The Thursday night game just ended, and was it ever a stinker...
10-6 with turnovers abound. I picked Chicago and in spite of all of Cutler's interceptions, they had a shot with the ball at the San Fransisco 12, down 4, with 8 seconds left. Unfortunately for the Bears, Cutler threw interception #5 and the game ended. Anyhow, onto the rest of the week 10 action.
- Atlanta @ Carolina (+1.5)
Atlanta is 1-3 on the road this year, yet Atlanta is favored in this divisional match up. Carolina is playing better football as of late, and Jake Delhomme is doing a better job taking care of the football. Still, I like the Falcons to win and cover the spread this week. Atlanta is a good team all around and Carolina is too dependent on their (excellent) running game.
- Tampa Bay @ Miami (-9.5)
Tampa Bay finally got a win last week, but will not have that luck again against Miami. Miami is the best 3-5 team in the league and absolutely must win this game to keep their already-slim playoff hopes alive. Miami rolls and easily covers the spread.
- Detroit @ Minnesota (-16.5)
Detroit is going nowhere. Minnesota is thinking Super Bowl. Still, the Lions tend to play the Vikings tough and the spread is quite high so I like Minnesota to win easily but I think Detroit covers the spread with some late garbage-time points.
- Jacksonville @ New York Jets (-6.5)
This is hard game to predict because both teams are inconsistent. Jacksonville has been generally awful on the road this year, but the Jets have lost 4 of their last 5 and now must face Maurice Jones-Drew. I'm going with the Jets to win and cover, but I could see this game going either way.
- Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh (-6.5)
If not for the Pats-Colts showdown this would be the game of the week. The winner of this game will have the upper hand in the AFC North, and if the Bengals win they will what amounts to a 2 game lead over the Steelers. The game is in Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh is arguably the hottest team in the NFL, but the Bengals are playing terrific defense, particularly in the secondary, and the Steelers are a throw-first team this year. On the other side of the ball, Cedric Benson, Carson Palmer, and Chad Ocho Cinco are all playing real well. Pittsburgh is on the short week, and it will show in the fourth. I like the Bengals to pull the upset and win (and cover).
- New Orleans @ St. Louis (+13.5)
This is one game New Orleans won't need a second half comeback to win. Steven Jackson can pile up 150+ yards of offense and the Rams will still lose by 3 or 4 touchdowns. New Orleans blows out the pathetic Rams and easily covers.
- Buffalo @ Tennessee (-6.5)
Tennessee is definitely on a roll since their bye and Chris Johnson is quietly having the best season of ANY running back in the league. This Buffalo team got gashed for over 300 yards rushing by the Jets, and Chris Johnson is way better than anyone on the Jets running game. The Titans, led by a rejuvenated Vince Young, run wild on Buffalo and cover. An interesting side note: Buffalo has not returned to the playoffs since getting bounced in Tennessee on the famous "music city miracle" back in the playoffs in January of 2000. A more interesting side note: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo is a grammatically correct sentence. Do not ask me why.
-Denver @ Washington (+3.5)
Denver is in need of a win. Who should they call? Ghostbusters -- no! Try the Redskins. Denver has one of the top defenses in the league. Washington has yet to top 17 points in any game. Washington's defense keeps this close for a half, but Denver is not going to drop three straight and will easily cover.
- Kansas City @ Oakland (-1.5)
These teams are both so awful that the game figures to be quite competitive. The Raiders got the best of the Chiefs earlier in the year, but I like Kansas City to win in this one. I will dawdle no more on this pathetic excuse for a game.
- Seattle @ Arizona (-8.5)
Arizona is 1-3 at home. Seattle just plain sucks. As bad as the Cardinals have been at home, I can't see them losing to Seattle, but I like the Seahawks to beat the spread.
- Dallas @ Green Bay (+2.5)
Dallas is a great November team. Green Bay just lost to a winless team. Dallas has a mean pass rush. Aaron Rogers is the most sacked QB in the league (37 sack through 8 games!). Romo is playing excellent. Green Bay's secondary is struggling. Translation: Dallas cruises to victory and beats the spread.
