NFL Teams ECG

You might be wondering… what is this post about? What the heck is an ECG? Very simple… the ECG is one of the most well-known machines in a hospital that nobody knows what the heck it’s called. It’s the machine that shows a person’s heartbeat with lines and beeps. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. Well, at the half-way point of the NFL season, there are teams that still have a pulse and teams that don’t have a pulse.

The “Alive and Well” Group
Teams in this group have been playing very well and have nothing to worry about… if they keep playing this way.

Indianapolis Colts - The Colts survived a scare against the Texans, in which the Texans had a chance to bring the game into overtime, but were unable to do so on a 42-yard field goal. They still remain kicking at 8-0, and perhaps the best team in the NFL.

New Orleans Saints - 2 consecutive sub-par first halves for Drew Brees… what is going on? Not enough to stop him from bouncing back and keeping the Saints undefeated.

New England Patriots - The Patriots have won 3 in a row and are undefeated at home. Tom Brady has been good. I wouldn’t say great, but definitely good.

Minnesota Vikings - With Adrian Peterson carrying this team, you can never count them out. And now adding the excellent play of Sidney Rice and the solid play of their defense, this team is a difficult team to beat. It doesn’t hurt that Brett Favre makes timely throws that ends up winning games too.

Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers have claimed 5 in a row and are also undefeated at home. When it looked like there might be trouble after losing to their division rivals, Cincinnati, the Steelers have bounced back nicely. Their running game has been very good and Ben Roethlisberger has played very well. Their defense has also played well despite injuries to key pieces at different times.

Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals sit atop the AFC North alongside the Steelers. Their defense and running game is the reason for life this year. If they can keep this up, they will be back in the playoffs.

The “I’ve Got Some Good News and Some Bad News” Group
Teams in this group are alive, but they do have some worries.

Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys have been playing very well as of late and now sit atop the NFC East. This is very surprising considering how the beginning of their season went. Now if only they can find a way to not choke at the end… Of course, they can’t just sit back since the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants are formidable teams.

Arizona Cardinals - The good news? You’re in the NFC West. The bad news? Well, you haven’t been playing very well. You let the Carolina Panthers beat you down. Hopefully, that was just a 1 time thing.

San Diego Chargers - The Chargers have won 3 in a row all thanks to their offense. Their running game is still unimpressive and their defense has been inconsistent. If their defense can pick it up, the Chargers will sit atop the division.

Denver Broncos - The good news? You’re a pretty good team and you’ve got the best record in your division. The bad news? You’ve lost 2 in a row. The Chargers offense has been playing very well. You might have to win some games to win this division.

Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles, despite their troubles, are only 1 game back in the division. When Westbrook returns, the Eagles offense should receive a nice boost. It doesn’t hurt that their division leader hasn’t exactly proven that they are an elite team.

Green Bay Packers - The Packers have a good shot at a wild card. Their offensive line and defense really needs to play better than it has been in order to do so. There’s some real competition in the NFC this year.

Chicago Bears - Much like the Packers, the Bears need to step it up a notch to make the playoffs. They’ve got a good shot. The Bears were supposed to be elite with the addition of Jay Cutler, but they certainly have not been elite.

Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons are in a position to grab the wild card spot. Their offense has been good, but their defense has not. This team needs their offense to carry their defense if they’re to get in the playoffs for the second year in a row.

The “Your Only Chance Is This Drug That is Still In Its Trial Phase…” Group
If your team is in this group, it’s not a good thing. Sure, they still have a chance… but they also see the light at the end of the tunnel… and they’re going towards the light…

New York Giants - The Giants have lost 4 in a row. It’s obvious that the Giants secondary cannot match up with teams with a good receiving corps. They’ve been able to beat the cupcakes, but they haven’t proven anything yet. What do the Saints, Cardinals, Eagles, and Chargers all have in common? Good passing games. If the Giants can’t develop more of a pass rush or get some pieces to bolster their secondary, the Giants might not make the playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers - The season started off so well and they actually had me believing that they could make the playoffs this year. Shame on me! But wait… the 49ers are only 2 games behind the division leader. If their defense can get some key stops, they might be able to make it…

Baltimore Ravens - This team showed so much promise at the beginning of the season. Their passing game was good and Rutgers product, Ray Rice, has been very impressive. Unfortunately, after the departure of Rex Ryan, this defense has not been the same. When they finally regain their identity, this team will go far. But as of right now, they most likely won’t make the playoffs.

