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Sunday, November 28, 2010

Eric's Sunday Lock of the Week

Minnesota (-2.5) @ Washington

The Vikings’ disappointing season led to the firing of Brad Childress. I think the team won in spite of Childress last season. Favre breathed life into the team and publicly battled with his coach over play calling. Injuries and Favre’s decline exposed Childress. He never connected with his players but winning covers those flaws up and keeps people happy. When the team began to lose, players grumbled, and Childress lost their confidence. They signed a wide range of receivers in an attempt to replace Sidney Rice’s production. The Randy Moss trade stunk of desperation and his subsequent release was simply embarrassing. Similar to the Cowboys, Minnesota fired the coach and brought up their top coordinator. Interim Head Coach Leslie Frazier will find employment elsewhere the Vikings elect not to retain his services. I think we see a reinvigorated Vikings team committed to running the ball and playing good defense.

The Redskins have fooled me several times this season. After an embarrassing loss to the Eagles, they bounced back with a solid win against the Titans. Of course, Rusty Smith was under center for the Titans. Washington released the corpse of Joey Galloway this week. Shanahan’s affinity for veteran players led to the signing and releasing of Willie Parker, Larry Johnson, and Joey Galloway this year. How could everyone else in the world know these guys were washed up other than the Redskins brass? The Redskins continue their roller-coaster season with another low. The Vikings get the win by keeping the ball in Adrian Peterson’s hands and harassing McNabb.


PICK: Vikings -2.5

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Danny's Week 12 Selections

Record: (98-63 SU / 82-75-1 ATS)

Minnesota Vikings (-1) @ Washington Redskins - Pick: Vikings 24 - 17

Pittsburgh Steelers (-7) @ Buffalo Bills - Pick: Steelers 27 - 10

Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans (-6.5) - Pick: Texans 31 - 17

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Giants (-7) - Pick: Giants 24 - 16

Carolina Panthers @ Cleveland Browns (-10) - Pick: Browns 27 - 9

Green Bay Packers (+2) @ Atlanta Falcons - Pick: Packers 31 - 28

Miami Dolphins (+2.5) @ Oakland Raiders - Pick: Dolphins 17 - 13

Kansas City Chiefs (-2) @ Seattle Seahawks - Pick: Chiefs 30 - 20

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Baltimore Ravens (-7.5) - Pick: Ravens 27 - 10

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) @ Chicago Bears - Pick: Eagles 24 - 13

St. Louis Rams @ Denver Broncos (-3.5) - Pick: Broncos 24 - 20

San Diego Chargers (+3) @ Indianapolis Colts - Pick: Chargers 27 - 24

San Francisco 49ers (-1) @ Arizona Cardinals - Pick: 49ers 20 - 17

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Eric's Locks of Week 12

Eric's Locks of Thanksgiving Day NFL Games

Record: 12-6-2

PICK: SAINTS -4 vs Dallas, Brees and Company will put to rest this "Dallas comeback".

PICK: PATRIOTS -7.5 vs Detroit, Brady will come off the short week and exploit the Lions defense that typically plays well at home.

PICK: JETS -9 vs Cincinnati, Palmer will throw INT after INT if he targets TO, Revis shuts down Bengals and probably gets a TD of his own.

Danny's Thanksgiving Day Selections

New England Patriots @ Detroit Lions (+7.5) - The Lions play considerably better at home, this is their Super Bowl game, and this is nationally televised so you know they will play their hearts out in the effort to show the nation that the Lions are a team on the rise and has some potential in upcoming seasons. That being said, they are playing Brady and Belichick so you know its a tough game, but this has back door cover written all over it. Lions cover on a late big play to Megatron.

PICK: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 27 - DETROIT LIONS 21


New Orleans Saints (-4) @ Dallas Cowboys - What happens today if the Cowboys get behind by two scores? We'll find out today. I think the return of Reggie Bush will spark new life in the Saints huddle, a Saints huddle that has been rollin' as of late. Drew Brees has answered the questions about his inconsistent start with very strong play in his last three starts. Kitna and the Cowboys have played well in their last two games, both under interim Head Coach Jason Garrett, but the road hits an obstacle this week at home. The Boys beat the Giants due in large part to two turnovers in the first 5 minutes, then they go and beat the Lions last week (the Lions haven't won a road game during Obama's presidency). Cowboys get a tough test against the Saints this week and they do not pass it.