- Philadelphia @ San Diego (-2.5)
Philadelphia just lost a close home game to the hated Cowboys. Now they have to travel to the west coast and play a Chargers team that seems to be hitting stride. Also, last time the Eagles went west, they lost 16-13 to the mighty Oakland Raiders. Nevertheless, I think San Diego is due for a let down game, after their big road win over the Giants, and the Eagles pull the mild upset (thereby covering the spread).
Baltimore @ Cleveland (+10.5)
How this game is on Monday night is beyond me. Or anyone. Ravens are desperate. Cleveland is the worst team in the league. Can you spell blow-out. Ravens obliterate the Browns and cover the spread.
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Game of the week: New England @ Indianapolis (-2.5)
I love New England. They are by far my favorite team in any sport and pretty much the only team I REALLY root for and care about. Their annual meeting with Indianapolis is always the regular-season game I most anticipate, and this year is no exception. The games are often classics and usually play an important role in determining home field advantage in the AFC. This game has its usual hype and I cannot wait to watch. As for my pick, as a fan of the Patriots I simply cannot pick against them. I truthfully think this game could go either way, and picking with my heart as much as with my head, I will take New England to win on the road. I sure hope they do because it would make me redonkulously ecstatic.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A Look at this Weeks games
Here is a look at some of this weeks games. I'll start with Thursday's game of Chicago @ San Fransisco.
Chicago has the better record and the better team, but they have struggled as of late. Luckily for them, so have the 49ers who have gone 0-4 since signing Crabtree. I like Chicago to play well on the road and am picking them both with the spread (+2.5) and outright. I'll have my full weekly predictions later, and now am going to just highlight the weekends action.
Best games of the week:
1) New England @ Indianapolis
Always anticipated. Usually memorable. Playoff implications. Football's premiere rivalry this decade. I (and every football fan) can't wait.
2) Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh
AFC North supremacy on the line in this showdown of two 6-2 teams.
3) Philadelphia @ San Diego
Two 5-3 teams square off and both of them could really use a win. Both trail their division leader by 1 game. Both have the possibility to play good football, but will they?
Worst game of the week:
Kansas City @ Oakland
Yuck. 3 combined wins between these two teams and one of those came from the last time these teams met.
Upset alert of the week:
Seattle @ Arizona
Arizona is 1-3 at home and Seattle has a shot with a healthy Hasselback
Full preview later!
Chicago has the better record and the better team, but they have struggled as of late. Luckily for them, so have the 49ers who have gone 0-4 since signing Crabtree. I like Chicago to play well on the road and am picking them both with the spread (+2.5) and outright. I'll have my full weekly predictions later, and now am going to just highlight the weekends action.
Best games of the week:
1) New England @ Indianapolis
Always anticipated. Usually memorable. Playoff implications. Football's premiere rivalry this decade. I (and every football fan) can't wait.
2) Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh
AFC North supremacy on the line in this showdown of two 6-2 teams.
3) Philadelphia @ San Diego
Two 5-3 teams square off and both of them could really use a win. Both trail their division leader by 1 game. Both have the possibility to play good football, but will they?
Worst game of the week:
Kansas City @ Oakland
Yuck. 3 combined wins between these two teams and one of those came from the last time these teams met.
Upset alert of the week:
Seattle @ Arizona
Arizona is 1-3 at home and Seattle has a shot with a healthy Hasselback
Full preview later!
Wednesday Weekly Thoughts
It's Wednesday already which means the weekly NFL lineup of games begins...tomorrow??? That's right, the mediocre Bears and the even more mediocre 49ers will square off tomorrow night in the battle of two teams that are as middle of the pack as it gets. Chicago is probably the better team, though not by much, but the real story here is the NFL on Thursday! It's still over two weeks to Thanksgiving,and already the early week games are starting. The game might not be the best, but more NFL on TV=better.