New York Jets - Don’t be so down on the Jets… before the season began, the Jets weren’t expected to do much better than 8-8. After a red hot start, everyone expected the Jets to be an elite team. Don’t forget, their QB is just a rookie. And now you’ve lost Kris Jenkins and Leon Washington for the year. This team is pretty much done, but at least they have a bright future.

Houston Texans - The Texans are a team that’s just too difficult to predict. When their offense is clicking, they can beat almost anyone. When it’s not, they’re a sub-par team. They need to learn to play more consistently… and that’s on the head coach.

The “Are You Sitting Down?” Group
Are you sitting down? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but… if you’re a fan of any team in this group, your team won’t make it.

Jacksonville Jaguars - Don’t let the standings fool you… even though they’re only 2 games behind for the wild card spot, they won’t make it. Their defense has been downright horrible. Their offense, aside from Maurice Jones-Drew and Mike Sims-Walker, has been terrible as well. Maybe they should sign more players with a hyphen in their name…

Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins running attack has been very good despite the lack of a good passing game. Their defense has been very good as well. But unfortunately, the AFC is stacked and they won’t win their division. There’s always next year!

Carolina Panthers - The Panthers have one of the best running games. Their 2-headed combo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart should be illegal. But this has been evened out by their lack of a passing game and their porous defense.

Seattle Seahawks - What puts the Seahawks in this division when they’re tied in the standings with the 49ers? Lack of potential. What is this due to? Injuries. They could field a team with all their injured players. (And plus, I’m a 49ers fan.)

Tennessee Titans - The Titans are on a winning streak! Too little, too late.

The “Even Dr. House Couldn’t Save You” Group
If your team is in this group, they should send all their players to help scout. Because the only thing they can look forward to is the draft. And the draft the year after as well. That’s how bad they are.

Buffalo Bills - Ah… the best team in this group. They probably should have given more work to Fred Jackson because they played so much better back then. Things are looking so bad that they are considering acquiring Michael Vick to play quarterback. Don’t get me wrong, Vick was an excellent QB. But he’s not the answer… Though it would be interesting to see him paired with Terrell Owens.

Washington Redskins - This season started off poorly when the team publicly shopped around for a QB when they still had Jason Campbell. It started to snowball when Coach Jim Zorn made a few bad decisions. Then they took away his playcalling abilities to try to force him out. And now they lost Clinton Portis to a concussion. Things are so bad, they’re considering signing Larry Johnson. On a more positive note, at least they’re not the Browns or the Raiders, right?

Detroit Lions - The Lions arguably have the best future of any team in this group. Calvin Johnson and Matt Stafford seem to be a good combination together. Brandon Pettigrew had a lot of promise coming out of college. Kevin Smith continues to be a solid running back. And the most important thing of all, Matt Millen isn’t here to screw it all up.

Oakland Raiders - Nnamdi Asomugha is wasting his talent in Oakland when his immense talent can be better used elsewhere. I feel bad for the guy.

Kansas City Chiefs - The Chiefs finally let go of Larry Johnson. Nobody expected them to contend this year, and they certainly didn’t.

St. Louis Rams - The Rams should trade Steven Jackson while they still can and try to get some draft picks. They certainly won’t be going anywhere and Jackson is the lone bright spot on this team.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The Bucs stop here. They might not win any more games, but at least they didn’t go without a win. I don’t know what positive things that I can say about this team besides “At least they’re not the Browns or the Raiders.”