PICK: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 34 - DALLAS COWBOYS 24


Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets (-9) - The Bengals come into New Jersey as a 9-point road dog against the Jets and its a short week after Sunday's brutal loss to the Bills. Jets have played close game after close game, donning them the nickname "Cardiac Jets". Today will be different. Bengals have serious locker room issues and once the Jets put up quick scores the Bengals will throw in the towel. I can seriously see either TO or Ochocinco get benched today due to sideline behavior, and I also anticipate seeing Jesse Palmer getting a few snaps today. Jets win a blowout.

PICK: NEW YORK JETS 30 - CINCINNATI BENGALS 13

Power Rankings

Power Rankings following Week 11 in the NFL

1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. Atlanta Falcons
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Indianapolis Colts
10. New York Giants
11. Kansas City Chiefs
12. San Diego Chargers
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Chicago Bears
15. Jacksonville Jaguars
16. Oakland Raiders
17. Miami Dolphins
18. Tennessee Titans
19. Washington Redskins
20. St. Louis Rams
21. Houston Texans
22. Minnesota Vikings
23. Denver Broncos
24. Cleveland Browns
25. Seattle Seahawks
26. San Francisco 49ers
27. Buffalo Bills
28. Dallas Cowboys
29. Detroit Lions
30. Cincinnati Bengals
31. Arizona Cardinals
32. Carolina Panthers

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Week 11 Good, Bad, Ugly

Good:

Raheem Morris. The Bucs had a tremendous draft but I thought they were a few years off from the type of season they’ve put together. Raheem Morris appeared overwhelmed at times last season and perhaps he was. However, he learned form last year and has his team hitting on all cylinders thus far. Quarterback John Freeman looks like the real deal, Mike Williams was a draft day steal and rookie free agent Legarrette Blount went from angry-punching-maniac to starting NFL running back. Blount’s play allows Cadillac Williams to stay fresh and contribute. The Bucs pitched an impressive shutout on the road in San Fran and put the Saints and Falcons on notice that the NFC South is a 3 horse race. Somewhere an effeminate orange pirate is smiling.

Bad:

The Houston Texans Secondary. In consecutive weeks the Texans secondary cost the team wins and likely the playoffs in the process. The Jaguars defeated the Texans on a fluky Hail Mary followed by Sanchez throwing consecutive passes down the field resulting in the win. Perhaps the entire defense should take the blame but the secondary must make a stop with the game on the line. Kubiak may not suffer the same early demise as Wade Phillips and Brad Childress, but he’s destined for the unemployment line.

Ugly:

Brett Favre. Brett could have ridden off into the sunset after overachieving last season but he got greedy and decided to tempt fate. It looks like Brett settled himself back into what a 40 something year old quarterback should. He leads the league in turnovers and perhaps the most ominous sign of all, has the Minnesota faithful calling for Tavaris Jackson. That’s right- T-Jack- that’s how bad things have gotten. The may take the crown of “most disappointing” from Dallas before this season is all over with.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Eric's Locks of Week 11

Lions (-7) @ Cowboys

The Cowboys played outstanding last week. Dez Bryant has emerged into an absolute beast. This bodes well for Miles Austin, who will reap the benefits of defenses gradually shifting coverage over top of Dez. The Lions secondary cannot keep pace with the Cowboys but I have serious doubts over Dallas’ ability to keep Suh and Vanden Bosch at bay. Jon Kitna made a few plays with his feet last week, but the Giants looked lost on defense all day. Kitna’s tough as they come, but he may revert back into captain check down if Suh has his way with the interior linemen. Don’t forget, this is the same line that nearly got Romo killed and these aren’t the Lions of old. The record may not show it, but they have a lot of fight in them. Dallas will struggle to get anything deep going so look for Jason Garrett to bring out the bubble screens that he loves so dearly. They’ve rarely worked this season and I have no reason to believe they will this week.

The departure of Wade Phillips marked a departure of man-coverage-blitz approach. The Cowboys played more zone coverage last week and stayed away from blitzing every down. Keith Brooking didn’t break down and the secondary made some huge plays. The secondary did not have the personnel to play man coverage- as evidenced by every game up until the Phillips firing. The Cowboys have no answer for Calvin Johnson, but who does? As long as Ware puts enough pressure on Lions QB Shaun Hill, who likes to dink and dunk anyway, Johnson will be limited to an over the middle threat. The Cowboys win this one but it isn’t pretty and the Lions cover.