Now let's take a quick look back at the week that was with a brief review of every game:
- Tampa Bay 38, Green Bay 28
The Bucs finally got a win at the Packers' expense thanks to some decent play from rookie QB Josh Freeman, and a few bad turnovers by the Packers. Somehow Green Bay is still in 2nd place in the division, but they are absolutely NOT a contender of sorts, and I doubt they will make the playoffs. Tampa can be happy they aren't going winless and that they seem to have found a QB for the future.
- Jacksonville 24, Kansas City 21
The Jaguars are .500, thanks to holding off a late Chiefs rally, and how they have won 4 games is beyond my comprehension. As for the Chiefs, they showed heart in the 4th quarter and didn't give up-- always nice to see from a team that is already playing for next year.
-Cincinnati 17, Baltimore, 7
The Bengals, with a dominating defensive performance, swept the Ravens and improved to 6-2 on the year with a 4-0 divisional record. Wow! Who saw that coming after 8 games? Certainly not myself, so I give mad props the Bengals now. If they can beat the Steelers on the road this week, they will be near locks to win the always-tough AFC North. Baltimore meanwhile does not have to panic quite yet, but they have very little margin of error here on out. They still have two games against the Steelers, a team that has owned them as of late. They still have to play the Undefeated Colts. Even their road games against the Packers could be a problem. With 4 losses at the midpoint they are by no means out of playoff contention, but they have virtually no shot at winning their division. They need to start playing better quickly, because after they destroy the Browns this week, their schedule gets real hard.
-Arizona 41, Chicago 21
The Cardinals are 4-0 on the road. Unfortunately if they win their division, they play the first game of the playoffs at home were they are 1-3. Still, the Cardinals can be dangerous as last years playoffs showed, and while inconsistent, they definitely can play good football. The Bears are 4-4 and like the Jaguars, this is a great mystery of the modern era. Just goes to show how awful the bottom teams in the league are this year.
-Atlanta 31, Washington 17
I officially hate the Redskins for playing so awful. They spend a fortune every year on big names in the off season and then are garbage when it counts. There two wins have come against some of the worst teams in the league (St. Louis and Tampa). They have yet to score more than 17 points in a game. Their defense is quite good and can keeps them from getting blown out, but for an offense with many quality players, they are nothing short of painful to watch. The Falcons looks like a 10-6 team which is what they will finish if they keep up the 5-3 pace. They beat the teams they are suppose to, but are still a step or two behind the real contenders.
-Indianapolis 20, Houston 17
The Texans outplayed the Colts in the second half but a late turnover and a missed FG doomed them. I was actually impressed with their ability to turn a 13-0 road deficit into a 17-13 lead, but they blew their chances to win the game. Serious contenders don't do that, which is why the Texans have little hope of becoming more than a one-and-done wild card team this year. Kris Brown obviously messed up by missing an easy 42 yard FG in a dome, but he did make a 56 yard one earlier so its unfair to blame him solely for his team's loss. The Colts have rolled through their first half of the season with just a few minor speed bumps and sit at 8-0. They have their flaws, but so does every team, and having Peyton Manning always helps. They are always a dangerous team and this year is no exception.
- New England 27, Miami 17
As a Patriots fan, I remember only too well the Dolphins stomping the Patriots in Foxborough last year when they introduced the wildcat. This year they unleashed a new wrinkle involving Pat White and had a decent amount of success early on, but there was one key difference between the 2008 and 2009 games: Tom Brady. Last year New England feel behind and Matt Cassel and the offense sputtered causing the defense to be on the field all day and get gashed by big play after big play. When the Dolphins capped off a 16 play, 10 minute drive to open the second half and take the league Tom Brady and Randy Moss were there to answer with a 71 yard quick-score. Also, the Patriot's faster and younger defense adjusted to the new wrinkles in the wildcat and played quite well after the first drive of the second half. It was not a blowout, but this win was still impressive and now the Patriots have a decent lead in the AFC East. The Dolphins are still a talented bunch who play everyone close, but they need a better passing game, and at 3-5, have practically no shot of even a wild card berth.
