It's finally here. After a whole week of screaming and pouting about Alex Barron, the half-ending fumble, and the overall play of the Cowboys offense in the upset loss to the Redskins, its finally time for the boys to take the field and really start this season. They will do so at home against a Bears team that was lucky to come away with a win against the Lions.
On paper the Cowboys should massacre the Bears, but that's the way it seemed heading into Washington. The Bears offensive line is feeble, giving up 4 sacks last week to the Lions. The Cowboys front 7 should have a field day against the Bears front 5. For Jay Cutler, this is a recipe for disaster. He led the NFL in interceptions last year has already thrown for one this year. The Cowboys have two very talented corners in Terrence Newman and Michael Jenkins and I expect at least one of them to come away with a turn over. The Bears run over 70% of their offensive plays in a 3-wide set meaning the cowboys will be playing a lot of nickel defense. 3rd cornerback (and the cowboys only carry three on their roster) Orlando Scandrick will have to play a large role in this game. He is very skilled, and itching to redeem himself after that ill-advised offsides last week on a Redskins FGA.
The Cowboys linebackers and front 7 should also be busy trying to contain the very talented RB Matt Forte. Keith Brooking and Bradie James are very skilled and consistently keep their heads on a swivel, and I expect them to bottle up the Bears run attack. With the likes of Jay Ratliff, Igor Olishanksy and Marcus Spears clogging up the middle, the Bears will likely have to resort to the one offensive play that the Cowboys seem inept at defending: The screen pass. Matt Forte is an excellent receiving back and I expect this to be a pain for the Cowboys to defend.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys have a lot to prove. Cowboys fans have been patient with the development of Tony Romo and his offense over the past few years but they are growing restless. In my opinion, Romo has solidified himself as a top tier quarterback in this league. He played very well and extremely efficient last week. His offensive line failed to protect him and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has continually failed to live up to his pay grade, with poor, head scratching play calling.
The Cowboys have three very talented backs, all with unique styles and yet they are never utilized to their full ability. The Cowboys must pound the rock, let these runners and their big offensive line pound the defense into submission. The Bears have a stout defense with great linebackers in Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, as well as free agent DE Julius Peppers. Over the years however, we have seen that this defense is not complete and can be exploited in the run game
Once the Cowboys establish a run attack, then Garrett can really open up the passing game. Off of play action, Tony Romo should be able to take 7 step drops and throw the ball wherever he pleases. Witten should be able to get open over these linebackers and their WR's will be open all day. Julius Peppers will test both Doug Free and Mark Colombo but Romo is elusive enough to make plays.
I think the Cowboys are motivated enough to make the plays necessary to take it to Chicago. The offense will be smarter this week and most definitely motivated. The defense will make for a long day for Jay Cutler. One more interesting thing to watch for is Dallas kicker David Buehler. He has a powerful leg and broke the Cowboys record for touchbacks last season. Now he is responsible for the place kicking duties and failed in his only attempt last week. Hopefully he can make his first career FG this weekend and get those nerves under him.
Final: Cowboys 26 Bears 14
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Week 2 Picks part 4
Houston at Washington:
The Houston Texans are for real this year. Where the hell did Arian Foster come from? This guy had the second highest rushing yardage total (behind O.J. Simpson) on opening day history. He terrorized the Indianapolis Colts with 231 yards rushing and 3 trips to paydirt. The Texans have so many weapons on offense its silly. Matt Schuab led the league in passing yards last year and his targets include arguable the best receiver in football, Andre Johnson, as well as WR Kevin Walter and TE Owen Daniels. On the defensive side of the ball the Texans defense is very potent and Mario Williams was all over the field last week against Peyton and the Colts. Even without stud linebacker (and perhaps performance boosters abuser) Brian Cushing, the Texans should have no problem containing the weak Redskins offense.
Washington's defense looked very good last week against the Cowboys but a lot of that was due to Jason Garrett's failure to know how to coach offense. I expect Schuab and Co. to meticulously pick apart this Redskins defense with a well balanced attack. I also expect, once again, for Albert Haynseworth to play no substantial role whatsoever.
Final: Texans 31 Washington 17
New York Giants at Indianapolis
I expect this game to play out like the individual commercials that star Peyton and Eli manning respectively. Peyton, whose commercials are quietly funny and entertaining, will exploit every aspect of the Giants defense. Eli, who looks like he's lost in the sauce, or drunk in his commercials,will look baffled and continue to bumble about with the offense. After starting 14-0 last season it was quite a shocker to most everyone that the Colts dropped their first game of the 2010 season to the Texans, a team that had only beaten them once before in the franchises history. I still believe that Peyton is the best quarterback in the league and he has a solid core of formidable receivers to throw the ball to this year. He also has a good running back in Joseph Addai. The Giants defense, although it played well against the Panthers last week, does not have any bit of that intimidation factor that is used to have. They should have some success with that porous Colts O-line at getting to Peyton, but he probably will have already dumped the ball off by the time he is contacted. Dallas Clark has the ability to eat Giants safety Kenny Phillips alive and Peyton will make sure that he does.
The Colts defense was supposed to be greatly improved but there was little evidence of that last week. They've also lost Bob Sanders for the year, but that is routine for them by now. Eli can have a big day if he utilizes Hakeem Nicks, and avoids the pressure from Dwight Freeney. Ahmad Bradshaw must have a good day if the Giants are going to have a chance. Without his check down option in TE Kevin Boss, it is likely that Eli will have another interception laden performance.
Final: Colts 34 Giants 21
Monday Night Game
New Orleans at San Francisco
The defending Super Bowl Champions didn't start off the season with the fireworks offense that we have come to expect from Drew Brees and his comrades but they beat a very good Vikings team and are clearly still the team to beat in the NFC. San Francisco on the other hand was favored by everyone to win the weakened NFC West division. Alex Smith finally gets a consecutive year with the same offensive coordinator, Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis and Frank Gore are all supposed to be All-Pros, and their defense, led by Patrick Willis, has been ranked # 1 in many fantasy leagues. Then they get absolutely CRUSHED by the rebuilding Seahawks. It doesn't add up. Apparently there were technical difficulties in communicating to the QB and coach Mike Singletary smells a rat. I think the 49ers have too much talent not to get things back on track but this is not the week that they do it. The Saints are too good. Their defense is underrated and their offense is superior to most if not all the teams in the NFL.