Cleveland Browns - From Mangenius to… well, I don’t know what they call him in Cleveland. But it’s certainly nothing positive. After running out his friend from the position of GM, the Browns do not seem like an appealing place to work. They might try to rival the Raiders for Most Dysfunctional Franchise.

Posted 3 weeks ago | Comments (View)

Why Mets Fans (from NY) Should Root for the Yankees Tonight

The title says it all. I’ve been listening to too many people call in to radio shows saying that they should root for the Yankees for this reason or that they should root for the Phillies for some other reason. It’s very simple, Mets fans… you should root for the Yankees. Here’s why:

1) Let’s first break down the logic behind this. The Yankees have the highest payroll in the Majors. The Mets have the highest payroll in the National League. If the Phillies win, that means they were able to win 2 championships in a row and the Mets have not been able to win anything with a much larger payroll. If the Yankees win, on the other hand, you can just blame it on the higher payroll. Let’s face it, the Yankees SHOULD win just solely due to the money they spend.

2) You are a New Yorker. New York hasn’t won any major championships since the Yankees won in 2000. If the Mets can’t do it, at least cheer for a New York team that will. Don’t think of it as jumping on the bandwagon, but instead celebrating another New York accomplishment.

3) The Phillies are your divisional rivals! If the Mets were to play any of our divisional rivals in the World Series, I would root for the Mets. (Then again, I’m not the best model for this because the Mets are my second favorite baseball team. But that’s besides the point!)

4) You should be a Yankees fan anyway. After 2 melt downs and a very dismal year (not just in terms of their record, but the whole Tony Bernazard incident and now a possible Bernie Madoff incident), Mets fans should be entitled a free ticket to Yankee fandom. Their future looks bleak - their fundamentals were terrible this year, a lot of important pieces are getting old (Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado), and they have a sub-par farm system. So what are you waiting for, Mets fans? Go ahead, I’ll close my eyes… (1…. 2…. 3…. 4….)

Purchase your Yankees cap yet?

Posted 1 month ago | Comments (View)

Week 8 Recap

Well, this week I managed to be 10-3 straight up and only 6-7 against the spread, my worst mark yet against the spread. Even one of my locks was wrong! I really have no idea how the Cardinals lost to the Panthers. They have the top run defense, but they couldn’t stop a team that struggles at moving the ball through the air. This is all Kurt Warner’s fault! But I digress… here are a few notes from Week 8:

-Steve Slaton got benched after losing a fumble and his back-up, Ryan Moats (you might remember him from his incident with the police) erupted for 126 yards and 3 scores. Do I think Slaton’s starting job is in danger? No. Is Moats a must own in fantasy leagues? No. But I do see a potential timeshare with carries. Slaton is going to have to earn his place back among the top RBs like he was last year.

-The Browns need to draft a big time receiver. Say what you want about Braylon Edwards, but he really opened up the offense for the Browns. Without a true #1 receiver, the Browns will have a tough time getting double digit points.

-With the Rams victory over the Lions and the Titans victory over the Jaguars, the Buccaneers are the only team without a win. Looking at their schedule, there is only 1 winnable game for them: Week 15 at Seattle. Of course, Week 16, against the Saints can also be winnable if the Saints decide to rest their starters when they clinch a bye in the playoffs. It looks like Atlanta would be fighting for a spot until the end, but if they are out of it, Week 17 could be winnable as well.

-“Experts” predicted the Lions to have 2 wins this season. The Lions can exceed expectations if Calvin Johnson plays next week against the Seahawks. The game against the Browns should be a win.

-It looks like Peyton Manning is human. I would like to point out that in this head-to-head matchup, Alex Smith threw more TDs than Manning. Even Joseph Addai threw for more yards. But Manning completed 31 of his 48 passes for 347 yards. Also note that Michael Crabtree caught 6 passes for 81 yards and Vernon Davis hauled in yet another score. We can build on this!

-The Giants are struggling. I’ve noticed that Eli always tends to struggle when it gets cold. The Giants should make the playoffs, but whether or not they do anything when they’re there is a completely different story.

