With week 1 in the books, we can all start to turn our attention to the upcoming week and the games it brings. Last week, the fellows at ESPN's Scouts Inc. got the slight edge on me, finishing 10-6 while my predictions put me at a mediocre 8-8. There were definitely some upsets and some surprising wins in last weeks action, as some teams put the "what lockout?" smack down on their season opener. Lets take a closer look at this week's games.
Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints
ESPN Pick: New Orleans 24 Chicago 13
Committed Fan Pick: New Orleans 21 Chicago 17
I liked what I saw out of the Bears last week as they dominated a tough NFC South team in the Falcons. They had vicious defensive pressure, never allowing the Falcons to get into a groove. The Saints, however, have Drew Brees, a prolific quarterback who specializes in finding the open receiver, no matter the coverage.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Minnesota Vikings
ESPN Pick: Tampa Bay 21 Minnesota 17
Committed Fan pick: Minnesota 24 Tampa Bay 14
Listen, the Minnesota Vikings are far from being a well put together team. Donovan McNabb made a poor showing at quarterback last week, and failed to initiate the offense at all. I don't particularly like the O-line in Minnesota, but In Adrian Peterson I trust, and against Tampa Bay's young and untested defense, I think Minnesota prevails behind a big day from their star player.
Oakland Raiders vs. Buffalo Bills
ESPN Pick: Oakland 20 Buffalo 14
Committed Fan Pick: Oakland 31 Buffalo 28
This matchup puts two deceptively good offenses up against two mediocre defenses, and a firefight is sure to follow. The Bills seem to have found a pretty good QB in Ryan Fitzpatrick, and coupled with utility back Fred Jackson, the Bills could easily go punch for punch with Oakland and its 1-2 power running combo.
Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs
ESPN Pick: Detroit 27 Kansas City 17
Committed Fan Pick: Detroit 23 Kansas City 17
Matt Cassel and co. will be looking for a bounce back win after last weeks drubbing by the Buffalo Bills, but they will not get a pushover team to get it against, as the streaking Lions come to town. Detroit has the best D-Line in the league and can put a lot of pressure on a QB very quickly. QB Matt Stafford looked in top form last Sunday, as him and Calvin Johnson are finally establishing good chemistry.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans
ESPN Pick: Baltimore 24 Tennessee 17
Committed Fan Pick: Baltimore 31 Tennessee 13
The Titans played a close, defensive struggle of a game last week, without managing to come away with a win. They face a very tough test in Baltimore, who are coming off a destruction against one of the leagues best defenses last week. Tennessee will have to utilize Chris Johnson more this week than last, but if the Ravens get ahead early, they will limit what Tennessee can do with their star player.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Cleveland Browns
ESPN Pick: Cleveland 21 Indianapolis 20
Committed Fan Pick: Cleveland 24 Indianapolis 17
The Colts certainly don't have the worst QB option at the helm without Peyton Manning, but last week Kerry Collins almost let the team get shut out by the Texans. If not for a late Texans turnover, that most likely would have happened. The fact that I've never seen the Colts get shut out while I've been alive should make it obvious that this team is in dire straits. This week, they face the tough ground game of Cleveland and bruiser back Peyton Hillis. If the Colts can stop Hillis, they could give Collins a legitimate shot to get them a win.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets
ESPN Pick: Jets 27 Jaguars 14
Committed Fan Pick: Jets 23 Jaguars 17
Both of these teams had to fight for a win in week 1, as both of them could have easily lost their game. In this game, new Jags QB Luke McCown will have to duplicate his accurate passing against the beefed up Jets defense, including shut down corner Darelle Revis. On defense, the Jags will have to slow down the run game and force Mark Sanchez to throw to beat them.
Pittsburg Steelers vs. Seattle Seahawks
ESPN Pick: Pittsburgh 27 Seattle 20
Committed Fan Pick: Pittsburgh 35 Seattle 14
I expect two things out of this game. (1) Pittsburgh doesn't lose two games in a row. (2) James Harrison knocks someone out cold in this one. Look, Seattle is on a collision course of destruction, where bad luck meets bad timing. Pittsburgh is angry after their week 1 drubbing and I fully expect them to let Tavaris Jackson know about it. I expect the Steeler's D will be taking care of fundamentals this week, and on offense I see Ben Roethlisberger maybe getting some TD passes to go with the INT's he threw last week.
Washington Redskins vs. Arizona Cardinals
ESPN Pick: Washington 20 Arizona 10
Committed Fan Pick: Arizona 21 Washington 17
Washington looked good last week, and I think they have potential as a possible Wild Card team this year, but they'll face a new look Cardinals team this week. QB Rex Grossman probably won't throw for more yards than Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb, but he could be most useful leading and organizing his team's offense on and off the field. This game could go either way, as there is alot of talent on both teams.
Green Bay Packers vs. Carolina Panthers
ESPN Pick: Green Bay 20 Carolina 14
Committed Fan Pick: Green Bay 24 Carolina 17
A lot of people underestimated Panthers QB Cam Newton going into last week, myself included. Lesson learned, with a grain of salt. Newton torched the Cardinals secondary for 422 yards passing, but faces a tougher secondary this week. Green Bay is a much better team defensively than Arizona, so Newton might find himself gambling and losing as he tries to replicate his success from last week.
