1. New Orleans Saints
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. Indianapolis Colts
6. New York Jets
7. New England Patriots
8. San Diego Chargers
9. Atlanta Falcons
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. Pittsburgh Steelers
12. Chicago Bears
13. New York Giants
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. Cincinnati Bengals
16. Denver Broncos
17. Tennessee Titans
18. San Francisco 49ers
19. Arizona Cardinals
20. Houston Texans
21. Seattle Seahawks
22. Buffalo Bills
23. Jacksonville Jaguars
24. Miami Dolphins
25. Detroit Lions
26. Carolina Panthers
27. Oakland Raiders
28. Washington Redskins
29. Kansas City Chiefs
30. St. Louis Rams
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32. Cleveland Browns
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
NFL Weekend in review: The Day Late Edition
Went to the Big E, a massive fair in West Springfield, MA, yesterday, and ate til I felt sick, so the weekend NFL review is coming a day late this week. Here we go:
Packers/Rams: The Packers bounced back after their defeat to a not-so-terrible Bengals team against an absolutely terrible Rams team. When will the Rams win a game? That is tough to tell. They don't look like they can beat anyone right now and the Redskins might have been their best shot. They will be in the running for last team to win a game, if they win one at all. Marc Bulger was injured during the game, which may end up helping the team, but how much faith can you put in Kyle Boller?
Fantasy Impact: Steven Jackson carried 27 times for 117 yards but didn't get into the end zone. He is going to remain the only option on the Rams you feel comfortable starting, if only because he is the only guy getting touches (also added 5 receptions for 46 yards). Aaron Rodgers had a predictably great day for Green Bay. Donald Driver led the targets for the Packers, but Greg Jennings had two 50 yard catches from his 3 targets and led the team in receiving yards. No real guys to go pick up here.
Vikings/49ers: Brett Favre's terrific final play stole the show here, and I'm sure you have all seen it by now. However, he wasn't all that efficient on the day, completing just 52% of his passes. Big news for San Fransisco is that Frank Gore will miss some time with an ankle injury. This really hurts San Fran, as they basically designed their entire offense around Gore. I said that St. Louis would struggle to win a game, but they match up against San Fransisco next week and maybe they can squeak one out against a team that lacks its best offensive weapon. Overall take on this game: both of these teams are entirely average. The Vikings will have a lot to prove against Green Bay on Monday night this week.
Fantasy Impact: Obviously the loss of Gore will hurt a lot of teams, but hopefully some of them handcuffed the back with Glen Coffee. If he is still available in your league, he should be your number one target to add this week. Vernon Davis had a breakout game for the 49ers. Maybe he has a breakout season and they finally get the guy they drafted. Wouldn't be great for me, as this is the first year I completely avoided him.
Falcons/Patriots: The Patriots prove that rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. Never bet against the Pats after a loss. They always bounce back strong. The difference between this game and the other two was that they actually ran the ball effectively. Fred Taylor had 105 of the Patriots 162 yards and had more than half the carries. He was by far the most effective bac, the only one with a touchdown as well. The other thing that stood out was the Patriots defense. Only allowing 10 points to that Falcons offense is impressive. It seems a lot of people are underestimating this unit, myself included.
Fantasy Impact: Michael Turner was limited to 56 yards but he did get the ball in for a touchdown. Randy Moss seemed fine with his injury, racking up 116 yards on 10 catches. Matt Ryan tried to spread the ball around but New England's defense was very effective in stopping him, and he ended with only 199 yards. Fred Taylor certainly looked like the number one guy on the ground for New England, but can you really trust him enough to start him? I don't think you can just yet.
Titans/Jets: This one really stings the Titans. Everyone knows how hard it is to make the playoffs after starting the season 0-3. They have lost their three games by a combined 13 points. They could easily be 3-0 but things just haven't gone their way. They lost this game to the Jets because of two fumbled kick returns by rookie Ryan Mouton. I don't like to bash young players but really that was the reason they lost the game. Both led to scores by the Jets and the Titans outplayed them pretty thoroughly for the majority of the game. Turnovers can kill a football team and they certainly did here. I'm not trying to discredit the Jets, because they look like serious contenders and I've very impressed by them, but the Titans looked better than them in this game, except for those two fumbles. The Jets were held to just 223 yards of total offense, but because they were handed such short field position, it didn't matter. I don't think the Titans are done yet, but hey better start pulling out these close games immediately, starting with Jacksonville this week.
Fantasy Impact: Lendale White finally got into the end zone and I still think he will be the goal line back, the Titans just haven't gotten too many opportunities inside the 10 yard line. Most of their scores have been on longer plays with the explosiveness of Chris Johnson. Leon Washington continues to have just about a 50/50 split in carries with Thomas Jones. Very nice game from Jerricho Cotchery as he dominated the targets for the Jets. Justin Gage continues to be Kerry Collins' favorite target.
Chiefs/Eagles: Kevin Kolb had an outstanding game! Which means just about anyone can have an outstanding game against the Chiefs. I'm trying to find anything to like about this Chiefs team, but I can't. They are just really bad. 196 yards of total offense while giving up 420 isn't going to win you any football games. The Eagles are really good on both sides of the ball, but they didn't have McNabb or Westbrook, so this wasn't even the best Eagles team and they still got crushed. Its going to be a long year in KC.
Fantasy Impact: Is Larry Johnson droppable at this point? I think that he is. The man's better years are obviously behind him. He is getting carries but not doing anything with them. How long before Jamaal Charles starts poaching? He has been far more efficient. I think you might be wise to go grab Charles before everyone else realizes that he will be starting by the end of the season, especially in deeper leagues. If you are unhappy with your tight end, Brent Celek may be available and he has been outstanding lately.
Giants/Buccaneers: I'm not spending much time here. Beating a team as bad as Tampa Bay doesn't offer any insight to the Giants. Anyone can dominate the Bucs. The Giants controlled the clock and moved the ball against the Bucs pitiful run defense. It really shows nothing other than that the Giants beat the teams they are supposed to beat. Expect them to win again against the awful Chiefs this week. What a soft schedule they have had so far.
Fantasy Impact: If you own Buccaneers, run, run fast, run far far away. They are not going to score many points this season. They are a fantasy black hole. Ahmad Bradshaw was very efficient for the Giants.
Ravens/Browns: Another case of a really bad team. The Browns are at the bottom of the barrell. Worse than the Chiefs, worse than Tampa Bay, even worse than the Rams. This team is abysmal. They are this year's Lions. They have already pulled their quarterback, not like it will help them any. The Ravens are also very good, that didn't help them much. Look for the Browns to be terrible and the Ravens to be good, what else can anyone really say?
Fantasy Impact: Willis McGahee continued to kill me, rushing for 2 more touchdowns. Derek Mason had his first nice game of the season and I expect more. The add here is James Harrison, who got 16 carries to James Davis' 5 in place of injured Jamal Lewis. He got 52 yards against that Ravens defense.
Jaguars/Texans: This is a game that I really wish that I actually got to see. I don't know how it happened. Jacksonville should not have won this game on paper. It shouldn't have even been close. It was my lock of the week. I guess it can just be said that Houston has no answer to a strong running game. This is three games now that they have been torched on the ground. MJD had an amazing game, scoring 3 touchdowns. Conversely, Jacksonville had a hard time stopping Houston through the air, but they did just enough for the win. Houston had one more turnover and more penalties, which may have been the difference. Overall, it seems like neither of these teams will compete in the post season because of their weakness on defense.
Fantasy Impact: MJD took off, Slaton had an ok gamewith over 100 yards of offense but no touchdown. Kevin Walter was very good in his return from injury, which meant Jacoby Jones took a back seat. Mike Sims-Walker led the Jaguars in targets, receptions and receiving yards. I hope you added him when I told you too.
Redskins/Lions: Well what do you know, those Lions aren't so bad afterall! Ok, so maybe they still are, Washington is just worse. However, this Lions team really can move the ball. They are weak on defense, but they can put up points. Hopefully for them Kevin Smith isn't too badly injured. They will need him if they want to win a few more this year.
Fantasy Impact: I wouldn't be too happy to be a Clinton Portis owner right now. He looks very old this season, like his legs just aren't under him. When you see that your star player is up against the Lions defense, you think that should mean a lot of points. Well Portis was limited to just 42 yards. All the offense from Washington came from Santana Moss, who tends to be very all or nothing. He was certainly all in this game. Very good time to sell him. Bryant got more yards, catches and targets than the much more beloved Johnson, Calvin, which may be a problem if it turns out that the rookie Matthew Stafford leans on him more throughout the season.
Bears/Seahawks: The Seahawks should have won this game. They had it in their hands and they let it slip away. Two key missed field goals by Olindo Mare crushed them. I still think this is a good Seahawks team, and they proved it by almost beating Chicago without their starting quarterback. Jay Cutler does seem to be finding a bit of a rhythm in Chicago, and this Bears team should still be the second best team in the NFC North.
Fantasy Impact: I am still preaching patience on the Matt Forte front. He hasn't had a great game on the ground, but what I really liked seeing from this game was his 6 receptions for 40 yards. That is a huge part of his game and his fantasy value. He needs Cutler to find him out of the backfield, and that was very good to see them hook up 6 times. It still looks like Cutler won't favor any receiver and is looking to spread the wealth amongst all of them. Nate Burleson has been terrific
for Seattle, putting up another big game with 109 yards. Julius Jones has completely defied me and anyone else who thought he couldn't carry the full load, as he has been very effective. I'm fully on board with buying him if you can get him.
Saints/Bills: Well well well, the Saints can play defense after all. This is very, very bad news for the rest of the NFL. They are the best team in the league right now. They proved that even when Drew Brees has an off day they can score and win. They thoroughly dominated the Bills who had a very strong offensive game in weeks 1 and 2. It will be very hard to beat this team and until someone does, they will remain atop my power rankings.
Fantasy Impact: Welcome to the 2009 season Pierre Thomas! The expert darling made his presence felt after returning from his injury and with Mike Bell out with his own. Thomas put up 126 yards on only 14 carries, including 2 touchdowns. this is the guy his owners have been waiting for. Fred Jackson's value is going to take a hit next week with the return of Marshawn Lynch, but his owners knew that already. It should be about a 50/50 split to start, but if either struggles, look for that to swing.
Bengals/Steelers: As I eluded to earlier, the Bengals may not be as bad as everyone thinks. They are a crazy fluke play away from being 3-0 (against a currently 3-0 team) and they have beaten two very good teams in the Packers and Steelers. However, the rest of the way will not be easy for them. they are going to stop being looked past on the schedule and they will start getting a real shot from teams. That will happen when you knock off the defending champs. Speaking of the Steelers, I still think they will be fine. They were a Jeff Reed missed field goal away here and I wouldn't be too worried about them. They need to get Polamalu back as soon as possible, but that defense is still great and they will be fine.
Fantasy impact: I hate Cedric Benson. I just have to say it every week that he puts up good numbers. 76 and a touchdown against the Steelers? In past years he'd have gone for 11 yards total and 2 lost fumbles. What has gotten into this guy I will never be able to find out. I still say sell high. I was right on people overvaluing Chris Henry's sleeper value this year though. He has a whopping 3 receptions for 42 yards and one touchdown. Receiver Mike Wallace had 102 yards for the Steelers, but I wouldn't rush out and get him. There are better options.
Chargers/Dolphins: This was a boring predictable game. The Dolphins lost Chad Pennington for the year, but they weren't going anywhere with him anywhere. They traded for Tyler Thigpen which I think is a slight upgrade, but still, the Dolphins were a fluke last year and don't have it this year. The Chargers weren't very impressive, but they won nonetheless. I still don't know what to make of them.
Fantasy Impact: Ted Ginn Jr had 6 targets of which he converted none into a catch. That isn't good people. He is terrible. The Miami passing game is just bad and don't expect any real difference when Thigpen shows up. They are a run first team, and use both Brown and Williams, Ricky getting the lone touchdown in this one. I wouldn't want anyone from that offense. Big game from Vincent Jackson. He is becoming a top tier receiver before our eyes.
Broncos/Raiders: Wake me when the Broncos play a real team. I can't give them any credit for that 3-0 record. The only decent team they beat, they did it on a miracle catch. The Raiders stink. The defense looks strong, which is surprising, but that could just be the Raiders ineptitude.
Fantasy impact: Great job of running the ball from Buckhalter and Moreno. This is going to be a running team and both of these guys should have value going forward. I think Moreno is certainly the more valuable of the two, even though he had less yards on 7 fewer carries. He is the number 1 in that backfield, but like I said, Buckhalter will certainly get his carries. Kyle Orton is never going to throw for huge numbers. He doesn't have to in this offense, nor is he really capable of it.
Colts/Cardinals: I couldn't figure out why the Colts were underdogs in this one. They are a far better team than the Cardinals at this point, and this game really showed it. The Colts showed no hangover from the Monday night game and Peyton Manning is making a strong MVP case so far this season. He has been outstanding, as has his go to receiver Reggie Wayne. The Cardinals really struggled to put the ball in the end zone against this Colts defense. Really the game was never in doubt. I didn't think the Colts would be this good, with a new coach and no Marvin Harrison they seemed like a team in transition. Clearly, they have proven to be just as dangerous as ever.
Fantasy impact: Reggie Wayne could prove to be the league's best receiver without Marvin Harrison on the other side of the field. Pierre Garcon is stepping in as a great number 2 option for Manning as well. For the Cardinals, it looks like Steve Breaston is getting just as many looks as Fitzgerald and Boldin, which decreases the value of both of them. I'd try and find a trading partner if I were you.
Panthers/Cowboys: The Panthers looked impressive in the first half and seemed like maybe they had a chance in this one. Then they looked a lot like the Panthers in the second half. Dallas ran all over them with their third string back, Tashard Choice, after Felix Jones left with an injury. They are in big trouble. Dallas on the other hand looks like they can be a playoff team. They just can't let Tono Romo kill them. He is not one of the great quarterbacks in this league, but he doesn't have to be. This team can really run the ball and stop the run on defense, giving up only 74 to Carolina's duo of Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. That defense is dangerous and should keep them in a lot of games. They need to play ball control and hope that the injuries to Barber and Jones aren't really serious, even though Choice looked great. The depth will be needed in case Choice goes down himself, that trio is the key to Dallas' success this season.