-Even though LaDainian Tomlinson had 2 scores, he only had 56 yards on 18 carries. That’s about 3.1 yards a carry. He is not back.

-Aaron Rodgers was the leading rusher for the Packers this week… 5 carries for 52 yards. He almost single-handedly brought the Packers back in this game. Even though they lost this game, both games Rodgers faced the Vikings, he excelled in the second half. Makes you wonder what he would do if he were playing on the Vikings.

Posted 1 month ago | Comments (View)

Don't Count out the Phillies Just Yet

Now that the Yankees are up 3-1 against the Phillies in the World Series, we should pretty much just pencil that Yankees parade in now, right? Not so fast, let’s take a look at the big picture here. The Yankees have struggled against the top of the Phillies rotation.

-In Game 5, the Phillies have Cliff Lee, who has been virtually untouchable in the post-season, going up against AJ Burnett, who has pitched very well (with the occasional mental lapse) in the post-season. The Yankees can win this game, but who knows what you will get from Burnett, who is known to be wildly inconsistent. He is also coming off short rest, though this isn’t his first time to do so. Still, a fresh Cliff Lee is still much better than Burnett off 3-days rest.

-In Game 6, the Phillies will have Pedro Martinez, who has also been very good this post-season, against Andy Pettitte (most likely). Martinez has been surprisingly good this post-season. Martinez stifled the Dodgers in the one game that he pitched against them and only gave up 3 runs to the Yankees, 2 of which seemed to have been because he was left in for too long. On the other hand, Pettitte had 4 earned runs against the Phillies in Game 3. If he ends up going on short, he may give up even more runs. Unless the bats can heat up against The Pitcher Formerly Known as K-dro, the Yankees will be behind early. If Joe Girardi changes his mind and pitches Chad Gaudin instead, the Yankees will have a young pitcher with minimal post-season experience and hasn’t pitched since the regular season. This is definitely not the way to go.

-In Game 7, the Phillies will have Cole Hamels going up against C.C. Sabathia. This is the Yankees best chance to put this one away. Hamels has been wildly inconsistent this year. In the beginning of Game 3, Hamels looked very good. But when things started to go south, Hamels completely fell apart. But Sabathia will also be coming off his second straight game of short rest. Will he be too tired to battle a Phillies lineup that has been very good? Will he be able to go long enough to keep the game out of the hands of the bullpen, who (with the exception of Mariano Rivera) has struggled as a whole this post-season?

The Phillies have been very good at putting up decent numbers at the plate and can not be counted out. If the Yankees don’t play their best ball, this series can slip away from them much like the 2004 Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox.

Here is what the Yankees need to do to close out this series for their 27th championship:

-Game 5: You can’t expect that the Yankees will put up big numbers against Lee. You can only hope that Burnett keeps them in the game close enough to strike until Lee comes out of the game. The offense can help Burnett by being extremely patient and running up the pitch count. When Lee comes out of the game, that’s their turn to strike.

-Game 6: The Yankees will have to keep Pettitte in the game with their bats. Pedro is a very sly pitcher and has adapted to the loss in his velocity very well. They really need to get him out of the game early because the Yankees have shown that they can put up decent numbers against the Phillies bullpen. Even if they don’t win this game, they have to at least tire out the bullpen. Pedro is good for about 80-90 pitches. Be patient and knock him out in the 6th. If you can’t win this game, make sure they have no pitchers left for tomorrow!

-Game 7: Hope that Sabathia has another game left in his arm. This guy is a big game workhorse and was worth the money they paid him. I’m not sure what to expect from him, but he will probably win this game for the Yankees. He deserves to be the World Series MVP if the Yankees can win this one.

Posted 1 month ago | Comments (View)

Week 8 Predictions

Texans (-4) at Bills -
The Bills had a surprising win last week against the Panthers. Was it a fluke or is their defense starting to click. Their offense is playing much better with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm. So will they be able to stop the Texans? I doubt it. Give me the Texans and the points in this one.