PICK: LIONS +7


Redskins (-7) @ Titans

The Redskins overachieved early in the season but take a step back and look at this team. They have no receiving threats. Santana Moss isn’t the Santana Moss of old. He would do well as the second or even third/slot option but he’s simply not a number 1 anymore. Joey Galloway was born in 1971 (not a joke). Anthony Anderson was a nice surprise but he’s got a ways to go. They produced a fairly good running game considering the injuries incurred but that had to be expected when you go into a season with veteran washed up backs. The line, although improved, remains suspect. McNabb plays well considering the dearth of weapons. However, he’s on the backside of his career and can’t carry a team any longer. Did you know the Redskins have the oldest average roster in the NFL? Not exactly what you want to see in a rebuilding team.

Tennessee plays good defense, runs the ball well, and seems to find a few deep passes every now and again. They struggled mightily against the Chargers, a pass happy offense with a quietly effective defense. The Redskins rank 25th in the NFL against the run and 31st against the pass. Chris Johnson will have one of those 2009 like performances and Randy Moss gets his first touchdown in a Titans uniform. The Titans win and cover. My only fear in this pick is a garbage time TD by the Skins, but I feel the Titans take a lead, eat up the clock and win by at least 10.

PICK: TITANS -7

Danny's Week 11 Selections

Oakland Raiders @ Pittsburgh Steelers (-7) - Pick: Steelers 24 - 10

Houston Texans @ New York Jets (-7) - Pick: Jets 27 - 17

Baltimore Ravens (-11) @ Carolina Panthers - Pick: Ravens 34 - 7

Washington Redskins @ Tennessee Titans (-7) - Pick: Titans 28 - Redskins 20

Detroit Lions @ Dallas Cowboys (-7) - Pick: Cowboys 34 - Lions 24

Green Bay Packers (-3) @ Minnesota Vikings - Pick: Packers 24 - Vikings 20

Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals (-6) - Pick: Bengals 42 - Bills 24

Cleveland Browns (+1.5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars - Pick: Browns 27- Jaguars 17

Arizona Cardinals @ Kansas City Chiefs (-8) - Pick: Chiefs 31 - Cardinals 14

Seattle Seahawks @ New Orleans Saints (-11.5) - Pick: Saints 38 - Seahawks 17

Atlanta Falcons (-3) @ St. Louis Rams - Pick: Falcons 24 - Rams 17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ San Francisco 49ers - Pick: 49ers 20 - 7

Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots (-4) - Pick: Patriots 31 - Colts 24

New York Giants @ Philadelphia (-3.5) - Pick: Eagles 28 - Giants 24

Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers (-10) - Pick: Chargers 27 - 17

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Thursday Night Football

Chicago Bears (+1.5) @ Miami Dolphins:

The Dolphins start Tyler Thigpen behind center tonight, a guy that hasn't received any reps in practice prior to this short week. Going against the #2 run defense in the league in Chicago, Thigpen will have to make plays with his arm. I am going with the hot quarterback in this matchup that is poised to get his team their third consecutive win.

Pick: Chicago Bears 20 - Dolphins 17

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly Week 10

The Good:

Michael Vick. How could we go with anyone else? The man looked like Randall Cunningham (QB Eagles) in Tecmo Super Bowl. The Eagles have the most athletic kill players in the league. Vick’s emergence as a passer makes their offense near unstoppable. If their defense can keep pace, this franchise may finally get its first Super Bowl. Kevin Kolb’s tenure in Philadelphia ended before it began.

The Bad:

Daniel Snyder/Washington Redskins: Anytime you can lock down an aging quarterback 2 years past his prime for $78 million, you’ve got to pull the trigger. The contract allows the Redskins some flexibility if they should release McNabb after this season. However, on Monday night Daniel Snyder saw first hand how signing the right free agent can reinvigorate a team- a sight rarely witnessed in Washington.