Final: Saints 27 49ers 19
The Houston Texans are for real this year. Where the hell did Arian Foster come from? This guy had the second highest rushing yardage total (behind O.J. Simpson) on opening day history. He terrorized the Indianapolis Colts with 231 yards rushing and 3 trips to paydirt. The Texans have so many weapons on offense its silly. Matt Schuab led the league in passing yards last year and his targets include arguable the best receiver in football, Andre Johnson, as well as WR Kevin Walter and TE Owen Daniels. On the defensive side of the ball the Texans defense is very potent and Mario Williams was all over the field last week against Peyton and the Colts. Even without stud linebacker (and perhaps performance boosters abuser) Brian Cushing, the Texans should have no problem containing the weak Redskins offense.
Washington's defense looked very good last week against the Cowboys but a lot of that was due to Jason Garrett's failure to know how to coach offense. I expect Schuab and Co. to meticulously pick apart this Redskins defense with a well balanced attack. I also expect, once again, for Albert Haynseworth to play no substantial role whatsoever.
Final: Texans 31 Washington 17
New York Giants at Indianapolis
I expect this game to play out like the individual commercials that star Peyton and Eli manning respectively. Peyton, whose commercials are quietly funny and entertaining, will exploit every aspect of the Giants defense. Eli, who looks like he's lost in the sauce, or drunk in his commercials,will look baffled and continue to bumble about with the offense. After starting 14-0 last season it was quite a shocker to most everyone that the Colts dropped their first game of the 2010 season to the Texans, a team that had only beaten them once before in the franchises history. I still believe that Peyton is the best quarterback in the league and he has a solid core of formidable receivers to throw the ball to this year. He also has a good running back in Joseph Addai. The Giants defense, although it played well against the Panthers last week, does not have any bit of that intimidation factor that is used to have. They should have some success with that porous Colts O-line at getting to Peyton, but he probably will have already dumped the ball off by the time he is contacted. Dallas Clark has the ability to eat Giants safety Kenny Phillips alive and Peyton will make sure that he does.
The Colts defense was supposed to be greatly improved but there was little evidence of that last week. They've also lost Bob Sanders for the year, but that is routine for them by now. Eli can have a big day if he utilizes Hakeem Nicks, and avoids the pressure from Dwight Freeney. Ahmad Bradshaw must have a good day if the Giants are going to have a chance. Without his check down option in TE Kevin Boss, it is likely that Eli will have another interception laden performance.
Final: Colts 34 Giants 21
Monday Night Game
New Orleans at San Francisco
The defending Super Bowl Champions didn't start off the season with the fireworks offense that we have come to expect from Drew Brees and his comrades but they beat a very good Vikings team and are clearly still the team to beat in the NFC. San Francisco on the other hand was favored by everyone to win the weakened NFC West division. Alex Smith finally gets a consecutive year with the same offensive coordinator, Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis and Frank Gore are all supposed to be All-Pros, and their defense, led by Patrick Willis, has been ranked # 1 in many fantasy leagues. Then they get absolutely CRUSHED by the rebuilding Seahawks. It doesn't add up. Apparently there were technical difficulties in communicating to the QB and coach Mike Singletary smells a rat. I think the 49ers have too much talent not to get things back on track but this is not the week that they do it. The Saints are too good. Their defense is underrated and their offense is superior to most if not all the teams in the NFL.
Final: Saints 27 49ers 19
Week 2 Picks part 3
Seattle at Denver:
Seattle's absolute drubbing of the 49er's last week may have been the biggest shocker of week 1. This team is supposed to be rebuilding under Pete Carroll. Denver also lost a game they probably had expected to win against the Jaguars. Josh McDaniels team does not look like its poised to repeat its quick start from last year, especially with their two best players from 2009 not on the field (Brandon Marshall gone to Miami and Elvis Dumervill out indefinitely with a torn pectoral muscle) Kyle Orton does look like he's starting to get comfortable as the starter of the offense and threw the ball well last week. The Broncos will need to establish a better run presence but their offense is not going to be their problem.
The Denver defense did not look anything like the Orange Crush, yielding 24 points to a Jaguars team led by David Gerrard.
The Seahawks have talent all across the board and Matt Hassleback seems determined to prove that he's not too old to lead the Pete Carroll rebuilding effort. I think Carroll's enthusiasm will become contagious and spark a fire for this Seattle team which knows that it is in the weakest division in football and a 2-0 start could set it up for a nice little title run.
Final: Seahawks 19 Denver 17
St. Louis at Oakland
Sam Bradford was impressive in his NFL debut and Oakland doesn't look like they've made much progress this off season. Their leading rusher last week, Darren McFadden also led the team in receiving yards against the Titans and that is not a good sign for Jason Campbell and the Raiders passing attack. Their offensive line is shoddy and, even though the Rams defense is still very porous, Jake Long is finally starting to look like a player on the field. If the Rams can get any sort of consistent pressure on Campbell, Bradford manages the game efficiently, and Steven Jackson does he does best, the Rams could pull one out in the black hole.
Final: Rams 17 Raiders 10
New England at New York Jets
Is it possible that Fireman Ed and the rest of the Jets fans go home drunkenly disappointed again?Absolutely. Don't get me wrong. The Jets defense looked superb, especially against the run last week against the Ravens. Revis Island, was not giving any free tours and the Jets came to hit. Still, the Ravens exposed some glaring weaknesses that Tom Brady, who looks like vintage Tom Brady, will surely expose. Randy Moss the slouch is motivated and even if Darrelle Revis shuts him down (he is playing on a sore hamstring) none of the other Jets secondary players have shown that they will be able to cover the resilient Wes Welker. Cromartie and Kyle Wilson were exposed and embarrassed last week and it could be more of the same this week.