Browns at Bears (-14) -
The Bears need a win desperately. The Browns are done for. Derek Anderson may be competing with JaMarcus Russell, Jake Delhomme, and Brady Quinn for Worst QB of the Year Award. He’s certainly going the right direction. Give me the Bears and the points in this one.

Seahawks at Cowboys (-10) -
The Seahawks should change their logo to add a cast or a band-aid. With all their injuries, they can’t compete with the Cowboys. Give me the Cowboys and the points in this one. This one is a lock.

Rams at Lions (-4) -
Wow, I wonder how many non-Lions and non-Rams fans will actually watch this game. This should be a clinic of how not to play football. Between these two teams, they have 1 win. The Rams need to win this game or they may go without a win this season. In order to do so, Steven Jackson has to carry this team. The Lions need to stop him. Their offense should be able to put some good points on the board though, if both Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson are playing. Give me the Lions with the points.

49ers at Colts (-14) -
The 49ers played very well in the 2nd half against the Texans. Too bad football is a 4 quarter game. They will have their hands full against the Colts in this one. The Colts have been unstoppable and it shouldn’t be any different this week. They should be able to beat the 49ers pretty easily. Give me the Colts and the points in this one.

Dolphins at Jets (-4) -
This rematch is much different than the first one. The Jets are without Kris Jenkins and Leon Washington. Last time, the Wildcat ran all over the Jets. Without a major piece of their run defense, the Wildcat should be able to do the same… unless Rex Ryan has figured out to stop it with the pieces that he has. Something tells me that he hasn’t figured it out yet, so give me the Dolphins in an upset.

Giants at Eagles (-2) -
The Giants have struggled against teams with good defenses and a strong passing game. That is exactly what the Eagles are. They definitely are not as good as the Saints or the Cardinals, especially without a major piece in Brian Westbrook. The Eagles will need LeSean McCoy to fill the stat sheet against the Giants. But still, I like the Eagles at home (only because they are at home) here with the points.

Broncos at Ravens (-4) -
The Broncos face a tough challenge against the Ravens. The Ravens need a win desperately against the undefeated Broncos. With both teams coming off a bye, this should be a very good matchup. I do find it odd that the oddsmakers are making an undefeated team the underdog against a team that is just 3-3. But I have to agree with them this week as I like the Ravens at home, but not with the points.

Jaguars at Titans (-3) -
The Titans pass defense has been among the league’s worse this year. With Mike Sims-Walker and Torry Holt, the Jaguars should be able to pass on the Titans. Maurice Jones-Drew should also be a handful for the Titans. The Titans will have to rely on Chris Johnson to run wild against a struggling Jaguars defense. I believe this should be the Titans first win this week. Give me the Titans and the points.

Raiders at Chargers (-17) -
When the Raiders fall behind early, they can never catch up. The last time these 2 teams met, the Chargers had to win it in the last minute, with Darren Sproles as the savior. These 2 teams finally meet again and the Raiders are not any better. The Chargers are very inconsistent though. Their defense has a lot of good pieces, but they have been struggling. Their running game has been terrible. Still, I like the Chargers here at home with the points. I think the Raiders will be down early and then completely fade out.

Panthers at Cardinals (-11) -
The Panthers are a very juicy matchup against the Cardinals. The one thing the Panthers do well is running the ball. The Cardinals have the top run defense this year. I think last week’s win over the Giants showed that the Cardinals are back and are true contenders. They should put away the Panthers easily. Give me the Cardinals and the points. This one is a lock.

Vikings at Packers (-3) -
Ahh… the much anticipated rematch. Brett Favre finally returns back to Green Bay… and his former fans are sure to greet him with waffles, flip-flops, and boos. The last time these 2 teams met, Favre was excellent. The Packers offensive line was not. And their defense could have been better. The Packers will need to stop Adrian Peterson and not worry too much about Favre in this one. In this cold weather and in his advanced age, the Packers just need to get a few hits on Favre to make him think twice about holding the ball too long. If their offensive line can hold up and their defense can get a few key stops, the Packers should be able to give Favre a nice farewell present - his second loss of the season. Give me the Packers and the points!