The Ugly:

Todd Haley, Head Coach, Kansas City Chiefs. Haley refused to shake Broncos’ head coach, Josh McDaniels, and went so far as to wag a finger in his face. Haley felt McDaniels ran the score up against the Chiefs. This isn’t Alabama versus William & Mary. Todd Haley’s pouting act came across as juvenile and unprofessional. If Haley doesn’t want the Broncos to run up the score, stop them. No scholarships here, these guys are professionals paid to do just what Denver did.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Danny's Week 10 Selections

Cincinnati Bengals @ Indianapolis Colts (-7) - Colts 31 - Bengals 20

Houston Texans (+1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars - Texans 28 - Jaguars 17

Tennessee Titans (-1) @ Miami Dolphins - Titans 24 - Dolphins 20

Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears (+1.5) - Bears 20 - Vikings 17

Detroit Lions (+3) @ Buffalo Bills - Lions 35 - Bills 30

New York Jets (+3) @ Cleveland Browns - Jets 20 - Browns 6

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7) - Buccaneers 24 - Panthers 10

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos (+1) - Broncos 20 - Chiefs 16

St. Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49ers (-6) - 49ers 17 - Rams 3

Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals (-3) - Cardinals 27 - Seahawks 20

Dallas Cowboys (+14) @ New York Giants - Giants 34 - Cowboys 24

New England Patriots (+4.5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers - Steelers 24 - Patriots 20

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) @ Washington Redskins - Eagles 27 - Redskins 17

Friday, November 12, 2010

Eric's Lock of the Week

Eric's Record (11-4-2 ATS)

The Monday Night Special:

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins (+3)

The Redskins took Michael Vick out of the game early in game 1. Vick returns to avenge the loss, and he will do just that. The Redskins have overachieved this year with new management as well as a new quarterback. However, part of that new management team (Mike Shanahan) undermined the quarterback last week and had the audacity to claim McNabb’s benching resulted from poor conditioning. Perhaps Shanahan wanted to give McNabb something to think about other than his pending Eagles rematch. He surely doesn’t think Rex Grossman gives them a better chance to win, I mean, he has seen Grossman play, hasn’t he? The Redskins have found a place for Albert Haynesworth in their modified 3-4 scheme making it difficult for teams up the middle. DeAngelo Hall came into the league overrated, was exposed in Oakland and summarily released, and now finds himself once again considered among the upper tier of cornerbacks in the league. Washington plays enough defense to win games (2 home losses this season both by 3 points), but I don’t think they can account for Vick’s mobility. In round 1, they did so by breaking a few of his ribs, but that’s unlikely to occur again. The Eagles have too many weapons, Maclin, Jackson, McCoy and Celek are as good as they get at the skill positions. And Vick's relationship with DeSean Jackson is phenomenal as he is 21-31 for 400+yards and 3 TD's. Throw in a freakish athlete like Vick at quarterback and you’ve got enough to go all the way. I’ve been waiting for Vick to revert back into his Atlanta form, making poor choices, looking to run too early but that simply hasn’t happened. In game 1, the Eagles turned into a different team when Kolb came in. It threw the pace and timing of the offense off and they never rebounded. Despite the poor showing, they still had a chance to win it at the game’s close. McNabb loses round 2 and the Eagles cover.

PICK: EAGLES -3

POWER RANKINGS

Here are my overdue power rankings entering Week 10 in the NFL
*this does not take into consideration the Thursday night win for Atlanta over Baltimore.


1. Pittsburgh
2. Baltimore
3. New York Giants
4. New York Jets
5. New England Patriots
6. Atlanta Falcons
7. Green Bay Packers
8. Philadelphia Eagles
9. New Orleans Saints
10. Indianapolis Colts
11. Tennessee Titans
12. San Diego Chargers
13. Kansas City Chiefs
14. Miami Dolphins
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Oakland Raiders
17. Houston Texans
18. St. Louis Rams
19. Minnesota Vikings
20. San Francisco 49ers
21. Chicago Bears
22. Denver Broncos
23. Jacksonville Jaguars
24. Cleveland Browns
25. Washington Redskins
26. Seattle Seahawks
27. Arizona Cardinals
28. Cincinnati Bengals
29. Detroit Lions
30. Dallas Cowboys
31. Buffalo Bills
32. Carolina Panthers

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Thursday Night Football - NFL Week 10