Even if the Jets defense stands up to the Patriots offense, which it very well could, the Jets offense doesn't look like it will be reliable for anything this year. Brian Shottenheimer needs to take the training wheels off of Mark Sanchez and try and open up the passing game because everyone saw what happened when they became one dimensional last week: They got a lot of work in for their punt cover team. If Sanchez is allowed to open up the game a little bit, Jets fans still have to worry about his ability to make the right reads in a short amount of time. The jury is still out on the Sanchize and I don't think this game will do anything to solidify his cause.
Final: Patriots 21 Jets 14
Jacksonville at San Diego
Phillip Rivers is pissed. One of the most fiery personalities in the NFL, he was lashing out at anyone in his path last week during the rain-soaked loss in Kansas City. He is too good to allow the Chargers to lose to a subpar team two weeks in a row. Jacksonville won a close game over a decent Denver Broncos team but going into San Diego against a hungry chargers team might silence all that excitement in Jacksonville. Gerrard is a productive quarterback with some good weapons on offense and Maurice-Jones Drew is a wrecking ball with the rock. Still, the Chargers defense is fast and physical and if they can contain Jones-Drew they will force Gerrard to make some costly errors.
On the offensive side of the ball I expect Chargers rookie RB Ryan Matthews to have a better game than his first one and Rivers will consistently find TE Antonio Gates to methodically suffocate the Jaguars defense. Phillips must be wary of DE Aaron Kampman. He's back in a system hes comfortable in and will be in non-stop beast mode on Sunday.
Final: Chargers 24 Jaguars 17
Seattle's absolute drubbing of the 49er's last week may have been the biggest shocker of week 1. This team is supposed to be rebuilding under Pete Carroll. Denver also lost a game they probably had expected to win against the Jaguars. Josh McDaniels team does not look like its poised to repeat its quick start from last year, especially with their two best players from 2009 not on the field (Brandon Marshall gone to Miami and Elvis Dumervill out indefinitely with a torn pectoral muscle) Kyle Orton does look like he's starting to get comfortable as the starter of the offense and threw the ball well last week. The Broncos will need to establish a better run presence but their offense is not going to be their problem.
The Denver defense did not look anything like the Orange Crush, yielding 24 points to a Jaguars team led by David Gerrard.
The Seahawks have talent all across the board and Matt Hassleback seems determined to prove that he's not too old to lead the Pete Carroll rebuilding effort. I think Carroll's enthusiasm will become contagious and spark a fire for this Seattle team which knows that it is in the weakest division in football and a 2-0 start could set it up for a nice little title run.
Final: Seahawks 19 Denver 17
St. Louis at Oakland
Sam Bradford was impressive in his NFL debut and Oakland doesn't look like they've made much progress this off season. Their leading rusher last week, Darren McFadden also led the team in receiving yards against the Titans and that is not a good sign for Jason Campbell and the Raiders passing attack. Their offensive line is shoddy and, even though the Rams defense is still very porous, Jake Long is finally starting to look like a player on the field. If the Rams can get any sort of consistent pressure on Campbell, Bradford manages the game efficiently, and Steven Jackson does he does best, the Rams could pull one out in the black hole.
Final: Rams 17 Raiders 10
New England at New York Jets
Is it possible that Fireman Ed and the rest of the Jets fans go home drunkenly disappointed again?Absolutely. Don't get me wrong. The Jets defense looked superb, especially against the run last week against the Ravens. Revis Island, was not giving any free tours and the Jets came to hit. Still, the Ravens exposed some glaring weaknesses that Tom Brady, who looks like vintage Tom Brady, will surely expose. Randy Moss the slouch is motivated and even if Darrelle Revis shuts him down (he is playing on a sore hamstring) none of the other Jets secondary players have shown that they will be able to cover the resilient Wes Welker. Cromartie and Kyle Wilson were exposed and embarrassed last week and it could be more of the same this week.
Even if the Jets defense stands up to the Patriots offense, which it very well could, the Jets offense doesn't look like it will be reliable for anything this year. Brian Shottenheimer needs to take the training wheels off of Mark Sanchez and try and open up the passing game because everyone saw what happened when they became one dimensional last week: They got a lot of work in for their punt cover team. If Sanchez is allowed to open up the game a little bit, Jets fans still have to worry about his ability to make the right reads in a short amount of time. The jury is still out on the Sanchize and I don't think this game will do anything to solidify his cause.
Final: Patriots 21 Jets 14
Jacksonville at San Diego
Phillip Rivers is pissed. One of the most fiery personalities in the NFL, he was lashing out at anyone in his path last week during the rain-soaked loss in Kansas City. He is too good to allow the Chargers to lose to a subpar team two weeks in a row. Jacksonville won a close game over a decent Denver Broncos team but going into San Diego against a hungry chargers team might silence all that excitement in Jacksonville. Gerrard is a productive quarterback with some good weapons on offense and Maurice-Jones Drew is a wrecking ball with the rock. Still, the Chargers defense is fast and physical and if they can contain Jones-Drew they will force Gerrard to make some costly errors.
On the offensive side of the ball I expect Chargers rookie RB Ryan Matthews to have a better game than his first one and Rivers will consistently find TE Antonio Gates to methodically suffocate the Jaguars defense. Phillips must be wary of DE Aaron Kampman. He's back in a system hes comfortable in and will be in non-stop beast mode on Sunday.
Final: Chargers 24 Jaguars 17
Week 2 Picks part 2
Philadelphia at Detroit
This may sound a little crazy (and maybe its because I hate the Eagles) but I like Detroit in this game. They are coming off a game they deserved to win last week in Chicago. I think with a cautiously excited sell-out crowd behind them they have a legitimate chance, despite Matthew Stafford being out with a shoulder injury. Detroit has a formidable running game and some good receiving options for QB Shaun Hill, including the explosive Calvin Johnson who will give the Eagles secondary fits all day.
