thought it would look this bad.  I am going to say that I think the luster is finally wearing off of Andrew Luck (26 of 49, 243 yds, 2 TDs, 2 Ints).  He came into the league as possibly the next savior for the Colts, but outside of Eli, he’s been a turnover machine and he looked that way in this game.  Adding insult to injury was TY Hilton (7 recs, 88 yds) and Frank Gore (8 car, 31 yds)both going down to injuries and this Colts team looked terrible.  The defense should be having open tryouts this week as pretty much none of them showed up for the game.  Props to Tyrod Taylor (14 of 19, 195 yds, 1 TD, 9 car, 41 yds) (former Raven) in his debut as he looked wonderful.  We know it’s just one game, but the kid looked poised out there and ready for the big stage.  The Bills defense looked good ladies and gentlemen, we may have to lookout for them this season. 

Inquisitive Mind 5-0 for the week

Miami @ Washington

So, the (redacted) had RGIII on the practice squad this week as the starting safety?!?!  Just let that dude go.  There is no need to keep him around when you risk him getting injured doing something silly and could cost your team $16M by guaranteeing his salary next year.  Walk away from this.  Gruden’s post game presser where he waxed poetic about the ‘success’ that his starter, Kirk Cousins (21 of 31, 196 yds, 1 TD, 2 Ints), had during this game was laughable.  Of course Gruden has to oversell this entire thing but in the end, this is just a bad sitcom.  With all of that said, I’m more disappointed in the Dolphins that it took all they had to escape with this win in a very close game.  I expected them to easily win this game and be ready for week 2, but it seems that they have more questions than anything else. 

Inquisitive Mind 6-0 for the week

Carolina @ Jacksonville

Blake Bortles (22 of 40, 183 yds, 1 TD, 2 Ints, 4 car, 26 yds), you looked like isht (I try not to curse on this here blog but Bortles and someone else pushed me this week).  I am expecting much better from you if this team expects to even be respectable this year.  The Panthers and Cam Newton (18 of 31, 175 yds, 1 TD, 1 Int, 14 car, 35 yds) showed us what they are going to have to do all season to win and that’s scrape by with bare parts and play defense.  The Panthers barely got 100 yards rushing as a team (35 car, 105 yds), and their WR production was horrible this entire game.  Tedd Ginn Jr. dropped a sure TD when he was wide open.  They are going to need people to make plays and this didn’t give anyone a warm and fuzzy feeling that they will in the future.  Add to all of this Kuechly’s concussion and this was a bad Sunday for the Panthers even though they got a ‘W’. 

Inquisitive Mind 7-0 for the week

Seattle @ St. Louis

Dear Pete Carroll, I’m getting tired of your isht (Pete is the other person that wanted me to cuss this week).  This ‘genius’ you’re supposed to have or be, just seems to get in the way of good football sometimes.  First the Superbowl and not running Lynch, but then the pooch/onside kick in overtime and the subsequent play call on 4^th and 1.  Dude, let your team, filled with talent, do what they do best and let’s stop the silliness.  The Seahawks struggled with this Rams team, but in the end, the better team won yesterday.  The Rams outplayed (and some would say out coached) the Seahawks.  Hopefully the Seahawks can bounce back next week or there may be some worry in Seattle. 

Inquisitive Mind 7-1 for the week

New Orleans @ Arizona

‘With a healthy Palmer, this Cardinals team is dangerous.’ – I mentioned this in my preview for the game and Carson (19 of 32, 307 yds, 3 TDs) must have read it because he played lights out.  I don’t think that Carson has looked this good in years.   The only bad thing from this game was the Cardinals losing Andre Ellington to a possible knee injury (PCL?) when their running game seems to struggle on a regular.  Larry Fitzgerald (6 recs, 87 yds) looked to be a part of the offense again and we’ll hope that it will continue for the remainder of the year.  The Saints looked horrible in this game.  They looked like Austin Powers without his mojo and I’m not so sure that the rest of their season won’t look the same.  Brees (30 of 48, 354 yds, 1 TD, 1 Int) may end up to be that guy that puts up a lot of numbers because they are behind so much all year. 