San Francisco 49er's vs. Dallas Cowboys
ESPN Pick: Dallas 27 San Francisco 20
Committed Fan Pick: Dallas 27 San Francisco 21
One of the more interesting match ups of this week, this game features to teams with something to prove and desperate to do so. Dallas needs to rally behind QB Tony Romo, a re-occuring problem just about every year now, and trust him to make plays late down the stretch. And oh yeah, he needs to actually do it. San Francisco needs to show life in an offense that relied on kick returns for half of its points last week. Unless Ted Ginn Jr. can bust one or two off every week, the offense needs to step up and produce some points.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Denver Broncos
ESPN Pick: Denver 24 Cincinnati 23
Committed Fan Pick: Denver 27 Cincinnati 21
In a matchup between Kyle Orton and Andy Dalton, I'm gonna take Orton here. Orton also has a better team behind him, and a more capable receiving corp than Dalton. If Denver can throw some disguised blitzes at Dalton and stand steady against Cedric Benson and the run game, they should win this game.
Houston Texans vs. Miami Dolphins
ESPN Pick: Houston 24 Miami 20
Committed Fan Pick: Miami 21 Houston 20
This pick depends alot on the status of Houston RB Arian Foster and his status for the game. If he isn't playing, I think Miami slips past Houston. If he does, I think Houston takes it. But I have to like the Dolphin's chances in this game. I mean, who didn't get even a little bit excited to see Chad Henne go off last week? He was Henne the Hulk, roughing up New England's secondary for 416 passing yards.
San Diego Chargers vs. New England Patriots
ESPN Pick: San Diego 27 New England 22
Committed Fan Pick: San Diego 23 New England 21
With Peyton Manning out for the foreseeable future, this has got to be the marquee quarterback matchup of the season. Phillip Rivers could easily abuse this secondary, still shaky after giving up more than 400 yards passing last week. Tom Brady and Co. will do whatever possible to test the Chargers defense, and this one could easily become a scoring clinic.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Atlanta Falcons
ESPN Pick: Philadelphia 24 Atlanta 23
Committed Fan Pick: Philadelphia 27 Atlanta 21
Another who matchup here, a must win games for both teams. For the "Dream Team" Eagles, a win against the Falcons could start garnering them some serious respect. For the Falcons, the game is a must win to avoid starting off 0-2. If the Falcons can't beat the Saints out in the NFC South division battle, they will have to try their best to secure a Wild Card berth, and that starts with winning this game.
St. Louis Rams vs. New York Giants
ESPN Pick: Giants 21 Rams 13
Committed Fan Pick: Giants 24 Rams 17
Both of these teams played a disappointing season opener last week, and that makes both of them looking for a rebound win. Two teams enter, one team leaves. Sam Bradford and the Rams are on their way to something special. But the Giants have already been there, and they have an edge in experience at basically every position. One glaring weakness is the lack of depth and skill at cornerback, which the Rams could exploit by using Danny Amendola all over the field at wide receiver.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Thoughts on Newton and others: Week 1 reflections.
With week 1 in the books, I'd like to reflect on some of the things we saw in the slate of games last week. Keep in mind that at any rate, only one game has been played by any team or player.
Alright, I was wrong when I said that Newton would not impress in his first NFL start. He impressed alot of people, including every analyst at ESPN and yes, me....to an extent. Newton did a very good job, that is for sure, but the performance was slightly skewed. Newton's 77 yard TD pass was more about the speed of Steve Smith than the excellent passing of Newton. Any NFL QB can hit a streaking wideout behind the coverage for a touchdown, considering that Smith was not even guarded at that point. Take off those tack on yards and you're left with 345 yards, still an amazing number, but a much more realistic figure to look at. To go along with that 345, he had two bad interceptions, (one recalled by an off the ball defensive penalty against AZ) and a 66% completion percentage. I predict a lot of people will be worshipping Newton for the next week, but I can't bring myself to worship a great effort against a pass defense ranked 31st in the league last year, which gave up its best corner in free agency. Look, you can pass against the Cardinals. Cam Newton did that, and he did that very effectively. But lets see him replicate that against the likes of Jacksonville (17th), Washington (15) and Chicago (21st) before we crown him the NFL's best.
On Sunday I was able to mark an item off my bucket list, as I finally got to see the Pittsburgh Steeler's lose with the same spastic, desperate flailing effort that teams normally resort to against them. Yes, Jim Harbaugh's Ravens got out the gate early against the Steeler's and never looked back, cruising to a 35-7 victory. I have to say I'm even more impressed about this win because these two teams typically play very close games. Indeed, the last 12 regular season match ups between these two have all been won by a margin of 4 points or fewer. This could be indicative of trouble in Pittsburgh, but I wouldn't count on it.
MNF had a doubleheader last night, and while that in itself sounds like an enticing bonus for the fans, I have to say, a New England blowout could only be beaten by the Denver-Oakland game of last night for the least entertaining game they could have shown. After both teams fumbled within their first few series, the game turned into an absolute sloppy mess. The two teams combined for 222 yards in penalties last night, enough yellow being thrown that I thought I was watching this program instead. During the game, there were 25 separate play stoppages. The biggest highlight of the game was when the iron legged* kicker Sebastian Janikowski nailed an NFL record 63 yard field goal as time expired in the half- and promptly proceeded to say he wasn't happy with it.
* No NFL kicker has a known metal appendage.