Philadelphia on the other hand has backup QB Michael Vick starting. Many people think this is a good thing, but with a whole week to prepare for Vick as the QB the Lions should be in a better position to slow him down than the Packers who likely had prepared mostly for Kevin Kolb. The Eagles also have some key injuries to 3 starters (MLB Stewart Bradley, C Jamaal Jackson, and run blocking FB Leonard Weaver). The Eagles defense does generate a lot of pressure with their various blitz packages but if Shaun Hill can make the right reads, he should be able to effectively pick apart the Eagles secondary. This is a risky pick but I like it.
Final: Lions 14 Eagles 13
Buffalo at Green Bay
There doesn't seem like much to root for up in Buffalo anymore. The Bills have been irrelevant seemingly since 1994 and things are not looking any brighter on the horizon. Trent Edwards is still a poor excuse for a quarterback, probably even in the CFL. Their defense lost their best pass rusher (Aaron Schobel) to retirement and their best linebacker (Paul Posluszny) is out for at least three weeks. The Bills have a solid secondary but I don't think it will be enough to match the potency of Aaron Rodgers who is looking improve upon a, by his standards, "subpar" performance from last week.
The one area of the game that the Bills may have a distinct advantage is in the run game. They have a stable of three reliable running backs. Their game plan should be to pound the rock as much as possible to take the pressure off of Trent Edwards and keep him safe by calling for simple play action plays. Green Bay on the other hand is going to have to find a way to deal with the loss of 1200 yard rusher Ryan Grant who is out for the season with an ankle injury. In the end Aaron Rodgers is too good, Trent Edwards is too terrible, and the Packers defense will capitalize on his mistakes.
Final: Packers 31 Bills 14
Miami at Minnesota:
I was a little surprised at how close the Dolphins Bills game was last week, and I am a follower of the idea that Miami will be a competitive team this year. All that aside, Minnesota is going to lay a beat-down this weak on the Dolphins. Brett Favre, despite his age, will not settle for another subpar performance and I expect both him and Adrian Peterson to have monster games. The Vikings have not lost a home game with Brett Favre at the helm and the Dolphins are still not good enough to make that a first. There are questions about the ability of the Vikings front 5 to protect the old gunslinger but I think the Dolphins will be overwhelmed with the difference in play makers between the Vikes and the Bills.
On defense we saw that Minnesota is very much praiseworthy. Jared Allen and the Williams' make a strong interior that should harass Chad Henne all day and slow down Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown. They held the NFL's offensive juggernaut, the Saints, to 14 points last Thursday and have had ample time to work out the kinks in their rusty offense, that often seemed to be out of synch.
Final: Vikings 23 Miami 17
Tampa Bay at Carolina
The first question that has to be addressed is: Does anyone really care about this game one bit? No, but somewhere down the road one or both of these teams could help another get into the playoffs, so they do serve a purpose. Matt Moore's NFL career could hinge on his performance this week. He was, to quote "Jets legend" Ray Lucas, "horrendous" last week against the Giants. No professional quarterback should be allowed to throw 3 redzone pics and still don the teams game-day uniform. The Panthers are supposed to have game-breaking running backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, but both ran on flat tires last week against the Giants.
The Bucs weren't overly impressive against the Cleveland Browns but they do have Cadillac Williams running the rock and despite his thumb injury, I think that Josh Freeman is up and coming. The Bucs D will play hard and I think this team will take advantage of a light schedule to get on a fast track for the tough season that awaits them. Two things that Carolina does have going for them: Jimmy Clausen is waiting in the wings and once inserted into the lineup will make people care about the Panathers; Jon Beason was in the 7th floor crew at the U.
Final: Buccaneers 16 Panthers 13
This may sound a little crazy (and maybe its because I hate the Eagles) but I like Detroit in this game. They are coming off a game they deserved to win last week in Chicago. I think with a cautiously excited sell-out crowd behind them they have a legitimate chance, despite Matthew Stafford being out with a shoulder injury. Detroit has a formidable running game and some good receiving options for QB Shaun Hill, including the explosive Calvin Johnson who will give the Eagles secondary fits all day.
Philadelphia on the other hand has backup QB Michael Vick starting. Many people think this is a good thing, but with a whole week to prepare for Vick as the QB the Lions should be in a better position to slow him down than the Packers who likely had prepared mostly for Kevin Kolb. The Eagles also have some key injuries to 3 starters (MLB Stewart Bradley, C Jamaal Jackson, and run blocking FB Leonard Weaver). The Eagles defense does generate a lot of pressure with their various blitz packages but if Shaun Hill can make the right reads, he should be able to effectively pick apart the Eagles secondary. This is a risky pick but I like it.
Final: Lions 14 Eagles 13
Buffalo at Green Bay
There doesn't seem like much to root for up in Buffalo anymore. The Bills have been irrelevant seemingly since 1994 and things are not looking any brighter on the horizon. Trent Edwards is still a poor excuse for a quarterback, probably even in the CFL. Their defense lost their best pass rusher (Aaron Schobel) to retirement and their best linebacker (Paul Posluszny) is out for at least three weeks. The Bills have a solid secondary but I don't think it will be enough to match the potency of Aaron Rodgers who is looking improve upon a, by his standards, "subpar" performance from last week.
The one area of the game that the Bills may have a distinct advantage is in the run game. They have a stable of three reliable running backs. Their game plan should be to pound the rock as much as possible to take the pressure off of Trent Edwards and keep him safe by calling for simple play action plays. Green Bay on the other hand is going to have to find a way to deal with the loss of 1200 yard rusher Ryan Grant who is out for the season with an ankle injury. In the end Aaron Rodgers is too good, Trent Edwards is too terrible, and the Packers defense will capitalize on his mistakes.