Inquisitive Mind 8-1 for the week

Detroit @ San Diego

The Chargers won this shootout with Philip Rivers (35 of 42, 404 yds, 2 TDs, 2 Ints) tying Dan Fouts on the Chargers TD list.  Two rookie RBs Melvin Gordon (14 car, 51 yds, 3 rec, 16 yds) and Ameer Abdullah (7 car, 50 yds, 1 TD, 4 rec, 44 yds) actually looked pretty good in this game for their respective teams.  Matthew Stafford (19 of 30, 246 yds, 2 TDs, 2 Ints) didn’t play his best game and was limited in hooking up with Megatron (2 rec, 39 yds).  Not sure if defense was actually a part of this game or not.  Keenan Allen(15 rec, 166 yds) had a monster game as Rivers spread the ball around to 7 different receivers. 

Inquisitive Mind 9-1 for the week

Tennessee @ Tampa Bay

Marcus Mariota, I apologize from everyone who ever thought that you wouldn’t be able to play in the NFL.  Great Game 1, and slow down out there.  Mariota (13 of 16, 209 yds, 4 TDs, no 4^th quarter play) easily won the battle between the #1 and #2 picks in the 2015 NFL Draft.  Jameis (16 of 33, 210 yds, 2 TDs, 2 Ints) looked like he wasn’t ready for primetime, while Mariota seemed like he was playing in a 7-on-7 drill.  Nothing seemed to go right for the Bucs and they were embarrassed and already have their head coach Lovey Smith on the hot seat.  Bucs gotta hope this was just one bad game and that they can turn it around.  The only highlight for the Bucs was Austin Seferian-Jenkins (5 rec, 110 yds, 2 TDs, on 7 targets) who had a MONSTER game for the Bucs, but too little too late. 

Inquisitive Mind 9-2 for the week

Cincinnati @ Oakland

Dear Derek Carr, the next time you’re running out of the pocket, please understand that those are grown men on defense who don’t get a chance to normally hit you because of the rules.  Those same men welcome the opportunity to engage you in a physical confrontation and due to your size and ability to defend yourself, I’d suggest sliding as a course of action in the future.  ALSO, NEVER hit someone with your throwing hand.  Carr (7 of 12, 61 yds) left the game early and the Raiders turned into the Raiders of old, no not the good version, the sad version.  The Bengals and Andy Dalton (25 of 34, 269 yds, 2 TDs) looked good this first game of the season and they hope they can continue down this road.  Consistency has been their achilles heel in the past. 

Inquisitive Mind 10-2 for the week

Baltimore @ Denver

Let’s have a moment of silence for Terrell Suggs.  Suggs tore his Achilles tendon and is out for the year.  Tough loss in a loss for the Ravens.  Meanwhile this was a defensive stalemate for the majority of the game.  The Broncos looked like they had more options on offense, but Peyton Manning (24 of 40, 175 yds, 1 Int) didn’t look good in this game.  If there were whispers of a lack of arm strength last year, this game did nothing to silence those whispers.  It was almost like watching the fall of a great right before he heads into retirement.  Maybe Brady was right in those text messages about Manning.  The Ravens looked like they had no other targets for Flacco (18 of 32, 117 yds, 2 Ints) to throw to other than Steve Smith (2 rec, 13 yds) and even he had a rough day at the office.  This injury for the Ravens could spell doom for this team for the season but they are a resilient bunch and we’ll look forward to seeing what rabbit they are able to pull out of the hat this time. 

Inquisitive Mind 10-3 for the week

New York Giants @ Dallas

I would probably add this to the group of people who wanted me to cuss this weekend, but the Cowboys should not have won this game and it’s just not that important to me to be upset about this loss for the Giants since they gift wrapped and gave this one away.  You play to win the game.  I would have run the ball in and taken the 10 point lead and given the Cowboys that 1:45 left in the game with no timeouts and the ball.  But noooo, the Giants wanted to run clock and then inexplicably Eli (20 of 36, 193 yds) decided to kill the clock by throwing the incomplete pass late.  The Cowboys had already lost their big money receiver (Dez Bryant 5 rec, 48 yds) and only had one viable receiver left to catch the ball, the only one that Romo (36 of 45, 356 yds, 3 TDs, 2 Ints) loves, Witten (8 rec, 60 yds, 2 TDs), who wasn’t covered on back to back plays.  Touchdown Cowboys and game over.  All one can do is shake their heads on this game and the mistakes the Giants made. 