Fantasy impact: Pretty much just the Dallas running game here. If Tashard Choice is available, go out and get him now. Felix Jones also looked great before he got hurt, and Barber's injury shouldn't be that serious since and he may be back next week. whoever is running the ball for Dallas is going to be effective and have fantasy value. All three should be owned in your league.
That will do it for me. I will also have new power rankings up later today so look for that, and new weekly picks up tomorrow so look for that. Until next time, sorry Browns fans, there's always next year.
Packers/Rams: The Packers bounced back after their defeat to a not-so-terrible Bengals team against an absolutely terrible Rams team. When will the Rams win a game? That is tough to tell. They don't look like they can beat anyone right now and the Redskins might have been their best shot. They will be in the running for last team to win a game, if they win one at all. Marc Bulger was injured during the game, which may end up helping the team, but how much faith can you put in Kyle Boller?
Fantasy Impact: Steven Jackson carried 27 times for 117 yards but didn't get into the end zone. He is going to remain the only option on the Rams you feel comfortable starting, if only because he is the only guy getting touches (also added 5 receptions for 46 yards). Aaron Rodgers had a predictably great day for Green Bay. Donald Driver led the targets for the Packers, but Greg Jennings had two 50 yard catches from his 3 targets and led the team in receiving yards. No real guys to go pick up here.
Vikings/49ers: Brett Favre's terrific final play stole the show here, and I'm sure you have all seen it by now. However, he wasn't all that efficient on the day, completing just 52% of his passes. Big news for San Fransisco is that Frank Gore will miss some time with an ankle injury. This really hurts San Fran, as they basically designed their entire offense around Gore. I said that St. Louis would struggle to win a game, but they match up against San Fransisco next week and maybe they can squeak one out against a team that lacks its best offensive weapon. Overall take on this game: both of these teams are entirely average. The Vikings will have a lot to prove against Green Bay on Monday night this week.
Fantasy Impact: Obviously the loss of Gore will hurt a lot of teams, but hopefully some of them handcuffed the back with Glen Coffee. If he is still available in your league, he should be your number one target to add this week. Vernon Davis had a breakout game for the 49ers. Maybe he has a breakout season and they finally get the guy they drafted. Wouldn't be great for me, as this is the first year I completely avoided him.
Falcons/Patriots: The Patriots prove that rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. Never bet against the Pats after a loss. They always bounce back strong. The difference between this game and the other two was that they actually ran the ball effectively. Fred Taylor had 105 of the Patriots 162 yards and had more than half the carries. He was by far the most effective bac, the only one with a touchdown as well. The other thing that stood out was the Patriots defense. Only allowing 10 points to that Falcons offense is impressive. It seems a lot of people are underestimating this unit, myself included.
Fantasy Impact: Michael Turner was limited to 56 yards but he did get the ball in for a touchdown. Randy Moss seemed fine with his injury, racking up 116 yards on 10 catches. Matt Ryan tried to spread the ball around but New England's defense was very effective in stopping him, and he ended with only 199 yards. Fred Taylor certainly looked like the number one guy on the ground for New England, but can you really trust him enough to start him? I don't think you can just yet.
Titans/Jets: This one really stings the Titans. Everyone knows how hard it is to make the playoffs after starting the season 0-3. They have lost their three games by a combined 13 points. They could easily be 3-0 but things just haven't gone their way. They lost this game to the Jets because of two fumbled kick returns by rookie Ryan Mouton. I don't like to bash young players but really that was the reason they lost the game. Both led to scores by the Jets and the Titans outplayed them pretty thoroughly for the majority of the game. Turnovers can kill a football team and they certainly did here. I'm not trying to discredit the Jets, because they look like serious contenders and I've very impressed by them, but the Titans looked better than them in this game, except for those two fumbles. The Jets were held to just 223 yards of total offense, but because they were handed such short field position, it didn't matter. I don't think the Titans are done yet, but hey better start pulling out these close games immediately, starting with Jacksonville this week.
Fantasy Impact: Lendale White finally got into the end zone and I still think he will be the goal line back, the Titans just haven't gotten too many opportunities inside the 10 yard line. Most of their scores have been on longer plays with the explosiveness of Chris Johnson. Leon Washington continues to have just about a 50/50 split in carries with Thomas Jones. Very nice game from Jerricho Cotchery as he dominated the targets for the Jets. Justin Gage continues to be Kerry Collins' favorite target.
Chiefs/Eagles: Kevin Kolb had an outstanding game! Which means just about anyone can have an outstanding game against the Chiefs. I'm trying to find anything to like about this Chiefs team, but I can't. They are just really bad. 196 yards of total offense while giving up 420 isn't going to win you any football games. The Eagles are really good on both sides of the ball, but they didn't have McNabb or Westbrook, so this wasn't even the best Eagles team and they still got crushed. Its going to be a long year in KC.
Fantasy Impact: Is Larry Johnson droppable at this point? I think that he is. The man's better years are obviously behind him. He is getting carries but not doing anything with them. How long before Jamaal Charles starts poaching? He has been far more efficient. I think you might be wise to go grab Charles before everyone else realizes that he will be starting by the end of the season, especially in deeper leagues. If you are unhappy with your tight end, Brent Celek may be available and he has been outstanding lately.
Giants/Buccaneers: I'm not spending much time here. Beating a team as bad as Tampa Bay doesn't offer any insight to the Giants. Anyone can dominate the Bucs. The Giants controlled the clock and moved the ball against the Bucs pitiful run defense. It really shows nothing other than that the Giants beat the teams they are supposed to beat. Expect them to win again against the awful Chiefs this week. What a soft schedule they have had so far.
Fantasy Impact: If you own Buccaneers, run, run fast, run far far away. They are not going to score many points this season. They are a fantasy black hole. Ahmad Bradshaw was very efficient for the Giants.
Ravens/Browns: Another case of a really bad team. The Browns are at the bottom of the barrell. Worse than the Chiefs, worse than Tampa Bay, even worse than the Rams. This team is abysmal. They are this year's Lions. They have already pulled their quarterback, not like it will help them any. The Ravens are also very good, that didn't help them much. Look for the Browns to be terrible and the Ravens to be good, what else can anyone really say?
Fantasy Impact: Willis McGahee continued to kill me, rushing for 2 more touchdowns. Derek Mason had his first nice game of the season and I expect more. The add here is James Harrison, who got 16 carries to James Davis' 5 in place of injured Jamal Lewis. He got 52 yards against that Ravens defense.
Jaguars/Texans: This is a game that I really wish that I actually got to see. I don't know how it happened. Jacksonville should not have won this game on paper. It shouldn't have even been close. It was my lock of the week. I guess it can just be said that Houston has no answer to a strong running game. This is three games now that they have been torched on the ground. MJD had an amazing game, scoring 3 touchdowns. Conversely, Jacksonville had a hard time stopping Houston through the air, but they did just enough for the win. Houston had one more turnover and more penalties, which may have been the difference. Overall, it seems like neither of these teams will compete in the post season because of their weakness on defense.
Fantasy Impact: MJD took off, Slaton had an ok gamewith over 100 yards of offense but no touchdown. Kevin Walter was very good in his return from injury, which meant Jacoby Jones took a back seat. Mike Sims-Walker led the Jaguars in targets, receptions and receiving yards. I hope you added him when I told you too.
Redskins/Lions: Well what do you know, those Lions aren't so bad afterall! Ok, so maybe they still are, Washington is just worse. However, this Lions team really can move the ball. They are weak on defense, but they can put up points. Hopefully for them Kevin Smith isn't too badly injured. They will need him if they want to win a few more this year.
Fantasy Impact: I wouldn't be too happy to be a Clinton Portis owner right now. He looks very old this season, like his legs just aren't under him. When you see that your star player is up against the Lions defense, you think that should mean a lot of points. Well Portis was limited to just 42 yards. All the offense from Washington came from Santana Moss, who tends to be very all or nothing. He was certainly all in this game. Very good time to sell him. Bryant got more yards, catches and targets than the much more beloved Johnson, Calvin, which may be a problem if it turns out that the rookie Matthew Stafford leans on him more throughout the season.
Bears/Seahawks: The Seahawks should have won this game. They had it in their hands and they let it slip away. Two key missed field goals by Olindo Mare crushed them. I still think this is a good Seahawks team, and they proved it by almost beating Chicago without their starting quarterback. Jay Cutler does seem to be finding a bit of a rhythm in Chicago, and this Bears team should still be the second best team in the NFC North.
Fantasy Impact: I am still preaching patience on the Matt Forte front. He hasn't had a great game on the ground, but what I really liked seeing from this game was his 6 receptions for 40 yards. That is a huge part of his game and his fantasy value. He needs Cutler to find him out of the backfield, and that was very good to see them hook up 6 times. It still looks like Cutler won't favor any receiver and is looking to spread the wealth amongst all of them. Nate Burleson has been terrific
for Seattle, putting up another big game with 109 yards. Julius Jones has completely defied me and anyone else who thought he couldn't carry the full load, as he has been very effective. I'm fully on board with buying him if you can get him.
Saints/Bills: Well well well, the Saints can play defense after all. This is very, very bad news for the rest of the NFL. They are the best team in the league right now. They proved that even when Drew Brees has an off day they can score and win. They thoroughly dominated the Bills who had a very strong offensive game in weeks 1 and 2. It will be very hard to beat this team and until someone does, they will remain atop my power rankings.
Fantasy Impact: Welcome to the 2009 season Pierre Thomas! The expert darling made his presence felt after returning from his injury and with Mike Bell out with his own. Thomas put up 126 yards on only 14 carries, including 2 touchdowns. this is the guy his owners have been waiting for. Fred Jackson's value is going to take a hit next week with the return of Marshawn Lynch, but his owners knew that already. It should be about a 50/50 split to start, but if either struggles, look for that to swing.
Bengals/Steelers: As I eluded to earlier, the Bengals may not be as bad as everyone thinks. They are a crazy fluke play away from being 3-0 (against a currently 3-0 team) and they have beaten two very good teams in the Packers and Steelers. However, the rest of the way will not be easy for them. they are going to stop being looked past on the schedule and they will start getting a real shot from teams. That will happen when you knock off the defending champs. Speaking of the Steelers, I still think they will be fine. They were a Jeff Reed missed field goal away here and I wouldn't be too worried about them. They need to get Polamalu back as soon as possible, but that defense is still great and they will be fine.
Fantasy impact: I hate Cedric Benson. I just have to say it every week that he puts up good numbers. 76 and a touchdown against the Steelers? In past years he'd have gone for 11 yards total and 2 lost fumbles. What has gotten into this guy I will never be able to find out. I still say sell high. I was right on people overvaluing Chris Henry's sleeper value this year though. He has a whopping 3 receptions for 42 yards and one touchdown. Receiver Mike Wallace had 102 yards for the Steelers, but I wouldn't rush out and get him. There are better options.
Chargers/Dolphins: This was a boring predictable game. The Dolphins lost Chad Pennington for the year, but they weren't going anywhere with him anywhere. They traded for Tyler Thigpen which I think is a slight upgrade, but still, the Dolphins were a fluke last year and don't have it this year. The Chargers weren't very impressive, but they won nonetheless. I still don't know what to make of them.
Fantasy Impact: Ted Ginn Jr had 6 targets of which he converted none into a catch. That isn't good people. He is terrible. The Miami passing game is just bad and don't expect any real difference when Thigpen shows up. They are a run first team, and use both Brown and Williams, Ricky getting the lone touchdown in this one. I wouldn't want anyone from that offense. Big game from Vincent Jackson. He is becoming a top tier receiver before our eyes.
Broncos/Raiders: Wake me when the Broncos play a real team. I can't give them any credit for that 3-0 record. The only decent team they beat, they did it on a miracle catch. The Raiders stink. The defense looks strong, which is surprising, but that could just be the Raiders ineptitude.
Fantasy impact: Great job of running the ball from Buckhalter and Moreno. This is going to be a running team and both of these guys should have value going forward. I think Moreno is certainly the more valuable of the two, even though he had less yards on 7 fewer carries. He is the number 1 in that backfield, but like I said, Buckhalter will certainly get his carries. Kyle Orton is never going to throw for huge numbers. He doesn't have to in this offense, nor is he really capable of it.
Colts/Cardinals: I couldn't figure out why the Colts were underdogs in this one. They are a far better team than the Cardinals at this point, and this game really showed it. The Colts showed no hangover from the Monday night game and Peyton Manning is making a strong MVP case so far this season. He has been outstanding, as has his go to receiver Reggie Wayne. The Cardinals really struggled to put the ball in the end zone against this Colts defense. Really the game was never in doubt. I didn't think the Colts would be this good, with a new coach and no Marvin Harrison they seemed like a team in transition. Clearly, they have proven to be just as dangerous as ever.
Fantasy impact: Reggie Wayne could prove to be the league's best receiver without Marvin Harrison on the other side of the field. Pierre Garcon is stepping in as a great number 2 option for Manning as well. For the Cardinals, it looks like Steve Breaston is getting just as many looks as Fitzgerald and Boldin, which decreases the value of both of them. I'd try and find a trading partner if I were you.
Panthers/Cowboys: The Panthers looked impressive in the first half and seemed like maybe they had a chance in this one. Then they looked a lot like the Panthers in the second half. Dallas ran all over them with their third string back, Tashard Choice, after Felix Jones left with an injury. They are in big trouble. Dallas on the other hand looks like they can be a playoff team. They just can't let Tono Romo kill them. He is not one of the great quarterbacks in this league, but he doesn't have to be. This team can really run the ball and stop the run on defense, giving up only 74 to Carolina's duo of Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. That defense is dangerous and should keep them in a lot of games. They need to play ball control and hope that the injuries to Barber and Jones aren't really serious, even though Choice looked great. The depth will be needed in case Choice goes down himself, that trio is the key to Dallas' success this season.