Final: Packers 31 Bills 14
Miami at Minnesota:
I was a little surprised at how close the Dolphins Bills game was last week, and I am a follower of the idea that Miami will be a competitive team this year. All that aside, Minnesota is going to lay a beat-down this weak on the Dolphins. Brett Favre, despite his age, will not settle for another subpar performance and I expect both him and Adrian Peterson to have monster games. The Vikings have not lost a home game with Brett Favre at the helm and the Dolphins are still not good enough to make that a first. There are questions about the ability of the Vikings front 5 to protect the old gunslinger but I think the Dolphins will be overwhelmed with the difference in play makers between the Vikes and the Bills.
On defense we saw that Minnesota is very much praiseworthy. Jared Allen and the Williams' make a strong interior that should harass Chad Henne all day and slow down Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown. They held the NFL's offensive juggernaut, the Saints, to 14 points last Thursday and have had ample time to work out the kinks in their rusty offense, that often seemed to be out of synch.
Final: Vikings 23 Miami 17
Tampa Bay at Carolina
The first question that has to be addressed is: Does anyone really care about this game one bit? No, but somewhere down the road one or both of these teams could help another get into the playoffs, so they do serve a purpose. Matt Moore's NFL career could hinge on his performance this week. He was, to quote "Jets legend" Ray Lucas, "horrendous" last week against the Giants. No professional quarterback should be allowed to throw 3 redzone pics and still don the teams game-day uniform. The Panthers are supposed to have game-breaking running backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, but both ran on flat tires last week against the Giants.
The Bucs weren't overly impressive against the Cleveland Browns but they do have Cadillac Williams running the rock and despite his thumb injury, I think that Josh Freeman is up and coming. The Bucs D will play hard and I think this team will take advantage of a light schedule to get on a fast track for the tough season that awaits them. Two things that Carolina does have going for them: Jimmy Clausen is waiting in the wings and once inserted into the lineup will make people care about the Panathers; Jon Beason was in the 7th floor crew at the U.
Final: Buccaneers 16 Panthers 13
Week 2 Picks part 1
Pittsburgh at Tennessee:
This game looks to be one of the most intriguing match ups of week 2, as the Steelers bring their always stout D into Tennessee and look to topple the Titans and keep RB Chris Johnson from rushing for 100+ yards for the 13th straight game. My gut tells me that even without run-stuffing nose tackle Casey Hampton, the Steelers defense will be the ones who put an end to Johnson's streak( they held Michael Turner to less than 2YPC last week). They limited CJ to only 57 yards rushing in their meeting last year. Still, the Steelers offense is limited by Dixon and despite Rashard Mendenhall's capabilities, the Steelers O-line is depleted which is cause for concern. Vince Young's passing game has improved enough to help the Titans squeak by in a run-dominated nail biter.
Final: Titans 17 Steelers 14
Arizona at Atlanta
Neither of these teams looked too impressive last week but this game is clearly the Falcons for the taking. Both Matt Ryan and Michael Turner will have bounce back games, and will be relieved to look across the line of scrimmage and see the Cardinals defense and not the Steel Curtain. Neither teams defenses were intimidating last week but with Beanie Wells out for Arizona, unless Anderson can find a way to consistently get the ball to Larry Fitzgerald I expect Atlanta to control the game by expediently mixing the run and the pass.
Final: Falcons 24 Cardinals 14
Baltimore at Cincinnati
Another great battle of two AFC teams that should be contending for the division title come January. The Bengals are stocked with talent and panache and an 0-2 start could be a cause for panic in the new celebrity city. Their offense did look potent last week against the Pats but it did not start to fire on all cylinders until it was too late. Carson Palmer, if protected, should be able to find holes in the Ravens secondary and lets not forget how well the Bengals played the Ravens last year, sweeping the series.
Don't expect the Ravens to forget that. They are hungry for revenge, and by beating the Jets last Monday night, they got their first taste of blood for the season. I expect Ray Lewis and the Ravens defense to come out hitting hard, punching Cedric Benson and the Bengals run attack in the mouth, forcing Palmer to put Cincinnati on his back. On the offensive side of the ball I expect Ray Rice to have a huge day, after being shut down by the Jets last week. Flacco has an array of weapons and proved last week that he can handle all types of defensive pressure. Despite being a bit injury depleted, I expect the Ravens to continue their great start and establish themselves as one of the most intimidating teams in the AFC.
Final: Ravens 23 Bengals 17
Kansas City at Cleveland
I think its safe to say everyone was pleasantly surprised to see Kansas City pull out that nail-biter in the pouring rain last week against highly touted San Diego Chargers. Don't tell me it was the elements, because both teams were playing on the same field, Kansas City's D looked phenomenal. They were running around crushing chargers and playing solid coverage even in the slick conditions. Their offense still has not clicked but with talented running backs Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles they are always potentially dangerous. Also, let us not forget about the beast that is Dexter McCluster. He was filthy last week returning one punt 94 yards for a TD and almost breaking two others. Common sense would tell the Mangenius not to let the ball go anywhere near him.
Unfortunately for Cleveland, they are still Cleveland. Jake Delhomme was pitiful last year and didn't show anyone last week against the lowly Bucs that he would be anything more than that this year. I expect him to throw at least one but most likely two interceptions and Cleveland will quickly fall into NFL obscurity for yet another season.
Final: Chiefs 21 Browns 10
This game looks to be one of the most intriguing match ups of week 2, as the Steelers bring their always stout D into Tennessee and look to topple the Titans and keep RB Chris Johnson from rushing for 100+ yards for the 13th straight game. My gut tells me that even without run-stuffing nose tackle Casey Hampton, the Steelers defense will be the ones who put an end to Johnson's streak( they held Michael Turner to less than 2YPC last week). They limited CJ to only 57 yards rushing in their meeting last year. Still, the Steelers offense is limited by Dixon and despite Rashard Mendenhall's capabilities, the Steelers O-line is depleted which is cause for concern. Vince Young's passing game has improved enough to help the Titans squeak by in a run-dominated nail biter.