Inquisitive Mind 11-3 for the week

Philadelphia @ Atlanta

Whatever Dan Quin put in the water for the Falcons defense, they need another shot for the 2nd half next week.  This was the fastest, tackling, flying to the ball defense that we've seen in Atlanta for years.  I mean really, as bad as Atlanta was last year, they were that good in the 1st half and they were able to hold on for the win against this Eagles team. Matt Ryan (23 of 34, 298 yds, 2 TDs, 2 Ints) didn't make me feel real good with those 2 picks so he has some opportunities for improvement.  Julio Jones (9 rec, 141 yds, 2 TDs) seemed to burn anyone guarding him and again the defense hit Sam Bradford (36 of 52, 336 yds, 1 TD, 2 Ints) on every opportunity they had.  

The Eagles seemed to be on the verge of blowing the game open at any point, but they just couldn't get over the hump against this Falcons D.  Jordan Matthews (10 rec, 102 yds) was on fire for the Eagles but in the end the Eagles ground game was stopped and that seemed to be the difference for the game.  

Inquisitive Mind 11-4 for the week

Minnesota @ San Francisco

Where did this 49ers team come from?!?  We all saw all of the talent they lost over the summer and we all assumed (I guess in this case that old adage came true) that they would be horrible.  Seems as though the defense under Eric Mangini is going to be ok.  The offense looked rudimentary, but Kaepernick (17 of 26, 165 yds) looked comfortable in that offense.  I even caught myself about 6 times saying, 'RGIII would look nice in this offense', but I had to leave that alone.  Don't let me forget to mention Carlos Hyde ( 26 car, 168 yds, 2 TDs) and his breakout performance.  I needed this type of play from him last year when I had him on my fantasy squad.     

For all of the hoopla we heard about Teddy Bridgewater (23 of 32, 231 yds, 1 INT) and the return of AP (10 car, 31 yds),....this game was horrible.  I mean the Vikings looked so out of sync, they just have to be better next week.  

Inquisitive Mind 11-5 for the week

Catching Up on NFL and NBA

NFL:

The New York Giants are celebrating their Super Bowl win with their ticker tape parade today.  I have to say congrats to them for a hard fought win against a good New England Patriots team.  I will say this though, I am not on board with this Eli Manning to the Hall of Fame and how he's become a top QB in the league.  I think a lot of that should be tempered as this great year that Eli had was the outlier.  His previous body of work has been somewhat middling (he's averaged 16+ INTs a year vs. 23+ TDs a year).  He's a good guy and has definitely grown as a leader, but let's all just hold off of this Eli is THE MAN for now.  (Take a look at the other QBs that we're talking about being the best in the game).

QB	Avg TDs (since 2004)	Avg INTs (since 2004)
Eli Manning	23	16
Drew Brees	31	14
Tom Brady*	28	9
Aaron Rodgers**	16	4
Ben Roethlisberger	20	12
Philip Rivers	20	9

*Includes a year of 0 TDs and 0 INTs due to injury

**Includes spot duty behind Favre; started in 2008

NBA:

LA Clippers - Count Chauncey Billups as the first person to encounter the Clippers Curse.  Billups has torn his left Achilles and will miss the remainder of the year (my opinion, but you'll see later today).  Mo Williams, now it's your turn to step in and see if you can help this team as a starter.  The big question is whether the Clippers can reach out and get JR Smith.  If so, let's just hope that he leaves his sister and girlfriend at home. 

LA Lakers - Kobe passes the Big Speed Bump (Shaq) on the Lakers all-time scoring list.  Shaq was effusive in his praise for the young Kobe, and maybe there is hope that the two of them can kiss and make up after a few years.  More importantly is Kobe is wishing for some kind of move that will get him Championship #6.  Can the Lakers pull a Howard trade, or maybe steal Deron Williams from the Nets?  If the Lakers get one or both of these deals done, look out for the Black Mamba in the playoffs. 

New York Knicks - Run out and get your Jeremy Lin jerseys now.  The Ivy League grad is actually balling for the Knicks and just helped them beat a Jazz team (above .500) without Amare and Melo (for most of the game, UPDATE - Melo will be out for 1-2 weeks with hammy injury).  I can easily say that Lin is the best POINT guard on the team.  Baron Davis is a shell of a shell of himself and no one knows if and when his back will work correctly.  Douglas and Shumpert, both ACC guys, are more scorers than true point guards.  I think going forward the Knicks gotta start Lin and bring Shump off the bench for scoring and defense. 