Falcons at Saints (-11) -
Matt Ryan struggled against the Cowboys. Their defense struggled as well. The Saints are a better team offensively and defensively than the Cowboys. Then that should mean the Saints should beat the Falcons easily, right? Depends… watching Drew Brees this season is like watching Jekyll and Hyde. Last week was the perfect example. He struggled, tossing a couple of interceptions and was unable to get anything going in the first half. The second half, he runs for 2 scores and tosses a 3rd. If the good Drew Brees shows up, the Saints should destroy the Falcons. Otherwise, this game may end up being a shootout. Give me the Saints and the points in this one.

Posted 1 month ago | Comments (View)

Week 7 Recap

Another terrible prediction week for me as I was just 7-6 straight up, but 9-3 against the spread. My upset prediction of the Raiders over the Jets was terribly off and it just shows one thing… the Raiders are unpredictable. Here are some things I noticed:

-The Dolphins played Drew Brees very well in the first half. But somehow the Saints pulled through. This is a team that won’t give up. They may be the best NFC team this year.

-The Patriots struggled early against the Bucs, but then they realized that they are the Patriots and the Bucs can’t stop them. They are truly a scary team this year if they can continue to play like this. Even scarier may be the undefeated Colts though. Peyton Manning is having a great year.

-The Giants are in trouble. After leading the Cardinals in the first half, the Cardinals controlled the 3rd quarter and the Giants were unable to do anything offensively. The Cardinals are proving to be a contender and their defense is playing very well. The Giants, on the other hand, are really struggling in the secondary. Brandon Jacobs also has to get going.

-The Cowboys played well against the Falcons. They are difficult to predict. Sometimes they give up big plays to teams that shouldn’t beat them, but sometimes they can stop good offenses. Their offense seems to have to problem putting up points though.

-The Bengals proved to me that last week’s loss to Houston was a victory snagged by Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson’s excellence.

-The Steelers defense is back! Now they just need their running game to step it up a notch to be able to compete with the Colts and the Patriots. Mendenhall is going to be a big help in this department.

-Crabtree’s debut was nothing spectacular, but I think he played much better than I expected. Alex Smith and Vernon Davis, if they can keep playing like this, have shown very good promise. Maybe they’ll both prove worthy of their high picks.

Posted 1 month ago | Comments (View)

Week 7 Predictions

49ers at Texans (-3) – Very intriguing matchup here. The 49ers could not handle Roddy White and Matt Ryan. The Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson combination definitely rivals that. The big question is… which Matt Schaub will show up? The team’s success lies squarely on his shoulders. When he is on top of his game, the Texans are a beast offensively. When he isn’t, it explains their 3 losses. On the other side, my 49ers are also coming off a bye week, which gave Mike Singletary an extra week to whip his defense into shape. Another showing like the one against Atlanta and the pants might be coming down. Another big question is… how effective will Michael Crabtree be? He was given the start in place of Josh Morgan. If he is as good as I hope, this offense can actually pass for a good one. Also, since Frank Gore is back, he can continue carrying this offense on his broad shoulders. My gut says the Texans will win this one, but I’m going to have to go with the 49ers in an upset because I’m biased and I like the 49ers coming off a bye.

Packers (-7) at Browns – This one shouldn’t be too close. But the Packers defense has been very bad and so has their offensive line. Still, the Browns should be no match for the Packers. Give me the Packers and the points.

Chargers (-6) at Chiefs – As I’ve been saying all year, the Chargers are overrated this year. They’ve got no running game and their defense has not been getting the important stops that they needed. Their passing game is one of the best in the league though. For this sole reason, the Chargers should be able to win this game. Give me the Chargers and the points.

Colts (-14) at Rams – The Colts are definitely going to win this game, the question is only by how much. Without Donnie Avery, the Rams have no weapons at receiver. Their defense is also terrible. With Bob Sanders coming back (hopefully), the Colts should have no problems against Steven Jackson. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Colts shut them out. Lock it up, give me the Colts and the points.