- Sand Diego 21, New York Giants 20
Good road win for the Chargers and at 5-3, they are right back in AFC West contention with Denver. Phillip Rivers played great with the game on the line, but the Giants really lost this one.They had first and goal from the 4 with a little over 3 minutes left and a 3 point lead. How do you blow that??? Guess they should have made more of an effort to score a game-clinching touchdown. The Giants have now lost 4 straight and look finished for the year.
-Seattle 32, Detroit 20
Detroit came out firing on all cylinders and got a 17-0 first quarter lead. Then they collapsed and Stafford, playing like a rookie, through 5 interceptions. The Lions are a very bad team and they are building for the future. The Seahawks do not look good either and even with the win, are crummy on the whole.
-New Orleans 30, Carolina 20
The Panthers played well early and still had a chance to win if not for a late fumble that the Saints recovered for a touchdown. The Saints look great at 8-0 because they keep showing poise down the stretch with their comeback wins. They are turning it over a lot and have trouble against the run, so sooner or later these weaknesses will haunt them, but for now they can enjoy being the best team in the NFC and possibly the NFL.
Dallas 20, Philadelphia 16
The Eagles are an inconsistent team and probably should have won this game. They didn't, but at 5-3, they are still not out of the NFC East race. The Cowboys are playing very well as of late, but winning in September, October, and November has never been their problem. They can be happy they have the division lead for now, and that they have a new star receiver in Miles Austin.
Pittsburgh 28, Denver 10
The Steelers entered the game playing very well and the Broncos did not. The result was a 18 point home loss for Denver in a game where they had no offense, only mustering 3 points (they had a defensive TD). The Broncos are in the middle of a brutal stretch of their schedule and it is showing. They need to right the ship quickly or else they will lose their division lead and maybe even their wild card spot. The Steelers head home for a monster game vs. the Bengals that could easily determine the winner in the AFC North.
Overall week 9 was a good one with quite a few exciting games and some excellent plays. Week 10 features a few huge games including New England @ Indy and Cincy @ Pittsburgh. I'll have a preview of that later on.
Now let's take a quick look back at the week that was with a brief review of every game:
- Tampa Bay 38, Green Bay 28
The Bucs finally got a win at the Packers' expense thanks to some decent play from rookie QB Josh Freeman, and a few bad turnovers by the Packers. Somehow Green Bay is still in 2nd place in the division, but they are absolutely NOT a contender of sorts, and I doubt they will make the playoffs. Tampa can be happy they aren't going winless and that they seem to have found a QB for the future.
- Jacksonville 24, Kansas City 21
The Jaguars are .500, thanks to holding off a late Chiefs rally, and how they have won 4 games is beyond my comprehension. As for the Chiefs, they showed heart in the 4th quarter and didn't give up-- always nice to see from a team that is already playing for next year.
-Cincinnati 17, Baltimore, 7
The Bengals, with a dominating defensive performance, swept the Ravens and improved to 6-2 on the year with a 4-0 divisional record. Wow! Who saw that coming after 8 games? Certainly not myself, so I give mad props the Bengals now. If they can beat the Steelers on the road this week, they will be near locks to win the always-tough AFC North. Baltimore meanwhile does not have to panic quite yet, but they have very little margin of error here on out. They still have two games against the Steelers, a team that has owned them as of late. They still have to play the Undefeated Colts. Even their road games against the Packers could be a problem. With 4 losses at the midpoint they are by no means out of playoff contention, but they have virtually no shot at winning their division. They need to start playing better quickly, because after they destroy the Browns this week, their schedule gets real hard.
-Arizona 41, Chicago 21
The Cardinals are 4-0 on the road. Unfortunately if they win their division, they play the first game of the playoffs at home were they are 1-3. Still, the Cardinals can be dangerous as last years playoffs showed, and while inconsistent, they definitely can play good football. The Bears are 4-4 and like the Jaguars, this is a great mystery of the modern era. Just goes to show how awful the bottom teams in the league are this year.