Fantasy impact: Pretty much just the Dallas running game here. If Tashard Choice is available, go out and get him now. Felix Jones also looked great before he got hurt, and Barber's injury shouldn't be that serious since and he may be back next week. whoever is running the ball for Dallas is going to be effective and have fantasy value. All three should be owned in your league.
That will do it for me. I will also have new power rankings up later today so look for that, and new weekly picks up tomorrow so look for that. Until next time, sorry Browns fans, there's always next year.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
This Week's football picks
Giving you the football picks early this week, as I'll be away this weekend. Not going to do any analysis, just give you the pick. Here we go:
Home team in CAPS
DETROIT (+6.5) over Washington
San Fransisco (+7) over Minnesota
NEW ENGLAND (-4) over Atlanta
New York Giants (-6.5) over TAMPA BAY
PHILADELPHIA (-9.5) over Kansas City
BALTIMORE (-13.5) over Cleveland
New Orleans (-6) over Buffalo
SEATTLE (+2) over Chicago
Pittsburgh (-4) over CINCINNATI
Denver (-1.5) over OAKLAND
SAN DIEGO (-6) over Miami
Indianapolis (+2.5) over ARIZONA
Carolina (+9) over Dallas
Second Runner Up Lock of the Week:
Tennessee (+2.5) over NEW YORK JETS
First Runner Up Lock of the Week:
Green Bay (-6.5) over ST. LOUIS
LOCK OF THE WEEK:
HOUSTON (-4) over Jacksonville
Last Week: 8-8
Overall: 19-13
Lock picks: 5-1
Home team in CAPS
DETROIT (+6.5) over Washington
San Fransisco (+7) over Minnesota
NEW ENGLAND (-4) over Atlanta
New York Giants (-6.5) over TAMPA BAY
PHILADELPHIA (-9.5) over Kansas City
BALTIMORE (-13.5) over Cleveland
New Orleans (-6) over Buffalo
SEATTLE (+2) over Chicago
Pittsburgh (-4) over CINCINNATI
Denver (-1.5) over OAKLAND
SAN DIEGO (-6) over Miami
Indianapolis (+2.5) over ARIZONA
Carolina (+9) over Dallas
Second Runner Up Lock of the Week:
Tennessee (+2.5) over NEW YORK JETS
First Runner Up Lock of the Week:
Green Bay (-6.5) over ST. LOUIS
LOCK OF THE WEEK:
HOUSTON (-4) over Jacksonville
Last Week: 8-8
Overall: 19-13
Lock picks: 5-1
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
NFL Power Rankings
Look for a new one of these each Wednesday. Here are my power rankings for the NFL after two weeks.
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Green Bay Packers
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. San Diego Chargers
8. Indianapolis Colts
9. Houston Texans
10. Tennessee Titans
11. New York Jets
12. New England Patriots
13. Dallas Cowboys
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New York Giants
16. San Francisco 49ers
17. Chicago Bears
18. Arizona Cardinals
19. Buffalo Bills
20. Carolina Panthers
21. Seattle Seahawks
22. Cincinnati Bengals
23. Miami Dolphins
24. Denver Broncos
25. Washington Redskins
26. Jacksonville Jaguars
27. Oakland Raiders
28. Kansas City Chiefs
29. Detroit Lions
30. St. Louis Rams
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32. Cleveland Browns
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Green Bay Packers
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. San Diego Chargers
8. Indianapolis Colts
9. Houston Texans
10. Tennessee Titans
11. New York Jets
12. New England Patriots
13. Dallas Cowboys
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New York Giants
16. San Francisco 49ers
17. Chicago Bears
18. Arizona Cardinals
19. Buffalo Bills
20. Carolina Panthers
21. Seattle Seahawks
22. Cincinnati Bengals
23. Miami Dolphins
24. Denver Broncos
25. Washington Redskins
26. Jacksonville Jaguars
27. Oakland Raiders
28. Kansas City Chiefs
29. Detroit Lions
30. St. Louis Rams
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32. Cleveland Browns
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Weekend Recap: Are the Giants the luckiest team in football?
From what I watched on Sunday night, the answer to that question is unequivocally yes. From ridiculous catches by un-named wide receivers, to insane interceptions, to Eli Manning being the first player in history to have a reverse contract year (living up to the money he's being paid only after he gets the money, rather than before) the Giants had no business beating the Cowboys in their home opener at the enormous new Cowboys Stadium.
The vaunted defense that is supposed to lead this team to a division title and maybe more allowed 31 points, including 251 rushing yards. They could not stop the run to save their lives. Fortunately for them, Wade Phillips insisted on putting the ball in Tony Romo's hands way too often. Even still, that defense did not look impressive, and if they didn't get three picks (one of with that happened to fall into the hands of the defender after taking a crazy bounce off Jason Witten's foot) they would have been crushed in this game.
The great running game staring Brandon Jacobs was shut down by Dallas. He had 58 yards, 31 of which came on one run. Ahmad Bradshaw was equally unimpressive, accumulating 37 yards on 9 carries. They couldn't control the ball, they couldn't wear down the Dallas D. This doesn't look good the rest of the way.
Now they did win the game, and I can't take that away from them. Eli just about played the game of his life. Do you really expect that kind of performance out of him every time out? I sure don't. They had to get extremely lucky to beat a better team, get every bounce to go their way, and they still only won the game on a last second field goal. Looking ahead, I would be much more confident if I were a Cowboys fan than a Giants fan.
Fantasy impact: Steve Smith and Mario Manningham are going to be the go to guys for Eli this season, especially with injuries to Hixon and Nicks. Pick them up. Tashard Choice gets a little more interesting with the injury to Marion Barber, and could be worth the add in deep leagues.
Last night we saw Peyton Manning at his most lethal. The Colts only had the ball for one quarter of the game, but that is all they needed. 295 yards on only 23 passing attempts. That said, just like the Giants, they got awfully lucky to win the game. Miami controlled the game but they don't have the talent to win when it counts. That last drive was both poorly coached and poorly played. They didn't even look like they were trying to win the game with how slow they were moving. Did Tony Sporano forget there are only 4 quarters in a football game? Ted Ginn dropped a couple of passes that would have led to a Dolphins victory, but that is why he is Ted Ginn, and these are the Miami Dolphins. Neither team impresses me going forward, but the Dolphins are worse, as this was the absolute best they had and they still couldn't get it done.
Fantasy impact: Pierre Garcon could be an interesting add in deep leagues if he cements his role as the number 2 receiver for Peyton Manning. The guy can fly and Gonzalez will be out for quite a few more more weeks.
Moving onto the non prime time games:
Patriots/Jets: The Jets proved that they are legitimate contenders and the Patriots proved that Tom Brady is not fully back yet. I am not too worried about the Pats just yet. They were without Wes Welker and that is a huge blow. He is Brady's safety net. Without him, Brady is never going to look fully comfortable. Short dump offs to Welker basically supplant the running game in this system. When he comes back healthy, expect the offense to be back to full speed. Buy low on Brady if you can.
Revis is an absolute monster at cornerback. Shutting down Andre Johnson and Randy Moss in back to back weeks is about as good as it gets. This defense could be the best in the league, even better than Pittsburgh and Baltimore. It is that good. They will need their offense to come through in key situations though and I'm not willing to crown Mark Sanchez yet. 16 points against New England's bad defense isn't good.
Fantasy impact: Leon Washington and Thomas Jones had an even split in carries this week and I see a lot more of that going forward. This should really cut into Jones' fantasy value. Edelmen had quite a few targets and a decent fantasy game, but unless Welker's injury is very serious, he's not worth an add. No Patriots running back is worth owning.
Saints/Eagles: The Saints look very good. Very, very good. That offense put up 48 points on a very good defense. Can anyone keep this team under 40 points? I'm sure it will happen, but it won't be easy. Drew Brees is the best quarterback going right now.
Kevin Kolb had a lot of yards, but he wasn't good. They had to throw a ton because they were behind and he wasn't very efficient. The Eagles need McNabb back if they are going to live up to their potential.
Fantasy impact: Brian Westbrook is hurt, but of course he is. That was expected. You needed to handcuff him with McCoy before the season and if you didn't, shame on you. Mike Bell is also hurt, so watch that situation. Pierre Thomas should be back next week. 9 different receivers got a catch for the Saints, but Colston was back to being Brees' clear favorite. Brent Celek looked really good for the Eagles, going over 100 yards. Kolb may look to lean on him as long as he remains the quarterback.
Rams/Redskins: The Rams are terrible, but we already new that. What we learned from this game is that the Redskins are not much better. I vastly overrated this team. Campbell doesn't look good, Portis is clearly passed his prime, and they play in a tough division. Good to know now that they really stink.
Fantasy impact: Laurent Robinson is a solid pickup, as he seems to be the go to guy for Bulger. He won't blow anyone away, but he'll be serviceable.
Cardinals/Jaguars: Another game where I learned that a team stinks. I vastly overrated the Jags before this season. They are no good. They couldn't really have played much worse, at home, against a reeling west coast team. Kurt Warner torched them. I thought the defense was better but I was wrong. I admit that they are going straight to the basement this year. The Cardinals may have some life left in them, but this was more of the Jaguars being bad than the Cardinals being good, so I'm not going to put too much weight on this win.
Fantasy impact: Tim Hightower is looking like a pretty clear number one running back for the Cardinals, but that could change if Beanie Wells keeps doing well when he touches the ball. Mike Sims-Walker is one of the first guys I'd look for on the waiver wire if I was shopping for a wide receiver, with Troy Williamson going down for the season, he steps in as the number 2 guy and had a great game.
Panthers/Falcons: The Falcons look really strong, and the Panthers look better than expected. I didn't get to see much of this one, but Jake Delhomme may not be totally dead. Steve Smith had a great game, so if you own him, he'll be fine. Tony Gonzalez was great again, Roddy White and Michael Turner each found the end zone and the Falcons just look great. They are a lock for the playoffs and I can't wait to see how they do against the Patriots this week.
Fantasy impact: Really the only impact is that anyone you drafted in this game is going to be fine. Don't worry about Smith or Turner or Roddy White. They are all studs, nothing much more to add.
Vikings/Lions: This game didn't really reveal anything. the Lions are bad, the Vikings are decent. I don't have a ton to say. The Lions won the first half, then fell apart. Matthew Stafford did not look impressive. He still has a lot of growing pains to go through. Lets see how he does next week against the Redskins, who looked dreadful against the Rams.
Fantasy impact: Percy Harvin got in the end zone again, and seems like he may be a very nice bargain for those who drafted him late this season.
Bengals/Packers: Sigh... the classic trap game. The Packers were a huge let down against a Bengals team that showed they aren't nearly as bad as they were in week 1. This is the reason we can't overvalue week one results. Now, I still don't think the Bengals are all that good, but the Packers just didn't get up for this game and that disappoints me and the rest of their supporters this season. How Cedric Benson rushed for 141 yards is well beyond me. This guy has always been terrible, and I don't know how he's performing this well. I hope the Packers take this as a lesson that you can't roll over for anyone.
Fantasy impact: Cedric Benson a steal? That is how it looks now. He can't keep this up can he? Greg Jennings didn't get a catch but he was targeted 5 times so don't be too concerned. Cincinnati has a much better defense than anyone thought. Coles might be done.
Texans/Titans: Well this game was a fantasy football showcase. Chris Johnson, Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub put on a show. The end result was depressing as a Titans fan though. They just could not stop the passing game and that is a serious concern. This Texans offense is very powerful however and thats a big reason why the Jets look so damn good over the first two weeks. I don't think the Titans are done just yet, it is only two weeks, however going 0-3 will be a huge problem for this team, and they have those very Jets next week. Lets see how the Jets do against a team that has a good defense, which couldn't be said for the Texans or Patriots. Sanchez will have to win that game for them, which isn't something he has needed to do yet.
Fantasy impact: Steve Slaton had another abysmal day against a stout defense. Now is the time to buy low on this guy! Try and steal him away from a frustrated owner. Nate Washington is going to be Kerry Collins favorite target, and if he is available in your league, you might want to take a look in his direction.
Raiders/Chiefs: Boy this really was an ugly game. These teams are bad. JeMarcus Russell is the worst quarterback in football right now, and Cassel didn't look much better. The Raiders stole this game, but don't look for them to win too many. Its going to be hard for them to move the ball on anyone else if they can only score 13 on the Chiefs. Neither team is going anywhere fast.
Fantasy impact: It would be wise to stay away from anyone on these teams. If you own them, pray for the best, try and move them, if you don't, don't try and trade for them, and certainly don't pick up anyone who isn't owned.
Buccaneers/Bills: Nothing really learned from this game. I expected the Bills to win this rather easily and they did. Does that mean the Bills are good? No. It means the Buccaneers are very, very bad. They are one of my teams with a shot at going winless and they have done nothing at all to convince me otherwise. Fred Jackson was outstanding for the Bills and it will be tough for them to keep him off the field even after Lynch comes back from suspension. I love this kid, great player with a great story. We'll see how they play it in two weeks.
Fantasy impact: Kellen Winslow had his second straight good game for Tampa with 90 yards and a touchdown. Great late round tight end steal if you have him. No one else on Tampa can really catch the ball, and he will be targeted a lot. Both Bills wide receivers got into the end zone, but neither racked up the yards. Jackson had another huge day, of course. Tampa's backfield remains jumbled.
Seahawks/49ers: Tough game for Seattle, and for me, as I picked them as my lock of the week and they really let me down. They just had no answer for Frank Gore. He was an animal all day, racking up 207 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. It didn't help that Matt Hasselbeck fractured a rib and had to leave the game. They are going nowhere without him so he needs to get back on the field fast. Once they lost him there was really no chance of them coming back in the game. San Fran's defense could be legit, which means I will be eating a lot of crow for bashing them. Lets see how they fair against non NFC West competition. That will be the true test of how good they are.