National Passing Week is over in the NFL game, a ridiculous slate of games in which the league had one 500 yard passer, three 400 yard passers, and ten 300 passers. A total of 663 completions torched NFL secondary's for 54 touchdown passes, a TD pass for every 12 passes thrown. The highest QB rating belongs to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick of Buffalo, with a 133.00 rating. With such a week concluding, it will be interesting to see if some of the victimized teams switch up their defense a bit. I'm looking at you, Miami.
Noteworthy Performances (that weren't by QB's) :
Darren McFadden RB Raiders: His 150 yards rushing on 22 carries was the most by an Oakland player in the season opener in team history. He had a 6.8 YPC pace on the night.
Haloti Ngata NT Ravens: In addition to his 4 tackles on the night, Ngata had a hand in 3 Steeler's turnovers Sunday, forcing a fumble, recovering another and tipping a pass at the line for an interception. Ngata's efforts helped Baltimore forced 7 turnovers out of Pittsburgh.
Ted Ginn Jr. WR 49ers: Ginn Jr. accomplished a super rare feat, following his go-ahead 102 yard kickoff return with a 55 yard punt return in the same game, turning a close contest into a blowout and sealing the win for his team. He also took a voluntary pay cut from the team this week, something not many players would even consider doing.
Oh Hey, I didn't see you there: QB Donovan McNabb started at QB for the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday and threw for a paltry 39 yards in a 7-15 effort, with one (short) TD pass and one interception. I'm not gonna say its the worst a QB will play this season, but I'm just not sure Derek Anderson will see much time this year.
Back from the dead player of Week 1: Panthers WR Steve Smith, once a fantasy stud, who had long been relegated to team distraction duties, went off for 178 yards receiving with two scores, including a 77 yard catch and run after a defensive mix up by the Cardinals. With the possible breakout of Cam Newton in Carolina, Steve Smith may once again find himself relevant in this league.
Alright, I was wrong when I said that Newton would not impress in his first NFL start. He impressed alot of people, including every analyst at ESPN and yes, me....to an extent. Newton did a very good job, that is for sure, but the performance was slightly skewed. Newton's 77 yard TD pass was more about the speed of Steve Smith than the excellent passing of Newton. Any NFL QB can hit a streaking wideout behind the coverage for a touchdown, considering that Smith was not even guarded at that point. Take off those tack on yards and you're left with 345 yards, still an amazing number, but a much more realistic figure to look at. To go along with that 345, he had two bad interceptions, (one recalled by an off the ball defensive penalty against AZ) and a 66% completion percentage. I predict a lot of people will be worshipping Newton for the next week, but I can't bring myself to worship a great effort against a pass defense ranked 31st in the league last year, which gave up its best corner in free agency. Look, you can pass against the Cardinals. Cam Newton did that, and he did that very effectively. But lets see him replicate that against the likes of Jacksonville (17th), Washington (15) and Chicago (21st) before we crown him the NFL's best.
On Sunday I was able to mark an item off my bucket list, as I finally got to see the Pittsburgh Steeler's lose with the same spastic, desperate flailing effort that teams normally resort to against them. Yes, Jim Harbaugh's Ravens got out the gate early against the Steeler's and never looked back, cruising to a 35-7 victory. I have to say I'm even more impressed about this win because these two teams typically play very close games. Indeed, the last 12 regular season match ups between these two have all been won by a margin of 4 points or fewer. This could be indicative of trouble in Pittsburgh, but I wouldn't count on it.
MNF had a doubleheader last night, and while that in itself sounds like an enticing bonus for the fans, I have to say, a New England blowout could only be beaten by the Denver-Oakland game of last night for the least entertaining game they could have shown. After both teams fumbled within their first few series, the game turned into an absolute sloppy mess. The two teams combined for 222 yards in penalties last night, enough yellow being thrown that I thought I was watching this program instead. During the game, there were 25 separate play stoppages. The biggest highlight of the game was when the iron legged* kicker Sebastian Janikowski nailed an NFL record 63 yard field goal as time expired in the half- and promptly proceeded to say he wasn't happy with it.
* No NFL kicker has a known metal appendage.
National Passing Week is over in the NFL game, a ridiculous slate of games in which the league had one 500 yard passer, three 400 yard passers, and ten 300 passers. A total of 663 completions torched NFL secondary's for 54 touchdown passes, a TD pass for every 12 passes thrown. The highest QB rating belongs to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick of Buffalo, with a 133.00 rating. With such a week concluding, it will be interesting to see if some of the victimized teams switch up their defense a bit. I'm looking at you, Miami.
Noteworthy Performances (that weren't by QB's) :
Darren McFadden RB Raiders: His 150 yards rushing on 22 carries was the most by an Oakland player in the season opener in team history. He had a 6.8 YPC pace on the night.
Haloti Ngata NT Ravens: In addition to his 4 tackles on the night, Ngata had a hand in 3 Steeler's turnovers Sunday, forcing a fumble, recovering another and tipping a pass at the line for an interception. Ngata's efforts helped Baltimore forced 7 turnovers out of Pittsburgh.
Ted Ginn Jr. WR 49ers: Ginn Jr. accomplished a super rare feat, following his go-ahead 102 yard kickoff return with a 55 yard punt return in the same game, turning a close contest into a blowout and sealing the win for his team. He also took a voluntary pay cut from the team this week, something not many players would even consider doing.