Final: Titans 17 Steelers 14
Arizona at Atlanta
Neither of these teams looked too impressive last week but this game is clearly the Falcons for the taking. Both Matt Ryan and Michael Turner will have bounce back games, and will be relieved to look across the line of scrimmage and see the Cardinals defense and not the Steel Curtain. Neither teams defenses were intimidating last week but with Beanie Wells out for Arizona, unless Anderson can find a way to consistently get the ball to Larry Fitzgerald I expect Atlanta to control the game by expediently mixing the run and the pass.
Final: Falcons 24 Cardinals 14
Baltimore at Cincinnati
Another great battle of two AFC teams that should be contending for the division title come January. The Bengals are stocked with talent and panache and an 0-2 start could be a cause for panic in the new celebrity city. Their offense did look potent last week against the Pats but it did not start to fire on all cylinders until it was too late. Carson Palmer, if protected, should be able to find holes in the Ravens secondary and lets not forget how well the Bengals played the Ravens last year, sweeping the series.
Don't expect the Ravens to forget that. They are hungry for revenge, and by beating the Jets last Monday night, they got their first taste of blood for the season. I expect Ray Lewis and the Ravens defense to come out hitting hard, punching Cedric Benson and the Bengals run attack in the mouth, forcing Palmer to put Cincinnati on his back. On the offensive side of the ball I expect Ray Rice to have a huge day, after being shut down by the Jets last week. Flacco has an array of weapons and proved last week that he can handle all types of defensive pressure. Despite being a bit injury depleted, I expect the Ravens to continue their great start and establish themselves as one of the most intimidating teams in the AFC.
Final: Ravens 23 Bengals 17
Kansas City at Cleveland
I think its safe to say everyone was pleasantly surprised to see Kansas City pull out that nail-biter in the pouring rain last week against highly touted San Diego Chargers. Don't tell me it was the elements, because both teams were playing on the same field, Kansas City's D looked phenomenal. They were running around crushing chargers and playing solid coverage even in the slick conditions. Their offense still has not clicked but with talented running backs Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles they are always potentially dangerous. Also, let us not forget about the beast that is Dexter McCluster. He was filthy last week returning one punt 94 yards for a TD and almost breaking two others. Common sense would tell the Mangenius not to let the ball go anywhere near him.
Unfortunately for Cleveland, they are still Cleveland. Jake Delhomme was pitiful last year and didn't show anyone last week against the lowly Bucs that he would be anything more than that this year. I expect him to throw at least one but most likely two interceptions and Cleveland will quickly fall into NFL obscurity for yet another season.
Final: Chiefs 21 Browns 10
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Cowboys Update
The Cowboys know better than to sit around licking their wounds from week ones debacle against the Redskins. They are back in action at valley ranch. The blame game is over, everyone on the team has stepped up and put the blame on themselves. Now they have to focus exclusively on the Chicago Bears and forget all about week one because if they drop this one to another mediocre team then they are in a real hole. Just take a peek at their upcoming schedule.http://www.dallascowboys.com/team/schedule.cfm.
The writers on the Cowboys website have been dealing with a multitude of questions including what is the deal with Colombo and Kosier, will they be ready to play? Both participated fully in practice on Wednesday and if all goes smoothly in practice I expect to see both of them back in the trenches, which will be a tremendous boost to Romo.
On the defensive side of the ball, we looked solid last week but there are a few concerns that could come to play down the road. Obviously everyone has to keep a careful eye on DWare. His necks strain is supposedly mild and he'll be ready to go, but it seems that he may be susceptible to these types of injuries. Also bare in mind that Bradie James and especially Keith Brooking are getting up their in age. They are both still beasts, just look at Brookings pregame speech. That man's blood walks through his veins. Still, they are playing every down so far this year and their seems no one that is ready to step up and give them a breather. It is looking more and more like the boys should have held on to Bobby Carpenter instead of trading him for Alex Barron. As soft as Carpenter was when it came to making contact, his nickel coverage was impeccable. That's another thing we'll have to monitor as the season goes on.
The writers on the Cowboys website have been dealing with a multitude of questions including what is the deal with Colombo and Kosier, will they be ready to play? Both participated fully in practice on Wednesday and if all goes smoothly in practice I expect to see both of them back in the trenches, which will be a tremendous boost to Romo.
On the defensive side of the ball, we looked solid last week but there are a few concerns that could come to play down the road. Obviously everyone has to keep a careful eye on DWare. His necks strain is supposedly mild and he'll be ready to go, but it seems that he may be susceptible to these types of injuries. Also bare in mind that Bradie James and especially Keith Brooking are getting up their in age. They are both still beasts, just look at Brookings pregame speech. That man's blood walks through his veins. Still, they are playing every down so far this year and their seems no one that is ready to step up and give them a breather. It is looking more and more like the boys should have held on to Bobby Carpenter instead of trading him for Alex Barron. As soft as Carpenter was when it came to making contact, his nickel coverage was impeccable. That's another thing we'll have to monitor as the season goes on.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Jets v. Ravens 2
What a defensive struggle this game was. Still, for all the hype the Jets got this season, and especially their defense, it was Ray Lewis' defense that was putting on the Hard Knocks tonight. I don't want to sell the Gang Green D short, they looked great but Flacco was able to routinely move the ball on them. Cam Cameron was able to effectively exploit many of Rex Ryan's all out blitzes and find a hole in the man to man coverage. The Jets safeties could not physically match up with Todd Heap and Cromartie must have been getting sick of Anquan Boldin having his way with him for most of the night. The real problem for the Jets was their anemic offense. Mark Sanchez did nothing to make me think he is worth anything as a starting quarterback. He has a stable of talented receivers none of whom were a factor in the game tonight. Brian Shottenheimer's relentless vanilla running plays were not going to get the job done against one of the best run defenses in the NFL. The Jets offense needs to do some serious work in practice this week or New England will bury them.
Jets v. Ravens 1st half
Good game so far. The Jets defense looks like all it was hyped to be. Ray Rice and the rest of the Baltimore backs can barley move an inch forward. The Ravens are having some success throwing at Cromartie, minus his one big interception, and at the Jets rookie CB Kyle Wilson. They should be up more if not for some terrible turnovers. The Jets offense has yet to resemble the powerful machine it was boasted to be. With these defenses, this game should come down to the wire. The Jets need to cool it with all the penalties or they could end up giving the game to Baltimore.