Thursday Night Football opens up this week in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons taking on the Baltimore Ravens. This is a great matchup of two of the young-superstar quarterbacks that came out of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Baltimore Ravens @ Atlanta Falcons (PICK) - Matt Ryan is 17-1 in 18 career starts in the Georgia Dome. That is an absolutely outstanding statistic to point out for tonight's game. The Falcons clearly "get-up" more for home games and the record shows. It is a short week for both teams, I give the advantage to the Ravens here as the veteran team can handle the short week much better than I would expect the Falcons to. However, this is a game the Falcons have to treat as the regular season Super Bowl. A win over a top 3 team in the NFL would solidify the fact that the Falcons are a legit contender this season. Matty Ice and Roddy White will show up big tonight and the Falcons get it done at home in a high scoring affair.

PICK: ATLANTA 27 - BALTIMORE 24

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Thank You For Participating - Dallas Cowboys

Monday, Jerry Jones fired Wade Phillips. A move the club should have made after the 2008 season. It will do little to help at this point and fails to address the real problem that Jones will remain the General Manager of the club.

Much to the delight of Cowboys haters across the nation, the season in which Dallas will host the Super Bowl will go down as one of the worst in the franchise’s storied history. As a child, I sat with my grandfather and watched Dallas go 1-15. Jerry Jones had just bought the team and summarily fired Tom Landry. Many fans of America’s Team hated the move. Of course, 3 Super Bowls in 4 years rightfully gave Jerry a long grace period. By the end of the 90’s, the triplets were old, the talent base had eroded and a series of Jones’ puppet coaches failed to bring the team back to glory.

Jones, frustrated with futility, relinquished much of his influence and control to Bill Parcels. Parcels filled the team with good young talent and a few trusted veterans. Of course, Jones could not stop himself from bringing in T.O. Owens had a few solid statistical years, but his arrival sealed the deal for Parcels. Parcels left for Miami, and took with him many of the ancillary players and coaching staff. Jones had a stocked cupboard of coaching talent ( ex. Sean Payton, Todd Haley, Tony Sparano) but looked outside the Parcels regime. He brought in inexperienced Dolphins QB coach Jason Garrett to head up the offense. (whenever you can go out a sign the QB coach of a 1-15 team, you have to pull the trigger) Jones then set out to find his next puppet. Jones found his Huckleberry in Wade Phillips, a respected defensive coordinator but failed in two prior head coaching stints.

Phillips’ easy going style, Jones’ ineptitude along with the insufferable offense of Garrett mixed like a frat party cocktail, and in 2010, the roofies kicked in.

Entering this season, the biggest question marks on this team were the aging offensive line, the aging inside linebackers, and the safety position. Jones stood pat with the offensive line resulting in Jon Kitna now taking snaps and no running game. Jones traded Bobby Carpenter for Alex Barron. Carpenter is not great but he played well in nickel packages and on special teams. The result: 35-year-old Keith Brooking playing every snap, Alex Barron holding onto anything within 3 feet, terrible special teams, and Carpenter playing a contributing role with the Dolphins. Jones cut the corpse of Ken Hamlin prior to the season after giving him a 39 million dollar extension 2 unproductive years earlier, leaving Dallas with no viable option on the roster. The team converted Alan Ball from corner to Safety. The result: Alan Ball plays like Roy Williams (former Dallas Safety) without the ability to hit hard. Jones elected to cut ties with established veterans such as Safety Pat Watkins and Reciver Patrick Crayton. Both served as very good special team’s players and starters as needed. The result: terrible special teams and no viable Safety candidates. You cannot make these types of moves if you fail to draft adequate replacements. Dez Bryant is the only draft pick of the last few years making any real contribution to this team.