Oh Hey, I didn't see you there: QB Donovan McNabb started at QB for the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday and threw for a paltry 39 yards in a 7-15 effort, with one (short) TD pass and one interception. I'm not gonna say its the worst a QB will play this season, but I'm just not sure Derek Anderson will see much time this year.
Back from the dead player of Week 1: Panthers WR Steve Smith, once a fantasy stud, who had long been relegated to team distraction duties, went off for 178 yards receiving with two scores, including a 77 yard catch and run after a defensive mix up by the Cardinals. With the possible breakout of Cam Newton in Carolina, Steve Smith may once again find himself relevant in this league.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Fantasy Update: Who's hot, Who's not
Wow, what a great first game to kick off a new NFL season, after the turbulent and shortened offseason. We got our first look at some players for the fantasy season, and with some other NFL news sweeping around the league, the fantasy ramifications could be widespread.
Here are a few players whos' value I see taking a bit hit:
Any Packers RB not named John Kuhn: What did I see from the Packer's backfield in the Saints game? 103 yards total, with a 3.8 YPC. Ryan Grant, the "starter," had 9 carries for 40 yards to James stark's 12 for 57. Starks scored, although it was from 17 yards out, and when they finally ran inside the red zone, it went to John Kuhn, who had 5 yards total on the night. If the other night was any indicator of the season, any of these three backs is of only middling fantasy value, as none will get feature back carries AND enough scoring looks. Kuhn has some value, but only as a vulture to take touchdowns in short yardage situations.
Marcedes Lewis TE, Jacksonville:
Fantasy owners of Lewis everywhere cringed when they heard about the release of Jags QB David Garrard. Then they held their breath, hoping the team has some sort of answer, some good reason as to why he was cut. Garrard was "inconsistent", leading the Jaguars to believe that perennial backup Luke McCown is a better option. To me, this move made very little sense, and from a fantasy standpoint it kills Marcedes Lewis. Of Garrard's 23 TD passes last year, 10 went to Lewis, as the two formed trust between each other and Lewis became the favored red zone target. McCown threw all of 19 pass attempts last year, so while he may look to Lewis still as a preferred target, I'm worried about his ability to get it to him, and if you own Lewis, you should be too.
Peyton Manning QB Indianapolis Colts
With the consecutive starts streak over, everyone is now switching their attention to when Peyton will be back and healthy again. Normally, a player who will be out as long as Peyton wouldn't be worth a roster spot, but if you don't have much else at QB, then you can't afford to drop him. Listen, all of his weapons are still healthy. He is worthless right now, of course, but when he comes back, he will be able to utilize all of his weapons in the same manner in which he did before his injury.
Who's Hot
Relax, there are still plenty of reasons to be happy this fantasy season. There are still players poised for a big breakthrough, so lets go over a few of them.
Jimmy Graham TE New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees threw for 419 yards the other night in a loss. Those ridiculous numbers should make anyone owning a Saints player salivate. Graham is a big target, an athletic big man with good hands and good speed. Graham was poised to breakthrough this year and it is obvious that its going to happen in this Saints offense. Brees targeted him 7 times, including a touchdown strike, and if those targets and red zone looks stay steady, he could finish in the top 15 at his position. Pick him up.
Darren Sproles RB New Orleans Saints
Sproles showed New Orleans why he was a good pick up the night, providing a spark in both the return game and in the passing attack. He finished with a punt return TD and 9 catches for 70 yards. In leagues with a return format, he looks to have strong flex potential. He's a great pass catching back, and has good burst and elusiveness in the open field. If he is available in your league and the scoring is in his favor, pick him up, don't wait for someone else to.
Andre Roberts, WR Arizona
Last year, the QB carousel that Arizona used to get it through the season passed for 3,264 yards. Over 1,000 of those yards went to Larry Fitzgerald,who isn't on the waiver wire in any league right now. But someone who is? Andre Roberts. This guy was fourth on the team in targets and catches last year, and third in yards. However, the No.2 receiver is gone (Steve Breaston), and we wouldn't have Early Doucet taking that role, would we? Roberts will benefit immensely from the addition of Kevin Kolb, who will likely pass for 4,000+ yards. Fitz will get his yards regardless, but Roberts should easily have his first 1000 yard season this year.
Jared Cook TE Tennessee Titans
While the offseason addition of Matt Hasselbeck may not seem like a big upgrade for this Titans team, he projects to be much better behind a superior Titans O-line than he was behind a suspect Seattle one. He'll be looking to throw to spread the field for speedy Chris Johnson, and Jared Cook could factor into that. Sure, Kenny Britt and Nate Washington will be bigger factors in the passing game, but Cook is a big target who has become a factor in the passing game as of late. He's talented, and could be a deep sleeper for any fantasy owner who picks him up.
Here are a few players whos' value I see taking a bit hit:
Any Packers RB not named John Kuhn: What did I see from the Packer's backfield in the Saints game? 103 yards total, with a 3.8 YPC. Ryan Grant, the "starter," had 9 carries for 40 yards to James stark's 12 for 57. Starks scored, although it was from 17 yards out, and when they finally ran inside the red zone, it went to John Kuhn, who had 5 yards total on the night. If the other night was any indicator of the season, any of these three backs is of only middling fantasy value, as none will get feature back carries AND enough scoring looks. Kuhn has some value, but only as a vulture to take touchdowns in short yardage situations.