Quick thought on NBC
Lets be real...NBC's pre-game and half time show crew are an embarrassment to television and themselves. They are often trying too hard to be politically correct and are awkward to watch. Rodney Harrison provides no intelligent insight and stands stiffly facing the screen. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Tony Dungy as a coach and as one of the NFL's great people but he has the personality of a lamp shade. It is almost nauseating to watch Dan Patrick try to develop chemistry with them. Why are they always standing up? On the other side of it...I think Al Michaels and Collinsworth do a phenomenal job.
Positives from the loss?
I don't buy into the idea of "positives gained from a loss." A loss is a loss and can never be good for your team. As a unit, the boys didn't show much on the offensive side of the ball nor on special teams. Their defense played solidly as usual but the lack of turnovers still seems to be a problem for this team. Despite the overall poor showing last night there were some good individual performances that should give cowboys fans hope for the remainder of the season.
1. Miles Austin---
The guy is simply a beast. Last nights performance (10 Rec. for 146 yds) should squash any ideas that this guy was a one year wonder. He has sure hands and gets gritty, hard fought yards in clutch situations. I just wish he would have a bit more open field speed for after the catch.
2. Doug Free--
Much attention has been paid to Flozell the Hotels replacement at left tackle. I think that Doug is an immediate upgrade. He held is own last night for the most part (sometimes he is a little susceptible for a strong bull rush) and you barley heard his name called, which is a good thing. (1 Holding penalty...Flozell was usually good for two of those and a few false starts) Everyone who has been moaning about Barron's performance and lamenting the release of Flo has to remember that Flo was the left tackle not the right. Colombo will be back this week and as long as his knee is okay will be a significant upgrade from Barron. I also like that Free's athleticism allows us to run more tosses to the outside. He will be a huge part of the success of Felix Jones this year.
3. Mike Jenkins---
There should be no doubt about it. This guy is a bonafide hustler. He is one of the best cover corners in the league despite his small size. His two defenses in the end zone in the 4th quarter were tremendous. I expect him to have another pro-bowl year.
4. The Defense--
Picking up right where they left off last year (minus the Vikings game) the defense was very stout. They did not allow the Redskins to do much. They pretty much bottled up both Portis and Larry Johnson the entire game except a few plays in the fourth quarter. They covered well for the most part (Although I really think we do miss Bobby Carpenter as the nickel linebacker in coverage.) They only yielded 6 points to McNabb's offense. Still there is concern. They only sacked McNabb once and didn't pressure him as much as they surely expected to. With Ratliff, Ware and Spencer, there is no excuse for not knocking the QB around. Also I am still a little uncomfortable with Alan Ball at safety. His coverage was underwhelming last night and I don't like his tackling.
This team still has plenty of work to do.
1. Miles Austin---
The guy is simply a beast. Last nights performance (10 Rec. for 146 yds) should squash any ideas that this guy was a one year wonder. He has sure hands and gets gritty, hard fought yards in clutch situations. I just wish he would have a bit more open field speed for after the catch.
2. Doug Free--
Much attention has been paid to Flozell the Hotels replacement at left tackle. I think that Doug is an immediate upgrade. He held is own last night for the most part (sometimes he is a little susceptible for a strong bull rush) and you barley heard his name called, which is a good thing. (1 Holding penalty...Flozell was usually good for two of those and a few false starts) Everyone who has been moaning about Barron's performance and lamenting the release of Flo has to remember that Flo was the left tackle not the right. Colombo will be back this week and as long as his knee is okay will be a significant upgrade from Barron. I also like that Free's athleticism allows us to run more tosses to the outside. He will be a huge part of the success of Felix Jones this year.
3. Mike Jenkins---
There should be no doubt about it. This guy is a bonafide hustler. He is one of the best cover corners in the league despite his small size. His two defenses in the end zone in the 4th quarter were tremendous. I expect him to have another pro-bowl year.
4. The Defense--
Picking up right where they left off last year (minus the Vikings game) the defense was very stout. They did not allow the Redskins to do much. They pretty much bottled up both Portis and Larry Johnson the entire game except a few plays in the fourth quarter. They covered well for the most part (Although I really think we do miss Bobby Carpenter as the nickel linebacker in coverage.) They only yielded 6 points to McNabb's offense. Still there is concern. They only sacked McNabb once and didn't pressure him as much as they surely expected to. With Ratliff, Ware and Spencer, there is no excuse for not knocking the QB around. Also I am still a little uncomfortable with Alan Ball at safety. His coverage was underwhelming last night and I don't like his tackling.
This team still has plenty of work to do.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Week 1: Cowboys at Redskins
This game was an absolute DISGRACE. There is no way around it. The Cowboys did not look at all like a team that has Super Bowl aspirations, let alone NFC East champion potential. Obviously the Redskins had a few advantages going in; The excitement over the beginning of the McNabb/Shanahan era as well as a loud, jumping stadium filled with 91,000, slightly embarrassing, hogs in dresses will help out. Still, the simple fact of the matter is the Cowboys always dismantle the Redskins and are a far superior team despite the 13-7 loss tonight. So what happened?
I guess we should get right to the point. Alex Barron and Tashard Choice ( or Jason Garrett and Wade Phillips) were responsible for this disgusting loss. Barron, the replacement right tackle for the injured Marc Colombo was completely inept. He is a huge body but his feet might as well be redwood stumps. He was routinely being beat off the edge and was flagged for holding twice, and got away with plenty more holds. Tony Romo's final drive was masterful and he capped it off with a brilliant escape in the pocket to find a wide open Roy Williams (I can't believe he actually caught the pass) I watched the game with a few of my Cowboys buddies and we were jumping up and down screaming in excitement because we thought we had just witnessed a miracle only to see the flag at the bottom of the screen. Alex Barron's pathetic attempt to block Orakpo ruined a comeback that could help solidify Romo's ascent to the top of the NFL quarterback echelon. Normally the refs wouldn't make a call like that on the last play of the game but it was so blatant they had no choice. Barron barley even tried to block Orakpo, he went straight for his neck and wrapped his arms around it. I seriously would not be surprised if he is not with the team come Monday. I wouldn't even let him get on the plane home.