-Atlanta 31, Washington 17
I officially hate the Redskins for playing so awful. They spend a fortune every year on big names in the off season and then are garbage when it counts. There two wins have come against some of the worst teams in the league (St. Louis and Tampa). They have yet to score more than 17 points in a game. Their defense is quite good and can keeps them from getting blown out, but for an offense with many quality players, they are nothing short of painful to watch. The Falcons looks like a 10-6 team which is what they will finish if they keep up the 5-3 pace. They beat the teams they are suppose to, but are still a step or two behind the real contenders.
-Indianapolis 20, Houston 17
The Texans outplayed the Colts in the second half but a late turnover and a missed FG doomed them. I was actually impressed with their ability to turn a 13-0 road deficit into a 17-13 lead, but they blew their chances to win the game. Serious contenders don't do that, which is why the Texans have little hope of becoming more than a one-and-done wild card team this year. Kris Brown obviously messed up by missing an easy 42 yard FG in a dome, but he did make a 56 yard one earlier so its unfair to blame him solely for his team's loss. The Colts have rolled through their first half of the season with just a few minor speed bumps and sit at 8-0. They have their flaws, but so does every team, and having Peyton Manning always helps. They are always a dangerous team and this year is no exception.
- New England 27, Miami 17
As a Patriots fan, I remember only too well the Dolphins stomping the Patriots in Foxborough last year when they introduced the wildcat. This year they unleashed a new wrinkle involving Pat White and had a decent amount of success early on, but there was one key difference between the 2008 and 2009 games: Tom Brady. Last year New England feel behind and Matt Cassel and the offense sputtered causing the defense to be on the field all day and get gashed by big play after big play. When the Dolphins capped off a 16 play, 10 minute drive to open the second half and take the league Tom Brady and Randy Moss were there to answer with a 71 yard quick-score. Also, the Patriot's faster and younger defense adjusted to the new wrinkles in the wildcat and played quite well after the first drive of the second half. It was not a blowout, but this win was still impressive and now the Patriots have a decent lead in the AFC East. The Dolphins are still a talented bunch who play everyone close, but they need a better passing game, and at 3-5, have practically no shot of even a wild card berth.
- Sand Diego 21, New York Giants 20
Good road win for the Chargers and at 5-3, they are right back in AFC West contention with Denver. Phillip Rivers played great with the game on the line, but the Giants really lost this one.They had first and goal from the 4 with a little over 3 minutes left and a 3 point lead. How do you blow that??? Guess they should have made more of an effort to score a game-clinching touchdown. The Giants have now lost 4 straight and look finished for the year.
-Seattle 32, Detroit 20
Detroit came out firing on all cylinders and got a 17-0 first quarter lead. Then they collapsed and Stafford, playing like a rookie, through 5 interceptions. The Lions are a very bad team and they are building for the future. The Seahawks do not look good either and even with the win, are crummy on the whole.
-New Orleans 30, Carolina 20
The Panthers played well early and still had a chance to win if not for a late fumble that the Saints recovered for a touchdown. The Saints look great at 8-0 because they keep showing poise down the stretch with their comeback wins. They are turning it over a lot and have trouble against the run, so sooner or later these weaknesses will haunt them, but for now they can enjoy being the best team in the NFC and possibly the NFL.
Dallas 20, Philadelphia 16
The Eagles are an inconsistent team and probably should have won this game. They didn't, but at 5-3, they are still not out of the NFC East race. The Cowboys are playing very well as of late, but winning in September, October, and November has never been their problem. They can be happy they have the division lead for now, and that they have a new star receiver in Miles Austin.