Marcedes Lewis TE, Jacksonville:
Fantasy owners of Lewis everywhere cringed when they heard about the release of Jags QB David Garrard. Then they held their breath, hoping the team has some sort of answer, some good reason as to why he was cut. Garrard was "inconsistent", leading the Jaguars to believe that perennial backup Luke McCown is a better option. To me, this move made very little sense, and from a fantasy standpoint it kills Marcedes Lewis. Of Garrard's 23 TD passes last year, 10 went to Lewis, as the two formed trust between each other and Lewis became the favored red zone target. McCown threw all of 19 pass attempts last year, so while he may look to Lewis still as a preferred target, I'm worried about his ability to get it to him, and if you own Lewis, you should be too.
Peyton Manning QB Indianapolis Colts
With the consecutive starts streak over, everyone is now switching their attention to when Peyton will be back and healthy again. Normally, a player who will be out as long as Peyton wouldn't be worth a roster spot, but if you don't have much else at QB, then you can't afford to drop him. Listen, all of his weapons are still healthy. He is worthless right now, of course, but when he comes back, he will be able to utilize all of his weapons in the same manner in which he did before his injury.
Who's Hot
Relax, there are still plenty of reasons to be happy this fantasy season. There are still players poised for a big breakthrough, so lets go over a few of them.
Jimmy Graham TE New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees threw for 419 yards the other night in a loss. Those ridiculous numbers should make anyone owning a Saints player salivate. Graham is a big target, an athletic big man with good hands and good speed. Graham was poised to breakthrough this year and it is obvious that its going to happen in this Saints offense. Brees targeted him 7 times, including a touchdown strike, and if those targets and red zone looks stay steady, he could finish in the top 15 at his position. Pick him up.
Darren Sproles RB New Orleans Saints
Sproles showed New Orleans why he was a good pick up the night, providing a spark in both the return game and in the passing attack. He finished with a punt return TD and 9 catches for 70 yards. In leagues with a return format, he looks to have strong flex potential. He's a great pass catching back, and has good burst and elusiveness in the open field. If he is available in your league and the scoring is in his favor, pick him up, don't wait for someone else to.
Andre Roberts, WR Arizona
Last year, the QB carousel that Arizona used to get it through the season passed for 3,264 yards. Over 1,000 of those yards went to Larry Fitzgerald,who isn't on the waiver wire in any league right now. But someone who is? Andre Roberts. This guy was fourth on the team in targets and catches last year, and third in yards. However, the No.2 receiver is gone (Steve Breaston), and we wouldn't have Early Doucet taking that role, would we? Roberts will benefit immensely from the addition of Kevin Kolb, who will likely pass for 4,000+ yards. Fitz will get his yards regardless, but Roberts should easily have his first 1000 yard season this year.
Jared Cook TE Tennessee Titans
While the offseason addition of Matt Hasselbeck may not seem like a big upgrade for this Titans team, he projects to be much better behind a superior Titans O-line than he was behind a suspect Seattle one. He'll be looking to throw to spread the field for speedy Chris Johnson, and Jared Cook could factor into that. Sure, Kenny Britt and Nate Washington will be bigger factors in the passing game, but Cook is a big target who has become a factor in the passing game as of late. He's talented, and could be a deep sleeper for any fantasy owner who picks him up.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
NFL Game Predictions- Week 1
Well here we are football fans. The start of the NFL regular season is mere hours away, and I for one am looking forward to the first slate of games immensely. I mean, Saints vs. Packers tonight, thursday night football? Clock out of work early, skip your class, pay your bills tomorrow, because tonight, its ON. Lets start with our Thursday game:
Saints 28 Packers 24
An intense matchup of two marquee quarterbacks, this one goes down to the wire, but the Saints prevail with their passing game.
ESPN pick: Packers 33 NO 27
Now on to our Sunday and Monday games.
Atlanta 20 Chicago 14
A simple matchup of a great team and a good team, and the score will reflect that. Bears keep it close but don't pull it out.
ESPN Pick: Atlanta 28 Chicago 10
Detroit 31 Tampa Bay17
Detroit rallies behind Stafford and lights up the Buc's depleted secondary as they continue their winning ways from the 2nd half of last season.
ESPN Pick: Detroit 24 Tampa Bay 17
Cincinnati 10 Cleveland 34
Peyton Hillis runs hard from the start and Andy Dalton doesn't keep the Bengals in this one. Cincy's defense struggles to make plays.
ESPN Pick: Cleveland 23 Cincinnati 17
Buffalo 17 Kansas City 27
Jamaal Charles keeps the offense rolling in this game, and the defense gets enough stops to get the team a win.
ESPN Pick: Kansas City 23 Buffalo 20
Philadelphia 21 St. Louis 17
St. Louis gives Philly a run for their money, but the Eagles overcome a jittery offense with strong defense, and shut down Sam Bradford to grab the W.
ESPN Pick: St. Louis 24 Philadelphia 17
Tennessee 27 Jacksonville 10
A happy (and wealthy) Chris Johnson runs rampant over a shaky Jacksonville team that never gets going in this one with Luke McCown at QB.
ESPN Pick: Tennessee: 21 Jacksonville 20
Pittsburgh 17 Baltimore 13
The rivalry continues to be a defensive struggle as Pittsburgh edges the Ravens behind a strong run game.