The other crucial play in the game that sealed the fate for Dallas was the decision by Jason Garrett to run a play with less than 4 seconds left in the first half, when the Cowboys were not even close to the Redskins side of the field. Anyone with fragments of a brain would defer to common sense and take a knee and head to the locker room. There was no chance of scoring and to add insult to injury Romo didn't even take a shot down field, instead he dunked it off to Tashard Choice for what would have been a minimum gain. Jerry Jones should have rushed down to the locker room and smacked Garrett upside the head for coaching like someone whose never seen a football game. T. Choice can't be left off the hook on this either. He should have gone down right away and as a running back you just cant fumble. He's a good tough player with a ton of heart and you know he wont make a mistake like that again, but it was a bone head play on his part.
Finally, aside from those two obvious reasons for the Cowboys pathetic showing tonight, Dallas fans were forced to watch in horror as our anemic offense struggled to resemble anything of value. It seems that their red zone woes of last year have not been addressed, and their offense at times can be embarrassingly predictable (aside from that pathetic attempt of a HB pass from Barber). Garrett continually uses the same running plays and often with the wrong personnel. If were going to run tosses repeatedly, lets get Felix in there. The offensive line penalty woes do not seem to have left town with Flozell the Hotel. Jason Witten often had to stay and help block and was pretty much irrelevant in the passing game tonight. Aside from the last play and one good catch in the first quarter, Roy Williams was again a non-factor, and of course dropped a deep ball that would have put the cowboys near the red zone. Instead we witnessed yet another promising drive wither up and turn into nothing. Last but not least, our kicking situation clearly has not been cleared up. David Buehler had a great preseason, but he missed what should be a chip-shot and lost us points that we desperately needed at the end of the game.
Mike... I don't think we can watch the games at your house anymore, every time we do the Cowboys embarrass themselves.
I guess we should get right to the point. Alex Barron and Tashard Choice ( or Jason Garrett and Wade Phillips) were responsible for this disgusting loss. Barron, the replacement right tackle for the injured Marc Colombo was completely inept. He is a huge body but his feet might as well be redwood stumps. He was routinely being beat off the edge and was flagged for holding twice, and got away with plenty more holds. Tony Romo's final drive was masterful and he capped it off with a brilliant escape in the pocket to find a wide open Roy Williams (I can't believe he actually caught the pass) I watched the game with a few of my Cowboys buddies and we were jumping up and down screaming in excitement because we thought we had just witnessed a miracle only to see the flag at the bottom of the screen. Alex Barron's pathetic attempt to block Orakpo ruined a comeback that could help solidify Romo's ascent to the top of the NFL quarterback echelon. Normally the refs wouldn't make a call like that on the last play of the game but it was so blatant they had no choice. Barron barley even tried to block Orakpo, he went straight for his neck and wrapped his arms around it. I seriously would not be surprised if he is not with the team come Monday. I wouldn't even let him get on the plane home.
The other crucial play in the game that sealed the fate for Dallas was the decision by Jason Garrett to run a play with less than 4 seconds left in the first half, when the Cowboys were not even close to the Redskins side of the field. Anyone with fragments of a brain would defer to common sense and take a knee and head to the locker room. There was no chance of scoring and to add insult to injury Romo didn't even take a shot down field, instead he dunked it off to Tashard Choice for what would have been a minimum gain. Jerry Jones should have rushed down to the locker room and smacked Garrett upside the head for coaching like someone whose never seen a football game. T. Choice can't be left off the hook on this either. He should have gone down right away and as a running back you just cant fumble. He's a good tough player with a ton of heart and you know he wont make a mistake like that again, but it was a bone head play on his part.
Finally, aside from those two obvious reasons for the Cowboys pathetic showing tonight, Dallas fans were forced to watch in horror as our anemic offense struggled to resemble anything of value. It seems that their red zone woes of last year have not been addressed, and their offense at times can be embarrassingly predictable (aside from that pathetic attempt of a HB pass from Barber). Garrett continually uses the same running plays and often with the wrong personnel. If were going to run tosses repeatedly, lets get Felix in there. The offensive line penalty woes do not seem to have left town with Flozell the Hotel. Jason Witten often had to stay and help block and was pretty much irrelevant in the passing game tonight. Aside from the last play and one good catch in the first quarter, Roy Williams was again a non-factor, and of course dropped a deep ball that would have put the cowboys near the red zone. Instead we witnessed yet another promising drive wither up and turn into nothing. Last but not least, our kicking situation clearly has not been cleared up. David Buehler had a great preseason, but he missed what should be a chip-shot and lost us points that we desperately needed at the end of the game.
Mike... I don't think we can watch the games at your house anymore, every time we do the Cowboys embarrass themselves.
Introduction
I'll start the life of this blog with a quick introduction. My name is Kevin Winters and I am a recent graduate of Quinnipiac University. I live in Westchester New York and I somehow became a die hard Dallas Cowboys fan as soon as I first started watching football when I was six....Most likely because at the time the Cowboys dominated everyone and those silver helmets just seem to have a magnetic effect. It seems like everyone was a Cowboys fan when they were my age in the early 90's but most everyone switched to the team from their hometown (Unfortunately most of my friends are Jets, Pats or Giants fans). I stuck with the Cowboys throughout all of the 90's and the 2000's, during most of which, they were absolutely terrible. The last few years the Cowboys have given their fans ample amounts of hope during the regular season only to blow it in heart-wrenching fashion in the playoffs. I will routinely post my opinions/ news updates about the Cowboys as they attempt to finally make it to the Super Bowl (which is played in their stadium this year) in the Tony Romo era. I encourage people to comment and post discussion questions.
- KW
- KW
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