Fantasy impact: Gore was pretty much the only thing to take out of this game, but you already knew he was great. Any doubters of his ability should be silenced by now.
Ravens/Chargers: This game went about how I expected. The Ravens offense is legit and better than it has been in years. Their defense, conversely, is not as good as it has been in years past. San Diego missed Tomlinson's ability to just take over a game with him sidelined with an injury, but they will have to get used to that as he is past his prime and doesn't really have that ability anymore. The better team won this game, but the Chargers should still run away with the AFC west. They are the best team in it by far.
Fantasy impact: Lots of fantasy impact from this one, starting with Willis McGahee. I have no idea how he's doing it, but he is their goal line guy and is getting the majority of the carries. Ray Rice is still getting his, and is a force catching the ball out of the backfield, but isn't getting into the end zone. LeRon McClain is the clear 3rd option. Sproles did not look good on the ground, but the Ravens are a great rush defense. He torched them through the air though, going for 124 yards. Vincent Jackson was awesome again, and he should be for the rest of the year. This has transformed into a pass first offense, and Sproles and Jackson will be focal points of that all year. Try and get them if you can.
Steelers/Bears: I wish I could have watched this game closer to see exactly what went wrong for the Steelers. I know they missed two field goals that would have won them the game, but that is no excuse. They should have beaten the Bears. Matt Forte was completely stalled. Cutler had a bounce back game which makes me concerned for the secondary of the Steelers without Polamalu. They should still be ok, just not nearly as potent as they were last year. They better hope he's not out the full 6 weeks. Still, this was a big let down in a game they should have won. Good job taking advantage of mistakes by the Bears.
Fantasy impact: Don't worry about Forte, he'll be just fine, he's just had horrible matchups. Look for a big game against Seattle next week. Just look what Gore did this week. Santonio Holmes is in for a breakout year, great bargain for his owners. He is Big Ben's go to guy, and should be for a long time. The Pittsburgh run game left a lot to be desired. I wouldn't be rushing out to grab Knox because I don't see anyone dominating the targets for the Bears and their are much better options out there in any league.
Broncos/Browns: And I leave you with a big giant thud! The Browns are just so bad. They can't run, they can't throw, they can't play defense. I don't know how they will beat anyone. They are legitimately terrible. I said it before the season and they have proven to be the worst team over the first two games of the season. A bad Denver team beat them by 3 touchdowns. Denver is the worst 2-0 team in the league right now.
Fantasy impact: I don't think we can take anything away from this game. I wouldn't be too happy if I owned anyone on either side though.
And that will do it. I'll be breaking down each game every Tuesday so I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, See ya!
The vaunted defense that is supposed to lead this team to a division title and maybe more allowed 31 points, including 251 rushing yards. They could not stop the run to save their lives. Fortunately for them, Wade Phillips insisted on putting the ball in Tony Romo's hands way too often. Even still, that defense did not look impressive, and if they didn't get three picks (one of with that happened to fall into the hands of the defender after taking a crazy bounce off Jason Witten's foot) they would have been crushed in this game.
The great running game staring Brandon Jacobs was shut down by Dallas. He had 58 yards, 31 of which came on one run. Ahmad Bradshaw was equally unimpressive, accumulating 37 yards on 9 carries. They couldn't control the ball, they couldn't wear down the Dallas D. This doesn't look good the rest of the way.
Now they did win the game, and I can't take that away from them. Eli just about played the game of his life. Do you really expect that kind of performance out of him every time out? I sure don't. They had to get extremely lucky to beat a better team, get every bounce to go their way, and they still only won the game on a last second field goal. Looking ahead, I would be much more confident if I were a Cowboys fan than a Giants fan.
Fantasy impact: Steve Smith and Mario Manningham are going to be the go to guys for Eli this season, especially with injuries to Hixon and Nicks. Pick them up. Tashard Choice gets a little more interesting with the injury to Marion Barber, and could be worth the add in deep leagues.
Last night we saw Peyton Manning at his most lethal. The Colts only had the ball for one quarter of the game, but that is all they needed. 295 yards on only 23 passing attempts. That said, just like the Giants, they got awfully lucky to win the game. Miami controlled the game but they don't have the talent to win when it counts. That last drive was both poorly coached and poorly played. They didn't even look like they were trying to win the game with how slow they were moving. Did Tony Sporano forget there are only 4 quarters in a football game? Ted Ginn dropped a couple of passes that would have led to a Dolphins victory, but that is why he is Ted Ginn, and these are the Miami Dolphins. Neither team impresses me going forward, but the Dolphins are worse, as this was the absolute best they had and they still couldn't get it done.
Fantasy impact: Pierre Garcon could be an interesting add in deep leagues if he cements his role as the number 2 receiver for Peyton Manning. The guy can fly and Gonzalez will be out for quite a few more more weeks.
Moving onto the non prime time games:
Patriots/Jets: The Jets proved that they are legitimate contenders and the Patriots proved that Tom Brady is not fully back yet. I am not too worried about the Pats just yet. They were without Wes Welker and that is a huge blow. He is Brady's safety net. Without him, Brady is never going to look fully comfortable. Short dump offs to Welker basically supplant the running game in this system. When he comes back healthy, expect the offense to be back to full speed. Buy low on Brady if you can.
Revis is an absolute monster at cornerback. Shutting down Andre Johnson and Randy Moss in back to back weeks is about as good as it gets. This defense could be the best in the league, even better than Pittsburgh and Baltimore. It is that good. They will need their offense to come through in key situations though and I'm not willing to crown Mark Sanchez yet. 16 points against New England's bad defense isn't good.
Fantasy impact: Leon Washington and Thomas Jones had an even split in carries this week and I see a lot more of that going forward. This should really cut into Jones' fantasy value. Edelmen had quite a few targets and a decent fantasy game, but unless Welker's injury is very serious, he's not worth an add. No Patriots running back is worth owning.
Saints/Eagles: The Saints look very good. Very, very good. That offense put up 48 points on a very good defense. Can anyone keep this team under 40 points? I'm sure it will happen, but it won't be easy. Drew Brees is the best quarterback going right now.
Kevin Kolb had a lot of yards, but he wasn't good. They had to throw a ton because they were behind and he wasn't very efficient. The Eagles need McNabb back if they are going to live up to their potential.
Fantasy impact: Brian Westbrook is hurt, but of course he is. That was expected. You needed to handcuff him with McCoy before the season and if you didn't, shame on you. Mike Bell is also hurt, so watch that situation. Pierre Thomas should be back next week. 9 different receivers got a catch for the Saints, but Colston was back to being Brees' clear favorite. Brent Celek looked really good for the Eagles, going over 100 yards. Kolb may look to lean on him as long as he remains the quarterback.
Rams/Redskins: The Rams are terrible, but we already new that. What we learned from this game is that the Redskins are not much better. I vastly overrated this team. Campbell doesn't look good, Portis is clearly passed his prime, and they play in a tough division. Good to know now that they really stink.
Fantasy impact: Laurent Robinson is a solid pickup, as he seems to be the go to guy for Bulger. He won't blow anyone away, but he'll be serviceable.
Cardinals/Jaguars: Another game where I learned that a team stinks. I vastly overrated the Jags before this season. They are no good. They couldn't really have played much worse, at home, against a reeling west coast team. Kurt Warner torched them. I thought the defense was better but I was wrong. I admit that they are going straight to the basement this year. The Cardinals may have some life left in them, but this was more of the Jaguars being bad than the Cardinals being good, so I'm not going to put too much weight on this win.
Fantasy impact: Tim Hightower is looking like a pretty clear number one running back for the Cardinals, but that could change if Beanie Wells keeps doing well when he touches the ball. Mike Sims-Walker is one of the first guys I'd look for on the waiver wire if I was shopping for a wide receiver, with Troy Williamson going down for the season, he steps in as the number 2 guy and had a great game.
Panthers/Falcons: The Falcons look really strong, and the Panthers look better than expected. I didn't get to see much of this one, but Jake Delhomme may not be totally dead. Steve Smith had a great game, so if you own him, he'll be fine. Tony Gonzalez was great again, Roddy White and Michael Turner each found the end zone and the Falcons just look great. They are a lock for the playoffs and I can't wait to see how they do against the Patriots this week.
Fantasy impact: Really the only impact is that anyone you drafted in this game is going to be fine. Don't worry about Smith or Turner or Roddy White. They are all studs, nothing much more to add.
Vikings/Lions: This game didn't really reveal anything. the Lions are bad, the Vikings are decent. I don't have a ton to say. The Lions won the first half, then fell apart. Matthew Stafford did not look impressive. He still has a lot of growing pains to go through. Lets see how he does next week against the Redskins, who looked dreadful against the Rams.
Fantasy impact: Percy Harvin got in the end zone again, and seems like he may be a very nice bargain for those who drafted him late this season.
Bengals/Packers: Sigh... the classic trap game. The Packers were a huge let down against a Bengals team that showed they aren't nearly as bad as they were in week 1. This is the reason we can't overvalue week one results. Now, I still don't think the Bengals are all that good, but the Packers just didn't get up for this game and that disappoints me and the rest of their supporters this season. How Cedric Benson rushed for 141 yards is well beyond me. This guy has always been terrible, and I don't know how he's performing this well. I hope the Packers take this as a lesson that you can't roll over for anyone.
Fantasy impact: Cedric Benson a steal? That is how it looks now. He can't keep this up can he? Greg Jennings didn't get a catch but he was targeted 5 times so don't be too concerned. Cincinnati has a much better defense than anyone thought. Coles might be done.
Texans/Titans: Well this game was a fantasy football showcase. Chris Johnson, Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub put on a show. The end result was depressing as a Titans fan though. They just could not stop the passing game and that is a serious concern. This Texans offense is very powerful however and thats a big reason why the Jets look so damn good over the first two weeks. I don't think the Titans are done just yet, it is only two weeks, however going 0-3 will be a huge problem for this team, and they have those very Jets next week. Lets see how the Jets do against a team that has a good defense, which couldn't be said for the Texans or Patriots. Sanchez will have to win that game for them, which isn't something he has needed to do yet.
Fantasy impact: Steve Slaton had another abysmal day against a stout defense. Now is the time to buy low on this guy! Try and steal him away from a frustrated owner. Nate Washington is going to be Kerry Collins favorite target, and if he is available in your league, you might want to take a look in his direction.
Raiders/Chiefs: Boy this really was an ugly game. These teams are bad. JeMarcus Russell is the worst quarterback in football right now, and Cassel didn't look much better. The Raiders stole this game, but don't look for them to win too many. Its going to be hard for them to move the ball on anyone else if they can only score 13 on the Chiefs. Neither team is going anywhere fast.
Fantasy impact: It would be wise to stay away from anyone on these teams. If you own them, pray for the best, try and move them, if you don't, don't try and trade for them, and certainly don't pick up anyone who isn't owned.
Buccaneers/Bills: Nothing really learned from this game. I expected the Bills to win this rather easily and they did. Does that mean the Bills are good? No. It means the Buccaneers are very, very bad. They are one of my teams with a shot at going winless and they have done nothing at all to convince me otherwise. Fred Jackson was outstanding for the Bills and it will be tough for them to keep him off the field even after Lynch comes back from suspension. I love this kid, great player with a great story. We'll see how they play it in two weeks.
Fantasy impact: Kellen Winslow had his second straight good game for Tampa with 90 yards and a touchdown. Great late round tight end steal if you have him. No one else on Tampa can really catch the ball, and he will be targeted a lot. Both Bills wide receivers got into the end zone, but neither racked up the yards. Jackson had another huge day, of course. Tampa's backfield remains jumbled.
Seahawks/49ers: Tough game for Seattle, and for me, as I picked them as my lock of the week and they really let me down. They just had no answer for Frank Gore. He was an animal all day, racking up 207 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. It didn't help that Matt Hasselbeck fractured a rib and had to leave the game. They are going nowhere without him so he needs to get back on the field fast. Once they lost him there was really no chance of them coming back in the game. San Fran's defense could be legit, which means I will be eating a lot of crow for bashing them. Lets see how they fair against non NFC West competition. That will be the true test of how good they are.
Fantasy impact: Gore was pretty much the only thing to take out of this game, but you already knew he was great. Any doubters of his ability should be silenced by now.
Ravens/Chargers: This game went about how I expected. The Ravens offense is legit and better than it has been in years. Their defense, conversely, is not as good as it has been in years past. San Diego missed Tomlinson's ability to just take over a game with him sidelined with an injury, but they will have to get used to that as he is past his prime and doesn't really have that ability anymore. The better team won this game, but the Chargers should still run away with the AFC west. They are the best team in it by far.
Fantasy impact: Lots of fantasy impact from this one, starting with Willis McGahee. I have no idea how he's doing it, but he is their goal line guy and is getting the majority of the carries. Ray Rice is still getting his, and is a force catching the ball out of the backfield, but isn't getting into the end zone. LeRon McClain is the clear 3rd option. Sproles did not look good on the ground, but the Ravens are a great rush defense. He torched them through the air though, going for 124 yards. Vincent Jackson was awesome again, and he should be for the rest of the year. This has transformed into a pass first offense, and Sproles and Jackson will be focal points of that all year. Try and get them if you can.
Steelers/Bears: I wish I could have watched this game closer to see exactly what went wrong for the Steelers. I know they missed two field goals that would have won them the game, but that is no excuse. They should have beaten the Bears. Matt Forte was completely stalled. Cutler had a bounce back game which makes me concerned for the secondary of the Steelers without Polamalu. They should still be ok, just not nearly as potent as they were last year. They better hope he's not out the full 6 weeks. Still, this was a big let down in a game they should have won. Good job taking advantage of mistakes by the Bears.