ESPN Pick: Baltimore 21 Pittsburgh 20
Indianapolis 21 Houston 27
Without Peyton Manning, the Colts do better than expected but still fall in Houston behind a big game from Andre Johnson.
ESPN Pick: Houston 20 Indianapolis 17
Carolina 14 Arizona 23
Cam Newton gets victimized by the Arizona secondary and fails to impress or win in his rookie start.
ESPN Pick: Arizona 27 Carolina 17
Minnesota 17 San Diego 24
Donovan McNabb gets out dueled by Phillip Rivers as the Vikings fall at San Diego.
ESPN Pick: San Diego 24 Minnesota 17
Seattle 24 San Fransisco 14
The Seahawks show glimpses of talent as they rough up the 49ers at Candlestick.
ESPN Pick: San Fransisco 24 Seattle 20
Giants 21 Redskins 17
The Giants survive a lack of depth at CB by getting after Rex Grossman with their D Line, as the run game carries them to victory. ( get it, carries? )
ESPN Pick: New York 20 Washington 17
Dallas 16 Jets 21
The Ryan brothers have their coaching duel, but Rex walks away with bragging rights as LT and the run game make the Cowboys wish they hadn't released Igor Olshansky.
ESPN Pick: New York Jets 23 Dallas 21
New England 34 Miami 14
The Patriots take this one easily, as Henne struggles to beat the Pat's secondary and Tom Brady has no trouble with Miami's.
ESPN Pick: New England 20 Miami 10
Oakland 31 Denver 21
Oakland gets off to a great start with the run game and never looks back, spoiling the return of QB Kyle Orton for Denver.
ESPN Pick: Oakland 20 Denver 14
Saints 28 Packers 24
An intense matchup of two marquee quarterbacks, this one goes down to the wire, but the Saints prevail with their passing game.
ESPN pick: Packers 33 NO 27
Now on to our Sunday and Monday games.
Atlanta 20 Chicago 14
A simple matchup of a great team and a good team, and the score will reflect that. Bears keep it close but don't pull it out.
ESPN Pick: Atlanta 28 Chicago 10
Detroit 31 Tampa Bay17
Detroit rallies behind Stafford and lights up the Buc's depleted secondary as they continue their winning ways from the 2nd half of last season.
ESPN Pick: Detroit 24 Tampa Bay 17
Cincinnati 10 Cleveland 34
Peyton Hillis runs hard from the start and Andy Dalton doesn't keep the Bengals in this one. Cincy's defense struggles to make plays.
ESPN Pick: Cleveland 23 Cincinnati 17
Buffalo 17 Kansas City 27
Jamaal Charles keeps the offense rolling in this game, and the defense gets enough stops to get the team a win.
ESPN Pick: Kansas City 23 Buffalo 20
Philadelphia 21 St. Louis 17
St. Louis gives Philly a run for their money, but the Eagles overcome a jittery offense with strong defense, and shut down Sam Bradford to grab the W.
ESPN Pick: St. Louis 24 Philadelphia 17
Tennessee 27 Jacksonville 10
A happy (and wealthy) Chris Johnson runs rampant over a shaky Jacksonville team that never gets going in this one with Luke McCown at QB.
ESPN Pick: Tennessee: 21 Jacksonville 20
Pittsburgh 17 Baltimore 13
The rivalry continues to be a defensive struggle as Pittsburgh edges the Ravens behind a strong run game.
ESPN Pick: Baltimore 21 Pittsburgh 20
Indianapolis 21 Houston 27
Without Peyton Manning, the Colts do better than expected but still fall in Houston behind a big game from Andre Johnson.
ESPN Pick: Houston 20 Indianapolis 17
Carolina 14 Arizona 23
Cam Newton gets victimized by the Arizona secondary and fails to impress or win in his rookie start.
ESPN Pick: Arizona 27 Carolina 17
Minnesota 17 San Diego 24
Donovan McNabb gets out dueled by Phillip Rivers as the Vikings fall at San Diego.
ESPN Pick: San Diego 24 Minnesota 17
Seattle 24 San Fransisco 14
The Seahawks show glimpses of talent as they rough up the 49ers at Candlestick.
ESPN Pick: San Fransisco 24 Seattle 20
Giants 21 Redskins 17
The Giants survive a lack of depth at CB by getting after Rex Grossman with their D Line, as the run game carries them to victory. ( get it, carries? )
ESPN Pick: New York 20 Washington 17
Dallas 16 Jets 21
The Ryan brothers have their coaching duel, but Rex walks away with bragging rights as LT and the run game make the Cowboys wish they hadn't released Igor Olshansky.
ESPN Pick: New York Jets 23 Dallas 21
New England 34 Miami 14
The Patriots take this one easily, as Henne struggles to beat the Pat's secondary and Tom Brady has no trouble with Miami's.
ESPN Pick: New England 20 Miami 10
Oakland 31 Denver 21
Oakland gets off to a great start with the run game and never looks back, spoiling the return of QB Kyle Orton for Denver.
ESPN Pick: Oakland 20 Denver 14
Monday, September 5, 2011
The Worst of the worst: Top 10 worst sports injuries
I thought I'd do a little segment here to show a less glorious and less celebrated side of the sports world, the injuries. Injuries occur in a wide range of severities as well as many different locations on the body. Sit back and experience some of the most talked about and well known sports injuries of all time. WARNING: some content may be shocking.