Dallas Mavericks - Jason Kidd is still shelved and although no one is rushing him back, one thing we can see is that this compacted schedule is no joke for these older players.  Dirk has been chided for being out of shape and we've seen from an overall level that the NBA off-season, really means what it says it means.

Denver Nuggets - Just as the creamy Nuggets were finding their legs in this compacted season they've been dealt a blow with the injury to Danilo Gallinari.  Gallinari chipped a bone in his foot and we're not sure how long he'll be out.  Gallo was ballin up until this point and although the Nuggets say they don't have that go to player, I think Gallo was that guy.  He's averaging a little over 17 pts per game and with his height and mobility he can provide several mismatches for opposing teams.  Get well soon Gallo, the Nuggets need you. 

Checking In,......

It's definitely been a minute since the last post but we gotta start somewhere.  Let's take a look at what's been going on,.......

Fortunately for us, Football is back on.  Week 1 of the preseason is complete and although there are some story lines, we know that this can change within a week.  I'll highlight a few:

Cutler looked like he was dodging people again as the Bears O-line looked terrible in their debut.  Maybe it is the turf at Soldier Field or maybe it's the guy bringing in the players.  Either way, something has to be done.  You paid Cutler upwards of $50M, now protect him and give him a chance. 

Tavaris Jackson looked as out of place in Seattle as he did in Minny.  I like the kid, but he's gotta find a home somewhere.  Not saying that Seattle isn't it, but Josh Portis looked real good running that team.  I'm just sayin.

Tim Tebow is going to be alright.  I know a lot of people have piled on the kid and yes, he's #2 on the depth chart, but I'm putting my money on Tebow to prove everyone wrong.  He may not have the best delivery or the best footwork or whatever you want to throw in there, but he is a winner.  Count me as a believer (in more ways than one).

No Peyton Manning for the Colts.  If he doesn't play any games in the preseason I'm worried.  I know he's a veteran and everything but until I see him out there with that bad neck and all running around throwing the ball,..I'm not going to believe he's healthy enough to play this year.  Without Manning, the Colts aren't going to be very good, and it's tough right now because he's looking for a mega deal from the Colts.  Watch this one.

Plaxico Burress is back as a Jet and he hasn't played yet?  When did he injure this ankle (all jailhouse jokes aside)?  I actually want to see him succeed, so let's hope he heals quickly and gets back on the field.

I know it's one game, but if you could write a redemption story, Michael Vick being an accurate passer might be the biggest thing out there.  He looked great against Baltimore, and he was putting the ball exactly where it needed to be.  He looked like a shorter, left-handed, more mobile, Peyton Manning.  Philly fans don't get too excited just yet. 

In New England, we all know that if Brady should go down they have two guys in Hoyer and Mallett that may be able to step in and help this team still win games. 

Osi Umenyiora finally finds the Giants practice field and hopefully a new deal so that we don't have to hear about this anymore.  Maybe he was hurt, maybe he wasn't,...just pay the dude and keep moving Giants.

Chris Johnson and I are still hanging out (just kidding) because he can't get a deal with the Titans that pays him more.  The Titans say that they will make him the highest paid back in the league if he comes to camp, and Johnson wants the deal done before he reports (let's meet on the practice field and get this done).

Daunte Cullpepper is coming in for a tryout with the 49ers.  Talk about scrap heap.  Wait,...hold on,...I'm getting a phone call,...it's from the 49ers,......(pause)......, ok, I'm heading out to Cali for a tryout too.  Gotta pack up and go. 


From the NBA:

Kendrick Perkins was arrested on misdemeanor disorderly conduct and intoxication after being involved in an altercation outside of the The Ticket nightclub in Beaumont, TX.  Hey, I'm not judging, he was at a club, probably had a few drinks and at least he wasn't driving.  He got into an altercation with the club owner and possibly some other people, but my issue is he was in the area hosting a camp that helped raise money for his foundation which aims to 'help children learn life skills and drug awareness'.  I guess he needed a real life situation to discuss with the kids.

The impasse that is the NBA Lockout rolls on and no one really seems to be interested in making any deals or even talking that much until October.  I hope they can get this worked out, because we need basketball. 

Everybody and their mother is talking about playing overseas while the lockout continues.  Some have signed contracts and others are positioning themselves to follow suit.  Nothing like getting paid on your summer vacation. 