Vikings at Steelers (-4) – This will definitely be a great game to watch. Brett Favre and the Vikings (that still sounds weird) have not had many challenges this year. This will be their first time playing an elite team (or at least was elite before the injuries hit). The Steelers will need to run the ball well against a defense that has been able to stop the run for the most part. At the same time, they will need to stop Adrian Peterson without Aaron Smith. If they can do both, the Steelers may be able to come through with a win. So far, they’ve been relying on Ben Roethlisberger’s arm to win games. Does he have another win in him against a tough defense? I’m not so sure… give me the Vikings in an upset here.

Patriots (-16) at Buccaneers – “We’re only going to beat them by 16 points? Haha… okay…” That’s my Tom Brady impression of the 2007 SuperBowl against the Giants. But this time, he won’t have to eat his words and have videos on YouTube. The Patriots will have no problem taking care of the Bucs. They made the Titans look silly last week on both sides of the ball and the Bucs are perhaps the worst team in the NFL. I like Tom Brady to completely destroy the Bucs by the first half and then sit out for the rest of the game. Give me the Patriots and the points, lock it up.

Jets (-7) at Raiders – A few weeks ago, I would have picked the Jets without any hesitation. 3 losses later (one of them coming against the Bills), I definitely hesitate. The Raiders have shown that JaMarcus Russell only has to not suck for them to come out competitive. Their defense is actually very good and they have a passable running game. The Jets are very similar. As long as Mark Sanchez doesn’t play like a rookie, the Jets have a chance to win the game. In their loss against the Saints and the Bills, Sanchez was awful. Against the Bills, the defense was the let down. The Jets also lost their defensive anchor in Kris Jenkins. How will they fare against the run without him? Because of all these questions, I will have to call a surprising upset here and say the Raiders will take this one. After all, Richard Seymour promised the playoffs, and they’ll need to win this one if he is to come through on that promise.

Bills at Panthers (-7) – There are many terrible games this season. I can’t understand how people can stand to watch games like Redskins vs. Chiefs and Browns vs. Bills. The Bills defense has been awful, but played pretty well against Mark Sanchez to earn a come from behind victory. Still, the Panthers have one of the most potent running back combinations in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. As long as the Panthers are forced to throw, they should be able to run all over their opponents. Give me the Panthers, but without the points.

Bears at Bengals (-2) – The Bears need Jay Cutler to be on top of his game if they hope to win this game. They are falling dangerously behind the Vikings and may not be able to catch up. The Bengals lost last week to an unstoppable Matt Schaub. Will they be able to stop Cutler? This one is a difficult matchup to predict. On one hand, I like the Bengals so far this season. Their offense has been respectable and their defense has been able to get important stops. The fact that they are also playing at home is also a plus. But the Bears offense has also been very good. My gut says to take the Bengals in this one with the points.

Falcons at Cowboys (-4) – For some reason, I like a lot of upsets this week. The Cowboys defense hasn’t been able to get any stops. They almost let the Chiefs beat them before the bye. Still, the Cowboys are coming off a bye and playing at home. They’ve got a decent offense as well. But for some reason, I just can’t believe in the Cowboys. They have been very disappointing so far. So give me the Falcons in an upset.

Saints (-7) at Dolphins – The Saints have been very impressive. Their defense has really improved and that is a big reason for their success. But will their defense be able to handle the Wildcat? The key for the Saints is to get off to a big lead against the Dolphins, but that may be a tall order consider how good the Dolphins defense has been so far. Still, I don’t see that as much of a problem for Drew Brees. Peyton Manning shredded this defense through the air in the very few minutes that the Colts handled the ball. Look for the Saints to do the same. Give me the Saints and the points.