1. Joe Theismann breaks his leg.
2. Willis McGahee gets his knee re-aligned.
1. Joe Theismann breaks his leg.
2. Willis McGahee gets his knee re-aligned.
3. Kevin Everett fractures his spine.
4. Napoleon McCallum almost loses his leg.
5. Shaun Livingston's leg goes sideways.
6. Allan Ray loses track of his eyeball.
7. Clint Malarchuk gets slashed at an NHL game.
8. John Terry takes a closer look at Diaby's cleats.
9. Andrew Bogut breaks his wrist.
10. Greg Jennings breaks his F&*@ing leg!
(I'm sorry, I had to do it)
Friday, September 2, 2011
Happy Trails!
America's Favorite Babysitter
Good luck to Bengals RB Cedric Benson, as he begins a 20 day jail sentence stemming from an assault charge. While he should be back to play football again this season, he seems to have a re-occuring knack for getting into trouble with the law. Personally, I blame a lack of finger painting as a young child for his legal problems. Thats the only reason I can think of as to why he would enjoy being fingerprinted so much.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Fantasy REM: My Deep Sleeper Fantasy picks
Well ladies and gentlemen, with the start of the NFL season being so close I can practically taste it, we have entered a very important time of year for a lot of men (and plenty of women), which is the day of their fantasy football draft. Whether you online draft anonymously from the safety of your man cave or offline draft in Vegas with your buddies (lucky bastard), I can totally understand the dedication and extra work that a true fantasy player will put in to secure the best possible line up. Oftentimes, a well timed sleeper pick up can propel your otherwise average team into fantasy stardom, so for those of you who aren't ESPN Insiders, I offer my FREE advice on the fantasy sleepers that I see a potential value in.
Roy Helu, RB Washington Redskin's
Helu has been a surprising story out of camp for the Redskins this year,as he possesses good size for his position as well as breakaway speed and good hands. The only thing that is holding Helu back from presumably being the starter is the newly acquired Tim Hightower. Hightower is not an elite back, posting a career 3.9 YPC average, but he is a workhorse power back who can catch the ball out of the backfield and is known for his vital blocking abilities in the passing game. The best chance for Helu to leapfrog Hightower is by holding onto the ball, something Hightower has had trouble with in the past. Add to the mix the Mike Shanahan career killing factor, and Helu looks like a dangerous risk. However, the talent and opportunity he has make him worth a roster spot in a deeper league, if you've got the room. Helu is one Hightower injury away from being the feature back for the Redskins, not the tastiest fantasy starter but well worth your time and effort.
Daniel Thomas, RB Miami Dolphins
If you are reading this article and would start Reggie Bush every game as a feature back if you were an NFL GM, please, stand up. Come on, up and at 'em. Seriously, we're all waiting for you to stand up, so we can laugh at you for that funny joke. Okay, so maybe that is a bit tough, but if you haven't been living under a rock and have actually paid attention to the NFL recently, you know that Reggie Bush has had a mediocre, disappointing troll of an NFL career. No team has startedhim as a feature back in years, and no team wants to. He is still fast, and a dangerous player in some settings. But he isn't a 30 carries a game kind of guy. Never has been. That bodes well for 2nd stringer Daniel Thomas, who has alot of upside and could be a nice compliment to Bush, who projects to be a mostly 3rd down back. Thomas has 30lbs on Bush, and could be the logical choice for goal line situations. I hate to reccomend a player on touchdowns alone, because thats a big risk to depend on week in and week out, but if he can get 10-15 carries with a touchdown every game, he becomes a valuable flex play or No.2 RB option. One more note, Reggie Bush has never stayed healthy for an entire NFL season since he's been in the league. Just some food for thought.
Denarius Moore WR, Oakland Raiders
Get ready for a big surprise. The newest WR in the Raiders camp this year is fast. Not Jacoby Ford fast, but fast nonetheless. Okay, no surprise here. Oakland LOVES speedy wideouts, and they have accrued a stable of them over there over the past few seasons. The problem is, none of them have passed 1,000 yards on the season in the past 3 seasons. In fact, no Oakland player has. The closest one for each of those seasons had been TE Zach Miller, now in Seattle. Moore, while most likely not favored to reach that mark this season, has impressed alot of people during his time in Oakland thus far, and with Chaz Schilens and Louis Murphy hurt, he will most likely start the season at worst as the no. 3 WR on the team, though I think he could easily be better than Darrius Heyward-Bust, I mean Bey. Moore has alot of potential this year, and possibly even some relevant fantasy value, but like any Raiders player not named Darren McFadden or Michael Bush, be careful how much you trust him on your team.
Delonte Carter, RB Colts
Ok, so Carter is on here not because I personally am excited by what I see out of him, but more because he could have relevant fantasy value in a Colt's backfield that hasn't seen a decent RB since Joseph Addai, 2006 edition. The Colt's have done well despite this missing backfield presence, mostly because of the guy who stands right behind the center. However, Joseph Addai has had almost as many injuries problems as Bob Sanders, and hasn't been relevant for the past two seasons. Donald Brown took the workload last year, but he was a placeholder at best. Brown has a career 3.8 YPC average and his longest run in the NFL has been 49 yards. Honestly, Carter could essentially walk right on as the starter in this backfield and nobody would be surprised. He's a tough runner, a jackhammer at 5-9 225, and could be used all over the field for the Colts. He's certainly not the worst RB in the league, and having the team around him that he does, he is worth a pickup if and when he passes Brown.