Will Phil Jackson out of LA, and openings across the NBA, more specifically in NY, it seems as though some feel that Phil would be a perfect fit for the Knicks.  D'Antoni's days seem to be numbered and Phil would make a great target for the Knicks brass.  Could you imagine Phil working with Melo and Amare with a few extra pieces? 

The Hall of Fame Class may not have had the notoriety as others, but Dennis Rodman was able to steal the show with his honesty and emotion.  Rodman has long been overly flamboyant with the different hairstyles, the outfits, the attitude, and of course the basketball.  With former coach Phil Jackson at his side, Rodman gave his HOF speech and you could tell that he was grateful for even being there.  Good moment for everyone.

From MLB:

Dan Uggla's 33 game hitting streak was stopped by, of all teams, the Cubs.  Uggla had the longest hitting streak in the majors over the last 5 years.  It's important to know that Uggla had been carrying the Braves with other major players (C. Jones, McCann) in and out of the lineup during his streak.  

Carlos Zambrano is ejected from a game against the Braves and not only goes postal on the ump, but he cleans out his locker and goes home.  The Cubs have suspended Zambrano for 30 days without pay and they have to make a decision about this guy.  He is largely a cancer on this team and his outburst don't help.  The team that's probably glad they didn't pull the trigger on acquiring Zambrano, the Yankees. 

A-Rod may be returning from his injury and he may not go to jail for being in the home during an illegal card game.  Talk about a win win. 


From the NCAA:

The $1M question:  Should athletes get paid?  More and more discussion is going into this and we'll see what happens.  ESPN is doing a piece on this and it's funny to see Nick Saban talking about 'this is a revenue generating' sport and the money goes back into the school and not into his pocket.  Isn't he getting paid upwards of $4M a year (9 year; $42M deal in 2009)? 


What else have I missed?  What are you looking forward to in the next week?  When will the NBA Lockout end? 

NBA 2010 Week 14 Picks Thursday Night Game

Thursday Night Football seems to come quicker and quicker each week.  Let's see what's on tap.

Indianapolis @ Tennessee - Just what Peyton Manning needed, a bad pass defense to face.  Manning has struggled mightily this year, and especially the last 4 weeks.  Yes, he's pressing but some of it is because his main targets are on the sidelines in street clothes.  I've always said that receivers help make a QB and vice versa, but this is the ultimate case (Elway is the exception).  Manning only has Wayne as his proven receiver on the field and we're down to 3rd string tight ends and 2nd string receivers.  These guys don't have the experience with Peyton to 'know' where he wants them to be.  Manning has also gotten that tunnel vision where he won't pull a Tom Brady (dink and dunk), but he's more Jay Cutler (looking for the big play).  If the Colts can run the ball, just a little bit, they should be able to win this game easily.  The Titans are still without Vince Young and I have never had confidence in Kerry Collins.  Winner - Titans.

Who you got?

Sad Display of Humanity

As we all know, last weekend in the NFL was a bad week to be a quarterback. The biggest name QB that was lost was Tom Brady. The hit has been questioned by many as being dirty and by others as being clean. At the end of the day it was just awkward and unfortunate for not only Brady and the Patriots, but the NFL also. Take a look at the hit itself. Bernard Pollard was on the ground and was trying to make a play and just happened to hit Brady on the knee at an inopportune time.



With this all happening, some brilliant person (and I hope you can feel the sarcasm) actually is selling these shirts.

Talk about bad taste (and the same might be said about me for even publicizing this actual shirt). Who buys a shirt like this? I mean you are celebrating a guy getting hurt. I surely hope that Bernard Pollard has been shown the site where the shirts are available and has sent them an email or something protesting the sale of these. When do we as a people start celebrating peoples tragedies? I could understand a poster at a game about a guy getting caught with some illicit drugs, or caught with a woman who isn't his wife, or even someone that cheated on the game, but this really shows what we as humans have become. Somewhere I hope that the person who created this is getting exactly what they deserve. Sad.

NFL Week 1 Wrap Up

Well, it was a good thing that I didn't take my bets to Vegas or I'd be trying to walk back home. All in all a good day of NFL Football, just a bad day to be a QB. We'll see what I got right and what I got wrong on my picks.