Fantasy impact: Don't worry about Forte, he'll be just fine, he's just had horrible matchups. Look for a big game against Seattle next week. Just look what Gore did this week. Santonio Holmes is in for a breakout year, great bargain for his owners. He is Big Ben's go to guy, and should be for a long time. The Pittsburgh run game left a lot to be desired. I wouldn't be rushing out to grab Knox because I don't see anyone dominating the targets for the Bears and their are much better options out there in any league.
Broncos/Browns: And I leave you with a big giant thud! The Browns are just so bad. They can't run, they can't throw, they can't play defense. I don't know how they will beat anyone. They are legitimately terrible. I said it before the season and they have proven to be the worst team over the first two games of the season. A bad Denver team beat them by 3 touchdowns. Denver is the worst 2-0 team in the league right now.
Fantasy impact: I don't think we can take anything away from this game. I wouldn't be too happy if I owned anyone on either side though.
And that will do it. I'll be breaking down each game every Tuesday so I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, See ya!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
NFL picks and preview: Week 2
No story this week, I'm just going to dive right into the picks:
Home Team in CAPS
Oakland (+3) over KANSAS CITY
This game could easily go either way. I don't like either team, I like KC even less if Cassel can't go for a second straight week. Oakland looked pretty good against San Diego last week. I'll take the points.
TENNESSEE (-6.5) over Houston
Houston did not look good against the Jets defense last week and they don't get a reprieve here against the Titans. It is a very important game for both teams, I just think the Titans are better, and should win this one by running the ball all over the Texans, like the Jets did last week. Look for a big game from Chris Johnson.
New England (-3.5) over NEW YORK JETS
Everyone is jumping all over the Jets this weekend after the way they played last week and the way the Patriots struggled. The more people jump on a team, the more I like to stay away, and feel like all the talk that the Jets have done up to know will work against them. Tom Brady will be motivated to kill this team. Points will be scored by both, but the Pats will win and cover a line that has moved a lot since it first came out.
GREEN BAY (-9) over Cincinnati
You know by now how good I think Green Bay is. This game doesn't scare me. Cincinnati is not a good football team and Green Bay should put up a lot of points on them. They couldn't hold off a lowly Denver team (albeit on a miracle play), I certainly can't see them hanging with Green Bay.
Minnesota (-9.5) over DETROIT
I have gone back and forth with this one and I was very tempted to take the Lions, but I just can't. Adrian Peterson will probably have a 3 touchdown game at minimum. I think it could be a 10 point game, but even that wouldn't cover. I have to go with the better team in this one, the Lions aren't getting enough.
ATLANTA (-6) over Carolina
A lot has been made about this game and how the line has moved a lot in Atlanta's favor since Carolina through a stink bomb last week. I just like this Atlanta team that much better and don't really care. The Falcons showed a good defense last week and Carolina could do nothing to stop the Eagles. I'm taking the Falcons at home.
WASHINGTON (-10) over St. Louis
St. Louis is very, very bad. Shut out against Seattle last week, I can't see them faring any better against the Skins. Not that the Redskins are some amazing team, but St. Louis could be historically bad. They can't do anything right.
JACKSONVILLE (-3.5) over Arizona
The curse of the Super Bowl loser continues on the road against Jacksonville for the Arizona Cardinals. This is probably the game I would least like to watch, because I think its just going to be an ugly game that isn't very fun to watch. MJD dominates, Jacksonville controls the clock, and wins out over the visiting Cards.
Baltimore (+3) over SAN DIEGO
Another game that I think could go either way. Usually when that happens, I'll be taking the points. San Diego didn't look good against the Raiders last week, and I think Baltimore is much better than them. The fact that LT can't play is just another blow to the Chargers. Another game that should be very ugly.
DENVER (-3) over Cleveland
I wouldn't be surprised to see a repeat of what happened against Cincinnati. Denver wins against a team even worse than them, making them the worst 2-0 team by far. Cleveland is the only team that will challenge the Rams for basement team of the year.
Pittsburgh (-3) over CHICAGO
I don't think its too much to say that the defending champs can pull off a more than 3 point win over a Chicago team who's quarterback looked awful last week against Green Bay. I just don't see how Chicago is going to move the ball against Pittsburgh. The loss of Urlacher hurts their defense as well. This is not a Bears team that I can back right now, especially against the Steelers.
DALLAS (-3) over New York Giants
You should know my dislike of the Giants by now. I just don't think they are very good. Dallas had an offense that completely clicked last week and their defense is solid too. Plus it is the debut of their brand new, 105 thousand seat stadium. I think the Cowboys win fairly easily.
Indianapolis (-3) over MIAMI
I don't love either team, but I think Miami is terrible. Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne is a connection that we will be hearing a lot in this one. I don't know how Miami is going to move the ball. Take Indy.
Second Runner Up Lock of the Week:
BUFFALO (-4.5) over Tampa Bay
Buffalo looked awfully good against New England, and they didn't even get TO or Lee Evans involved. I think they are a much better team than Tampa Bay. At home, I don't think this one will be particularly close. Fred Jackson has a huge game.
First Runner Up Lock of the Week:
New Orleans (-1.5) over PHILADELPHIA
As much as I love the Eagles this year, they just took a huge hit losing Donovan McNabb. Without Kevin Kolb as their starter, I really can't see them beating a very talented Saints team. Their only hope is to keep this game low scoring, and I don't think their defense is quite good enough to stop Drew Brees and his array of weapons. New Orleans takes this game, and it will be by more than a point.
LOCK OF THE WEEK:
Seattle (+1) over SAN FRANCISCO
This is basically me saying that Seattle is a better team than San Fransisco. The one point line is basically just a pick game, and I would take Seattle all day in this game. I think they are the best team in their division, and even though San Fransisco could be better than I thought they were, I still don't think they are as good as Seattle. The Seahawks use their passing offense to power past the 49ers.
Last Week: 11-5
Home Team in CAPS
Oakland (+3) over KANSAS CITY
This game could easily go either way. I don't like either team, I like KC even less if Cassel can't go for a second straight week. Oakland looked pretty good against San Diego last week. I'll take the points.
TENNESSEE (-6.5) over Houston
Houston did not look good against the Jets defense last week and they don't get a reprieve here against the Titans. It is a very important game for both teams, I just think the Titans are better, and should win this one by running the ball all over the Texans, like the Jets did last week. Look for a big game from Chris Johnson.
New England (-3.5) over NEW YORK JETS
Everyone is jumping all over the Jets this weekend after the way they played last week and the way the Patriots struggled. The more people jump on a team, the more I like to stay away, and feel like all the talk that the Jets have done up to know will work against them. Tom Brady will be motivated to kill this team. Points will be scored by both, but the Pats will win and cover a line that has moved a lot since it first came out.
GREEN BAY (-9) over Cincinnati
You know by now how good I think Green Bay is. This game doesn't scare me. Cincinnati is not a good football team and Green Bay should put up a lot of points on them. They couldn't hold off a lowly Denver team (albeit on a miracle play), I certainly can't see them hanging with Green Bay.
Minnesota (-9.5) over DETROIT
I have gone back and forth with this one and I was very tempted to take the Lions, but I just can't. Adrian Peterson will probably have a 3 touchdown game at minimum. I think it could be a 10 point game, but even that wouldn't cover. I have to go with the better team in this one, the Lions aren't getting enough.
ATLANTA (-6) over Carolina
A lot has been made about this game and how the line has moved a lot in Atlanta's favor since Carolina through a stink bomb last week. I just like this Atlanta team that much better and don't really care. The Falcons showed a good defense last week and Carolina could do nothing to stop the Eagles. I'm taking the Falcons at home.
WASHINGTON (-10) over St. Louis
St. Louis is very, very bad. Shut out against Seattle last week, I can't see them faring any better against the Skins. Not that the Redskins are some amazing team, but St. Louis could be historically bad. They can't do anything right.
JACKSONVILLE (-3.5) over Arizona
The curse of the Super Bowl loser continues on the road against Jacksonville for the Arizona Cardinals. This is probably the game I would least like to watch, because I think its just going to be an ugly game that isn't very fun to watch. MJD dominates, Jacksonville controls the clock, and wins out over the visiting Cards.
Baltimore (+3) over SAN DIEGO
Another game that I think could go either way. Usually when that happens, I'll be taking the points. San Diego didn't look good against the Raiders last week, and I think Baltimore is much better than them. The fact that LT can't play is just another blow to the Chargers. Another game that should be very ugly.
DENVER (-3) over Cleveland
I wouldn't be surprised to see a repeat of what happened against Cincinnati. Denver wins against a team even worse than them, making them the worst 2-0 team by far. Cleveland is the only team that will challenge the Rams for basement team of the year.
Pittsburgh (-3) over CHICAGO
I don't think its too much to say that the defending champs can pull off a more than 3 point win over a Chicago team who's quarterback looked awful last week against Green Bay. I just don't see how Chicago is going to move the ball against Pittsburgh. The loss of Urlacher hurts their defense as well. This is not a Bears team that I can back right now, especially against the Steelers.
DALLAS (-3) over New York Giants
You should know my dislike of the Giants by now. I just don't think they are very good. Dallas had an offense that completely clicked last week and their defense is solid too. Plus it is the debut of their brand new, 105 thousand seat stadium. I think the Cowboys win fairly easily.
Indianapolis (-3) over MIAMI
I don't love either team, but I think Miami is terrible. Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne is a connection that we will be hearing a lot in this one. I don't know how Miami is going to move the ball. Take Indy.
Second Runner Up Lock of the Week:
BUFFALO (-4.5) over Tampa Bay
Buffalo looked awfully good against New England, and they didn't even get TO or Lee Evans involved. I think they are a much better team than Tampa Bay. At home, I don't think this one will be particularly close. Fred Jackson has a huge game.
First Runner Up Lock of the Week:
New Orleans (-1.5) over PHILADELPHIA
As much as I love the Eagles this year, they just took a huge hit losing Donovan McNabb. Without Kevin Kolb as their starter, I really can't see them beating a very talented Saints team. Their only hope is to keep this game low scoring, and I don't think their defense is quite good enough to stop Drew Brees and his array of weapons. New Orleans takes this game, and it will be by more than a point.
LOCK OF THE WEEK:
Seattle (+1) over SAN FRANCISCO
This is basically me saying that Seattle is a better team than San Fransisco. The one point line is basically just a pick game, and I would take Seattle all day in this game. I think they are the best team in their division, and even though San Fransisco could be better than I thought they were, I still don't think they are as good as Seattle. The Seahawks use their passing offense to power past the 49ers.
Last Week: 11-5
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 2
Here are my position rankings for week 2 of the fantasy football season:
QB
1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Drew Brees
3. Tom Brady
4. Kurt Warner
5. Tony Romo
6. Matt Ryan
7. Peyton Manning
8. Jason Campbell
9. Matt Hasselbeck
10. Philip Rivers
11. David Garrard
12. Trent Edwards
13. Kyle Orton
14. Ben Roethlisberger
15.Brett Favre
16. Joe Flacco
17. Mark Sanchez
18. Kerry Collins
19. Matt Schaub
20. Carson Palmer
21. Shaun Hill
22. Eli Manning
23. JaMarcus Russell
24. Kevin Kolb
25. Jay Cutler
RB
1. Adrian Peterson
2. Maurice Jones-Drew
3. Clinton Portis
4. Brian Westbrook
5. Chris Johnson
6. Michael Turner
7. Fred Jackson
8. Frank Gore
9. DeAngelo Williams
10. Thomas Jones
11. Brandon Jacobs
12. Ryan Grant
13. Ray Rice
14. Darren McFadden
15. Steven Jackson
16. Marion Barber
17. Ronnie Brown
18. Kevin Smith
19. Matt Forte
20. LenDale White
21. Steve Slaton
22. Leon Washington
23. Larry Johnson
24. Joseph Addai
25. Cadillac Williams
26. Darren Sproles
27. Jamal Lewis
28. Willie Parker
29. Jonathan Stewart
30. Cedric Benson
31. Julius Jones
32. LeSean McCoy
33. Tim Hightower
34. LaDainian Tomlinson
35. Donald Brown
36. Ahmad Bradshaw
37. Derrick Ward
38. Mike Bell
39. Willis McGahee
40. Kevin Faulk
WR
1. Greg Jennings
2. Larry Fitzgerald
3. Reggie Wayne
4. Roddy White
5. Calvin Johnson
6. Andre Johnson
7. Randy Moss
8. Steve Smith
9. Wes Welker
10. Anquan Boldin
11. Marques Colston
12. Terrell Owens
13. T.J. Houshmandzadeh
14. Santonio Holmes
15. DeSean Jackson
16. Bernard Berrian
17. Brandon Marshal
18. Vincent Jackson
19. Roy Williams
20. Eddie Royal
21. Jerricho Cotchery
22. Santana Moss
23. Lee Evans
24. Chad Ochocinco
25. Dwayne Bowe
26. Torry Holt
27. Hines Ward
28. Derrick Mason
29. Braylon Edwards
30. Donald Driver
31. Earl Bennett
32. Antonio Bryant
33. Justin Gage
34. Kevin Walter
35. Nate Burleson
36. Steve Smith
37. Antwaan Randle El
38. Percy Harvin
39. Devin Hester
40. Chansi Stuckey
41. Lance Moore
42. Patrick Crayton
43. Nate Washington
44. Mark Clayton
45. Robert Meachem
46. Laveranues Coles
47. Louis Murphy
48. Mario Manningham
49. Ted Ginn Jr.
50. Devery Henderson
TE
1. Tony Gonzalez
2. Dallas Clark
3. Zach Miller
4. Jason Witten
5. Chris Cooley
6. Antonio Gates
7. Dustin Keller
8. Visanthe Shiancoe
9. Brent Celek
10. John Carlson
11. Owen Daniels
12. Kellen Winslow
13. Greg Olsen
14. Jeremy Shockey
15. Kevin Boss
16. Heath Miller
17. Todd Heap
18. Benjamin Watson
19. Jermichael Finley
20. Tony Scheffler
21. Anthony Fasano
22. Brandon Pettigrew
23. Vernon Davis
24. Marcedes Lewis
25. Robert Royal
DEF
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Tennessee Titans
5. Washington Redskins
6. Seattle Seahawks
7. Oakland raiders
8. Indianapolis Colts
9. Atlanta Falcons
10. Chicago Bears
11. Baltimore Ravens
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. New York Jets
14. Denver Broncos
15. New Orleans Saints
16. San Diego Chargers
17. Buffalo Bills
18. New York Giants
19. Philadelphia Eagles
20. San Fransisco 49ers
21. New England Patriots
22. Miami Dolphins
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
24. Houston Texans
25. Carolina Panthers
QB
1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Drew Brees
3. Tom Brady
4. Kurt Warner
5. Tony Romo
6. Matt Ryan
7. Peyton Manning
8. Jason Campbell
9. Matt Hasselbeck
10. Philip Rivers
11. David Garrard
12. Trent Edwards
13. Kyle Orton
14. Ben Roethlisberger
15.Brett Favre
16. Joe Flacco
17. Mark Sanchez
18. Kerry Collins
19. Matt Schaub
20. Carson Palmer
21. Shaun Hill
22. Eli Manning
23. JaMarcus Russell
24. Kevin Kolb
25. Jay Cutler
RB
1. Adrian Peterson
2. Maurice Jones-Drew
3. Clinton Portis
4. Brian Westbrook
5. Chris Johnson
6. Michael Turner
7. Fred Jackson
8. Frank Gore
9. DeAngelo Williams
10. Thomas Jones
11. Brandon Jacobs
12. Ryan Grant
13. Ray Rice
14. Darren McFadden
15. Steven Jackson
16. Marion Barber
17. Ronnie Brown
18. Kevin Smith
19. Matt Forte
20. LenDale White
21. Steve Slaton
22. Leon Washington
23. Larry Johnson
24. Joseph Addai
25. Cadillac Williams
26. Darren Sproles
27. Jamal Lewis
28. Willie Parker
29. Jonathan Stewart
30. Cedric Benson
31. Julius Jones
32. LeSean McCoy
33. Tim Hightower
34. LaDainian Tomlinson
35. Donald Brown
36. Ahmad Bradshaw
37. Derrick Ward
38. Mike Bell
39. Willis McGahee
40. Kevin Faulk
WR
1. Greg Jennings
2. Larry Fitzgerald
3. Reggie Wayne
4. Roddy White
5. Calvin Johnson
6. Andre Johnson
7. Randy Moss
8. Steve Smith
9. Wes Welker
10. Anquan Boldin
11. Marques Colston
12. Terrell Owens
13. T.J. Houshmandzadeh
14. Santonio Holmes
15. DeSean Jackson
16. Bernard Berrian
17. Brandon Marshal
18. Vincent Jackson
19. Roy Williams
20. Eddie Royal
21. Jerricho Cotchery
22. Santana Moss
23. Lee Evans
24. Chad Ochocinco
25. Dwayne Bowe
26. Torry Holt
27. Hines Ward
28. Derrick Mason
29. Braylon Edwards
30. Donald Driver
31. Earl Bennett
32. Antonio Bryant
33. Justin Gage
34. Kevin Walter
35. Nate Burleson
36. Steve Smith
37. Antwaan Randle El
38. Percy Harvin
39. Devin Hester
40. Chansi Stuckey
41. Lance Moore
42. Patrick Crayton
43. Nate Washington
44. Mark Clayton
45. Robert Meachem
46. Laveranues Coles
47. Louis Murphy
48. Mario Manningham
49. Ted Ginn Jr.
50. Devery Henderson
TE
1. Tony Gonzalez
2. Dallas Clark
3. Zach Miller
4. Jason Witten
5. Chris Cooley
6. Antonio Gates
7. Dustin Keller
8. Visanthe Shiancoe
9. Brent Celek
10. John Carlson
11. Owen Daniels
12. Kellen Winslow
13. Greg Olsen
14. Jeremy Shockey
15. Kevin Boss
16. Heath Miller
17. Todd Heap
18. Benjamin Watson
19. Jermichael Finley
20. Tony Scheffler
21. Anthony Fasano
22. Brandon Pettigrew
23. Vernon Davis
24. Marcedes Lewis
25. Robert Royal
DEF
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Tennessee Titans
5. Washington Redskins
6. Seattle Seahawks
7. Oakland raiders
8. Indianapolis Colts
9. Atlanta Falcons
10. Chicago Bears
11. Baltimore Ravens
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. New York Jets
14. Denver Broncos
15. New Orleans Saints
16. San Diego Chargers
17. Buffalo Bills
18. New York Giants
19. Philadelphia Eagles
20. San Fransisco 49ers
21. New England Patriots
22. Miami Dolphins
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
24. Houston Texans
25. Carolina Panthers
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
My Top 5 Films of the Summer
Summer has come and gone, and with it it has taken the season of blockbusters. summer is always my favorite time of the movie year, and now that we are in the dregs of September, I'd like to give a mention to the 5 best films I saw over the Summer months, May-August.
Number 5
Terminator Salvation
I am a huge fan of this franchise and to say that this lives up to the greatness that is Terminator 2 would be insane. However, it was a great deal better than Terminator 3, had a ton of great action and a decent enough story. I wasn't disappointed, as several others seemed to be.
Number 4
Star Trek
This was actually quite the pleasant surprise. I've never been a fan of the Star Trek series, but I really liked this one. I think a lot of others felt the same way and my reason for why: this version of Star Trek "borrowed" quite a bit of its plot from Star Wars: A New Hope. Not saying that is a bad thing, as I really did enjoy it, obviously.
Number 3
Inglourious Basterds
Tarantino makes a very triumphant return with this film. I am a HUGE fan of his and though this wasn't quite as good as Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, all of those films are on my top 100, so he has a lot to live up to. That is not to say Inglourious Basterds was bad by any stretch! It was a 2 and a half hour film that offered brilliant pacing and suspense and flies by. It wasn't perfect, and I'd have cut some things and included more of others, but overall, a terrific watch.
Number 2
District 9
The surprise hit of the summer was so because of how good it was. More than just an action film, this allegorical look at modern South Africa through the use of aliens from outer space was mind blowing. Great special effects and action, but make no mistake, this is a story and especially character driven film. Incredible direction and really would be the best film of most summers.
Number 1
Up
Pixar is always the go to studio for animation, and they may have pulled off their most triumphant feat with Up. No other film this year has created such an emotional response in me. It is such a touching story that can't really be described in words. The visuals are beautiful as well as moving. This will be a must own for me when the DVD is released. I didn't love Wall-E as much as most, but Pixar certainly bounced back here. This will be very tough to beat for my film of the year. Outstanding.
And real quick, I'll give you my top 3 most disappointing films of the summer:
Number 3
Funny People
Liked the first half, then it changed direction completely and draaaagggeeedd. Don't know why apatow did that, but he needs a better editor.
Number 2
The Hangover
Everyone is praising this as one of the great comedies ever. I really don't see it. I thought it was pretty stupid and had the same general plot as Dude Where's My Car, but humor is very subjective. Just disappointed me, if you enjoyed it, good for you.
Number 1
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen
The first Transformers was soooooo good that his really, really disappointed me. The writing was lazy, the acting wasn't good, the "funny" parts were cheesy. It just wasn't what it should have been. I was there at midnight expecting greatness, I got nothing more than painfully average. The action wasn't nearly enough to cover up for the bad story and dialogue.
That's it! Short and sweet. I suggest checking out all of these films when they come out on DVD, or if they are still in theaters near you(District 9 and Inglourious Basterds might be), go see them.
Number 5
Terminator Salvation
I am a huge fan of this franchise and to say that this lives up to the greatness that is Terminator 2 would be insane. However, it was a great deal better than Terminator 3, had a ton of great action and a decent enough story. I wasn't disappointed, as several others seemed to be.
Number 4
Star Trek
This was actually quite the pleasant surprise. I've never been a fan of the Star Trek series, but I really liked this one. I think a lot of others felt the same way and my reason for why: this version of Star Trek "borrowed" quite a bit of its plot from Star Wars: A New Hope. Not saying that is a bad thing, as I really did enjoy it, obviously.
Number 3
Inglourious Basterds
Tarantino makes a very triumphant return with this film. I am a HUGE fan of his and though this wasn't quite as good as Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, all of those films are on my top 100, so he has a lot to live up to. That is not to say Inglourious Basterds was bad by any stretch! It was a 2 and a half hour film that offered brilliant pacing and suspense and flies by. It wasn't perfect, and I'd have cut some things and included more of others, but overall, a terrific watch.
Number 2
District 9
The surprise hit of the summer was so because of how good it was. More than just an action film, this allegorical look at modern South Africa through the use of aliens from outer space was mind blowing. Great special effects and action, but make no mistake, this is a story and especially character driven film. Incredible direction and really would be the best film of most summers.
Number 1
Up
Pixar is always the go to studio for animation, and they may have pulled off their most triumphant feat with Up. No other film this year has created such an emotional response in me. It is such a touching story that can't really be described in words. The visuals are beautiful as well as moving. This will be a must own for me when the DVD is released. I didn't love Wall-E as much as most, but Pixar certainly bounced back here. This will be very tough to beat for my film of the year. Outstanding.
And real quick, I'll give you my top 3 most disappointing films of the summer:
Number 3
Funny People
Liked the first half, then it changed direction completely and draaaagggeeedd. Don't know why apatow did that, but he needs a better editor.
Number 2
The Hangover
Everyone is praising this as one of the great comedies ever. I really don't see it. I thought it was pretty stupid and had the same general plot as Dude Where's My Car, but humor is very subjective. Just disappointed me, if you enjoyed it, good for you.
Number 1
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen
The first Transformers was soooooo good that his really, really disappointed me. The writing was lazy, the acting wasn't good, the "funny" parts were cheesy. It just wasn't what it should have been. I was there at midnight expecting greatness, I got nothing more than painfully average. The action wasn't nearly enough to cover up for the bad story and dialogue.
That's it! Short and sweet. I suggest checking out all of these films when they come out on DVD, or if they are still in theaters near you(District 9 and Inglourious Basterds might be), go see them.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Weekend Recap: Kanye, MJ, Tyler Perry and oh yeah... Football!!
Certainly one of the more eventful weekend in recent memory, in both sports and entertainment. Here we go:
The MTV Video Music Awards were held this week, once again to measure how far into the tank our society has fallen. I have to say, we may be approaching critical mass. Its not good when our country is more enthralled with Kanye West dissing Taylor Swift than anything that actually, ya know, matters. So Kanye pulls a publicity stunt because his ego is through the roof and America loses their minds. Maybe we just never had them to begin with for watching this crap. Not to mention the state of the music that actually wins these things. Also, does anyone else find it ironic that MTV holds an awards show for music videos, yet no longer actually plays them?
Tyler Perry had himself another box office hit over the weekend with I Can Do Bad All By Myself. The man can do no wrong when it comes to success at the box office, with his most recent film pulling in $23,446,785. I may not be a fan of his films but they certainly have an audience and you can never bet against him. Coming in second place was the animated film 9, with 10,740,446. The film opened on Wednesday and has a total of 15,160,926 since then. Holdovers Inglourious Basterds, All About Steve, and The Final Destination round out the top 5, while openers Sorority Row and Whiteout, two horrible looking thrillers bombed on opening weekend, failing to crack the top 5 with $5,059,802 and $4,915,104 respectively.
In sports, the greatest basketball player who ever lived, Michael Jordan was inducted into the Hall of Fame not ten minutes from my house at Springfield symphony Hall. Also inducted were John Stockton of the Utah Jazz, David Robinson of the San Antonio Spure, Rutgers women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer and Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan. The night definitely belonged to Jordan however, and he let the audience know it. Several journalists have called him out for being a bully, a brat, a pompous ass, you name it. But this was true Jordan. This is what made him the most devastating force basketball has ever seen. He wore his heart on his sleeve. I was mesmerized at every word. He was brutally honest as he spoke, describing several of the people and situation that motivated him. He could have gone up their and given everyone a typical thank you speech, just like everyone else. Some people would have preferred that, called it more classy. I wanted to see the Jordan that we have known and have been in awe of for years, and that is what we got. Congrats Michael, I'm so glad you stayed true to that competitive fire that made you so incredible.
Yesterday we lost Patrick Swayze, star of Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Point Break, Donnie Darko , Roadhouse and several other films. He was a true talent, and from all accounts, a great man. He had been battling cancer for several months and finally lost the fight. Rest in peace Patrick.
And now some thoughts on the opening weekend in the National Football League:
Tennessee and Pittsburgh will once again be defensive dynamos, but Pittsburgh is still a little better.
Tony Gonzalez was a great addition for Atlanta, and they are on their way to proving last season was not a fluke. Miami can not say the same.
Denver is just as bad as I thought they would be, however, Cincinatti is much worse. Kyle Orton is just as bad as he was in Chicago, Brandon Marshall figures to continue his demands to get out of there.
Cleveland is definitely in the running for the worst team in football. Minnesota isn't that great either, but Adrian Peterson is an absolute beast, and no question the best back in football. He proved it in week 1, if their were any doubters.
Jacksonville did what I expected against Indianapolis, but couldn't quite pull off the win, covered the spread though. They played them tough, and will definitely be a solid team. However, I feel the division is too strong for either team. Losing Anthony Gonzalez is a blow for the Colts.
New Orleans and Detroit put up a ton of points, as expected. Drew Brees' 6 touchdown day was a fantasy gold mine. Detroit's defense is still terrible, and New Orleans isn't that much better. Both teams will need to try and put up 35 points a week if they want to beat their opponents. New Orleans will be more successful at this.
Dallas beat Tampa Bay and those that said Tony Romo would be better off without TO look really good right now. Take it with a grain of salt however, as Tampa Bay is terrible. that defense is not what it used to be.
Philadelphia made me look real good in my lock of the week. They are a very dangerous team... if McNabb can come back healthy from his cracked ribs. That is a very big if.