Jones’ firing Phillips represents yet another personnel mistake. Every GM makes mistakes, but Jones has done so repeatedly for years with no repercussions. Jones brought Jason Garrett to this team, he signed Ken Hamlin to a huge deal after 1 decent season, he gave Barber a big time contract after 1 good season as a complimentary back, he traded away 1st and 3rd round picks for Roy Williams, he decided to go on the cheap and release proven vets for undrafted rookies, brought in T.O. essentially poisoning the team. This is a man who once traded 2 first round draft picks for Joey Galloway, a man who thought it wise to give Ryan Leaf another chance, and a man who made Barry Switzer a NFL head coach

The failure of this Cowboys team begins and ends with Jerry Jones. He revels in the thrill of victory, yet refuses to share in the agony of defeat. It has been 15 years since Dallas last hoisted the Lombardy and the grace period is over.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Danny's Week 9 Selections

Record: Danny (68-49 SU / 59-53-4 ATS)

Chicago (-3) @ Buffalo *(in Toronto) - Bears 27 - Bills 17

San Diego @ Houston (+3) - Texans 34 - Chargers 30

New Orleans @ Carolina (+7) - Saints 20 - Panthers 16

Arizona @ Minnesota (-8) - Vikings 31 - Cardinals 17

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta (-8.5) - Falcons 30 - Buccaneers 13

New York Jets (-4) @ Detroit - Jets 24 - Lions 17

Miami @ Baltimore (-5) - Ravens 30 - Dolphins 20

New England (-5.5) @ Cleveland - Patriots 28 - Browns 14

New York Giants (-7) @ Seattle - Giants 31 - Seahawks 10

Kansas City @ Oakland (-1) - Raiders 20 - Chiefs 17

Indianapolis (+3) @ Philadelphia - Eagles 30 - Colts 28

Dallas (+8) @ Green Bay - Packers 24 - Cowboys 20

Pittsburgh (-5) @ Cincinnati - Steelers 23 - Bengals 13

Friday, November 5, 2010

Eric's Locks of Week 9

Record: 10-4-1

Tampa Bay (+8.5) @ Atlanta

The NFC is wide open and Atlanta looks like they have as good a chance as anyone to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. They’ve got a steady QB, a top flight running back, an aging but still effective tight end and a very good receiving corps. Defensively, they have some questions, especially in the secondary. They’ve well enough to pull out wins and with the exception of the Eagles game, have looked like the better team. For some reason though, I’m simply not sold. I can’t trust Matty Ice to deliver a game winning drive under pressure and Michael Turner has had some durability issues. Sure, Atlanta will go to the playoffs and may win a game but no way they reach the Super Bowl.

Tampa Bay, on the other hand, looks bad on paper. Statistically, they rank in the middle for every major category except for opponents rushing yards, which they come in at 30th. Again, on paper, this would appear to play right into the hands of Atlanta. Josh Freeman looks confident and better than most thought at his early point in his career. Mike Williams provides him with a reliable target and Lagarrette (French for “The Garrette") Blount just had a breakout game last week against Arizona. Defensively, this team loaded up with young talent. They’re more than a year away from becoming serious contenders for the division crown but they’ve got a friskiness to them I like.

Atlanta will win this one. They’re the better team, I just don’t think they’re more than 8 points better. Mike Williams and Lagarrette Blount both have solid games and keep the Bucs in this one. I like Tampa Bay to cover but the Falcons to win.

PICK: TAMPA BAY +8.5

Kansas City (+3) @ Oakland

Odds makers must have put a lot of stock into these past two weeks by Oakland. Oakland has looked like a premier team. Darren McFadden, Jason Campbell, and Darrius Heyward-Bey played to their first round draft pick pedigree resulting in some of the best offensive output in franchise history. However, let’s add a little perspective. Yes, the Raiders got very very hot but they also played against two teams that were reeling. The Broncos have looked absolutely terrible over the past few weeks and Seattle overachieves at home and bombs on the road. Oakland may be playing its best football in a decade but that doesn’t say a whole lot.

Kansas City has benefited from an easy schedule. You could argue they’ve lost to the only quality teams they’ve played (Indy and Houston). However, the Chiefs play steady and make the most of what they have. Kansas City runs the ball well, makes just enough throws and plays solid defense. I like Chiefs’ Defensive Coordinator, Romeo Crennel, against Jason Campbell. No way Heyward-Bey has a repeat performance. Raider's corner Nnamdi Asomugha is listed as Questionable and may not play. Without him, the Raiders will lose the flexibility he brings. The Chiefs are 3 point dogs but I see them winning outright and cooling the Raiders off.