Detroit @ Atlanta - Wow!!!! Not sure if I'm more surprised by the Lions not playing or the way the Falcons did. 22 carries for 220 yards, and two TDs, I think that gets Michael Turner the game ball for the week. Atlanta destroyed the Lions, although Roy Williams at least got me the TD I needed for fantasy. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.

Seattle @ Buffalo - Another good game, but the Buffalo special teams won it for them. Marshawn Lynch had 18 carries for 76 yards and a TD. Edwards played well, but Julius Jones disappointed in his Seahawk debut. Inquisitive Mine 1-1 for the week.

New York Jets @ Miami - A little shaky start for the folks in New Jersey. Favre played decently and Thomas Jones got his 101 yards (and a TD), but this game came down to the last few minutes. It really shouldn't have. The Jets should be happy that they played the Dolphins this early in the season. Inquisitive Mind 2-1 for the week.

Kansas City @ New England - Wow and not in a good way. Brady is probably out for the year and the Pats snuck by a terrible Chiefs team. I know they are glad for the win, but thinking about Brady being out for the year has got to temper all of the Superbowl talk. There were reports from ESPN saying that Brady tore ligaments in his knee and that Tim Rattay and Chris Simms are en route to New England for possible tryouts. That last sentence has soooo much wrong with it. Inquisitive Mind 3-1 for the week.

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans - Can you feel sorry for a team that has had success and has won a Superbowl in the last 8 years? The Bucs were so close yesterday, but yet so far. They kept a Saints team within reach the entire game but not enough O to win it. Inquisitive Mind 4-1 for the week.

St. Louis @ Philadelphia - Could I have been wrong? This was an old school out behind the shed butt whuppin!! McNabb looked great and he was throwing to scabs. Philly looked like the team that they said they were, or did they just play a terrible Rams team? We'll see over the next few weeks. Inquisitive Mind 5-1 for the week.

Houston @ Pittsburgh - Add another butt whuppin to the menu. Roethlisberger was almost perfect for the game, Willie Parker had 138 yards and 3 TDs, and even Byron Leftwich played. I don't think that you could write it up any better than this. Inquisitive Mind 6-1 for the week.

Jacksonville @ Tennessee - Things went horribly wrong here. The Titans D stepped up and played great. They had 2 picks of Garrard and they held the Jaguars running game in check. The bad part is that Vince Young hurt his knee/leg and he's being examined as we speak. The hope is that it isn't anywhere near as bad as Brady. Inquisitive Mind 6-2 for the week.

Cincinnati @ Baltimore - The Baltimore D played like they haven't played in a while. They kept the Bengals under 200 yards total offense. Flacco got his first win and my week's picks are starting to go in the wrong direction. Inquisitive Mind 6-3 for the week.

Carolina @ San Diego - San Diego wins this game in a thriller. Oh no,.......what?!?!? Delhomme did what? That wasn't picked? The Panthers shock the Chargers on a last second (actually 2 seconds) touchdown catch by Dante Rosario. The Chargers D looked stale and the offense wasn't that good either. This is one of those that got away from the Chargers. The Panthers took it from them. Inquisitive Mind 6-4 for the week.

Arizona @ San Francisco - This was a yawner. It seemed like the Cardinals thought that by showing up they would win. It took them the second half of the game to put it out of reach. Nothing spectacular in this one, but I did get a pick right. Inquisitive Mind 7-4 for the week.

Dallas @ Cleveland - Talk about a half of domination. I thought the Cowboys would have gotten close to 50 in this game the way they were playing. Romeo Crennel talked to his D at half time and the result was them at least bloodying Tony Romo. The Browns made a lot of mistakes on O, and they couldn't stop the Cowboys running game. Marion Barber got hurt in the first game of the season, that running style isn't going to lend to him playing all 16. Inquisitive Mind 8-4 for the week.

Chicago @ Indianapolis - Was this a home game for the Bears? It sounded like there were more Bears fans in Lucas Oil Stadium than Colts fans. All that talk about Manning just turning the page and coming out smoking, well it doesn't happen quite that easily. The Bears tried their best to confuse Manning and his new starting center by bringing some kind of blitz the entire game. They would line up 7 and you never knew who was coming. Forte played well in his debut ending the game with 123 yards and a TD. He also became the answer to a trivia question, Who was the first person to score a TD in the new Lucas Oil Stadium? Inquisitive Mind 8-5 for the week.

Two more games to go,...let's see if I can't go 10-5 for the week with wins by Minnesota and Oakland.