Baltimore may not be as good as I once thought. The offense looked good, the defense did not against Kansas City. This is very perplexing, as they are a defensive team first and foremost. The loss of Rex Ryan seems to be a problem, after one week anyway.
And the team he went to, the New York Jets, seem to be a lot better than I gave them credit for. That defense looked outstanding, especially considering the potent Houston offense they were facing. I still like Houston, i just like the Jets defense a lot more. Mark Sanchez also looked impressive, we'll see if it continues.
The Giants didn't impress me against Washington. they were at home, and they let an inferior Washington team hang with them. For a team that many say will go deep into the playoffs, I can't see them finishing better than third in their division, with Washington probably finishing in 4th behind them, but of course, its early.
San Fransisco shocked me. I really didn't like them going into week one and they managed to knock off the Super Bowl runner up Arizona Cardinals. The curse of the Super Bowl loser is in full effect. Both of these teams are going to have rough seasons, but San Fran won't be as bad as I thought.
Seattle looked good... but it was st. Louis. They are bad, really really bad. I can't take much else out of this game.
Green Bay and Chicago was a great game. Both defenses looked very strong, even after the Bears lost Brian Urlacher. Cutler did not look good, looked like he was going to cry the entire game, and doesn't have an ounce of leadership in his body. Aaron Rodgers however, stepped up huge after the refs tried to give away the game on a phantom illegal contact call. Huge touchdown to Greg Jennings to put the dagger in the Bears. His MVP campaign already has one notch in his belt.
The two Monday night games... well, didn't go as expected. I'll start with the Pats/Bills:
I am still trying to figure out why the Patriots insist on running the ball at all. They have five running backs and only one of them is effective: Kevin Faulk. He is effective because he is used to catch the ball. This is not a ball control offense. They don't have a defense, at all. It is absolutely terrible and the losses of Bruschi, Seymore and Vrabel clearly hurt this team. If they want to beat people, they need to cut them apart through the air. They absolutely proved that they can do this in the final two drives of no huddle hurry up offense. The Bills had no answer. That is the strength of this team. You have Brady, Moss and Welker. Opposing teams can not stop you through the air. I know you have to run occasionally, but it should be at least a 75/25 split. Don't try and beat teams by pounding them, just do what you do best, and score 40 points a game and hope the defense can keep the other team from scoring 50. I think they can do that. Running the ball with this team is like intentionally putting themselves at a disadvantage. Also, they really better hope Mayo's injury is not serious.
As for the Chargers, well I don't know how they let the Raiders hang with them so long. Maybe it was the environment, maybe it was they underestimated them, who knows? Maybe the Chargers just aren't that good. They are, however, better than the Raiders. Jemarcus Russel is not good enough to be a professional quarterback. He is just another Al Davis mistake that will torpedo this team. In the end, as with the Patriots, the Chargers just out-skilled the opposition. The Raiders should have a solid defense, but I can't see them scoring too many points. Zach Miller looked very good though, and could be a top 5 fantasy tight end this season.
That's all I've got for today. Tomorrow I'll be back with my top 5 films of the Summer. Hope you enjoyed the recap! Follow me, comment me, send me emails at geezer9687@yahoo.com if there's anything you want to get my thoughts on or talk about. Until tomorrow, peace, and don't worry too much about Taylor Swift, I'm sure she'll be happy rolling in her millions. she's done pretty well for herself.
The MTV Video Music Awards were held this week, once again to measure how far into the tank our society has fallen. I have to say, we may be approaching critical mass. Its not good when our country is more enthralled with Kanye West dissing Taylor Swift than anything that actually, ya know, matters. So Kanye pulls a publicity stunt because his ego is through the roof and America loses their minds. Maybe we just never had them to begin with for watching this crap. Not to mention the state of the music that actually wins these things. Also, does anyone else find it ironic that MTV holds an awards show for music videos, yet no longer actually plays them?
Tyler Perry had himself another box office hit over the weekend with I Can Do Bad All By Myself. The man can do no wrong when it comes to success at the box office, with his most recent film pulling in $23,446,785. I may not be a fan of his films but they certainly have an audience and you can never bet against him. Coming in second place was the animated film 9, with 10,740,446. The film opened on Wednesday and has a total of 15,160,926 since then. Holdovers Inglourious Basterds, All About Steve, and The Final Destination round out the top 5, while openers Sorority Row and Whiteout, two horrible looking thrillers bombed on opening weekend, failing to crack the top 5 with $5,059,802 and $4,915,104 respectively.
In sports, the greatest basketball player who ever lived, Michael Jordan was inducted into the Hall of Fame not ten minutes from my house at Springfield symphony Hall. Also inducted were John Stockton of the Utah Jazz, David Robinson of the San Antonio Spure, Rutgers women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer and Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan. The night definitely belonged to Jordan however, and he let the audience know it. Several journalists have called him out for being a bully, a brat, a pompous ass, you name it. But this was true Jordan. This is what made him the most devastating force basketball has ever seen. He wore his heart on his sleeve. I was mesmerized at every word. He was brutally honest as he spoke, describing several of the people and situation that motivated him. He could have gone up their and given everyone a typical thank you speech, just like everyone else. Some people would have preferred that, called it more classy. I wanted to see the Jordan that we have known and have been in awe of for years, and that is what we got. Congrats Michael, I'm so glad you stayed true to that competitive fire that made you so incredible.
Yesterday we lost Patrick Swayze, star of Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Point Break, Donnie Darko , Roadhouse and several other films. He was a true talent, and from all accounts, a great man. He had been battling cancer for several months and finally lost the fight. Rest in peace Patrick.
And now some thoughts on the opening weekend in the National Football League:
Tennessee and Pittsburgh will once again be defensive dynamos, but Pittsburgh is still a little better.
Tony Gonzalez was a great addition for Atlanta, and they are on their way to proving last season was not a fluke. Miami can not say the same.
Denver is just as bad as I thought they would be, however, Cincinatti is much worse. Kyle Orton is just as bad as he was in Chicago, Brandon Marshall figures to continue his demands to get out of there.
Cleveland is definitely in the running for the worst team in football. Minnesota isn't that great either, but Adrian Peterson is an absolute beast, and no question the best back in football. He proved it in week 1, if their were any doubters.
Jacksonville did what I expected against Indianapolis, but couldn't quite pull off the win, covered the spread though. They played them tough, and will definitely be a solid team. However, I feel the division is too strong for either team. Losing Anthony Gonzalez is a blow for the Colts.
New Orleans and Detroit put up a ton of points, as expected. Drew Brees' 6 touchdown day was a fantasy gold mine. Detroit's defense is still terrible, and New Orleans isn't that much better. Both teams will need to try and put up 35 points a week if they want to beat their opponents. New Orleans will be more successful at this.
Dallas beat Tampa Bay and those that said Tony Romo would be better off without TO look really good right now. Take it with a grain of salt however, as Tampa Bay is terrible. that defense is not what it used to be.
Philadelphia made me look real good in my lock of the week. They are a very dangerous team... if McNabb can come back healthy from his cracked ribs. That is a very big if.
Baltimore may not be as good as I once thought. The offense looked good, the defense did not against Kansas City. This is very perplexing, as they are a defensive team first and foremost. The loss of Rex Ryan seems to be a problem, after one week anyway.
And the team he went to, the New York Jets, seem to be a lot better than I gave them credit for. That defense looked outstanding, especially considering the potent Houston offense they were facing. I still like Houston, i just like the Jets defense a lot more. Mark Sanchez also looked impressive, we'll see if it continues.
The Giants didn't impress me against Washington. they were at home, and they let an inferior Washington team hang with them. For a team that many say will go deep into the playoffs, I can't see them finishing better than third in their division, with Washington probably finishing in 4th behind them, but of course, its early.
San Fransisco shocked me. I really didn't like them going into week one and they managed to knock off the Super Bowl runner up Arizona Cardinals. The curse of the Super Bowl loser is in full effect. Both of these teams are going to have rough seasons, but San Fran won't be as bad as I thought.
Seattle looked good... but it was st. Louis. They are bad, really really bad. I can't take much else out of this game.
Green Bay and Chicago was a great game. Both defenses looked very strong, even after the Bears lost Brian Urlacher. Cutler did not look good, looked like he was going to cry the entire game, and doesn't have an ounce of leadership in his body. Aaron Rodgers however, stepped up huge after the refs tried to give away the game on a phantom illegal contact call. Huge touchdown to Greg Jennings to put the dagger in the Bears. His MVP campaign already has one notch in his belt.
The two Monday night games... well, didn't go as expected. I'll start with the Pats/Bills:
I am still trying to figure out why the Patriots insist on running the ball at all. They have five running backs and only one of them is effective: Kevin Faulk. He is effective because he is used to catch the ball. This is not a ball control offense. They don't have a defense, at all. It is absolutely terrible and the losses of Bruschi, Seymore and Vrabel clearly hurt this team. If they want to beat people, they need to cut them apart through the air. They absolutely proved that they can do this in the final two drives of no huddle hurry up offense. The Bills had no answer. That is the strength of this team. You have Brady, Moss and Welker. Opposing teams can not stop you through the air. I know you have to run occasionally, but it should be at least a 75/25 split. Don't try and beat teams by pounding them, just do what you do best, and score 40 points a game and hope the defense can keep the other team from scoring 50. I think they can do that. Running the ball with this team is like intentionally putting themselves at a disadvantage. Also, they really better hope Mayo's injury is not serious.
As for the Chargers, well I don't know how they let the Raiders hang with them so long. Maybe it was the environment, maybe it was they underestimated them, who knows? Maybe the Chargers just aren't that good. They are, however, better than the Raiders. Jemarcus Russel is not good enough to be a professional quarterback. He is just another Al Davis mistake that will torpedo this team. In the end, as with the Patriots, the Chargers just out-skilled the opposition. The Raiders should have a solid defense, but I can't see them scoring too many points. Zach Miller looked very good though, and could be a top 5 fantasy tight end this season.
That's all I've got for today. Tomorrow I'll be back with my top 5 films of the Summer. Hope you enjoyed the recap! Follow me, comment me, send me emails at geezer9687@yahoo.com if there's anything you want to get my thoughts on or talk about. Until tomorrow, peace, and don't worry too much about Taylor Swift, I'm sure she'll be happy rolling in her millions. she's done pretty well for herself.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The Madden Curse... and my week 1 preview
Every year the final whistle blows on the Super Bowl, the confetti pours down and someone is going to Disney World. This is one of the saddest moments of the sports year. No more football for several long months.
So we wait, watch basketball, hockey, then baseball, patiently waiting the next season. Watching the draft, gearing up for your team's run at the title in the coming September.
But before we get there, as long as there will be a football season, one thing will be certain: there will be a Madden NFL football game released in August. Why would we care? Well because the Curse of the Madden cover has become one of the single most intriguing plot lines of every football season since Madden started putting players on his cover.
Garrison Hearst was the first player to appear on the Madden cover, and the first to suffer the wrath of the Madden curse, breaking his ankle in the 1998 playoffs. He would never be the same. Barry Sanders never played another game after appearing on the cover. Eddie George, the first of two victim's that hit home for me, completely dropped off in production the year he was on the cover, scoring 11 less touchdowns. Daunte Culpepper goes from being one of the most productive QB's in the game, to getting hurt and never regaining his top form, ending the Super Bowl hopes of Viking fans everywhere. Being on Madden marked the beginning of the end for Marshall Faulk's career, he was never the same dominating back he was before the curse befell him.
The next year was Michael Vick. He was a special case of the curse because not only did he break his leg that year, but we all know the true effects of the curse on his career. The dog fighting ring, the jail sentence, and the subsequent destruction of his career. Maybe he comes back well in Philadelphia, but the deck is stacked against him.
Ray Lewis had his worst season after appearing on Madden the next year, Donovan McNabb missed 7 games in his Madden season. Shaun Alexander breaks his foot, which ends his career, after having a record breaking touchdown season. Vince Young loses his mind, and his starting spot, the year after he appears on the cover. The second player that hits home. I still hold out hope for his career, but with the Madden curse already on him, hope is all it may ever be.
They thought they were safe in putting a retired Brett Favre on the cover last year. Then Favre made the decision to come back, tarnishing his God-like legacy in Green Bay and having his pretty decent season derailed by injury at the end of the year and dividing a locker room in the process.
So here we are in 2009, and with the release of Madden 10, for the first time there are two players on the Madden cover. It didn't take long for the curse to strike, as Titans tight end Alge Crumpler landed on the knee of Troy Palamalu, and early reports have him missing d early reports have him out 3-6 weeks with an MCL sprain. The other cover boy is Larry Fitzgerald, arguably the best wide receiver in the game. If I were a Cardinals fan, or I owned him in a fantasy league, I'd be shaking in my boots right now. The curse is viscious, and doesn't like to waste time.
On to the picks (I had Tennessee on Thursday):
Home Team is in CAPS
ATLANTA (-4) Over Miami
I expect Miami to prove that last season was a fraud and have a miserable season. Atlanta however improves on last season's playoff run.
CINCINATTI (-4) Over Denver
Denver has no defense (well neither does Cincinatti) and Kyle Orton is battling injury. Knowshon Moreno also isn't entirely healthy heading into the season and Brandon Marshall is a complete wild card at this point. I'm taking Cincinatti here.
Jacksonville (+7) Over INDIANAPOLIS
I expect Jacksonvillle to come into this game and show Indianapolis what tough, physical football is all about. They are going to smack the Colts in the mouth. Expect a big game out of Maurice Jones Drew. They are fairly evenly matched, in my opinion, so I am definitely taking the points.
NEW ORLEANS (-13) over Detroit
Detroit will be better this year than last, but so will New Orleans. Expect a ton of points, but New Orleans will get the majority of them and should make this a blowout.
BALTIMORE (-13) Over Kansas City
KC is overmatched here. That defense could leave them scoreless, especially if Cassel can't go or is hampered by the injury. Ray Rice is a great fantasy play for this game.