PICK: KANSAS CITY +3

Week 9 - Start 'Em / Sit 'Em

START 'EM

QB's
1. Joe Flacco (BAL) - Coming off of the bye week, the Ravens have a good matchup at home against the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins have been tremendous on the road this season, but after a big win in Cincinnati last week, I think the Ravens come out firing and catch them off guard.
2. Michael Vick (PHI) - Vick is an absolute mis-match for the Colts defense. Freeney and Mathis will penetrate the Eagles offensive line, but Vick's quickness will out do the Colts defense and be able to extend the plays. Vick could have a huge day in what should be a high scoring affair.

---Sit 'Em
1. Josh Freeman (TAM)
2. Chad Henne (MIA)


START 'EM

RB's
1. Lesean McCoy (PHI) - Vick is going to be too much for the Colts defense, they will be on their heels. Tosses and draws will gain huge yards for McCoy, I expect big things from him Sunday.
2. Brandon Jacobs (NYG) - Goal line machine. If you need a fill-in RB this week or need an option guy at a flex spot, Jacobs is a great option. The Seahawks will be overmatched by the larger and well rested Giants offensive line.

---Sit 'Em
1. Beanie Wells (ARI)
2. Cedric Benson (CIN)


START 'EM

WR's
1. Steve Smith (NYG) - The Giants are coming off the bye week and the Seahawks lost their quarterback in a bad loss. I smell a blow out and you know Eli will be slingin' the ball all over the field.
2. Mike Wallace (PITT) - The downfield threat for the Steelers should have a big day against a beaten up and disgruntled Bengals defense. Wallace should have a big score this weekend.

---Sit 'Em
1. Percy Harvin (MINN)
2. Dez Bryant (DAL)

Week 9 - POWER RANKINGS

Here are my Power Rankings heading into Week 9

1. Baltimore Ravens
2. New England Patriots
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Indianapolis Colts
5. New York Giants
6. New York Jets
7. Atlanta Falcons
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Philadelphia Eagles
10. Kansas City Chiefs
11. Green Bay Packers
12. Houston Texans
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15. Tennessee Titans
16. San Diego Chargers
17. Oakland Raiders
18. St. Louis Rams
19. Seattle Seahawks
20. Minnesota Vikings
21. San Francisco 49ers
22. Jacksonville Jaguars
23. Chicago Bears
24. Washington Redskins
25. Arizona Cardinals
26. Denver Broncos
27. Cincinnati Bengals
28. Cleveland Browns
29. Detroit Lions
30. Dallas Cowboys
31. Buffalo Bills
32. Carolina Panthers

Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - Week 8

The Good:

The Colts. Normally, I reserve praise for Manning and Company simply because it’s a given. However, they’re proved especially resilient this season. GM Bill Polian did a phenomenal job stocking this team with talent. The Colts offense featured Mike Hart and Jacob Tammie in the starting lineup last night and didn’t miss a beat against the Texans. Peyton Manning receives so much praise that it’s become cliché to do so but when key members of the offense go down and the he doesn’t miss a beat, he deserves every word of it. If the Colts defense keeps opposing offenses to a dull roar, Indy could find itself in Dallas come February.

The Bad:

The Washington Redskins. Losing to the Lions isn’t as bad as it seems. The Raiders and Lions have both shown us this year that if you get top 10 draft picks for a decade, you will improve. The Lions have a lively offense and a few nice defensive pieces. However, the Redskins showed zero faith in McNabb by benching him in favor of Rex Grossman. McNabb is a streaky player. He always has been. Shanahan pulled him and likely created some tension in his relationship with his quarterback. Reid benched McNabb once before, but they had many years together along with the requisite trust. At this stage in his career, McNabb knows he isn’t a part of the team’s long term plan. I think Shanahan gave McNabb reason to look over his shoulder, which could result in poor decisions from McNabb trying to make plays that aren’t there.

The Ugly

I’d go with the Cowboys but I don’t want to waste perfectly good internet on them. However, the Vikings looked the ugliest coming off another loss but the true ugly stems from the release of Randy Moss. The Moss acquisition created a lot of buzz and should have given Brett Favre the downfield threat Sidney Rice’s injury created. However, the Vikings failed to see that New England’s willingness to part with their big name receiver in the middle of a playoff push represented a huge ominous red flag. Randy’s skill set no longer appears to justify the troubles he brings along. The Vikings took a shot and missed badly. Moss will surely find another team and another paycheck but the Vikings will not get back the 3rd rounder they dealt away.