Rashad Jennings RB, Jaguars
Jennings is not a rookie, and he certainly is known by at least some fantasy owners for the work he put in while MJD wasn't shredding defenses last year. He is substantially bigger than Maurice Jones- Drew, which is to be expected, and just about as fast. He is a good pass catcher out of the backfield, just like MJD, and averaged a superb 5.5 YPC last season on 84 attempts. Jennings will be able to carve out flex value in this back field because of his ability to make a big play anytime he touches the ball. The Jaguars will likely use these two as a compliment to each other, change of pace running strategy which could give Jennings anywhere from 8-15 carries a game. Combine that with an expanded role in the passing game, and Jennings may become worth a roster spot this season.
Roy Helu, RB Washington Redskin's
Helu has been a surprising story out of camp for the Redskins this year,as he possesses good size for his position as well as breakaway speed and good hands. The only thing that is holding Helu back from presumably being the starter is the newly acquired Tim Hightower. Hightower is not an elite back, posting a career 3.9 YPC average, but he is a workhorse power back who can catch the ball out of the backfield and is known for his vital blocking abilities in the passing game. The best chance for Helu to leapfrog Hightower is by holding onto the ball, something Hightower has had trouble with in the past. Add to the mix the Mike Shanahan career killing factor, and Helu looks like a dangerous risk. However, the talent and opportunity he has make him worth a roster spot in a deeper league, if you've got the room. Helu is one Hightower injury away from being the feature back for the Redskins, not the tastiest fantasy starter but well worth your time and effort.
Daniel Thomas, RB Miami Dolphins
If you are reading this article and would start Reggie Bush every game as a feature back if you were an NFL GM, please, stand up. Come on, up and at 'em. Seriously, we're all waiting for you to stand up, so we can laugh at you for that funny joke. Okay, so maybe that is a bit tough, but if you haven't been living under a rock and have actually paid attention to the NFL recently, you know that Reggie Bush has had a mediocre, disappointing troll of an NFL career. No team has startedhim as a feature back in years, and no team wants to. He is still fast, and a dangerous player in some settings. But he isn't a 30 carries a game kind of guy. Never has been. That bodes well for 2nd stringer Daniel Thomas, who has alot of upside and could be a nice compliment to Bush, who projects to be a mostly 3rd down back. Thomas has 30lbs on Bush, and could be the logical choice for goal line situations. I hate to reccomend a player on touchdowns alone, because thats a big risk to depend on week in and week out, but if he can get 10-15 carries with a touchdown every game, he becomes a valuable flex play or No.2 RB option. One more note, Reggie Bush has never stayed healthy for an entire NFL season since he's been in the league. Just some food for thought.
Denarius Moore WR, Oakland Raiders
Get ready for a big surprise. The newest WR in the Raiders camp this year is fast. Not Jacoby Ford fast, but fast nonetheless. Okay, no surprise here. Oakland LOVES speedy wideouts, and they have accrued a stable of them over there over the past few seasons. The problem is, none of them have passed 1,000 yards on the season in the past 3 seasons. In fact, no Oakland player has. The closest one for each of those seasons had been TE Zach Miller, now in Seattle. Moore, while most likely not favored to reach that mark this season, has impressed alot of people during his time in Oakland thus far, and with Chaz Schilens and Louis Murphy hurt, he will most likely start the season at worst as the no. 3 WR on the team, though I think he could easily be better than Darrius Heyward-Bust, I mean Bey. Moore has alot of potential this year, and possibly even some relevant fantasy value, but like any Raiders player not named Darren McFadden or Michael Bush, be careful how much you trust him on your team.
Delonte Carter, RB Colts
Ok, so Carter is on here not because I personally am excited by what I see out of him, but more because he could have relevant fantasy value in a Colt's backfield that hasn't seen a decent RB since Joseph Addai, 2006 edition. The Colt's have done well despite this missing backfield presence, mostly because of the guy who stands right behind the center. However, Joseph Addai has had almost as many injuries problems as Bob Sanders, and hasn't been relevant for the past two seasons. Donald Brown took the workload last year, but he was a placeholder at best. Brown has a career 3.8 YPC average and his longest run in the NFL has been 49 yards. Honestly, Carter could essentially walk right on as the starter in this backfield and nobody would be surprised. He's a tough runner, a jackhammer at 5-9 225, and could be used all over the field for the Colts. He's certainly not the worst RB in the league, and having the team around him that he does, he is worth a pickup if and when he passes Brown.
Rashad Jennings RB, Jaguars
Jennings is not a rookie, and he certainly is known by at least some fantasy owners for the work he put in while MJD wasn't shredding defenses last year. He is substantially bigger than Maurice Jones- Drew, which is to be expected, and just about as fast. He is a good pass catcher out of the backfield, just like MJD, and averaged a superb 5.5 YPC last season on 84 attempts. Jennings will be able to carve out flex value in this back field because of his ability to make a big play anytime he touches the ball. The Jaguars will likely use these two as a compliment to each other, change of pace running strategy which could give Jennings anywhere from 8-15 carries a game. Combine that with an expanded role in the passing game, and Jennings may become worth a roster spot this season.
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