HOUSTON (-4.5) Over New York Jets
The Jets will be the first victim of the dynamic Houston Texans offense in their quest for their first ever playoff birth. The Jets are in for a rebuilding year, and a lot of teams are going to take advantage of that.
Washington (+6.5) over NEW YORK GIANTS
Plaxico will be huge, Eli is overrated and they have no one proven to throw to. I seem to be alone but I really don't see them having a good season. The Redskins on the other hand, I do like, and as the underdog in this one, I'll definitely take the points.
ARIZONA (-6.5) Over San Fransisco
San Fransisco is in for a rough year, and as much as I don't like the Cardinals this year, I like the Niners a lot less. Arizona walks all over them.
SEATTLE (-8.5) Over St. Louis
Seattle should win this weak division this year and they match up against arguably the worst team in football. No contest.
GREEN BAY (-3.5) Over Chicago
You all know my feelings about Green Bay, and I feel that although Chicago should slow them down, it won't be enough to stop them entirely and Green Bay covers the spread.
NEW ENGLAND (-11) Over Buffalo
Lots and lots of points will be scored. Most of them will go to New England.
San Diego (-9.5) Over OAKLAND
Oakland is in the running for worst team in football. San Diego is in the running for the best. The spread should be bigger.
Lock of the Week Second Runner Up:
Dallas (-6) Over TAMPA BAY
This is more of a condemning of Tampa Bay than a praising of Dallas, but the Cowboys are a far superior team. This one will not be close. Tampa will not be able to hang and only giving 6 points is a gift.
Lock of the Week First Runner Up:
Minnesota (-4) Over CLEVELAND
Once again, more condemning Cleveland than praising Minnesota. I think people will learn very quickly how bad this Cleveland team will be this season, and Favre should be ok to start the season (how he finishes is a different story).
LOCK OF THE WEEK
Philadelphia (-1.5) Over CAROLINA
For my lock of the week I am picking the Eagles. I love the Eagles, and they match up well with Carolina. They can stop the run, and will put up points. They are only giving 1.5 and I think they should win the game easily. Not that Carolina is a bad football team, the Eagles are just better.
So we wait, watch basketball, hockey, then baseball, patiently waiting the next season. Watching the draft, gearing up for your team's run at the title in the coming September.
But before we get there, as long as there will be a football season, one thing will be certain: there will be a Madden NFL football game released in August. Why would we care? Well because the Curse of the Madden cover has become one of the single most intriguing plot lines of every football season since Madden started putting players on his cover.
Garrison Hearst was the first player to appear on the Madden cover, and the first to suffer the wrath of the Madden curse, breaking his ankle in the 1998 playoffs. He would never be the same. Barry Sanders never played another game after appearing on the cover. Eddie George, the first of two victim's that hit home for me, completely dropped off in production the year he was on the cover, scoring 11 less touchdowns. Daunte Culpepper goes from being one of the most productive QB's in the game, to getting hurt and never regaining his top form, ending the Super Bowl hopes of Viking fans everywhere. Being on Madden marked the beginning of the end for Marshall Faulk's career, he was never the same dominating back he was before the curse befell him.
The next year was Michael Vick. He was a special case of the curse because not only did he break his leg that year, but we all know the true effects of the curse on his career. The dog fighting ring, the jail sentence, and the subsequent destruction of his career. Maybe he comes back well in Philadelphia, but the deck is stacked against him.
Ray Lewis had his worst season after appearing on Madden the next year, Donovan McNabb missed 7 games in his Madden season. Shaun Alexander breaks his foot, which ends his career, after having a record breaking touchdown season. Vince Young loses his mind, and his starting spot, the year after he appears on the cover. The second player that hits home. I still hold out hope for his career, but with the Madden curse already on him, hope is all it may ever be.
They thought they were safe in putting a retired Brett Favre on the cover last year. Then Favre made the decision to come back, tarnishing his God-like legacy in Green Bay and having his pretty decent season derailed by injury at the end of the year and dividing a locker room in the process.
So here we are in 2009, and with the release of Madden 10, for the first time there are two players on the Madden cover. It didn't take long for the curse to strike, as Titans tight end Alge Crumpler landed on the knee of Troy Palamalu, and early reports have him missing d early reports have him out 3-6 weeks with an MCL sprain. The other cover boy is Larry Fitzgerald, arguably the best wide receiver in the game. If I were a Cardinals fan, or I owned him in a fantasy league, I'd be shaking in my boots right now. The curse is viscious, and doesn't like to waste time.
On to the picks (I had Tennessee on Thursday):
Home Team is in CAPS
ATLANTA (-4) Over Miami
I expect Miami to prove that last season was a fraud and have a miserable season. Atlanta however improves on last season's playoff run.
CINCINATTI (-4) Over Denver
Denver has no defense (well neither does Cincinatti) and Kyle Orton is battling injury. Knowshon Moreno also isn't entirely healthy heading into the season and Brandon Marshall is a complete wild card at this point. I'm taking Cincinatti here.
Jacksonville (+7) Over INDIANAPOLIS
I expect Jacksonvillle to come into this game and show Indianapolis what tough, physical football is all about. They are going to smack the Colts in the mouth. Expect a big game out of Maurice Jones Drew. They are fairly evenly matched, in my opinion, so I am definitely taking the points.
NEW ORLEANS (-13) over Detroit
Detroit will be better this year than last, but so will New Orleans. Expect a ton of points, but New Orleans will get the majority of them and should make this a blowout.
BALTIMORE (-13) Over Kansas City
KC is overmatched here. That defense could leave them scoreless, especially if Cassel can't go or is hampered by the injury. Ray Rice is a great fantasy play for this game.
HOUSTON (-4.5) Over New York Jets
The Jets will be the first victim of the dynamic Houston Texans offense in their quest for their first ever playoff birth. The Jets are in for a rebuilding year, and a lot of teams are going to take advantage of that.
Washington (+6.5) over NEW YORK GIANTS
Plaxico will be huge, Eli is overrated and they have no one proven to throw to. I seem to be alone but I really don't see them having a good season. The Redskins on the other hand, I do like, and as the underdog in this one, I'll definitely take the points.
ARIZONA (-6.5) Over San Fransisco
San Fransisco is in for a rough year, and as much as I don't like the Cardinals this year, I like the Niners a lot less. Arizona walks all over them.
SEATTLE (-8.5) Over St. Louis
Seattle should win this weak division this year and they match up against arguably the worst team in football. No contest.
GREEN BAY (-3.5) Over Chicago
You all know my feelings about Green Bay, and I feel that although Chicago should slow them down, it won't be enough to stop them entirely and Green Bay covers the spread.
NEW ENGLAND (-11) Over Buffalo
Lots and lots of points will be scored. Most of them will go to New England.
San Diego (-9.5) Over OAKLAND
Oakland is in the running for worst team in football. San Diego is in the running for the best. The spread should be bigger.
Lock of the Week Second Runner Up:
Dallas (-6) Over TAMPA BAY
This is more of a condemning of Tampa Bay than a praising of Dallas, but the Cowboys are a far superior team. This one will not be close. Tampa will not be able to hang and only giving 6 points is a gift.
Lock of the Week First Runner Up:
Minnesota (-4) Over CLEVELAND
Once again, more condemning Cleveland than praising Minnesota. I think people will learn very quickly how bad this Cleveland team will be this season, and Favre should be ok to start the season (how he finishes is a different story).
LOCK OF THE WEEK
Philadelphia (-1.5) Over CAROLINA
For my lock of the week I am picking the Eagles. I love the Eagles, and they match up well with Carolina. They can stop the run, and will put up points. They are only giving 1.5 and I think they should win the game easily. Not that Carolina is a bad football team, the Eagles are just better.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The Blog returns for a big NFL preview!
Boy was I wrong on those baseball picks! Sorry for the extremely long layoff in my blog, but football is back, and I have predictions to make (and probably get wrong) again! I will be sticking around this time (I can hear the boos already) for lots of football talk for the season. Sorry to anyone who missed me. There had to be one right? Right???
Anyway, here we go, my big NFL preview:
Some thoughts:
The AFC and NFC South divisions are the best in football.
The NFC West, again, is terrible.
If San Diego doesn’t win the AFC West, I will never make another NFL prediction as long as I live.
The Colts, Giants and Vikings all fail to make the playoffs this season.
The Texans, Saints and Seahawks do not.
My Titans will beat the Ravens in the playoffs this season.
The Steelers however, are a much more imposing challenge.
There are 5 teams that can win the Super Bowl this season: New England, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Philadelphia and Green Bay.
There are also 5 teams that could go winless this season: Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Oakland, St. Louis and San Francisco.
The Patriots are going to come close to the offense of two years ago, but the defense will fail them in the most crucial of situations.
Philadelphia and Green Bay are the most complete teams in football, I believe that they have the best chance at winning it all.
Pittsburgh’s schedule is soft as a pillow, and I think this may hurt them come playoff time.
AFC Playoffs
Round 1
1. Pittsburgh BYE
2. New England BYE
3. San Diego W
6. Texans
4. Tennessee W
5. Baltimore
Round 2
1. Pittsburgh W
4. Tennessee
2. New England W
3. San Diego
AFC Championship
1. Pittsburgh
2. New England W
NFC
Round 1
1. Green Bay BYE
2. Philadelphia BYE
3. New Orleans W
6. Carolina
4. Seattle
5. Atlanta W
Round 2
1. Green Bay W
5. Atlanta
2. Philadelphia W
3. New Orleans
NFC Championship
1. Green Bay W
2. Philadelphia
Super Bowl
1.Green Bay
2.New England
and……..
Green Bay wins the Super Bowl. Rodgers is ready for a breakout season and they are a team no one is really talking about. Grant is going to be better than last season, Jennings is a stud, the weapons are all there and the defense is underrated. They are going to have extra motivation because everyone is picking the Vikings, with Favre at the helm, as Super Bowl contenders. I love this team to be hoisting the Lombardi this year, with Rodgers as both the regular season and Super Bowl MVP.
Here's a breakdown of how I feel each team will fare through the season:
AFC East
New England 14-2
Buffalo 5-11
New York Jets 3-13
Miami 3-13
AFC South
Tennessee 12-4
Texans 12-4
Indianapolis 10-6
Jacksonville 10-6
AFC North
Pittsburgh 15-1
Baltimore 12-4
Cincinatti 6-10
Cleveland 1-15
AFC West
San Diego 14-2
Denver 4-12
Kansas City 4-12
Oakland 1-15
NFC East
Philadelphia 13-3
Redskins 11-5
Dallas 8-8
New York Giants 5-11
NFC South
New Orleans 12-4
Atlanta 12-4
Carolina 12-4
Tampa Bay 1-15
NFC North
Green Bay 14-2
Chicago 11-5
Minnesota 9-7
Detroit 3-13
NFC West
Seattle 8-8
Arizona 7-9
San Francisco 2-14
St. Louis 1-15
I hope you enjoyed my return. I won’t be going anywhere for a while, and there will be so much more NFL in the coming months for you to read, and love, or hate, either way, it will be there.
Anyway, here we go, my big NFL preview:
Some thoughts:
The AFC and NFC South divisions are the best in football.
The NFC West, again, is terrible.
If San Diego doesn’t win the AFC West, I will never make another NFL prediction as long as I live.
The Colts, Giants and Vikings all fail to make the playoffs this season.
The Texans, Saints and Seahawks do not.
My Titans will beat the Ravens in the playoffs this season.
The Steelers however, are a much more imposing challenge.
There are 5 teams that can win the Super Bowl this season: New England, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Philadelphia and Green Bay.
There are also 5 teams that could go winless this season: Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Oakland, St. Louis and San Francisco.
The Patriots are going to come close to the offense of two years ago, but the defense will fail them in the most crucial of situations.
Philadelphia and Green Bay are the most complete teams in football, I believe that they have the best chance at winning it all.
Pittsburgh’s schedule is soft as a pillow, and I think this may hurt them come playoff time.
AFC Playoffs
Round 1
1. Pittsburgh BYE
2. New England BYE
3. San Diego W
6. Texans
4. Tennessee W
5. Baltimore
Round 2
1. Pittsburgh W
4. Tennessee
2. New England W
3. San Diego
AFC Championship
1. Pittsburgh
2. New England W
NFC
Round 1
1. Green Bay BYE
2. Philadelphia BYE
3. New Orleans W
6. Carolina
4. Seattle
5. Atlanta W
Round 2
1. Green Bay W
5. Atlanta
2. Philadelphia W
3. New Orleans
NFC Championship
1. Green Bay W
2. Philadelphia
Super Bowl
1.Green Bay
2.New England
and……..
Green Bay wins the Super Bowl. Rodgers is ready for a breakout season and they are a team no one is really talking about. Grant is going to be better than last season, Jennings is a stud, the weapons are all there and the defense is underrated. They are going to have extra motivation because everyone is picking the Vikings, with Favre at the helm, as Super Bowl contenders. I love this team to be hoisting the Lombardi this year, with Rodgers as both the regular season and Super Bowl MVP.
Here's a breakdown of how I feel each team will fare through the season:
AFC East
New England 14-2
Buffalo 5-11
New York Jets 3-13
Miami 3-13
AFC South
Tennessee 12-4
Texans 12-4
Indianapolis 10-6
Jacksonville 10-6
AFC North
Pittsburgh 15-1
Baltimore 12-4
Cincinatti 6-10
Cleveland 1-15
AFC West
San Diego 14-2
Denver 4-12
Kansas City 4-12
Oakland 1-15
NFC East
Philadelphia 13-3
Redskins 11-5
Dallas 8-8
New York Giants 5-11
NFC South
New Orleans 12-4
Atlanta 12-4
Carolina 12-4
Tampa Bay 1-15
NFC North
Green Bay 14-2
Chicago 11-5
Minnesota 9-7
Detroit 3-13
NFC West
Seattle 8-8
Arizona 7-9
San Francisco 2-14
St. Louis 1-15
I hope you enjoyed my return. I won’t be going anywhere for a while, and there will be so much more NFL in the coming months for you to read, and love, or hate, either way, it will be there.
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