Cardinals at Giants (-7) – The Cardinals pose a big threat to the Giants. Their passing game rivals the Saints with 3 quality receivers. The Giants were recently demolished by the Saints passing game because of their weak secondary. But that’s what everyone said last year and the Giants handled the Cardinals very easily. Anquan Boldin is also coming off an injury and he definitely won’t be 100% even if he plays. Kurt Warner hasn’t been the same this season, though he is stepping it up in the last 2 weeks. The Cardinals also play a more balanced game, running the ball much more this year. So the question is, will the Cardinals defense be able to handle the Giants offense? I think the Giants should have woken up after last week’s disappointment. Give me the Giants, but not the points in this one.

Eagles (-7) at Redskins – Last week, the Eagles lost to the Raiders. It seems good defenses give the Eagles problems. The Redskins defense is actually not too shabby. But it’s definitely not as good as the Raiders defense. The Redskins offense is also completely out of whack, losing games to the Lions and the Chiefs. Despite this being a divisional matchup, I don’t like the Redskins at all. Give me the Eagles in this one with the points.

Posted 1 month ago | Comments (View)

Week 6 Recap

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time the end of last week to post my Week 6 predictions because I was sick. I did put most of them on an e-mail though. Here were my predictions in a quick summary:

-Cinci with the points. (vs. Texans)
-Packers with the points. (vs. Lions)
-Vikings, but no points. (vs. Ravens)
-Saints with the points. (vs. Giants)
-Steelers and the points. (vs. Browns)
-Panthers and the points. (vs. Bucs)
-Redskins, but no points (vs. Chiefs)
-Jaguars, but no points (vs. Rams)
-Cards with the points (vs. Seahawks)
-Eagles and the points (vs. Raiders)
-Patriots and the points (vs. Titans)
-Jets and the points (vs. Bills)
-Falcons, but no points (vs. Bears)
-Broncos in an upset (vs. Chargers)

I was 10-4 in my predictions, 9-5 against the spread, which isn’t too shabby. Anyway, here were my Week 6 notes:

-The Broncos are just as good as I thought. Their defense did pretty well, giving up only 16 points to their offense (1 TD was a Special Teams score). The Chargers have a pretty impressive passing game. Its just their defense is really struggling, along with their offensive line and running game. This will be a long year for San Diego.

-Roddy White is back. I wasn’t sure if it was one of those 1 week flukes, but he made the most of Matt Ryan’s sub-par week.

-Tom Brady is back and he’s pissed. 6 second quarter TD’s by Brady. Wow.

-Drew Brees is back. He really turned it on against the league’s #1 rated defense. Like I’ve been saying, the Giants D hasn’t really proven anything against their previous opponents and it was way too early to chalk them up for a Superbowl appearance. Don’t get me wrong, Giants fanboys… they’re a really good team. They’re just thin in the secondary with all their injuries.

-The Jets are in trouble. 3 losses in a row. The loss to the Saints came to me as no surprise. I felt they should have lost that game. The loss to the Bills was no surprise either, but I didn’t expect them to lose that one against Chad Henne. Seriously, the Wildcat is just a running game and you’re supposed to have one of the top run defenses. You can’t lose this game. But the worst loss of all was to the Bills - you can’t lose this game to a team that only put up 3 points to the Browns. Seriously!?

-What can I say about the Eagles? There’s nothing more pathetic that losing to JaMarcus Russell, who has a QB Rating of 51. How do you do that?

-Seahawks are over-rated. But what does this say about their win over the Jaguars?

-The Bengals loss to the Texans does not say that the Bengals are not as good as everyone started to believe. At least not yet. It just goes to remind people that when Matt Schaub is on top of his game, the Texans are dangerous.

-The Redskins are really bad. They couldn’t get a touchdown on Kansas City’s pitiful defense. But I don’t think benching Jason Campbell is the answer. Todd Collins did not do much better.

-Jake Delhomme threw only 17 passes in the Panthers’ victory against the Bucs. They ran the ball 48 times. The Panthers are dangerous on the ground (or is it just the Bucs porous defense?), and they’d like to make sure Delhomme doesn’t lose the game for them.

Posted 1 month ago | Comments (View)