Pittsburgh 28, Denver 10
The Steelers entered the game playing very well and the Broncos did not. The result was a 18 point home loss for Denver in a game where they had no offense, only mustering 3 points (they had a defensive TD). The Broncos are in the middle of a brutal stretch of their schedule and it is showing. They need to right the ship quickly or else they will lose their division lead and maybe even their wild card spot. The Steelers head home for a monster game vs. the Bengals that could easily determine the winner in the AFC North.
Overall week 9 was a good one with quite a few exciting games and some excellent plays. Week 10 features a few huge games including New England @ Indy and Cincy @ Pittsburgh. I'll have a preview of that later on.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Monday Night Post-Game Thoughts
Final from Denver was Pittsburgh 28, Denver 10.
Very impressive road win by the Steelers, especially when you consider the Broncos managed only 3 offensive points and 27 rushing yards at home. Both teams are now 6-2, but they are headed in completely opposite directions. The Steelers started 1-2 and have won 5 straight; the Broncos started 6-0 and have lost 2 straight. Looks like Denver's bye, which came following their last win, has really cooled them off. Now the main question is whether the Broncos can hold off the 5-3 Chargers in the AFC West. Looking at Denver's upcoming schedule that features games against the Chargers, the Giants, @ the Eagles, and @ the Colts, the Broncos could suddenly be looking at a 10-6 finish or worse. They still have a stingy defense, but their lack of explosiveness on offense is really starting to show. Can McDaniels right the ship? He needs to quickly to stop Denver experiencing a meltdown reminiscent of last year.
As for the Steelers, they have really hit stride, but now face their biggest game to date against the upstart Bengals next week. The Steelers haven't lost since the last time they played the Bengals, and definitely have momentum going into the game. The Bengals too are playing very well as of late, and if they can win in Pittsburgh, they will have essentially a 2 game lead in the AFC North. The Steelers finally ran the ball well against Denver, and this could be huge next week, given the excellent play from the Bengals secondary this year. I'll have a full preview of the game later in the week.
On an interesting side note, the 28 points allowed by Denver keeps the Colts first in scoring defense and move the Patriots into second. As if that game wouldn't already have enough hype...
Anyway congrats again to the 6-2 Steelers who are looking dominating as ever.
Very impressive road win by the Steelers, especially when you consider the Broncos managed only 3 offensive points and 27 rushing yards at home. Both teams are now 6-2, but they are headed in completely opposite directions. The Steelers started 1-2 and have won 5 straight; the Broncos started 6-0 and have lost 2 straight. Looks like Denver's bye, which came following their last win, has really cooled them off. Now the main question is whether the Broncos can hold off the 5-3 Chargers in the AFC West. Looking at Denver's upcoming schedule that features games against the Chargers, the Giants, @ the Eagles, and @ the Colts, the Broncos could suddenly be looking at a 10-6 finish or worse. They still have a stingy defense, but their lack of explosiveness on offense is really starting to show. Can McDaniels right the ship? He needs to quickly to stop Denver experiencing a meltdown reminiscent of last year.
As for the Steelers, they have really hit stride, but now face their biggest game to date against the upstart Bengals next week. The Steelers haven't lost since the last time they played the Bengals, and definitely have momentum going into the game. The Bengals too are playing very well as of late, and if they can win in Pittsburgh, they will have essentially a 2 game lead in the AFC North. The Steelers finally ran the ball well against Denver, and this could be huge next week, given the excellent play from the Bengals secondary this year. I'll have a full preview of the game later in the week.
On an interesting side note, the 28 points allowed by Denver keeps the Colts first in scoring defense and move the Patriots into second. As if that game wouldn't already have enough hype...
Anyway congrats again to the 6-2 Steelers who are looking dominating as ever.
About my blog
Welcome to my NFL blog!
I will post my thoughts on the NFL happenings throughout the week, and am going to make this blog the greatest NFL blog in history (I'll try anyway)!
Enjoy my rambling :)
I will post my thoughts on the NFL happenings throughout the week, and am going to make this blog the greatest NFL blog in history (I'll try anyway)!
Enjoy my rambling :)
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